A Little Plum and the Big Apple

You know you've been away too long when the blogging template changes on you...

...thanks a lot, Google.

What I used to enjoy about Blogger was the easy manipulation of image sizes.  Now I'll really have to play around with new features and mess even more with html code.

But with this all aside, I guess I should apologize for the recent blogging inactivity...

 

...allowing entire holidays to pass on by and not share this freaky pic with you. 

Truth is - things have been rather busy with a whole bunch of exciting developments coming about...

 

...especially this one!

Due around October 28, this little plum (soon to be a full-sized baby) has been a centerpiece for discussion for a few weeks now and I don't doubt you'll see more of him or her in time. Lord knows that I'll be taking plenty of pics!

So get ready!

___________________________________________________

Now that I have your attention, let me tell you about one of my more recent adventures.

Two weekends ago (April 13-15), Julia and I headed to New York.  We arrived (very) early Friday morning and made our way to an international art show that Julia was in at the Austrian Cultural Forum...

 

...titled "It's the Political Economy, Stupid."

  

Here, Julia's photographs were set up as a slide show piece on a digital monitor...

 

...and I must say I was rather impressed with l'artista.

It definitely was a beautiful weekend to be in New York City.  We walked around all day Friday to admire...

 

...the blossoming trees...

 

...the hanging flower vines...

 

...and even the inflated rubber tree in Columbus Circle.

On Saturday, Julia had to go out of the city and left me to explore the island at will.

I started the day meeting my cousins for breakfast at the Brooklyn Diner...

 

...where I had a delightful dish that included challah toast and kugel...

...later followed by a nice stroll...

 

...and a hand scrub at Sabon.

Afterward, I continued walking...

 

...checked out a flea market...

...got some sushi...

 

...felt nostalgic about some familiar sites...

...and even noticed some new ones.

I hadn't been in Times Square in years.  YEARS!

Usually, when in New York, I made a habit of avoiding this area completely.

But since I had the day free and nowhere to go, I decided to check it out where I came across all these costumed photo-ops.

As I stopped to snap some pictures of them with my phone, they approached me and wrapped their fuzzy around around me...

...so I took advantage of the photo-op for myself.

Once the photos were taken, both the Elmo and Cookie Monster characters turned to me and lifted a hanging accessory that I hadn't noticed before...

...a shaggy bag that hung around their shoulders.

They repeated a word with an Asian accent as they shook this bag:  Donation.

I warned them that all I had was some loose change, dropped some dimes and quarters in each of their bags, and then took off  before their friends had a chance to also pose with me.

I headed west to escape the crowd...

 

 ...and noticed people lining up along the street...

 

...so I lined up with them right before the Scottish Parade started by.

Here are some video clips so that you can too...

 

Of course, there were other little trips and sites through the rest of this weekend, but I really don't have that much more photographic evidence to show you.

Therefore, allow me to end this post with another announcement and a photo...

ANNOUNCEMENT:  I will be on New Day Cleveland on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 to talk about festivals.  Please watch the show, DVR it and share this news with friends!

THE PHOTO: I just wanted to finish with this tasty breakfast that I made a few weeks ago consisting of a slice of toast, garlic mayo, lox and a perfectly cooked egg.

I admit...

...the light really makes it look so heavenly.

Kristian's Incredible Adventure - Conclusion

Conclusion

Day 4: Monday, March 19, 2012

I checked in at my hotel near the Kansas City airport and got ready to go out for my last meal at a good barbeque joint.

Of course, being Kansas City, there were plenty of good barbeque joints and some with such long histories and adamant fans that it was difficult to determine where I should go.

Eventually, I went with the advice of my uncle and drove into town for a little Gates Bar-B-Q.

Ordering was a little tricky because I didn't see anything on the menu that read as a half slab. Instead, there were "short end" and "long end" ribs.

I felt lost and confused.

Fortunately, no one was in line behind me and the girl patiently suggested that I get the short end.

"Are they babyback?" I asked.
"No," she answered. "But they're meatier than the long end."

But now that I have a computer, I can explain the difference to you. Here, in fact, is a quote from AmazingRibs.com:

Short end ribs and long end ribs. In many rib joints you can order a half slab, and you never know which end you'll get. In restaurants in Kansas City you can usually specify the end you want. On a slab of spareribs, the bones on one end are longer than on the other. The first six ribs from the shoulder back are the long end ribs. The short end has the last seven or eight bones. The short end is slightly meatier and slightly more tender. The short end typically costs $1 more there.

Here are the short end ribs and a small sweet potato pie I got.

And were they ever good!

In fact, as I started eating the ribs...

...I noticed that the bread underneath was garnished with pickles...



...so I pulled some meat off the bone and added some sauce for bread tacos.

My final meal in Kansas City was a great success!

..........................................

By the time I returned the car the next day, I had easily driven 1,200 miles...

...in a figure 8 route through America's Midwest.

It was an incredible 4 days (YES - only 4 days!) and one that only made me want to travel more.

In fact, if you can go out and travel, whether locally or internationally, get out there and have a blast!

Talk to the people. Eat the local food. Learn the history. Be open. Be spontaneous. Have fun.

And just explore!

I hope, by reading my adventure, there's a part of you that, even now, is contemplating an adventure all your own.

.

Kristian's Incredible Adventure - Part VIII: The Great Hotel Museum

Part VIII: The Great Hotel Museum

................................................................................................

From Nelson county we went to Logan county to see some relatives we had there, and after staying until the middle of October, I returned alone to my home in Missouri.

- Jesse James

................................................................................................

Day 4: Monday, March 19, 2012

In the above quote, Nelson county is a county in Kentucky that houses my wife's hometown of Bardstown, where Jesse James' cousin worked at the jailhouse...

...which was conveniently next door to the Talbott Tavern where he hung out (and put a bullet in the wall upstairs).

Therefore, since I already needed to make it back to Kansas City for my flight the following day...

...it made sense to make a short stop in Saint Joseph, Missouri...



...and see the house* that James moved to before being killed by fellow gang member Robert Ford.

Unfortunately, the house itself was closed that day, but visitors were welcome to visit the neighboring museum...

...the Patee House Museum.

The Patee House was opened in 1858 as a luxury hotel...

...with a classy front desk...



...a ballroom...



...and great looking rooms.

But, from 1860-1861, it was also the headquarters to the Pony Express...

...(which had their stables just down the street)...

...a Provost Marshall's office, a female college and many other things throughout the years.

Of course, before arriving, I had thought that the Patee House was simply a house, not a hotel...

...and I had no idea how big the museum would be.

But it was.

It was absolutely HUGE!

One wing alone...

...replicated an old fashioned street...

...with plenty of shops...



...that you could explore...

...and kids could get cards from the front desk...

...and find things that didn't belong with the rest of the display.

And elsewhere in the museum, consisting of two floors, the curators took advantage of all the space they had...

...with children's toys...



...a carrousel...



...period displays...



...a beaver...



...TV and radio equipment...



...a huge ball of twine...



...and even a train.

A train!

Meanwhile, outside...

...the rain beat down like crazy...so I just took my time.

I eventually came across a door that led me down a staircase...

...and brought me to this room of impressive artwork...



...where I read about important figures like Calamity Jane...

...and Ohioans Annie Oakley and William Quantrill (leader of a Confederate guerrila group of which Jesse James and his brother were members).

By the time I finished reading all the plaques, the museum was getting close to closing.

Now that the rain had slowed, I didn't have to get too wet as I made my way to the car...

...and drove the last leg to my hotel in Kansas City.

.* - Jesse James' house was relocated behind the Patee House Museum. It was originally a few blocks down the street

.