The Geekly Observer

City Mouse, Country Mouse

2012-02-16T18:00:00.000-06:00

Sent by: Ann, a former coworker

Notes: Ann sent this view of Picadilly Circus in London to the office when she was on vacation in England, but somehow it ended up in my postcard collection. Hmm, how did that happen?? :)

Sent by: lizbrkljac

From: United Kingdom

For: Landscape Round Robin - Group 7

Notes: This is Crantock Beach as seen from the Crantock Bay Hotel. The strange mark in the center is a flaw in the postcard from going through the mail. Or possibly proof of an interdimensional portal.

And yes, I realize that there are no mice visible in these photos. I was referencing a story.

Name's the Same

2012-02-15T18:00:00.000-06:00

Sent by: nhigh

From: Washington

For: US to US Alphabetical Tag

Notes: nhigh had to send me a 'W' postcard, and there are a few things on the card that qualify - Washington, wildlife, wolves.

Sent by: I'm not quite sure (me and my poor record keeping), but I think it was akindofmagick

From: Maryland

For: Private swap

Notes: The building in the front is the Lincoln Memorial, then the Washington Monument, and the dome of the Capitol Building is visible in the background.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T18:00:00.000-06:00

Sent by: Esjuhh

From: Netherlands

ID: NL-761562

Notes: I received this card in September, so it's probably not meant to be a Valentine's card, but I think it fits. The word 'Love', the feathers on the birds' heads and the arch of dots at the top are all shiny, which doesn't show up very well on the scan.

Sent by: Goofy Girl (on Atlas Quest)

For: AQ Valentine's Postcard Tag

Notes: I received this card just last week. What?? A CURRENT CARD?? Yeah, don't get used to it.

Fountains and Fireworks

2012-02-13T18:00:00.000-06:00

I'm going to try a bit of an experiment in order to get this blog going again. I'm going to try to prepare a number of posts ahead of time and schedule one to post each day. I hesitated to do that before because I wanted to leave myself open each night to potentially talk about something that happened that day. But that got REALLY tedious after a number of months, which I why I stopped posting. So we'll see how this works. Hopefully for you, the reader, this means more postcards and less inane drivel from me. You're welcome.

Sent by: Raffa

From: Italy

ID number: IT-36769

Notes: View of Largo San Paolo, Ragusa Ibla (Old Town Ragusa), Sicily

Sent by: candiece

From: Taiwan

ID number: TW-34448

Notes: View of Taipei 101 on New Year's Eve, 2009. The photo was taken by candiece's friend.

Moose Have Birthdays Too

2011-11-16T21:35:00.001-06:00

Hi all! I know I haven't posted for a while. I really REALLY enjoyed taking a break. Posting every night was getting a bit tedious for me, and I think the content was starting to suffer because of it.

I decided to post tonight for several reasons. First of all, my friend Mark, aka wassamatta u, has started posting to his Boxers 'n' Briefs blog after more than three years and a lot of chiding from his friends, including me. (Warning: his blog contains a copious amount of puns. And also letterboxing references, which you may not understand if you don't letterbox. But mostly beware of the puns.) So I figured if he could start posting again after being laz...ummm...busy for that long, I could start again after a comparably brief month and a half. Second, it is Mark's birthday today. I decided that it was as good a time as any to post a couple of cards that he sent to me. And to explain to everyone how insulted I was to receive said cards.

One day, a couple of months ago, I came home from work and checked to see if I had any mail in my mailbox, as I so often do. I was pleased to see that I had several postcards, including this one:

Hmmm...interesting. Here is the message that was written on the back:

"I saw this postcard and thought of you! Not because you are stinky. Or because you look like the picture or anything. But because it was a postcard. And free."

Ummm, excuse me? It's a free card, so you thought of me? What am I, some sort of cheap postcard slut? *shaking head* Of course, I chastised wassa vehemently for this. He apologized, and I thought the matter was settled. Until a few days later, when I received this....

This one says:

"I saw this postcard, and thought of you. Hmm...this is sounding strangely familiar... Anyway, enjoy!

P.S. I EXPECT TO SEE THESE ON YOUR BLOG..."

Enjoy? Really?? First he basically calls me a cheap slut, and then he tells me that a dead fish makes him think of me? I never thought I could be so insulted by something as seemingly innocuous as a postcard. And then he has the audacity to demand, in ALL CAPS no less, that I post the cards on my blog? How RUDE! As you might expect, I gave him another earful. Or eyeful, as I was typing on the computer rather than using my voice. Hopefully between that, and the tremendous shame he is sure to feel when he realizes that the entire world (or at least the dozen or so people that read this blog) are now aware of his offense, he will think twice before putting pen to postcard again!

FYI for those of you who are just interested in the postcards and could not care less about wassa's affont, The Stinking Rose Restaurant is in San Francisco, California, and The Dead Fish is in Crockett, California.

But seriously, wassa, I am very glad to call you my friend, and I hope you had a extraordinarily joyous birthday. And I really do appreciate the postcards. Mostly. ;)

Do Not Panic

2011-10-06T23:49:00.000-05:00

I realize that I have not been posting much lately. I just really haven't felt like it. I will try to get back to it on a more regular basis soon.

This card came from Postcrosser wackystuff in Canada as part of group 9 of the Ad Cards Round Robin.

Trekkie Time

2011-10-03T22:23:00.001-05:00

I had every intention of posting something on Saturday night (last night I was too tired). The only problem was that I didn't get home until after midnight, which was at least 4 hours later than I had anticipated. I was at a Star Trek convention, waiting for Nichelle Nichols autograph. For those of you who aren't Star Trek fans, she played Uhura on the original series. She started signing at 6:15, and the line moved at a snail's pace. Actually, what is slower than a snail? That's how slow it moved. She was being very nice, taking the time to talk with each and every person in line, but for those of us waiting, it was quite frustrating. I had a general admission ticket, rather than one of the premium tickets, so I knew I was going to have to wait a while, but I didn't know I'd be waiting FIVE HOURS!! Yes, you read that right. Oh, but it gets better. Just after 11, those of us still waiting were told that Ms. Nichols wasn't feeling well and she was going to have to stop signing. I don't blame her - she is almost 79 years old and I'm sure she was tired after 5 hours. But the people running the convention might have encouraged her to move it along a little. Anyway, not to worry....I'll still get my autograph. They had us leave the items that we wanted signed and they will mail them back to us once she has signed them.

Fortunately, I was able to get a photograph with Ms. Nichols earlier in the day (apologies to my Facebook friends who have already seen all of these photos).

Love her necklace! :)

I also had photos taken with several other people.

This is John de Lancie, who played Q in 3 of the Star Trek series: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager.

And here we have Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes, who played Lt. Commander Data and Commander William Riker, respectively, on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

That's all for tonight. What's that? You want postcards? Oh, well, if you insist. :)

I have about 90 Star Trek postcards, most of which I have purchased myself. And of those 90, only two show anyone from The Next Generation cast. Can you believe that? I received them earlier this year as a trade with Postcrosser Thomas18183, who is from Germany.

In case you don't recognize him from my photo with him, as he does look a bit different, this is Jonathan Frakes in character as William Riker. He was second in command of the Enterprise under Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Speaking of which....

This is Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: First Contact. Unfortunately, I have never seen him at a convention. But Brent Spiner does an excellent impression of him, so it's almost like he was there on Saturday. :)

Beachy Keen

2011-09-30T23:57:00.000-05:00

These colorful beach huts were brought to you (well, to me) by Postcrosser JessikaRosa, who owns the coffee shop across the street from this beach in Victoria, Australia.

Let's Live Together

2011-09-29T23:06:00.001-05:00

Did that title freak you out? Sorry, I was just repeating what the card says.

I'm not sure exactly what this scene depicts, but it look somewhat biblical. I thought maybe it was Noah, but there seem to only be one of each animal. I don't think it's Adam, because he's too old and too clothed. Postcrosser JuleVarjak, who is from Germany, didn't give me any clues either. Anyone else have any ideas?

I'm keeping it short tonight because I really want to go read now. I just got a Kindle today, and I have downloaded about 12 free classics and 1 library book so far. :)

Wait 'Til Next Year!

2011-09-28T23:53:00.000-05:00

Today was the last day of the regular baseball season for 2011, and unfortunately, the Chicago Cubs will not be heading into the post-season. Again. So, as Cubs fans have done for the last 103 years (which is how long it has been since they won a championship), I will be patiently waiting for April and the start of a new season.

The only card I have of Wrigley Field, where the Cubs have played since 1916, that I have not previously posted is one that I purchased myself.

I have, however, received a postcard of U.S. Cellular Field, where that other Chicago MLB team plays.

This stadium, formerly Comiskey Park, opened in 1991, replacing the old Comiskey Park. It became U.S. Cellular Field in 2003. I received this card from Postcrosser Festerwretch.

Auriferous

2011-09-26T23:50:00.000-05:00

Dahlonega, Georgia was the site of the first major gold rush in the US, in 1828. When gold was found in California in 1849, the assayor of the Dahlonega Mint tried to get miners to stay in the area, telling them "There's gold in them thar hills." So if you've always wondered where that expression came from, now you know. And FYI, auriferous means 'containing gold' or 'gold-bearing'. Wow, that's something else you probably learned here tonight. I've got to stop before this blog becomes educational. *shudder*

Oh yeah, I received this card showing scenes of downtown Dahlonega from Postcrosser brownhrb.

Soup-er

2011-09-25T22:54:00.000-05:00

So here is the recipe for the soup that I made. I'd give it an A-. I'd make it again, and maybe use a little less chicken next time...and possibly the addition of some celery. I had a small bowl last night when it was finished just to try it, and it was definitely better today. It thickened up nicely, which is good because I don't like soups with too much broth. I know that sounds weird because soup has to have broth in order to actually be soup. :) I ate a bowl for lunch, and had another bowl in the fridge for lunch tomorrow (I froze the rest), but I ended up eating that bowl for supper. Anyway, here is a photo of the finished product.

