A Driver's Driver

We drive a lot in NJ. I think about it a lot and there are such specific things I look at as I drive to those routine places we always go: to grandma's, to the beach, to and from our home, and of course grocery shopping.

I love looking under the Rte 27 bridge in Highland Park which I wrote about previously here.

But I also have these other things. Like this one sign on Plainfield Ave in Edison is in front of an older looking Victorian house. It is a picture of an old time film camera for talkies and it has a name underneath, but there is nothing that looks like any movie would be shot, produced, edited, or even viewed in the structure it is in front of. I always wonder whether someone has a failed videography business inside. Or maybe it is booming and the owner is just thrifty.

I also look at the pedestrian bridge spanning Rte 18 near St. Thomas the Apostle church. My eyes always follow it and sometimes I get distracted and follow it up so much that I forget I am on the road. I always use this bridge as the bridge I think about when I think of people throwing things off of bridges at cars (horrible thought, but totally the bridge that pops into view when it comes up). I also think about the handful of times I crossed it (or maybe just once), and I can't really remember what the reason was (solidifying that it was probably just one occurrence just to see if I could get across). In NJ these bridges always interest me, because I wonder, since everyone is in cars, who uses these things? I guess, secretly, I am always trying to catch a glimpse of someone pitter pattering across.

The House

The house is developing and changing. It is like a baby, it is like a different house everyday.

Missing

I thought I would post more about the return to home, but it is so surreal and always changing and re-shifting that it is hard to keep up with the readjusted life. Basically I am making excuses for being a liver instead of a writer these past few months.

Things I remember, but didn't write down(which is always falsified information, because if anyone knows a writer, the reason we write is because we have terrible memories)about what it was like readjusting and the things I love about being home - here it goes:

I love that the grocery cashier helps me bag my groceries and that there are a kabillion yellow, plastic bags at the end of the line for my use if I choose not to be "green." (not that Istanbul didn't have bags, but they were always tossed at you at the end of the line and the expectation was self-bagging and fast - two things that do not translate well with children)

I love the turney-grocery bag thingees at Walmart.

Attending Disney on Ice.

I loved seeing Mexicans working on the landscaping at Chili's. I forgot about even having Mexicans living nearby.

I love hearing languages that I can't even recognize being spoken everywhere I go.

Getting a bagel with cream cheese and hot coccoa at 7-11 in the morning. I try to hold back and only get it once a week.

Getting a book I want in 3 days for 5 dollars.

Making homemade pizza with 3 dollar mozzarella instead of 8 YTL kasarli peynir.

Sitting at a "bar" nearby with friends and one orders a pita with chicken, the other orders salmon, another calamari, and myself a creme brulee. And EVERYTHING was delicious.

Signing my son up for 3 different athletic-based activities instead of one, weekly ballet class.

Driving to church in 15 minutes. Staying for 3 hours. Driving home in 15 minutes.

Being able to go to a pediatrician within walking distance any day of the week.

Realizing that so much of my life revolves around what I eat and what my kids need.

This is not a full list, but because of the delay it will never all come.

Sunday Signs

Aren't the Green Bags totally a sign that they're "Fresh Off the Cruise Ship?"



And at the Aspen Restaurant (Colorado?) you can get some game, but it won't be that great. And I think they have free range FISH! Awesome.

Getting really digi

I am more of a purest (usually) when it comes to photography, but look at this stuff I concocted just minutes ago. Freaky.

Emirgan Park

 

Colors, colors everywhere.

Sprung

 

I love being outside when things look like this.

All Kinds

How many different ways can weather.com describe cold, rainy weather? The same number of consecutive days of cold, rainy weather we will have - 5:

rain, light rain, wind/rain, few showers, mostly cloudy

In honor of alliteration, let's just call this a wet winter.