Santa's Pub Crawl

Santa's Pub Crawl
Originally uploaded by transplant

I'm off work today, but I had 'city' errands to run so I stopped off
at my favorite bar to have lunch only to find that the whole place has
been taken over by Santas. There is a convention of Santas this
weekend, which means they have taken over the city and and today they
are having a pub crawl. Periodically they sing carols and the whole
thing is pretty jolly and hilarious. Another one of those only in New
York moments.

MiG Nose

MiG Nose
Originally uploaded by transplant

Animal Time!

Union Square This Morning

Union Square This Morning
Originally uploaded by transplant

Susan

Election Day and Some Non-Cynical National Pride

So. I waited in line to vote for almost 2 hours. Once I got inside, and could see the room where the booths were, and hear the levers of the old voting machines being yanked back and forth it was hard not to think about the many New Yorkers that have used these same machines to vote before me. I know the media has been reminding all of us for about the last two years how historical this election is, but that's certainly how it feels, especially when you're faced with the same process first adopted in this state in 1892, and was used nationwide by the 1930's. The machine I used was newer than that, but most likely is at least 40 years old. That's a lot of elections, and a lot of arms on a lot of people turing knobs and pulling the lever back and forth.
Also, all day today, at work and while walking around the neighborhood at lunch, every conversation I've had, or even the snatches of conversation I've overheard (at least between residents) touches on the election. Most conversations start with "Hey! What's up? Did you Vote?" or are ending with "Are you going to Vote?" or "Don't forget to Vote!" I'm also sure that a lot of people will be out in bars tonight, watching the election results instead of some sort of ball game. Everybody around here is proud to be an American today, and it's fun to walk around a city made up of all nationalities and we're all talking about the same thing.

Listen

This is how stars sound. The full article is here. I wonder what the Milky Way sounds like.

Night Train

Night Train
Originally uploaded by transplant

Late Afternoon in My 'Hood

Late Afternoon in My 'Hood
Uploaded on the go by Winnemucca's Own

I took this while walking home from the vegetable stand balancing 4 bags of groceries on one arm, and holding my phone with my free hand. Fall has finally arrived despite the 75 degree days. It's getting cold at night again, and the stars are a lot clearer without the humidity getting in the way. The leaves are starting to change, and I promised myself I would make it up to Central Park this year to see them.

(It's so far away! - hehehe)

Shelby Sketch

It's been awhile since I posted a dog picture, so I figure this will do. It was a pretty quick sketch, since she very rarely sits still. Unless I catch her sleeping. Like the picture below. I don't know if I've posted that one before, but it ranks pretty high on my dog picture list. Anyway. We just made it through a bout of doggie sick stomach, but all I can say is thankfully everything is back to normal. Not very exciting, but it certainly was a big disruption around here.

From the Bridge Today

From the Bridge Today
Originally uploaded by transplant

Here's another pic from my commute in the train home.

My Thumbs'all Red

Creepy Subway Greenery

Creepy Subway Greenery
Uploaded on the go by transplant

So every time I wait for BK bound train at Canal street, I see this disgusting and facinating growth of moss that has sprung up on a leaky pipe, and has since spread to the column.

It can't be healthy to be close to that thing.

A Little Color

A Little Color
Uploaded on the go.

Here it is! It's a little darker in here now, and the room is maybe a millimeter smaller. It's called 'Thermal Spring' which is funny to tell people what color I painted. So far I like it. Shelby was a little concerned when I started moving furniture around, but now everythings back in place so she can relax again.

Shared Culture

I thought this was pretty neat. I found it through the BBC news website, the article is here and explains the whole project better than I can.

I just like the idea that people of all ages from all over the world can share all of these (mostly happy) memories about something as simple as a song.

Name That Fruit

Took this in the Great Wall Supermarket down the street from my house. I'll have to do some research I guess and figure out what it is since the sign was in Chinese.

Some Good Music.

Check out Dr. Dog, the album is "Fate" - and it's pretty good. Can't stop listening to it!

Waiting

Waiting
Originally uploaded by transplant

Website

At some point in everyone's life, they stumble on a creepy bug they can't identify and therefore worry about.

A couple of things. Plus pictures!

So. I recently read Lonesome Dove (again) after purchasing a replacement copy for the one I read until the cover, followed by the back pages. fell off. It's always enjoyable. High on my list of favorite books maybe, although that is a hard list to keep track of because all the books I read over and over mean different things at different times.

I got stuck on the internet the other day on the Netflix website, looking at movies that are unique to different cities around the country. For instance, number one is Brooklyn is a documentary about Hasidism in America, in Salt Lake, people are watching a movie about the early days of the Mormon religion more than anywhere else, and in Elizabethtown Kentucky, people rent Stephen King's Desperation at a higher rate than most everyone. It's kinda interesting.

