Friday, February 29, 2008

A Mile Stone...

This picture is blurry because I was trying to drive and take pictures at the same time, probably not very safe.  Tonight, though, while I was at work my Jeep hit 130,000 miles.  It's not really that significant except that I like to see all the zeros in a row.  Also, when 130,000 came around I was on my way to try and catch up with a police chase through Salem, MA.  

A man stole an ambulance from a local hospital and led the police on a chase through four cities.  I eventually caught up with them in Lynn.  The police had already arrested the suspect, but I was able to get some pictures of the stolen ambulance, which was all banged up because the guy hit three police cruisers and four other cars along the way.  And I got some pictures of Juan and Joseph, two brothers, who found the guy in their back hallway after he tried to get away on foot.  It felt like an episode of Cops.  

130,000 miles also got me thinking about all the fun places I've driven in my car.  When Stephen lived in Farwell and Mt. Pleasant and I lived in Wyandotte and Kalamazoo we would take turns driving back and forth every weekend which always made the weekends really fun.  We've also made a few trips between Massachusetts and Michigan in it.  I spend a lot of time in my car... commuting back and forth to work, not to mention driving from assignment to assignment all day long.  I wonder if it'll make it to 230, 000. 


Thursday, February 28, 2008

Price is Right



It certainly isn't the hippest thing to do in this world, especially on a Friday night, but the Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular is a fun show. They aired one last Friday, and some dude won $1 million. 

There is another one Friday (Feb. 29th, which, of course, is a date that happens just once every four years). The Fruit Street Free Press encourages anyone who has nothing better to do at 8 p.m. to tune in to CBS.

It is a good time.










Tuesday, February 26, 2008

To be Fair

Linsey (I think)





Linsey, in a moment of apparent boredom, took these pictures with our computer's "photo booth" function and -- again, apparently -- forgot to hit the erase button.





Fat Flakes

It is raining now -- at about 9:45 p.m. -- but for several hours today, some of the largest, fattest and wettest snow flakes I've ever seen fell from the sky. Walking through the flakes was like submitting to a continuous barrage of tiny snowballs thrown by some sort of cloud elves.






Friday, February 22, 2008

Happy Birthday Linsey



At 26, Linsey is now closer to 30 than 20 and closer to 50 than birth.

She shares birthdays with: Drew Barrymore (1975), Michael Change, the tennis player (1972), Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin (1962), George Washington (1732), Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts (1857), and, probably the person she most admires in this world: Sen. Ted "Don't Call Me Chapaquitic" Kennedy (1932).

Feb. 22 is the 53rd day of the year, leaving 312 left until 2009. 

On this day...

... in 1920 in Emeryville, New York, the first dog track to use an imitation rabbit to entice the dogs opens. Men in button up, floral-patterned shirts and blue dock shoes show up soon afterward.

... in 1923, the U.S. starts its first transcontinental air mail route. People immediately begin longing for the old days, when letters traveled by land and, sure they took longer, but they meant more, didn't they.

... in 1856, the Republican Party opened its first meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Somewhere in Delaware, one of the last remaining Wig party members finally removed his white, powdery headdress in defeat.

.. in 1889, President Grover Cleveland signed a bill to make North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington states. A man in Virginia is quoted as saying, "Geez, we'll let anyone in these days, won't we." 


Thursday, February 21, 2008

The Kindle




Even though one my most favorite activities is browsing the shelves of bookstores and buying books, I think I could become a big fan of the Kindle, the electronic book from Amazon. 


The thing is neat: 100,000 books, all about $10, downloaded right to the device through cellular technology, special screen "ink" that makes the words look like ink on paper, newspapers downloaded every morning and many other special features.


The downside: no more physical, tangible, book-shelf-lining books; the Kindle is first generation, which means the it WILL get better, so a $400 price tag is most certainly not worth it at this point; and, lets be honest, a book is really, really, really nice to have.
Any additional thoughts out there?

Monday, February 18, 2008

Freeport, Maine.

On Route 88 north to Freeport, Maine. It was very foggy, usually much thicker than this, which made a beautiful trip up the Maine coast a bit more interesting, but a little less beautiful since the ocean was rarely visible.
Linsey at the aquarium inside the LL Bean store.


