Posts Tagged ‘The T’
Bored in Bridgeville
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One of my ‘day in the life’ style of postings greets you today, wherein a humble narrator was going about his own domestic and quite mundane business, on a Saturday, when he decided to fruitlessly wave the camera around a bit.
Pictured above; a memento of yet another annoying interval spent along a certain set of Wheeling & Lake Erie RR tracks, in the Bridgeville section of Pittsburgh, that is commemorated photographically.
I’ll get this shot, eventually.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The Newtown Pentacle time warp continues to flux, as a note, with these photos having been gathered on the 5th of September, and the post itself was written during the third week of the same month. If my scheduling is correct, you’re seeing this in late October.
One has been keeping busy, despite this chronal fog.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As you’ll see in subsequent posts, I’ve finally surpassed the ten mile walking barrier, a limitation which the broken ankle had introduced into my life. It’s been a deal, I tell you…
Starting with the penguin style walking, when I could barely manage two or three miles of scuttle without agony, I kept on pushing until the five mile barrier was surpassed via weeks and weeks of walking downhill courses, which helped regenerate the atrophied musculature in my legs.
All summer long, I was working on endurance and distance, while capturing thousands of fetching photos along the way. It’s been a shvitz.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After handling the various household errands which Our Lady and I were obliged towards the performance of, with said tasks having brought me out to Bridgeville, after heading back to HQ we met up with a few neighbors for a beer back in Dormont, and then galavanted over to a local restaurant for some comfort food.
Gyros, before ‘George the Atheist’ asks. Gyros.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Shlepping back home, and towards Moe the Dog, we spotted the T Light Rail, arriving at the Potomac Avenue stop here in Dormont. As is my habit, the camera was deployed and a few shots captured.
The next day was going to be an ‘exercise day,’ wherein I’d earn the calories from the beer and that gyro, and in spades.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’ve spent the last four years here in Pittsburgh observing, learning, and reading. Keeping my mouth shut. For those who know me in real life, the not talking thing must be surprising. It surprises me.
‘Shut up and listen’ is what I’m trying to achieve these days.
One has developed a decidedly surface level understanding of this place, and its mores. I can see under Pittsburgh’s skin here and there, now, as well. I’m still developing ‘intimacy’ with this place.
I also can’t seem to figure out a good time of day to get that shot at the railroad tracks in Bridgeville, so there’s still a distance to surmount.
Back tomorrow with something different – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
All you kids, say ‘Hey Now’
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
These locomotive shots were gathered during various summer outings in Pittsburgh, and likely captured sometime around the end of July or early August. Mostly during short walks that I was taking here and there, or while waiting for something else to happen and killing some time.
On CSX’s tracks, along the southern shore of the Monongahela River, I spotted a BNSF train set – which is extraordinary to my experience in Pittsburgh.
Normally, you just see CSX blue and gold rolling through here.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A Norfolk Southern unit, seen from the same South Side Flats area as the BNSF train above, but transiting on an elevated trestle along the face of Mount Washington. The ramps surrounding it are vehicular roadways, specifically the PJ McArdle Roadway at the top and Sycamore Street directly above the train.
The business of life finds me visiting many sections of the city, not just the areas where which I particularly like waving the camera about, such as here on the South Side.
When I’m out for walk, however, I like scenery.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Over on the north side, during one of those walks in the Manchester/Chateau neighborhood, this Norfolk Southern unit seemed to just be aching for something to do.
You’ll often see a double engine like this just sitting there idling at rail yards, with this one dubbed as being the Island Avenue Yard.
It was difficult angle to shoot from, over fences and through surveyor holes, so a move was busted and I found a better POV.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There we are.
I wasn’t satisfied yet, and so began scuttling South. Towards Allegheny Commons Park, and that cool rail trench it hosts.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now!
These shots were captured during that brutally hot interval at the end of July. and the beginning of August. Was not fun being out, and especially not so with the burning thermonuclear eye of god itself staring at my back. Always keep the light source behind you, or just to the side…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Not going to lie, this T light rail shot was captured in the same session as the BNSF one at the top, but it does illustrate my mass transit journey back to HQ.
