New picha for ya kids

Quebec Hates Children

Quebec Hates Children
Originally uploaded by kingjoeyjr.

This sign was hilarious.

Another fun day

Started the morning with a 'continental breakfast' at the hotel, which in Quebec means smoked salmon, bacon, poached eggs, pate, fruit compotes, maple everything, etc. among other things.

Quebec looks like Europe, sometimes it's strange because you forget that this, technically, it's still America.



Spent the morning/afternoon walking around & came across the local farmer's market, where there was produce, wine, and flowers like you've never seen before. We had more poutine, desserts (I had the carrot cake) and of course wine.





Dinner was at La Grolla which is a Swiss Fondue Restuarant, which serves fondue, and Grolla, which is coffee, flambeed grain alcohol, served in a wooden pot that everyone shares. Weird yes, but good and we had a lot of laughs. Off to Montreal tomorow where we are again high rollers in our suite at the Ritz.

The trip to Canada

So the trip started out simply but interestingly. Dinner was in Manchester New Hampshire at Shorty’s Mexican roadhouse, and they sent out a fried ice cream for Mark & Scott’s b-days.

We decided we wanted booze for the hotel room so we stopped in the Hannaford to get some, and ended up buying a $35 bottle of Moet because what the hell. When we were there, we noticed the most curious thing, which was the way that the ice in the fish dept was being loaded into the cases—by gravity. Yep, they had snow machines, & the ice was snowing from the ceiling.

After driving pretty close to Vermont, we checked into the No-Tell Motel, otherwise known as the Eastgate Motor Lodge. This is a hooker hotel, as evidenced by the fact that the parking lot was full at 1am but empty at 8am.




Onward the next morning to Quebec, and we decided to take a shortcut through the countryside to avoid some traffic AAA said was there. Lunch was at this little café where I had poutine, a traditional Quebec entrée of French fries, gravy, and cheeseballs. Freaking incredible.

Interesting place this Quebec, with cities named Asbestos, and signs that seem to say “What the hell is this thing to the left?”


Today we checked into le Chateau Frontenac, a 100+ year-old hotel on the top of a hill here in Quebec. There is a special lift called the Funiculaire which takes you up the side of the mountain if you wander town to the St Laurent to check out the shops.

FYI

Clicking any of the images below will enlarge them.

Some updates

So here's a drawing I did a while ago showing what this place might look like when it was done. I think I've come pretty close, and still have some updating to do.

Some images follow in the posts below. Here's what's added:

Cubitec shelving is in the bedroom area. Cubitec is featured in the permanent collection of MOMA. It's lit with Color Kinetics, and looks pretty sweet. I'm also adding another piece of modern art, a George Nelson lamp which will hang over the dining table, pics to follow when it gets here.

We finished the kitchen, well almost. The island was covered with panels and framing to match the coffee table. Actually I had planned the island first, and just this spring Calligaris came out with a coffee table that matched EXACTLY. I think they were inside my head. Anyway I had Boulter Plywood in Somerville cut Rift Red Oak plywood to size, then finished it to match the rest of the wood in here. The framing was something I designed and sent to a routing shop to have fabricated. It came all the way from Kentucky. I then coated it with real aluminum suspended in oil. It took WEEKS to get it just right. I still have some touching up to do.

Color Kineitcs were added to the bathroom, and there are two more suprise CK installations to follow. I will take better pics of the lights, these just dont do them justice. For now, enjoy.

Some new pics tor ya kids

We got the bricks!

The masons have been hard at work putting in the PATIOS! Yes people, we may have outdoor space THIS SUMMER! Petrillo Bros are doing the job, and they are MASTERS at their trade. They rebuilt the arch on my brickwall & did a PHENOMENAL job. Everyone is glad to see they are back. I'll post pictures if I have time tonight.

I came, I saw, I Targeted

So in a clearance endcap bout of hysteria I bought some things at Target today. In an attempt to add a little warmth to the space I decided on adding some dark red. What I learned is I hate red. Oh and I don't like the color of the rug near the couch--that's goin back.

Two Years Tomorrow

Tomorrow marks the two-year anniversary of the saga. Two years and it's STILL not done.

Just a small update, not a single scrap of curbing has been put in (the email from a month ago stated that was the delay in landscaping), and the A is still on the door. I'm not sure what the delay is this time, since most of the curbing seems to be onsite.

We did get some REALLY nice plants for the lobby.

They are making progress in the 2nd building, and I'd say that they are basically at the point that my building was around the spring of 2004. If anything it's always cool watching a new building go up. I talked to a couple of the owners in that bldg and they were hoping for September of this year. They'd need a minor miracle at best.

Shot of the lights again, they are in random color mode. 

Shot of the shelves & the colorkinetics lights in them. 

New bedroom furniture/lighting on its way...

Cool sink huh? 

Bathroom. Ceiling will have colorkinetics around the cove. 

Another angle of the kitchen. The island is going to have wenge wood and aluminum under it to match the coffee table. 

To back door. Notice the giant A sanded into it? Yeah that was their way of 'fixing' the penciled 'A' on the door. They were supposed to have replaced the door. That was 3 months ago. 

Across to kitchen 

Living Room 

Full overview