Month: October 2011

Superman Contemplates the Jump

The fire alarm went off at church. Too much incense.  Had to evacuate the building. Here is Jack on the fence outside the parish hall where they were getting ready for the All Saints parade for the children.  He switched into his St. John costume complete with eagle.

Anyway, I sewed this Superman cape about 28 years ago for Jack’s Uncle Matthew.  Now Jack(4)  wants to wear it constantly.  Last night I had to sew some repairs. He was so happy that it could be fixed.

Last Christmas time he was into Spiderman and you might have seen Jack on his Uncle Matthew. If not, click here.  Matthew comes in from Croatia pretty soon for Laura’s wedding.  I hope he doesn’t find I gave his old Superman cape to his nephew.

by Categories: ChildhoodTags: , , , , , , , , 13 Comments

Liberty Tunnel Odyssey 2011

This is for people who don’t live in Pittsburgh. You know we have lots of bridges here.  But today I am highlighting the driving through one of our tunnels.

Experience the Liberty Tunnel as I did last Tuesday night. First opened in 1924.

At first the radio is playing. Then static as reception is lost.

The Liberty Tunnel is 5889 feet long.  The tunnel was empty except for me.  One car whizzes by towards the end.  I put the iPhone on the top of the steering wheel and just drove without looking at it.  Not too fast. Next week the Ft Pitt tunnel so you can see the city at the mouth of the tunnel.

Just had the urge to document the emptiness and the movement  as I traveled through.  The sound of a motorcycle can be heard too.  And then the radio reception returns.  Disclaimer- may cause motion sickness?  Steve said it seems like he was traveling through the atmospheres of Jupiter.  What an imagination.

by Categories: Pittsburgh PhotosTags: , , , , , , , 13 Comments

Nostalgia for Metal Roller Skates and a Key Around the Neck

Photographed at Bicycle Heaven 10-26-11

When my family lived in Newark, NJ my brother and I used to skate around the block.  Your feet would hum after you took off the skates.  You left your regular shoe on your foot and tried to fit it into the metal brace.  I can hear the sound when I look at these old skates. Childhood of the 1950’s.  They were heavy.  At least that is how I remember them.

by Categories: Childhood, PhotographyTags: , , , , , , , , , 11 Comments

Bicycle Heaven Shop and Museum

Kurt and Craig in Bicycle Heaven.

People at work.  What an amazing place.  A field trip for photo class Wednesday night.  Craig and Kurt were most hospitable.  And you never saw so many bicycles in your life. Steamers for handlebars, baskets, reflectors, headlamps, tires, gears, seats. You name it. Anything and EVERYTHING for a bicycle. Whatever you want? It is there! Craig has been collecting bikes for 30 years and just put this place together in the last three months.  WOW is all we could say.  Holy Bikes! The four bikes on the wall are Bowden Spacelander bikes made of fiberglass designed in 1948. There are very few in the world and here were FOUR together !!!

by Categories: People at WorkTags: , , , , , , , 38 Comments

Fruit Tart, Tea and Friendship

A winning combination.  A friend and neighbor asked me over tonight. We hadn’t seen each other in weeks.  It was good to catch up. Hear about what we’ve been up to and the places we have gone.  I read that article asking Do You Bore People? so I tried to not talk about the computer crash and the necessity of a new hard drive but it was difficult cause she missed my data loss experience.    But enough on that already-  AND look what her husband picked up on his way home!  Lovely custard and fruit-topped tarts with a mug of hot tea to accompany the tart. It is good to have friends, especially in this beginning season of darkness and cold.

Almost looks like a reflection!

 

by Categories: Cooking and Eating, PhotographyTags: , , , , , , 21 Comments

Everybody Loves Italian Men

Strip District shopping on Saturday AM I finally saw the sign R told me about a few weeks ago.  In fact, I parked right in front of it.

After I loaded up the car and got into the driver’s seat to pull out of the parking space, there were two women responding to the sign!   More difficult to read the sign at that angle but I thought the addition of the women going in really added to the scene.

by Categories: Photography, Pittsburgh Photos, SignageTags: , , , , , , , , , , 11 Comments

Mr. Lenny Moran-Burgh Nation T- Shirt Man

Saturday morning I drove down to the Strip District of the city to purchase items for the cookie table for the wedding. Ingredients; pistachios, hazelnuts, almond paste, Portuguese Pignoli Nuts, anise seed,fig jam, and some doilies for the cookie trays. Stopped by the Steeler Nation T-shirt display and told the proprietor his shirts were being worn in Zagreb. I bought them last year. We struck up a conversation and before you know it, Mr. Lenny Moran opened his a guitar case and showed me where Tom Petty had signed it T.P. and then had a well-worn leaflet autographed by Muhammed Ali. Turns out Lenny is a songwriter as well as a Steeler Nation T-shirt entrepreneur. If you’re from Pittsburgh you might have heard his Rock’n the Igloo!   Check out his burghnationtees.   He had a tablet with wireless capability and I was able to show him the post of the Steelers slide show where he was featured last January.   Lenny had placed Steelers folding chairs to save a parking spot for a couple of nuns who came and set up a table to sell Advent wreaths.  It was a nice morning.  He graciously consented (I hadn’t asked last January) to be on the blog.  Thanks Mr. Lenny Moran.

Lenny Moran and his autographed guitar.

Note to SELF:

 Carry good camera at all times

Carry good camera at all times

Everywhere, ALWAYS!!!

All iPhone once again.

by Categories: People at Work, Pittsburgh PhotosTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 11 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: Opportunity

A set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something

The sound of the engine caught my ear. I looked up. Had camera in hand, CLICK. The auto focus found the tree and utility pole but got the fire engine between as it whizzed by. I was going to visit my friend S and have tea in her artist's studio (formerly garage) last September.

by Categories: Light in the City, Pittsburgh PhotosTags: , , , , , , , 17 Comments