I allowed myself to put the lights up before Thanksgiving this year, just by one day. That day was Nov. 25 -- so 30 days before Christmas -- and I wanted the extended family coming to the house for Thanksgiving (some seeing our place for the first time) to get the full-on holiday experience.
And I wasn't the only one. The white tree in the middle distance and the lights at the end of the block were up before mine, and the closest neighbor turned his on today.
Burger places keep popping up these days, but I'm not one to complain. The wife and I zipped down to Montclair for lunch at Elevation Burger (Stephen Colbert approved!) to sample a worthy East Coast substitute for In-n-Out.
With a Five Guys under construction in Upper Montclair, White Manna over in Hackensack, Bill's Burger Bar near work in the City and Shake Shack always an option, I've got my burger cravings covered.
Back in October, I took a drive along Old Mine Road, an historic trail-turned-road that's been around since the 1600s. It features several abandoned homes and camps that were left behind when plans were made to dam the Delaware at Tocks Island. It was a beautiful autumn day, a perfect afternoon for a drive with a few stops to hike along the way. I only explored about half the road and can't wait to get back.
The new condo building on 23rd St. seems to be finally completed, and it now provides an attractive reflection of the Met Life Building in its windows -- which is pretty much the only attractive thing about it.
I didn't take this one, but I haven't scanned and uploaded many of my old film archives yet. But for this shot from my past, I went to a high-school baseball game in which I was playing against one of my best friends, and so I asked another friend of ours to take some photos. They're probably the only pics I have of my playing days, which ended after this season -- my junior year.
We had 12 people over for Thanksgiving this year, our biggest gathering yet. To fit everyone, we had to bring out the old table from the attic (the first two people on either side are at the smaller one) and we placed most of the food on the hutches on the left and in the back and let everyone serve themselves. It was a spirited, enjoyable way to spend the holiday.
When I realized that Thanksgiving was Nov. 26, I decided that one month before Christmas was an acceptable first day to put up the lights. The main reason was that I wanted everyone who came over on Thanksgiving to see them -- and they loved 'em.
The blue light in the attic window is a new snowflake I bought this week.
White Manna is a burger lover's dream, one of many worthy places in northern New Jersey and New York City. I get there at least twice a year when I make the drive to a Sears auto center a few blocks away, rather than going to the one closer to my house, just so I can get a plate of sliders while I pass the time it takes to rotate the tires and change the oil.
Yeah, I've used it before, but this scene today driving west on Route 36 had me singing Springsteen in my head:
Mama always told me not to look into the sights of the sun
Oh but mama that's where the fun is
-- "Blinded by the Light"
The bare branches of winter had emerged
through the last leaf-colors of fall,
the loveliest of all, browns and yellows
delicate and nameless in the gray light
and the sifting rain.
-- Wendell Berry, "XI"
Contemplating the melding of the natural world with the man-made at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.
The cats love the new dining chairs, curling up on the soft, velvet-like microfiber surfaces. But Harry recently realized that he doesn't have to limit himself to one chair at a time.
Lenny crawled into this bag and laid low, springing into action when big brother Harry walked near.
Forgot my camera as I rushed out of the house to catch the train into the city, so I had to come up with something using the camera on my phone. This resulting shot reminds me of old color photos of the seedier New York of the late 70s and 80s.
I wanted to get a shot of the Empire Diner on 10th Avenue and 22nd St. as it was in Woody Allen's intro in Manhattan (at the 30-second mark) before it changes hands.
So this is what it has come to for the Tribune-Democrat of Johnstown, Pa. Down to two sections on weekdays -- A and B, with Sports leading the latter -- a little space on A1 is reserved each day to thank a subscriber. This one is not my father-in-law, but I bet Jerry Pannone is a nice guy. In another sign of the times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has stopped home delivery to some of its far-flung coverage areas, like Johnstown. They won't even ship a stack of papers to a local store to let the subscribers pick them up.
A few trees and shrubs still held onto autumn, as seen from my sister-in-law's porch in Pittsburgh.
Just one view I saw as I waited outside one of the stores for the rest of the gang to finish shopping.
Following our arrival in Johnstown, we drove over the mountain to have dinner at the Eastwood Inn outside Ligonier. I'll leave the long, historical write-up to Casey, but this was the view of the porch after we exited through the curved front door and they locked up for the night.
One of these three is not like the other. Give up? It's the one in the middle -- he's not related. The other two are sisters.
The first few times I went to the Spotted Pig, I went blindly, led by Casey. Unfamiliar with the West Village, I had no bearings on the angled streets of the neighborhood. When I changed my regular commuting route from the 14th St. PATH stop to Christopher St. (the walk is almost an equal distance) for a more enjoyable stroll to Chelsea Market, I passed the Pig on Greenwich several times before I actually realized what it was.
A corner window of a restaurant in the West Village has a full-on autumn theme going on.
Giants Stadium during the Chargers game. As I drove by, the game on the radio, it was in the final two minutes of the first half. I got to work in time to watch the fourth quarter and the Chargers' amazing game-winning drive -- or the Giants' amazing flop on defense. Depends on your allegiances.
This was the first really chilly evening of the season. I relented and pulled out the heavier winter coat and wore a knit cap and a scarf for the first time, too.
My wife and I spent three hours raking leaves and filled up 10 bags' worth. Glad I had her, because it would've taken me about five hours on my own.
This guy and I had the same idea. Only he was on a photo walk and was well-equiped with a tripod. I was on my way to work with only a point-and-shoot. But I managed.
What an amazing sky on this night with the moon peeking through the clouds. It made for some interesting sights.
I liked how the arrow for the toll lane was reflected upside down in the back of this Mustang.
