Amber & It's a Boy!

I have good and bad news.

The bad news is that Alice has gone on strike. I tried watching Mr. Smith Goes to Washington on her on Saturday night and she kept finding every excuse to shut down so that I would have to fast forward back to my spot (no chapters). At one dramatic moment, when the boss's henchmen were about to smash their car into the Boy's newstruck, Woody jumped up on the bed and managed to jiggle her power cord ever so slightly, and so Alice went to sleep. I got kind of fed up.

The good news is that Alice has been replaced by a new baby brother, Gus, the MacBook.

So far, Gus is fantastic. He charged up all the way last night and then spent the night uncharging and is now recharging for actual use. He has a built-in iSight camera, is a little bigger than Alice (which is a downside for me) and has that fancy Leopard nonsense.

Gus's keyboard is taking some getting used to, but I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

He'll never replace Alice, but he'll replace all of her uses.

Amber & Chinese Jimmy

Long before CRD moved to Florida and left me guest-blogging, and Kevin and Diana became famished for potatoes and moved to Ireland, Jimmy defected to China. He's back now, and has posted some stellar photos from his trip over at Snapshot Artifact. The month of March is devoted to his Chinese photos. He plans to post more in a more intimate setting, and there's been talk of a trip diary, too, which is very scoopy.

It's good to have Jimmy home.

Amber & Mindful Mornings

Since the day that my alarm clock fell off the loft bed and landed on the floor, the radio function doesn't work. The radio setting plays static with a hint of classic rock at top volume-- not a happy way to wake up in the morning. The buzzer isn't much better, though, and I can't help but feel like I'm waking up in the middle of a fire drill.

Today, I received a Zen Alarm Clock in the mail as a house-warming present from Nick who is nice (but not Nick Nice).

I got the E-tone, which will dong once, gently and lovingly, and then again a short time later, and then in progressive intervals until I am awake with a "quality of thought, stillness of being" and will have better alpha wave brain something or another and dream retention. This is accomplished because the intervals are set according to the Golden Mean which seems like the intersection between magic and mathematics.

I can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning. Thank you, Nick!

Amber & Flippy (in moderation)

Oh boy is my hair flippy today. I've been hair unhappy lately; my bangs are a bit too long and so they kind of look drab and the sides of my hair are kind of unshaped. So today, I decided to give my hair lots of attention. The result is not what I had planned.

I got a reference from Diana, who has good hair, to a new place to try. They have this photo in their gallery. I want the hair on the right. I figure I should embrace flippy, but in a more compact way. Kevin warns it may require having a stylist follow me around for touch ups. I think maybe a curling iron and plenty of product will do the job.

Opinions are encouraged.

Amber & Industrial Disaster

Today is a sad day in New York City and labor history. 97 years ago today, on March 25th in 1911, 148 garment workers perished in a fire in what is now an NYU class building and historic landmark.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire is an important part of all worker's heritage. Here at The Garden, we have lots of fire exits and drills and I thank the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union for making work places safe for us all.

And, I thank this mysterious chalker for making others aware of this historic day. The hand-writing looks oddly familiar. I wonder if the writer knows how to make a cursive capital G.

Amber & German Marketing

On Saturday, I went to a very fun Spring Craft Shindig at Diana's house. In addition to egg dying and pom-pom chick making, there were olives, homemade bread, cheeses, beet salad and a cake in the shape of a lamb. Diana has nice friends and it was a fun time. I am so incredibly happy to be back in New York.

At the party, I learned from Diana's teaching friend, Jen, that the reason why bunnies lay eggs is German Marketing. I was confused both by this explanation and by the fact that Jen thought bunnies laid eggs, but it was educational nonetheless.

CRD made this chick, who, like CRD has long, long legs. He's going to be all drumstick when he grows up.

Amber & The Blustery Day

It sure is windy today! Zer windig, as we said in the home country on Avenue B. I nearly blew away when I was walking to the other side of the garden today. I am dressed wholly inappropriately for wind; sweater mini-dresses present a variety of problems in the wind including, but not limited to, cold, modesty, and clingy passing twigs. I am tempting fate every time I go outside.

When I was wee, I had a Talking Viewmaster Viewer. My favorite set for it was a Viewmaster version of the Oscar-winning Winnie The Pooh and the Blustery Day. The story is pretty simple: it's a super windy Windsday in the Hundred Acre Wood, Tigger is zany, Pooh is hungry and Piglet is kind-hearted. And there are Hefalumps and Woozels.

