Friday, October 31, 2008

The Fourth

Ok, KBeau tagged me, so I'll play. This should be a snap, right? Just post the 4th picture in the 4th album and tell about it. What could be more simple?

Yeah, well, ok.

I have this thing about photography. I love pictures. I love taking them and I love looking at both mine and those of other people.

I also have two computers, home and work. I also have two external hard drives at home. They are supposed to be mirrored (but they aren't...). Additionally, I have two different Picasa Web Albums (it's a long story and very boring...) and a Photobucket account with a "main" album and many sub-albums.

So, like Kathy, I'll just post them ALL.

Work computer (the one from which I'm posting now):


This is probably the most interesting out of the whole bunch. I took this with my Blackberry in downtown Detroit, Michigan when I was there last (some time in September, 2008). Our company has a big Detroit operation, so there is a sizeable Detroit contingent in the Corporate Office in Houston. One of them is a good friend of mine. I told him, when I go to a city, I like to go to something that really captures the "feel" of the city. I've been to Detroit many times while working for U. S. Concrete (I seem to have more problems up there than in NYC, LA, or Dallas), but most of the time, I stay out in the burbs* and eat at the J. Alexander's on 7 Mile across 275 from the hotel.

I like J. Alexander's just fine, but there's one down Westheimer from my house in Houston that is almost identical to the one at Perimeter Mall in Atlanta which is almost identical to the one in Addison which is almost identical to the one in Century City which is almost identical to the one in Brentwood, TN---well, you get the point.

Anyway, I asked my buddy Tom (a native of Grosse Pointe), "Where would you send me to get the "Ultimate Detroit Experience"? And this is where he sent me---Lafayette's Coney Island. Not the other place next door---Lafayette's. He also told me exactly what to order---3 Coney Dogs with chili, cheese, and onion (I tended to think the term "Coney" came from Coney Island, where Nathan's invented the Hot Dog, but Detroit claims it for their own). Each of these two crazy little hole-in-the-wall places has its own passionate fans, and before a Red Wings game the place is supposed to be insane. I went after work on a Tuesday and it was deserted. Still, a slice of Detroit (which is different from the south....).

*NOBODY is "from" Detroit. If you ask any of them where they are from, it's ALWAYS "I'm from Farmington Hills" "I'm from Grosse Pointe" "I'm from Auburn Hills" "I'm from NOVI"**
"I'm from Livonia". NOBODY says, "Detroit". When somebody asks me where I'm from, I just say, "Houston", not "Westchase" or "West Houston" or "the Energy Corridor" (all of which apply). They don't want to be associated with Detroit at all.

**NOVI (pronounced Nov-eye) was the 6th stop on the train from downtown Detroit---No. VI. It's now a "chic" burb.


Home Computer:


Home Sweet Home. I went out and took a bunch of pictures the day before Hurricane Ike hit (in case I needed to prove anything to the insurance company). I'm sure glad this nice shot of the front was the 4th picture, I took pictures of everything inside including the closets. No need for everybody in the world to see my messy closet (or to know that Imelda Marcos has nothin' on me in the shoe department).


External Hard Drive Number 1:


Dad, at Aunt Shorty's, with her "dog". That is not much of a "dog"; JR Marlow would refer to it as "snake food". Nevertheless, there it is. The dog's name is "Punkin". ALL of Aunt Shorty's dogs for the last 20 years have been "Punkin". This is either Punkin III or Punkin IV, I'm not sure which.


External Hard Drive #2:


If you don't know where this is, there is a sign in the middle of the upper deck (on the front of what was the old pressbox before there WAS an upper deck) that will give you a clue.


Photobucket:


Last spring, I signed up for an industry conference that was going to be held at Walt Disney World the last week in September/First week of October. I thought, since I already had MY trip paid for, it would be fun to take Nathan (who is a WDW freak) along as a tour guide.

Well, after we got all the plans made, the company pulled the plug on the trip (and all other non-essential travel; the economy sucks). I had really gotten myself all fired up and ready to go, and Nathan wanted to go too, so we just took a week vacation and went to Walt Disney World. I LOVED it and would recommend it to anyone (I was surprised, really; I thought I was "over" that sort of thing but I guess not).

My favourites (you'll be surprised): Soarin, The Carousel of Progress, It's a Small World, and the Rockin RollerCoaster.

Soarin' is absolutely one of the most fun things I've ever done, and I wanted to just stay there and go again and again and again. Nathan was accomodating and we must've ridden that thing 25-30 times while there. It's an amazing ride; you strap into an airline-like seat; the hoist cantilevers you up into the middle of a half-sphere IMAX 360 screen, where you then "Soar" (hang glide) over California. It's just plain amazing. I couldn't get enough.

Carousel of Progress and It's a Small World were rides "imagineered" by Walt Disney himself, for the 1964 World's Fair. Both were just charming.

The Rockin' RollerCoaster--0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds (same as an F-14), then immediately into an upside-down in-the-dark loop while Aerosmith screams in the background. 'Nuff said.

(And I did take the picture; it was one of the first I took; the fourth, in fact...).

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