From the files - Chasing the Black Cabs of Charleston

Chalmers St., Charleston, S.C.

Some of my readers may be recent enough not to know that I used to hunt the elusive Black Cabs of Charleston and take pictures of them in their tranplanted homeland. It tickled me to no end to see the British Cabs in our lowcountry.

I took so many pictures of them that the owners at that time gave me use of a cab for a morning and let me instruct the driver where to park while I jumped out to get a picture.  I steered him all the way out to Folly Beach to get my favorite shots.

I don't see the cabs as much anymore. The company was sold and I believe they are primarily used for weddings and events now. Too bad.

 

Shark Week!

Folly Beach, S.C.

I'm not sure what Shark Week is about but I dug up the only shark picture I have. Yeah Folly Beach!

PS: Yep. I made the Black Cab park there for the photo op :).

Chasing the Black Cab - King St.

King St., Charleston, S.C.

I used to chase down the British Black Cabs for photo ops but they've been scarcer lately.

I interviewed a lady from Scotland this morning and that reminded me of the photo of my dream car found in Edinburgh a couple of years ago. Yep! A Black Cab with a bottle of Corona on the side. Perfect! I can travel with a wedge of lime.

It's cold outside, kids! I'm trying to make myself go for a walk but I've been dragging on a snuggle under a warm blanket watching last night's recorded Army Wives and sniffling. Sniff.

Chasing the Black Cab - Charleston Hat Man

Broad Street, Charleston, S.C.

I haven't added to the Chasing the Black Cab series for far too long but I simply don't see as many of them around as I used to. Anyone know what the deal is? I know they aren't based at Charleston Place Hotel like they used to be but has the fleet of British Black Cabs in Charleston decreased?

Stay warm tonight, kids! My electric blanket has become my favorite appliance.

Art Walking

McCrady's Restaurant, Unity Alley, Charleston, S.C.

Artist Gina Brown is doing a Charleston series again, with most of her paintings based on my photos. I love it! Check out her painting blog to see more of the series. This particular one features two of my favorite things - good food and the adorable British style Charleston Black Cab.

Gina shows locally at Shelby Lee Gallery on Church St. just off Market so if you are in town stop by. They look even better in real life.

Okay kids, enough lolly-gagging around. Who is going walking with me?

Best of the British Black Cabs - Charleston, SC

Charleston, S.C.

I get tickled every time I see one of these British Black Taxi cabs in Charleston. The rest of the album and larger versions: here.

Why excercise won't make you thin

Hanks Seafood, Hayne St., Charleston, S.C.

I shouldn't have matched a good seafood restaurant with this entry. :) Unrelated. Unrelated.

These new studies showing that vigorous exercise doesn't help you lose weight are pretty depressing. I've been basing my whole aging strategy on eating like a little piggie and walking it off. Sigh.

Time Magazine: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin
The basic problem is that while it's true that exercise burns calories and that you must burn calories to lose weight, exercise has another effect: it can stimulate hunger. That causes us to eat more, which in turn can negate the weight-loss benefits we just accrued. Exercise, in other words, isn't necessarily helping us lose weight. It may even be making it harder.

Bummer. They admit exercise helps you stay healthy but not necessarily thinner.

I am off to get a bedtime carrot stick. Sigh.

Wednesday Funny

Charleston, S.C.

Any picture is better with a British black taxi in it!

This evening's funny is snitched from Miss Cellania.

An American tourist was walking along a London street on a windy day, when he noticed a beautiful woman walking towards him.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew the woman's dress up, to reveal that she was wearing no knickers.

The American, trying to sound as English as possible, said to the woman: "It's a bit airy, isn't it, love?"

The woman scowled and replied angrily: "What the 'ell did you expect, feathers?"

Chasing the Black Cab - Colonial Lake

Charleston Black Cab, Colonial Lake, Charleston, SC

This basket is so pretty it almost makes me want to get a bike to put it on.

Since I visited the school for the blind in Kenya I've had the urge to fill a box with harmonica's, more flutes, and music boxes etc.

Yet another bacon product. Yep. Bacon lubricant.

Happily single? Take the Quirky Alone quiz. Whoops. My score was 115 which equals: Your score was 115. Very quirkyalone: Relatives may give you quizzical looks, and so may friends, but you know in your heart of hearts that you are following your inner voice. Though you may not be romancing a single person, you are romancing the world.

When I am overseas I think that Americans work way too hard and I want to get a job renting bicycles on Folly Beach.

I bought my tenant one of these little recycled bicycles in Kenya. It was the only cool gift I found. She put it in her front window so everyone can see it.

I've been thinking about making sock monkeys wearing red dresses as a Heart Association fundraiser. Today the funniest googled search link to land people on the blog was Monkeys wear red dresses to seduce geraniums. Perfect. Now google is reading my mind.

