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Thursday, August 14, 2008

Bluetooth

I bought a Bluetooth adapter for my computer, which proved to be a far more efficient way to get pics from my phone to my computer. I was sending them as picture messages to my email address, but they didn't always get through. But more than that, I didn't realize how many pictures I had on my phone that I didn't send to my email address. The updates are scattered in here but mostly from July & August. Enjoy!

Monday, August 11, 2008

Pepsi in a Glass Bottle


My dad drinks Pepsi, NOT Coke. Specifically he's always on the prowl for Pepsi in a bottle. He prefers the taste of it in a glass bottle over plastic, fountain, and aluminum. Over the years it has become increasingly hard to find, to the point that we now must look to importers to get it at all. What follows here is the story of my dad and his eternal quest for Pepsi in a bottle.

When I was in college at St. Bonaventure University one of the last few glass bottlers in the country was only a few minutes away. When that plant stopped bottling in glass we bought up the last 28 cases of the local grocer's stock. Yes, 28 CASES. That lasted a while. When that stock ran out my dad called around to two bottlers he found online that he believed to be the last remaining glass bottlers. But it was too late. Pepsico had stopped glass bottling in the USA.

Then one day a few years back as I was walking down Ninth Avenue in NYC I saw it. Pepsi in a glass bottle. I pulled it out to be sure. It was the real deal. I went inside to talk with the store manager. It was bottled in Mexico, imported to the USA, trucked across the country to a distributor here in the city. He only had less than 1 case, but could order a few cases for me. I negotiated a rock-bottom price of $20 per case and bought 10 cases. It sat in my apartment until Christmastime when I rented an SUV, loaded it into the back, and drove home to Pittsburgh. My sisters and I gave it to dad as a Christmas present.

Those 10 cases lasted more than a year, maybe two years. On a few trips where he drove to NYC we all but forgot to look for Pepsi in a bottle. Maybe a last minute check with bodegas, but with last minute notice we were never able to get more than what was on the shelf. The distributor only delivers once a week, if that, and we would have to place the order far in advance, just like I did with the 10 cases a few years back.

This trip was no different. My mom and I were walking around downtown this afternoon and remembered we needed to find Pepsi in a bottle. The quest always starts at a bodega: walk in, see if they are Hispanic, if not then leave, if yes then ask, "do you have Pepsi in a glass bottle? Do you know anyone around here that does?" It takes a few places but eventually you get someone who thinks you can get it on the next block. We started on Bowery (3rd Ave) and got a tip to trip a few blocks up on 2nd Ave. No dice there but they thought a little place on 1st Ave and further down had it. Nothing. And the trail went cold, no further leads. We went from bodega to bodega and then passed by a little Mexican hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Looking in from the window through the glass door of the cooler I saw it: Pepsi in a glass bottle. Quick conversation with the manager and unfortunately what's in the cooler is all they have. But they have a lead...

Over to Avenue A, in to another tiny little restaurant, quick negotiation, and we have ourselves a case of Pepsi. It's the best we can hope for on short notice and probably the biggest cache of it down in the East Village. Until next time dad, enjoy your Pepsi in a glass bottle!

Friday, August 08, 2008

Storm Coming - 57th & Lex


This archway or cupola (or whatever the heck it's called) is on the corner of 57th & Lex, just outside of the building where I used to work. I was waiting outside when this storm started rolling in from the west. I took a couple shots but liked this one the best. It ended up being one of those powerful, summer burst storms. The clouds unleash quarter-sized rain drops for fifteen minutes, completely soaking everything and everyone that not just five minutes ago was basking in the summer sun. Then after its rolled in and wetted down the city, it rolls out and the sky opens up to sunshine again.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Crazy Fingers in Hawley


I stayed an extra day with Ted at the cottage so on Sunday night we went to his friend's restaurant & bar, Crazy Fingers. Had some good eats and hung around to help his buddy close up for the night. Of course there was a full round of Big Buck Hunter or some kind of shooting arcade game. And I'm sad to say that despite my total rout of Ted in NYC, I came in fourth place, dead last, here at Crazy Fingers. Ah well, there's always next year.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Ted's Cottage