Here is a picture! Or two!

The one above I changed to black and white, then fussed with the exposure in photoshop a bit. the one below I flipped upside down and turned black and white.

They are pictures from the lobby of the Hyatt hotel in San Fran along the Embarcadero.

Something Tiny and Amazing

While I was taking Shelby out tonight, I came across a dead leaf that appeared to be hovering in mid-air about four feet above the ground, just off the sidewalk in the park. It was hanging from a tree branch, attached to a long piece of silk from a caterpillar or maybe a spider, gently twisting and floating around in the breeze. I left all my gadgets at home, so I'll just have to remember it instead.

From The Archives

Tiny Pa. I like this picture a lot. It was also when Lil' Sis and I were trying to take a picture of him between her fingers. Which we couldn't get right. Which I guess is good because then we would have been crushing him Kids in the Hall style.

Over the Bridge Again

Over the Bridge Again
Originally uploaded by transplant

Here is a view that I see every day. Sometimes its dark out. Sometimes its morning. But this is definitely something I see everyday.

I've mentioned it before, but I still like how the bridge always looks twisted and crooked, while the background is normal. Go Go Gadget camera phone.

Happy Independence

Happy Independence
Originally uploaded on the go by transplant

Here is a picture of the cheese beer. I went to a 4th of July party that was also a re-Americanization of a girl who spent the last year studying abroad. Hence the slice of American cheese stuck to my beer, (which was accidental, I dropped it but it stuck there which was super great.) Eventually I made a face in the cheese, but didn't get a good pic.

Anyway. The 4th of July in Brooklyn is an amazing thing. Everyone migrates upwards towards their roofs, barbeques up there, and then watches millions of dollars explode in the form of fireworks. It makes for a great holiday cause you can hear everyone clapping and cheering across Brooklyn. We had fireworks in the shape of smiley faces, some 3D cubes, and some fireworks that were wiggly lines that hung almost stationary in the air for about a minute.

Nighttime

Wishes

I cook quite a few chickens, less in the summertime because it's hot enough without me adding to the problem. I'm saving these up in case I need a wish granted I think. I've been told that they are kind of creepy or gross, and I guess I can understand that, but these people don't know that one of my childhood treasures was a little mouse skull that I found out under a bush on one of our many day trips. (It was already clean when I found it.)
I also remember always asking my dad to try to save the wishbone when we had a whole chicken or a turkey so us kids could snap it and hopefully get a wish granted, but now I understand that they are fragile little things, and a lot of times there isn't much you can do to make sure you get a whole one.

Lil' Tattoo Story

So. I was at the hardware store the other day in Manhattan. (I'm glad growing up how I did made it so I don't feel out of place in hardware stores.) Anyway. I was getting some duplicate keys made for work, and the guy that was ringing me up on the register said

"Hey, nice tattoo. The coloring on that is really good." And then pointed it out to his co-worker.

And then we had a little chat about where I got it and all of that fun stuff, but I figure that the compliment ranks pretty high. I'd much rather have old dudes with tattoos they got before it was popular tell me they like it, than some lady with a Tweety Bird Smoking A Joint tattoo on her ankle tell me it's nice. So that made me proud. The Tweety Bird tattoo is something that I saw recently on one of our customers, and I thought it was one of the worst I've seen but also hilarious.

I'm still super happy that I got it. It's Awesome.

Summertime Clouds

Originally uploaded on the go by transplant

From the Archives

I took this picture awhile ago. I see a shiny drink case pretty much everyday, since at some point I usually have to go in a corner store for toilet paper or something, not to mention the drug stores, pizza places or delis. Like tonight, when I ran out of milk, or earlier today when I had to go to the drug store to pick up some bandaids for the first aid kit at work.

And if you're looking for some new news. My plant has done this. Maybe it's flowering, but there aren't any petals, so maybe its a bud. I've had this plant for a few years now, and repotted it twice, but this is something new. It was very surprising though, since it seemed to sprout overnight, and it grows a little taller everyday. Anyway. I was kinda amazed and proud of my little plant, and have been keeping a close eye on it.

Over the Bridge Again

Over the Bridge Again
Originally uploaded by transplant

I took this on my way home from work. Because the lil' shutter (or whatever it is in a digital camera phone) is at a pretty slow speed, the bridge and walkway came out kinda curved. An indication of how fast we were traveling at the time.

