Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Meet Dave Jr...

Photobucket
This is my most recent office buddy.  His name is Dock and he has a cold.  Named Dock because he was found on a loading Dock or something like that.  


Photobucket
He also does not appreciate when I wake him up for this nonsense


Photobucket
Also, meet Dave's new dog Stella.  She's a pit bull mix that is about 7 months old.  Pretty laid back.  Likes to sleep.


Photobucket
At the Corn Hill Art Festival in downtown Rochester.  Pretty cool art fair.  It reminded me a lot of the art fair in Old Town Chicago.  


Photobucket
"Got Ghosts?" is probably my favorite vendor.  Probably because I hope we buy a haunted house where the spirit does the dishes...


Photobucket


Photobucket


Photobucket
The strawberry "smoothie" was more of a "slurpee" since it was all ice.  But, it was so hot that I think I preferred the ice.


Photobucket
Megan is incognito so she doesn't get swarmed from all her adoring fans.


Photobucket
Music at the gazebo.  It never ceases to amaze me that people say they prefer to live in the suburbs to the city.  A nice park with a gazebo.  Activities.  Walkable.  So on and so forth.  You can tell I was spoiled by Chicago...


Photobucket
Finally, Rochester native Abby Wambach.  Well, maybe in a few years.  Rachel had her first soccer game and I have to say that she plays a really aggressive defense.  Go Cougars!


Not too much planned for the next week.  Just going to the final installment of Harry Potter on IMAX.  It's been pretty much the only movies I've seen on the big screen for the last decade.  Anyway... 

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Our Weekend in Skane-A-Teles!

Photobucket
July 4th Weekend in Skaneateles, New York.  For those outside of western New York, it's pronounced "skinny-atlas," but I prefer to call it how it is spelled which is "Skane-a-teles."


Photobucket
First stop, the William Seward House in Auburn, New York.  For those who don't know, he was the Secretary of State under Abe Lincoln and was expected to get the Republican nomination for president instead of Lincoln.  Interesting guy and the book Team of Rivals will tell you that.


Photobucket
Seward in his park.


Photobucket
C-SPAN telling us that Alexis de Tocqueville was in Auburn.  Thank you C-SPAN


Photobucket
Sad lion at the entrance of the Seward House.  Perhaps he is sad because his master never became president?


Photobucket
I don't want to ruin the Rivals book, but this is the wagon that Seward fell out of and broke his face.  The face that was later stabbed during the assassination attempt of him and VP Johnson when Lincoln was killed.


Photobucket
I did get to "Meat the Bull" at Johnny Angel's in Skane-a-teles!


Photobucket
HERE'S THE BULL!  Fries just the way Meg likes 'em!


Photobucket
Skaneateles Lake, which is apparently so pure that they don't have to filter it for human consumption.


Photobucket
A view of the town from the lake


Photobucket
Folks from Michigan will appreciate this.  This is the "beach" and people are expected to pay to swim here.  $2 for residents.  $3 for non-residents.  And, they have more lifeguards and life saving equipment than that state of Michigan at this spot.


Photobucket
Here is the one guy who paid to swim


Photobucket
THE JUDGE IS COMING!


Photobucket
Nothing like a little Razzle Dazzle!


Photobucket
Once again, the city


Photobucket
And, here's what everyone wants to really see.  Notice the light from heaven to comes from inside...


Photobucket
Surprisingly, this is not in southern France.


Photobucket
A view of our cottage


Photobucket
The place where suicidal Coy fish jump.


Photobucket
It's a painting by Monet.


Photobucket
Took a break from all the beauty to eat all the deliciousness at Rosalie's Cucina.  Super good food.  Bill Clinton and Billy "Huuuuuuge" Fuccillo agree with me on that.  And so much that I was kicked out of the "Clean Plate Club" for one night only.


Photobucket
More beauty!


Photobucket
Charles Burrows Memorial.  I think he's a local artist, but too lazy to look it up right now.  


Photobucket
For future reference, my gravestone should be carved into something awesome like this.


Photobucket
Oh yeah, it was our belated anniversary weekend since we couldn't properly celebrate last weekend.  How do I know?  The chef told me at Mirbeau by writing it in chocolate.  Apparently, the restaurant use to be terrible.  I am here to tell you that it is now awesome!


Photobucket
Megan loving the room and view


Photobucket
The view Megan loves!


Photobucket
Do you know what's awesome?  Wearing bathrobes everywhere!  Here's Megan on Sunday morning at the Bloody Mary bar.  


Photobucket
And here I am being alluring...


Photobucket
This is more like it...


Photobucket
Oh Mirbeau!  How we love you and could never afford to see you again.  The massages, the spa, the food, the relaxation were all awesome.


But, I will give one serious review:  The weddings were really obnoxious.  If I had paid that much money to find peace and relaxation I would have been very upset at the many screaming kids tearing apart thousands of dollars worth of landscaping at the pond, hearing the Black Eye Peas repeatedly blasting, and drunk groomsmen running around with beer coolers yelling obscenities.  It's pretty much the exact opposite of everything you want at a spa.  Now, I know that they probably make a killing from weddings, but maybe they should consider things like: no minors allowed, ceremonies, or building a separate complex for people to celebrate at instead of trying to relax.  But, again, it really didn't take away things from me since I'm usually the baffoon at these places and I probably could never afford to go back...


Photobucket
Carpenter Falls just off of Skaneateles Lake.  Again, there are more waterfalls around here than you can imagine...


Photobucket
That's a 90-foot drop


Photobucket
WHERE'S OUR CAMARA STICK?!?!


Photobucket


Photobucket
Just an old bus in the woods...


Photobucket
Just when you thought you saw all the waterfalls; there's more!  Well, probably about 20 more that we didn't see if we continued down the path.  The "path with ropes" (without ropes) was on about a 85 degree incline.  Worth it though


Photobucket
Why do all of our waterfall shots look like we're photoshopped into them on this camera?  


Photobucket
For all you art majors that wasted all that money at college, here's a scene from a Hudson Valley School of painters (which there is a nice example of at the Seward House).


Photobucket 
These falls also double as a white trash pool


Photobucket
These are only 60-foot falls...


Photobucket
On another note:  MY BRICKS ARE FINALLY IN AT LOLLYPOP FARM!!!


Photobucket
Happy donors will make a very happy Mike!


Photobucket
BILL CLINTON!  WHY MUST YOU FOLLOW ME EVERYWHERE?  Not a brick from Lollypop, but he and Hillary certainly made the people of Skane-a-teles very happy in 1999.


That's it for now.  I'm hungry. 

If you like this, you might like...

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...