Friday, 21 January 2011
My inspiration today for a blog post is about on the level of sidewalk chalk. Apologies for the ho-hum.
Phrases and vocabulary from this afternoon’s online wanders:
Hmm. The only real insight I can remember from the day is that the grapevines on the north slope of Mount Etna benefit from the air’s sulphur content—which naturally reduces infestations on the plants that hamper growth and ripening of the grapes….
Thursday, 20 January 2011
I like that all you can see of the technician is the top of his hardhat.
We took a fast-paced stroll to the library this afternoon under bleak skies. The Guru, whose eyes are tuned to such things, noticed some major high-altitude wiring underway, probably associated with an upgrade in communications technology*. (Me, you know me, I’m most often keeping track of what’s underfoot—even if it isn’t icy!) Anyway, if those big black covers appear on the wires in your neighborhood, a barrage of advertising about bundling options may follow.
Ah, speaking of technology…yesterday began Year Six of this blog!!!
* U-verse, or something like it….
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
After the Lake Clara Meer algal scum froze, with its swirls distorted by crystals, it melted. I’m not sure of the process that lead to a dusting of white under-feathers….
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Just sittin’ here watching Pioneers of Television: Science Fiction. Guess who’s running the remote?
Monday, 17 January 2011
Today’s exciting news: my SIL appeared on national television…from New York! With Chuck Shumer (okay, and others)! She was there because today is MLK Day and she has a new book out on MLK’s funeral, Burial for a King (Scribner 2011). Click here to go to the MSNBC clip….
Find the book, which is chock full of original research, the kind that takes time to do and smarts to synthesize—which she does with notable insight, on Oprah’s reading list, and reviewed in the Wall Street Journal by Cameron McWhirter.
Among other high-profile notices….
We’re so proud!
Sunday, 16 January 2011
We are now in melty-land.
Proof? The photo above is today, the oval at Piedmont Park. The photo below—yesterday (note the moon!).
During my walks, I had often noted the north- and/or northwest side of buildings, which in summer is the cool place with near all-day shadow. Now those are the not-yet-melted spots. Which, of course, stands to reason; it’s just that the seasonal comparison is rarely apparent.
Saturday, 15 January 2011
The low temps have changed Lake Clara Meer’s algae into crystal-sorted art. I especially like the spikey shapes mixed with the leaves and the melt-water.
Friday, 14 January 2011
About six, we left the house and picked our way across patches of black ice to this new burger place around the corner. They have a simple website and a straight-forward menu.
We ate out on a Friday night because the big plan was to head north to the Midwest on Saturday—early—and eating out was expedient.
The place was near-full—I guess a combination of being Friday night and a whole week when the public schools were closed along with plenty of other normal-winter-week disruptions.
Anyway, we bathed in the hubbub, and enjoyed our burgers (beef for him; bison for her), sides (fries and salad, one each), and tap water (shocking total of $25 with tip). Desultory conversation about the bad parking jobs happening in the lot out the window and what we had to do to get ready to leave. Then, we moseyed back outside to find some patches of black ice we hadn’t seen before—we were making a loop, right, so a new route….
Back at the house, I called Dad to tell him the plan, and he said the weather was not-nice and we really shouldn’t make the trek, he and Mom were fine and would be, and we should come later when the weather was better for driving and for visiting.
Well now.
So, The Guru and I had a heart-to-heart, and decided to take the Botanist’s advice, and pfft, we are hanging in ATL for the forseeable, taking care of chores and enjoying the melt*.
And looking forward to hosting visitors from afar, and, geeze, I’m not sure what else.** I suspect that what had been an out-of-town week will turn into a busy week!
* All afternoon, the sound outdoors was drip drip small-crash (as ice fell from somewhere high) drip drip drip.
** And, since we didn’t have to pack and organize, we watched the wonderful Cairo Time (with Patricia Clarkson and Alexander Siddig—real name MUCH longer, yum), and enjoyed it immensely. The non-color corrected footage in the Extras, however, made the city far less enticing that the movie did. Still, I imagine that if you have the bucks to be there as a tourist, you would find Cairo magical (and dirty, but still).
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Among the special qualities of being in Atlanta post-snow and -ice is the opportunity to enjoy light in a way that’s uncommon here.
For example, The Guru took (outdoor) night photos without a flash that came out great—all that reflected city light provided enough for a sensitive camera to capture nice pictures. (Sorry, no pictures—you’ll have to use your imagination.)
Here’s a morning-light moment, with the sun turning the backyard into B&W when it’s really in color….
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
We carefully adventured out in the 4×4, mostly for our own entertainment (apologies for self-centered behavior). Note that we waited until the sun had been out for a while and the melting (such as it is) begun. (Plus, we had to move our buggy out of its temporary spot in the neighbors’ driveway….)
We went the long way around to TJs* avoiding the steep hill east of Grady’s stadium and by the historic Woody’s Famous Philadelphia Cheesesteaks place. Indeed, as we left TJs, an SUV was sliding down it with wheels locked and the tires slowly skidding downhill in the bright sunshine. The Woody’s sign has already been pasted during this wintery event.
The local TV coverage has hammered several messages over the last few days, including: 1) stay put (we violated that); and, 2) if you have to drive, go slow, like 10, 15, maybe 20 mph (oops, violated that, too, but gently and only a few places).
My observation on #2: drivers on Ponce were heeding it.
Yes, on dry, clean pavement, lines of vehicles (with good tires) were driving a tense, white-knuckled 18 mph!
* We found the semi delivering to TJs parked in front (instead of in back at the loading dock that’s down a still-icy slope), and the shrink-wrapped incoming pallets stacked by the cash registers out of the way, but nearest the front door. Our cashier said it was their second delivery of the day (they were closed until today), and got them caught up. The only empty place I noticed was the artisanal breads, I’m guessing with a different manufacturing/delivery chain.