Anyway. Its been oppressively hot for the last couple of days. I'm not going to start up the dry vs. humid argument again, but this was pretty gross. Standing on a sunny corner in Manhattan when it's 99 degrees with no breeze, baking in the heat being reflected off of the concrete sidewalks, buildings, and all the heat being generated by the cars crawling by PLUS high humidity makes for some miserable conditions. Kinda like being an ant under a magnifying glass. The only tradeoff is that when the weather us like this there are usually some pretty good thunderstorms at dusk into the evening.

Blahg

I've been somewhat of an apathetic blogger lately. Not feeling too clever or something. I figure the best way to get going is to post another picture, without worrying too much about what I should say about it.

Lil' Sis took this picture (along with some very very silly videos) on our way back to Reno after visiting the Muc. I think between that and the singing along to Tom Petty really loudly it was a good trip. Even with the forgotten melted Gummi bear heads stuck to the dashboard the next morning.

New York City

New York City
Originally uploaded by transplant

Susan

Pictures

I think we all took about a million pictures of those logs from various angles

Looking at this reminds me of the sound of the wind blowing through there and making that rusty hubcap creak.

I like the color of the sky in this one...

More to come...

The Man

The Man
Originally uploaded by transplant

My flight from Houston to NYC is delayed about 2 hours, due to what is probably bad weather and general congestion at the airport there. Its actually kind of a good thing. It gave me a little time to grab a bite to eat and wander around a bit.

I thought this statue was amusing because of the casual action pose. (Was GB1 known for throwing his coat over his shoulder???) The airport is alright, lots of shops and such. They also have a chapel. Which is something I've never seen at any other airport. I'm off to wait, and hopefully find an outlet to charge up my Gameboy.

Breakfast in SF

Breakfast in SF
Originally uploaded by transplant

We went to a diner where they serve coffee in mismatched random cups.
This was mine. There were also boobs, M&M's, and a Statue of Liberty
one. The food was basic diner breakfast but delicious.

Susan

Spring

Spring
Originally uploaded by transplant

After a long long long cold February and March its finally Spring here! Trees are budding, birds are chirping, and we're all getting excited for summer.

I took this on my walk home from the train.

Good One

Hey Pa!

Why didn't you tell me that Beggars Banquet was such a good album?

Haha. 

I've been listening to it a lot. 

The Future

The Future
Originally uploaded by transplant

Susan

Train stop

Train stop
Originally uploaded by transplant

Susan

Funny Dog

Funny Dog
Originally uploaded by transplant

I'm not trying to turn this into a dog blog or anything. But then Shelby pulls a classic dog pose and I can't help it.

Homeward

Homeward
Originally uploaded by transplant

I took this on the way home out of the train window while going over the bridge. Tough to get a clear shot with the bridge supports and whatnot flying by. The view is always pretty great no matter the weather though.

Shelby Loves Her Hat

Guilty Pleasure

So I have watched a couple of episodes of My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad on NBC, and although no one dies or gets exploded or is a really rich overly dramatic teenager, it's strangely compelling. Kind of like a Japanese Game Show for The American Family. 

Last episode the dads had to launch their kids (who were all harnessed up and holding big foam darts) off of this platform, so they could swing through the air and try get a bulls-eye on a super giant target. They were pretty high up, and a couple of kids smacked into the padded wall kinda hard.

This week, the final two dads had to pick up scorpions off a conveyor belt and carry them over to a tank where their kids were sitting and drop them in. The dad with the most was the winner, which this week was the Cool Kid and Nerdy Dad combo. It's also kind of touching to see these dads do all this crazy stuff so their kids aren't disappointed, like the guy who climbed up a 4 story high fake tree even though he was clearly afraid of heights and couldn't go very fast. 

Anyway. I like it. 

My View

This was my view of the checkers game. I think it was the intense evil concentration that Morsa was using against me that won her the game. Also. I don't have very many pictures of us making normal faces as you all can imagine.

This is of our fellow tourists taking pictures off the side of the boat. I ended up the frame of the people sitting next to us who were taking pictures of themselves and the boat. Hopefully they notice me with a big cheesy smile (and the remaining half of a breakfast sandwhich in hand) in the background of their vacation pictures. Anyway, I liked this picture.

Lower Manhattan looking unreal.

Sara Loves Liberty

I sure had fun running around with my sis. We finally made it to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, (which was still fun the 2nd time around). I have been having trouble uploading pics to blogger for some reason, but I finally got these two to work.

Mache Monsters

Raaarrr!!! We successfully finished our Mache Monsters, it took a couple of days (with some drying time) but they ended up pretty scary. Hehehe. I haven't thought of a name yet though. The eyebrows are pipecleaners. So are the arms.