"Place, with a trace of humanity" Photography/Photo of the Day/Pittsburgh

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How Many Hot Dogs in Ten Minutes?

Food eating contests aren’t really my thing- in fact, I don’t understand the urge to prepare and practice for such an event! Or what one might feel like afterwards.

But today when my sister pointed out this sign, I tried to fathom what the numbers meant.  And the countdown ’til July 4th is visible on this sign.

My sister found a stat on a guy who in 1972 ate 19 and in 2012 the guy ate 68!  That’s quite an increase in consumption.

Did I mention that this effort takes place in TEN MINUTES time???    I don’t even want to witness this contest in person but I find it amazing that it exists.

This is an INTERNATIONAL contest. You can read more about it here  And yes, there is an International Federation of Competitive Eating  who approves such contests.

You don’t just show up. You have to qualify. Joey Chestnut has been winning since 2007 but competition is nipping at his heels.

There’s a female champion, Sonya Thomas.

A little controversy- this guy’s photo was removed from the sign in 2011 and  last year Takeru Kobayashi wasn’t allowed to compete and ate hot dogs on the rooftop in Manhattan?  Check out his other food competitions if you wish- includes cow brains and Twinkies but not eaten simultaneously, different contests at this link.    My sister said when he is not competing he eats cabbage and fasts. Good plan.

He pioneered the Solomon Method- break in half and eat both halves at once then eat the bun.  (or something like that)

  You can jump and down while you eat them.  Or sway side to side.

Hot Dog Eating Countdown Sign

 

 

Mary found the sign AFTER we had each consumed one hot dog with sauerkraut and mustard.  I was reminiscing about visiting Nathan’s on Coney Island with my 3 kids in November 1991. When we were there at Thanksgiving the place was deserted.

Two of Nathan's hot dogs

 

 

 

And if hot dogs aren’t for you there are the frog legs….

(note the calories listed on each menu item)

Frog Legs on the Menu

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nathan's Sign

 

 

 

 

 

Famous Frankfurters

 

 

 

 

Nathan's World Famous

Tourists in Our Own City- Just Ducky Tours

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday afternoon Steve asked me if I wanted to take that Ducky Tour we had seen last week when we were downtown at the Arts Festival.

After a moment’s hesitation I threw on some clothes and we went.  What a good idea.

Had to wait and hour and a half for the next available tour as the weather was great and everyone was out. We sipped a Yuengling at the Hard Rock Cafe and then made our way to the line that was forming at flag #3 for our boat.

We had a lot of fun. It was so enjoyable.  Especially the rivers part.  Steve said he would definitely go again.

Everyone looks at you as you drive past and then you all quack like a duck so if you aren’t in a cheery disposition or that seems too too corny, don’t go.  It was really funny and fun and I documented the experience with the camera.

The feeling of driving into the river and leaving land was really a cool sensation.  And now I know where to take the grandchildren when they come to visit the city.  They would love taking a Just Ducky Tour.

Did you see the movie Saving Private Ryan? the driver asked.

Just Ducky Tours Amphibious Vehicles HistoryDucky Tour Vehicle

 

All six boats drive off at about the same time, like a convoy

the driver's seat

 

 

 

 

 

Self portrait

 

Self portrait in the rearview mirror

 

 

 

Tour Guide Cait

 

Tour guide Cait finds some humor to entertain the tourists.  Us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sculptures at Station Square

 

Salvaged from a building? Who are these figures and what are they doing?

 

 

Smithfield Bridge

 

Historic Landmark Smithfield Bridge

 

 

Waiting for the Bus

 

 

 

 

 

 

Downtown Building Reflections

 

 

First you drive around downtown and see everything you know from a different vantage point.

 

 

PPG Plaza Fountain

 

PPG Plaza and fountain.

 

 

 

Man crossing the street

 

Looks like a character from a novel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parking Lot

 

Headed to find her car in the parking lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blimp and PPG

 

The Blimp and PPG building

 

 

Entering the Mon River

 

 

 

Driving down the Mon Wharf, right into the Monongahela River!

 

 

 

Fort Pitt Bridge

 

Underneath the Fort Pitt Bridge

 

 

 

 

Point Park Fountain

 

The fountain is working again.

 

 

 

Just Ducky Tour Boat

 

What a Just Ducky Tour Boat looks like on the river.

 

 

 

Just Ducky Tour

 

There are the companion Ducky Tourists.

We were on the Monongahela, The Allegheny and the Ohio Rivers. RIght at the point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Driving out of the River

 

 

What it looks like when the amphibious vehicle drives out of the Monongahela River.

 

 

Just Ducky Tour

 

 

Right next to us on the road.  Watch that Baby!!!

Bicycles on Smithfield Bridge

 

 

 

 

 

Back at STation Square

 

Returned safely to Station Square.

They told us NO one has had to use a life jacket in the 16 years of Just Ducky Tours.  I took some photos of people driving the boat and am emailing them their pic.

Quack Quack Quack!

 

 

School’s Out for the Summer!

Well it WILL be out come Monday, June 17th (the final day without students)

The lockers were all opened and cleared out after the students left. What a collection in the lost and found.

I still have to turn in my keys and get signed out. The grade summary reports got turned in Friday. The books packed from the shelves in boxes or cupboards.  Ripped down the bulletin board paper and thought about what color for next fall.

This lone work boot and the baseball were in the hallway by an open locker.

Thought about how I could have rearranged the still life to improve the composition but didn’t touch it,

just moved myself and the camera.

Happy Summer-  I’m turning off all alarms.

 

baseball and work boot

Happy Father’s Day to my Son

Happy Father’s Day!

