You want me to cook?

Magnet #1286 - Did you eat?

DCsis brought this back for me from Comic-Con.

Supercute.

And supertrue.

It was practically the first thing my dad asked a couple of days ago on the impromptu visit down to Salisbury.

"Did you eat? You want me to cook?"

I should have taken him up on his offer, but as I was pretty much guaranteed a choice between a fried egg or fried rice, I said no.

I mean, he seems to forget he's earned the nickname Heartpatientdad.

Popsicles, not ice lollies. But wonder what Captain Jack would call them?

Magnet #1285 - NYC Popsicle

Ages ago, I made the conscious decision to ignore all the Torchwood chatter until DCsis was able to drop it to DVD for me. It's actually been easy to ignore everyone talking about it, and Twitter's been unusually good about no spoilers these last two months.

What I haven't been able to avoid is how divided people feel about the show.

At our London tweet-up with @blogtorwho, I mentioned that based on the trailers the show already felt more American than its UK predecessor. And he responded with, but it's always felt more American, citing Captain Jack.

It was so odd to hear him say that, because for me, original!recipe!Torchwood didn't have an American feel to it. It was always way too dark for US television.

This week, I'm mainlining these episodes.

First, I didn't realize how much I so very much missed Jack and Gwen. So much. (And Ianto, Owen and Tosh, too, of course.)

Second, it's dark. Darker than I like my US television. Which means it kept its original voice, so that's something, I suppose.

Third, there really is something more American about it. Whether it's bigger explosions or American actors or scope of story or bigger budget or what, I'm not sure at all.

Fourth, I really did love the Babe, I mean, Esther translates Gwen scene. It was cute, and a little tongue-in-cheek. It's why I totally picked up this Popsicle at LaGuardia, because even the littlest things have different names across the pond, and those differences makes me giggle.

Last, I don't know that I like it. It's not pulling me in emotionally as previous TW series. But I think it's mostly due to the overarching storyline that I really don't like - so much so that like TW: Children of Earth, it's a heavy mantle of sadness on me with each episode.

Granted, I haven't yet seen the last three episodes, so maybe they'll figure out a way to draw me back in.

But for now, it's nice to revisit old friends.

Did I do that?

Magnet #1284 - New Bern, NC, Birthplace of Pepsi

I gotta tell ya'll, growing up, I always kinda heard about Pepsi being from North Carolina - that someone was concocting some drink in a drugstore, and somehow Pepsi was born. But for whatever reason, I never connected New Bern, NC, as the birthplace of Pepsi. (Or, maybe I did, and I've just forgotten over the years. Yes, let's hope it's this.)

Save the World Couple did an eastern NC roadtrip a few weeks ago, where they explored some of the places in our NC history textbooks in 4th and 8th grade - Fort Tryon Palace, etc. It's a good thing they went, because eastern NC got pounded by the hurricane this weekend.

And unwittingly, they carried on my own tradition of disaster in my wake. I've mentioned it a few times before, but I keep adding to my list. I visit, and the place gets destroyed a few weeks or months later.

There was a visit to Windsor, then a fire in St. George's Chapel.

There was a visit to that Chapel Bridge in Lucerne, then that burned down.

I visited the World Trade Center in like July 2011.

I went to the Sports Museum of America, and a week later it closed.

Earlier this year, I went to South Street Seaport Museum and Bowne Printing Company and right afterward, they announced heavy layoffs and possible closure, and they're still fighting to stay alive.

Last year, I went to the Washington Monument, the first time in decades since I'd been, and then there was the earthquake.

Last year, I went to Brattleboro, Vermont, one of the hardest hit towns this past weekend.

There's more, but that's what I can think of off the top of my head.

I know! It's crazy! Like rationally, I know it's not my fault, but man, I'm starting to worry!

How can a chick be bigger than a chicken?

Magnet #1283 - Faberge rooster

Yeah, remember how I said VMFA's Faberge Revealed visitors were sparse yesterday? They were, but there were a few kids running around the exhibit halls, too.

Kids don't really bother me at all...unless they're unruly, or loud, or just spoiled. These kids weren't bad. But apparently, one was just talkative. Or maybe just inquisitive?

