Note: So, I just wrote this post for Thematic Photographic, only to realize I posted a photo relating to Carmi's Wordless Wednesday , and not this week's actual theme, which is patterns. 

I thought this week's Thematic Photographic subject was 'vanishing,' and far be it from me to ditch a perfectly good post just because it has nothing to do with anything. 

I was so impressed with 'vanishing' as a theme, too. A wide-open theme like this leaves plenty of room for interpretation, but I immediately decided to cull my UrbEx set on flickr, and this shot was an easy pick as my official entry:

South Campus, Northampton State Hospital , Northampton, Mass. - Nikon D70, 18 - 70 Nikkor lens; desaturated with Microsoft Digital Image Editor 

The South campus of Northampton State Hospital, a Kirkbride hospital, is the only major building left on the site that once housed patients. A small building called Haskell still stands across the street that was used for geriatric patients, but the main building known for its experimental treatments and utter creepiness has been leveled, leaving the South Campus to serve as the largest reminder of days gone by. The property is being redeveloped as condos and commercial space, primarily, and soon, the South Campus will be gone, too. Inside, the hallways are wide and the rooms are small cells with barred windows and metal doors - all hallmarks of the Kirkbride design. As such, it's virtually impossible to reuse the building for any other reason.

 Knots, Nikon D70, 18 - 70 Nikkor lens

Congratulations to Andi and Bryan on the birth of their new daughter, Charlie!

I received their birth announcement today, designed and made by Andi herself, an artist and designer by blood and an editor at a very well-known private college in Cambridge, Mass. by trade. The announcements even included custom stickers directing friends and family to Andi and Bry's Web site:

I'm forever impressed by the creativity of my friends.

Other than laundry and the guilty pleasure of Lifetime's Fallen Angels Week, I did very little this weekend - just regrouped from a long week at the full-time gig and reveled in the fact that I don't currently have a freelance deadline looming over my head.

The highlight of the weekend was dinner at Spoletos, though - a Sunday al fresco experience with four-courses and the subsequent pant-splitting feeling.

Spoletos is a contemporary Italian/Mediterranean place around the corner from my house that has great decor, a patio, creative food, and an awesome wine list. They also do this four-course prix fixe menu that saves cash while at the same time putting a ridiculous amount of food in front of you.

Starting with cocktails...

a bruschetta duo that was sort of a greek/italian combo...

stuffed garlic bread, a personal fave...

grilled chicken chevre with garlic, prosciutto, sundried tomatoes, and mashed potatoes...

pork chops and carmelized apples with yams

dessert was rum raisin pudding and chocolate mousse. I'll be eating tap water and air for the next three days to offset the caloric intake.

A few weeks ago, Vanessa at Random Ramblings started a Postcard Round Robin on TSB, and  a few bloggers started exchanging snail mail with each other. Today, mixed in with the bills and the PennySaver, I got my first postcard from Vanessa herself - one she picked up while in San Fran, at this year's BlogHer.

I sent my card to her earlier this week, so I hope she gets it soon - unlike V, I was not so smart as to afix a return address label, so if the 41-cent stamp that's no good for a real letter anymore comes loose (I pried it off a pre-stamped envelope I had in my office, I'm not going to lie), I'm screwed.

It's cool to step out of the blogosphere every now and again, especially when making connections with new people. And postcards are fun - they're sort of the early version of Twitter, and make for good collectibles. I have a collection of post- and art-cards that once graced the kitchen cabinets at my old apartment, and now are taped up in various places around my desk. I pick them up on trips and from museums and stores, and some were sent to me by friends and family.

On the sending end, making sure I send a postcard to my niece has been an important part of every vacation or press trip for me for years. This tradition started with my older sister, her mom, who always sent a postcard home to me while on her travels. Now, I have two nieces, and as such two people to make sure receive a little greeting when I'm away.

Thanks for adding to the tradition, V! Looking forward to adding to the collection...

This is my first foray into Thematic Photographic, a weekly, themed photo-post I found at written inc. , via the smarmoofus spot.

This week's theme is 'signs,' which I was particularly excited about because signs, strange and otherwise, are one of my favorite things to shoot. I skimmed my submissions in the 'Signs of the Times ' group on flickr, and decided to go with this one:

Stumble and Hop, Dublin, Ireland, 2005 -- 35 mm capture/ Nikon N90 / 28 - 200 Tamron lens 

I've always thought it was a riot, right down to the cup abandoned on the cobblestone in the lower right-hand corner. Still, according to flickr, it has only been viewed four times - so I thought it was time to give it a little showcase.The photo was taken, obviously, at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, Ireland, and the 'drunk' is fellow writer and e.e. cummings fan George Houde.

* - yeah, it's an Ace of Base reference.