The Architectural Record, December 1931
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Atlantic City Post Office (Postcard Series)
Excerpt: The post office’s cornerstone from 1935 is a snapshot of early 20th century history. It bears the names of Henry Morgenthau Jr., the secretary of the U.S. Treasury in President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration, and James A. Farley, the nation’s postmaster general at that time.
The cornerstone may reveal even more history. Tucked inside, supposedly, is a time capsule from when the post office was built. The CRDA hopes to salvage the rumored artifacts when the two-story building is razed, said Rachelle Knight, a project development officer for the agency.
Everything else of value has already been removed, including four brass light poles that stood outside the building and two cement eagles once perched above a doorway. The CRDA wants to a find a public venue where those items can be displayed.
Also saved was a colorful mural that dominated the post office’s Pacific Avenue entryway. Painted on canvas, the artwork whimsically depicts Atlantic City’s resort life and history. CRDA officials said the U.S. Postal Service took the mural.
June 30, 1991
The cooler weather arrives a day early, which inspires me to do some much needed housework. I mop the hallway and kitchen floors, and JoAnna follows up with an uncluttering of our room and the hallway. Then I decide it's time to clear the top of my desk. What an improved look. We basically laze through the afternoon.
JoAnna takes a new approach to beef stew meat and makes fajitas for supper. We eat on the patio. Later on Andy and I go to the park. He actually rides his bike. I notice that JoAnna has raised his seat. No wonder he doesn't complain about sore knees. Andy has so much fun playing with some of the neighborhood tykes. We stay for two hours.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Albany New York Post Office (Postcard Series)
In 1980, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1988, the building was renamed the James Thomas Foley building.
June 29, 1991
JoAnna doesn't have to work today. Unfortunately, it's too hot to consider doing anything out of the ordinary. Andy and I go shopping in the morning. to KMart first, where I hope to find a swimming pool for the kids but nothing much is in stock. Andy starts to look increasingly pale, but we forge ahead and get the grocery shopping done. I give him repeated comforting hugs as we wind our way through the aisles of Cub Foods.
I do a little yard work during the afternoon. After literally years of procrastination, I set up our compost cage. I grill chicken for supper and then we just vegetate to stay cool. Andy sleeps through most of the afternoon and is refreshed when he wakes up. Whatever bug he had left him quickly.
Going the Way of the Pull-Chain Toilet?
As America's waistline expands, costs soar. (Reuters, 4/30/2012)
Excerpt: U.S. hospitals are ripping out wall-mounted toilets and replacing them with floor models to better support obese patients.
Then again, pull chains toilet, clearly updated in style, are still on the market.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Presbyterian Church in Clarion, Pennsylvania (Postcard Series)
First Presbyterian Church of Clarion. In 1894, ground was broken for a new church at the location of the brickyard for the original church. The church would cost a total of $30,000 for the building and furnishings. When the first worship service took place in the new church 2 years later, it included music from the first pipe organ installed in Clarion County.
Day 520. (High dynamic range panoramic)
Day 514. (High dynamic range imaging)
June 28, 1991
Not a movie that JoAnna and I cared to see.
My plan to be productive works to a point. I finish the Middleton Times Tribune news column and start on the board report but don't get into anything meaty, like the long-range plan and collection development policy revisions. The day zips by; for a Friday there's a large number of reference questions to tackle.
I pick up Andy and we stop at the "brown store" for soda. I feed the boys, and then the three of us go to the park.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
June 27, 1991: Egg McMuffin with Sausage for Breakfast
As if it ever looked like this!
I wake up feeling extremely lethargic. JoAnna's determined to sleep in since she didn't get home until 3:30. By the time Andy and I leave the house, I already know I'm going to be late for my meeting, so I don't even bother to push it. I stop at the McDonald's on Monona Drive and wolf down a egg McMuffin with sausage, a decision which results in my being 20 minutes late for the RFP Committee meeting. The group seems to ramble or else I'm just not able to focus on any of the issues under discussion. It's just not a morning to be productive, as I'm developing a sore throat, slightly runny nose, and, outside, an oppressive heat makes me long for winter and the chance to wear sweaters again. I drive back to Middleton via the Lands End outlet, where I find a pair of gray linen slacks, 3 pullover shirts, and 2 casual tops suitable for cooler weather. $170.
