Ice fishing countdown

My new ice auger is on back order. Until then, ice fishing poetry will have to suffice.






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Bennidito's Car-nage Continues!

Before the big Lincoln Street construction project,  Bennidito's parking lot was a little smaller. Walking to the grocery store, we would always pass cement parking curbs which had been pushed into the street by, what I would assume, were patrons who partook too many beer buddies and the beer to which the beer buddies are buddied. These hunks of precast cement were scattered about the sidewalk and street. Occasionally they would be replaced, only to, once again, suffer the same fate that very night. Apparently, if your SUV is big enough, and your bar tab is big enough, you don't notice the whole curb thing.

Now that the parking lot has been enlarged, it also features a beautifully ornate street lamp. Yellow poles have been wisely placed to protect the street light. Here is the result:

It's a smorgasbord of various broken taillights - both foreign and domestic. I would like to make something out of them. If I did, I would gift it to Bennidito's. Still my favorite restaurant.

But here's the thing, and I don't want to sound like an ass,  but you probably would never bust out your taillights at Bennidito's, if you rode a bike, took the bus or walked to Spokane's best pizza and beer. One of the reasons we moved where we did 18 years ago was so we could easily walk to the grocery store, restaurants, parks, etc. We could only afford a reasonably-sized house because of this decision. And that too, has been a very good thing. When Bennidito's moved into the neighborhood shortly after we did, we considered ourselves even more fortunate.

There are bus stops all around Bennidito's. If you live close by it's walkable. There are places to lock your bike. You could even drive your big-ass vehicle and park it in the very large Rosauer's parking lot and walk up the one flight of stairs to Bennidito's.

If you have too good of a time (which is easy to do, I know) you could easily do more than just hit some inanimate yellow poles while backing out a car or truck which barely fit in the lot when you were sober.

Christmas Eve

Jack really likes books. I have never seen a kid who likes being read to more than him. Robert the Rose Horse is an old favorite. Yes, that is an ugly Christmas sweater/vest. Hope everyone's Christmas was great and it keeps on going for a while!

Holiday Lights

Don't forget to visit the Gaiser Conservatory's holiday light display. Always a beautiful spectacle. There are some changes from years past, including a new water feature. Details are here.







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Morning ride to work.

When you drive to work in the fog of a predawn morning, it's unremarkable at best. On a bike, though, you taste the mist. You feel gradients of temperature on your face. Unfiltered strangeness in a murky sky. There's a light close to its horizon. You want to follow it. But the shrouded trees form a picket. On foot, standing with them, under and in, you know this is where you were meant to be.

3D Downtown Christmas

Some 3D pictures from last night. The Davenport Trees of Opulent Elegant Christmastude and the new holiday light show in Riverfront Park.

I have heard from some that they are unable to do the cross-eyed 3D thing. I was unable to do the "magic-eye" puzzles from the 90s. I feel your pain. Unless you have some 3D glasses on hand, this is probably the only way I can get these pictures to you online.  However, if you do have 3D glasses, I will put some pictures up in a format of your choosing.

The gist of the cross-eyed method is to stare at the two pictures and cross your eyes so a third is formed in the middle of the two. Then relax a little and just look at the middle one. 3D! Here is a link to a more expansive lesson on how to do this.

Click on the pictures of your choice to make bigger: