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Alabama / honeymoon / photo / Thursday — Comments Off
7
Oct 10

Researching and other fun things

Spent a fair amount of time yesterday considering a study for a presentation in class this morning. And then, in class, it never came up. So Researching Media Effects today was about four critiques of four other studies, which is just as well. Five would have been too many.

After class I made a round of meetings, visiting with my comps committee. I made jokes with one professor, who gave me the two questions which will require a great deal of attention in the coming months and four hours to answer next year.

So I visited a second committee member and got two more questions that will require a similar amount of attention to detail. After that, I had a visit with my committee chair.

Then I scheduled my comprehensive exams. No turning back now. If you need me between now and January I’ll be working my way through a lot of reading material.

Framed some posters tonight.

These are posters I picked up this summer to commemorate our trip through southern Europe. I got them cheap on e-bay. Since frames are insanely expensive, indeed even a modest frame would cost more than any three of the posters, I decided to go cheap.

I only had to visit three Target stores to get the right cheap frames, too.

Now to figure out where to hang them. When they are on the walls, do be sure to ooh and aah at them when you come visit.

fair / history / hobby / Monday / photo / site — Comments Off
4
Oct 10

Just pictures today

I worked. I read papers for an upcoming conference. I visited the grocery store. I did laundry. I did work. And none of those things seem especially interesting — I discovered a new flavor of Triscuit! None of those things seem especially worth sharing — I found a typo in an abstract! Everything else seems even more prosaic than usual — the weather has turned mild!

Instead of all that, how about some birds?

That isn’t a Yellowlegs, they aren’t purely white as far as I know, but I don’t know what you call this guy. Let’s say he’s a shore bird, for that’s where I found him: sitting on big rocks, a bit upset that I disturbed him.

Behold the mighty pelican.

And, now, the mighty pelican gets dinner:

Even the history segment is brief today. You know the 1939 World’s Fair section will return tomorrow, but did you know I know someone that attended? Henry did. When I picked up that fair guide in Georgia this summer I thought of him.

I gave that book to him this weekend.

You can hear his reaction on the front page of the fair section, too. Also updated links elsewhere on the site. I’ll spare you the 600 word treatise on that particular chore, too.

You’re welcome.

Tomorrow: class, the paper, the World’s Fair and a bunch more.

iPhone / photo / weekend — Comments Off
3
Oct 10

Catching up

Elevator

The most basic of elevator controls. But, then, this elevator might be half-a-century old.

Sunset

Sunset behind me, over Montgomery, Ala.

Sunset

Sunset over western Florida.

Sign

The bathroom was less than clean.

I downloaded Diptic since it showed up in the iTunes top 50 (free, of course). You can take pictures, new or old, and throw them in one of 19 templates to get a multi-shot effect. I just pulled these pictures off my phone to see how well it worked. I suspect this could be useful, and saves you a bit on Photoshop. You can also alter the border properties with ease. It is just another app aiming to help you tell a story with pictures. Almost like they are important or something … This could be a useful app. For inspiration, check out their Flickr group.

adventures / photo / weekend — Comments Off
2
Oct 10

Henry and Dee

We’re visiting with The Yankee’s grandparents, Henry and Dee. They retired to Florida and the visits aren’t nearly frequent enough because they are the sweetest people.

We had pizza for lunch, they took us to this park in the afternoon. We visited a pier and watched the boats and the birds. We had dinner at a new local restaurant Henry wanted to try. It was noisy and crowded, but good.

We had pie back around their table and gave them presents. They told us stories all day. I took pictures and recorded a few of the conversations.

I’ll share one or two of those in the next few days.

adventures / Friday / photo / recipes — Comments Off
1
Oct 10

Travel day

When we look back on today, we’ll remember it as a travel evening. By the time we made it to Florida we were ready to be out of the car. That worked out well since, after that, there’s just the water.

On the way, do you know where this is?

No? Need another hint?

Fine, one more.

It is a small southern town, so there’s no shame if you don’t know it. I sent those pictures to my friend Elizabeth. She’s from that town and she didn’t know, either. (I like my geographic quizzes to be challenging.)

Anyway.

We’re at a Residence Inn, somewhere in Florida, which has the most pretentious lobby I’ve ever seen in a hotel I can afford. The sink in the bathroom off the lobby:

It has the H and C, the universal symbols for “Ouch!” and “Brrr!” The knob rotates. But that doesn’t turn on the water. Twist, pull, tug, push and you get no water. You can control the temperature of this mythical H20, but you have to — oh.

It is a hands-free faucet. There’s a sensor under the spout. But you still had to touch it. And that’s Florida.

The Yankee and I had dinner at a place called Crabby Bill’s. There was a dour faced man in the classic grimace pose on the logo, how could you go wrong? Also, there was seafood.

I discovered corn and crab chowder. Got the recipe:

4 tablespoons butter or bacon fat
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups corn, cut off cob
2 cups milk or more
1 cup cream
1/2 pound crabmeat

Melt butter or bacon fat in pan.
When hot, add onions and green pepper.
Saute 5 minutes.
Add potatoes and cover vegetables with water.
Cook 10 minutes.
Add corn and continue to cook until potatoes are tender.
Add 2 cups milk and the cream.
Stir and bring to a boil.
Add crabmeat and just heat through.
Thin with milk if necessary.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in parsley.

I might eat that all fall.

The place was full of signs, both manufactured and handmade, like this one:

We picked up The Yankee’s mother. She flew down for a quick weekend visit a bit further down the coast. We’ll do that tomorrow.