Crossroads USA

Photo from beneath Interstate 84 where it crosses the Delaware River. I took this on March 23rd, 2008. The cool thing abut the picture is that I am standing in three different states as I am taking the picture.

I am in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania at the same time.

It's quite a crossroads we have here in that Interstate 84 of course is above me, in front of me is the Delaware River swollen from the winter rain and snow melt and just behind me is the Nerversink River which is a tributary of the Delaware.

I've fished and tubed down this river in the past. Just on the other side is where my Dad was born and raised. We used to come to this spot as kids and stand on a rock with the state borders etched into it, but that stone has been replaced by a monument and it's a bit difficult to stand on.

River Facts:

The Neversink river is considered to be the birthplace of fly fishing.

There are two Delaware Rivers in the United States, This one which runs up the Atlantic Coast and then there is the Delaware River in Kansas.

Well That's it for today folks...hope you had a good Monday(-:

Tom's Trivia Winner week of 3/23-2/29, 2007

SALLY !!

Sally author of the blog, Yeah, what of it?! , was the big points earner for the past week with a weekly total of 59 Points which also gave the loyal Boston Sports Fan the overall lead in the game as well.

NICE JOB SALLY !!!

Other highlights from this weeks competition, PG, author of the blog Annoyingly Boring, which comes to us from the Hub of the Sports Universe itself...BOSTON, has moved up from 7th place overall last week to 4th overall by winning 3 of the 7 games played this week he earned 57 Points and shared 2nd in overall points earning with another New England Powerhouse the Mysterious PIXIEPANTS
Funny isn't it, top 3 point getters all from the Boston Area or at the very least Boston Fans!! Oh and then there's ME!!
earning 56 points and remaining in 2nd overall. I guess people in Massachusetts are just "Wicked Smaahht!!"

Yes Tom's Trivia Challenge saw 3 new players this week and we here at The Hideaway hope to see them come back and play some more.

There was a big buzz around the Australia Test on Thursday!! An upset of which we had never seen before. Kathlock, a native Australian, lost to Operator 9 !! AN AMERICAN!!

It's all fun, we are starting a new week and are looking for some new players all the time...Join here and countless other places on this page:

Here's the rundown on scoring for last week:

	3/23-3/29
1. Sally	59
2. PG	57
2.pixiepants	57
3. Tom	56
4. Operator9	48
4. kathlock	48
4. T-Saucey	48
5. fatback	47

Sunny Pictures for a Rainy Day

Beach Cafe/Bar in St George, Bermuda

I woke to the sound of rain this morning....It's better than snow I guess but it sure looks dreary out there today so I thought I'd post some sunny pictures to brighten the day.

Greasy Pole and Gloucester Harbor from Pavilion Beach

I used to love waking up and walking out on my porch for this view. Every day I would hear the sound of the waves against the rocks, the seagulls waking up it didn't matter the season, or the weather the ocean view was always awesome.

Me Aboard the Appledore III a 61 Foot Topsail Schooner

Well that's it for now, looking forward to warmer weather, putting away winter coats and cooking some steaks on the Barbie on hot summer days!!

Baseball in Tokyo !

This morning I watched the Boston Red Sox open their 2008 season against the Oakland A's in Tokyo, Japan of all places. The Red Sox won in 10 innings and Manny was Manny hitting in 4 runs with 2 doubles. My sister called me after Manny's second double and was lamenting the fact that Manny didn't run...Sis, even IF he had run with the hit, Manny would never make it to third safe!! Look at how happy he is playing the game and how well he's received by his teammates, Manny being Manny is what makes him so special!

But back to the game or rather, what occurred to me while watching it this morning!! I wonder if we will ever see the Red Sox play a game in Iraq??

Almost 67 years ago the Japanese Military attacked US Naval Forces in Pearl Harbor, a few years after that the USA dropped 2 nuclear bombs on the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima...

Now we are playing baseball there and the fans, 44,628 in the stadium , are cheering for the Red Sox whose starting pitcher is from Japan!!

