Night 9988 – February 11, 2010

Photograph of the day is Scales. This was taken at the Italian Market in South Philadelphia a few winters ago.

http://www.9thstreetitalianmarket.com/

Night 9989 – February 10, 2010

Photograph of the day is Crabs. This was taken at the Italian Market in South Philadelphia a few winters ago.

http://www.9thstreetitalianmarket.com/

Night 9,990 – February 9, 2010

Today is my youngest daughter’s birthday. My wife and I took her to a Spanish tapas restaurant for dinner. It was a nice night.

More snow tonight and tomorrow. I’ll work at home all day tomorrow, I hope I can get something productive done.

Today’s photograph is Cooks. I took this at the Golden Gate Casino’s diner in Las Vegas.

Night 9,991 – February 8, 2010

I’m still a day behind. Yesterday I took public transportation into the city because of the parking situation due to the snow. I really enjoy the trolley and the train. On the train ride home a disheveled man with long white hair and beard sat in the seat adjoined to mine. This was a little unsettling because there were other seats available. The man asked me if the train was going to 69th street. I told him it was and he informed me that he mistakenly boarded the wrong train previously and ended up in North Philly. He seemed a little disoriented and agitated. The man said he lived at a shelter on 69th and Woodland Ave. I asked him how he was going to get there from 69th Street in Upper Darby and he said he would walk. It’s a long walk. He kept on talking while I thought to myself that it was fortunate I didn’t have my car. The man wondered where he could get coffee when we arrived and I told him there were coffee shops in the terminal. He didn’t ask me to buy him a coffee and he never asked for help getting to the shelter. When we got off the train I gave him two dollars and headed toward my trolley. He looked surprised and said thanks.

Today’s photograph is Use Your Soul for Something.

Night 9,992 – February 7, 2010

I’m a day behind again. Boy was I wrong about the Saints in the Super Bowl. I think it was the short passing game and the ball control in the second quarter that made the difference. By keeping the Colts off the field for just about the whole second quarter, the Saint changed the momentum of the game. The onside kick and Manning’s late interception were the “highlight plays”, but it was the ball control after the first quarter that won the game for the Saints. The Colts had no answer for the Saints short passing game.

Today’s photograph is Sproul and Edgmont. This is one of my first Holga photographs and was taken in Chester, Pennsylvania. When I was young, I would take the bus to downtown Chester. A busy shopping district with a real sporting goods store, L and M Sporting Goods. But no more, the city is depressed and in ruin. Another old, small working class city that couldn't adapt with the changing times.

Night 9,993 – February 6, 2010

We got a little snow. The second snowstorm of over twenty inches, unusual for Philadelphia.

As I mentioned before, my photograph, Urban Stillife, was juried into the Tyme Gallery Photography Expo X Exhibition in Havertown, PA. See night 10,000 and night 9,997. The opening reception is Friday February 12 from 5:00 to 9:00 PM. If anyone comes to the reception and tells me they read this blog, I’ll give them a free print of their choice. The link to the Tyme Gallery website is below.
http://www.tymegallery.com/index.html

My prediction for tomorrow’s Super Bowl is the Colts. I don’t see the Saint’s defense stopping Payton Manning.

Today’s photograph, Do Not Block Door, was taken at the same location as Urban Stillife.

Night 9,994 – February 5, 2010

The drive home from the city was slow today. Fridays are usually busy buy today was worse. Maybe because of the impending snowstorm or maybe it was the leftover Wing Bowl rabble. I jumped off I95 and took a back route down Chester Pike. While stopped at a traffic light I noticed a man on all fours at a bus stop shelter. A younger guy in his late twenties or early thirties. He was crawling on the ground trying unsuccessfully to stand up. He was spectacularly intoxicated and his face was strained with an expression of oblivious concentration. Mouth open, such a bad look. He made it to the side of the shelter and pulled himself up on his feet. Once he was standing he wobbled and his knees buckled but he seemed satisfied being successfully erect. As the light turned green and I pulled away, I noticed an open case of Bud Light bottles by the opposite side of the bus stop shelter. The man was shuffling toward the beer bent at the waist, reaching.

When I see things like this, I wonder why I still drink.

Today’s photo is one of my first Holga photographs of the Philadelphia Mummers Parade. It was morning, about 9:00AM and very cold, low thirties. This guy was barely dressed, drinking, drunk and dragging his son with him, initiating the young man to the true Mummers experience.