I’ve recently launched a new website, http://tech.michaelerb.net which focuses on my web design and computer consulting business. It has always been a strong desire for me to get the “Tech” side of me online and this is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. It’s got a long way to go to be complete but every site has to start somewhere and this is where it starts for me. Let me know what you think.
Life
Halloween 2008
All the ghosts and goblins were out in my neighborhood tonight. Here are a few photos of the kids in their great costumes… I think the best costume of the night was my nephew, Logan, who dressed up as Hannah Montanna. What a hoot!
It’s for the birds
This year we started seeing Baltimore Orioles in our backyard. It’s the first time we’ve seen them. They are beautifully colored with a very distinctive song. We soon learned that Orioles like to visit the hummingbird feeder to partake of the same sugar water that Hummingbirds drink. So I bought a feeder that is specifically for Baltimore Orioles. It looks similar to a Hummingbird feeder but is a bit different in how the sugar water is “presented” to the bird. Well, the Oriole just doesn’t get it yet and continues to feed on the Hummingbird feeder. I guess I don’t really care as long as the Orioles stick around. They are so cool.
As for our Hummingbirds, they are totally amazing. It is somewhat of a miracle to me that they return every year on the same day, plus or minus a day or two. Every year! This year was no exception. We try to remember to have the hummingbird feeder outside a week or so before they are “scheduled” to return. This year we put the feeder out on May 2 and within 5 minutes there was a Hummingbird feeding at it. As if he was waiting for us…dumb humans, I’m hungry. What took you so long!
Back to my old stomping grounds
I had some work to do today for a client of mine in Ithaca. The weather was pretty nice so Linda and I decided to spend the day together in Ithaca. She walked the commons and picked up some goodies for an impromptu picnic for later in the afternoon while I was working. I finished a bit earlier than I had anticipated which enabled us to do a few extra things.
One of our first stops was at a really cool B&B called “City Lights B&B” on Mecklenberg Road. It’s a really unique place with some beautiful gardens and incredible views of Cornell University and Ithaca College. If you’re traveling to Ithaca and need a B&B for your stay, check out City Lights.
After our visit to City Lights, we headed off to Taughannock Falls. This is a great time of the year to view the falls since there is a good amount of water flowing in the Spring. The sky wasn’t very colorful but the falls were just gorgeous and I got there at a good time of day for lighting on the falls.
The day was topped off by a visit to the Cayuga Lake Creamery for the best ice-cream ever. I’m going to have to ride a lot of miles on my bike tomorrow to burn off all the calories I consumed today… but it was so totally worth it. Burp!
Here are some photos I snapped of the day…
Michael Erb on Bridge Street with Rick and Julie
This morning was my second appearance on the program “Bridge Street with Rick and Julie” which is broadcast on 9-WSYR, Syracuse.
My first appearance was back in February 2007, when I talked about unique places to get married in Central New York. This morning I had the pleasure to talk about some “out of the ordinary” places to go for family fun. It was so much fun being able to speak on television about a few of the wonderful opportunities there are in Central New York for entertaining activities.
Here is the list of the unique activities that I discussed on the show…
1. Malabar X, a beautiful schooner that sails on Seneca Lake from Seneca Day Sails in Watkins Glen.
2. Esperanza Rose, is a 65′ wooden cruising vessel that offers sightseeing tours on Keuka Lake.
3. Adirondack Scenic Railway, offers nostalgic train excursions into the Adirondack Park.
4. Harris Hill Soaring Center, offers glider rides and has a Soaring Museum in Elmira, NY.
5. Hoopes Park, has a Tuesday evening, Music and Movie night on the lawn in Auburn, NY
Here is a link to the actual video of the live broadcast.
I’ll be on Bridge Street with Rick and Julie again on July 25, 2007. See you then!
New York State Fair
It’s been a busy week for me at the NYS Fair. Busy eating too much, walking too much and eating too much. This year I bought pre-sale tickets and parking passes in order to save some bucks… you know, so I could spend it on Fair essentials like food. I had the brilliant idea of buying the advance sale parking passes so that I could park closer to the main gate. Why I was thinking this I do not know. All I do know is that when I parked at the Fair using my parking pass, I ended up being directed to the absolutely farthest away parking spot available. I think I must have walked almost a mile to get to the end of the midway, than another 1/2 mile to get to my final destination, the Dinosaur BBQ tent. But I did finally make it and immediately had a Hot Sausage with peppers and onions. Yum!
After eating that way too quickly, it quickly became apparent that I was right across from where one of my favorite street performers was scheduled to begin his show. I’m referring of course to Hilby, the Skinny,German, Juggle Boy. This guy is hilarious and has a routine that appeals to all ages. His humor is very clever and although some of his jokes will skim right over the heads of kids, adults will end up howling with laughter. If you ever get a chance to see Hilby perform, don’t miss the opportunity. Here are a couple shots of Hilby taken at the State Fair on Thursday, August 31, 2006.
After seeing Hilby, we walked a short distance to the Wine Court. It was nearing happy hour, so we decided we’d better taste a few wines and eat some cheese and crackers. After happy hour, it was a quick jaunt across the street to Chevrolet Court to see the Four Tops perform. They were just awesome. Click here to see a short movie of the Four Tops.
The show was about 40 minutes long. Every song was performed with great enthusiasm and they looked and sounded great!
When the Four Tops had finished their show and since the fair is primarily about eating (from my point of view anyway), it was off to the International Food Pavilion for some Buffalo Chicken Gyros and a large piece of Baklavah. Belive it or not, that was topped off with an Apple Dumpling a la mode. Did I share any of this with my wife? Well, a little bit and rather reluctantly. Afterwards, we slowly made our way through food alley and past the Dairy Building. Wait a minute, did I say past the Dairy Building? I actually meant we walked into the Dairy Building so I could get my 2 glasses of cold, fresh chocolate milk while my wife got a chocotale covered banana. After that (with no room left in my belly for any more food), it was time to call it a day and begin the long trek back to the car and look forward to next years NYS Fair.