The following weekend, after hitting up NYC, the boys all met up at Ted's cottage on Lake Wallenpaupak in PA. Here's a shot looking up the hill at the cottage and down below at the dock. Good beers, good foods, and good times.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Nate & Ted (and Paul's fee)


My friends from DC came up to visit me in NYC. We had a great time kicking around. Took a break at d.b.a. after walking all over downtown. D.b.a, is one of my favorite downtown bars for its perfect bar-trifecta: microbrews, outdoor garden space, and free wifi!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Battery Park


It was another beautiful day for a walk through the city's parks. This time I hit up Battery Park. I wish I had done a better job framing the shot below, but it was so blindingly bright I couldn't see the screen of my phone to take the shot.

Westside Walk & Starrett Lehigh Building


I went out for a walk down the west side, the Hudson River park or walkway or whatever its called. Got a nice shot of some wildflower gardens and the Starrett-Lehigh Building. John Hardy was on the top floor of that building, at least when I worked for them they were up there. It's a great building--from the outside. The famous ribbon windows make it a landmark building and it is beautiful--again, from the outside. Inside it feels like what it is: old warehouse space turned into office space. It's a distinct New York feel, on the far edge of town with nothing around. I'll take Park Avenue or Broadway any day over that space.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Love Me


I have no idea where I found this, but I'm always a fan of the scrawl you find in New York City bathrooms.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Bolt Bus


For my midweek trip I took the Bolt Bus down and back. $20 each way, non-stop to DC and... are you ready for the best part? FREE WI-FI!! I could hardly believe it myself, but it was true. Not your typical high-speed connection, but strong enough to surf and work the whole way. I will definitely be taking the Bolt Bus again.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Dropkick Murphy's and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones


The point of my midweek trip to DC was to cruise out to the concert of a lifetime (for me anyway). Two of my all-time favorite bands performed together in a special summer tour. They only had 9 stops throughout the whole country and this was the Bosstones' first tour since hanging up the mic 5 years ago.

The show was amazing. Absolutely every the show that I was hoping it would be. The Bosstones opened (pic above) followed by the Dropkick Murphy's (pic below)


Yeah the pics suck, but who cares the show was incredible! I'm so glad Paul found the tour and Nate egged him on to buy tickets.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Ted & Paul


I popped down to Paul & Ted's for the a midweek trip to catch a concert. We grilled bratwurst, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and mac & cheese, sat on Paul's porch and enjoyed the evening.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Torrential Downpour


It was really coming down today. Sheets and sheets of water soaking the city. This is the view from my apartment, safe and warm inside, listening to Jimmy Buffet and enjoying the power of the storm.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Rink Bar Happy Hour


Oh yeah, the Rink Bar summer happy hour is always a lively time. LM went in to kick around the stores in Rockefeller Center while I did some serious people watching. I was particularly intrigued by a couple who seemed to be on their first date: lots of hair tossing, polite laughter, glances around the rest of the bar, and the occasional glancing touch. Always fun to watch the interaction at the bar.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Crosby Street, SoHo


Crosby is a great little street in SoHo: cobble stones, narrow, kinda alley feeling but not in a creepy way. It's a nice break from Broadway that has become nothing more than a shopping mall. This is what Crosby Street feels like to me: busy enough, but not too busy, graffiti covered walls and garage doors, and the hint of the downtown skyline beyond.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Lunch at La Esquina


LM & I love this place, La Esquina. It's on the corner between Lafayette & Kenmare. I'm about to dig in to some soft shell tacos with jalapenos and pickled onions, and a side of "crazy corn" that consists of corn on the cob covered in cheese and sprinkled with hot pepper. It's a perfect place to sit in the sun, watch the downtown crowd, and enjoy amazing food.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood


After an extraordinary amount of rain in the beginning of the month, it looks like summer has finally arrived. I suppose it's good to get the rain out of the way early on so we don't have a drought in the city this summer. All the rain did bring out the green on the trees. Here's a shot looking up at some pre-war buildings on my block.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Bloomberg Plaza


I was out and about on the first warm sunny day of the Memorial Day Weekend and I was up at the Bloomberg Builing. The shapes of these two buildings made for a great composition.

