ALSO: It's a great waking up knowing that the Red Sox SWEPT the Yankees this past weekend.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Morning Dog Walk
So each and every morning, I wake up a bit earlier to feed and walk Darla and Ginny (aka dogs). In the dead of winter (Feb, etc.) it is always dark and wet. I wear about 13 layers of clothing and walk have asleep in the darkness so the dogs can do their morning business in the woods. The flipside of this experience is that it's quite pleasant when the weather gets warmer. The best time of the year for this is Spring.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Virginia Tech obituaries
(Matt)
Excerpts from Ryan C. Clark's obit:
...Ryan C. Clark's favorite place in the world was Camp Big Heart, a summer spot in Fort Yargo State Park in Winder, Ga. Every summer for the past eight years, he spent two weeks at the camp for mentally impaired children, first as a volunteer counselor and, later, as music director
...."He had degrees in psychology, biology and English," his brother said. "A brainiac. He planned to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. He wanted to work with the mentally impaired."
....Ryan Clark was a resident adviser in the West Ambler Johnston dormitory, where he was killed Monday when he left his fourth-floor room to investigate a report of a dispute, friends said.
It seems that every person I hear about who died at Virginia Tech was exceptional. This Ryan above is just one of so many people who just really seemed like wonderful people which, to me, makes this whole thing so sad..special people dying.
One positive thing I see from watching the news these past few days is that there are still so many good kids in the world. From the students who survived talking about their fallen friends and family, it speaks volumes about the great kids at Virgina Tech. Virginia Tech should be immensly proud. This event placed the spotlight on them at their worst moment, but the result is that we see their best and their best is quite nice.
Excerpts from Ryan C. Clark's obit:
...Ryan C. Clark's favorite place in the world was Camp Big Heart, a summer spot in Fort Yargo State Park in Winder, Ga. Every summer for the past eight years, he spent two weeks at the camp for mentally impaired children, first as a volunteer counselor and, later, as music director
...."He had degrees in psychology, biology and English," his brother said. "A brainiac. He planned to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. He wanted to work with the mentally impaired."
....Ryan Clark was a resident adviser in the West Ambler Johnston dormitory, where he was killed Monday when he left his fourth-floor room to investigate a report of a dispute, friends said.
It seems that every person I hear about who died at Virginia Tech was exceptional. This Ryan above is just one of so many people who just really seemed like wonderful people which, to me, makes this whole thing so sad..special people dying.
One positive thing I see from watching the news these past few days is that there are still so many good kids in the world. From the students who survived talking about their fallen friends and family, it speaks volumes about the great kids at Virgina Tech. Virginia Tech should be immensly proud. This event placed the spotlight on them at their worst moment, but the result is that we see their best and their best is quite nice.
Friday, April 13, 2007
I'm not LISTENING, I can't help that I can hear you.
Washington-type ladiesOlder, educated,Washington-type lady "This Imus thing-so, when he called them 'H-O' (and yes, she spelled it out) he meant what?
Middle aged, well spoken, Washington-type man next to her "It's black vernacular. Sometimes they use this term"
Washington-type lady-"So they call themselves this?"
Washington-type man-"Well, no."
Consensus:
Washington-type man spells it out:
"If you're a true liberal you're against it either way--slurs AND censoring speech."
"If you're a true liberal you're against it either way--slurs AND censoring speech."
Well, I find myself again at Panera. It's just easier on me-I don't want to explain it, it's really not that complicated. I have decided that I am going to begin my own private little 'overheard'
( http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/ ) . The places where I find myself will certainly not offer the diverse, unique and sometimes jawdropping conversations that the streets, bars, parks and trains of NYC do. Despite the ethnic and cultural diversity of our nation's capital (and its metro area), the population is surprisingly homogenous in thought, word and action.
( http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/ ) . The places where I find myself will certainly not offer the diverse, unique and sometimes jawdropping conversations that the streets, bars, parks and trains of NYC do. Despite the ethnic and cultural diversity of our nation's capital (and its metro area), the population is surprisingly homogenous in thought, word and action.
