On the fourth of July I stood in the welcoming summer rain, on a rooftop of an old building in Williamsburg, on Metropolitan Avenue. And as I watched the bombarding, bursting splendor of colors light up the dark skies of the Hudson River, I couldn't help but think about the artist behind the madness and his process. And I mean the guy who artistically choreographed how it would all pan out in the heavens. Which brings me to Cai Guo-Qiang who recently had an exhibit over at the Guggenheim Museum titled: "I Want To Believe," this summer of 2008. It definitely was a sight for sore eyes and imagination.

Cai Guo-Qiang was born in 1957 in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, China, son of a Historian and Painter who was trained in stage design at the Shanghai Drama Institute in the 80's. Cai's work is communal. It is conceptually rendered by the people and for the people, with a socially conscious message, ignited with his response to political struggle around the world. China's oppressive social habitat gives way to his instincts in yearning to explode in his growth. This gave way to where he began experimenting with gunpowder intermingled with his drawings. And this thirst compelled him to evolve in using explosives on a massive scale, with a much greater canvas, our skies. Thus giving birth to a series of "explosion events," incorporating fireworks and pyrotechnics such as "Projects for Extraterrestrials," which was an aim to establish an exchange between viewers and the larger universe around them." Quite metaphysical to me, because I find his explosions to be like an epiphany of sorts.

His works are charged with a wide variety of symbols, narratives, traditions and materials such as fengshui, Chinese medicine, dragons, roller coasters, computers, vending machines, wildlife, portraiture, non-Han Chinese citizens and their cultures, fireworks and gunpowder.

Learn more HERE

Edinburgh Castle at 7pm on July 29, 2005. Cai Guo-Qiang produced this an an eulogy for the victims of explosive attacks across the world. DIXIE ROSE FERNANDEZ

so, with the "july-factor" in mind, i decided that reliving my recent travels might help lift my spirits a bit.  and just maybe for a minute i'll stop whining and feel thankful for the wonderful places i've been to see this year.

'07-'08 was a blessed year for me regarding travel, and '08-'09 is already shaping up to be exponentially better. 

i guess dallas is where it all begins and ends for me right now.  and though i'm not so fond of her, dallas has enough work to allow me to travel more than most.  so i'll think kindly of her for the moment...

austin is kind of my secret girlfriend.  we courted for over 5 years, but i had to leave her for a more practical lover.  so sad.  i do sneak around from time to time though... just to see her pretty face, and hear her alluring voice.

brazos bend, texas.  my favorite place to play with alligators in texas!!  if you want to see some prehistoric monsters, i highly recommend this park.  it's just a short drive southwest of houston.

cabo san lucas, mexico!  my friends joe and erin got married there last summer, and guess who was able to go for free in exchange for a little wedding photography.  well worth it...

not too far from the city, somewhere out in east texas, is a private getaway, known only as "timado" to the few elites who know of it.  i was let in to the inner-circle last fall when i was invited to a double bachelor party extravaganza.  well, okay, so it's not very elite, more like a good place to drink beer, go fishing, and grow out your mullet.  but it's really fun.  and a great place to catch snakes and shoot fireworks.

big bend national park, texas.  ah, the big bend of the rio grande.  one of my classic favorites.  this trip was the first of two for the year, but it ended in tragedy.  my truck somehow found its way to the bottom of a four-foot-deep washout.  at least i only had to hike 18 miles through the desert before i saw someone to get help - hahaha!  what a great trip!

another friend of mine, adam, got married in wonderful savannah, georgia.  what a great place.  i had been once before, but rest assured that i could never get sick of savannah.

so, yet another friend, anna, got married in her home town of philadelphia, pa.  big year for marriage apparently.  and no offense to my other friends, but this was the best one yet.  i'd never been to philly, but it quickly became one of my favorite cities.  partially because two of my favorite people were there - anna and elaine.