I spend the evening with the boys. We go to the park. Andy and I play baseball.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
June 25, 1991
My morning off isn't much of one as it turns out. I agree to drive Andy to Kid's Play so JoAnna can leave for work early. She calls around 8 to say she forgot her portfolio and ask if I could bring it to her. Sure. After I drop Andy off, I discover I didn't take the damn thing with me, so I have to make an extra trip into Madison. By the time I finish an order of Corned Beef Hash at Original Pancake House, it's nearly 10. I do some putzing around the yard before going into work. I pick up Andy and we make our regular soda stop. It's a slow evening at the library.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
June 24, 1991
I lounge in bed with Eddie. He's so happy, so playful; it's such an ideal way to start the day.
It's a routine day at work -- and an extremely busy one.
After supper, we all go out to play miniature golf. It's going to take Andy a few more times to get the hang of it, but we have fun until just after the 18th hole. Andy wants to do the other course and throws a tantrum when I tell him we're done. So much for going out for ice cream. I drive home in relative silence. Andy is sent to his room once we return home. I try to reason with him, explain why I find his behavior so offensive. He seems to understand. Eddie and I walk to the drug store to pick up odds and ends.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
June 23, 1991
JoAnna fixes pancakes for breakfast and later in the morning, I do the plantings under the big tree in the back yard. The boys nap while JoAnna and Barb go shopping, but I really don't have time to get into the project. Looks like all I'll be able to do this weekend is clear out my desk area. During the late afternoon, Andy and Eddie and I walk to the park, where Andy and I play baseball. Looks like Andy's going to be a spray hitter. Larry and Martha join us for supper, but only stay until 7. JoAnna gives the boys their baths. I seem to be on autopilot, frequently thinking back to those times when all my free time was my own and I could jump on my bicycle and ride for hours, stopping every now and then to fire up a joint. I was both lonely and contented then, a sometimes psychologically unwieldy combination.
Friday, June 22, 2012
June 22, 1991
We wake up to a cool, overcast day, a welcome change from the heat and humidity of the past few days. JoAnna wants to check on things at the Capitol. While she and Eddie attend a press conference, Andy and I go up to the dome platform, where the gusts of wind make it feel like March. Returning to the second floor, Andy tosses quarters down the stairs. We circle the Square to check out the Farmers Market and then stop at Feingold's picnic at Lakeview Park. JoAnna and Andy go grocery shopping, and I enjoy a lazy afternoon. JoAnna and I talk about going out to a movie but stay home.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
The Serendipitous Pleasures of Reading the New York Times in Print, Page by Page
Today's example. A series of well-turned phrases in a Doritos Locos Tacos review. Go figure!
Looks Like a Taco, Tastes Like a Chip. (The New York Times, 6/19/2012)
Excerpt: Whatever the technique for applying the spices may be, it eliminates the orange dust problem. A small bag of Doritos deposits a brightly colored residue on the fingertips so thick that it requires a paint scraper to remove it. The shell leaves virtually no trace. Is there hope for Cheetos?
Looks Like a Taco, Tastes Like a Chip. (The New York Times, 6/19/2012)
Excerpt: Whatever the technique for applying the spices may be, it eliminates the orange dust problem. A small bag of Doritos deposits a brightly colored residue on the fingertips so thick that it requires a paint scraper to remove it. The shell leaves virtually no trace. Is there hope for Cheetos?
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
I'd Need to Seriously Adjust My Inner Clock
This photo of Jerez De La Frontera is courtesy of TripAdvisor
In Spain,
Sherry Producers Learn to Think Small. (The New York Times, 6/19/2012)
Excerpt: It was after 11 p.m., the usual dinner hour in the heart of sherry country. Olives, almonds and thin slices of ham glistening with oil had been served; platters of langoustines and thick steaks were to come.