Ok, moving on. The new season of The Amazing Race started tonight, with the teams making their way to Taipei, Taiwan. One of the locations they had to visit was the Confucius Temple. Well...I don't have a postcard of that temple, but here is one of the Longshan Temple, also in Taipei.

I received this card from Postcrosser ann0324.

Soup's On

2011-09-24T23:36:00.000-05:00

Right after I'm finished writing this post, I am going to attempt to make soup. Yes, it will be around midnight at that point, but that doesn't matter to me. Why am I going to make soup? 1. I like soup. 2. It's a good time of year for soup. 3. I'm having one of my rare urges to actually cook something. 4. Homemade is better than store-bought...in theory, anyway. I'm just hoping that this isn't going to be one of the times where the idea of making something is better than the process of actually making it. But I do not like cooking by any means, so that is usually the case. I'm not going to say what kind of soup I am making just in case it turns out bad. I will tell you, however, that I am not making this soup.

According to the back of the card, this is Spicy Soup with Prawn and Lemon Grass Ingredients. It actually does include the recipe. If you want it, click on the card image. Between the recipe, the address and the four very large stamps celebrating the 50th anniversary of Thai Airways International (here is someone else's picture of them), Postcrosser funnyfairytale didn't have much room to write a message. :)

Ok, wish me luck with the soup!

What a Stinker

2011-09-22T23:45:00.000-05:00

So, tonight in the AQ chat room, I was mad at wassamatta u because he called me cheap slut. Well...actually, I was mock mad at wassa because he wrote something, and I wildly interpreted it in such a way that it became an insult. And it all sort of had to do with garlic. Yeah, garlic. So anyway, when it came time to pick a postcard for tonight, I decided to let wassa have the honor so that he would know he was "forgiven". He asked if I had any garlic cards. Well, in a way, I do.

I know most of you are looking at this postcard and are saying to yourselves "What does that have to do with garlic?" Yes, I can hear you. Every year, Gilroy, California, which is just south of San Jose, has a garlic festival. I guess they couldn't see fit to actually put anything about that on the postcard though. This card does show (clockwise from upper left): Bonfante Gardens entrance (wassa tells me this is now called Gilroy Gardens), Downtown Gilroy, Goldsmith Seeds Company and Gilroy Vineyards.

As a surprise for wassa, I am including a second card. Of the city that wassa lives in! :)

This card shows (again clockwise from upper left): Museum of Art, Morris Daily Auditorium at San Jose State University, Municipal Rose Garden and the Winchester Mystery House, which I have wanted to visit for many years. Some day.... :)

I received both of these cards in flight 1 of the US to US Travelling Envelope Round Robin.

Monumental

2011-09-20T23:53:00.000-05:00

"Victory Square. The monument - Obelisk to Warriors of the Soviet Army and Partisans deceased in the battles for liberation of Belarus from Nazi occupants. It was established on June 4, 1954."

Postcrossing member Baksolka from Minsk, Belarus sent this card to me.

Randomly Random

2011-09-19T23:40:00.001-05:00

Nothing really to talk about tonight, so I just picked a couple of cards for the heck of it. Well, more like they picked themselves....I opened a box and stuck my hand in and these are what came up.

This is Siedlce, in eastern Poland. The city was founded some time before the 15th century, but more than half of the buildings were destroyed in WWII. The caption on the back of the card is in Polish, so I'm not sure what these buildings are. I believe Katedra is cathedral, and I'm almost certain that Muzeum is museum, but that's about it. I received the card from Postcrosser kubanczyk.

Białogard is in northwestern Poland. There is no caption on the back of the card, so I really can't tell you what any of these pictures show. The sender, ice_ice, wrote a long message though...well, as long as you can write on a postcard. :) Her father is an American, and lives in the Chicago suburbs. Based on my profile, she checked out my favorite band, Barenaked Ladies (I mention their song 'Another Postcard' for obvious reasons). She said "Those boys sing very nice!" :D Yes, yes they do.

Succinct

2011-09-18T23:49:00.000-05:00

I tweeted so much about the Emmy Awards earlier this evening that I have run out of things to say. So here is a card that is appropriate to the night.

I received this card from Flight 1 of the US to US Travelling Envelope Round Robin.

Whew!

2011-09-17T23:55:00.000-05:00

The past week or so, I have been worried. "Why?" I hear you ask. Well, because my TiVo wasn't updating the programming lists. Not earth shattering, I know, but it is somewhat important to me. Normally, the updates are something that the TiVo does automatically every few days, but it hadn't updated successfully since September 1. I searched the internet for help and tried a number of different suggestions. I finally found one that worked, but it involved deleted all the programming info, including my Season Passes. My TiVo has now successfully updated, just in time for the fall television season to start. Yay!

In case you were wondering, a Season Pass records every new episode of a chosen show so that I never miss one. I had about 30 Season Passes listed before I had to reset. Do you think I watch a lot of TV? :D But seriously, they were all for shows that I do not want to miss. Shows like Doctor Who, for example.

First of all, yes, I realize that David Tennant isn't the current Doctor. But I don't have any cards showing Matt Smith. I would certainly accept them if someone wanted to send them to me though... :) And second, I been trying to post the rest of the cards that I received in 2009. This, however, is not one of them. I received it last month from a private swap with Postcrosser audiopineapple, but I was so freaking excited about it that I couldn't wait to share it any longer. I just wish the postal service hadn't marred it. But at least that white streak isn't across his face. That would be unforgivable! ;)

Bridge Over Calm Waters

2011-09-15T23:57:00.000-05:00

Bridge across Venetian Strait in Hydropark, Kiev, Ukraine. Sent by Postcrosser alivemary.

Blue & White

2011-09-14T23:29:00.000-05:00

That's what I see when I look at this picture.

The belltower, which located at Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius monastery in Sergiyev Posad, Russia, is almost the same color as the sky. The monastery, which was founded in 1345, currently houses over 300 monks. It is the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church. I received this card from Postcrosser Habik.

Vintage

2011-09-13T22:16:00.001-05:00

Obviously, this is the State Capitol Building in New York. It is one of ten state capitols that does not have a domed roof, although it was originally intended to have one. But the weight of the building even without the dome was not only creating stress fractures, but causing the building to shift downhill. The large staircase in the front of the building was designed to support the building and prevent that from happened. Yikes!

The card itself is a vintage postcard. Unfortunately, it gives no indication of exactly how old it is. Vintage cards are a bit smaller than the average postcard today, and as you can probably tell from the odd way it scanned, the surface of the card is textured. Postcrosser Okami sent the card to me as an official Postcrossing card. And if you were wondering, yes, it is rather unusual to receive a vintage card through Postcrossing without swapping for it. :)

Rice is Nice

2011-09-12T23:28:00.001-05:00

I didn't post anything last night because I felt that any subject other than 9/11 would have seemed insensitive, but I didn't have any postcards worthy of the subject. So I decided to leave well enough alone. And I'm not going to post much tonight because once again I am quite tired.

It's fascinating how people were able to turn such hilly terrain into land suitable for farming rice. What is even more fascinating is that is was done completely by hand two thousand years ago, which is how long the Banaue Rice Terraces have existed. Very cool! I received this card as part of a private swap with Postcrosser stillwaters.

Movie Night

2011-09-10T23:42:00.001-05:00

I spent the past couple of weeks rewatching all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I have been neglecting my Netflix discs. I decided to remedy that today, and I watched the remake of Arthur with Russell Brand and Helen Mirren. It wasn't the greatest movie I've ever seen, but it was still kind of cute. I don't have any cards from Arthur, but I have a card showing Helen Mirren.

This is from the movie Inkheart, starring Brendan Fraser, a movie that I have also seen via Netflix. I received the card from Postcrosser DumDum, who lives in Germany.

After the new episode of Doctor Who, this evening, I was looking for something else to watch and I finally settled on The Wizard of Oz. I'm trying to find something else to watch now, but none of the movies I own are appealing to me right now, and everything I want to watch isn't available instantly through Netflix. Oh well, I guess I'll find something.

Lovely

2011-09-09T23:39:00.000-05:00

"Kirstenbosch is situated on the Eastern Slopes of Table Mountain. Many of the South African Indigenous plants are threatened and Kirstenbosch is a haven where these plants are grown and protected. Kirstenbosch is fast becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southern Africa. A visit to these spectacular Gardens is definitely worth while."

Private swap with Postcrossing member Protea.

One for Two

2011-09-08T22:23:00.000-05:00

This is one of those cards that I have received twice. Postcrossers nok1234 and aranya both sent the card to me as an official Postcrossing card about 5 months apart. I'm sure I wasn't so tired, I could think of more to say about it. Then again, it's a pretty cool card so maybe it speaks for itself. Anyway, I'm going to bed...right after the Packers win. :)

The Stuff of Nightmares

2011-09-06T23:45:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I got sucked into looking at the Craftastrophe blog, which sadly is no longer being written. Even so, it offers page after page after page of entertainment. Some of the items are absolutely hilarious, and some are downright scary. The 16 Worst Star Trek Craftastrophes include some of each. I should warn you though, some of the other entries are rather risque. Make sure there are no children in the room when you look through the site.

I tell you, there are some creepy things on that site. Then again, there are some creepy things on this site too. :)

I received this card from Postcrosser josephin, who is from the Netherlands. She thought that since I like Star Trek, I would like this card because he looks like an alien, but honestly, I find him a little disturbing. And yet, I can't look away. :)

Something

2011-09-05T23:48:00.000-05:00

I really had no reason to post anything tonight, so I just decided to pick something. And here it is.

This is the Temple of Debod, which as you can see, is in Madrid, Spain. However, it wasn't always in Madrid. It was originally built just south of Aswan in southern Egypt in the second century BC. However, in 1960, the temple was threatened because of the building of the Aswan Dam. UNESCO decided to save the temple, and Egypt donated it to Spain in gratitude for Spain's help in saving the Abu Simbel temples. The temple was rebuilt in the Parque del Oeste in Madrid, and was opened in 1972.