another first-time favorite city, san francisco!  i lucked out with this one because of some awesome friends of mine, john and bd.  the brothers had an extra ticket to the 2007 baseball all-star game, and i got the invite.  we had a fantastic time at the weekend's festivities, and we even made our way out to napa for a day.  amazing trip!

i lived in pinedale, wyoming a few years ago when i worked for a small newspaper.  it's a tiny town just south of jackson (or to you tourists, jackson hole... hahaha!).  consequently, it is also very close to grand teton and yellowstone national parks.  doesn't get much better than that.  so, since i reluctantly moved back to texas in 2006, i've made the pilgrimage back at least twice a year.  this was my first trip of the year, in the autumn.  and it was breathtaking - just the way i remembered it.  i hope to someday move back...

yee haw, boy howdy!  ARKANSAS |ˈär,kanzəs|!!  the white river in arkansas is incredibly beautiful, no doubt.  i went on a weekend trip up to northwest ar with some friends last fall to do a little fly fishing, and enjoy the scenery.  i don't know how to fly fish, so i just enjoyed the eye candy, and made photos all weekend.  i think we'll try to go again this fall.

oklahoma city, oklahoma.  we have tons of family in oklahoma - our rival state to the north.  and in all honesty, i don't visit enough.  it's really a great state.  though the university by the same name will always be my arch enemy.

the okc bombing memorial is stunning... a quiet experience... completely heartbreaking.

big bend, part deux.  i took my new ride to experience the land that claimed my previous truck's life only months before.  wow, i really like my new car.  especially with gas prices the way they are.  i was able to do the entire 5 day trip for under $250!!  that includes 1500 miles of driving, four days of bland camp food, and priceless nights under a clear desert sky.  it was a really rejuvenating experience.  i needed it.

the quintessential western road trip, executed at the worst time of year.  my friend, bd, got a wild hair in early november, and decided to plan one of the most classic of american road trips, down the 101.  it was originally planned for the next spring, but neither of us could wait that long...

we set off just a few days after thanksgiving.  we left dallas, and spend the first night in denver.  then from denver, we made our way through blizzards, over togwotee pass to jackson, wyoming.  we had the privilege meeting up with my old roommate, emily, and previous editor, noah.  we had way too much fun.

the next day in spite of splitting headaches, we were off to boise, idaho and then to portland, oregon.  portland may be my new favorite city (i know... i say that a lot).  it reminds me so much of austin, but even prettier.  we spent a few days there, and then made our way up to seattle.  another great city.  somehow, we ended up at a seedy bar called "shorty's" that night.  it was clown-themed, which made it creepy to begin with, but it also happened to be in, what i found out later to be, seattle's "crack district".  that was the first, and hopefully last time i've ever seen someone smoking crack.  right outside the bar, in the rain!?  interesting.

so we were ready to get back on the road after that night.  from seattle, we drove back to portland, then on down to eugene...  go ducks!!!  from eugene, we headed over to the coast, and that's where we hooked up with the legendary highway 101, which we followed the rest of the way down to los angeles.  the scenery was absolutely amazing from the oregon coast all the way to big sur.  and even south of big sur to monterey was quite nice.  really, the trip down the 1 was so overwhelming in its grandeur and raw beauty, that for me (someone who is already a painfully bad writer), is too hard to put in to words.  plus, i'm a photographer anyway.  so i hope the images speak for themselves.

in spite of taking this trip in the most off part of the off season, it was incredible.  i can only hope that i have the opportunity to do this trip again at some point in my life.  i should be so lucky.

my virgin voyage to chitown.  seriously though, i was such a nerd on the flight there, and in my rent car.  the only two albums i listened to the whole weekend were sufjan stevens' come on feel the illinoise, and greetings from michigan, the great lake state.  but they fit so well!  and they are two of the best albums of all time.  so at least they had that going for them.  

chicago is certainly a cool town.  i need to spend more time there.  also, it was december, sooooooo, just a little cold.  maybe i'll see what it's like in spring...