Since the war Japan has become a leader in the world auto and electronics fields. While we may still be competetors in the world of finance and industry the love of baseball has brought the 2 countries together.

I couldn't believe I was hearing Neil Diamond on there stadium sound system singing "Sweet Caroline" and then hearing the crowd sing along "Na NA NAaa"

It was awesome, of course where did we get the word Karaoke??
Karaoke (カラオケ, Karaoke^? from Japanese kara(空), "empty," and ōkesutora, "orchestra") (pronounced /kɑːrɑːˌoʊkɛ/; in Japanese IPA: [karaoke]; listen (help·info)) is a form of entertainment in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song in which the voice of the original singer is removed or reduced in volume. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol or changing color, to guide the singer. In some countries, karaoke with video lyrics display capabilities is called KTV. It is very commonly pronounced /kæriːoʊkiː/, leading people to also spell it "kareoke". from wikipedia

Yes baseball has brought our two cultures together in ways business and politics just cannot. Maybe one day in Iraq we can get along at this level too. Certainly it was a long road from the destruction that was part of WWII to American Baseball being played in Tokyo, Japan..

Shortly after Saddam Husein's reign over Iraq crumbled, there were stories of the formation of the Iraqi Baseball and Softball Federation, one such article I found in the International Edition of the New York Times.

But the stories about Iraqi Baseball have dwindled . I am not sure if they are still playing ball in Iraq?? I hope so, maybe one day instead of fighting and killing each other we will be able to turn the battlefields into playing fields.

Hopefully it will be sooner than later.

Did I mention the Red Sox won??

Oh Yea!!

2008 Car Show..Cars this time not Models!!

The Denki Cube Concept from Nissan

It is a lithium-ion battery vehicle designed to showcase Nissan's green initiatives. The Cube's 1.3-liter electric motor is powered by laminated batteries that the Japanese automaker says provide twice the energy of traditional "cylindrical" batteries along with safer operation.



Dodge ZEO Concept

Dodge has designed its ZEO Concept as a sports wagon, featuring "2+2" seating that gives room for four passenger and is electric only and with a range of at least 250 miles. It also looks cool , proving that electric cars don't have to be boring.


The Subaru R1e

With fast-charge lithium ion battery technology, partial or quick charges do not reduce overall battery life as in standard lithium ion units. An AC permanent magnet synchronized motor is used and produces 40kW, allowing the R1e a top speed of 65 mph and a range of 50 miles. A "quick charge" takes just 15 minutes and gives an 80 percent charge, while a full charge can be completed in eight hours through a standard household electric outlet. This isn't brand new from Subaru but they are so confident in this car they are letting New York Power Authority use 2 of the vehicles for evaluation





More like a Rocket...The 2008 Mazda Furai

Talk about ZOOM ZOOM, Powered by a 458 Horsepower which runs on 100% Ethanol this is Mazda's version of sustainable race car!!

For "other models" see previous post!!

Last Weeks Winner, Back Home with Pictures

	Player	Points This Week
1	Operator 9	61
2	Sally	57
3	Tom	50
4	Fatback	47
5	Rambo	47
6	Pixiepants	46
7	PG	45
8	T-Saucey	38
9	DarkGlamour	37
10	momzy	32

Toms Trivia winner for last week is OPERATOR 9, She has no web site that I am aware of but she has shown the true desire to top the scores this week going from 4th overall last week to #1 both overall and over the last 7 days.. Congrats #9 and I look forward to hearing your comments on winning!!

The full trivia leader board is available at the Game Page, I take those stats and compare last weeks score to this weeks score every Sunday morning and will highlight the winner of the last 7 days. Other notable developments in Tom's Trivia Challenge, 7 new players have joined in on the fun and with only 4 games under her belt T-Saucey, my favorite Chi Town girl, has made a big splash by getting into the Top Ten scorers for the week.

Sally finished 2nd this week compared to 5th last week Tom , I love talking about myself in third person, finished 3rd after debuting at #2 last week. Thankfully he is still ahead of Fatback who did move from #7 last week to number #4 and was uncomfortably close to overtaking him this week.

