Cell Phone Pictures

Work is replacing my treo with a blackberry sans camera, so I've downloaded all the pictures that have been kicking around before they take it away. Here are a few...

Some great paper graffiti






A bank vault in the ExtraSpace Storage facility on Flatbush.

The view from home

I had to merge two shots together since I don't have a wide angle lens on my camera...but what a beautiful evening this was. Click on the picture for a better view...

MoMA POV

In the courtyard

Back again, back again...finally

The last move (hopefully in a long while). I've moved back to Park Slope to my new homesweethome. Glad to be putting down a few roots and live like an adult, somewhat.

The view from my front terrace.

A belated farewell to Washington Heights

I'm behind on everything, it seems. I left WH about 2 weeks ago...but only got internet a few days ago so I'm sorta excused.

The George Washington Bridge on different days...





close up of wall

Eminent Domain

Went down to Atlanta again about 3 weeks ago. This time, I visited more houses on the street slated for destruction. My parents have to move out by the end of April and the house they have lived in for almost 25 years will be destroyed shortly after.

Most of the houses are already empty.






The bottom of the mural reads, "Christmas '97. With Love. Mrs Bean." This is the house where we found some old pornos and various other paraphernalia. Funny what people leave behind...


It's only been a few months that these houses have been abandoned and already nature is beginning to take over. I love that.




Windows are clearly the favorite item for scavengers to take. I'm glad that people are doing this...at least some parts of the houses will be put to good use.








I know I'll be horribly sad when the house is destoyed. Most of my childhood memories (both good and bad) are from that house. The one thing that comforts me is that some of the trees on the property will be saved. One day I'll be able to go back and visit the trees that sort of grew up with me.

Arthur Avenue, Bronx

Arthur Avenue has been on my "to visit" list for a long time. I finally was able to stop by this past weekend (after the NYBG extravaganza) and regretted not visiting earlier. Luckily, I went the day before easter so there were plenty of people milling around and buying dead lambs to commemorate the death and coming-back-to-life of their dead lamb, the little baby Jesus.

Lambs were sawn in half from head to tail. Half a brain, half a tongue...


Close up. It's really quite amazing that they can do this.


A Korean Madonna!! Now that's a religion I can believe in.

NYBG, weird plant edition

One of the things I love the most about the NYBG is that they have so many weird plant beasties.

This plant had flower bud things that looked (and felt) like those wax candies you bit to get to the sweet gross syrup inside.

I've no idea what this thing is but it looks like something from another planet.

And perhaps not weird but out of context, this fern reminds me of octopus tentacles...though probably not as tasty.

Orchids at the NYBG

Last weekend I visited the NYBG to see their great orchid show. Orchids are easily my favorite type of flower...

Bronx winter

These pictures were taken about a month ago when I had to go to Fordham for some ridiculous recruiting event.

Hello Washington Heights!

I find myself in yet another temporary living situation...except this one feels like I'm running backwards into the past. It's strange to be back in the Heights after almost 3 years away and even stranger to feel like almost nothing has changed.

However, I do love Washington Heights...especially Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters.


The esplanade is the best place to be on a hot summer day since it's always 10 degrees cooler here. During winter, it's quiet, stark and lovely.


My favorite little hidden bit of Fort Tyron Park. This used to be the supporting structure of a long curving driveway to the Billings mansion (that later burned down). If you keep on going, it ends right on the highway.

So long Brooklyn Heights!

I've left Brooklyn Heights and will definitely miss the short commute to work. However, I will not miss the neighborhood with it's fussy entitled residents. Nor will I miss the building I lived in with its generous share of loner middle-aged men who could only look at me out of the corner of their eye.

I leave with just one last parting thought...

Look down

I haven't updated this in a while and my only excuse is that I've dropped off the face of the earth. Off the face of the earth is quite lovely once you get used to it. And now that I'm back, I long for the void again.

So to quell the mighty few who come here and have been neglected. Here are some pictures...that are not as satisfying as I would like them to be.

When I moved to Brooklyn Heights (seemingly eons ago), I started noticing the ornate manhole covers or the little metal plaques of companies that poured the concrete sidewalks.





Hopefully, I will post again...soonish.

Terrific Tasty Treats

I haven't posted in a while but thought I would at least try to end the year on tasty note.

A belated picture of the pies I made for Thanksgiving cooling off by the window. Apple and pumpkin, thankyouverymuch.


My mother made some beef tongue when I was down in Atlanta over xmas. It's boiled, skinned, sliced thinly and eaten dipped in a little salt and red pepper. So delicious.


My father got these Japanese snacks made of small shrimp (each about a half inch long) that's typically eaten when drinking. They were sweet, salty and very addicting.


crunch crunch

Will someone drown?

Last weekend, I went back south to visit the family again. Early in the morning before the frost was melted by the sun coming over the mountains, I headed out with a camera in one hand and an excitable dog on the other.







The sweet potato harvest! This is a korean variety with red skin and white flesh. According to my mother, this varietal tastes much better than the standard supermarket fare.

The following pictures are from the Fontana dam in North Carolina. They give a good idea of how much the water levels have dropped because of the drought. Islands are connected again and sinuous curves below the surface are revealed...in a way, it's lovely.