ah, spring in wyoming... what a segue - damn, i'm good!!  so this was the second (well, technically third, if you count the short drive thru on the road trip in november) time for me to visit my old haunt in about six months.  what a treat!

yet another friend, kim, was getting married in pinedale, so it was as good an excuse as any to go visit one of my favorite places in all the world.  and it certainly did not disappoint.  i camped for the first time in single digit weather on eight feet of snow pack too.  so that was cool.  but i learned a valuable lesson:  don't ever do that again!!

in all seriousness, there is something about western wyoming.  a special quality that lacks clear explanation.  ask anyone that has spent any time there, and they'll tell you...  it's a deeply spiritual experience.  and there's something about the winter (which is much of spring as well).  it is what quiet looks like... if that makes any sense.

anyway, if you're still reading, i feel sorry for you because you may have severe mental problems.  or into s&m or something.  but i promise that i'm almost done.

there are two innocence mission songs that always make me nostalgic about my travels, so i'll end with some lyrics.  if you're unfamiliar with the innocence mission, i would highly recommend you give them a good listen.  the first song is called, song about traveling.  really... go figure!?  and the second is the brotherhood of man.  

"a man said, 'why?'  why does traveling, in cars and in trains, make him feel sad?  a beautiful sadness, i've felt this before.  it's the people in the city, you'll never know.  it is everything you pass by, wondering will you ever... return."

"waiting at the airport on my suitcase, a girl traveling from spain became my sudden friend.  though i did not learn her name.  and when the subway dimmed... a stranger lit my way.  this is the brotherhood of man."

"i never can say what i mean... but you will understand... coming through clouds on the way.  this is the brotherhood of man.  this is the brotherhood of man."

all images © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2008

Sivakasi located in Dharmapuri district,TamilNadu was well known for child labour. Few years back almost all the children from the nearby villages were working in the fireworks and matchbox factories.After some serios actions from the government and some initiatives from NGO's helped the childrens to go back to school and now the strength of child labours was almost reduced and few friends of mine from that souuroundings says that nowadays no children are working in the fireworks factories. May be in the holidays they are working.  And in chennai also we can see a little improvemnt in the removal of child labours and lot of NGO's are working on this now.

But still a long way to go. Lets hope for the best. It's my long time dream to see a child labor less universe. It's not only the responsibility of government...it is the responsibility of every individual. Lets make it. :)

The fireworks got rained out
this year.
Angry patriots blocked the roads
in protest.

All my poems
begin with coffee
or end with coffee.
That blissful communal beverage.

So all these sodden families
dripping disappointments
all over their leather seats
are going home.
And at that moment,
in the cacophony of car horns,
they’re creating a symphony
of frustration.

Earlier, I lied.
You were right.
Coffee is the beverage
of good ideas.
That’s why I begin
and end like I do.

I carry your truisms
and use them
whenever I run out of bullets.

Written July 07

Between reading and the silence, the memory of the fireworks return flaring in my mind with the fleckering headlights reflected in the walls. The frantic mood and sounds, the glowing faces and sparkling eyes of the crowd watching the colorful burst of light in the evening skies. A fleeting treat to the eyes that stayed only for a brief moment and then desolve with the smoke clouding the horizon. What's left are memories that the crowd take as they slowly parade home. Often, I feel like the fireworks - things make me float in the air, seeing colors of temporary bliss and then gone desolving in the air like smoke clouding my hopes. What's left are memories.

Between the silence, between the lights and shadows of last night, the memory of the flickering headlights of traffic returned. The sounds of vehicles' coming and going, you could not tell the difference. The city never sleeps. It goes on no matter what, even if somewhere some souls are happy, or sad, or hurting. The traffic doesn't roll to a halt even when you're tired but can't sleep. The city would not cease to move even when love opens or closes its door on you. It goes on even if you contenue to struggle to take grasp of life or find a sudden enlightenment from the brief reflection of headlights on the wall and then gone. What's left is emptiness.

