Monday, September 30, 2013

Ghosts of Pastas Past



Look! Up in the window! There they are! 
Giant incarnations of all the pasta I've cooked
and eaten. Now though, once they've finished stalking me,
they will roll, hop, and squiggle,
perambulating each in their own fashion from
the Chase mezzanine, to cook me al dente,
then cover me with their own "special sauce."
I don't think I'd mind that sort of demise,
as long as I'm covered with a light coating of
fresh pesto and some nice, grated cheese.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

It's A Party!


Early Saturday afternoon, while waiting downtown for a bus, 
I looked up to see a herd of nicely dressed people 
approaching from across the street. They were being led by
a casually dressed woman carrying a camera.


Given that only one of the women was wearing white and that
the other women were clad in identically colored gowns,
I quickly surmised the people formed a wedding party, in the
process of having pictures taken of the event and
their participation.


The women's dresses had the distinct quality
of not looking like bridesmaids' dresses, those notoriously
hideously styled and colored nightmares of legend.
The bride had also selected a beautiful color combination
for her wedding flowers; they made for lovely
bouquets and boutonnieres


The sunlight gave the Federal Court Building 
a warm aura, making the site a pleasant background 
for the delicate chiffon, silk, and flowers.
Afterward, the ladies picked up the hems of their gowns and,
trailed by the men, the photographer led her
charges back across the street, returning in the direction
from which they had come, trailing a happy mood
and a few moments of prettiness behind them.


Saturday, September 28, 2013

Chevrons and Serrated Edges



When I look at buildings, I don't generally see "building," 
I see shapes, patterns, and colors. That certainly was true 
the other night: I happened to look up to see that the familiar 
shapes of the Chase Bank building at the bottom, 
and the Federal Court Building in the upper right corner, 
had become serrated edges against the evening sky.
The building on the southeast corner had 
acquired a deep plum and blue plaid design, 
accented with chevrons


Friday, September 27, 2013

The Saddest Good-bye



The men above are members of the Speedway Fire Department. 
They are standing to salute the passing funeral cortege of
Officer Rod Bradway, a member of the Indianapolis Metropolitan 
Police Department, who was killed in the line of duty 
on Friday, September 20.
Officers from all over the country came to pay their respects
to a fallen comrade, some to attend the ceremony,
others to stand in for local police so that they could 
attend the services. There were at least a thousand cars,
preceded by an equal number of motorcycle units.



The procession was scheduled to leave the downtown area
at around 1 p.m., then travel across town to pass by
Officer Bradway's westside station and at the Wayne Township 
fire station where he had been a firefighter 
and EMT before joining the IMPD.



People began to line Lynhurst Drive not long after
the funeral services were complete, bringing with them flags
and signs to show their support for the man and his family.



The men shown below are practicing their role,
saluting the cortege as it passes Speedway Fire Station
Number 2 on Lynhurst Drive. In addition to their
participation, the men were on regular duty;
during the time the procession was passing, they actually
went on two separate runs. Others in their unit
quietly and efficiently stepped in to take their posts
while they were away.


The sad reason for this funeral, this procession, was because
Officer Bradway answered a call reporting domestic
violence at a westside apartment complex. Not long after his arrival
at the woman's home, he called for back-up. The woman's
screams of terror increased and the policeman
entered, only to be met by the assailant, who shot him
from the side, where his protective vest did not cover.
The second officer, who'd just arrived, entered right behind,
trading shots with the assailant, shooting and killing him.
But Officer Bradway was dead, having put the lives of a young
woman and her ten-month old baby ahead of his own.



Of all the calls police get, ones involving domestic abuse
are the runs they most dread. They are situations fraught with
volatile emotions, raging hormones and tempers - and, very often
guns or other weapons. The situations are always changing,
dangerous for everyone involved.
As a woman, I want to know what it is about men and their
need to control women? We fight sexual discrimination every day
in the workplace, the media, and in our relationships because men
assume they are entitled to control us and every aspect
of our lives. Why do they also feel the need to beat us, to threaten
us, to demean us, - all the while calling it love?

Because of this a good man has died, leaving a bereaved
woman and two teen-aged children. Another woman and her child
live, but with life-long emotional trauma. Yet another family,
that of the killer, live with the eternal shame of having 
a son and brother who made bad decisions; recently released
from prison, the killer was not supposed to have weapons,
but, of course, he did. It's entirely possible there may not be enough
money to pay for his burial.
It's an ugly story, too often repeated, one for which there
does not seem to be a good ending - just losses and
unhappiness for everyone concerned.



Thursday, September 26, 2013

Sky Mosaic



The fact that the J.W. Marriott Hotel is called "Big Blue"
is probably no surprise. The glass-clad building
is slightly curved, so it is not just a big box on the skyline.
Its surface looks more like a mosaic than
it does a mirror, showing us the beauty of the sky
rather than just reflecting it back at us.
It's as though a skilled tile setter installed 
the expanse, his hand adding 
an artist's touch to each piece of glass.
On this day, we got a watercolor sky. 



Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Looking East at the Sunset


Again, waiting for the bus at the corner of Ohio and 
Pennsylvania Streets on Tuesday evening, 
I was sitting in the shadows of the Federal Court Building 
when I noticed the shapes and colors made by the setting sun 
on the windows and marble sheathing of the
Regions Bank across the street.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Slammed Shut


Monday evening, while waiting for the bus home, 
I looked up at the bank building across the street 
to see it splotched with the orange glow 
from the setting sun. Just a week or so ago,
the sun would have been bathing the white stone
of the building. But now, it seems as though
fall, if not exactly slamming shut the door to summer,
has left the door ajar to allow the cool breezes
to infiltrate, and to only let a patch of the
sun to sneak through.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Beacon


These photos were taken around 7 a.m. Saturday, 
while waiting for the bus to go downtown.
There wasn't much traffic at that time of the morning and,
while the light seemed a bit purple, it was actually
a bit darker, making the street lamp
a welcome beacon. The daggone thing provides
just enough light to help me navigate 
the sidewalks and curbs as I begin my work days,
and again at night, as I find my way home.


Sunday, September 22, 2013

Just Another Saturday


For the past few Saturdays, I've been getting up early 
to go swimming at a high school pool
on the northeast side of Indy. I waited for the second bus 
at the Federal Court building on Ohio Street. 
It was coolish, but the sun was bright
and I enjoyed the quiet time to watch the city wake up.
On work week mornings, Indy bustles with the frenetic disorder
of people trying to get to work, making time to just enjoy 
the light and the colors a bit more difficult. 

At the pool, I joined a batch of other masters swimmers, 
all of them better and more experienced, 
for an hour and a half of drills and routines 
designed to make us stronger and faster swimmers. 
The first session was miserable, the second 
session even worse, but today was just long.
However, for whatever reason, I did enjoy it,
and I will return, even if to just have the excuse
to be able to be downtown early on Saturdays.


Saturday, September 21, 2013

Rainy Evening


It was a rainy evening in downtown Indy,
with warm temperatures and gentle showers.
People went about their business,
either returning home from work or,
like the couple below, approaching the entrance 
of the Circle Theatre for the gala opening
of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's
fall season. 


Below, a group of young men prepares to park 
patrons' cars at a nearby garage



Friday, September 20, 2013

Sneaked In


I woke up early this morning to the sounds of thunder 
overhead and rain splashing against my windows.
It was a welcome sound because we've been a bit short 
of rainfall lately, but when I looked out the
front window, I saw that fall had sneaked in; the trees showed 
yellow against the dark gray of the storm clouds.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Dark Blue Shirt


What is this game we play, you and I?
Two people who like each other,
yet who are afraid ... of what?

Like a fogged window, 
where I wiped my hand to clear the view, 
I saw you and every one 
else blurred into the mist.

You watch the distant skyline,
wrapped in the cold wisp of fantasy
where love is constant, 
never changing, carrying no risks, 
where the promise of an errant breeze 
is proxy for the warmth 
of a loving touch.

I saw you in your dark blue shirt,
sleeves rolled above your wrists
and longed to feel the warmth 
of your hand on my own,
the scratchy growth of your beard
against my lips 
as I lean in to kiss your cheek.

I want to love you, to arouse you,
to hold you for my own, and to set you free
for the warmth of love in reality.



Wednesday, September 18, 2013

The Blush of Fall


A co-worker thoughtfully brought these pears to work.
Their colors are beautiful and inviting.
I love the way the yellow green blends into
the blushing pink on their sides.
I even kinda like the scratchy texture of their skins.
The aroma teases me,
making me want to bite them 
for their juicy flavor.
However, their creamy white flesh 
is too mealy for me;
I do not like pears.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Textured Tuesday: Sucker Punched by the Sun


Every morning I go to work, I wait for the bus at the corner 
of Capitol and Ohio Streets. And every morning
I look eastward to see whether my bus is approaching.
The architecture along Ohio Street is not enthralling, just the
usual arrangement of row upon row of windows and granite,
but what happens to those windows when the sun 
is reflected from their surfaces just about knocks me down.
Some days the light is orange, on others it is pink, and yet
others a golden yellow. The light creates a series of plaid
patterns, woven multi-hued rays of golden light
that entertain me until I board my bus 
and continue on to work.


Monday, September 16, 2013

Jazzfest Comes to Speedway!


Finally! After fifteen years the Indy Jazz Fest found its way to Speedway!
The Farrelly/Mankiewicz Jazz Quartet made an appearance
on Speedway's Main Street at the Dallara Indy Car Factory, where
hundreds of interested and enthusiastic supporters enjoyed
the quartet's music under the clear evening sky.
It is hoped that the success of the evening will result
in expanded participation in next year's event.
Saxophonist Jim Farrelly is shown above during set-up
for the performance.


