Holiday Recap: Christmas Eve

Normal fire. Then accelerated. I can't tell you how many times this cycle repeated.



Sometimes, it's okay to not get too close when you're taking pics. Especially if you show up in the country wearing city shoes. (Yes, of course I had hiking boots in the car, but that's not the point. Also, I probably would have been down there with them if my mom hadn't been visiting. She likes to think I grew up.)

Walking Around SLU

Sleeping Around Clayton

I love JD's business trips, even when we don't leave town.

Friday Night at Off Broadway

The Blind Eyes

Thanksgiving night at Gooski's on Polish Hill

After the adventure of cooking for the family, JulieDill and I wandered down the Parkway, picked up or friend Julie Platt, and wound our way up to Polish Hill. The Polish Hill Civic Association claims PH is "Pittsburgh's most vertical neighborhood." I believe them. Also, I'm really glad I learned to drive stick in PA and not out in the prairie...

Anyway, I liked Gooski's. It was dark, crowded, full of beer, and the people watching was good. Mostly we hung out in the corridor under this light...


and drank on this pitcher of Yuengling. Yes, JD was taunting the folk back home again.


More bar views:

Central West End at night

Moon at Newfound Gap

Well, the day hasn't gone as expected. No MRI, yet. Hopefully this week. Anyway, here's a snap of the full moon and Jupiter from the Tennessee / North Carolina border last week.

In PrinHigh with my "new" camera

I'm a lucky girl. My friends found a beautiful old Yashica A twin lens reflex and gave it to me. I ran two rolls of TMX through it the first night.







When I went into the darkroom yesterday to develop them, I started working on my random film backlog. I have a big backlog. Stay tuned for some black & white flashbacks.

In a fog in Hermann, MO

This was the third time Julie & I spent the Thursday after Christmas in a B&B in Hermann. In 2005 I decided we needed a little vacation within a vacation to decompress after my Mom's annual visit, so I surprised Julie with an evening at Hermann Hill Inn. We made the same trip in 2006 & 2007, but I think we'll stay closer to home next year - maybe a romantic getaway in Lafayette Square or Soulard for a change. I'll worry about that next fall. (Anyone have any suggestions?)

Anyway, Julie, who puts up with my love of walking around in the dark taking pictures, indulged me with a stroll through Hermann Thursday night.


This really is dollhouse scale.


This really is human scale.


She just needs to stay behind bars, no matter how big she is.

City as Art:: Saturday Night @ Art St. Louis

Okay, to be completely accurate, none of these were taken at the opening, and none of them are in the show. I took these on the walk back to my car after the opening. You should go to the show, though. It was good.


This is the ceiling of the old Chemical building lobby. I guess someone's fixing it up. Or maybe just scavenging. When I worked downtown I used to go to a lab in this building, Commercial B&W, when I was too far behind on my darkroom work.


I don't spend enough time wandering around in the dark.