The Nasville Klan Arrives!

Suprise, suprise!!!

The Nashville klan's arrival surprised Judd and June by their sudden entrance Sunday morning! Uncle Sam, Aunt Carolyn, Cousin Eric and daughter Aubrey arrived for breakfast thrilling the happy couple.

It was a wonderful day of food and fun as the temperture dropped steadily throughout the day to a chilly 17 degrees this evening.

The Parrish's will over night and return to Nashville in the morning.

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary!

This weekend we celebrated Judd and June's 50th wedding anniversary.

The festivities kicked of Saturday evening with dinner at Eno's Restaurant in downtown Atlanta followed by a performance of "Sister Act the Musical" at the Alliance Theatre in the Woodruff Arts Center also in located in downtown Atlanta.

Sunday morning we continued the celebration by having a family breakfast at the home of the bride and groom!

Thank you both for marrying and producing my beautiful wife! You guys did good.

For more about Eno's visit: http://www.enorestaurant.com

For more about the Alliance Theatre visit: http://www.alliancetheatre.org/index.asp

For more about Sister Act visit: http://www.sisteractthemusical.com

Boats In A Bag

While in MA I stayed for a second time at the Holiday Inn in New Bedford MA.

Due to winter freezing boaters on the east coast bag their boats and store them out of the water for the winter.

This picture is a boat yard located next to the Holiday Inn that was full with boats in bags!!!

Cape Cod Canal

This weeks travels took me to the Sandwich MA CVS on Cape Cod. I know you're all jealous now!!! Here's a picture of the Cape Cod Canal.

The Cape Cod Canal is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. It was awarded this distinction in 1985. The two highway bridges received the Class A "Award of Merit" in 1935. These awards marked the end of a long struggle to achieve a dream that was first conceived three hundred years earlier when Captain Myles Standish visited the area. As he looked around he noticed a sea level valley that acted as a watershed for the Manomet (Monument) and Scusset Rivers. Captain Standish thought that a passage could be dug across this narrow neck of land thus joining the rivers that flowed out into the open ocean.Private attempts had been made to open up a canal but they proved unsuccessful. In 1928 the United States Army Corps of Engineers became responsible for the Canal. In 1933, a five-year project to widen and straighten the canal began. This meant that the bridges had to be replaced. Upon completion, the Cape Cod Canal became and remains the widest sea level canal (without locks) in the world. Ships can save 162 miles by using the Canal instead of having to travel around the tip of Cape Cod. Passage through the Canal is also safer than having to deal with the dangerous shoals and unpredictable currents surrounding the Outer Cape. The maintenance roads that were used during the construction of the Canal are now extensively used for recreational activities such as walking, bicycling and jogging as well as sport fishing. The Army Corps of Engineers promotes and manages the recreational activities along the Canal.

For more visit: http://www.capecodcanalchamber.org

Cape Cod Canal Cam: http://www.capecod.com/canalcam.asp

New York State Pavilion

Driving to the airport Friday I passed the site of the 1964 New York World's Fair and the New York State Pavilion.

Commissioned by the state of New York for the 1964 World's Fair in New York City (Queens), the New York State Pavilion was the largest in the Fair, and is one of the few structures from the Fair to remain standing today. The Pavilion was dedicated the day after the New York State Theater, and came at a time when Johnson's break from strict Miesean vocabulary was becoming evident.
The New York State Pavilion consists of three main components, each with its own purpose, rather than being one single building intended for multiple uses. The largest structure in the complex is an elliptical plaza measuring 350 feet by 250 feet. This space is surrounded by 16 steel columns (each one hundred feet high), which once held up a colorful canopy that covered the plaza underneath.

The New York State Pavilion at the 1964-65 World's Fair is now a ruin. In a way, the ruin is even more haunting than the original structure. There ought to be a university course in the pleasure of ruins.

Efforts have been made to save the Pavilion by using it once again, and at least one of them has been successful. The Queens Theatre took over the circular Circarama adjacent to the towers in 1994 and continues to operate there. As for the rest of the Pavilion, many uses have been proposed, including an air and space museum but no concrete plans have been made for the decaying structure yet. As a result, the towers and the large elliptical plaza that was once covered remain unused and padlocked (in the day of my visit, a worker was kind enough to let me enter briefly). The map of the state of New York, which was open to the public until sometime in the 1980's, is almost completely destroyed in some areas, since it is now unprotected from the elements (as are badly rusted escalators and handrails) and lays literally in pieces. Inside, large red stripes that were painted on the walls can still be seen, along with round planters/benches that surrounded the map. As it stands today, the Pavilion is a beautiful structure, perhaps one of my favorites in all of New York City. The Pavilion is a fantastic mix of architectural optimism from another time, with the financial realities of a city like New York.

The Bennington Battle Monument

While in Bennington I took a short side trip to the Bennington Battle Monument.