Their vocabulary is littered with buzzwords and isms such as:
'you're hiring the ideas' (as opposed to the person)
'furthermore'
'if you want to lose your spirituality, join a religious institution'
beginning every sentence with 'so'-whether is makes sense or not ( "So, ok-we're going to leave")
replacing 'like' with 'sort of'
saying 'to whom' instead of who (proper grammar is so pretentious :) )
(more to follow, the pools of Panera are pretty shallow)
I am on my computer, my head down again, clicking away and one of the women sitting at the table next to me has her back turned to me but glances over her shoulder periodically. She does this as if to say, you're not listening in, are you? My silent reply to her is -if you are going to talk in public- you are going to be overheard. I don't care what you are saying, I am just waiting for you to say something stupid.
After a bit, they leave and I am left with a blur of conversation from the table to my right. I am suspecting that they are not concerned with me at all. Maybe it's because my eyes are crossed and I am tapping away. Maybe it's because they are speaking Chinese.
~Aimee
In Case you missed it.
(Matt)
Aimee and I were working on postings at the same time. So, if you missed mine about our former lives in the big New York City, you can access it here.
In the meantime, here's a picture I took with my cell phone yesterday, from my where I work.
Here's a cell phone pic of the second floor of our house.
Here's a cell phone pic of our upstairs bathroom. You should have seen it before - yeck!
Aimee and I were working on postings at the same time. So, if you missed mine about our former lives in the big New York City, you can access it here.
In the meantime, here's a picture I took with my cell phone yesterday, from my where I work.
Here's a cell phone pic of the second floor of our house.
Here's a cell phone pic of our upstairs bathroom. You should have seen it before - yeck!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Old People are Funny. Funny like a Clown.
I'm sitting in Panera getting my free WIFI. Usually the noise is so diffuse (coffee cups clanging, orders being taken, the odd child crying, etc) I can't hear really one conversation or particular voice so it serves as a great source of white noise.
I guess I've been sitting here longer than I thought because I look up from my computer and there's only about 10 or so other people in the whole place.
I get back to work.
It's now about 4pm (aka dinner time for those of a certain age). I am snapped out of my key-clicking email trance by the sound of a squeaky wheel of one of those push walkers (not the old school kind with the tennis ball traction feet, one of the nicer, newer ones-this one is a metallic red). The octogen trio sits right in front of me.
I try to blend that with the sound of the cappuccino machine, another whining child and someone closing a deal. I try but then I start to hear the things one of the OG's is saying. Even in the sunset years, people assume their roles. She is the alpha female. She is holding court.
The first bit of conversation that perks my ears is her complaining about her church. That's kind of funny to me. Complaining about church? Here's how it went:
When talking about her 'new fangled' preacher who uses a powerpoint presentation to display scriptures on a large screen in the middle of the santuary:
"If I wanted to see a movie, I'd go to the movies. He doesn't even wear a suit jacket, just a sweater-that's so distracting on Easter"
Again, I try to slip back into my work so from then on I only hear bits and pieces of the conversation:
My left leg is dragging a bit more lately, it's heavier now or something.
Is that a christmas outfit?
Her music I don't like. Can't understand a word of it but she's an adorable girl. She could be insulting me and I wouldn't even know it.
I'm a traditional person, I'm sorry. I can't help it. (after a long diatribe on one thing or another- when did intolerance equate traditional?)
Well, it's getting near 4:30, I should get home.
And the kicka: the colon likes a good oatmeal
I was feeling a little smug and dismissive of this old lady and all her old ladiness. But then, the gentleman that was with her said, "Ok, come on Doris. Let's get you home."
My grandmother's name was Doris. What a beautiful name. What a beautiful lady. I like old ladies.
