Bumper To Bumper

I've done a lot of running around this week and while stuck in the nightmare that is NJ traffic I found some car art to share with you.



I think this means they walk to the mailbox and only use the drive-thru once a day


There really is a tiger in his tank


I decided not to cut him off


Ya gotta love how clever Republicans think they are


Well there's at least one believer


Yes they do


We could be friends


Another friend


A Libertarian who wants stricter cell phone laws?


What?

They can't afford shoes, spent all their money on giant SUV


They guy next to me tailgated this truck for miles, I kept waiting for it to back up - so disappointed


That is one ugly kid


It is good to be self-aware

See ya on the Parkway

Six Word Saturday: The Agony of Da Feet

If The Shoe Fits, Buy It

I love shoes. I love their structure, they're like sculptures. I love all the designs and patterns and colors and textures. I love everything about shoes.

Except wearing them.

Even before my current state of big fat swollen ankle I had a terrible time with shoes. Back in my disco days I was famous for falling off my platforms, sliding out of my espadrilles.

I once got a heel stuck in a subway grate and left one shoe there as the other shoe, with me in it, boarded the train.

At the Minneapolis airport, while on a business trip, I ran toward the gate with heels in hand to catch the last flight of the day. As I arrived, waving wildly at the gate agent, one of the shoes in my hand went flying across the waiting area. Thankfully it didn't hit anyone. This was pre absurd security procedures. Now I probably would have been taken down.

Today my shoe adventures revolve around what will fit and feel the most comfy.

SIX WORD SATURDAY

Woody The Squirrel

I was waiting at a light last week trying to catch a shot of the river when I noticed something in the fence. See that object right after the third post?



The harder I looked the more I thought it was a squirrel. It never moved and I was already thinking of how I was going to park the car and make it through the snow to help the squirrel.

With the assistance of my zoom I realized ...



It was Woody.

So how did Woody get there?
Did a tree goddess put a spell on him?
Perhaps some wild sculptor added a bit of art to a barren fence?
A bored yet creative child?

These are the things I ponder.

Thoughts of Bonnie and Clyde

I pass this car a lot. It's always there.



It sits on the edge of a gas station at a really busy intersection. The kind of intersection that backs up and you have to wait for the light to cycle through at least twice before you get anywhere.

I have made up a million stories about this car. From the mundane - owner needs to sell it to save the gas station. To the sublime - it is the get away car of old time gangsters.

Bonnie and Clyde the next generation.

The other day I noticed ...



... what I decided were bullet holes.

A whole new set of stories to get me through traffic.

A REMAKE of the Bonnie and Clyde story is planned for next year.

The 1967 CLASSIC is one of my favorite movies.

Hope Gets Her First Check Up

So - a kiss on the cheek might be quite continental but don't do it if you're of the same gender and walking across a plaza owned by Mormons.

So - Malia Obama is 11 years old and apparently that is old enough for right wing nut job blogs to insult her - in vile and graphic ways. Where are the Letterman protesters now?

Both of those stories set my blogging fingers to twitchin' this morning and then I just said F**K IT! --- there will, unfortunately, always be stories like these to comment on.

Instead I share with you Hope's first visit to the pediatrician ...


this is a new place, I like getting out



look at all the people just like me, are they famous? Nana says I'm a celebrity


I'm very svelte you know


well that was easy, so now we're going home? oh! the doctor has to come in - OK

what's up doc? you make very good faces, I like that in an adult


wait a minute! what's with the needle? where's the nice doc? everyone just wait!!


I am so not happy right now


OK, I'm over it


home sweet home

one last thing everybody --- my UNCLE MATTY was inspired by Nana to post about sexy smart women, how cool is that? Nana says Uncle Matty is a bit R rated sometimes so she read me the good parts and left out the words I shouldn't hear yet. I think I'm lovin' Uncle Matty.

A Sunday Shout-Out

I know I said I was going to call it "pimping" but hell, it's Sunday and I'm nothing if not holy.

