Escape from Retardo Land: Cassini moves out

[Cassini90125]

One of them hit me up late Friday evening, the story being that his check hadn't been cleared by the bank yet. He may have been telling the truth but since I have no way to know I ignored him.

Also on Friday I ran into the landlord while I was on my way out, and I asked him about the building's age. He didn't know the exact year but he did say it was built in the early 1920's so there's definitely some history here.

My new camera has been tested and it works perfectly. It also takes huge pictures, 4000x3000 pixels and averaging 2.5 MB in filesize. Like my poor hard drive isn't crowded enough. Anyway it's a nice afternoon here so I'm going to take a quick shower and head out to seek both lunch and photos. If you haven't looked at the pics of the 2008 Con and my old neighborhood yet you might want to do so pretty soon, because they'll be coming down to make room for new stuff.

[Cassini90125]

Picture time!!!

Sorry, just feeling a little exuberant.

Island of color:



This is from a street some distance away from me, near the local 7-Eleven. I seldom have occasion to use this street, as it's not part of my usual path, but it does eventually lead to my favorite grinder store. So after hitting 7-Eleven yesterday (for Powerball tickets and diet Snapple), I got this pick and a large tuna grinder.

More flora:



This is from just down the north-south street that I travel nearly everyday. Not much to say about it; it caught my eye, so out came the camera. There are a lot of decorative plants and gardens in the area, which makes travelling all the more pleasant.

The ice cream cow:



This oddity stands outside A. C. Peterson's restaurant, one of several decent restaurants to the south of me. I've gotten milkshakes here on a number of occasions, but mostly I go for the liver.

The synagogue:



Right next door to me, just to the west. The building has a school and a playground, so I hear the sounds of children at play every afternoon. The front steps are a fairly good place to see and photograph sunsets, but unfortunately there haven't been any really good ones lately. Needless to say, I'll keep watching.

Cloned houses:



All are multifamily dwellings, as far as I can tell. These were likely built during the post-WW2 years. They're south of me, near the street where I got the first pic, a little over halfway between my place and the 7-Eleven.

Large Tudor-style house:



One of my favorite buildings in the area. I don't think this one is a residence; I believe there are offices of some sort in here, although I haven't seen any business signs of any sort. It lies to the east of me, near CVS, and was photographed from some distance away. Zoom lenses rule.

Another Tudor:



Just to the south of me, this fine old house is for sale. If I had the money I wouldn't be writing this; I'd be busy arguing with the realtor. It's old but very well kept, with room for 4-5 inside, and nicely landscaped. Comes with a four-car garage, too.

Colorful small Victorian:



The picture doesn't do this one justice; in person the colors are richer, more vibrant. Plus, it has a turret. I love turrets; don't ask me why, I just do. I'm guessing that it's a fairly old house but I can't say for sure. This house is east of me and just to the south, right over the city line.

That's it for the moment. I've got eight more pics ready to go but nobody sees them until I gets some comments here, as I absolutely refuse to triple post.

[Lynnie]

I'll be more than happy to comment!

Those red and yellow flowers (with the yellow dot in the center) are Indian Blankets. We had them everywhere in the wild in Texas, they're very pretty and original flowers. I love the synagogue, they're fascinating buildings for me, up there with palaces. And it looks really old, too. The Tudors are beautiful, there use to be a bunch of those in Illinois. There aren't many here in Washington, I miss seeing them around. We do have a lot of Victorians in my area though. The one you posted here is very pretty indeed. I'm thinking it's not a true Victorian though, unless it went under a massive makeover. Windows were expensive back then, and judging by the size of the house, the builders weren't that rich. Not only are there too many, but they're too big. The pillar on the front of the porch looks very modern to me, too. But it's possible the original broke and was replaced by an entirely new one. The bricks in the chimneys don't look that old, either. It's still very pretty though. I've seen many that are painted in vivid colors like that. Paintjobs like that actually weren't uncommon back then. Unlike glass, paint was cheap. But then, it had lead in it back then, too.

I like turrets, too. They make a house look like a mini castle. Oh, how I would have loved living in a house with a turret or two when I was growing up. Just imagine the fun daydreams I could have entertained.