I received this card from both Amanda from Seattle and Green Tortuga (Ryan). Amanda bought the card and wrote out the first part of it, and then clearly turned it over to Ryan to mail. Not very smart, Amanda. Ryan made sure to point out that she bought the card, but he bought the stamp, and the stamp was more expensive. *rolling eyes* When I'm sending postcards internationally (which is often), the postage is almost always more than the cost of the card itself. I don't think it was really necessary...or nice...for Ryan to point that out. But coming from Ryan, it doesn't really surprise me. :)

Shop Talk

2011-09-04T21:59:00.000-05:00

Oops! I just got home from grocery shopping and it's past time to write my blog. So here is an appropriate card.

I think this is the only official Postcrossing card that I've received from someone else who lives in Indiana. This store is in Fountain City, IN, which would be a 215 mile drive from my apartment, according to Yahoo Maps. It looks like a place that I'd love to wander through and just look at everything. Especially that aisle on the left....looks like lots of candy. :) I received this card from Postcrosser emilyelisabeth.

And Another

2011-09-03T21:19:00.000-05:00

Ok, celebrating another AQ-versary tonight...Aurora's this time. :) She gave me a bunch of suggestions, and I narrowed it down to a waterfall or a beach. She picked waterfall, so here is a beach. Just kidding! :D

This waterfall is actually in a cave in Italy. The Pertosa Caves near Salerno, to be specific. I received this card from Postcrosser ValeP.

I couldn't find any other waterfall cards, but I wanted to post more than one card. So I found another card from Italy...one that's not in a dark cave. :)

This is a lovely view of the Mediterranean in Reggio di Calabria, Italy. It's not exactly a beach, but it's close. Right? :) Postcrosser Dynamite sent this card as part of a private swap.

Everybody Sing!

2011-09-02T21:05:00.000-05:00

Today is Goofy Girl's anniversary on AQ, so I let her pick the subject of tonight's post. I couldn't find a card showing flowers like she originally wanted. I don't get many flower cards because they aren't on my Postcrossing wishlist. So she changed her request to a card or cards from her home state, which is....wait for it....OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOklahoma! :) Yeah, now try and get that song out of your head.

Well, I guess the card pretty much explains what the building is. The large Native American isn't a ghost. He is actually an image of the statue, called "The Guardian", which is on top of the dome. I received this card as part of a private swap with Postcrosser AmoebaAlex.

Obviously, this is a night view of the same building. This card, however, I received from someone named Goofy Girl. Hey, wait a minute! I think maybe she remembered that she sent this card to me, and was secretly hoping that I would post it if she picked Oklahoma. ;)

Just kidding, GG!

Early To Bed...

2011-09-01T20:51:00.000-05:00

So you may have noticed that I haven't posted for a couple of days. I wish that I had some fantastic stories about where I was and what I was doing. Like maybe I was at a fabulous party with all kinds of famous people. Or that I won the lottery and was off planning how to spend my millions. Or I was on a date. But unfortunately, the truth is that I was sleeping. I went to bed early the past couple of nights. Actually, when I went to lie down, I had every intention of only sleeping for an hour or two and then getting up to write my blog, but once I fell asleep I was out like a light. Which is funny because I feel asleep with my lights on both nights. I have no idea why I was so tired. Actually, I'm pretty tired right now, so I'd better finish this quick before I fall asleep on my couch. Hopefully with a three-day holiday weekend coming up, I'll be able get a decent amount of sleep so that I'm not dragging so much every evening.

It seems like it's been so long since I've written a post. I can't even remember what my last post was about or which card(s) I used. And this new Blogger layout is freaking me out. Everything looks so weird. *a few minutes later* Ok, I looked back at my last post. How could I have forgotten about the shiftiness? :) Now comes the question of what to post tonight. I guess I'll just pick a few cards that I haven't found a reason to use yet.

This statue is in the Old Garden of the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo. Tsarskoye Selo is about 15 miles south of St. Petersburg, and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site encompassing the Historic Centre of St. Petersburg and Related Group of Monuments. I received this card as part of group 113 of the 12 Viewcards in an Envelope Round Robin.

Here is a view of Marly Palace from the Golden Hill Cascade at Peterhof Palace, part of the same UNESCO site as Tsarskoye Selo. And, not surprisingly, I received the card as part of the same round robin as well. :)

Finally, we have the Spit, or eastermost tip, of Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg. There are a number of museums on the island, and apparently a musical fountain just off the Spit. I'm guessing that it's that big fountain on the right of the picture. This card came from a round robin as well, but this one is from group 41 of the Round Robin Redux Traveling Envelope.

Hey, look at that. I managed to stay awake to write the whole thing. Yay for me. :)

Shift Happens

2011-08-29T21:07:00.040-05:00

Yes, once again, the AQ chat room folks have helped me pick out my postcards and come up with a topic. We had been discussing shifty things, like Green Tortuga (long story, don't ask), so wassamatta u suggested that as the topic. And I thought "What is more shifty than California?" And I mean strictly tectonically, of course. ;) Although, wassa DOES live in California, so I think that just adds another aspect to the 'shiftiness'. hee hee hee

Wow, I thought Hollywood had big letters up on a hill, but look at the size of those! :) Burbank, like Hollywood, does have a number of movie studios, including The Walt Disney Studios, which is in the foreground of this picture, just above the freeway. I was in Burbank in 2006 to see a taping of the Ellen Degeneres Show on the NBC lot, before she moved to the Warner Brothers lot. I received the card from Postcrosser julieditor.

And here I though Burbank had big letters. But look at those! I guess it's appropriate for Sacramento to have the biggest letters...it is the capital of California, after all. :) Postcrosser vchead sent this card to me.

P.S. I REALLY wish that I could take credit for that title, but alas...that was wassa's idea as well. *sigh*

Hip Hippo

2011-08-28T23:48:00.031-05:00

This is Moominpappa, one of the characters in the Moomin comic strips/books, which are popular in Finland. Interestingly, even though they originated in Finland, they were originally published in Swedish. And despite their looks, the characters aren't actually hippopotamuses (hippopotami?) - they are trolls. The Moomin phenomenon has spawed a number of Moomin TV series and movies, songs, an art exhibition and even a theme park called Moomin World.

I've seen many requests on the Postcrossing forum for Moomin postcards. They're cute, but they aren't really something I'd go out of my way to collect. I received this one as an official Postcrossing card from manniul. Even the stamp has Moominpappa on it (the one on the right here). :)

300!

2011-08-27T23:56:00.026-05:00

No, this post isn't about the 2006 movie starring Gerard Butler (*drool*). It is my 300th post. So I thought I should post something special. But it is another one of those nights where I am REALLY indecisive. I keep scrolling and scrolling back and forth in my Flickr photostream. Even my AQ chat room friends were no help, although they did try.

-a few minutes later-

Ok, I think I finally found one. This card is rather special because it was the sender's first official Postcrossing card, and only the 175th card sent from her country. Let's see if you can guess where it is from.

Oh, before you guess, perhaps I should tell you that the location pictured isn't actually IN the country the card was sent from. :) This is Ramoji Film City in India. Supposedly, this is a Wild West street. Umm...I'm not sure that they used paving stones on streets in the Wild West. I could be wrong though. :)

Anyway, the card was sent to me by Postcrosser asmadi in Kazahkstan. I'm sure I will probably never receive another card from there, so it is a little disappointing that the card doesn't actually SHOW Kazahkstan. But at least the stamps and the postmark prove that it was sent from there.

Before Irene

2011-08-26T23:58:00.019-05:00

I'm really, really glad that I don't live on the East Coast. And between the earthquake and now Hurricane Irene, I'm really, really, REALLY glad that I don't live on the East Coast. Hopefully everyone in the path of the hurricane will be smart and evacuate.

According to the news reports, Irene will likely make landfall in North Carolina. Which, before Irene, looked like this.

Hopefully it will still look like this in a few days.

I received this card from flight 1 of the US to US Travelling Envelope Round Robin.

Hodge-Podge

2011-08-25T22:47:00.062-05:00

A lot of the cards I received (and subsequently post) are single views of locations around the world. But there are also cards that most Postcrossers refer to as multi-views...cards that have several views of a city or location. They can be nice if the pictures are put together well. If not, they can be kind of a mess. I have several that I haven't really been able to think of a reason to post before. I guess this is my chance. :)

These are scenes from the city of Turku, Finland (Åbo is the Swedish name), including Turku Castle and what I'm guess in the Aura River. The card doesn't have a caption on the back, so I don't know for sure. I received this card as part of group 85 of the 12 Viewcards in an Envelope Round Robin.

Kernavė was the medieval capital of Lithuania, and is now an archaeological site and tourist destination. This card does have a caption on the back.
"Pensive Christ. A parish home in Kernavė. The pond 'Lithuania'. The 'Lourdes". 2000 years to the Holy Virgin Mary."
That's the exact caption. I think it starts with the largest photo on the right, then goes to the upper middle, the bottom left and the upper left. I think. Anyway, I received this card from kisto4ka as part of group 82 of the Other Continent Round Robin.

This card also came from group 85 of the 12 Viewcards in an Envelope Round Robin. There is a list of the location on the back, but they seem to be listed in a rather odd order. Instead of listing them across the top and then across the bottom, or in clockwise order, they are listed upper left, lower left, upper middle, lower middle, upper right and lower right. That just seems weird to me. Here's the list of what is on the card.
1. Uçhisar - Cappodocia
2. Antalya
3. Sultanahmet Mosque - Istanbul
4. Life in Anatolia
5. The Grand Theatre - Ephesus
6. Pamukkale

I feel like I rambled a bit tonight. Sorry about that. I'll try to be more concise tomorrow night.

On the Right Track

2011-08-24T23:37:00.000-05:00

Tonight's theme was chosen by my friends in the AQ chat room: trains. I don't know what got them on that track, but I didn't feel they could be derailed. Ok, enough with the puns. I don't need to get side-tracked. ;)

I guess trains must be important in Taiwan, because I found I had a number of possibilities just from that one country. Here are three.

