Master of the House... Doling Out the Charm

"Are you going to eat all of that?"


"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"


Please check the recycling before placing it at the curb.


Checking out the Mexican restaurant, Itacate, at the end of our street.  I have to say, great location.

Some kind of pork thing.  Don't remember what, but it was good.  I had a burrito that hit the spot.  A nice way to start a date before watching Les Misérables, which was pretty good even if Megan didn't care for Russell Crowe.


St. Joseph Church ruins in downtown Rochester.  The facade was preserved after a massive fire.  It's one of my favorite buildings in the region.  Something unique and saving a piece of local history.


From preserving the past to promoting the future.  The ground has broke on the new Regional Transit Service (RTS) Transit Center and will open in 2015.  A way better land use for downtown than a black tar desert surface parking lot that it replaced.  


Master of the house, keeper of the zoo
Ready to relieve 'em of a sou or two
Watering the wine, making up the weight
Pickin' up their knick-knacks when they can't see straight
Everybody loves a landlord
Everybody's bosom friendI do whatever pleases
Jesus! Won't I bleed 'em in the end!

"So, that's the song George Costanza sings in that episode of Seinfeld..."

The Things I Spend My Hard Earned Cash On...

Not what I intended to pick up the last time I went to Target.  But, this was a bargain.  Benji: The Deluxe Collection with three movies and 3 TV episodes!  


Went down to the Corn Hill neighborhood to check out the art festival.  


Nothing like free food samples.  And yes, it was delicious enough to fight this mob to get to.


The construction at work continues.  He's a pic I stole from the Lollypop Farm facebook page.  They busted through the walls of our current vet clinic as a part of building the new clinic.  

Good stuff and good times...

The Classy Kraus' of Rochester

This is Air Bud.  Who's Air Bud?  We didn't know either.  We just tried to play basketball at Cobbles Elementary and he'd steal the ball...



Genesee Waterways Center in Genesee Valley Park in Rochester.  Megan's work helped fund a regatta called the Diversity Invitational.



While we were waiting for the regatta to start, I saw this crazy tree in the park.  A bit tropical looking for this area.



Crew racing!






Here's my crew boat.















I believe this is the boat Megan's work bought.  I could be wrong though...


 









First of all, there's a "Professional Disc Golf Association."  Second, the "World Championship" was going on.  Third, this guy had a disc golf cart.  If I were in Buffalo I'd say "For Realz?"



We're still celebrating our first wedding anniversary.  This time, we had a free night stay at the Hyatt Rochester because that's where our reception was (if you remember).  We didn't get the Presidential Suite this time, but we still managed to have a good time...



It's amazingly difficult to take a picture of downtown Rochester without getting it full of empty parking spaces.  It's the difficult position many mid-sized cities have.  People won't come downtown unless there is more parking than in the suburbs.  But, people don't want to come downtown because it is boring since they bulldozed all the retail space to make parking lots.  



Thanks Lindsay!  If you ever get the opportunity to work with her, you are very lucky!



Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries.  Oh la la!



Take note, to the Hyatt Corporation this is our official name.  



Goodbye Midtown Plaza.  This was a urban renewal project in the 60s that closed off a bunch of streets and made a huge, windowless superblock indoor mall.  For my Michigan folk, think the old malls in downtown Muskegon and Grand Rapids which met the same fate.  



Despite the whole Paetec situation, I think downtown is still heading in a much more stable and sustainable direction.  



Goodbye Robocop Architecture.



The old Sibley Department Store.  This reminds me of the Merchandise Mart building in Chicago.  Under the right management, this place could be the crown jewel of Rochester.



Dinner at Scene on Main in the Hyatt.  Since we got married, they renovated the first few floors of the Hyatt and it's pretty swanky (and "IT'S OUR WEDDING COLORS!" as Megan pointed out immediately).  I believe this was called "Scene Snax"


 
This is the flatbread 



The filet and fingerling fries.  I know it's in a hotel, but it is really super good food and you should go to it.  And, we happened to be there when the Tall Club had their convention, which meant that Megan and I were the shortest people there.


NOW FOR SOME BUSINESS:
BARKTOBER FEST 2011 is on September 24th in Egypt Park (next to Lollypop Farm) and I'm on The Dirty Dogs team.  So, please support me (and the homeless and abused animals of Lollypop Farm) by going to http://lollypop.kintera.org/ba​rktoberfest/mike to make a donation!


That's it for now.  Megan's trying to make a cake with Rachel...

Meet Dave Jr...

This is my most recent office buddy.  His name is Dock and he has a cold.  Named Dock because he was found on a loading Dock or something like that.  



He also does not appreciate when I wake him up for this nonsense



Also, meet Dave's new dog Stella.  She's a pit bull mix that is about 7 months old.  Pretty laid back.  Likes to sleep.



At the Corn Hill Art Festival in downtown Rochester.  Pretty cool art fair.  It reminded me a lot of the art fair in Old Town Chicago.  



"Got Ghosts?" is probably my favorite vendor.  Probably because I hope we buy a haunted house where the spirit does the dishes...









The strawberry "smoothie" was more of a "slurpee" since it was all ice.  But, it was so hot that I think I preferred the ice.



Megan is incognito so she doesn't get swarmed from all her adoring fans.



Music at the gazebo.  It never ceases to amaze me that people say they prefer to live in the suburbs to the city.  A nice park with a gazebo.  Activities.  Walkable.  So on and so forth.  You can tell I was spoiled by Chicago...



Finally, Rochester native Abby Wambach.  Well, maybe in a few years.  Rachel had her first soccer game and I have to say that she plays a really aggressive defense.  Go Cougars!


Not too much planned for the next week.  Just going to the final installment of Harry Potter on IMAX.  It's been pretty much the only movies I've seen on the big screen for the last decade.  Anyway... 

The New East Wing of the Eastman Theatre

The Eastman Theatre had their Grand Opening Dedication Concert for the new East Wing last night http://www.esm.rochester.edu/evolution/.  Above is a sculptural glass work by artist Dale Chihuly: http://www.chihuly.com/

Outside of the Eastman Theatre in downtown Rochester

New entrance to the East Wing 

The party

The food

the music

Kodak Hall (formerly Eastman Theatre)

During the construction, the theatre was also renovated

More views of the Dale Chihuly glass sculpture

Lots going on these days.  I've had three job interviews in the last week.  Interviewing seems to be my full time job, which is a good sign.  Dog sitting this weekend.  Going to Buffalo to see It's a Wonderful Life on the big screen next week.  Another job interview on Monday.  Lots of Christmas stuff to do.  So, keeping very busy...