I'll admit I only do hodge podge entries after a glass of wine. Thank you spell check.

What is everyone doing this weekend?

Chasing the Black Cab - Wentworth Mansion

Wentworth Mansion, Charleston, SC

We haven't featured a Charleston Black Cab recently so here is one before I head to my corner of the couch with a cuppa tea. This little sweetie is posing beside one of the classiest hotels in town. You can stay here if you win the lottery and invite me over for dinner. Here is a peak at the rooms inside the Wentworth Mansion.

G'night folks. Don't stay up too late.

Chasing the Black Cab - Jail

"You want me to park where, Joan?" :)))

Not a scene you see everyday. A British Black Taxi in front of the old Charleston Jail.

Chasing the Black Cab - The Citadel

The Citadel, Charleston, SC

I've been introducing my favorite Frenchman to some of my best Charleston spots on our walks. Last Saturday I showed him Charleston's own odd little piece of the Netherlands at the windmill on Plymouth Rd. in Riverland Terrace. Today we walked through Hampton Park, around the Citadel campus, peaked in the beautiful Summerall Chapel and stopped for lunch at Hominy Grill, all before he headed in for a full day of work.

I am the most boring person in restaurants. As soon as I find my favorite item on the menu I never order anything else. At Hominy Grill it is the eggplant, goat cheese and red pepper sandwich. I haven't eaten there for well over a year but my tasty little darling was just as good as I remembered. Yum. I could do a directory of my ONE chosen item at each restaurant I go to.

My friend Andre' has a new blog and is the General Manager at McCrady's, one of Charleston's top restaurants. Stop by and say hello at Out of the Kitchen.

What should be next on his lowcountry tour?

Chasing the Black Cab - McCrady's

Unity Alley, Charleston, SC

British Black Cabs improve any scene and I'm amazed that they even fit in narrow Unity alley leading to McCrady's Restaurant. General Manager Andre' Guillet, has all kinds of tricks up his sleeve for the season including a special $35 menu and a combo Theater/Dinner package, but these musical evenings caught my eye. If I could sing myself I'd be dangerous.

SUNDAYS AT MCCRADY'S
Enjoy a three-course dinner, featuring musicians and vocalists. Seating begins at 6:00 p.m. in The Long Room. $45 per person

FEBRUARY 8, 15 & 22: SERENADE FOR MY SWEETHEART
An evening to celebrate life and loved ones. Vocalists will perform some of your favorite music from South Pacific, Romeo and Juliet, and more. Featuring Robbi Kenney (violin), Lisa Gray (harp) and Norbert Lewandowski (cello).

MARCH 15, 22 & 29: LULLABY OF BROADWAY
Enjoy Broadway favorites from 42nd Street, Anything Goes, Cabaret, Crazy For You, and more. Featuring a jazz trio and vocal ensemble.

APRIL 5, 19 & 26: APRIL IN PARIS
Featuring music from Moulin Rouge, An American in Paris and more!

Hmmm. Andre' is actually a Parisian in America but we'll let that pass.

Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance

Crosstown, Charleston, SC

I include this building in our "Church Picture in Lieu of Attendance" series because the gentleman regularly maintains his religious themed mural on the building, touching it up as needed. Clearly visible to anyone crossing the Charleston peninsula I caught a bonus Charleston Black Cab in this view.

The text on the building reads, "Jesus is the only Fire Escape. No more water but by fire next time."

Faith bloggers seem to be one of the fastest growing group of bloggers. I got a kick out of this list of clues that you might be a Faith Blogger.

You might be a faith blogger if…

• if you sit in the back row of the church because that's where the wifi signal is the strongest
  
• if your sermons allow both comments and trackbacks
  
• if you tithe through a widget
  
• if you think committing the original sin is getting tempted by the latest Apple
  
• if you pray that God will allow you to upload your photo to the Lamb’s Book of Life
  
• if your prayers are less than 140 characters because thats all Twitter allows
  
• if you ever wonder why the domain of Satan doesn’t have its own URL
  
• if you think Jesus’ command to Peter to “Feed my sheep” was to allow RSS syndication
  
• if you think streams in the desert is a blog from Las Vegas
  
  . . . then you just might be a faith-blogger!

Chasing the Black Cab

Ken. Charleston Black Cab, North Market St., Charleston, SC

It's time to introduce the first Charleston British Cab to the daily photo site.

I hope everyone is having a good day. I painted about half my porch spindles this morning because my old house is held together by 160 years of thick paint and needs regular reinforcement or it starts to fall apart. I washed off some of my paint streaks before I met a friend for lunch at Blossom and then slipped in a few shops on my walk back on King St. to see if things were reduced to free yet. I am liking this day off thing very much.