According to the caption on the back of the card, this is "The Scenic Railway of East Taiwan". Postcrosser yang2978 sent the card to me.

This is the Tamshui Line Chientan Station, part of the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit System. The station was apparently built to look like a dragon boat, according to Postcrosser shiahen.

Finally, we have something essential to any railroad...the track.

This card was sent by Postcrosser sh1992.

Two from Thailand

2011-08-23T23:35:00.020-05:00

I was going to add "on Tuesday" to the title, but I didn't want Goofy Girl to think I was copying her. ;)

Want to ride on an elephant? Thailand is apparently a good place to do that. Apparently elephants are also used to drag logs for the Thai timber industry.

From Postcrossing member yuphawan.

From Postcrossing member unclepostman.

I received these two cards just over 3 months apart. They were both official Postcrossing cards, so this wasn't a planned theme or anything. :)

Pretty Views, Boring Title

2011-08-21T23:55:00.000-05:00

Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa. It is also one of the greenest cities in the world, with around six million trees in the city. Looks like it also has some wicked lightning.

This is the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town, the second largest city in South Africa. It is the most visited tourist destination in the country. Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa, with Pretoria being the executive capital and Bloemfontein the judicial capital.

I received both of these cards as private swaps with Postcrosser Protea.

Smile!

2011-08-20T23:17:00.000-05:00

From a young Postcrosser named dominiquefaith, who lives near Los Angeles, California.

What Would I Do without AQ?

2011-08-18T23:05:00.008-05:00

I would have a lot more trouble writing my blog, that's for sure. :) Ok, let me 'splain. Some random comments in the AQ chat room tonight made Fluffy Cow think of the movie 'Joe vs. the Volcano', which is a movie that I have only seen once a long time ago. But it gave me inspiration to post a particular card. Which is good, because before that I had no ideas. :) Apparently my blog has become a group effort. Anyway, here's the card.

This is the Poás Volcano National Park, which as you can probably see, is in Costa Rica. I received the card from Flickr member 9teen87 (the link is to her postcard blog), who is actually from Florida, but traveled to Costa Rica a few years ago. She offered to send cards the first 3 people in the Central American Postcards Flickr group who responded to her post. I was one of the lucky 3. :)

PG-13

2011-08-17T21:18:00.000-05:00

WARNING: GUNS AND POTENTIALLY OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE

PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED

I picked two movie cards for tonight, both of which depict people holding guns. I thought I would post them together so that I only have to post a warning once.

I have no idea what this movie is about without looking it up, but I'd have to guess by their poses and their large guns that it is not a romantic comedy. :)

This card is one of four advertising cards I received from Postcrosser alenas for group 9 of the Ad Cards Round Robin. In case you are wondering, the tagline above is in Italian, as is the quote on the back of the card.

This next card is the one that I have hesitated to post for a while because I thought it might offend some people, especially if they normally like to show my postcards to their children. Obviously, this would be a good night to skip that. :)

I'm sure many people will recognize that silhouette as James Bond. The movie is Casino Royale, which was Daniel Craig's first outing as Bond, and a movie that I have actually seen. I didn't want to like Craig as Bond because I liked Pierce Brosnan so much, but he won me over. I got this card from flight 37 of some round robin, but I'll be darned if I know which one!

D is for....

2011-08-16T23:36:00.005-05:00

DINOSAURS!

The stripey dinos are camarasaurs and the other ones are barosaurs. Both species were herbivores, as is evidenced by the fact that they are both eating plants. I received this card from Postcrosser Gymnast as part of the US to US Alphabetical Tag. Her letter was obviously 'D'. :) She actually got the card at the Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado.

Does anyone else remember the Reading Rainbow episode where host LeVar Burton was at the Dinosaur National Monument? I remember thinking at the time that it looked like a place I would like to visit. Maybe someday...

Explain Something to Me....

2011-08-15T23:44:00.007-05:00

Why is the water in this picture GREEN?? This postcard shows The Bund in Shanghai, China. I looked up other pictures of it online, and I couldn't find a single other photo where the water was green. It's the same color as the grass, for heaven sakes! What the hay??? :)

I received this card from Postcrosser CathyTian.

A Tour Around the Netherlands

2011-08-14T23:35:00.043-05:00

This postcard doesn't tell me specifically what these pictures show, so the only thing is can tell you is that they are scenes of Roermond, which is a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. I received the card as a swap with Postcrosser Nicolletjuhhhh. Apparently I sent her a card showing a map of Indiana.

The pillar in the foreground of this picture is the National Monument in Dam Square in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was built in 1956 as a World War II memorial. The large building on the left is the Royal Palace, which was originally built as a city hall in 1655. Postcrosser Eline90 sent the card to me as an official Postcrossing card.

Finally, we head to Nijmegen, in the eastern part of the Netherlands. This tower, which was built in 1426, is called the Kruittoren, or Powder Tower. It stands in the Kronenburgerpark in the center of town. This was also an official Postcrossing card, this time from a Postcrosser called maps.

Halcyon

2011-08-13T23:33:00.001-05:00

I was in the AQ chat room tonight for the first time in quite a while, and I decided to ask for suggestions of what kind of card to post tonight. Most of the suggestions I received were no go because I didn't have any postcards that fit. Aurora did make a number of suggestions, two of which were sun and water. I think this card satisfies both of those criteria.

This is the Michigan shoreline of Lake Michigan. Coincidentally, Aurora is from Michigan, so it all worked out very well. :) The card was actually sent by Postcrosser Amooyu, who is originally from Michigan, but lived in Oklahoma at the time she sent the card.

Off Broadway

2011-08-12T22:30:00.021-05:00

This is the Teatro Municipal in São Paulo, Brazil. I received this card from Postcrosser Sati, who must have sent it in an envelope because there is nothing on the back. If I didn't know it was a theater, I'd think it was a castle, especially with the statue and fountains out front.

Here is another theater, but this one is across the Pacific Ocean. This is the National Theater and Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. I received it from a swap with Postcrosser shui. I sent her a card of one of the two MLB stadiums in Chicago (I don't remember which one) to help her complete her collection. The stamp panel on the back of the card is HUGE...it takes up about 2/3 of the white space. shui had to squeeze my address and her message to me in the space that was left.

Peachy

2011-08-11T23:04:00.011-05:00

No, those aren't actually peaches. They are one version of a Japanese confection known as wagashi, and they are traditionally served with tea. I received the card from Postcrosser Yukimi. The scan didn't come out very well because the surface of the card is textured.

Oh, Just Pick One Already!

2011-08-10T23:24:00.013-05:00

I have been scrolling back and forth through my postcard images, trying to pick one or two for the last half hour. For some reason, I just can't decide. I suppose I could use my indecision as an excuse not to write a post tonight, but since I've already started writing something, it seem's silly to stop. I'm sure that you'd rather I stop blathering and just get on with the postcard, right? There's one that I've been considering posting for a while, but it might offend some people, so I have been hesitant to actually show it. Other cards are cool but I'd feel obligated to include information about the location, and I don't really feel like doing research right now. Argh.

*15 minutes later*

I resorted to flipping through the actual boxes of postcards. I think I found a viable candidate. It doesn't have an geographical location listed, so I don't have to research it, and I'm fairly certain that no one will find it offensive.

Everyone is ok with a hot air balloon, right? Ok, good. I received this particular balloon from Postcrosser Lerik, who hails from Mons, Belgium.

Cross your fingers that I won't be so indecisive tomorrow night. :)

What a Quack!

2011-08-09T23:37:00.018-05:00

I'm sure that this grumpy face will be familiar to many people.

Yes, it is indeed Donald Fauntleroy Duck. Ahhh, I bet you didn't know that he had a middle name, did you? :) He first appeared in The Wise Little Hen in 1934. This card, however, appeared in my mailbox in May of 2009. It was sent by Postcrosser Katiriina.

In the Heights

2011-08-08T23:57:00.011-05:00

The Sandia Peak Tramway is the longest aerial tram in the U.S. I received this card as an official Postcrossing card from nowaglas. I have also swapped cards with her several times.

Three of a Kind

2011-08-07T23:41:00.053-05:00

Goofy Girl posted 3 postcards on her blog earlier today. Not to be outdone, I will post 3 as well. ;) All three of these cards came from the 12 Viewcards in an Envelope Round Robin, as part of a group originated by effemmedia, who lives in Rome, Italy. First up is the Palazzo Senatorio in the Piazza del Campidoglio.

The piazza is on Capitoline Hill, one of the Seven Hills of Rome, and it was actually designed by Michelangelo. The statue on horseback is of Marcus Aurelius.

Next up, we have the Pantheon, which dates from 126 AD.

The Pantheon was originally built as a temple to the Roman gods, but since the 7th century, it has been a Roman Catholic church.

Finally, we come to the Castel Sant'Angelo. (No, I didn't misspell castle there.)

Originally, the tomb of the Roman emperor Hadrian stood on this spot. In 401 AD, the tomb was converted into a military fortress, which seemed to be a bit ineffective, because in 410, the tomb looted by Visigoths and most of the urns containing the ashes of the emperors were lost. In the 14th century, the fortress was converted to a castle by the Pope, and it has also been used as a prison.

Thus concludes the history lesson. :)

Fashionably Late

2011-08-06T23:59:00.018-05:00

I have to admit that as I write this, it is almost 2 AM Sunday morning. But we're just going to pretend that it is still Saturday, ok? :)

As you can see, this is Eilean Donan Castle. It is located on Loch Duich in the North West Highlands of Scotland. What a fantastic looking place! It is open to the public as a tourist attraction, after being restored in the early 20th century. I recommend taking a look at the virtual tour. I received this card as a swap from Postcrosser happysaz133.