Between the silence, lights, and shadows of last night I awake - I'm not sure if I even slept - with the cries of the birds taking flight in the early morning skies where the fireworks desolve leaving only hints of memories in the thin clouds floating, in pastel colors signaling daybreak.

Between the silence, lights and shadows from above, the birds look down to the city that doesn't sleep, they know the terrains below, much more above them. They know that the city lights and the fireworks are temporary, the birds know better. They have seen what we neglect to see.

Watching the sunrise that peered through the city skyline, I briefly saw what guide the birds' flight every morning. Colorful than the flares of fireworks, brighter than the flickering headlights.

If we've stayed a little longer after the fireworks desolve with the smoke in the evening skies, like the birds, we would have seen the clouds clear in the horizon and above are the real fireworks that are constantly there.

Because if we stayed long enough, we would have seen the stars and they are there forever.

---

I will tell you about the rain next time.

Last night I might have figured out what they are. I heard the explosions at about 10, again outside of my window, maybe a block away, but unlike the other times, I heard a familiar crackling sounds. Fireworks? I leaned up from the couch and stuck my head out the window. Lo and behold, a huge firework show right in front of my house! There were HUGE blossoms of fireworks, blue, green, red and gold. It was so cool. That's what I love about living here, just like when the circus animals came down my street and I saw a camel in my second floor window...anything can happen here!

Recreation, romance, relaxation…The Glynn House is a great place to celebrate our revolution – gracious surroundings, great food, genuine hospitality and holiday decorations. Bunting covered the wraparound porches. Flags were placed along the path to the Carriage House. The Union Jack – a reminder that two of the innkeepers are British – remained side by side with the Stars and Stripes at corner of the front porch.

Ashland and several neighboring towns each host their own parade and fireworks display. Parades and fireworks take place on different days, which is nice for those who want to sample the atmosphere of a traditional 4^th of July celebration more than once and convenient for those having multiple commitments. New Hampshire’s spectacular lakes and mountains provided a wonderful backdrop for this very special holiday.

Fireworks also signifies celebration and although 4th of July has come and gone, here's how we ended our day on the 4th of July...

Anticipation is in the air at Randolph Air Force Base. Everyone is gathered at the tarmac waiting for the fireworks. Country music (played by the band on stage) is blasting from the speakers and everybody is just chillin'. We spread our mat while the kids went around to explore the booths with Viven, Glenn and Leslie.

As the light fades the crowd settles down and at 9pm they started the show. The crowd cheered and you hear the ohs, wows, wohoos as the fireworks burst in the sky. Sometimes there's just silence as everyone stares in awe at  the rapid succession of beautiful light. This is just what we needed after a busy day exploring San Antonio Texas!

As always, see the remainder here in the Flickr set.

I worked that day and it was momentous as Joey Chestnut barely beat that Kobayashi dude in the hot dog wolfing contest on Coney Island in Brooklyn in New York. Baby. Hot dog ralphing, perhaps. Gross, man. We had our own weenie roast at work right in the break room. It's an annual tradition, done on a George Foreman grill. If possible, we try to time it so it corresponds perfectly with the event. Things get pretty heated as we watch with bated, hot-dog-scented breath.

Centennial Olympic Park was crowded with people and many were wearing umbrella hats, which I think is a great way to take the shade with you in a flashy fashion. I opted to spend less time there and cooled off at home to escape the heat. When it got dark I boarded MARTA for the Buckhead region, where things were very crowded. The display was great. It was all good. Mom and dad went to Tempe Marketplace and I think their adventure was more fun, but then again I was working that day. So who knows.

It is always fun to see kids experience something new for the first time.  Hannah tried to hide her excitement for the ride, but she smiled everytime the train started up again after a stop.  She was very cute walking around town with her backpack and an american flag sticking out of the back.  We decided to go to Clarendon to get something to eat before venturing downtown.  We picked Clarendon because it offered a few options which is important when you're out with a kid who only eats "Chicken and Fries"  After much debate, we decided to go with The Cheesecake Factory.  I think we picked it because Hannah liked the colors of the restaurant.  I don't remember.

