Amber & They're Winning

 

Yes, 11.3 out of 12.  Today's Predominant Pollen?  Oak, birch and maple.  Today's Predominant Pain? Sinus.  Oh, trees.  Why do you hate me so?

Amber & Congratulations

Congratulations, readers!  You made it through the week.



Konichiwa, last week of April.

Amber & The Royal Wedding

So, apparently there's some British dude marrying some lady in Westminster this weekend. And it sells alot of magazines.  I? Care very little.

Except for the fact that Amy Bee is tweeting (facestatusposting?) the Royal Event. Example:

She's clearly in the know, and yet so discrete.

There was one about the soon-to-be-royal bride's passion for chicken wings, but this was my fave.  As I noted in the comments.

And her posts are even more remarkable given that she seems to be in Brooklyn. 

Update: You have to follow her at @AmyKLB if you, you know, Tweet. Her wit is now all Twitterific.

Amber & The Morning Fog

It sure is foggy this morning.  The thick-as-pea-soup blanket rolling in off the Hudson makes me grateful for the Little Red Lighthouse.  And to Nick for figuring out how to get down to it from my house.

And to Nick for letting me take so many photos because it was so rainy and he was so back-lit in most of them.

And also to Kate Bush, for the original versions of her songs (and not the about-to-be released ones that are just too long and really much worse and more autotuned than the originals).

Amber & Gone But Not Forgotten

Remember my favoritest brunch place ever, La Palapa?  It's gone.

Okay, so the original in the East Village is still there, serving up the most amazing huevos rancheros verdes on this side of the volunteer border patrol zone.

And, remember my favorite breakfast place away from home, on the other coast, Café Andre?

It exists no longer.  Although, now Hotel Rex serves a buffet breakfast in the "Library Café."

It's pretty much the same: convenient and overpriced.  But you serve your own tea now, so they don't refill your cup with water midway through your hotdrink and make a watery mess in your cup.  And that's an improvement.

Sunrise, sunset... but really not very far below the horizon.

Amber & The Perfect Gift

In honor of W and T turning the big one-three, I added one of those super ugly, carpeted cat trees to my home.

So far, both of the birthday kitties have shown a moderate interest in the tree.  Mostly, they climb on, explore a bit and then jump off onto the bed for a more comfy and familiar resting spot.

But, the younger siblings really love it.  They take naps on it, climb and scratch, explore and attack each other.

Now, obviously, on the one hand it doesn't matter which cats use it the most in terms of amortization.  But, it may not seem like a very good birthday present if the recipients aren't the primary users.  But, it kind of is a great present because if the brothers are on the tree, they are not either attacking or over-snuggling their birthday elders.  And Pickles has recently raised snuggling to a whole over level with Nose-Touch-Snuggles.

You know, where you just reach out and touch your unsuspecting, sound-asleep snuggle partner with your nose?

Kind of like this, but with your nose and one guy's head?

Amber & Belated Beasty Birthdays

I have been horrible at blogging lately.  Not that I have had dud posts, but I just haven't done it all.  And that's not because there was nothing to blog about, but rather there was so much bloggable goodness happening that I didn't have time to report on it.  Irony?  Maybe.

For example, while I was in San Francisco, this happened.

That's right: everybody's favorite original brother and sister Chan Patrollers turned 13!

Happy Birthday, Miss Tiggy Winkle.

Happy Birthday, Woodrow Wilson Gutherie Cat.

Holy crap: I luff them.

Amber & Uncredited Genius

Nick sent me this link today which he discovered redditting.

Genius.  But, sadly, I can't attribute the art to any one because this is how the Internet works now.  (Do I sound old now?  I am so over the Internet.)  Folks post uncredited links to other people's stuffs and suddenly you have no idea what exactly you are looking at or where it came from or who should be thanked.  This has happened many a time with a cutie animal.

That? Is ART.

Amber & It's Not Evil But It is Creepy

So, I spent some time over at the world's largest virtual bookstore that sells less and less actual books, looking at various user comment memes: the howling wolves novelty t, the driving wheel shelf, and the gallon of milk.  I find that kind of stuff delightful: people banding together in the name of wit and humor to say to Amazon, "You want us to help you sell stuff, but we're going to be silly and subvert your user comment space for the sake of that silliness."  Bravo, witty commenters, I say.

But then, this morning, I got this email.

I know, I know.  This is how the Internet works.  Spiders, targeting marketing, etc.  But it doesn't mean I have to like it, right?  Do not go gently into that good collection of browsing data.

Amber & More Buddies from the Past

There's been alot of remembering lately.  Maybe right before spring comes, when new flowers spring up and baby animals meet the world for the first time, it's appropriate to look back and be thankful for the great friends we have known?

Today marks nine years since we last snuggled with Lucie, the biggest, crankiest, softest buddy we ever had.

Lucie was special, and he filled the four years we knew him with joy and surprise in much the same way he filled the bath tub.

I see alot of Lucie in Ginger, both in the softness of those spots behind his ears and in his unfathomable mystery.  (Why did Lucie always need to lay right in the walkway to the kitchen?  Why does Ginger lick my head at 3 am?) And, of course, they are both a little "fluffier" than may be ideal for their size.

And yesterday was the birthday of Kevin's Grandpa, Val.

Val was a dapper, smart and wholly charming gentleman that I am proud to have met. I see alot of Val in Kevin: that amazing hair that sort of stands up in the front, the quiet, reflective manner, and the love of pickled herring.

I am so thankful for the chance to have known these great souls and to have had them enrich my life. I am thankful for the happy memories they've given me.

Amber & Friends: Past and Present and Presents

I love Amy Bee.  Last week, she picked me up at my office for a coffee date.  I gave her the grand tour of the Mother Goose Magazine offices, including all three potted plants, the comfy chair, and my index card task system (which Amy, an editor with a keen eye for compelling content, says I should try to write a book explaining).  And then, Amy gave me the greatest gift of all, fellowship.  Oh, and she gave me these little hedgie guys.

Now, Amy knows I love hedgies, but she also knew these little buddies were a part of my heritage. When I visited the Bee family in Brooklyn and Miss Hazel introduced me to some of her little bunny buddies, and I recognized them as friends of my sister's from when she was Wee Candice.  (And Candice and Amy Bee do share a birthday.)

Now, these folks explained for me that they are indeed the Sylvanian Families, just with a new name in the U.S. They are super cutie and just as lovable as I remember.

I am thankful to Amy for her gift of cutie animals, but I am grateful especially for her friendship.