[Howard]

You actually live in a great neighborhood Cass. I really dig the first office building, and the pseudo-Victorian house. If I visited that town, the first place I would go is a library, or a town hall to learn the history of it. The place looks great in the summer - nice and green! I know you have to live with it everyday (which equals eventual boredom I suppose), but I really like it. Any place that is NOT AZ this time of year is awesome! I would provide additional photos of my hometown, but my camera would melt, and my body would become ashes!

[Cassini90125]

It'll take awhile before I get bored with it all. I've pretty much mapped out the area at this point but there's still plenty to see, and there's always the possibility of stumbling upon something new. Anyway, here's the rest of the pics!

The house with the orange door:



Like many of the most interesting houses (to me, at least), this one lies to the south of me, on one of the side streets that I seldom use. In person the door is a real eye-catcher.

7-Eleven:



One of my hangouts, staffed by several guys from India. 7-Eleven may be a frequent target for comedy, such as in the Qwiki-Mart on The Simpsons, but this one is well-stocked, run by friendly people who know what they're doing, and the prices are good. As such, I stop here nearly every night. Besides, any store that sells something called a "Liquid Artillery Slurpee" is pretty cool in my book.

Chengdu:



A fancy Chinese place, nearly as high-caliber as the place ORD, Lynnie, and I dined at during our last night in San Diego. I only ate here once, and that was long before I moved to the area, but it was very good. It was here that I learned that a fork beats the hell out of chopsticks anyday.

More dining out:



I don't actually dine at these places; I go in, place my order, and go home. City Pizza has an excellent reputation; I think they're a little overrated but good nonetheless. China House, on the other hand, is my favorite among all the local restaurants; friendly, good prices, excellent food, and fast service. One of the ladies who works behind the counter taking orders is also extremely attractive but that has nothing to do with anything. Really. Seriously, it doesn't. Leave me alone.

Abandon all hope, ye who are summoned here:



A palpable aura of menace surrounds this fine old building. Children heading to and from school stick to the other side of the street; squirrels and other animals do not frolick on the lawn. Even the wind seems oddly subdued. The woman who dwells here watches all; if you come to her attention you will be afraid, very, very afraid, for if she is displeased with you she will drain the life from you. This is the house of fear, the place of despair where the bad people pay the price for their behaviour. This is my attorney's office. Don't mess with her. And, by extension, don't mess with the guy who keeps her on retainer.

And, finally, the pics you've all been waiting for...

Three pics of... The Bunny:







Not much I can say about him. He's fairly tame and while sudden movements will startle him and send him running for cover, he doesn't seem to mind having people around and will let you get pretty close before he decides to head for the bushes. Definitely adds a lot to the areas charm.

Anyway, that's it for now. Enjoy, and as always feel free to comment.

[Sparky]

If I am ever able to live in a house I am going to paint the door some odd color that doesn't match the rest, so it can be "The House With the ____ Door" because that is the best title for a house, ever.

[Howard]

(In a terrible Fake English accent) Aw look at the little bunny! Does he nibble yer bum? Anyway he is cute. As for the rest o f the 'hood, I think you have some awesome surroundings. I thought the house with the orange door had character all way round!

[Lynnie]

More lovely buildings. And these might be genuine Victorians, too. And oooooh, a runny babbit! It's adorable.

One of the ladies who works behind the counter taking orders is also extremely attractive but that has nothing to do with anything. Really. Seriously, it doesn't. Leave me alone.

Ok, I'll believe you. I do!

[jekylljuice]

Seems like quite a colourful area. I love the bunny and the ice cream cow.

[koosie]

Gallardias! How delightful, you so rarely see Gallardias anymore. They're the nice flowers in the second pic next to the Echinacea (the purple one). I can't believe the bunny. How lovely to have one around that's not a prisoner in a box or an agricultural pest with hundreds of brothers and sister bunnies frolicking about and eating all your Gallardias.

Hey I've got a theory about your Cow, or at least a similar phenonema. Did you have the Cow festival pass your way in the recent past? It moves from city to city round the world every year and came to Manchester in 2003. Basically someone (?) donates a few dozen fibre-glass ( I think) cows that are given to the cities residents to decorate and display in public places round the city for a few months before being auctioned off to local businesses and collectors presumably for charity or something. There's bound to be a website. I'll take a look in a bit.

Yeh my favourite was one that was given a pair of wings and a flying helmet and suspended above a main road. Every now and then you see one outside a shop or something left over from 2003.

Anyway, what a lovely area. Thank you for sharing your pics.