Balls!

I know hipstamatic gets overused. Oh well, it's a fun app. Here's a little something from a lab mini-golf trip we took to celebrate a new job for a labmate. I played horribly. Also, I know the best way to start a "down period" on a blog is probably not by adding another post, but I've made peace with that.

Slow and steady

So, I've been pretty good about blogging lately, but it's going to slow down over the next few weeks into a more manageable pattern. Hopefully I'll have some more great pics for you all, and maybe even some writing, but most of my time will be spent writing my dissertation and applying for jobs and basically trying to become more of an adult. Here's to hoping that I succeed!

Opening Night

Irene passed us by and I even managed to make it out to the opening night of the US Open. Unfortunately, I think that last night might be the most I get to watch of it, due to this little thing called a dissertation that I'm writing...

Here's to Calm Skies

When I was a kid, my grandpa taught me how to play horseshoes. It's the simplest of games, but amazingly addictive. This pic was taken last year in Rhode Island, where I'm headed today to wait out Irene. Here's to hoping that we all make it out safe and sound.

Just about all I saw of Cinque Terre

(Too Late to) Rally Fries

It's baseball season and my team is so far out of competition that it no longer matters. In those cases, you just have to sit back and enjoy the benefits of an evening at the park. In my case, I go for the garlic fries.

Blackbird

Hey, it's planes again! Big surprise, I know. This time it's an SR-71 that's currently housed at the Udvar-Hazy center just outside of Washington, D.C. If you go, make sure to take the tour, it's worth it. Also, there's a space shuttle there, which is about as amazing as it gets.

This one goes out to Darren, who is a big fan of butt shots.

Don't Tell Mom...

Most people reading this blog know Jenna. You can see some more shots I've taken of her on her website (the head shots, mostly). This was taken while jumping on the bed at a rental house. I don't think she does this at home.

When I saw this sign on a roof in Florence, the Transformers fan in me had to take a picture. I guess those are the associations you make when you're a nerd that doesn't drink. (PS - it doesn't look so crunchy if you enlarge it)

Quonochontaug

Taken a few years back in Rhode Island. Love that place.

Wonder Wheel

I recently found out that my grandfather lived in NYC in 1939 and saw some of his snapshots of Coney Island. I figured I'd add to the family collection.

I sure hope they got there

I sometimes don't realize how fun a picture can be until years later.

Blown mind

A little while ago, I had my mind blown. I had recently purchased a Miles Davis CD, and noticed that it was recorded at the CBS 30th St. Studios. Now, I know a lot of stuff gets recorded here in NYC, but since I happen to work on 30th St, I figured I'd look it up and see where this studio was located. Turns out, it is about half a block from where I work. I walk past it all the time! Here's what it looks like today:

Yeah, it's been torn down and turned in to apartments, but here's what it looked like while it was still in existence:
Basically, from what I've read, this was one of the premiere studios in the city, but mostly used for Jazz and Classical (though later on, others greats like Bob Dylan recorded here). Here's a sampling of some of the albums that were recorded (all of these I own):













As you can see, lots of Miles Davis. Pretty cool to think that I work a few yards away from where all these great albums were recorded.

Red and white and blue

Apparently, I've become something of a one-trick pony, so here's a little break in the monotony. More airplane photos to follow!

Concorde

I wish I could have flown on one of these. Still, being able to board it, even in retirement, is pretty cool.

Biplanes

It's really hard to imagine these being effective in war time, but we really owe a lot to the early aviators.

Jet Engine

It's not very often that you get to stare down a jet engine from a Blackbird.

This is probably one of the biggest downers in TV history, if you watched the whole thing, that is.

O'Riley's Daughter

More Museum of Flight pics (don't worry, they'll keep coming for a while). This time of a Curtiss P-40, looking mighty fearsome.

Museum Phone

One of my favorite parts of the Museum of Flight is the Air Force One that they have parked there. You can go inside and see all kinds of crazy JFK/Johnson era stuff, including this phone which was used by the secretary to whomever was flying at the time. This particular plane has quite an interesting history, being the one flown by LBJ to Dallas (though he returned on another), used by Nikita Khrushcev to tour the US, and Nixon to tour China. It was the primary Air Force One from 1959-1962, but remained in the fleet until 1996.