Friday Night Lights

2011-08-05T23:26:00.029-05:00

I'm not sure if this picture was taken on a Friday, but it was definitely taken at night, and there are definitely lights. :)

One of the buildings in the picture is apparently the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. I'm pretty sure it is the reddish one that is lit up. Postcrosser Tycik sent the card to me.

This may not LOOK like night, but it is. And there is definitely light. Not sure if it was a Friday though. This card was sent by Postcrosser darklady in Finland.

Neighbors

2011-08-04T23:18:00.031-05:00

This is an aerial view of L'Escala on Spain's Costa Brava, which I received as a private swap from Postcrosser cabronada. No, I don't need to clean my scanner - those dirty smudges in the sky are an unfortunate result of the card's travels through the postal system.

Spain's neighbor to the west on the Iberian Peninsula is Portugal, and here is a view (another aerial view at that) of Portugal's capital, Lisbon (aka Lisboa).

I received this card from Amanda from Seattle. She has postcards on her blog too. :)

Zoo Bee Doo Bee Doo

2011-08-03T23:44:00.040-05:00

These are the gates of the Tierpark Hagenbeck in Hamburg, Germany. The zoo was founded in 1907, and is known as the first zoo to have animals in open enclosures surrounded by moats rather than in cages. I received the card from Postcrosser Lukas-Radik.

This card, from Postcrosser mutejomi, shows some animals at the Prague Zoo in the Czech Republic. Clockwise from top left: Red Panda; Southern Cassowary (the big bird in the middle); Amur Leopard; Pudú; South American Tapir.

Change of Plans

2011-08-01T20:23:00.040-05:00

I had two cards all picked out for tonight, one of which was from Washington state. Then I remembered that I posted a card from Washington on Saturday, and since I don't like to post cards from the same place that close together, I had to go back to the drawing board. Or rather, to the AQ chat room, where I offered up a couple of suggestions for people to vote on. I am going with Mississippi because Fluffy Cow "likes the i's". Yeah....she was the only one who responded to my poll. :)

According to the caption on the back, this is a "View of the Mississippi State Historical Museum and old Capitol Building." To me, it looks like a road with a monument in the median. But I guess they are referring to the buildings on either side of the road. Postcrosser CBear sent me this card for a swap.

This is a view of a waterfall in Fall Hollow, along the Natchez Trace Parkway. I also received this card in a swap, this time with Postcrosser nowaglas.

Sorry about the title. wassa (aka Mark) sometimes helps me spice up the titles a bit, but he wasn't in good form tonight. Useless, I tell you, utterly useless! :D

Warriors

2011-07-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

I received this card of the Rōnin statues at the Sengaku-ji Temple in Japan from group 29 of the US and Around the World Traveling Envelope Round Robin. There are graves of forty-seven Ronin at the temple, and their story is rather interesting if you want to read it. Apparently, Universal is making of movie of the story starring Keanu Reeves for release in November, 2012. At least we'll get to see it before the world ends in December, right? :)

More Art

2011-07-30T23:20:00.017-05:00

No cats this time...just a big sculpture that reminds me of a tire with really weird treads on it.

The sculpture is called Black Sun. It was created out of granite by Isamu Noguchi, and it stands outside the Seattle Asian Art Museum. I received this card from Postcrosser bassenav.

Hold Your Horses

2011-07-29T23:38:00.020-05:00

I received this card from Postcrosser koppur in Reykjavík, Iceland. Unfortunately, somewhere in its travels, it was mangled, as you can see by the big crease down the middle.

Pulchritudinous Panoramas

2011-07-28T22:48:00.024-05:00

Received from Postcrosser dida for group 82 of the Other Continent Round Robin.

Not sure where I got this card. Oops...more of my bad recordkeeping. Anyway, this is the Cape Brett Lighthouse.

What is Art?

2011-07-27T23:38:00.033-05:00

I'm not a big fan of art museums. I find them quite boring. I don't go to them, and consequently, I'm not really up on what is considered art. So I found this postcard rather interesting.

Ok, so in the upper left, we have what looks like a wood carving. I would consider that art. Then there are the two triangular pieces. They look more like something out of a geometry lesson to me, but I suppose they are some sort of sculptures. Finally, we come to the three pictures of the cat. Black cats are ART??? Whoa! I HAVE a black cat. I think I've been missing out on making a ton of money on pictures of him. How much do you think I can get for this? :)

By the way, the postcard is from the Saarijärven Museum in Finland, and Postcrosser Milestiba sent the card to me.

Fun to Say

2011-07-26T21:53:00.013-05:00

There are some words that are just fun to say. The name of the location in tonight's cards is just one such word. Ashtabula. Go ahead, say it a few times. Fun, right? (Please note, I am very tired right now, so I may be just a bit loopy.)

This card shows: "Clockwise, left to right: Loading Coal, Ashtabula River; Hubbard House Underground Railroad Museum; The Riverfront Trader (store); Bridge Street Bascule Bridge; Ashtabula Lighthouse". I'm sure you know that this is Ohio, since the card says so, even though I failed to mention that so far.

Here is another view of that lift bridge shown above.

Both of these cards arrived in my mailbox thanks to a private swap with Postcrosser snoopy.

Self-Explanatory

2011-07-25T23:53:00.000-05:00

From Postcrosser pirkkomarja in Finland.

Anonymous

2011-07-23T23:39:00.024-05:00

Sometimes I really wish I had kept better records of my postcard swaps. Then maybe I would know who sent tonight's cards to me. Of course, if that person had written his/her Postcrossing name somewhere, I wouldn't have to feel bad about not writing down their name.

This is the fortress in the city of Făgăraș, Romania. No, I have no idea how to pronounce that.

And this is Peleş Castle near Sinaia, Romania.

Yeah, that's about all I've got tonight.

Got Milk?

2011-07-22T23:12:00.026-05:00

If you go here, you may want some.

Both Kellogg's and Post Cereals started in Battle Creek, Michigan, although only Kellogg's is still headquartered there. I remember going through the Kellogg's plant when I was pretty young. At then end of the tour, we all got free boxes of cereal. That was my first experience with Froot Loops...normally my mother didn't let me have sugared cereal. Sadly, tours of the plant are no longer offered, and Cereal City USA, which showed how the cereal was made, closed a few years ago.

I received this card from Postcrosser Sarajay.

A Map of the World

2011-07-21T23:29:00.012-05:00

This world map looks a bit unusual. Well, unless you are from Australia, I guess. :)

I'm normally not a big fan of map cards, but I really like this one from Postcrosser Myella.

Almost....

2011-07-20T23:45:00.000-05:00

...fell asleep without posting anything again. Ack. I was at the museum earlier tonight, helping out with the Members' Open House, and I guess standing around for a few hours wore me out.

Anyway, in honor of today's anniversary of the first moon landing, here is a card of a couple of astronauts.

I received this card from Postcrosser iSteven as part of a lottery for round robin hosts. The scene is actually entitled 'The Astronauts, 2004. From the Series: Dreams of Flying'. Cute, right? Although the one on the left might be in a bit of trouble considering he is just floating in space. :)

By the way, last night's postcard was from Postcrosser Elefantus from Italy. He created it using Photoshop.

The Elephant in the Room

2011-07-19T23:11:00.000-05:00

Apparently some people haven't liked some of my titles recently. Well you know what? Tough! This blog isn't all about clever titles...it's about the postcards.

No Particular Reason

2011-07-18T22:39:00.000-05:00

Nothing exciting going on here tonight, so I really don't have anything to talk about. I thought I'd just pick a couple of cards that don't have anything to do with anything.

On the right is the city of Vilnius, Lithuania, and on the left is a statue of Grand Duke Gediminas. Postcrosser Begrana sent this one to me.

This card shows scenes of Šiauliai, Lithuania, and it was sent to me by Postcrosser Tylon.

Water You Know

2011-07-17T22:29:00.013-05:00

Water...it's one of those things that you just take for granted until you don't have any. And right now, I don't. If I tried to turn on the tap in the sink, absolutely nothing would happen. "Why?", I hear you ask. Well, I got home from doing a bit of shopping at about 6:30 this evening, and I found the hydrant in front of my building doing this:

After pondering who to call, and asking some advice on Facebook, I finally decided to call the fire department's non-emergency number, and was told that they would contact Public Works. Apparently they did, because Public Works showed up and turned off the water, including the water to my building. I figured that out when I went to wash my hands after changing out the litter in the cats' boxes. GAH! Luckily I keep a gallon of tap water in the fridge for the cats (they like cold water), so I used that to wash my hands. Now my biggest issue is having to use the toilet. Can't flush. Eek! *holdingitholdingitholdingitholding*

Just after I typed that, I heard a lot of loud sounds coming from outside. I went to have a look, and found that the workers were throwing stuff in the back of their truck and generally looking like they were cleaning up. So I decided to see if perchance they had turned the water back on. And they had! HOORAY! Maybe I'll throw a load of laundry in the washer...right after I go flush. :)

I thought this card was perfect for tonight's theme. I received it from Postcrosser monsieurvalentine as part of group 9 of the Ads Card Round Robin. I'm not sure exactly what it is an ad for though, because the caption on the back is in Danish. :)

Historic Houses

2011-07-16T23:03:00.031-05:00

Caption on back:
"James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library
Fredericksburg, Virginia

President James Monroe's long public career began in 1786 in a building near this site. Today this museum houses a large and beautiful collection of the 5th president's personal possessions. The desk, with its secret compartments, on which he signed the Monroe Doctrine, is on display."

Caption on back:
"ELLWOOD
Located in Orange County Virginia

After Gen. Jackson's amputation, his Chaplain, B. Tucker Lacy, buried the general's arm at his summer home, Ellwood. During the 1864 Wilderness Campaign, Union General G.K. Warren made this 18th century building his headquarters."

There is also a small image of a historical marker on the back that offers additional information on the above-mentioned amputation:

"JACKSON'S AMPUTATION
Near here stood the hospital tent to which the wounded "Stonewall" Jackson was brought during the Battle of Chancellorsville. In that tent his left arm was amputated on May 3, 1863. He died seven days later at Guinea."

