After a panoply of interesting gigs yesterday and yesternight (sadly, missed a performance of Neil's Sweet Caroline by a UB person in white patent leather shoes - a triumph).
But Yours Truly, ever a fan of the curiosity that is a mascot, had the mascot-in-question's handler make an image of YT and Victor E. Bull.
I think this also happens to small children, but proximity to a mascot usually makes me either want to emphatically embrace the furry thing, or talk quietly into the mesh hole in a slightly quiet, questioning and Awestruck voice. Never stomp on their oversized feet. Never.
Moving right along.
Hickey told me at the gateway to the sidelines (where YT was momentarily captured until another nice boy came and gave me his creds and I was free to move along) that Jay Benfatti of the BN has passed away and, like Russert, was only in his early 50s. Heart went kapoof and off he floated to - I hope - a place of peace and wonderment.
He had a wickely lovely grin that is unforgettable, was an amazing writer, and was a fine bon vivant.
Onwards.
This fine morn YT found herself not entirely minding her own business, but a collective business: of image making & taking, of gifts promised, and ground soon to be broken.
Jack Davis, running for Congress, was at the BigU to present a Big check to the department of Engineering there toward a brand spanking new clean room for their new Engineering Building.
So, after all the photo ops were completed, YT thought to ask a BigU-man to make an image of YT with Mr. Davis.
I asked for one image and he snapped several, and YT thought he might not ever give the cam back.
Here, for Your viewing pleasure, is YT in the early morning hours (rainy) with Mr. Jack Davis, who is quite charismatic and more handsome than his images online and in analog print.


Now, You must study both of the above images.
In which image does YT look more pleased, more comfy, and more telegenic.
Which framemate appears more cuddly, more friendly, and more telegenic.
Write 100 words about this matter and email to:
nancyjparisi@gmail.com
Thank you for Your attention in this matter.
The winner will receive nothing but my sincerest approbations.

And another thing.
One final image, a lovely arboreal image found this morning.
New trees. Well, soon-to-be-planted trees. And YT has forgotten the species but the man told me ... Japanese, round leaves, quite hardy.
Ready for growing.


Last night Laura and I watched The Speech - all 42 minutes - at Aroma.
YT had to insist that Yes, the volume level could be adjusted so that One could hear the danged thing, that YT had watched part of the hockey playoffs there and just knew this to be so.
So Esmerelda twiddled knobs and voilà sound.
Laura and I at about 20 minutes began to say Oooh, this is very long.
YT wished to hold onto all the facts and quotes and it was becoming so difficult.
Fabulous is the word for that speech, and all from memory.
The only glitch, and Deb texted about this just after The Speech, was: What was Michelle Obama thinking. That dress was hideous.
If it was in fact a funky little Betsey Johnson number that just didn't have high telegenic points then that is understandable. But BJ wouldn't work for that type of function anyhoo and the colours were a bit wonky, and the pattern.
Deb, Laura, and I found the dress a highly curious choice.
But not as curious as the veep choice of McCain.
Later about that.

Later alligator, Love.

In the middle of enjoying my self-made Salmon Wellington last evening I announced to Kennedy, Brucey, and Eva These are glorified Hot Pockets.
Pink Pockets, Brucey opined and offered.
The Hot Pink Pockets were served alongside a vegetable dish that I invented, whose ingredients are oso secret.
Dessert was not a danged thing that Yours Truly crafted for who had time to bake and make ice cream and gelato after a cocktail party and before cooking the pockets, I ask You.

Following, an email snippet from one of the editors of YT:

Kevin is a terrific reporter, asked very good questions, and we had a very nice chat. Nancy Pelosi did the photo shoot, and she's excellent, too.
Have a great Labor Day weekend (I will be laboring here, working on another grant due Sept. 15! That's the science biz.)

She sent it along as YT is in sooth the photog in question, but YT did send back to her editor that Nancy Pelosi, based on her smart wardrobe, would make a fine creative type, and photojournalist.
YT was about to make a sweeping generalization about photojournalists and journalists being snappy dressers as they are image makers with keen eyes and a nose for not only news but style, but that would not be a generalization but faux fact.
YT is thinking specifically of a few Middling City television cameramen who dress rather badly. Who are also crab-asses. Who think nothing of giving a still photog a shove when you are nearing their big clunky rig on tripod weighing as much as a small SUV.

YT received a very wonderful text today, from a pal whose wife was recently photographed by YT for his viewing pleasure. I suggested an ensemble purchased at VS, to give You an idea.
They were absolutely stunning.
He said They are breathtaking.

Ever pushing pixels into the realm of the sublime, for viewing pleasure and the like.

Like the sublime, Love.

Above is an image culled from Yours Truly's vast photo archive - analog and digital - from 1990.
This is inside Crash Club, at a private party for Paragon Advertising and, in keeping with an 80s cultural sub-context, there's a Japanese theme.
Think back, if You can, to that era and one of its oddball fashion statements: t-shirts emblazoned with kanji that stated whatever, sleeveless, red and black on white. YT did not own one, having really been to Nippon and having returned with more imaginative shirts from there than those contrivances.

So, there it is, Crash Club in 1990, a private party with a Japanese theme and impresario TonyB (dear friend) is in charge of not only the club but the party's entertainment.
Enter Justy (story's dear friend number two), as The Plum Maiden and performing such for the unsuspecting revelers.
If You look closely You will spot shoulderpadis gigantius, and even a classic Mall Claw.
Justy performed this (in quotes) Dance of the Plum Maiden in slo-mo and YT recalls pondering how long he'd be able to pull off this ersatz traditional dance which seemingly had no end in sight. It ended with a flourish and the onlookers applauded and more warm sake was sipped - and sushi snarfled - by all.

So fast forward to yesterday to Justy's Roast/Stag in East Aurora at Wallenweins Hotel, a biker hang. One with a television mounted up on high in a hole for viewing from the front porch.
YT was the only invited femme and for that I was most honoured.
Justy did say that YT was to be his sole femme groomsman but his pending mother-in-law nixed that ardently.
And there in a big kapoof went my chance to be a groomsman.
YT has been a pallbearer twice, but not a groomsman - yet.
Also in attendance were the following: SteveB, dad, stepdad, bro-in-law, two uncles, and a cousin-in-law who is veep of RBR/Ani's Domain.

As it was all billed as a Roast, YT brought along this photographic likeness which was, miraculously, found amid the millions of images in a record-setting time of nine minutes.
Justy was horrified, much to my surprise and delight.
For that this image may reappear, methinks, as the envelope encasing it went missing off the table on the patio, and there were some YT-made mutterings of a t-shirt to come via my favoured cafepress.com.
Details to follow.

Plum Love.