Of course I wasn't using my computer and the normal mouse I work with which I believe led to submitting my scores much slower than I would normally. As we know speed counts in this game!!

That's the best excuse this week!!

Check All the scores and totals for the games at the Trivia Site, thanks for playing and hope to see you all back trying your best to outsmart me this week and remember our weekly winner is awarded by the number of points you get From Today thru next Saturday Good Luck everyone!!

If you haven't already JOIN !!

Now Some Pictures I Promised !!

I went to Pennsylvania last Wednesday and have sent some advance photos in but I actually visited enemy territory on Friday, that's right !! I went to New York City and of course I had to wear my Red Sox hat, just to remind them who won it all last year.



Of course those New Yorkers couldn't really say anything about the Sox. No they had to hit below the belt and mention The Patriot's...OUCH!!!

Yeah, but what about their Governor!!

Well anyway I went the the New York City Car Show and took pictures of all the new Models!


Coolest Car

The Other Models


The Chrysler Girl


I loved the Pleather Jacket


Friendliest, Jennifer from Michigan


Natural Beauty


Lamborghini = High Maintenence
More cars , pics this week...

HAPPY EASTER

Some Pictures in Advance

Speeding Thru Hartford and along Rt 84 I arrived in Pennsylvania on Wednesday afternoon. It rained all day and other than some traffic on 95 early on the traffic wasn't bad.

Today I got out and took several pictures and tomorrow I plan to get a bunch more as I will be headed to the Jacob Javits Convention Center`on W34th Street in Manhattan's west side. NYC...The Big Apple, where I will wear`my Red Sox World Series Champs hat and take in the annual Car Show at the Javits Center

Above:

I am standing in the doorway of an old foundation I suspect from an old mill

Below:

A natural Rock Formation, notice the chunk of rock that fell down to my right under the branch.The Stream/Waterfall has caused this formation over the years .

Road Trip

I'm headed out on a road trip tomorrow. Pictured above is a photo of the Bridge that crosses the Delaware river and connects Port Jervis, New York and my dad's birthplace of Matamoras, Pennsylvania

Dad and I are driving down to visit our relatives there and see how everyone doing. I will of course continue to check in at Tom's Trivia Challenge.

While my last couple of scores on the have been rather lame..I will continue to match my wits against all comers throughout the week. Congrats to PG from Annoyingly Boring.He topped the Trivia Scores on Monday, but it's a long week and on Easter Sunday I'll announce this weeks winner...every day you play will earn you points!!

Of course with every road trip there should be pictures and I will try and take some good ones to share here when I return....

Trivia Update Week 1 Winner

Top Cumulative Scores For This Month

Player	Days Played	Wins	Avg Pts/Game	Total Points
1. kathlock	6	5	--	38
2. Tom	7	1	--	38
3. darkglamour	7	1	--	38
4. Operator9	5	0	--	29
5. Sally	5	0	--	29
6. momzy	6	0	--	29
7. fatback	4	0	--	24
8. PG	3	0	--	21
9. pixiepants	3	0	--	20
10. Rambo	2	0	--	10
View All Cumulative Scores

As Of Sunday Morning

The Top finisher this week was Kath Lock, aka author of Blurb From the Burbs, noted Chocolate Lover and great storyteller...She's shown us that she's got a lot of Trivia Knowledge at her fingertips... Hat's off to Kath...While the trivia site does not allow me to reset the numbers each week, I will always highlight the winner for the week on Sundays.

While Tom...Who is he?? and Darkglamour both finished with as many points as Kath, she took 5 out of 6 possible wins which earns her tons of Tom's Hideaway dollars, which are now purely a fictional currency but one never knows, someday I might actually win the lottery...If so all my Trivia Winners will be flown to the celebration party..ALL EXPENSES PAID!!

For those who I may not know...Darkglamour, for one...and would like a little attention for their blogs or just a little more recognition...My email link is on the side bar...Drop me a note and let me know.