After trhe meal we ventured downtown, braving a brief rainstorm, to watch the fireworks on the Mall.  It was wet and damp but the rain stopped as the fireworks started (seems to happen that way every year) and the Fireworks went off without a hitch.

It was a nice day.  As someone who has lived in DC off and on for several years, I would usually opt not to join the masses downtown.  And even though it was a long long day!  It was well worth it.  I hope that Hannah thought so too.

There were two articles about fireworks.  On the center page an article about how Lovelanders stake a spot, celebrate the holiday.  The article was entitled: Fun on the 4^th.  There was a great photo of some monster shells exploding over the lake.  The effect is beautiful; with the reflection over the water, this makes the show twice as enjoyable.  The story was short and simple, with glimpses into the lives of people who went square dancing, enjoyed BBQed dogs and burgers, and ended the day with a fireworks show by the lake.  I was disappointed that the interview was mentioned, but hardly surprised. 

Then I looked at the other fireworks article.

It was an article re-printed from the Los Angeles Times about how fireworks use toxic chemicals, are hazardous to air quality, water supplies, and are especially harmful to people with asthma and the elderly.  Not only that, but they have perchlorates!  Perchlorates apparently are a hormone altering substance that is used as an oxidizer.  Heavy metals are used to produce colors, and poisonous chemicals are used often in “Traditional” fireworks.  Particulate levels increase 100-fold near displays. The article goes on to list toxic chemicals used in fireworks and how filthy and dangerous they are.

As you can imagine I have a few issues with this article.  I won’t get into technical details of combustion, chemicals or what a Perchlorate is.  I am a pyro not a chemist or doctor and I would not have any credibility to my arguments.  I was more upset at the choice of timing and placement.

Is it really necessary to piss on everyone’s Independence Day BBQ?  I don’t blame the author of the article; it’s the editor that chooses what gets on the front page.  Besides, this was an article from the LA Times, what do you expect?  However, does the editor of the Loveland news paper feel it is necessary to balance out good news with why we should feel guilty for enjoying ourselves?  I have been trying to find an activity that doesn’t have a balancing guilt factor.  Gardening is all I can think of that is relatively guilt free. Just don’t use any powered equipment, chemicals, or pesticides.

I just worked my ass off, with out pay, for three days, setting up fireworks shows for two cities, only to pick up a news paper and read how I just spread filth and poison all over the people I worked to please.  Thanks a lot.  Here is your wet blanket.

Something else riles me up a bit after reading articles like this.  First, it was a Los Angeles Times article.  Talk about lazy; is it that hard to find news to fit on the front page?  Next, the article didn’t say who wrote it, it just says it was from the LA Times.  I did some looking around on the internet and found that the article was written by Marla Cone, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer.  So I looked her up. Apparently, Marla Cone is one of the nation's premier environmental journalists.  If you’re going to re-print an article at least put the authors name with it.

I have a few suggestions for journalists and editors looking for other subjects to serve the same purpose. 

Here is a good story that should be published on December 26^th:

Murdering millions of Christmas trees every year should be considered institutionalized deforestation, and should be classified as a terrorist act that promotes climate change.

January 1^st is a great day to do an essay on the dangers lead contamination from the wrapper around the head of champagne bottles.  Not sure if this is done anymore but the truth rarely has anything to do with journalism.  They can put that story right next to the alcohol related fatalities and suicides. The article can be right next to the top ten lists and hope for peace in the new year.

In April there should be a nice article about the senseless destruction of millions of poultry embryos.  There are millions of starving poor people in the world that would love to eat eggs. Instead Americans paint and decorate then hide these nutritional wonders.

Birthday candles emit not only carbon dioxide (A greenhouse gas) but wax particulates into the atmosphere.  Not only are the elderly more prone to suffer from the dangers of waxy particulate contamination, but they exacerbate the problem with more and more candles. Then there are the land fill issues with piñata’s, and the cost to the public because of tooth decay among children who should be eating vegetables. 