I noticed that the one thing that it doesn't mention is that this all took place during the American Civil War, which I knew, but perhaps readers in other countries might not.

I received both of these cards as part of a private swap with Postcrosser Ribit1.

Missed Another One

2011-07-15T23:18:00.035-05:00

No, I did NOT go to the midnight showing of Harry Potter last night. I didn't blog because I was very, very tired and I decided that getting sleep was more important than writing some inane drivel that no one cares about. Besides, yesterday was Bastille Day, and I had already posted a card from France on Wednesday, so I was covered. Yesterday wasn't important for any other reason, right? :)

Speaking of Harry Potter, let's travel back in time...about 10 years.

The kids look like such babies, don't they? :) Wouldn't it be nice if I had a postcard of the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 for comparison? Yes, yes it would. But I don't. Sorry. I'd be willing to trade for one though, if anyone has one. The card above is actually one of 7 different Harry Potter cards that I got at Harry Potter: The Exhibition, which was at the Museum of Science and Industry in 2009, adn all of them are available for trade. ;) I don't normally post cards that I've purchased, but I thought it was appropriate in this case. I do have another card from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone that I did actually receive in the mail. And here it is.

You'll notice that I never actually said it was from the movie. :) I received this as a swap from Postcrosser suzie in Finland.

Of course, Harry Potter isn't the only movie out this weekend. Winnie the Pooh is also out. While it is aimed at young children, I think I will have to see it some time (probably on DVD) because Owl is voiced by my favorite late night talk show host - Craig Ferguson. :) I don't have a card with Owl or Craig on it, but here is a cute one of Pooh and Piglet.

The surface of this card has a shiny foil quality to it that doesn't show up well when it is scanned. But trust me, it's nice. :) Postcrosser ruthnbob from Canada sent it to me as an official Postcrossing card.

Say Cheese!

2011-07-13T23:08:00.039-05:00

I grew up in Wisconsin, which is known as America's Dairyland. They make a LOT of cheese in Wisconsin. 2.6 billion pounds per year, in fact, which is a quarter of the domestic cheese production in the United States. While you may think that seems a rather odd way to start, I do have a point. Actually, I have a confession to make. I'm not a big fan of cheese. Cheeseburger? No thanks, I'll just have a hamburger. Grilled cheese sandwich? Yuck! Macaroni and cheese? Meh. Yes, I know, I am a disappointment to my home state. I don't even own one of those foam cheese hats that you see the fans wearing at Green Bay Packers games. (I do, however, love the Packers).

There is actually one way I really do like cheese. "What's that?" I hear you say. On a postcard, of course! And guess what? I have one! It's not from Wisconsin though. But it is from a country that is known for its cheese...or should I say fromage.

I have not heard of most of these cheeses . And from the looks of them, I probably wouldn't eat them either. But I have to say, I love the heart shapes and the cheese that looks like it grew a tree. I received this card from Postcrosser timouni, who is from France. The card must have come in an envelope, because there is nothing written on the back. Printed on the card, however, was a link to a website with more of this type of postcard. I want them all. :)

Snippets

2011-07-12T22:38:00.010-05:00

Very sleepy. Going to bed early. See the pretty picture? It's from smilee_lady1988. In Switzerland.

Bye!

What a Crock

2011-07-11T23:54:00.023-05:00

As you may have guessed from the windmills and the clothing that the children are wearing, this card is from the Netherlands. More specifically, it is from Delft, which is famous for pottery known as Delftware (wow, that's original). I received the card from Postcrosser mirsisje, who, not surprisingly, lives in Delft.

And I'd just like to apologize for the title tonight. I tried to come up with my own pun. I'm not sure I succeeded. Do you get it? Do you? HUH? *hanging head in shame*

Russian to Post

2011-07-10T23:41:00.031-05:00

I have nothing really to write about tonight. But I was trying desperately to think of something, and therefore waited until quite late to start writing. Hence the title. I once again had my friend Mark (aka wassa) help me come up with a title because he is the king of puns. He can come up with some serious groaners. I did slightly edit his suggestion though, which was "Russian Through My Blog".

Yes, that really is the most exciting thing I have to say today. On to the postcards, which, not surprisingly, are from Russia.

This card, which I received from Postcrosser acereta for group 106 of the Multiview Round Robin, shows the following site:
1. Varvarka Street
2. The Kremlin
3. View of the Kremlin from the hotel Balchug
4. The Kremlin: Interior of the Palace of Facets
5. The Kremlin: The Iconostas of the Verkho (Upper) Saviour Cathedral

This was an official Postcrossing card from Natalia_Solnce, and it shows:
1. The Kremlin at night
2. Red Square
3. The Iver Chapel at the Resurrection Gates
4. The Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer
5. The Kremlin at Night

Funny Business

2011-07-09T23:06:00.072-05:00

For once, I actually went out on a Saturday night. Yes, I have a very pathetic life. Anyway, I went to see @CraigyFerg's stand-up comedy. For those of you who don't speak Twitter, that would be Craig Ferguson of The Late Late Show on CBS. Tonight's show was at The Venue at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN. You actually have to go through the casino to get to the theater. And guess who was carded on the way in? Yup. I'm 35, for Pete's sake! I don't see it as a compliment...I find it incredibly annoying. Just let me go in without bugging me!!

Umm....right...what was I talking about? Ahh, yes, Craig Ferguson. So anyway, after getting through security *grumblegrumble*, I made my way to my seat in the theater. My seat was in the FRONT ROW. Woo hoo!! And wouldn't you know it? I forgot my camera. GAH!!! It's just as well though - Craig paces back and forth so quickly that it's difficult to get a picture of him. The spotlight operator even had trouble keeping up with him...a fact that Craig didn't hesitate to point out to the entire theater. Using a number of choice expletives, no less. :) Funny enough, the expletives aren't covered up by various countries' flags and stereotypical phrases at a live show (you'd have to watch The Late Late Show to understand that).

And if you don't watch The Late Late Show, you may not know that while Craig is an American now, he is originally from Scotland. You can read all about that, though, in his book "American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot". I would highly recommend reading it. (Yes, I'm being serious.) Anyway, here are a couple of cards from Scotland.

Hmm, I never realized that Glasgow was so purple.

This is a monument to Flora MacDonald on the Isle of Skye. I'll let you read about her if you'd like, because I'm rather tired at this point, and to me, the article read something like "Blah blah blah blah blah."

I received both of these cards are part of Group 145 of the 12 Viewcards in an Envelope Round Robin.

Museum Quality

2011-07-08T23:20:00.000-05:00

I'm afraid that watching the launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis was the highlight of my day, so I don't have anything else to report. I did, however, forget to mention that the postcard of the Space Shuttle in my earlier post was from a swap with Postcrosser Shinigami way back in 2007. That was before I started this blog! Yeah, so....how about some museums?

This is the Henry E. Huntington Library, Art Gallery and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. I received it from Postcrosser swan as part of group 4 of the Museums Around the World Round Robin. On the left is the Japanese Garden featuring a drum bridge, and on the right is the library building with a statue of Neptune.

As you can see, this is the Oakland Aviation Museum, in Oakland, California. The card was actually created by the sender, Jassy-50, who is a volunteer at the museum. It looks like an interesting place to volunteer, and to visit, of course. This kind of makes me want to go to the Kalamazoo Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, MI. I've never been there, but it's less than 2 hours away, so maybe I will go sometime.

End of an Era

2011-07-08T10:55:00.000-05:00

I just watched the final launch of the Space Shuttle, and I have to admit, it brought a tear to my eye. The Space Shuttle has been the only form of manned space flight here in the US since I was very young, and it was involved in the first big news story that I remember as a child....the Challenger disaster. It is one of those "I remember where I was when.." moments. I wish luck to the members of the Atlantis crew, and I hope that they get home safely. And I look forward to seeing the next phase of space travel, whenever that may come.

Please stay tuned for my regularly scheduled blog post this evening.

Note to Self

2011-07-07T22:16:00.030-05:00

Kristin - Next time you tell yourself that you are just going to "lie down for half an hour" and then get up to write your blog, remember what happened last night. Instead of napping for half an hour, you fell asleep with all the lights, the TV and the computer still on, and didn't wake up until 5 AM. If you keep skipping nights like that, you are never going to get through the 600+ postcards that you still have to post! Postcards such as these, which came from group 85 of the 12 Viewcards in an Envelope Round Robin:

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy

The Forum, Rome, Italy

St. Peter's Square, Rome, Italy

Fire in Finland

2011-07-05T23:22:00.021-05:00

Admittedly, tonight's card is a little late. It shows a Midsummer bonfire in Finland, and the Midsummer celebrations take place on the night of the summer solstice. So I really should have posted this card on June 21. But I received the card from Postcrosser semolina in February (of 2009), so I'm posting the card closer to the date of the summer soltice than I received it. Does that make sense? It makes sense to me, but I am tired and am getting over being sick, so I may not be thinking entirely clearly.

Anyway, here is the card.

Happy Fourth of July

2011-07-04T22:00:00.036-05:00

I am feeling somewhat better today. At the very least, there was a significant decrease in the sneezing and coughing. But I still didn't feel like going anywhere today, so I stayed home and watched "Top Gear" on BBC America. All day. Not very patriotic, I know, but I enjoyed it. I did switch over to the Boston Pops special on CBS for the sing-a-long, but I didn't watch the whole thing because I was upset that Craig Ferguson wasn't hosting it again this year.

Obviously, this is the US Capitol Building, which I thought was an appropriate place to show on Independence Day. Mostly because I didn't have any more cards of fireworks over US cities, so I had to find something. :) This and the next card of the Smithsonian (aka America's Attic) were both sent to me by Postcrosser AnnaRun, who generously sent me 3 cards instead of just the one required for an official Postcrossing card. I've already posted the third card that she sent to me, which showed Civil War scenes in Virginia.