Then I saw this guy sitting down on the curb. At first he had his head in his hands but as I took the shot he looked up and then walked away.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Blown out Mobo

I blew out my motherboard, or "mobo" as the cool kids on the forums call it. After much research online to be 99% sure it was the mobo I went down the street to Datavision, bought a new one, and began some serious hardware work. I have to confess that I had a blast. I had not done this much hardware work in a long time and it was great taking everything apart, installing a new board, and putting it all back together.

Getting ready to get to work:


All the parts are out, ready for the new install:


Success:


It was about four hours before I was completely finished. It's been a bit buggy so at some point I'm going to have to do a complete hard drive wipe and start from scratch.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Flower District


It was a perfect morning to walk around the flower district. Enjoy some shots...



and

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Bryant Park


This is becoming tradition now it seems--first nice day of the year and I head out to Bryant Park to snap a few shots and enjoy some sunshine. The park was packed today, the sun was out, and the weather was just perfect.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Aftermath


The aftermath of Shamrockfest.

DC Subway


As a New Yorker (11 years now) one expects subways to be 1) dirty, 2) crowded, 3) cramped/low ceilinged, 4) dirty, and 5) dirty. But subways in DC, like everything in DC, are done in grand scale. This is riding down the escalator at the RFK Stadium stop. Even with constant stadium-goers traffic it wasn't dirty.

Aftermath


The aftermath of Shamrockfest.

Shamrockfest, Washington DC


I went down to DC for St. Patrick's Day/Weekend. I joined Paul and Ted and the DC crew for Shamrockfest down there--a massive outdoor party in the parking lots of RFK Stadium. There were over 50 bands, 11 stages, and lots of food and beer (stouts, ales, light, and of course green beer). We got VIP passes for the unlimited beer, seating, and extra bathrooms. It turned out to be a gorgeous sunny day. Band highlights include Rude Buddha (shown below), Street Dogs, and Great Big Sea.

Rude Buddha


Saw these guys live at Shamrockfest. It was early in the day, the crowds were not yet in full swing--or even all there--but they put on a great show. I did something I have not done in a looong time: I bought a CD (as opposed to buying it online).

Friday, March 14, 2008

Happy st patricks day. Live from dc with the dc crew.

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Snow on the Lake


We awoke on Saturday morning to a few inches of snow. The house we rented was right on the lake and made for a wonderful winter weekend getaway. These are shots looking out to the lake and another across the back porch.

Friday, February 08, 2008

100,000 Miles


On the trip down, and just outside of Accident, MD (which really is the name of the town) Ted's Audi clicked over to 100,000 miles.

On the Road to Deep Creek


My friends in DC had a ski trip planned to Wisp in MD and I didn't have anything going on so I hopped on a train and caught a ride with them out to the hills. Ted and I came across this great patch of clouds with the sun breaking through. Here's two shots from the road:

Friday, January 25, 2008

Chinese New Year Shopping


LM needed to head downtown for some Chinese New Year decorations for her mother so we hit up Mott Street and this great store where we picked up goods for her last year. It's the smallest little place with bright red products crammed every which way.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Last Day at RHT


This is the view from what used to be my little slice of corporate heaven at 245 Park Avenue, 25th Floor. I resigned from RHT to seek new horizons. Though I do not yet know what or where those horizons are, I do know that I'm now officially out there seeking them. Robert Half is an incredible company and I will miss the team, the leaders, and the corporate philosophy. Best of luck to everyone there. Now for those horizons...

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Uncle Rich & Carter Hale


This was the first time I got to meet my new nephew Carter Hale. He's awesome. What a joy and I was very happy see him and his parents (my sister Kathleen and her hubby Jeff)

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

DDR!


Jennifer & Marianne bust a move on DDR at Dave & Busters. Or at least we were pretending to bust a move. I think Marianne got the best score with an A on just 1 easy-level song. My personal best was only a C, all the rest were F's! We had a blast learning to play and acting like goofs at D&B.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Christmas Day at the Rumbles


Merry Christmas from Pittsburgh, PA!

Monday, December 24, 2007

Christmas Eve at LGA


Quite a far cry from my trip last year.
Scroll down here for my trip last year.