~Aimee
Satellite/Photo Tour of Aimee and Matt's New York
(By Matt)
Aimee and Matt met in New York City. Below is a visual tour of where we lived. I (Matt) also got a little too wrapped up in noting real and fake New York Mafia landmarks, so bear with me. I used http://local.live.com/ for Satellite images. I think it's neat and maybe you will too, Reader.
For ALL PHOTOS in this posting. You should be able to click on the image to see a larger version. Also, I stole them all from other web sites.
First, where I lived:
I lived with a Married Couple named David and Beatrice. David was from California and Beatrice was from Europe. Her father is Spanish and mother Finnish. She went to School in Switzerland so that's why I said "Europe." They were looking to make it in the Movie industry. Rather than elaborate, I will save that story for another time. If the one in a million possibility for them to see this entry, by all means D and B, contact us!
Wider Shot. I lived in Astoria, Queens. Right next to the Triborough Bridge.
Even Wider shot. This shows where I lived in relation to where I worked. The Island in the East River is where Spider Man beat up Willem Dafoe.
My Trip to the Subway:
Okay, Mafia Time! You've seen my walk to the Subway, but you don't know that I walked by a Mafia Den every day on the way to the Subway, now did you? See the Key below the image for more information.
Click on image for larger version.
A.) This is the Subway Stop I used EVERY day. Two and a half years without a car was nice though cold when you had to walk.
B.) Bada Bam Bing Zam Chick Brauw, Mafia Hangout! If you click on the following link, you will see a photo of the Mafia guy. He is standing outside of #B from the pic above. I used to look in the window a lot. My Spidey Senses told me to not walk in there. Really, I got the feeling that it wouldn't be good to walk in for Happy Hour. This was not uncommon in that area though. There were a lot of social clubs you just didn't walk into.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudaj_Organization
C.) That's a Gas Station. I walked on that street a lot. One Day I saw a huge enormous Mercedes pull up and Big Mean looking dudes with expensive looking clothing. Yep, Mafia.
B2.) Right at the entrance of the Subway, there's like a small grocery store where you can buy anything in the world. I used to by Pizza there a lot. One HUGE piece of pizza cost $1.50. I could go anywhere and the pizza was always good and cheap.
D.) That's the subway platform. I used to stand THERE to avoid crowding and get a seat. I was able to get a seat on MOST days. The Subway was easy!
Where Aimee lived.
Aimee lived on Staten Island. The story of "WHY" is probably one of the most interesting stories I've ever heard. It's like a real story as opposed to me pasting silly maps on a blog. Maybe one day you'll learn about it.
Closer:
Yes, it's true. Parts of The Godfather were filmed not too far from Aimee's apartment. Of course I had to drive by and take a look! Kidding aside, Staten Island is a great place.
The following photo is of a 9/11 Memorial that is located about a half-mile from Aimee's old apartment. We actually saw it evolve right in front of our eyes. It started out as a group of small stations, dedicated to all the people from Staten Island who died on 9/11. At FIRST, each station only had a candle and some photos and written letters. Each week we would pass by it and there would be something being built. BTW, I arrived in NYC on 9/8/01. What a start, eh?
During Christmas, there would be trees and during Easter there would be flowers arranged. I don't know what it looks like today, but here are some images:
Here's where Aimee ate on September 11, 2001. On the Anniversary of that date, she would go back to this place. It's called Lee's Tavern. GREAT PIZZA.
Here's where we had our First Date, The Rodeo Bar in Manhattan.
That's it for now!
Aimee and Matt met in New York City. Below is a visual tour of where we lived. I (Matt) also got a little too wrapped up in noting real and fake New York Mafia landmarks, so bear with me. I used http://local.live.com/ for Satellite images. I think it's neat and maybe you will too, Reader.
For ALL PHOTOS in this posting. You should be able to click on the image to see a larger version. Also, I stole them all from other web sites.
First, where I lived:
I lived with a Married Couple named David and Beatrice. David was from California and Beatrice was from Europe. Her father is Spanish and mother Finnish. She went to School in Switzerland so that's why I said "Europe." They were looking to make it in the Movie industry. Rather than elaborate, I will save that story for another time. If the one in a million possibility for them to see this entry, by all means D and B, contact us!