Back tomorrow with something different – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Three ‘Hey Now’s!’ and done
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Near the end of a fairly long effort, and your humble narrator got to shout ‘Hey Now!’ Once again when CSX #6919 appeared, heading westerly back towards McKees Rocks where I had spent the first half of the day.
My suffering is now non localized, I’d mention. This time last year, my gamey left ankle would have been demanding attention. Now, it’s just the body wide after effect of six months of sitting followed by a year of rehabilitation all focused on that ankle.
The rest of the physical firmament has turned to jelly, and these longer walks I’m involving myself with are designed to increase endurance time. All of the more discrete musculatures involved with walking, in my back in particular, need to be hardened back up.
The immediate goal is to make walking twenty miles with a thirty pound pack hanging off of me ‘normal’ again. Truth be told, can’t currently pull that off. I’m getting fatigued, and my back cramps up, at ten miles.
Upwards and onwards, however, I’ll get there and be glad I did when I do.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
In the meantime, it’s just suffering. Push on, don’t give up, just another thousand steps, go. Luckily, the idea of an icy cold beer motivates. I made it to the brewery, inspected the porcelain, and then ordered myself a single ale and took up position outside while quaffing. My feet were sore, from all the flexing and slapping against the pavement.
I didn’t have to wait too long.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now! CSX #3272 thundered past just as I was swallowing the ‘backwash’ gulp at the bottom of my glass. That’s it, I thought, and resolved to start heading back to HQ. Returned the glass within, straightened out my various straps and pouches, checked the various settings on the camera, and headed towards the T light rail.
Turns out I wasn’t quite done yet.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
CSX #830 appeared, heading easterly. Y’know, I lost count of all the trains I saw this on this particular walk. Hey Now!
That was literally it, for me.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It’s about a ten minute walk to get over to the Station Square T stop, and I just cannot resist cracking out a shot of the Liberty Bridge overflying that concrete factory down there. Can’t do it.
I seem to recall being a sweaty mess during this part of the day.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
At Station Square, a Red Line T was boarded.
It’s funny, I’ve heard the locals and even people who work for the service refer to it as ‘The Trolley’ several times. Always bothers me, for some reason.
Back tomorrow with something different – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Scuttling, diagonally
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As described yesterday, your humble narrator was out for a short walk.
Not an exodus, nor a crossing of some hostile desert, this time around it was all familiar territory.
One was loathsomely scuttling down the diagonally cantilevered PJ McArdle roadway, here on the face of Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington. I’ve walked this way several times over the last few years.
That’s the Monongahela Incline, pictured. It’s a funicular railway.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Every now and again, one needs to relax a bit, take it easy. Ruminate.
I’ve really been getting around, in the last six months in particular.
A lot of attention has been paid to Pittsburgh’s North Side in the last six months, and to several other ‘zones’ around the city which I have some sort of intellectual interest in. Troy Hill, East Liberty, East Street Valley, Perry Hilltop and the Swindell Bridge, Skunk Hollow, Brighton Heights, lots of new and novel sights for me.
This scuttle was a bit more like visiting a relative’s house, I’d venture.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My day was abbreviated, due to an incoming weather system promising to bring thunderstorms and tornadic warnings to the area. It was quite a nice day at the time I was out and about, climatological wise, otherwise.
Happily, I was wearing a new pair of Merrell hiking boots, after discovering that I had ground my older pair’s soles down to flat.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Speaking of flat, when I got down to Carson Street, the Via Majorica of the South Side Flats section – a wrecker towing a bus was observed. I whipped the camera forward, and the two guys driving the thing saw me and started vamping for the shot. Sweet.
Me? I wanted to go shoot a picture of a train and also drink a beer.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now! CSX #3346 shot through the usual spot and satisfied my urge. I had a singular glass of suds, and then walked back towards the T light rail which is about a half mile or so away from this spot.
All told, maybe three miles in total, if we’re stretching it.
Specific ‘leg work’ for the day involved hyperextension of, and stretching the tendons, leading into and out of my ‘bad’ ankle joint while walking downhill. Accomplished mainly via a series of walking postures.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally, a ride back to HQ in Dormont on the T light rail, and yet another happy reconciliation with a dog named Moe, and a woman called ‘Our Lady of the Pentacle.’