This is my second shout-out about a blog I like and recommend.

I know ROBIN from the many photo memes that we both participate in. Her photographs are wonderful. She lives in Israel and shares both daily life and bits of history with us. Her blog is aptly titled 'Around the Island' because she has a kitchen to just simply die for. No matter how many times her site opens I always take a moment to be happy for her - if I knew how to do a strikeout that would read - grossly envious.

And since serendipity and perfect timing are so me (along with the holiness) I'm giving this shout-out on the day that Robin is starting her very own photo project - I really hate the word meme.

Robin's new photo project is 'Summer Stock Sunday' - where you can share photos that represent summer to you.

My contribution for the inaugural episode of SSS is this boat speeding out of the Keyport Marina on its way to (I assume) Dah Joisey Shaw (the New Jersey Shore).



Take a moment and check out all ROBIN'S blog has to offer - starting with that kitchen.

Under the EL

I was reading BOBBIE’S post about getting stuck in a part of Brooklyn under the EL train, she mentioned that it was the same area as shown in the opening credits from the old TV show 'Welcome Back Kotter' - she also said that no one spoke English - Hah!! they were speaking Brooklyn.

Bobbie does this wonderful series called 'Misadventures On the Road' - check it out.

As I read her post I realized I had some photos of the area Bobbie is talking about. I took these in January when I was in Brooklyn for a birthday party.

All of these photos are in the neighborhood called Bensonhurst.

This is 18th Avenue. Commonly referred to as 'Da Avenue' - it is full of shops. My office was on 'da avenue'. Here we're facing the EL.



If you turn right under the EL you are on New Utrecht Avenue. I can't even begin to list for you the way 'Utrecht' is pronounced in the hood. I couldn't decide it I liked this shot in color or B&W ...




The car in front of me kept trying to back up. There was an open spot behind that white truck and the driver of that car wanted to go through me to get to it. Meanwhile the car behind me was leaning on the horn wanting me to move up. Home sweet home - where the asshats and the morons roam.

Speaking of driving in Brooklyn I'm so glad I took this photo.



Here I'm waiting at a red light on a single lane street. The car to my right was originally behind me - he rode my tail for several blocks - tooting his horn. I was already doing 50 in a 35 zone but that wasn't fast enough for him. At one point he nearly crashed into me when I slowed for pedestrians. At the light he squeezed his car in between me and parked cars and shoved himself into the intersection. All this to be one car length ahead of me. At the next corner - another view of the EL - he nearly mowed down several people crossing the street.

Another graduate of the Hooray For Me - The Hell With You school of driving.

This is the view of New Utrecht High School made famous in 'Welcome Back Kotter'.



I went to New Utrecht for a few days. I was at Lafayette High School but got thrown out for hitting the Dean of Girls. She grabbed my arm and tried to throw me against a wall so I hit her. They told my mother I could either go to another school or face disciplinary action which would involve the police. I wanted to fight but Mom heard police and panicked. So off to New U I went. I hated it there. The school was run by hoodlums. There was a group of girls who specialized in sneaking out to the football field to get high and give their boyfriends uh - oral pleasure. I called them the BJ Bimbos. Once satisfied they would return to the halls to terrorize the rest of us. I was a favorite target for them. Although I had a tough girl exterior I was really a very good girl. I took all the underdogs under my wing, I loved classes, I read several books a week. I just wanted to learn and be left alone. After a few weeks of trying to make it work I refused to go back. The Board of Ed. said my parents could home school me which was hilarious. My father was always drunk and my mother asked me to read things for her. WTF!? If I had been home schooled I would have spent my days taking care of my siblings and my parents - it was enough that I did that all night and all weekend. School was the only place I had to escape to. A friend went to Lincoln High and I got special permission to go out of the district. I took 2 trains and walked a mile to get to Lincoln and I didn't mind at all. The principal there soon figured me out, he was one of the only people to ever believe me about what a horror my parents were. I became his student assistant. He was one of the finest people I ever knew and a perfect example of how a caring educator can save a child's life.

