Another trip to Memphis

This time, I perused the Albany airport's art gallery:

You also get a good look at the TSA:

On our way to DTW in a CRJ:

with Google snow:

It's Yuletide:

Coming into Memphis, we had to avoid a tornado, but we did make it. Here's the pink palace:

while there, I gave Mom her Christmas:

went to church:

Solved a puzzle:

went to the mall:

and dealt with my not so reliable rental:

And all good things came to an end, and I flew back:


back into Detroit, with more Google snow:

waiting for the next flight:

Taxiing out:

a de-icing stop:

and we were back in Albany:

In the bleak midwinter

Well, it was a busy day. I started out by walking and shopping at Colonie Park and Boscov's.

I like Boscov's - it's truly a trip back to the seventies. They have a candy deparment, a travel dept a cafeteria (!). The only concession to modern times 7am opening, which is good. I also took advantage of Walmart's hours

Next , on to the Cathedral for the quiet day.

Only, this day was not so quiet for me:
Candy and I stood outside with the rest and prayed for them. Then I had tickets to the hockey game: And today may be a quiet day with a foot of snow on the ground:

Expanded borders

Many of you know, that I volunteer to sit at a prayer table. Well, we expanded our locations. The new one is at the Old Chruch I went to last week:

As you can see, it was not a good morning to be out on the streets. I dropped the Albany shaker Cemetery (where Ann Lee is buried):


Before heading over. This is Salih and Candy setting up. And yes, Salih spent the night on the streets:

And here are the Streets:

I would have taken some more photos, but really didn't want to take photos of folks down on their luck - it reminded me of riding along the River trails in SoCal and going past the Homeless encampments. Here's a shot of when the doors opened:
And I've committed to do some more, which might lead some of you to comment that I need to be committed.

Too much of a good thing

I was supposed to work at a soup kitchen the Diocese of Albany has set. It's in a church that closed for attendance, and has been re-purposed as St. Francis Mission. It's on Arbor hill, one of Albany's poorer neighborhoods:

Here's Saint Francis:

we had a worship service before hand:

when we got done, I noticed one odd thing: they were too many folks - the helpers outnumber the helpees. I was really feeling the call of my books, so I asked for permission and went home. A couple of hours later, I was doe with what I set for, and I set out for the hockey game:

You'll note in addition to our usual sellout crowd, the officials are busy fixing the glass:


The score was 8-6 in favor of Albany. not exactly your typical hockey score (3-2 is more the norm) - too much once again. It's like that way this time of year - too much going on, and a lot of folks wanting to help out, versus in July, when that still small voice isn't quite as loud. I hope you get through this yuletide fine/