An evening shot of the State Capital building looking west on Market Street taken very recently from high on the steps of the Monument a couple blocks away. I thought the Dome looked especially interesting, all lit-up for the season…and the lights on Market Street give things a nice glow.
Here’s another view below taken in May earlier this year. Obviously a little closer and from a different angle taken from street level. A great looking building huh?
I stopped in the Indianapolis Museum of Art for a few minutes recently. That’s where this shot of the lamppost came from. A number of these streetlights line the roads there. The museum grounds look really nice this time of year. I was showing a home that was very close-by to a customer and came in to look around afterwards. I had a little time before another appointment later on. To me that’s perfect when I can mix business with pleasure. I have been to the museum so many times over the years and familiar with what’s there. So I usually only come now to see new or traveling exhibits. There is an exhibit there now called Sacred Spain that I had heard about, so I walked through that, kind of quickly just to look. But then afterwards, I went exploring and and stumbled across a watercolor painting exhibit by local artists located in a hallway away from all the other exhibits. I really liked all of them but a couple of the paintings especially. I felt like a cup of coffee too and there’s a restaurant there called the Nourish Cafe with a seating area that has a fabulous view of the gardens. All in all, I was only there for a few minutes, but it’s nice to mix business with pleasure. That’s a trick I’ve learned to keep my attitude and energy positive. When I’m with customers, they deserve my best effort. So I try to reward myself occasionally by doing something fun mixed in with business. IMA is one of my favorite spots to do that.
If anyone still isn’t feeling any of the holiday spirit, get off the couch and take a drive downtown in the evening sometime soon and look around. Monument Circle is all decked out for the season with colorful lights and decorations. And that’s just the beginning. It’s the whole downtown area really. It has been transformed into a magical place adorned for the holidays. A visit here can’t help but jump-start the holiday mood in even the bah hum-buggiest among us.
Just a suggestion…park the car…get out and go for a stroll. Maybe make plans for dinner or possibly a snack or dessert at one of hundreds of downtown restaurants within walking distance. You could also get in some shopping too at Circle Centre or any number of shops and stores downtown. For a treat and unique perspective, consider a moonlit ride in one of horse-drawn carriages to be found at the steps of the Monument. There’s just something about the clip-clop of hooves mixed with the evening air and holiday lights that is sure to erase any thoughts of the day-to-day world.
So come on down. It’s happening.
Conseco Fieldhouse sits idle but still brightly lit on this cold November night as the Pacers travel out west on a four game road trip. The Pacers are playing the Golden State Warriors tonight, followed by the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, the Utah Jazz on Friday and the LA Clippers on Saturday. The Pacers finally have almost all their players healthy, and are eager to try their full rotations. The road is a difficult place for any team though even if they are at the top of their game. There are so many new players this year and it takes a while to build that chemistry. I’m looking forward to the second half of this season when that should start to gel. Even though there have been ups and down so far, they are getting better, which is the main thing. We’ll see…
Thanksgiving Day is a special day for most of us. Most of us have the day off or have taken the day off from work duties. Around my house I could smell something cooking in the kitchen from the moment I woke up, as preparations had begun early for the traditional Thanksgiving meal later today. It’s the only holiday I can think of that is like that…where the main focus is the gathering of family and friends and the meal itself. A strictly American holiday too…unique to our country only.
It was a pleasant morning and a walk with some fresh air sounded good. I thought it wouldn’t do me any harm either to get a head start on burning some calories with the Thanksgiving meal coming later. I walked for a while, enjoying the excursion…and then I heard some chattering above. I looked up to see a couple squirrels that were busy running about in a large tree. As I watched these industrious guys, I noticed there were pieces of debris that fell occasionally straight below as they husked the nuts they had gathered. I laughing to myself that the squirrels were getting ready for their Thanksgiving meal too.
A little later on I spotted something that I thought was a bit unusual. There were a huge number of birds, mainly Robins, that were darting about on the ground scavenging for food. Robins are more often associated with Spring so I was amazed at the number of them this time of year. It’s been unseasonably warm this Fall though so maybe the Robins have stayed longer than usual. I smiled thinking that that they too were gathering food for their Thanksgiving meal.
But of course, squirrels and robins have no idea that it’s Thanksgiving. It’s a man-made invention. Just another day for them. Taking it step farther, I started thinking about the people who consider this day to be just like any other day. Those without family around to gather with or money to buy the food that most of us take for granted today. Even though I know this to be true, it’s hard for me to really understand how others like this must feel on this day.
So, what started out as a leg stretcher and calorie burner ended up bringing to me a renewed appreciation for things that I love and sometimes take for granted.
As we gather for the feast, let us be truly thankful for the many blessings we have and enjoy the time spent in each others company. Thanksgiving…a perfect name for it.
I thought about calling this post the ‘Worlds Largest Indoor Greenhouse’. Looking through the window to the interior, the view is of full-size mature trees growing inside. But of course, it’s an optical illusion that most of you figured out instantly anyway…a reflection of the trees behind me in the background. Still, I thought I could get away with it for a few moments.
I liked this image of the huge round window which is a prominent feature on what I am told is the Auxiliary Gymnasium at IUPUI. The building is located on west New York Street on the IUPUI campus. It’s hard to tell the dimensions of this window from the photo but I’m guessing that the diameter is about 12-14 feet. The Auxiliary Gymnasium is where they schedule physical education classes, informal group fitness classes (aerobics, yoga, Pilate’s) and club activities (cheer leading, dance, fencing and martial arts.)
There was a lot of speculation as to whether the First Time Home Buyer’s Tax Credit initiated this year would be extended. It took a while for Congress to make up it’s mind, but the credit is not only extended, it is expanded now to include current homeowners as well who are looking to buy another home. There are of course some conditions and prerequisites in order to qualify, but the vast majority of people will qualify.
Since the credit is given back to people as a refund or credit on their taxes, paid to the IRS, I figure the best source to check for conditons of the current program is with the IRS itself…straight from the source. So here are the details of the Home Buyer’s Tax Credit from the IRS’s website. Simply put, first-time home buyers will recieve an $8,000 credit and current home owners will receive $6,500 if they purchase a home by April 30, 2010 which closes by June 30th.
The effect of this credit should not only help to invigorate the market in modest price ranges, but the mid to upper price ranges as well. The deadline for having a transaction under contract is April 30, 2010, so the tendency for a lot of people would be to relax and wait till spring. But actually right now or soon would probably be the best time to buy a home if possible. After the first of the year, the market traditionally starts heating up, which increases competition. But with the FTHB Credit, there will be even more competition which should raise prices further. Also, interest rates now are at an all-time low. Those will not stay at the same level. So if someone is thinking about a move soon, it might be a good time to move forward…sooner rather than later.
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Richard Hindman
Realtor® | Broker | CRS
Mobile: (317) 413-7189
Office: (317) 849-5050
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