The list could go on and on. 

My point is that July 5^th is the day after the most important holiday in America.  I promise that I won’t come to Los Angles and run a hummer through your Earth Day parade, if you won’t piss on my BBQ around the 4^th of July. 

-pf

So the first year we watched from high up across the river, marveling at the fireworks until I started to notice our wonderful city firemen on the COSI roof hosing down hot embers dropping on the building. (Don't ask me why you'd spend millions on a new science center and then drop hot fireworks on top of it every year!). So I couldn't focus on the fireworks for the rest of the fireworks display, just the firemen and their hoses on our roof (thank goodness they were there!).

People must have heard the cheer from my office when I found out the fireworks were temporarily moved upstream to the Vets Memorial property and COSI was actually out of the "drop zone." This gave us our first chance since opening to experiment with hosting special events at COSI and test the view and the experience.

A corporate party and COSI team member special event tested the evening and the viewing. I can tell you the COSI lawn (from both front and back) were great viewing spots. A little video I took on my cell phone is attached which very modestly gives an idea of how good the view was - but misses the physical energy of the explosions you felt at actually being still close to the power of the fireworks. (Our COSI team members do a nice job of explaining explosions in our Science of Fireworks show at COSI try to catch one next time you come.)

I think we've got a winner here for Red, White, and Boom events/viewing as long as the fireworks can stay relocated, giving folks a great way to spend the evening at COSI with prime viewing spots once the festivities begin! I know our events department is already taking calls for next year-so maybe I'll see you here :)

[caption id="attachment_38" align="alignleft" width="152" caption="Indians Fans, 2008"][/caption]

"Coming to Cleveland for a baseball weekend. Looking for a place to stay overnight and some ideas of nearby restaurants."

 

Excellent question. There is still plenty of time to see the boys of summer and Progressive Field is a great place to do it. In 2008, Sports Illustrated revealed the results of a ballpark survey showing that, in the nation, Indians fans were the most happy with hometown field.

Three Nearby Places to Stay
HILTON GARDEN INN CLEVELAND DOWNTOWN
1100 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, OH 
877.782.9444 clevelanddowntown.stayhgi.com
50 PACES FROM THE BASES HILTON GARDEN INN PACKAGE
Come and enjoy the action of the Cleveland Indians and stay at the hotel located across the street from “The Prog.” Enjoy overnight accommodations, breakfast for two adults, parking for one vehicle, and two bags of peanuts for the game. This package does not include game tickets. Valid February 1, 2008 - February 05, 2009 from $124/night USD.  For reservations log onto: http://clevelanddowntown.stayhgi.com and click on the “Hotel Specials” tab.

RADISSON HOTEL CLEVELAND-GATEWAY
651 Huron Road, Cleveland, OH
800.333.3333 www.radisson.com/clevelandoh_gateway
In the heart of the Gateway Historic Neighborhood District, across from Quicken Loans Arena and Progressive Field, the Radisson Gateway features 142 guest rooms and 10 meeting rooms.

RENAISSANCE CLEVELAND HOTEL
24 Public Square, Cleveland, OH
800.468.3571 www.renaissancecleveland.com
Luxury hotel located in the heart of Downtown Cleveland. Attached to shopping mall which has covered access (“bridge”) over to Gateway District—Quicken Loans Arena and Progressive Field.

Three Nearby Restaurants
Progressive Field is right downtown. You can go to the Warehouse District and enjoy a burger and a beer at the Cleveland Chop House & Brewery, stop in at Tower City Center and have a steak at Morton's the Steakhouse or some tasty Italian fare at Bice Ristorante (and there is an indoor walkway from the Terminal Tower food court to Quicken Loans Arena, steps away from Progressive Field) or even do a little dining and bowling at the upscale Corner Alley on the restaurant-lined East Fourth Street. But, if you just want a casual, pre-game meal with a little libation, here are a few options. 

