And what a nice backyard to have. The Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park NY.
August 3, 2012
And what a nice backyard to have. The Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park NY.
August 2, 2012
The side bar at Webster Hall. We saw Helmet – good; a band we didn’t know, Ume – also good; and the Toadies – rocked it. Totally didn’t expect them to kick that much ass. So much so, I had to dig up my old CD for a re-listen.
The venue was great, too. Bits of leftover old cool architecture, a second huge bar with lots of stools, a combined really open bathroom that doesn’t promote lolly gagging, a bathroom attendant selling candy & sundries, old school bouncy main floor, killer lighting & sound, and huge fans.
A great intro to concerts in our new home.
August 1, 2012
Why am I an Apple fan girl? In part, because they make such damn pretty products. Also, I’ve heard this battery charger is the bomb-diggety from multiple sources.
July 31, 2012
Castor canadensis (aka the North American Beaver)
Over the weekend we found a superawesome store in SoHo specializing in skulls, exploded (Beauchene) models, and bits of natural elements.
Needless to say, I want everything in there, including the $2800 Allosaurus skull cast.
Random NYC Scenes
Random shots taken walking around over the past few weeks in NYC. I’ve been struggling with photographic inspiration lately – some days carrying the camera around helps, some days it doesn’t. These days it did… a little.
These next shots were taken while showing my sister and mother-by-choice around the city. Both were interested in NYC-things (as opposed to tourist spots), which was just fine by me. We wandered Park Slope, got lost-ish in Prospect Park, slogged through Central Park in the bazillion-degree heat to see the somewhat disappointing Belvedere Castle, shopped in SoHo, wandered through Greenwich, strolled the boardwalk in Coney, experienced the madness of Midtown, immersed ourselves in Chinatown and had an overall lovely (albeit sweaty) time. Lots of good food, lots of poking around in shops, and of course, lots of chatting.
— Love the dusk with lights on feel of this one
July 30, 2012
The Natural History section of our living room.
July 29, 2012
Put a bird on it … SoHo.
July 28, 2012
Lobster sandwich from the Red Hook Lobster Pound. Fantastical.
‘It’s Too Hot To Cook’ Watermelon Salad
I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but in mine, we’ve been having a heat wave. And I thought it got hot in South Florida — It does, but this heat is something different. In Miami, you have a nice-to-annoying breeze continually wiping the land clean – dragging humid air in its wake. In NYC, you have humidity as well, but asphalt everywhere and tall buildings that alternately create wind tunnels and block all air from moving. It’s taking some getting used to, especially when the mercury tops out at 103, a temperature I haven’t seen since living in northern Florida.
So, what do you cook for dinner when going outside means flirting with immolation? Watermelon salad. This salad is cool, sweet, hot, savory, and delicious. I’ve been eating big bowlfuls by itself for lunch and dinner, but you could serve alongside some form of quick-cooking meat in tube or patty form to round out a meal for more than one if you can stand the heat.
A note on buying watermelon: This recipe is easiest when made with a seedless varietal, but I wasn’t thinking about that when selecting my melon – I was more excited by seeing something new – the deep green Sugar Baby Red variety – than I was concerned with practicality. If you don’t happen to remember seedless watermelon, no biggie, just more prep work will be involved to pick the seeds out.
‘It’s Too Hot To Cook’ Watermelon Salad
4 c. watermelon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (bite sized)
3 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped fine
Most of a pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, diced
5 scallions, sliced thin
2 jalapenos, de-seeded and diced
1/2 – 3/4 c. feta, crumbled if in a block (optional)
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. the best (thickest) balsamic vinegar you can find
Combine everything in a large bowl, stir to combine, and set back in the fridge for 20 minutes or so to marry.
Makes a ton – I’ve gotten at least 3 big bowls out of the batch I made.
July 27, 2012
Evening stroll @ Coney.
Gastography 