Happy New Year 2010!

I wish to thank y'all for being always around me, watching my work, and most of all, supporting my work with your kind comments!
Best wishes for 2010!
Happy New Year!

Nickajack Lake

It was really early in the morning when I stopped here to take several shots... Nickajack Lake is located in Tennessee, off I-24, about 20 miles west of Chattanooga, TN.

Today's joke:

A very old man lay dying in his bed. In death's doorway, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cookie wafting up the stairs.
He gathered his remaining strength and lifted himself from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort forced himself down the stairs, gripping the railing with both hands.
With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen. Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven.
There, spread out on newspapers on the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favorite chocolate chip cookies.
Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted wife, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?
Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself toward the table. The aged and withered hand, shaking, made its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when he was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife.
"Stay out of those," she said. "They're for the funeral.

Musicar

I met the guy somewhere near Abilene, TX. He was going to some weird cars show, well, he told me that show's real name, but I simply don't remember it. And no, there are no manipulations on this image!

And speaking about cars, did you know that the words "race car" spelled backward spells "race car"? :D

Today's joke:

If you've ever worked for a boss who reacts before getting the facts and thinking things through, you will love this!

Arcelor-Mittal Steel, feeling it was time for a shake up, hired a new CEO. The new boss was determined to rid the company of all slackers. On a tour of the facilities, the CEO noticed a guy leaning against a wall. The room was full of workers and he wanted to let them know that he meant business. He asked the guy, "How much money do you make a week?"

A little surprised, the young man looked at him and said, "I make $400 a week. Why?"
The CEO said, "Wait right here." He walked back to his office, came back in two minutes, and handed the guy $1,600 in cash and said, "Here's four weeks' pay. Now GET OUT and don't come back."

Feeling pretty good about himself, the CEO looked around the room and asked, "Does anyone want to tell me what that goof-ball did here?" From across the room a voice said, "Pizza delivery guy from Domino's."

Am I cool or am I cool?

He was outside that cold night, just like me... me because I was smoking (No smoking allowed inside), and he because he was dog (No pets allowed inside). But don't worry, he had his place inside the garage, where it was as warm as inside the house. So, while having my smoke, I took some shots of this cute puppy, and here's one of 'em!

Galleria

Last night I went to downtown in Houston, looking for the traditional Christmas lights decorations, but seriously, the downtown was looking more like an abandoned city than a city on Christmas. Just a very few walkers, some more homeless dudes, and that's it! Then my brother proposed Galleria, a town next to Houston, a place where he said is inhabited by rich people and for sure the City Hall spent more money to put some Christmas decorations on streets. And he was right!

And a joke for the cold season!

Did you hear about the two blondes who froze to death in a drive-in movie?
They had gone to see "Closed for the Winter"!

Christianity

An important moment in everyone's life: the baptizing day. So it was here, in the City of Alba Iulia, the daughter of a good friend of mine getting baptized.

Merry Christmas!

To all my friends, "followers" and everyone who opens this page, I wish y'all a Merry Christmas!

Pink'n'blu

Have y'all a pleasant weekend!

Santa Comes To School

I took this shot tonight at a school from the neighborhood...

Hermannstadt

Hermannstadt is the old name of the City of Sibiu, Romania. The first official record referring to the Sibiu area comes from 1191, when Pope Celestine III confirmed the existence of the free prepositure of the German settlers in Transylvania, the prepositure having its headquarters in Sibiu, named Cibinium at that time, later becoming Hermanstadt. It was probably built near a Roman settlement, that's why the name of Cibinium

Holsten

Actually the place is called PUB 13 and it is located inside the historical fortress of Alba Iulia, Romania

Forza Dynamo!

This is a mixture of some shots, including the Dynamo Girl (she's a cheerleader), taken last summer at Robertson Stadium...

Today's joke:

An Irishman goes into the confessional box after years of being away from the Church.
There's a fully equipped bar with Guinness on tap. On the other wall is a dazzling array of the finest cigars and chocolates. Then the priest comes in.
"Father, forgive me, for it's been a very long time since I've been to confession, but I must first admit that the confessional box is much more inviting than it used to be."
The priest replies:
"Get out. You're in my side!"

Christmas time

Even if there are ten more days til this major event, it seems that everybody is ready for it!
Shot taken in the City of Sibiu (Romania) in December '07

Have a candy!

Actually they're bubble gum!
Shot taken tonight at Almeda Mall in Houston, TX

Crowded bridges

Shot taken on I-10 in Louisiana, on the Basin Bridge.

Sleeping Bootsy

Boots taking a nap under the Christmas Tree

Flight of the Navigator

Another shot of the "frozen" egret. She took off when I tried to get closer for a better shot...