GREAT LAKES BREWING COMPANY
2516 Market Avenue, Cleveland, OH
216.771.4404   www.greatlakesbrewing.com
Enjoy an original Cleveland beer named after a Cleveland event (Holy Moses for surveyor Moses Cleaveland, Eliot Ness for the famous crimefighter who did a stint as our safety director or Blackout Stout for the 2003 power loss), a burger or even some of the famous bread pudding at the Great Lakes Brewing Company and then hop on the brewery’s eco-friendly shuttle bus, “The Fatty Wagon,” to Progresive Field. The Fatty Wagon operates on restaurant vegetable oil and runs continuously from 45 minutes before to 45 minutes after the game. Roundtrip fare is just a dollar.

HOUSE OF BLUES CLEVELAND
308 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH
216.523.blue  www.hob.com/cleveland
House of Blues features Southern-inspired cuisine and outsider art. An outdoor patio, restaurant and bar (along with two music stages) make the House of Blues a fun stop on the way to the park.

FLANNERY'S PUB
323 E. Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH
216.781.7782  www.flannerys.com
A Cleveland landmark since 1997, this Irish bar sits just blocks from the Indians' home field. Get there early because their perfect pint, comfort food, outdoor patio and friendly staff make it a popular pre-game pick.

And when you are at the park, be sure to pop a little mustard on that hotdog because Cleveland is known for its spicy tan mustard, Bertman's Original Ball Park Mustard. Pickle proprietor Joseph Bertman created the mustard, which was served at the old Municipal Stadium and may even have been served at League Park.

While you're at the park, be sure to check out what's new:
Heritage Park – Heritage Park is a new feature located in the centerfield area of Jacob’s Field. It is open before, during and after home games and features a two-tiered monument park honoring members of the Indians Hall of Fame; a tribute to 38 memorable moments in the team’s history and a salute to 100 Indians. The top tier honors members of the team’s hall of fame who are also enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.
Solar Panels – In June 2007 the Indians became the first American League team to "Go Solar" by installing 42 GE solar panels in the upper deck of Progressive Field. The solar installation has provided 8.4 kilowatts of clean, renewable electricity to power more than 400 TVs in the ballpark. 
The Party Deck - Watch the game and enjoy an all-you-can-eat picnic at the same time. Located in the right field corner of the ballpark, the Party Deck features a blend of traditional ballpark and tabletop seating, private bar, an all-you-can-eat menu served when gates open through one-hour after the scheduled start of the game and most importantly, incredible views of the field. The Party Deck is a free-flowing area perfect for networking and entertaining.

Some of MY Favorite Things
Whether they win or lose, I love a game at Progressive Field. A beautiful ballpark with spectacular views makes for a homerun outing. But, I also enjoy:
The Sugardale Hot Dog Races - At the end of the fifth inning the larger-than-life hotdog mascots race around the ballpark. Although catsup is in it to win it (even if it involves tripping an opponent), mustard and onion have been known to pull out a win.
The Firework Displays - "I think they are some of the best fireworks, well, ANYWHERE!" exclaimed an enthusiastic Positively Cleveland staff member to a group of media, motorcoach operators and event planners about to witness the pyrotechnics display. That was a special Rock N' Blast weekend with a full gospel choir and a soundtrack that included Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Coldplay and many, many others. But, any Friday night home game has a pretty great show.

Also in the Area . . .
Can't get enough baseball? Here are some more suggestions.

BASEBALL HERITAGE MUSEUM
Historical Colonial Marketplace, 530 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH
216.978.5068    www.baseballheritagemuseum.org
Experience, the stories, photographs, letters, programs, uniforms and other game used treasured memorabilia that helped shape the history of America’s greatest pastime in this downtown collection.