Wider Shot. I lived in Astoria, Queens. Right next to the Triborough Bridge.
Even Wider shot. This shows where I lived in relation to where I worked. The Island in the East River is where Spider Man beat up Willem Dafoe.
My Trip to the Subway:
Okay, Mafia Time! You've seen my walk to the Subway, but you don't know that I walked by a Mafia Den every day on the way to the Subway, now did you? See the Key below the image for more information.
Click on image for larger version.
A.) This is the Subway Stop I used EVERY day. Two and a half years without a car was nice though cold when you had to walk.
B.) Bada Bam Bing Zam Chick Brauw, Mafia Hangout! If you click on the following link, you will see a photo of the Mafia guy. He is standing outside of #B from the pic above. I used to look in the window a lot. My Spidey Senses told me to not walk in there. Really, I got the feeling that it wouldn't be good to walk in for Happy Hour. This was not uncommon in that area though. There were a lot of social clubs you just didn't walk into.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudaj_Organization
C.) That's a Gas Station. I walked on that street a lot. One Day I saw a huge enormous Mercedes pull up and Big Mean looking dudes with expensive looking clothing. Yep, Mafia.
B2.) Right at the entrance of the Subway, there's like a small grocery store where you can buy anything in the world. I used to by Pizza there a lot. One HUGE piece of pizza cost $1.50. I could go anywhere and the pizza was always good and cheap.
D.) That's the subway platform. I used to stand THERE to avoid crowding and get a seat. I was able to get a seat on MOST days. The Subway was easy!
Where Aimee lived.
Aimee lived on Staten Island. The story of "WHY" is probably one of the most interesting stories I've ever heard. It's like a real story as opposed to me pasting silly maps on a blog. Maybe one day you'll learn about it.
Closer:
Yes, it's true. Parts of The Godfather were filmed not too far from Aimee's apartment. Of course I had to drive by and take a look! Kidding aside, Staten Island is a great place.
The following photo is of a 9/11 Memorial that is located about a half-mile from Aimee's old apartment. We actually saw it evolve right in front of our eyes. It started out as a group of small stations, dedicated to all the people from Staten Island who died on 9/11. At FIRST, each station only had a candle and some photos and written letters. Each week we would pass by it and there would be something being built. BTW, I arrived in NYC on 9/8/01. What a start, eh?
During Christmas, there would be trees and during Easter there would be flowers arranged. I don't know what it looks like today, but here are some images:
Here's where Aimee ate on September 11, 2001. On the Anniversary of that date, she would go back to this place. It's called Lee's Tavern. GREAT PIZZA.
Here's where we had our First Date, The Rodeo Bar in Manhattan.
That's it for now!
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Springtime in DC
Overlay 'Sunday Morning' music as you stroll
through the cherry blossoms
through the cherry blossoms
And just a note from the FDR memorial
on the back side of the tidal basin:
It reads
I HAVE SEEN WAR
I have seen war on land and sea
I have seen blood running from the wounded
I have seen the dead in the mud I have seen cities destroyed
I have seen children starving
I have seen the agony of mothers and wives
I HATE WAR
~Aimee
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
AWESOME
This poster made me laugh aloud, so I am compelled to share...
Larger Version: http://seek-truth.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/awesome.jpg
Larger Version: http://seek-truth.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/awesome.jpg
Monday, April 02, 2007
Home Depot.....If we'll have enough time.
Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I don't know, I don't know if we'll have enough time.
Frank "The Tank" Ricard, Circa 2003.
Well, we had enough time this past weekend. No working on the Trans Am while Jamming to Whitesnake..at least not this past weekend. It consisted of:
- One visit to Home Depot
- Two Visits to Sherwin Williams
- One visit to Subway
- One Visit to Lowes
And...
Ouala! New Paint Job and new backyard table.
Frank The Tank is quieted.....for now..
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