Solitude

An image from the Galveston Bay.
Not too many boaters at water, for sure due to the cold weather...

Freezing

It was sunny, but freezing... it was the next day after those two inches of fallen snow in Houston...
Shot taken on Dec. 5th in Shoreacres, TX

Today's joke... well, it has to be a joke! Just got it from a friend... a Chicagoan friend...

John Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock
(MADE IN JAPAN)
for 6 am. While his coffeepot
(MADE IN CHINA)
was perking, he shaved with his electric razor
(MADE IN HONG KONG)
he put on a dress shirt
(MADE IN SRI LANKA)
designer jeans
(MADE IN SINGAPORE)
and tennis shoes
(MADE IN KOREA)
After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet
(MADE IN INDIA)
he sat down with his calculator
(MADE IN MEXICO)
to see how much he could spend today.
After setting his watch
(MADE IN TAIWAN)
to the radio
(MADE IN INDIA)
he got in his car
(MADE IN GERMANY)
filled it with GAS
(from Saudi Arabia )
and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB.
At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day checking his Computer
(MADE in MALAYSIA)
, John decided to relax for a while. He put on his sandals
(MADE IN BRAZIL)
, poured himself a glass of wine
(MADE IN FRANCE)
and turned on his TV
(MADE IN INDONESIA)
, and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job in AMERICA
AND NOW HE'S HOPING HE CAN GET HELP FROM A PRESIDENT
(MADE IN KENYA)

Winter knocked at the door

No, this image isn't from Houston, but it's snowing! You can see some pics from Houston that I took this morning at http://bdintrainactiune.blogspot.com/2009/12/raritati-texane.html

Dreaming of Springtime

Every day is getting colder and colder, even right here in Houston. The meteorologist promised us some white stuff for tomorrow... I just hope he is wrong!

Today's joke:

The teacher asks the first graders what do they know about medication, if they know some drugs and what are they for.
First one to answer is Tommy. He says "Advil".
- Excellent, Tommy! says the teacher. Do you know what's that for?
- For cold and headache, answers the kid.
- Very good, Tommy! how about you, Mike? continues the teacher.
- Robitussin, says Mike.
- Good choice, Mike! And what's that for?
- For cough, answers Mike.
- Very good, Mike! says the teacher again. How about you, Johnny?
- Viagra, says little Johnny.
- Gosh, says the teacher, you amaze me, Johnny! Where in the world did you hear about this and if you mentioned it, what's that for?
- It's for diarrhea!
- Johnny, who told you it is for that?
- I heard my mom telling my father "why don't you get a Viagra, maybe that piece of s*it will harden!

Rametz Monastery

The front entrance of the new church



The old church

The monastery is located in the proximity of village of Rametz, Alba County, Romania (about 20 km off the State Route 1 from the city of Teius), in the Rametz Gorges, by the Stremt River (Trascau Mountains). The Rametz Gorges are extremely narrow, with steep walls. The region was declared natural reservation.

Today's joke:

An elderly Italian man who lived on the outskirts of Rimini (Italy, of course!), went to the local church for confession. When the priest slid open the panel in the confessional, the man said:
"Father.. During World War II, a beautiful Jewish woman from our neighborhood knocked urgently on my door and asked me to hide her from the Nazis So I hid her in my attic."
The priest replied: "That was a wonderful thing you did, and you have no need to confess that."
"There is more to tell, Father.. She started to repay me with sexual favors. This happened several times a week, and sometimes twice on Sundays."
The priest said:
"That was a long time ago and by doing what you did, you placed the two of you in great danger, but two people under those circumstances can easily succumb to the weakness of the flesh. However, if you are truly sorry for your actions, you are indeed forgiven."
"Thank you, Father. That's a great load off my mind. I do have one more question."
"And what is that?" asked the priest.
"Should I tell her the war is over?''

La multi ani, Romania!

Romanian and EU flags



Romanian map in 1918



Military parade on December 1st

Today is the Romania's National Day! It used to be May 10th while Romania was a kingdom, then the communists changed it to August 23rd, the day when they seized the power and turned against Nazis, and finally after the fall of communism, the gov't changed it to December 1st, the day when back in 1918 the missing part of Romania, Transylvania, became once again part of Romania.

No honey bunny

Yes, I know... the winter is near! But not in southern Texas!

Today's joke:

A lawyer boarded an airplane in New Orleans with a box of frozen crabs and asked a blonde flight attendant to take care of them for him. She took the box and promised to put it in the crew's refrigerator. He advised her that he was holding her personally responsible for them staying frozen, mentioning in a very haughty manner that he was a lawyer, and proceeded to rant at her about what would happen if she let them thaw out. Needless to say, she was annoyed by his behavior. Shortly before landing in New York, she used the intercom to announce to the entire cabin:
"Would the gentleman who gave me the crabs in New Orleans please raise your hand?"
Not one hand went up ... so she took them home and ate them.