Sniffle Sniffle

2011-07-03T23:39:00.023-05:00

No, I didn't forget about posting last night. I just didn't feel like doing it, mostly because I don't feel well. I have a cold. In the summer. What kind of crap is that? At least I don't have to work tomorrow. If I have to be miserable, I'd rather be able to be at home without feeling guilty about calling in sick.

This is my 250th post, and I had wanted to do something special, but I couldn't really think of anything through my stuffy haze, so I'll save that for some other time.

Unfortunately this card doesn't tell me what these locations are, so all that I can tell you is that these are scenes of Seville, Spain. I received this card from Terra in Germany as part of a private swap.

Ok, I'm going to go to bed now. *cough cough* Right after I take more cough medicine.

O Canada

2011-07-01T21:54:00.000-05:00

It's another one of those nights where I can barely keep my eyes open, but I didn't want to fall asleep without writing anything. So I'd just like to wish all my Canadian readers a happy Canada Day. I'd like to, but I don't believe that I have any Canadian readers. So I'll just wish a happy Canada Day to any Canadians who might accidentally stumble across this blog.

This fantastic aerial view of Toronto was sent to me by Postcrosser sugarbooger (who has beautifully neat printing) as part of group 4 of the 'America to America' Round Robin. I have actually been to Toronto (or "Trono" as Craig Ferguson claims that they pronouce it), but I never saw it from this angle.

You may or may not know that the title of this post is also the name of the Canadian national anthem. Out of curiosity, I looked up the lyrics because while I know I've heard them, I haven't . I find it interesting how very different the official English lyrics are from the translation of the official French lyrics.

The Storm Didn't Stop Me

2011-06-30T23:15:00.001-05:00

Who went out in a thunderstorm earlier to get some ice cream to make a chocolate malt? Yeah, that would be me. Priorities, people! When I went, the rain had mostly let up (it's pouring again now), but the lightning was absolutely spectacular...one bolt right after another. Some of the gusts of wind were pretty strong too. But at least I didn't see one of these...

And I hope I never do see one of these. The card doesn't actually say where this photo was taken, but the company that made the card is in Nebraska. Because of that, and the fact that Nebraska is in Tornado Alley, I'm guessing that the photo was taken in Nebraska. However, Kimbeewa, the Postcrosser that sent the card to me, lives in Illinois.

Here is the advice that is printed on the back of the card:

"TORNADO! - IF YOU CAN SEE IT, YOU'RE TOO CLOSE

WHAT TO DO:
In a home or building, move to a safe area such as a basement, or an interior room such as a bathroom or closet. Stay away from windows.
Don't try to outrun a tornado in a car. Leave the card and find shelter, even if only in a ditch.
Get out of mobile homes and find stronger shelter.
Do not leave shelter until the tornado has passed or the "All-Clear" is sounded."

The chocolate malt was delicious, by the way. Not thick enough though, so I think I'll add a little more ice cream next time. :)

Sad

2011-06-29T23:45:00.000-05:00

My dad instant messaged me tonight to tell me that my mom had to take their 20+ year old cat, Mittens, in to have her put to sleep. The vet found cancer in her mouth, and that was in addition to the other health problems that she already had. And obviously, she was very, very old anyway. So in honor of Mittens, here are a couple of cat cards, which people send to me because my profile mentions that I have cats.

Postcrosser yvonnegg from Taiwan sent these copycats to me. :)

*Taking break to pet Jedi, who jumped up on the couch and started purring.*

I received this card from DiannaMacau in Macau, and she even included a cat stamp on the back. Now, I know what you are thinking. "Where in the heck is Macau?" Yeah, I asked the same question, because this is the first (and so far only) card I've ever received from there. Well, if you find China on a map, and then look really hard at the southern coastline, you might find Macau. It's like Hong Kong, in that it is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

Pastoral

2011-06-28T23:33:00.013-05:00

At first glance, the scene on tonight's postcard looks like it might show the area where I grew up in Wisconsin, with its relatively flat terrain and cows. However, this scene is actually in the Netherlands.

This card came from Postcrosser San3na in, not surprisingly, the Netherlands.

By the way....MOOOO!!!

Dawdling

2011-06-27T23:59:00.000-05:00

I was putting off posting tonight because I was hoping I could think of something interesting to talk about. Alas, no. Since it's almost midnight, and I'm almost falling asleep on the couch, I guess I'd better get on with it.

And, just as I was about to get up to go find a postcard, my not-usually-snuggly cat decided that it was time to jump onto my lap and lie down. So of course I couldn't get up. Fortunately, he's got the cat version of ADD, so he didn't stay very long, and I was then able to get this card.

Is it weird to anyone else to see alcoholic beverages in the hands of Disney/Pixar characters? And speaking of weird, the stamp on the back of the card shows Edgar Allen Poe. There was one seriously weird dude!

This card is courtesy of urivampire (from Connecticut), who sent it to me for group 18 of the Movie and Television Round Robin.

Back to Normal...Almost

2011-06-26T21:17:00.041-05:00

What did I do today? Let's see....yeah, nothing. So I guess it's back to the same old same old. Although...after I posted last night, I realized that I forgot to include the crowd that I took about a half hour before I left the park. Do you want to see it? Well, even if you don't, I'm gonna show it to you.

This is looking south on Columbus Drive at the intersection with Jackson. If you want a point of reference, you can look at the official Taste of Chicago 2011 map here. The red & white striped booth on the left is Robinson's Ribs, which is number 27 on the map.

So, now back to the usual stuff. Meaning postcards, of course.

The caption on the card just says "Underground River, Palawan", but with a little research, I was able to figure out that this is the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ok, so who is going to go plant a letterbox in that cave, huh? :)

Boracay is the name of the island, and the beach is Diniwid Beach.

Both of these cards were part of a private swap with Postcrosser stillwaters.

Just a Taste

2011-06-25T20:32:00.203-05:00

This is going to be a bit of a different sort of post tonight. It contains actual photographs. That I took! Now, I have to say that I'm not a very good photographer. So don't get your hopes up that there are going to be some epic photos, because there aren't. Just a bunch of crappy ones with a few that are o.k. This post is also a bit longer than usual (seriously, it's REALLY long), so you might want to ingest some caffeine so that you can stay awake for the whole thing.

Here is where I spent the day today:

I know what you are thinking. "You spent the day outside?" Yes, I know, it's definitely not a geek's natural habitat. :) But I try to go to the Taste every year, even it if does mean spending the day outside. I didn't go last year because I was unemployed and didn't think it would be wise to spend the money, so I definitely wanted to go this year. It was a nice day today...about 80 and sunny to start off, with increasing clouds that made the sunshine hazy. And guess who forgot the sunscreen? Yup. Pale white me is now birght pink me. Fortunately, there were some Avon reps handing out samples of facial sunscreen just as I was walking into Grant Park, so at least my face doesn't look like a tomato.

If you don't know, the Taste of Chicago is one of the world's largest food festivals. Basically a it's just a big excuse to eat. :) This year, 59 Chicago area restaurants had booths, each offering 4 or 5 different selections from their menu, plus two smaller 'Taste' portions. I only got the Taste portions, because I wanted to try as many things as possible and not fill up too much on any one thing. I also tried to get foods that I might not have a chance to have otherwise. I don't understand the people that go to the Taste and get corn on the cob, watermelon, pizza, etc. They could just go to the grocery store to get stuff like that! Why overpay for them at the Taste?? Ok, stepping off of my soapbox now.

So, when I got into the park, I bypassed the first ticket booth (you get the food with tickets so that the vendors don't have to deal with cash) because the lines were too long and looked around for a bit to see what I might want to start out with. I was thirsty, and there were a bunch of booths offering free beverage samples, so I had a few. Specifically Pepsi Max, Sierra Mist, Tampico Tropical Punch, Ocean Spray Cranberry Lime, Ocean Spray Sparkling Cranberry, Rockstar Recovery Grape energy drink and McDonald's Frozen Strawberry Lemonade. I was pretty well hydrated by that point, so I got some tickets and went to get my first food of the day.

Yes, here is an example of my stellar photography skills. My camera apparently doesn't understand that I wanted both the food and the sign to be in focus. You will notice that on many of my food photos. Plus I was trying to take the pictures quickly so that I wouldn't be in the way. Anyway, this is vegetable tempura from Guey Lon. I always get the tempura at the Taste. I love it! Deep fried vegetables...what's not to love? :)

I decided to be a little more adventurous and try this grilled chicken kabob with tomatillo, potatoes and charred onion from Vermillion, a Latin Indian fusion restaurant. With that combination, I should have realized that the kabob would be a bit spicy. I don't care that much for spicy, so I had to get something to drink help wash it down. Sorry, I didn't take a picture of my bottle of Pepsi, but I'm sure you know what they look like. :)

I wasn't going to get dessert yet, but I walked passed the Chicago Sweet Connection Bakery booth (sorry that the sign is blurry) and couldn't resist getting the Oreo Parfait cup. As Donkey says "Parfait's gotta be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet!" It was pretty darn delicious.

After the parfait, I was pretty full, so I walked around and found a bench, where I read part of my Mental Floss magazine. When I was a little less full, I got this bacon-wrapped chicken from Texas de Brazil. Why did I get more chicken? Because it's wrapped in BACON. That's the only reason I need. It was yummy yummy yummy.

I had difficulty deciding what to get next, but I was getting pretty warm at that point (I was wearing a black t-shirt and a black skort) so I thought something cool would be good. I picked the coconut ice at Sabor Latino. It was very refreshing and quite tasty, although it was hard to tell when I was finished because it was the same color as the styrofoam cup that it came in.

Yes, I had more fried food. Mac and cheese bites from the Cubby Bear. I don't care that much for mac and cheese on its own, but bread it and deep-fry it and it transforms into something quite ambrosial. *nodding*

I was seriously full after the mac and cheese, and it was getting way too crowded for my liking, but I still had 7 tickets left. Most of the taste portions cost 4 tickets, but a few were less, so I tried to find something good for 3 tickets. FYI, you have to buy the tickets in strips of 12, so it's not like I could go get just one more ticket. Anyway, I found that Parrot Cage had mini red velvet cupcakes for 3 tickets. They were kept refrigerated, so that cream cheese icing was firm and cool. Ahhh, perfect!

