Thursday, January 31, 2008

In a Half Shell

in a half shell
I had been looking forward to this exhibit (Te Tataitanga/Bind Together: Contemporary Art of New Zealand) since I read about it. I couldn't go to the opening, but I finally found some time to go across the street to the Southwest School of Craft and Art Navarro Campus and check it out. I took a few photos, but this really caught my eye. It kind of reminds me of the story of Venus' birth. You can see the rest of the photos here.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Fiesta for Dummies

Dummy Display
The Library is taking part in this yearly Dummies contest. I think the winners get a cash prize and maybe a pizza party or something. I saw them putting it up and later a photo op was had with some people waiting to take a computer class. I head someone say, what better represents San Antonio than Fiesta. Good Luck SAPL!

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Asia Kitchen

Asia Kitchen
This is a photo of Asia Kitchen. I had been here once before and my sister goes here quite often. They serve Chinese and Thai dishes. I wish I had gotten a pic of the inside because it's quite colorful, but I didn't want to disturb the other diners. I ordered some sampler thing that had some kind of fried cheese sticks, shrimp, pot stickers and spring rolls. I liked the shrimp and the spring rolls the best. The pot stickers were okay, but I didn't like the cheese sticks. For the entree I ordered Pad Thai combo. It was pretty good but way much. My sister ordered some glass noodles something or other and that was good too. Next time my sis goes here for lunch I can definitely tell her what to bring me back. :D

Friday, January 25, 2008

Taking a Steam

steaming river
As I was walking by the river I noticed steam rising off of it. It was one of those days where it was pretty cold (I mean I was wearing my blazer, hat and scarf and it was drizzly all day). I knew why this was happening because just the day before they had mentioned it on the news. It was happening with one of the local lakes/rivers. They explained that the temperature of the water was higher than the ambient temperature.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Can You See Me Now?

changing out the bulbs
I guess when you are building two story high ceilings that will look great, you don't think about how the light bulbs will be changed. This little big blue machine, otherwise known as a cherry (maybe in this case it should be a blue berry) picker is what it takes to change out the bulbs in this ceiling. I had not realized how dim it was until all the lights were turned on, then it was like I saw the very bright light. :D

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Oliver Wendell Holmes High School

Oliver Wendell Holmes High School
I found myself on this high school campus watching a soccer game (results: it was a tie with no score, and no bending it like beckham, at least that I saw). The wind was pretty biting, and I realized what those dp'ers in colder climes were talking about when they say their hands are freezing when they are trying to get some shots. On this day my hands were a bit cold. This is the home of the huskies and they wear the green and gold. This is the first time I have stepped foot anywhere near here since high school probably. It's right across the highway from Ingram Park Mall.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Gray SA

Gray SA
I took this shot to show how gray and dreary it's been lately in San Antonio. On this day it was pretty cold and I was only wearing a short sleeve shirt when I stepped out onto the patio to take this shot. Across the way you can see the Compass Bank drive thru, which can lay claim to the loudest, but politest ATM I've ever come across. Right across the street from Compass is the Fox Tech high school campus. You can find quite a bit of their students hanging around the Central Library just about any time of day. Across from there is a day care center. You can see the kids out playing on good days. From this vantage point or there abouts you can usually spot the steeple of Our Lady of the Lake University, but I think this day was too overcast.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Taqueria Mexico

Taqueria Mexico
This is a to-go box from Taqueria Mexico on the southside. My sister and her co-workers go here quite often as it is fairly close to where she works on Somerset (the street not the town). I've gone here a number of times with her even though Mexican food is not my favorite food. I usually get their chicken soup, where I then take out everything but the soup, the chicken and potatoes. I also try to remember to order corn tortillas, but I forget most of the time. I've also ordered their pozole, which I like. Today the box contained a humongous burrito. I'd never had it before but couldn't think of what else I wanted. It was ok, but way too much. I actually wish it had had more beans, in place of some of those huge chunks of chicken, but still.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Graffiti be gone

Smoothing away the spot
Lately I've been seeing more graffiti popping up everywhere. A few days before I took this shot I was wondering how they would take it off of this type of surface. Well this day I got my answer. It appears as if the man in blue was using some kind of sander, at least I saw dust coming up off of it so I assume that's what it was doing, grinding away the surface. On the weekend I actually saw a young man in the midst of tagging one of those power boxes at a southside park. I told my sister look at that. I only which I had my camera more at the ready.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Around the Bend

around the bend
I took this photo specifically for tanty and Kim, who when they saw the river drained requested a photo of it filled up once again. This is taken from the same vantage spot as the one I posted on January 2, specifically the bridge on Augusta street. When I took the photo of the empty river originally I thought it would be a good place to do some racing on, and when I saw these two boats, that's what it looked like they were doing so I couldn't resist getting a capture. This is a couple of days after the river was filled again (January 11), but it's the first time I remembered to get a snap of it. It was cold and misty this day I was worried my camera would get wet, but a request is a request. :D Enjoy ladies.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Freeman Printing Co.