I didn't hear her, but they drove Save the World Couple insane with the rat-tat-tat questioning of "How can a chick be bigger than a chicken? How can a chick be bigger than a chicken?" Which is what she asked when she saw this chicken (rooster?) in the display case...because apparently, there was a chick that was...all together now, bigger than the chicken (really, it's a rooster).

Hahaha. Yep. Part of the charm of museums, you never know who you'll meet there.

Anyway, it's Save the World Sister's birthday today, so yay, happy fun trip to Richmond in a hurricane for a milestone birthday. Yay!

Fancy eggs in a hurricane

Magnet #1282 - Imperial Tsesarevich Easter Egg

We all made it to Richmond!

We all got to see the Faberge exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts!

Annnnnd, that's about all we got to do today.

The Irene rain hit Richmond pretty hard, starting late Friday and continuing on through today. When I say rain, I mean sheets. Going horizontally. But, we holed up in our comfy aloft hotel with our HDMI cord and laptop, some silly movies, and managed to make the best of it.

The endgame for me in Richmond was seeing VMFA's Faberge Revealed exhibit, showing off the largest collection of Faberge in the States. If you've read this blog at all, you know one of my many fascinations are Faberge eggs. This exhibit did not let me down.

First, because it was the middle of a hurricane, visitors were sparse. You could actually breathe, extend both arms and not hit anyone, and best of all, you could take your time. So. Terrific.

Second, hello. It was a really well-done exhibit. And, they had five of the 13 eggs here in the States on view. And, a great audioguide to accompany me through the exhibit. One had me sniffling, I swear the guard was chuckling at me.

Third, dear me, the VMFA must have been paying attention in the year since I've been there, because my goodness the amount of magnets was staggering. I spent way too much in their shop, buying every single magnet, plus a gorgeous Fauberge egg necklace (made by a "real-live Russian!" *eyeroll*) Still, it was A. Maz. ING.

This egg was particularly cool because it houses a Russian double-headed Imperial eagle frame with a double-sided mini-portrait of Tsesarevich Alexei, the son of Nicholas and Alexandra. He was a hemophiliac, something he inherited from his grandmother, Queen Victoria of England, and so was a sickly child. He had a couple of close calls and Faberge made this egg for Alexandra as a tribute to her beloved son.

VMFA, you are truly one of my favorite museums, thank you for staying open and braving Hurricane Irene!

Tempting fate...or, Come On, Irene

Magnet #1281 - Accidents will occur

This magnet made me laugh this morning, because as I type, I'm sitting in a rather nice but kind of ridiculous Delta gate at LGA, waiting for my noon flight. To North Carolina. In the midst of a hurricane.

Note: This silliness is only outdumb'd by me thinking I might actually make it home to NYC on Sunday night.

I'm headed to Raleigh, so that Save the World Couple and I can drive up to Richmond and meet up with DCSis for a weekend in Richmond. You know, the town that was superclose to this week's earthquake epicenter and that's now also relatively close to the Irene's path, too?

The airport's pretty calm right now, so I should be totally fine getting down to NC, but I suspect that it'll be DCSis' bus trip from DC down to Richmond that will be plagued with troubles, if not cancellation.

I'll totally admit here that I'm sad to be missing NYC in a hurricane, but at this point, nothing will stop us from heading into a hurricane to celebrate the baby sister's 30th birthday.

Ya'll stay safe out there, Eastern Seaboard!

High Line is your line, too

Magnet #1280 - Locomotive on the High Line

Back in the mid-1840s, NY said ok to having a street-level railroad tracks on 10th Avenue, but so many casualties happened during the next several decades that it became known as Death Avenue.

By the 30s, they built the High Line - an elevated train that ran from Spring Street all the way up to 34th Street.

But, as with many great public works, it went through a decline and then finally in the 60s, they started demolishing parts of it. Sad.

Thank goodness for pictures - love this pin magnet because it shows a downtown train (because that's the ESB behind it) on the elevated tracks.

What I want to do is talk to someone who actually rode that train back in the day - I bet money when they walk around at the High Line park nowadays, they're totally amazed with what they've managed to accomplish up there.

And if you haven't been to the High Line park - go when it's not crowded. For sure, the park's been discovered.

Which is a good thing...I guess.