Finally, with my last 4 tickets, I had to get another of my Taste traditions. A cup of ice cream from the Original Rainbow Cone. It consists of orange sherbet, pistachio ice cream, Palmer House ice cream (Venetian vanilla with cherries and walnuts), strawberry ice cream and chocolate ice cream. It may sound weird, but it's good. It's all smooshed together in the cup, but when you get the cone, it is in layers (like a parfait!).

I walked out of Grant Park, eating my ice cream, and started walking slowly back to Millennium Station to catch the train home. I walked slowly because I had an hour and a half before the next train left, and it wasn't a long walk. As I passed Millennium Park, I decided to check out their gift shop to see if I could get some postcards (they were too pricey) and then I went up to see Cloudgate, aka "The Bean".

I don't think I've actually bothered to go up and see it since right after it was installed. They hadn't even had a chance to polish out all of the seams then! But as you can see, it is quite polished and reflective now.

Speaking of reflections, can you spot me in this reflection? (I already mentioned what I was wearing.)

I'm in the center of the picture.

And just to prove to you that my picture-taking skills aren't total crap, here is a picture of Buckingham Fountain that I took early in the day. Yes, it really is a picture that I took and not a postcard.

Oh yes, speaking of postcards, I should probably include one. I thought that a food card would fit very well, and as I was searching through my Flickr photostream, this is the first food-related card that I came across.

Yes, some of the candy is glittery. This 'wonderful' card was sent to me by Postcrosser wonderful. :)

If you are still awake at this point, I congratulate you. And I'm very sorry that your insomnia is so severe. ;)

Stupid Game

2011-06-24T23:58:00.044-05:00

I almost forgot to write a post tonight because I was too busy playing 'Sims Medieval'. Yes, I'm still playing that, but I'm getting increasingly frustrated at the number of times there has been a error while I was saving my game, which then makes that kingdom unrecoverable. That's especially discouraging when I've already spent hours trying to fulfill the kingdom objective. There are some other issues with the game that need to be fixed as well, so I hope EA is working on it.

I'm sure that if I looked hard enough, I could find a card or two that shows something medieval, but it's late, I'm tired and I really don't feel like it. So I just picked a couple of cards.

This lovely market in Provence was sent to me by Postcrosser mati..

Obviously, this is a view of Paris, France, with the Arc de Triomphe in the center. Postcrosser Groseile sent this card from Spain, but she is originally from France and purchased this card on a visit home.

Lotta Lakes

2011-06-23T21:55:00.026-05:00

From what I've seen on the many Finnish postcards that I've received, there are a LOT of lakes in Finland. Or maybe there are only a few lakes, but a lot of different postcard views of them. ;) No, really, there are over 187,000 lakes in Finland. And here are two of them. Or possibly just two different views of the same lake. The first card isn't labeled, so I can't be sure.

The caption on the back of the next card says 'Koli, Herajärvi, Lakkala'. I believe that Koli refers to Koli National Park, but I'm not sure which of the other two words are the name of the lake.

I received both of these cards as part of group 85 of the 12 Viewcards in an Envelope Round Robin.

Captions II

2011-06-22T22:36:00.003-05:00

"The Bridge of Remembrance located in the central Christchurch City."

I wonder how much damaged has been done to this part of Christchurch by the earthquakes.

"Main Street, Arrowtown, in a picturesque setting, just 20km from Queenstown, Central Otago, New Zealand."

I have no record of who these cards came from.

Only a Day Late

2011-06-21T22:24:00.061-05:00

I don't follow many sports...just baseball and football (the American kind, not the soccer kind). And the Olympics, of course. So when I realized that I had a card showing Wimbledon, I decided I should find out when the tournament is so that I would know when to post it. And what do you know...it started yesterday. :) So here is the card.

The card doesn't have a caption on the back, so I don't know exactly what each of the pictures shows (come on, postcard manufacturer...caption your cards!). And I'm not sure where I got it either. It's another one of those cards that came from flight 37 of an unknown round robin.

Incidentally, even though I have no interest in tennis, I read Andre Agassi's autobiography 'Open' and found it very interesting. I certainly don't blame him for hating tennis.

This card has nothing to do with Wimbledon or tennis, but this cathedral is also in England so I thought I'd include it. This is the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter, also known as York Minster, in York. I received it from Postcrosser Terra as part of a private swap. Oddly, Terra lives in Germany, not England. :)

P.S. There was no one in the AQ chat room tonight, so I had to come up with a title on my own. That's why it's not very good.

Where in the World?

2011-06-20T21:54:00.061-05:00

Tonight's card is rather unique. It is the only one I have showing a particular country. It was actually sent to me as a private swap from Taiwan, which is NOT the country it shows, but there is a reason for that as you shall see. Which country am I referring to? Take a look at the card and then make your guesses.

The card doesn't have a caption that I could read, so I had to do some research to figure out the exact location shown. I had a bit of difficulty finding it, and was becoming a bit dubious that the card actually showed the city that Postcrosser mooncastle claimed that it showed. :) But Google finally came though for me, and I can tell you that this is Mansudae Fountain Park with the Mansudae Art Theatre in the background. I don't think those names will help you figure out the city though. Has anyone figured it out (without cheating)?

Ok, I will tell you. It's Pyongyang, North Korea. I'm not sure how mooncastle got the card, as she says that she has never been there. Hmmmm...... Anyway, it's doubtful that I will ever receive a card that is actually sent from North Korea, as only one North Korean Postcrosser has ever sent any official cards, and those were all in 2009. Sometimes, I just have to take postcards anyway I can get them. :)

P.S. Thank you to Mark for help with the title. I just have not been good at thinking of titles recently. I actually went with a shorter title than he suggested, and he claims that my edit is 'boring', but that's too bad. ;)

The Happiest Blog on Earth

2011-06-19T22:35:00.047-05:00

Ok, we both know that title isn't true. But it seemed appropriate for the tonight's cards. I wish I could take credit for the title, but I couldn't think of anything. Fortunately, I was once again chatting in the AQ chat room and mentioned my problem to Jim. You can thank him for the title.

Obviously, it was a little difficult to crop this card because of the Yeti trying to come out of the picture. :) I received it from llamoore, who sent it to me as part of the US to US Alphabetical Tag. She had to send me a card showing something that started with 'E'. I have never been to Disney's Animal Kingdom (or any Disney park for that matter), so I wasn't sure what exactly Expedition Everest was. Now that I see that it is a roller coaster, I can tell you that I won't ever go on it. I don't like roller coasters.

This card was also a little difficult to crop because of the rounded corners. I received it as an official Postcrossing card from WolfsHeart, who lived down the street from Disneyland when she was going to college. That would probably be awesome...or really distracting. :D

Lazy Day

2011-06-18T22:58:00.017-05:00

I didn't do a darn thing today. So nothing to report. On to the postcards then.

Annnnnnd...I ran into a problem. I always pick out a card or two from my Flickr photostream and then go to my storage boxes to find the actual cards. Tonight, I picked two cards from Estonia. The problem is that I can't find the actual cards. They aren't in the box with the 4x6 cards, they aren't in the box with the 5x7 cards and they aren't in the basket with the oversized cards. Or perhaps I should say they aren't where they are supposed to be. Clearly they are here somewhere, because I had to have them in order to scan them. The question is what did I do with them in between then and now.

Annnnnnd....nevermind! I searched a little more in the box of 4x6 cards, and found the two cards I was looking for mixed in with my umpteen gabillion cards from Finland. :)

I know I received this card as part of a round robin, because I had written 'Flight 37' on the envelope that it came in. Unfortunately, I didn't write down *which* round robin it came from. I tried going back through the threads on the Postcrossing forum to see if I could figure it out, but Postcrossing has this annoying habit of deleting threads that are no longer being used. To me, that makes for an incomplete record of everything I've participated in, and also an inaccurate post count, which just makes me cringe. Hey, I'm an accountant....accurate numbers are a must! :)

Anyway, this card shows scenes of Põlvamaa, or Põlva County in Estonia. At the top is the Meenikunno Bog; the lower left shows the ants' kingdom at Akste, the largest colony of ants in Estonia with over 3 billion inhabitants (yikes!); and the lower right shows the Piusa Caves, which were created by glass-sand mining.

These two scenes obviously show the city of Tallinn. The top is a panorama of the city, which is located in north-west Estonia on the Gulf of Finland. On the bottom, you can see the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, which was built in 1959 for the Estonian Song Festival. The stage can hold 15,000 singers! Postcrosser Kyllika sent the card to me.

About Last Night

2011-06-17T22:31:00.000-05:00

So, yeah, I didn't post anything last night. I was....uh....having internet issues again. Yeah, that's it. :) No? Ok, here is what really happened. I was really tired, so I went to lie down on the bed for a couple of minutes at about 10:00 last night. The next thing I knew, it was 2:45 AM, and there was no way I was going to write a blog entry then!

I'm actually really tired again tonight and I have a headache, but I didn't want to flake out two nights in a row, so I'll make this quick.

This is from a Japanese movie called, not surprisingly, 'Nana'. chiezo178 sent the card to me as part of group 12 of the Movie and Television Round Robin.

This card was also sent from Japan; however 'Hallelujah' is an American movie from 1929. Postcrosser super-hero sent it to me as an official card.

Ok, beddie-bye time. Night!

Ho Hum

2011-06-15T23:21:00.012-05:00

Let's see...the highlights of my day included getting all my necessary work done so that I could actually leave the office before 6:00 PM, and going grocery shopping. Exciting, right. Yeah. Ummm....how about a postcard? :)

This is the Florence Cathedral, also known as Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. In case you hadn't guessed, it is in Italy. Postcrosser eileanor sent it to me. She is a huge Star Trek fan as well. I guess the Vulcan salute is a universal language. :)