Freeman Printing Co.
This building is on McCullough I think. I'm not sure if it's still in operation, but I like the sign. I'm not sure if I've ever noticed it before. If I have I've never taken a pic so today I took my chance. I was in the car, hence the bit of blur.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Freddy's Frozen Custard

Freddy's Frozen Custard
Freddy's Frozen Custard is under construction on the southside of San Antonio, right next to South Park Mall. I'd never heard of this eatery, but I googled/flickred it and there it was. Apparently this won't be the first location in San Antonio. I think it's either the second or the third, and there's also one in Selma, which people pretty much consider San Antonio also. I'll have to try their burgers when they are open for business.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Coming in for a Landing

Coming in for a landing
Back in June of 2006 I took a photo of the AirLife helicopter on it's helipad. This shot is if it coming in for a landing. Not sure if they have a passenger or not, as I've never seen them flash lights like EMS, fire trucks or the police do when on an emergency run. It's heading for the helipad on top of the parking garage that is connected to Baptist Medical Center by a sky walk. To the right of the parking garage is the Southwest School of Art and Craft Navarro campus. The columns in the foreground belong to the Central Library in downtown San Antonio. The infamous Enchilada Red color of the library is not visible in this shot.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Objects in the Sky

Object in the sky
With all the talk lately about objects or UFO's in the sky in northern Texas, I thought I'd post this photo. I've been taking a lot of sky photos lately-clouds, jetstreams, sunsets, etc. When we were kids my sister threw a screaming fit and couldn't sleep because she saw colored lights in the sky and thought the aliens were coming for her. I have never really seen anything like that, I only see ghosts. :D

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Just Another Brick in the Wall

Hole in the Wall
Saw this the other day as I was going home. I wanted to get a pic of it, but I just kept missing it or it was too blurry. Finally got this shot as I was walking back from lunch. This is the Southwest Art and Craft Center Navarro campus. I blogged about it back in August. This spot is to the right of the entrance, pretty much on the corner of Navarro and Augusta. One of the reasons this caught my eye was because it reminded me of another blog I read Strange in San Antonio. He blogs about odd things that happen in San Antonio including cars crashing into houses. I can't be sure this is what happened here, but it could have been. Anyone know the story?

Oh and Happy 11th Abs. :)

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

The View Out the Window

window washer
This was the sight that greeted me as the elevator doors opened. It kind of makes you take a step back and go huh?! I can't climb too high because I get all vertigoy and I was trying to figure out how this guy was secured. I pretty much figured out that he wasn't tied down at all. He was just standing on the ledge and bending down and reaching up to clean the whole window. I don't know how he did it. I probably would have been splattered on the ground at my first attempt, either that or I would have been pretending to be a window cling. :D

Monday, January 07, 2008

This Way to the Bloodletting!

blood drive arrow
Today there was a blood drive at the Central Library. The City of San Antonio holds a few blood drives throughout the year, I think usually in the summer and the winter. This year there have been many blood drives throughout San Antonio. Maybe I haven't paid attention in the past but it seems as if there are blood drives almost every day now, and I know they are needed. The statistics for how much blood is needed any given day are staggering. I don't like giving blood because it scares me, but much like donating my hair its something I do because I can. The last couple of times I haven't been able to because my iron is too low, but I always at least try. I'm also registered as a marrow donor since I know minorities of which I am one are sorely needed on that list.

Thursday, January 03, 2008

U.S. Army All-American Bowl

U.S. Army All-American Bowl window dressing
The Alamodome gets all gussied up for various events. I haven't seen too many of these or maybe I just haven't noticed, but when I do see them I try to get a pic. Since we're usually zooming along the highway with the windows up I have to contend with motion and the damn flash. I would have loved to get to the game or even the preshow to get some shots, but I had to settle for this pic. The US Army puts out some stuff around the dome so people can play weekend warrior. I think this year they had some fist person shooter games and they also were going to do recaps of how you performed. They also were going to have soldiers there to answer questions.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Draining of the River Walk

Empty River Walk
On January 2, the River Walk began it's yearly cleaning/maintenance cycle. They drain the river for three miles so they can inspect the walls, clear debris and do other task as required. Every year they find all sorts of stuff down there-on the news I saw a chair sitting on the bottom. The River Walk should be back to it's beautacious self by January 11th.

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Happy 2008!

Happy New Year
Every year the City of San Antonio puts together our own little version of the New York Times Square Ball Drop. Ours is called Celebrate San Antonio and it is held in the downtown area, this year on Alamo street between Market and Durango. It's billed as the largest free New Years celebration in the state of Texas...I don't doubt this is so, because San Antonian's love to party. Ours is a bit different than the New York one, instead of a ball dropping, an elevator car rises to the top of the Tower of Americas. I've never been, but I watch it on tv almost every year. This year myself and a few others noticed that the countdown seemed to be a little off/short but what the frell, we can't get it right every year. :D