Two lessons here:

1. Lawyers aren't as smart as they think they are.
2. Blondes aren't as dumb as most folks think

Orchids

Hope you gonna like this one too... :D

Red Rose of Texas

Dedicated to everyone who visits this blog! I know, some of you will say "hey, it's supposed to be yellow rose of Texas", but this is it, it's red and it's from Texas!

Today's joke:

Three retirees, each with a hearing loss, were playing golf one fine March day.
One remarked to the other:
"Windy, isn't it?"
"No," the second man replied, "it's Thursday..."
And the third man chimed in:
"So am I. Let's have a beer."

Chrysanthemum

Seasonal shot...

Today's joke:

Two neighbors were having a conversation:
- John, may I use your lawnmower?
- Sure, as long as you don't take it out of my backyard!

Before fall comes

Shot taken two months ago... and of course, postworked!

Foggy Morning...

...in Virginia

Today's joke:

A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game. They had great seats right behind the bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.
"Oh, I really liked it," she said, "especially the really tight pants and all of the big muscles, but I just couldn't understand why they were killing each other for 25 cents."
Dumbfounded, her date asked:
"What on earth do you mean?"
"Well, I saw them flip a coin and one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was: "Get the quarter back! Get the quarter back!"

Have a cup o'coffee!

...on route 77!

Virginia Sunset

Shot taken near the city of Strasburg, VA.

Today's joke:

A guy goes to the Government to interview for a job. The interviewer asks him:
"Are you a veteran?"
The guy says:
"Why yes, in fact, I served two tours inVietnam."
"Good", says the interviewer, "That counts in your favor. Do you have any service-related disabilities?"
The guy says:
"In fact I am 100% disabled. During a battle, an explosion removed my private parts so they declared me disabled, it doesn't affect my ability to work, though."
"Sorry to hear about the damage, but I have some good news for you, I can hire you right now! Our working hours are 8 to 4. Come on in about 10, and we'll get you started."
The guy says:
"If working hours are from 8 to 4, why do you want me to come at 10?"
"Well, here at the government, we don't do anything but sit around and scratch our balls for the first two hours. No point of your coming in for that"

Louisiana Swamps

Shot taken from the Basin Bridge

Winterized

The winter is near...

(Shot taken in Arieseni, RO)

Twilight in New Mexico

A shot before dark in New Mexico...

Arizona (part II)

More images from Arizona! The shots with the gigantic boulders are from Texas Canyon area (yeah, it's called "Texas" but it's still in Arizona!)...

Arizona

Some images from my recent trip to Arizona

Sunset

Evening colors in Houston, TX

Detroit

I took this shot from Windsor (Ontario), the only place where you can get a real good view over Detroit downtown.

Today's joke:

There were two golfers on the golf course. One of the men pulled out a cigarette, and asked his friend for a light. His friend pulls out a 12 inch Bic lighter.
- "Woah, where did you get such a large Bic?"
- "Oh, my genie got it for me."
- "Your genie? You have a genie? Where is he?"
- "He is in my golf bag."
- "Can I see him?"
So the friend looks in the bag and out comes the genie. The man says to the genie; "I am your master's best friend. Would you grant me just one wish?"
The genie says "yes, just one wish". So the man wishes for a million bucks. The genie goes back in the golf bag without saying a word. Pretty soon, the sky starts to get dark. Then it gets even darker. The man looks up and sees a million ducks. He gets real upset, and says:
- Wwhat is the matter with your genie? Is he hard of hearing? I said a million Bucks, not a million Ducks."
- "Do you really think I asked for a 12 inch Bic?"

Living under snow

Winter is near, so be prepared for the worse!
About this shot, it was taken in the village of Arieseni, Romania. As I mentioned in some of my previous posts, that's a very beautiful area for those who love winter games, winter views and fresh but cold air!

Today's joke:

25 signs you've grown up:
Your house plants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them.
Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question.
You keep more food than beer in the fridge.
6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.
You hear your favorite song on an elevator.
You watch the Weather Channel.
Your friends marry and divorce instead of hook up and break up.
You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14.
Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as "dressed up."
You're the one calling the police because those damn kids next door won't turn down the stereo.
Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.
You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.
Your car insurance goes down and your payments go up.
You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonalds leftovers.
Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.
You no longer take naps from noon to 6 PM.
Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.
Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach.
You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests.
A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good stuff."
You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.
"I just can't drink the way I used to," replaces, "I'm never going to drink that much again."
90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.
You no longer drink at home to save money before going to a bar.
You read this entire list looking desperately for one sign that doesn't apply to you!!!