The Blue Streetcar Bus Ride

 

While waiting near Lexington and Camden, I decided it was too hot for the Park or Jeep, so I hit up the VIA Streetcar Blue Route, for a ride around town.
The Streetcars are a nice lil vintage trolley like ride, even though you feel like a tourist and the shocks are like riding in a tank! The Blue Route, for $1.20 gets you a nice long loop around town, down Flores and thru King William, Hemisfair and back around to the Alamo.

On boarding at Camden and Lexington, the bus remained empty , except for one passenger. Once it hit the King William area, it loads up for the Alamo Hemisfair destination and then empties out again before hitting Martin. The Via Metropolitan Transit drivers get in a tunnel vision mode, just taking the same route and my driver was very quiet the entire ride. I say the streetcars should have music or included information about the city. But having a talking tour guide or running audio would be annoying.

The cons here are the limited air conditioning and you cant bring on bikes. They cater largely to walking tourist traffic and curb appeal. I seem to recall in the early years, they were open streetcars, but I may be wrong. The ride would be very hot that way, but somehow seems more reflective of a south Texas city. The Via Metro planners, and powers that be, are revamping and modernizing the routes for the Streetcars. I hope they include the east side of downtown. I hope they will include more of the money toward improvement, rather than adding too many routes. I mention this because i do see the streetcars empty alot of the time, during the week. The vintage feel of the old style wood seats and trolley feel is appealing, but could use some magnetism and modernizing!  
VIA STREETCAR ROUTES: http://www.viainfo.net/busservice/streetcarmap.aspx

I hope to ride the newer Primo bus soon, with interior bike racks, wifi and fast service routes!  The streetcars are nice for a quick ride around downtown when you are on foot, without too much crowding or traffic.

Full Album of the Blue Streetcar Ride: 

Cooksterz, the rolling photographer, shoots photos and micro blogs through postings on Google+ Cooksterz on Google+
I just felt like blogging again. The unplanned bus ride to escape the heat, was a good place to start today.

 
 

Ugly Doll Month - Señor Caliente

Señor Caliente the Pepper - Doll #3

 

 A purple hot pepper does exist in nature. The purple "capsicum annuum." But this one exists because of my lack of green and red scraps. There are many crocheted Hot Peppers out there, mostly red and some with sombreros.  Señor Caliente Prefers his unique color and natural stemmed head. The stem was freehand single crochet, ending with some small bobble stitches along the crooked edge. His lidded eyes are a bit Oscar the Grouch style. My thought, if not for scrap shortage, was to make a "Salsa Trio" - including Señor Caliente the Pepper, Tito the Tomato, and Orlando the Onion. So Señor Caliente stands alone and proud. He is still crispy and perfect to slice up for some authentic Picadillo tacos. :D 

Hola! Me Llamo Señor Caliente


 Color, wasn't his strong suit. The heat of his latino personality really defined Señor Caliente. Preferring to sit along the veranda and listen to far away accordian and acoustic guitars, he knew someday he would be a spicy dish of composition himself, so he lived a happy daily life, though he dreamed of being a heroic bandit. Then one day whilst soaking up the sun and sipping Margaritas with his green Compadres, the shadow of a big cutting board came into his vision. There was no need to squirm, he accepted it bravely. It was his time. The time for Caliente to show his true flavor. Reciting the famous last words of Pancho Villa, he murmured... "Dont let it end like this. Tell them i said something."

Ugly Doll Month - Tootie "Two-Lips" Johnson

"Tootie Two-Lips Johnson" Doll #2

Another Tuesday, another creepy little doll. Freehand using ovals rounds,, basic single crochet arms, square shaped (a little overstuffed) legs and curly antenna hair/head features. The center oval with the blue stripe, is her "console", or a place for inserting her card media. I laugh because the feedback I initially received from RL friends, was that the console looked somewhat sexual. Then all the bad jokes started like.... "Everyone needs a lil Johnson in Two-Lips" lmao and "I bet that Johnson would fit in her slot", and so on. I bite my blogger finger here and resist saying all the other sexually related quips. They were hilarious and caused a snorting laugh episode. I'll still maintain that It's her "console", because she is a bit robotical, yet has a Rotund body. I think it may be her short legs. They don't allow her to walk easily, or ride her bike often enough!

"Tootie Two-Lips Johnson"
Latent technology did not stop Tootie Two-Lips from carrying out her basic functions. C:\DISKCOPY She could still process SD cards and mini diskettes as required by her employers. Her console was dusty but operative. Preferring hearty meat stew and plum jams, over keeping her processors clean, caused some blockage in her system variables. Yes, Tootie was a bit rotund, but her spirit was as free as government cheese and her lips as sweet as 8gig of RAM.

Ugly Doll Month - Messy Mel the Grimacer

Something about my scraps, and boredom, inspired me to make a few freaky ugly dolls this month. The first was completed a few days ago.

"Messy Mel the Grimacer" Doll #1
I did not write out the pattern here. Home spun Yarn for body and hair. It is a simple tube shape, continuous dc. Using Curly q's for the mouth, pom pom for nose and some Nubbie rounds, buttons for the eyes. The homespun yarn gave him a curly hair look. I debated teasing the hair. Took off a string bow and added a smart lil stove pipe style hat! I hope the next doll can measure up to Mel, whose personality I took a shine to. (For Doll #2 : Working on a rotund, but somewhat robotic, version of a female doll.)


"Messy Mel the Grimacer"
Mel was a man about town. The unkempt style was something he wore well while pedaling the city streets, artfully selling umbrellas and the occasional shoeshine. His lack of limbs did not thwart his enthusiasm. His grumpy disposition came from the hurtful comments and bullying, by those with greater ambulatory means.