Linsey standing next to a very large "Bean Boot." It is unclear where the boot for the left foot is, but it is yet more proof that this is a right hander's world. Sorry Dan, John, Linsey, Shirlene and others.

LL Bean's store, by the way, if very impressive. There are three or four cavernous buildings with rack upon rack of clothing, weaponry and other outdoor-related items and things like aquariums, trout ponds and other strange things that you don't usually find inside a store.
The place is also open 24 hours a day. Which is strange.

Also, LL Bean has created a retail monster out of Freeport. Surrounding it are dozens and dozens of outlet stores for places like North Face, Burberry, J. Crew, Banana Republic and other stores. We went shopping and boosted our wardrobes a bit. 



Food and drink in Portland

We went to some incredible restaurants while in Portland. The pictures above and below are from Duck Fat.
This is poutine. And it was good.
This is the best mac and cheese I've ever had. It included kielbasa, jalapenos and corned bread. It was delicious.
The wine rack at Fore Street Restaurant. This food was mighty good. 

Wine in our impressive wine glasses inside our hotel room.

Portland

Stephen outside the Percy Inn, the bed and breakfast where we stayed while in Portland, Maine.
Our room.
The name of the room. Each room was named after an author. In our room was a "Portable Dorothy Parker" book. I read some of her stuff, including columns for magazines, and discovered she is an entertaining writer.
Linsey and Stephen at a bar called Gritty McDuff's, or some such thing. It is a brewery, restaurant and bar all in one. 

A band at Gritty's. They were decent.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Ken Jennings

The winningest player in Jeopardy! history. He came to a local bookstore to talk about his new book of trivia. He was witty, fun and overall seemed like a nice guy. Although, neither Jason, Henry nor I bought either of his books. 

Slick Willy


On the beat during the New Hampshire primaries. 

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Random Pictures

Linsey leaving for work.
Stephen getting some coffee.
The collection of pens on Stephen's desk, held by a Mary Tait original. 
Linsey at the polls on Super Tuesday after casting a vote for .... ????

Tire tracks that are shaped like a heart.
February truly is the month for lovers.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Results of Poll



Twice as many readers of the Fruit Street Free Press prefer creamy peanut butter to chunky, a poll released today shows.

Of the 10 voters, six voted that they preferred the creamy version of the nutty treat, most often used as a complement to jelly in the famous American lunch option the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Just three readers -- or 30 percent -- said they preferred crunchy peanut butter, which comes with pieces of the peanuts also. One reader, or 10 percent, said they preferred "other," but it is unclear what that may mean.

For those interviewed, it seem the texture -- rather than taste -- is what forced their decision. 





Friday, February 1, 2008

The Proust Questionnaire



This is a guy named Marcel Proust, a French writer, who believed that to really know others you must first know yourself. He developed a questionnaire to help people to get to know themselves.

Well, every month, Vanity Fair gives the Proust Questionnaire -- or at least a portion of it -- to celebrities. This month was Karl Rove. You can see his interview here. It is interesting, and it is clear he is a smart dude.

For those bold enough, the Fruit Street Free Press included a blank version of the Proust Questionnaire in this post: feel free to copy and past it into the comments section or e-mail it to us for posting.

As we get to know ourselves, we can get to know each other.



What is your greatest fear?
What is your current state of mind?
What is your favorite occupation?
What historical figure do you most identify with?
Which living person do you most admire?
Who is your favorite fictional hero?
Who are you real-life heroes?
What is your most treasured possession?
When and where were you happiest?
What is your most obvious characteristic?
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
What is your greatest extravagance?
What is your favorite journey?
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
What do you consider the most over-rated virtue?
On what occasion do you lie?
Which words or phrases do you most over-use?
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Where would you like to live?
What is the quality you most admire in a man?
What is the quality you most admire in a woman?
What is it you most dislike?
What do you value most in you friends?
How would you like to die?
If you were to die and come back as a person or an animal, what do you think it would be?
If you could choose an object to come back as, what would you choose?
What is your motto, the words you live by or that mean a lot to you?
Who has been the greatest influence on you?