Perched high above Gate D on the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium for 32 years, the Cleveland Indians' Chief Wahoo sign has been missing from the city's skyline for years. Restored, the lit sign has been in the lobby of the Western Reserve Historical Society since 1995. Originally installed on Cleveland Municipal Stadium in the ‘60s by Brilliant Electric Sign Co., the company later restored one side of the 35-foot sign for $50,000 using original drawings and photos. The sign is now back in its original condition, laced with neon lights and sporting a 1962 pinstriped uniform. The face is restored with acrylic paint lighted from inside with fluorescent lights. Chief Wahoo is a controversial icon and signage in the Western Reserve Historical Society addresses the debate and allows for visitor feedback.

LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS
Classic Park, 35300 Vine Street, Eastlake, OH
440.975.8085   www.captainsbaseball.com
An “A” affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, the Lake County Captains came to Eastlake, Ohio in 2003. That year, fans turned out in record numbers with 458,533 fans witnessing games in Eastlake. Classic Park is less than 30 minutes away from downtown Cleveland.

AKRON AEROS
Canal Park, 300 S. Main Street, Akron, OH
330.253.5151   www.akronaeros.com
The Akron Aeros is a “AA” affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. Their stadium, Canal Park, is located in downtown Akron and seats 9,097 fans and is only a 45 minute drive from Cleveland.

TOLEDO MUD HENS
Fifth Third Field, 406 Washington Street, Toledo, OH
419.725.HENS  www.mudhens.com
The Toledo Mud Hens are AAA affiliates of the Detroit Tigers. The Mud Hens call Fifth Third Field their home, named the best minor league ballpark by Newsweek in 2002. Back-to-back winners of the Governor’s Cup (2005 and 2006), come cheer on this winning team that’s a little more than an hour away from Cleveland.
--Samantha Fryberger

Fireworks Sisters, originally uploaded by Allie.P.

These fireworks were part of Lansing, Michigans show on the 4th of July. Firework photography doesn't seem like one of those "hit or miss" adventures, but rather I think that almost every single picture can turn out great... it just might not be your style.

I thought that since I did not have a tripod this 4th of July, that my firework pictures may not turn out as great as I had hoped, but actually, the slight added blur from my hand shake actually created a neat surreal effect that I like better than that 'frozen in motion' picture you always seem to see.

It seems like "blurry" isnt really an option for firework photography, but instead, it turns into "abstract." So for any of you thinking you dont have the right camera or dont have good enough equipment to get those firework shots... think again, you may be surprised!

Check out here for more, better quality photos.

Like the 4th, Quatorze Juillet is marked by a fireworks display near the Eiffel Tower. Not nearly as impressive as the parade, but then again, I've seen fireworks before. I can't say the same for military parades.

But what is truly impressive are the Bastille Day sales. And I scored big with a gorgeous Just Cavalli leather and fur jacket. Yes, fur is terribly un-PC, but I get very cold, very easily and fur is about the only thing that keeps me warm. This jacket blows all my vintage furs out of the water:

So I got the coat at this little "destockage" shop, which means that they have a lot of designer stuff, usually from a few seasons ago, at great prices. They're more likely to negotiate prices with you, too. I got the jacket at 40% off, though it's still one of the most expensive pieces of clothing I currently own--yikes! I figure, though, that I'll wear it all the time, so I'm justifying the price tag. It's so rock and roll. And 40% off! (I realize it's July... what better time to go fur-shopping?)

Anyway, the store is located online as well and run by two cool (and very nice) young Asians, a guy and a girl. He's Gerard, but I didn't catch her name. The site is called Fashion Tribu and they'll ship internationally for 20-some euros. So check it out.

Tomorrow, I'm going to post my new favorite recipe. A real Italian spaghetti sauce that a real Italian girl taught me. I made it over the weekend (albeit for Frenchies) and it was a big hit!

[caption id="attachment_64" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Moon over the Rockies"][/caption]

I headed off to Colorado with my girlfriend, Allison, so that she could meet my parents and I could spend some quality time with friends and family.  It was a wonderful 6 days of eating, walking around sculpture parks, drives into the mountains, and drinks with friends.  My mother has also added many wonderful flowers in her front garden.  Here are the photos from my trip, I hope you enjoy!

Click here to see the rest of the album.