Welcome 2015

Good Morning. An easy commute on Central Avenue today.  There is no one heading into the city!!  No traffic - I think everyone stayed home to get ready for the festivities tonight whatever they might be.  Dinner, Dancing, partying, noisemakers, glitter, champagne?? 

I am staying home tonight relaxing by the fire with my two dogs.  Well, one dog will stay close to me and the other will go out in the kitchen because she is afraid of the crackling noises coming from the fireplace. 

 

The hound with the white face is the one who hates loud noises.  I guess she won't stay up with me to watch the ball drop either.  And let's hope there are no fireworks nearby which will also set her off.  I will probably set an alarm to wake up to watch the ball drop at midnight since I'm pretty sure that I will be sleeping by then. 

 

Have a safe and wonderful evening and welcome to 2015!! 

Trending Signs?

Today on Central Avenue - it was a very dicey icy ride in to work.  There was a light drizzle and it was 32 degrees so the road was freezing.  Made for a very slow ride which gave me the opportunity to look around at the buildings up and down "the Avenue". 

There was a barber shop that had a very funny (I thought) sign on their front door.  A sign of the times? I was so surprised when I saw it that I just had to take a picture and share. 

 

I know we've all seen people on the streets with underwear hanging out above the waist of their pants.  Pants not worn on the waist but way below!  I must admit that I really don't understand the purpose of this, especially when I watch them trying to walk while having one hand holding up the pants. 

 

Just another day on Central Avenue. 

On the Run

 
 

Last night I stopped for some groceries at a fairly large store on Central Avenue.  As I was heading in to the store a guy came out running with a backpack.  I mean really running as if he was going to catch a bus!!  Or something else - maybe he was running away from something or someone? He ran clear across the very large parking lot and kept going down the road. He did not head for the bus stop, there is one at the front of the store parking lot.  What I found most intriguing was the fact that no one was running after him.  As I entered the store I looked around expecting to see someone who might be concerned that this guy had just bolted from the store.  Nope.  Nothing. No alarm, no security, no one giving chase.  I'm not sure why he was running, maybe he was just late for an appointment or a very important date. 

Just another day on Central Avenue.

 

What are the Chances?

Today I decided to drive up Central Ave. on my lunch hour.  Not a lot of time to shop, but had a couple of errands to take care of.  Traffic can be a little crazy at lunch time, and as we get closer to the holidays it is nightmarish.  Today did not seem too congested, but I did get behind this one car that kind of made me crazy. 

Driving slowly - and I couldn't get around him (I checked).  He would put his blinker on, slow down - and not turn.  This happened a couple of times within a few blocks until I finally did pass him.  While following this particular vehicle I had time to notice the license plate holder and different features of the car and the man driving. 

I motored on and took care of my errands.  Now, returning from Colonie to Albany I decided to take the most direct route which is again Central Avenue.  A bit of traffic and I get behind a car which looks eerily similar to the one that I saw earlier.  Turns on his blinker from the second lane as though he is changing lanes - good - nope - doesn't turn.  Now I'm thinking no way could it be the same person. Driving slowly - seeming to be in a bit of a daze - I look at the plate holder.  Yup - it's the same car, guy, etc. 

So what are the chances of this happening - we are traveling East and were going West before.  Almost an hour difference and he is still driving up and down Central Avenue? Well, so am I!  Guess chances are not that slim. 

Just one of the many perks of driving.

A lot of pocket change

Last night I went shopping at a supermarket on Central Avenue - picking up a few ingredients to make a cake for the office birthdays celebration.  The area of Central Avenue that I was shopping is close to Everett Road, and for those not familiar with the City of Albany - very close to the city.  There is a very mixed clientele at this particular store - some "uptown" folks and quite a few "downtown" and sometimes "downtrodden" folks.

There was a gentleman in front of me buying a few cans of cat food.  Those small packets that are supposed to be "gourmet" for cats.  I watched as he pulled a pile of coins out of his pocket and laid them on the conveyor belt.  I think it was mostly nickels and so it took the store clerk a while to count it out.  The man buying the cat food seemed clean and not poorly dressed.  I still could not help wondering if the food might not be for the cats, and that the coins were all he could muster to pay for the food.  I truly wanted to think better of it and assume the food was for his cat - and that he just happened to have a pile of coins to get rid of.

Let's leave it at that.

What does it mean?

Halal is an Arabic word that means "permissible." In terms of food, it means food that is permissible according to Islamic law. For a meat to be certified "halal," it cannot be a forbidden cut (such as meat from hindquarters) or animal (such as pork.)

This morning my curious mind decided to find out what "Halal" means.  I've been seeing it every morning on the front of a store on Central Avenue.  I had guessed it was something similar to "Kosher".  It is similar as it turns out. 

I realize that not everyone really cares, or is as curious but when I see something that I don't know or understand - my reaction is to "google" it!!  So - I saved you the trouble of having to look it up!

Unsafe Load

Today as I was driving to work I was following a truck with lumber in the back.  The tailgate was down and there did not seem to be any type of tether on the load.  All I could think was that if he was ever hit (which is not hard on a busy highway) that the load would come flying out and hit whoever was behind it.  It surely would've gone thru someone's windshield.  !! 

I'm sure all they were thinking was that the wood wasn't going to shift while driving, but did they contemplate the possibility of someone else doing something stupid like pulling in front of them?? 

I stopped following right after taking the pic - which I took at a stop light.