The Jazz Fest began in 1999 as an effort to provide a venue 
to display and encourage the city's rich jazz heritage,
and to provide tourists with an experience outside 
of Indy's sports events. After a rocky start due to unforseen 
weather events, the festival was eventually reorganized 
as a non-profit foundation with an educational
initiative that takes jazz into the public school system.
Children from all walks of life have been exposed to the art form
as a result of this initiative. In addition to ten days of 
concerts all over the community, Indy Jazz Foundation
works to preserve the legacy and future of jazz
music in Indianapolis through year-round
education and performances.


In addition to the support of Dallara, Lino's Coffee also contributed 
to the success of the event. In fact, their barristas, bartenders,
and cooks were overwhelmed by the flow of customers, most
of whom who were extremely patient with the store's staff.
Patrons enjoy the quality of the store's food and beverage offerings,
and most were willing to wait the extra time to receive service.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Welcome Signs


In a nearby Speedway neighborhood, the homeowners 
have installed a picket fence with a front gate 
showing silhouettes of the pineapples 
on the gateposts, welcoming visitors to their home. 

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Swimming ...


This photo was taken Thursday evening at about 8 PM 
as my bus traveled west over the White River Bridge at 10th Street.
After I'd completed work I went to the Natatorium to swim for
an hour. Last week, my swimming didn't go as well as I'd
have liked; I couldn't get my stroke co-ordinated or complete
a lap without pausing to reconnoiter my position, so to speak,
and have been a bit discouraged and depressed as a result.
After I told my coach about my difficulties and concerns,
he assigned me to swim 1200 meters, in 100 meter increments.

This is not a difficult task for an experienced swimmer,
but it was new territory for me. He set my interval times then sent
me off and I spent the rest of the hour swimming up and down 
the length of the pool, catching my breath after each completed lap,
then doing it over again. At the end of the evening,
I'd completed about three-quarters of a mile.
I was tired, but the man I'd given permission to kill me
in sixty minute sessions did not do that. 
Instead, he'd asked me to stretch myself a bit, to have
a bit of confidence in myself, and to just ... keep going.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Stuff I Saw


These pictures were taken outside two different homes, 
though in adjacent neighborhoods. By coincidence,
the colors in both images are similar -- red, tan, and green.
Although I liked the position of the lamp
in the window shown in the bottom image, the sight
of the black wire snaking its way from the roof eave, around
the window to the connection box is discouraging.
Couldn't they have at least used tan or beige wire? 


Thursday, September 12, 2013

Signs


My recent cupcake odyssey gave me a lot of opportunities for pictures 
of various kinds -- old brickwork, new construction, 
and street signage at its most prosaic.
Two versions of the little profile man are shown 
in the top and middle photos. The economy may be stagnant,
but construction projects are plentiful; the mobile shacks
reflected above and the work shown below are just a small bit
of the numerous projects in downtown Indy. 


The traffic downtown is inexcusable for a city our size. 
The numerous attempts to address the sorry state of
the local public transportation system have always sounded like 
lip service falling on unhearing ears; people have become 
so dependent on their autos that there doesn't seem 
to be a viable way to wean them from their gas-guzzling ways
and the city fathers are making too much money from car owners
via fuel, upkeep, taxes, insurance and parking fees.
But their self-serving negligence is beginning 
to bite them in the ass, as increasing demands for better 
and more buses, more bike routes and facilities
show how far behind we are compared to other cities. 


Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Talking Bricks


A couple weeks ago, I took myself on an odyssey to get a treat
from The Flying Cupcake shop on Massachusetts Avenue.
I didn't walk a straight line up the street to  the bakery, 
but one more like the flight path of a monarch butterfly as I
took the opportunity to explore a few of the alleyways.
I enjoy looking at old brick, seeing the oxidation and wear
time has made on the structures. In fact, I feel as though I can
even smell the bricks; on sunny days it seems as though
the bricks are telling me their stories in the clay-ey
aromas radiating from their surfaces.


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Last Roses


Just when you think they're done, the weather came up 
with a respite for roses. These are outside a nearby church, 
but similar brethren can be seen all over town. 
The bushes hold tight, unopened buds, newly bloomed
flowers, as well as tired and faded blooms.
I liked the range of color, and the way the flowers 
were set off against the brick wall.


Monday, September 9, 2013

Winter's Banquet


I forget that the year-round birds need to eat, too, when winter comes.
So I was startled when I turned a corner near home 
to see this tree full of berries, it's complementary colors of red 
and green glowing brightly in the sun.
Later, after the leaves have dropped away, the berries
will turn brown, providing a food source
for robins when the winter temperatures drive bugs 
and worms deeper underground.


Sunday, September 8, 2013

Men in ... Oops! Check That ... Men Filling Holes


A new hole! It looked as though it had just been cut and the crew 
was getting ready to install another section of water line.
I was on my way to a swimming session and could not stop,
intending to pester the men with questions about the new line,
as well as the fire hydrant, afterwards.
Two hours later, I came out to find that not only had
the pipe been installed, but the hole was filled and ... and ...
and they were cleaning the cement truck!
OMG! Another missed opportunity!


All with the help of their beautiful assistant, Clarice.
(I made up the part about her name. There was 
a "Clarence" at the other end of the project.)