It’s a gorgeous day here in Upstate New York. Sunshine filled sky, temperatures near 80, it’s all revving up for a beautiful Memorial Day weekend.
Get out there and enjoy the day!
Flickr
Candid Camera.
I came home today at lunch time and found the internet connection not working properly. Refusing to be frustrated, I thought I’d snap a picture of me sitting on the back patio soaking up some sun. But I took this picture of me setting up the camera by mistake and decided to go with just this photo instead.
At least the camera wasn’t pointed up my nose.
I then decided I would just post the photo and just sit back and read a magazine instead. Sometimes you just need a break from technology.
The Handyman Can.
Earl is out of town on business tonight and tomorrow and he left me a list of chores to accomplish to get ready for the big trip on Friday.
The chore list did not include the installation of the new dishwasher. I decided to do that without prompting.
It’s been a while since I’ve tackled a home improvement project solo but I was up for the challenge. I mean, how hard could it be to install a dishwasher? Earl and I had pulled the old dishwasher out last night in less then 20 minutes, it should be easy to put the new one in, right?
Actually, it wasn’t that bad, once I spent $75 in new tools. I consider the money an investment, because the dishwasher installation turned out so well, I might be inclined to go ahead and do something really crazy like paint a wall or hook up the doorbells.
So here I am posing by the new dishwasher. No the absence of sparks. Notice the calm look because I’m not in a flood zone. It’s running as I type and it’s running well.
Bring on the next project. After vacation.
Creative Thoughts.
I just love this woman’s poster. Now there’s some creative thinking.
I found this on Michael’s blog.
Fortunate.
I sometimes wonder how many people are as lucky as I am when it comes to family. Tonight Earl and I went to dinner with my mom and we had an absolutely wonderful time. We giggled, we shared stories and we just shot the bull. We (meaning I) drank a little wine too. That would explain the giggling.
I wish every person could be as blessed as I am.
Celebration.
For most, one’s birthday is a milepost in this journey of life. For many, birthdays are not celebrated but rather despised because it’s a reminder that we are getting older. These folks pine for the good ol’ days and fear what lies ahead.
Not us.
Today is Earl’s birthday. Since he’s the emotionally stable one in the relationship (who would have guessed?), there were no hysterics, no depression and no regrets. He believes as I do, you’re only as old as you feel. The body is nothing more than a vehicle for the young spirit inside. He’s the playful, young-at-heart guy I met over 10 years ago. Does he have a serious side? Of course he does; he’s the responsible half of this dynamic duo, but he’s still a kid at heart that likes a good adventure.
We drove home from suburban Philly today by taking “the scenic route”. A five hour trip took nearly nine hours. We passed through his old stomping ground of Williamsport, Pa. in the central part of the state. He showed me a few key spots from that time in his life. I showed him a good time later on by picking up the tab for dinner at Benchwarmer’s in Ithaca, N.Y. Of course, I used his casino winnings to do so, but it was the thought that counts.
Happy birthday sweetheart!
Lucky Cat.
When work gets a little too hectic, I simply look over to the corner of my desk and gaze upon my few pictures, my two paperweights and Lucky Cat.
He’s from Epcot at Disneyworld. I picked him up during our trip in 2000. This is the second desk he has lived on.
I believe that one’s work area should contain just enough personal items to make the space feel comfortable, but be sparse enough that it can all be picked up in five minutes or less in case of lay off or other employment catastrophe.
Here’s another picture of my knick knack corner.
Vibe.
To kick off the weekend in style, Earl and I journeyed to downtown Syracuse for some real, good ol’ honky-tonk food at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. A local landmark, the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is famous for their great food, blues music and eclectic crowd. It’s always a good time and Earl and I try to take out of town family and friends there whenever we the opportunity presents itself. Hint, hint to Tim and Steve.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is located on the edge of the downtown area, so after supper Earl and I decided to embrace the low 50s and clear weather Mother Nature has given us again this January and go for a walk. We walked over to Clinton Square and watched the skaters do their thing a la Rockefeller Center and then walked around a few blocks of the general area.
The City of Syracuse is making an effort to bring more residential space to downtown by converting old warehouses and office buildings into lofts and other living space and this is something appeals very much to both Earl and myself. Somewhat a native of Syracuse (half my family lives there), the Salt City is the the place that I feel most comfortable in and I could live there the rest of my life without thinking about it twice. Living in a bigger city also appeals to Earl so we took great interest in a building we walked by that was being converted to apartments and townhouses and jotted down the phone number.
Even though I grew up in the country and have lived in varying places including suburban Boston and rural Upstate New York, I’ve always wanted to try living in a downtown area where I would do a lot of walking and have our own little speck of existence in a busy city area.
Another magnificent building we walked by was the Niagara Mohawk building, a wonderful art deco structure built in the first half of the 20th century. I find art deco structures so cool; it’s as if the designers and builders went out of their way to make their work as unique as possible, a welcomed relief to the cookie cutter buildings being built today.
The vibe of the city was a great way to kick off the weekend and wash away the hectic pace of the work week. It’s all good.
Happy Geek.
I’ve mentioned before that I am a big geek when it comes to maps and roads, especially signs. In fact, I maintain a whole website dedicated to the roads in Upstate New York. The website gets quite a few hits from travelers, tourists, chambers of commerce and whatnot and from time to time I get requests to feature product placements on my page.
Usually my answer to these product placements is a hearty “no”, because I want to keep my sites as ad free as possible. However, one sign company here in Upstate New York requested that I put a link on the site for them and offered to pay me for the link. I turned down the payment and asked if they could make a sign or two for me instead. They happily agreed to make two signs for me for one year of “advertising” on my site. One of the signs I requested was the Interstate 81 sign you see in the picture (the second is still under construction). They also included a couple of others signs for my collection, including WRONG WAY, that I’ll be hanging on the garage wall with the others I’ve picked up at various places over the years.
I’m such a happy geek today.