Wow! I hadn't planned on spilling all that. I guess the photos just brought it out.

Hope you enjoyed the little photo tour of the hood.

Siren's Happy Day

Christmas Day was also Siren's birthday. He turned 6.

If you're not familiar with Siren's Story you can read it HERE

The short of it is that Siren was abused and neglected and then abandoned. He was rescued by an NYPD officer who found him under the GWB.

Each birthday reminds me of how far he has come. From the cat who couldn't be touched at all to this guy ...
Trying to give me a kiss while I'm taking his picture

He had a great time opening his presents

And he really enjoyed investigating each one

He did want to make sure there was nothing left in the bag

He even moved the bag to the floor and watched it for a while, just in case something new might pop out.

And then he settled in with this one

If you want to give yourself the best gift of all consider adopting a shelter animal.

Merry Merry

YO! Hos

No wait - that's not right.

YO! HO! HO! HO!

Yeah, that's better.

I posted some Christmasy photos over .... HERE

HAPPY MERRY EVERYTHING

Isn't It Ruby Tuesday?

Why yes, yes it is.

And my Ruby post is over at my new Photo Blog -
DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE.

Hope you'll visit there and here often.

Think of all the space I'm freeing up here for rants and stories!

Ruby Tuesday - A Lovely Church

This is the church in a nearby town that my DIL attends. I've been there during their annual festival in June and during an open house. I hope you think it is as beautiful as I do.






If you'd like to know more about the church their website is here - KIMISIS TIS THEOTOKOU

Please visit WORK OF THE POET to see more great photographs with a little/a lot of RED

Thanks to CARLETTA for inspiring this week's post. I shared a sepia shot of the church last week and she asked to see it in color. Check out Carletta's blog. There is always something interesting going on and her photographs are beautiful.

Enjoy Your Ruby Tuesday!

Two Photos and a Clip

It is a potpourri of stuff this Tuesday.

Ruby Tuesday - Bye Bye Summer

This photo was taken at the closed off entrance to an outdoor cafe on the shore of the Navesink River. During the summer it is open all week. Now just on weekends.


Please click on over HERE for more RED


Anything Sepia - Local Church

The lovely and talented Chica announced a project last Thursday. I don't even know if it's still going on but I'm going to do it anyway.


This is the church my DIL attends. They have several open house days during the year. It is an incredibly beautiful place. All the wood tones just begged for sepia.



Please drop by CHICA’S BLOG. Even if the project is over her blog is beautiful. She is a wonderful photographer.

Let's Go to the Clip

I was watching my local news and they had a clip of the McCain/Palin ticket at a rally in Ohio. Palin said she was looking forward to the VP debate this Thursday. She was looking forward to meeting Joe Biden - she'd been hearing his speeches since she was in the 2nd grade. I truly thought I had it wrong or the station had clipped out of context. Yeah I know - they never do that.

So I searched and found the clip. It is what she said!!

CNN VIDEO

If you can't take the sound of Sarah's voice the comedic portion of her remarks begin at 1:30

So Sarah Palin has heard Biden speak since she was in the 2nd grade. Wow! Senate speeches in grammar school, that is progressive education. How come she's so stupid?

Was she saying Biden is old? How fantastic is that. Uh Sarah dear - turn around and take a look behind you. No No not at the cheerleader in a pantsuit. No No not at your daughter. Take a look at the creepy guy off to the side. The one who looks like he's pimping out all 3 of you. THAT Sarah is the person you're running with. Do you know how old he is?

It did dawn on me that Palin might be saying all of Biden's speeches are stolen. Or repetitive. If that was her intent Sarah honey, play to your crowd. Those folks behind you yucking it up and yelling out over sporting events just ain't bright enough for sarcasm. Call Tina Fey - maybe she'll give you some pointers.