I’m a proud mom!  Here is my son Mark who is a wonderful father to Anna, Michael, Jack and Maura. (Excellent Mom Erika, too)

 

Maura comes home

Bringing Maura home November 2008

No matter the season…………….

Mark and Michael at Baseball

Coaching Michael

Jack sledding

Sledding with Jack

At the Pirates Game  Willie Stargell Statue- Mark with Anna and Maura       (and Grandma on camera)IMG_2444

PNC Park Pittsburgh PA

(and if you are new to following the blog you might enjoy this Father’s Day Tribute to my father) Read the rest of this page »

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE: Curves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plitvice Lakes Park

The challenge for the week is curves.  Tour bus above in the National Park with all the waterfalls- Plitvice National Park – Croatia-

No guard rails on this curve!

 

 

Plitvice Lakes FallsPlitvice Lakes Park in Croatia   a curved walkway

 

 

 

 

 

Tree in Plitvice

 

I knew I had some back seat driver photos from my visit to Croatia and I was able to find a few.            Fasten Your Seat Belt!

Car Trip Croatia

Curved Gate

Curved Roof Tiles

Roof Tiles  in Istria

Tunnel Curve

Light at the end of the curvy tunnel- Croatia Car Trip

Ram horns

On Brijuni – Tito’s Personal State Summer Residence

Zagreb Fountain

Zagreb Fountain- the water a straight line but the curve of the back caught my eye

And Back in the States Kennywood Amusement Park a few years back

Anna at Kennywood Whip

Anna on the whip in Kiddieland Kennywood Amusement Park

Kiddieland Roller Coaster

Carousel Horse

Curved Carousel Horse

Kennywood2007 038

Pap puts Anna into the car on the curve at Kennywood – Is this the Turnpike?

Kennywood2007 172

Log Flume Ride Kennywood

Glass Ball 001

Glass Paperweight

1949 Chevrolet Ambulance and Our Brother’s Birthday

My sister Mary sent me these photos she took on her phone in NYC.

She texted the year- 1949. a very good year!

A Chevrolet Ambulance.  Looked up definition for the word Chevrolet and found Louis Chevrolet ”a Swiss Born American Race Car Driver of French Descent”

I’ve been saving the photos to post for our brother David’s birthday today, also Flag Day.  (You might remember how bad I am at sending out a card in time.)

Happy Birthday David.  Thinking of you and hoping you have a wonderful day.

Love from your sisters,

Ruth and Mary

Chevy 1949

 

 

 

 

Side View 1949 Chevy

 

 

 

 

 

1949 Chevy rear view

 

 

Don’t Throw- Don’t Drop- Don’t Bruise-Fragile!

Last Saturday night, Steve and I were walking around downtown at the Three Rivers Arts Festival.

Behind the line of food tents at the Three Rivers Arts Festival, (actually renamed the  Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival- who knows how much they shelled out to include in the name ) this pile of fifty pound bags of potatoes caught my eye.

The sliver of orange shirt was a man who didn’t want his photo taken but I said “Don’t worry. I just want the potatoes. “

As far as identifying what state the potatoes were grown, I looked up Top ‘O The Harvest brand and found a distinctive bag in an agricultural museum c. 1960 and if they are still in business, it looks like they came from Unity, Maine.  The label says Special Frying Potatoes.  Wish I could have found the cooking oil containers to accompany this shot.

Piles of Potatoes

 

Here is the beginning of the line of food tents- the signs seem so generic this year.  Like a supermarket brand, to me.  They seem to have lost the individual character, a certain sameness except a different color.

Festival Food Tents

Waiting for Barges on the Allegheny River Late in the Day

Standing on the Roberto Clemente Bridge from Sixth Street.  Saturday night.

Near the Duquesne Bridge

 

 

 

waiting for the Barges

 

 

 

 

 

View from the Bridge

 

 

 

 

 

Just the single barge

 

 

 

 

 

Tug Boat

Who Do You Root For? For Whom Do You Root?

Is it whom or who?

 

Graduation on Saturday.  Everything going without a hitch. Supposed to be a solemn occasion.  Serious business.

I was standing with my camera, photographing the seniors as they filed in and found their rows.

Mr. Milinski, Health and Phys Ed teacher, Cross Country and Tennis Coach, was at the end of the first row.

Be seated after the National Anthem.

I hear a soft voice, “Ms. Hendricks, Ms. Hendricks.”

Mr. Milinski lifted his robe to reveal some crazy Green Bay Argyles.  Of course, I photographed them.

In fact, I think he wanted me to get the shot.   He seemed pleased that I captured his individuality.

This morning at school I ran into him in the main office and I asked him if it would be okay to blog his socks.

He said I could even use his name.  And I asked him why he was a Green Bay Fan in the middle of Pittsburgh? and his response was

“Because I’m smart!”

It Can’t Be Easy Being a Cheesehead Green Bay Fan (it’s not derogatory anymore) in a Sea of Steelers Fans!

was my original title.  

Mr. Milinski and I  had a chuckle and here’s the photo of his Cheesehead socks.  Everyone has their team allegiance, often due to place of residence or where one was born or hails from….can’t end a sentence with “from” either. Yikes.

I think he’s from the South Side of Pittsburgh, nowhere near Lake Michigan but I’ll check on that.

Green Bay Argyles

Weekly Photo Challenge:Fleeting

Several ideas came to mind but I’m posting a single shot of the fleeting sunlight on the curtain in my living room today.

Under a cloud, the sun shifts –   it’s gone.

 

Fleeting Sunlight

 

 

 

 

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