Back tomorrow with something different.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
‘Effin around on West Liberty
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Is there no one on this planet who can even challenge me?
General Zod said that in the second of the Christopher Reeves Superman movies, and I find myself repeating it periodically.
Every now and again, one of these native born Appalachian people decides they’re trying to get one over on me, thinking that I’m dumb or facile enough to allow it. It’s usually a clerk of some kind.
I have one sentence to offer in response – I’m from Brooklyn, yo, don’t piss on my feet and tell me it’s raining.
A minor business dispute at the customer services desk of my local car mechanic spun wildly out of proportion recently, for instance. Somebody in their employ randomly tried to inflict their will upon me, which caused me to have to ‘react.’
You never, ever, want to see me to start ‘reacting’ to something. There’s a small army of environmental regulators and politicians back in NYC and especially so at Newtown Creek who can tell you that.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Long story short, a minor ‘recall/repair’ was applied to the car a couple of years back. Known issue, manufacturing defect, easy peasy fix if you’ve got the replacement part. Said replacement part began to degrade over time during the last 24 months, and I mentioned my problem with it to the mechanics desk when I came in for an oil change. The person I was talking to got hostile about it, and quick.
This kicked off almost a month of back and forth’s, and a great deal of wasted time for me. These shots were gathered during my most recent encounter in this skirmish, when the car was at the mechanic for appointment number three.
After gathering these shots, since I hadn’t heard from the mechanic since dropping the car off, I decided to call them and ask for a status.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
First, I was accused of trying to defraud Toyota since the clerk didn’t bother looking up my car’s warrantee in her system. Started purposely mangling my name during the conversation – called me ‘Which Maxwell,’ ‘Max Wishman,’ and a few others.
Then she decided to randomly try to charge me $300 just to have a mechanic examine the issue that I had described. Under my breath, I murmured ‘eff off, and she hung up on me.
What this person’s mistake ultimately came down to was in not understanding what it was she was dealing with. I got back to the dealership, collected my keys, and then proceeded over to the side of the facility where they do the office work. I do not back off when I’m in the right. Period. Don’t start a fight, but finish it, that’s me.
Two hours later, and I’m waiting to see the GM of the dealership. Couldn’t see me in person, but we spoke on the phone later on in the day and worked things out.
He chided me for using ‘blue language’ with a woman, to which I responded that ‘I don’t modulate my behavior towards Toyota employees based on their gender or sexual identity,’ and that as a guy from NYC – cussing is a cultural thing for me. He said that ‘here in Pittsburgh, gentlemen speak properly to women.’ I apologized for my cuss, and didn’t go after his sexism, all of which seemed appropriate to do. Sometimes you need to give them a little ground in an argument, before pressing your point.
Pfah.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This whole encounter just pissed me off, mainly because of all my time that was wasted with no mechanical result on the problem I was having with the car.
Suffice to say that I allowed exactly 48 hours from the phone conversation with the dealership’s GM to pass, then left him a message asking if he’d been able to find a resolution to my problem.
Son of a gun if the person who had randomly caused all this derision, and wasted the time of both customer and dealership with three separate maintenance appointments, didn’t cheerfully call me up to schedule an appointment for the dealership to ‘make good’ on the issue. I was also told, happily, that she had found my warrantee in the system, and called me ‘Mister Waxman.’
All General Zod ever wanted was respect, and what was best for his people.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This person at the dealership’s receiving desk was acting towards me like a bully. When I was a little kid, I had to ‘take it’ from this type of person. As an adult, however, this sort of behavior is unsafe at any speed to perpetrate, around me at least. Can’t abide it.
One of my beliefs is that if you are ‘strong,’ psychologically speaking, and you encounter a bully you must knock them back. If they’re trying to do this stuff to you, it’s a guarantee that they’re doing to others who aren’t as capable of standing up to it as you are. You owe it to society.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
They really don’t see it coming, with me deep in the conflagrations of middle age. The gray hair disguises it, I guess. I must look like a pushover.
Heh.
Back tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
