Droppin NYC pics.

Yo, check it!
There is a reason NYC is one of the top cities in the whole wide world. I thought some visual aids would help illustrate the city of New York.


[all these night shots were from the rooftop lounge known as Mad46, on top of the Roosevelt Hotel - both pretty nice places, but watch out for the $12 mixed drinks... and the hostess]

[though not often taken, I have a thing for escalator shots, this was getting onto the E line]

[you should know that this is Times Square, no excuses]

Blue Sky Labor Day Weekend.

Pretty nice weather so far in southern MN, Iowa and now Omaha, NE.

A dog's life.

I direct your attention to the rear of the animal. This is a doggie Depends arrangement.

Should you do this to a dog - discuss.

Minneapolis Farmer's Market, Part Deux.

As you walk the stalls, you can't help but be impressed with the variety, both in type and color. This 2nd post will feature more of that vibrancy and also showcase some of the farmer's market outliers.


[an interesting sales technique adopted by many of the vendors is to mound and showcase many of their items, in a unique way - some are more successful than others]



[i believe these are japanese eggplants, and some of the most interestingly hued ones i've ever seen - can you match this color in the Lowe's paint department?]


[so many kinds of tomatoes, this whole table. i don't even think i could name more than a handful of tomato varieties - you?]

[thinking tomatillos in green, possibly the purple too, not sure]

[mr. squash, meet mr. cauliflower]


[some people spell it p-o-t-a-t-o, some people spell it p-o-t-a-t-o-e, shrug. alls i know is this guys melons were huge]

[ever since the inaugural NYC trip, i can't walk past a hot or warm nuts sign without smirking. there are so many possible jokes and almost none of them work on paper, or even in person]

[and lastly, one of the most, if not the most popular booth at the whole market - the sausage guy. not only will he cat-call at any attractive woman that walks by, he'll sell you a regular or spicy brat, with the works, at 8 in the morning. kids, high-school girls, moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas - everyone has a sausage in their mouth. i have not dared to try yet - and please don't dare me]

Poll Results, #58, Texting.

I was going to text you all the results, but clearly not everyone would be happy with that medium, so back to the ole stand-by, the blog post:

> 3 people (23%) chose 'i have an unlimited text plan and i worry about hitting the limit' - you make sure you get outside and see the sunshine though, please. [you can text in the sunshine]
> 5 people (38%) chose 'a few times a day' - i don't do much else a few times a day, but this is a given. i wish it were more too.
> 3 people (23%) chose 'a few times a week' - careful, your cell carrier maybe calling you about a new text plan.
> 0 people (0%) chose 'a few times a month' - seems like you're either for it or against it. i realize it's a polarizing topic, like abortion.
> 2 people (15%) chose 'almost never, i secretly hate it' - we need to talk, i can help, i've helped others.

anyone got a poll idea? one up as soon as i stumble on something.

Minneapolis Farmer's Market, Part Un.

Time for another short series. This time, it's all about the Minneapolis Farmer's Market. Please note, this is the one in Minneapolis and not the one in St. Paul. I've only been to Minnie's. Attending St. Paul would require a long bike ride or a car ride, both of which I generally shun on an early Saturday morning (at least for produce).

We'll start this two-part series off with some likes & dislikes, see some produce, and then use the 2nd part to talk about some more fun items.

Likes: It makes a great Saturday morning trip. You get up, shower (or maybe not, which I believe is the tradition), get some coffee, a giant cinnamon roll or giant brat (I don't get this one), and walk around and find some finds. They also seem to bring out such a variety of people, both vendors (farmers, foreign folks, etc) and shoppers (residents, out of towners, kids, students, etc). Finally, as you'll hopefully see, it's so dang colorful - vibrant vegetables, flowers, people, sounds, etc. It's just a nice way to begin the weekend.




[without the sun, it makes for a very cold morning - check the weather before you leave]





Not Likes: Seems like everyone drives to this shin-dig. I suspect that's mostly due to it being held basically under the highway, in a not-so-nice part of town. I rode my bike and thought it was less than ideal riding. The only other thing you notice is that it's alot of the same thing at each booth. I mean, how many pickling cucumber tables can you take in early on a Saturday morning, or better yet, why would I want to see them all?


[you didn't believe me, Mrs. Sourpuss?]


Come back soon for Part Deux.

Tom Arndt.

Ok, I lied. I had one more post from the MIA. One of the last exhibits I wandered into was for Tom Arndt. I learned he is one of the most prolific MN street photographers of his (our) time. The most interesting part of the exhibit for me was seeing MN life from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. He really was able to capture aspects not often seen or photographed. Some really caught my eye and a few wound up on my phone.

He also has a new book of his work out now, titled Home. (I had no idea the cover was the last photo below, weird)


[silly old people, bikes are for kids]


[it just looked funnelcake-a-licious]