You'd think I'd have learned something from that Viewmaster experience, but then again Pooh also wears a short sweater dress of sorts--and has modesty issues even when it's not windy.

Amber & Signature Styles

I have been working to redefine my signature style since a) discovering that my signature lip color was disabling my cognition and b) returning to NYC.

I have lots of inspiration in the signature styles of my friends. Nick has signature sideburns. (Photos by Jimmy)

Kevin wears baggy pants and handsome shoes and Diana wears warm hats in the winter.

And, most inspiringly of all, CRD wears the Cleaning Hood.

So far, I have chosen really oversized floral handbags as part of my signature, and I'm contemplating adding print shirts, but really choosing a fashion identity can be hard work.

Amber & Corny Stalking

Many years ago, I stalked Laurie Anderson, but not in a creepy psychotic way. More of a nice admiring way. I went to all of her book signings and performances and finally, at one, she asked me what I did and I told her I was a Cinema Studies major and Magazine Administration minor and she remembered that I had been to the last book signing as well. And then I felt like maybe I should admire her more from the shadows.

Tonight, I am going to an event called SPEAK UP! A BENEFIT CONCERT FOR PEACE IN IRAQ & JUSTICE AT HOME with Nick. Guess who is performing? I doubt she'll still remember me. But what if...?

Amber & Freezy Breezes

I awoke to no heat or hot water this morning. This mean I was forced to wash from a bowl, Victorian-style.

Although I was able to clean myself enough to not be stinky for the office, my hair is a bit crazy. It's like I have hat hair, but also like I was struck by lightning. I keep combing it down and it keeps rising back up. Just like the proletariat.

Only less righteous. And less coated in day-old hair product.

Amber & Pure Cane Sugar

Jimmy has another photo being featured on a Jones Soda bottle!

Jimmy writes...

Jones picked a photo of mine for a label again. This time it's one I submitted in January 2005 (?!). After the scandal with the Christmas label, which got pulled from distribution because the cold weather was causing the bottles to freeze and explode in transit, I'm sure this label will be easy to find. It's the perfect gift for loved ones this Easter/Passover season to celebrate the birth of Jesus/Mr.Matzoh.

Good job, Jimmy! And what a nice soda to wrap.

Amber & Shin Splints

Dude(s). My tibias are killing me. When I first started running back in 1999, I learned that I hyper-pronate which means that I take more stress in my shins than they're built to take. I bought sneakers that were more focused on stabilization and the issue seemed to go away. Then, I moved to Madisonwisconsin and stopped running and exercising and gained weight and became absolutely unfit.D.C. was better for fitness but I never really got into a regular exercise routine. And, no one walks as much (or as fast) as New Yorkers. So, I'm an unfit lump thrust back into a marathon lifestyle and have shin splints to show for it. I haven't been running long distances-- just the walk from the Bedford Park D-train stop to the garden is enough to make every step an 8 on a pain scale. I think there may be some futuristic legwarmers in my wardrobe very soon.

Amber & Spring

Although it's chilly today, the first signs of spring are all around. I noticed, on my walk from my garden shed to the shed of a co-worker for a meeting on trowels, that bulbs seem to be coming up, with tiny green tips poking tentatively out of the ground.

Spring is my favorite season. I'm not such a fan of either the cold or the heat, with a comfort zone range of about 10 degrees total (66-76 degrees generally), so spring is like the best of both worlds. Plus, it is has pretty colors. Fall does, too, but the fear of oncoming winter is enough to sully fall for me.

Another powerful sign of spring is baby animals, including chicks.

(Photo by Jimmy)

Amber & Orchids

I completely admit to not being a huge orchid fan. The fact that many of them don't have chlorophyll to eat the sun for breakfast and instead feed on decaying plant matter is kind of spooky. And, my past attempts to care for and cultivate an orchid have ended in disappointment and plants being left on the sidewalk.

But the Orchid Show at The New York Botanical Garden is pretty amazing-- if only because of the volume of blossoms. This weekend, I am going to take a pack of friends to see the orchids and maybe also the native forrest. Maybe when we're in the forrest, I can pretend to be Uncas, Kevin can be Owaneco and Diana can be Chingachgook. CRD can be Natty Bumppo.

Amber & New Beginnings

Hello, dear reader! I have been in limbo for quite some time, but I am back now, wholly without a vengeance. My return to blogging is now made possible by....

1. Home Internet (which looks oddly like my migraine)

2. My new job as a gardener (I love plants!)

3. Being completely unpacked (virtual apartment tour TK)

4. Being back on the bean

Special thanks to CRD for holding down the blogging fort for our overlapping green Venn readers.