Built in the late 1880's, this monument is a dedication to the famous Battle of Bennington that took place during the Revolutionary war in 1777. It was at this location the American colonists maintained a store of weapons and food, which British General Burgoyne knew was critical to capture in order to restock his own troops.
Although the battle came together in nearby Walloomsac, this site seemed appropriate considering the military and strategic importance of the arsenal Burgoyne was trying to capture. For almost a century the battle was celebrated annually in the Old State Arms House Hotel which was also located on this sight.
In 1877 a local historical society was formed and they started planning the monument. The committee considered many designs for the monument. One design which called for a slender stone column only 100 ft tall was showcased during the centennial celebration in 1877, which was attended by President Rutherford B. Hayes. The committee finally accepted J. Phillip Rinn's "Big Tower" design with some changes. J. Phillip Rinn modified the original design to include curved edges, and in November 1889 the final stone was set on. The dedication ceremonies were delayed until 1891, when Bennington welcomed President Benjamin Harrison who attended the ceremonies and held a reception at the Walloomsac Inn.

For more visit: http://www.historicvermont.org/bennington

Bennington VT

This weeks found me enjoying a trip to Vermont and the CVS located in Bennington VT.

As you can see by this picture taken in the back parking lot of the store it was a beautiful winter day.

For more visit: http://www.bennington.com

Baby Dog!

Janie with her Teddy!!!

Now tell me this isn't cute. lol!

The Last Kiss!

A kiss goodbye to my beloved Acura!

Farwell To The Miracle Car!

Sadness swept the Sarc household today as we said a final farwell the my beloved 1990 Acura Intergra. Affectionately known around the house as the Miracle Car it was donated today to the Cherokee County Woman's Shelter in Canton GA.

With more than a 1/4 million miles on it, 316 thousand to be exact, and 16 years of uninterupted driving it was time for me to get a new car! As Beth put it "one befitting a man of my age!"

So with tears in my eyes I drove my Miracle Car, with me as her owner, our last 15 miles together and signed her title over to kind folks at the shelter. So long my Miracle Car.

Madison Square Park

I also happen on Madison Square Park.

Historic Madison Square Park is the vibrant center of Manhattan's Flatiron District offering flourishing gardens, lush lawns and cultural programs for all ages. Located on 6.2 acres between 23rd and 26th streets and Fifth and Madison avenues, the park has become an oasis for those who live and work nearby.
Until very recently, historic Madison Square Park was neglected and crime-ridden. People walked around it instead of going inside. In June 2001, after a two-year capital restoration project, Madison Square Park was rededicated. In the spring of 2002, a restored playground reopened to the delight of many children in the neighborhood.
In June 2004, the Conservancy introduced its new "green" food Kiosk, Shake Shack, by renowned architect James Wines of SITE Environmental Design. The innovative design of the ivy-covered, zinc-clad structure echoes the angles of the Flatiron building. Operated by Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, the food kiosk's proceeds benefit Conservancy programs. The Shack has already transformed the south end of the park into a popular dining hub in keeping with Conservancy's mission of continually expanding opportunities for visitors to the park.
In addition to tending the park's lawns and gardens, the Conservancy provides high-quality free cultural programs. Mad. Sq. Kids offers family programs on the park's Oval Lawn on Tuesday and Thursday mornings throughout the summer. Mad. Sq. Music is our summer evening concert series. Madison Square Park has also earned a reputation as a presenter of contemporary art. Mad. Sq. Reads is our summer reading series.

For more visit: http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/Home/Default.aspx

Madison Ave!

Still lost I happened on to Madison Ave.

Upper Madison Avenue (42nd-96th) has been famous for more than a century as the world's premier shopping district for the finest food, opulent merchandise, luxury lodging and services available anywhere. Tended with pride by the local merchants, the Avenue, as they like to call it, contains four unique shopping areas, Madison Midtown (42-59), the Historic District (59-72), the Museum District (72-86), and Carnegie Hill (86-96). Since its establishment during the late 1800s, this international shopping mecca has been termed the Silk Stocking District, so named due to the preferred hosiery of its affluent patrons.

I'm not sure but I think I drove the entire Ave, lol!

Donna Karan Ad In Manahatten!

While lost in Manahatten I was stopped at a light across from this huge Donna Karan ad painted on the side of a building!

Karan, Donna, 1948–, American fashion designer, b. Forest Hills, N.Y., as Donna Faske. Daughter of a tailor and a garment saleswoman, she started to design clothes as a teenager and studied at New York's Parsons School of Design. In 1967 she began working for the Anne Klein womenswear house and became its chief designer on Klein's death in 1974. Karan launched her first collection under her own name in 1985 and five years later added a ready-to-wear line, DKNY. She became known for comfortable yet elegant apparel made particularly for professional women. Her signature business and sportswear lines included tailored jackets, scarf skirts, trousers, bodysuits, and coordinated accessories. In 1991 she initiated a menswear line, soon adding children's clothing, perfume, cosmetics, hosiery, and other products.