Don't ask me, I just work here

Quaid, if you’re reading this blog…. this message is...

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:07:24 -0500

Quaid, if you’re reading this blog…. this message is for you. Smith Street, Brooklyn.

Little girl with her stuffed cat “Jasmine”. On the...

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 23:34:10 -0400

Little girl with her stuffed cat “Jasmine”. On the A train, Far Rockaway direction.

In all the years I lived in San Francisco, I saw many, many...

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:18:10 -0400

In all the years I lived in San Francisco, I saw many, many things. However, I’m almost ashamed to say I never saw some of the local… I hesitate to call them celebrities, but I guess that’s kind of what they are. So imagine my surprise when on our recent visit back to the bay area I saw the immortal Frank Chu. We were rushing to meet some old friends for dinner & I was struggling to get my pregnant self up a San Francisco hill, so I opted out of taking a pic & honestly I was kinda bummed out that I did. That disappointment lasted about 2 minutes, because low and behold! Who did I spy shuffling ahead of me ( and at a much quicker pace, I might add)? These leopard clad beauties were tottering along and I knew I just wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t take a second to capture them. Hooray for second chances!

The Cliff House, San Francisco.

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:31:51 -0400

The Cliff House, San Francisco.

What a great day for progress! I’ve never understood the...

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 09:14:13 -0400

What a great day for progress! I’ve never understood the argument that gay marriage threatens straight marriage. Another couple getting married, gay or otherwise can in no way diminish the vows that my husband and I exchanged almost 3 years ago. To suggest that it could is simply ridiculous.

Congratulations to the many many gay couples that can now (or I guess 30 days from now) be legally wed in New York!

And to senator (and pastor) Ruben Diaz….shame on you! Your comments are hateful and inflammatory. People as intolerant and bigoted as yourself have no place in public service. I can only hope that someday you will practice the love and acceptance that religion is supposed to teach us.

Superman in Gotham CIty. Near Herald Square.

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:00:49 -0400

Superman in Gotham CIty. Near Herald Square.

Carousel graveyard near Avenue U.

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:35:09 -0400

Carousel graveyard near Avenue U.

The totes adorabs @tankpony and @sexpigeon at Coney Island.

Fri, 27 May 2011 17:22:02 -0400

The totes adorabs @tankpony and @sexpigeon at Coney Island.

French kid and the statue of liberty at the piers.

Fri, 06 May 2011 05:20:43 -0400

French kid and the statue of liberty at the piers.

Chicka chicka boom chick. At the Macy’s Petacular in...

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:17:35 -0400

Chicka chicka boom chick. At the Macy’s Petacular in Herald Square.

Bus stop graffiti in Red Hook

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:25:47 -0400

Bus stop graffiti in Red Hook

Manhattan from Roosevelt Island at dusk.

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 08:38:58 -0400

Manhattan from Roosevelt Island at dusk.

I can remember clearly the first time I ever laid eyes on the...

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:48:45 -0400

I can remember clearly the first time I ever laid eyes on the emerald isle. At the time I was living in Italy, living a life very different from the one I live today. Life in another country can be amazing and eye opening, but at this particular time I had been gone for quite a long time and I was feeling very homesick. A decision was made and tickets were purchased and before I knew it I was on a flight back to California. As the plane made it’s steady path over what I can only assume was the Celtic Sea, the cheery voice of our pilot came over the intercom to inform us that if we looked out of our windows, we could clearly see Ireland down below. And indeed, there she was. The greenest thing you’ve ever seen nestled right there in a blanket of the surrounding seas. If you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing Ireland for yourself, you simply cannot comprehend just how green she is until you’ve seen her with your own eyes.

A couple weeks ago @irondavy and I hopped on a red eye to Rome. In the middle of the night we flew over Ireland, and even in complete darkness, it was fantastic to see her. There were thousands of lights like tiny pin pricks outlining the coast. They shone so brightly in the vast void of complete darkness. In short, it was stunningly beautiful.

In both instances my thoughts kept returning my ancestors. How could they have left behind such a beautiful country so steeped in culture and history? As far as I know, they never returned. That struck me as an incredibly sad thing.

Today’s feast is in honor of my ancestors, the McCools. You traveled far from Ireland to these United States where many generations since were born and raised. We will honor always your memory and the soil from which our roots were plucked. Go bhfillead go hÉirinn go brách.

Pepper party in Lefferts Gardens

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:13:35 -0500

Pepper party in Lefferts Gardens

King of Madison Square Park

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:01:59 -0500

King of Madison Square Park

Red Hook during one of the many crazy snow storms we had this...

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 18:02:02 -0500

Red Hook during one of the many crazy snow storms we had this year.

Just saw an amazing episode of Reno 911. If you haven’t...

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 16:58:00 -0500

Just saw an amazing episode of Reno 911. If you haven’t seen it yet, this clip is a video that Reno’s best director (the fantastic Craig Robinson) makes as an advertisement for his linoleum floor store. Although the video is totally hilarious on it’s own, what makes it a bajillion times more awesome is that it’s obviously an homage to one of my all time fave commercials found here. Enjoy!

*P.S. Good luck getting these songs out of your head.

Funny story… I put down our newest acquisition today (a...

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:42:07 -0500

Funny story… I put down our newest acquisition today (a blesbuck antelope hide rug) and the cats go all primal on it! They keep running into the room, pouncing on top of it, and then kicking the shit out of it. Antelope never would have stood a chance with these vicious little hunters.

When my husband and I first started dating, we would frequently...

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 09:28:00 -0500

When my husband and I first started dating, we would frequently patronize a business in San Jose, CA called Big Al’s Record Barn. The selection is fantastic and well organized and a bit overwhelming. Older gruff gentlemen man the helm there, and the first time I ever heard someone use the term “yous guys” earnestly was from one of the shop-keeps within. On one of our little sojourns I purchased an ancient copy of Dave Brubeck’s Time Out. As I pulled the record from the sleeve, these lovely little paper dresses floated out and flittered onto the carpet. What a lovely surprise it was to find such a treasure. You can tell from the style of the dresses that they’re contemporary with the record.

I’ve often pictured a dad coming home from a long day at the office, loosening his tie, pouring himself a stiff drink, and sinking deep into his favorite chair all the while Brubeck’s piano plays, jazz lilting in the background crazy time signatures and all. As daddy tries to forget about what a snit his boss was in all day…the whiney little baby, his little girl decides to stash these little hand crafted masterpieces delicately inside the sleeve. Then homework was assigned, play dates were had. Later there were school dances, a first kiss, graduation. The little dresses were forgotten. And there they stayed, undisturbed until the day we put the needle to the vinyl all those years later.

Good stuff y’all.

Photo

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:40:02 -0500