Thanks to all the other contestants and hope to see everyone back again

Old Paint Factory Gloucester, MA

The old paint factory in Gloucester, MA

Apparently there is an effort to turn this building into a single family home. The city requires the owners to keep the exterior as close as possible to the present look.

Hopefully they'll get the lead out of the inside as well> I am sure there is a toxic waste zone around that building. It is cool to look at sitting on the edge of the inner harbor in Gloucester, MA. Aside from the Gloucester Fisherman, the one you see pictured on the front of Gorton's Frozen Fish products, the Paint Factory is one of the most recognizable places in Gloucester, MA

It would be nice to make it habitable and nice to look at.

Another building that is just a few miles away in Rockport, MA is Motif #1 which is an old fish shack off Bearskin Neck on Bradley Wharf in Rockport, MA. It's been called "America's most-painted building" I am not sure how accurate that claim is but I do know that in the Blizzard of 1978 it was swept into the harbor and was subsequently re-built to look like it always had. Below are Before and After pictures:

Above, this Picture taken by dad in early 70's

Below , a picture of the same building after it was rebuilt

Photographer: Ian Britton

After the Blizzard it was re-built by the people of Rockport because it had been such a landmark for the town and the thousands of tourists that make it there every year

I think that city of Gloucester may very well be right in asking any future owners of the Paint Factory to try and keep the same look as it has today.

And that's all I got today and it was tough. I had no idea what to write about because my score on Tom's Trivia Quiz was so high it was difficult to come down from the euphoria of finally getting a good score!!

Try to ruin my day and PLAY Tom's Trivia Challenge

Spring is coming !!

And that means baseball here in the Boston area The Red Sox in spring training now have all 40 players on their roster signed to a contract for 2008. That's good management. Their first regular season game will be in Oakland on April 1st and their Home Opener will be April 8th at historic Fenway Park, pictured below.



That Tuesday afternoon the World Champs will be introduced for the first time in Fenway since beating the Rockies in the 2007 World Champinship Series...

Can they do it again??

Who will win the World Series in 2008 ??

I'm going with the Red Sox...what about you??

Less than a month away and we are supposed to get snow tonight and over the weekend!!

How Smart Are You??

I've set up Tom's Trivia Challenge Tournament at the Fun Trivia site. You can sign up and play against other visitors to Tom's Hideaway...The first step of course is signing up, so follow the link above and warm up...The first week of the challenge will be to get people signed up and Next Week I will erase the stats and we will begin a weekly points challenge..

Of course if you don't sign up then it won't be any fun, I'll just have to post my name every week as being the smartest one out there..

At the ended of every week I will list the Top Point Getter and post there names and web site if they would like me to and....Even though this is sign-up week..I will include this week as well..

Next Sunday will be the first posting of winners

SIGN UP and we will see who will win Tom's Trivia Challenge

Eating lots of food and getting fat, It's FUN !!

Despite what the medical community, dating services and friends will tell you, eating lots of food and getting fat is kinda fun!!

It's like living without restrictions, taking everything that comes at you and just eating it.

Sometimes I feel like a LION after a kill, of course I didn't kill anything but sometimes I think I would kill for chocolate or even really good onion rings!!

I spent the weekend cooking...We fed a party of 30 here at Tom's Hideaway Manor and it was a Italian Festivus I'll tell ya.

I made Manicotti, even the shells were from scratch, Chicken Cacciatore, Beef Bracciole and lots of Italian Sausage, Salad, cookies, cakes, candy and plethora wine.



The Manicotti (top) Cacciatore (Bottom)

My extremely Easy Going Assistant (Lil Sister) helped by assembling a great Salad and chopping parsley among other things.

It was great to see people could just lounge on the couch and nap after the feed.

Another great thing was to have so many people that when the eating was done there were plenty of cleaners to go round..I don't think I washed a dish!!

I realized though that with all this consumption...I've put on a few pounds...but it was fun!! It was a party I don't eat like this every day...but I could and it would be fun!!