Best Winter's Eve

You tell me, is November 29th the first day of winter? I suppose this means summer is officially over.

They lit up the lopsided Christmas Tree at Lincoln Center Monday night . . . for Winter's Eve.



It occurs to me that Lincoln Center is a place I haven't properly explored, even though I've been there all sorts of times for all sorts of reasons.



Its got good lines.


Observe: as part of Winter's Eve, the Lincoln Center area was going crazy with search lights



The heaventree of stars hung with humid nightblue fruit





From the back



Meanwhile, across the street at the Stake Center, world famous blues man John Hammond Jr. played a free concert in the Cultural Hall. I do not kid.

Best Underphotographed Weekend Getaway

So I spent my Thanksgiving Vacation up at Cape Cod making new friends and strengthening ties with old friends. Erin, Liesel, Don, Jacob, and I "left" New York around 3:30 (or was it 4?) on Wednesday and got to the Cod around 11:30 that night.

When the trip began I decided that the only person I'd take pictures of on Wednesday would be Mr. Jacob Pugsley.



It was slow goin' on our way out of Manhattan.



We stopped to have dinner and play video games at a mall on the way up. Another thing we did when we were at the mall was look at the map and figure out how to get to Cape Cod. I think the mall was in Hartford, Conn.?



Jacob had the longest curly fry in the world.



Had.



Eventually we got to the Cod, met all the new friends, discussed sleeping arrangements, and called it a night.



I had the horrible cold the whole weekend. Thanksgiving morning my travel group snuck off to a Dunkin' Donuts to start the day off right.



There was a fish on the side of Our House.



This is one side of the main house from the trip.



But this is the side of Our House from the trip.



Thanksgiving Day day was spent preparing our meal. I mean, everyone else spent the day in the main house preparing the meal while I hid out in Our House working on the centerpiece (that was my assignment) while watching Superman and The Right Stuff.

And here's the dinner table, with soup and salad course served and my centerpiece masterpiece on display.



The new friend called Tara carved the turkey.



This is what my dinner looked like.



I didn't really take many pictures during the meal.



So Thanksgiving Day came and went and next thing we knew it was Friday morning and we all just sat around the house . . .



The Main House



Then a bit of time was spent down on the beach.



I looked up that way on the beach . . .



. . . and I looked down the other way.



Then I looked down at the rocks . . .



. . . and I looked down at the sea.



Then I looked up at my friends, old and new, tossing about the frisbee and football.



Then there was a disaster. The frisbee flew into the sea.



It wasn't exactly warm out right then.



This was the beginning of the end of Friday's outdoor activities.



Lillian had this rock she wanted to skip.



And skipped it she did.


PS I really didn't take too many pictures on this trip, but Lillian sure did. If Lillian had a blog (I don't know, maybe she does) it would be FULL of pictures from this trip to the Cod

RIP Mr. Miyagi



All through the trip there was constant cutthroat Settlers of Catan action going on.



Friday night some of us snuck off to this British Pub-themed restaurant where my table was thrilled by the exposed legs of the old seafarer at the table behind us. It wasn't exactly sailing shorts weather, but that wasn't stopping this gentleman.



They had good art at the restaurant.



And then it was Saturday and time to leave. My centerpiece also put in time as a mantlepiece. I believe that it did a good job.



And then we drove home and that was the trip. On the way back into sweet Manhattan I saw the Queen Elizabeth 2. It's big.

The Best Blog that You Visit

Is mine. Because, seriously, who else is providing you with a link to a lousy copy of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest trailer?

Pretty neat. 2006 will be a fine summer for movies.

Update Here at Darkhorizons you'll find pictures of Davy Jones' (he's the tentacle-faced fellow in the trailer) ship from the movie. Yes, I like.

Best Television Unexpectedness

Oprah is going to be on Letterman Thursday night?

For the first time in 16 years?!

But what would happen to Letterman if he went on Oprah?

"Here's what would happen: I would go on the 'Oprah' show, and I would break down and sob like a little girl ... I don't want to have that happen," he said at the time. "I'd feel ridiculous. I'd never be able to live that down, that Oprah would make me sob."

Best Intentions

First of all, soon I'll be off to Thanksgive, just like you. And like you, I won't be thinking about computers much--so there will be a content shortage, but that's okay, because you won't be at work, bored, killing time at Steady Mobbin'.

Monday night I was helping to make cards for old people that are all alone and don't have anyone to celebrate the holidays with. I tried to make nice cards for them, but I got distracted by other ideas and I made all of these cards which went right into the "Don't Pile."

At first I was making a card with a snake on it, but the top of the snake's head made me think of an army helmet, so I made this WWII inspired card:





As you can see, I made this other card that I wound up sticking inside my war card.



Here's a good one that I spiced up with the shiny interior of a candy wrapper.





One of the rules was that we couldn't put our names on the cards as the old, lonely people would try to hunt us down and adopt us. When I saw a scrap piece of paper that looked just like a cell phone I knew exactly what to do!





This might be the best one . . .





Finally, the holes in a piece of paper that had been used to make a snowman made me think of smoke rings and that's how this card was born . . .





I'm pretty sure the Don't Pile got tossed out, but if your grandma gets one of these cards then 1) I'm sorry and 2) It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't visited her more!