Amber & Just One More Thing...

Oh my goodness, I love Columbo.

I have been watching episodes from Netflix which aired on the Mystery Hour from the early 1970s and they are fantastic.  Unlike most modern mystery programs, the first 20 minutes show the murder so we, the audience, know the identity of the murderer and therefore more than Columbo.  We then get the pleasure of watching him slowly, slowly, and persistently circle in on the answers, picking up clues and putting them in the pockets of his rumpled trench coat.  He is the anti-Poirot: thinking aloud, imprecise, and clean-shaven.  And yet somehow, in the midst of his sloppiness and annoying questioning and self-depreciating asides, he brings calm and justice.

Peter Falk is fabulous.  His Columbo is an enigma.  Just how goofy is he really?  Is his tangential babbling all a rouse to disarm the crooks?  Or is he simultaneously bumbling and genius?  Whichever he is, he is likable.  The anecdotes about his wife ("My wife says I am the second best [detective].  She says there are 80 guys tied for first place.") round his person.  The episodes are filled with little human moments like when our hero blushes when kissed by a hooker played by Valerie Harper.  (I guess we know what happens in season 3 of Rhoda after her marriage to Joe dissolves.)  (I never liked that Joe or his temper.)

And the guest stars!  John Cassavetes (who directed Falk in some fantastic roles), Leonard Nimoy, Julie Newmar, Eddie Albert, Roddy McDowall (whose Lord Love a Duck is also on Netflix streaming), Anne Baxter and Edith Head (playing herself and choosing a new tie for the detective).

Dare I say it?  I may enjoy Columbo more than either Castle or Bones.

God bless, Peter Falk.  My favorite angel-seer über Berlin.





Who better to explain the simple joys of being alive?  Compañero.

Amber & Fleeting Glimpse

I was watching this because Castle only lasts about 44 minutes and, as I have professed, I love Jimmy Fallon's singing skits.

And then lo!

I swear to you, in the looped footage at the beginning, Kevin rides by on his bike.

Come on! That is Kevin!  I am like 99.8% positive.

See?

Now, he's gotten a new helmet.  And he's wearing khakis in the video.  And I think either that blue pullover or maybe even his puff coat?

But that is so totally him!

Amber & Black-Eyed Ambers

Also, why do I have black eyes today?  Not the usual black circles under the eyes (I know why I get those), but really dark circles around my eyes, specifically darkest on the bridge of my nose?

They're even darker than they look there--the Photobooth flash really washes them out.

Possible theory:

Amber & Siren's Song

What does it mean that my iDevice woke me up to this song for the third time in recent memory?



It must mean something.  It seems really inappropriate for a wake up song, even though I do love those Timbaland beats.

Amber & Strengths vs. Weaknesses

I've been doing a more structured play time with the kitties every evening before their dinner time.  Not only is group play supposed to help with kitty relations (since Woody came back from the hospital he has no patience for his little brothers, and inexplicably, Tiggy has even less than he does), but more diversion is supposed to help with Pickles's anxiety which is a prime suspect in his pee problems.  Energy spent on PLAY EMOTION means less energy spent on FEAR.  (Illustration of FEAR provided by Pickles's eyes.)

On Monday, I wrapped a few treats in four little strips of brown paper bag and gave one to each kitty.  There was some initial sniffing, but, even though they had seen me put the treats inside, no one seemed to understand that the treats were still in there.  I tried partially unwrapping each treat pack, but only Woody really did any digging.  Ginger did mostly eat one corner of his paper pouch, but then didn't seem to notice that he had exposed the treats.  Sigh.

So, today, I bought one of these things.

See how the cat in the illustration is poking at the toy?  Well, Tiggy, Pickles and Ginger all did that.  They even worked together to knock it about and knock out the treats.  But Pickles?  He took a couple of sniffs, tried to eat treats the others knocked out, and then retreated to the blue donut with the cardboard it came with.

So, let's just say his weakness is Problem Solving and leave the hidden treat games to the other cats.  And then think up another game that somehow uses his strengths: Curliness and Babyness.

And in the meantime, I'll be playing the game where he and I chase each other up and down the length of the apartment until he decides it is dinner time.  (Sorry downstairs neighbor.)

Amber & Paranoia

I think Nick is out to murder me.

Why else would he send me a link to this cute guy?

Every day, he sends me a similar link and asks the question What is this little guy doing?  And every day I almost die from cuteness.

Like this torture.

Why would you do this to me?  I can barely breathe.

Amber & Kitties: Discovered

Thanks to Emma for using the circle tool to identify the four cats.

Amber & Le French

You may not know, but Coffee, my on-again-off-again lover, and I broke up again.  I'm totally head over heals for the bean, but we're just not a good fit.  It's not you, Coffee; it's me.  And my shaking hands and acid reflux.

And, I totally recognize that I am on the rebound.  I went back to my old flame, Red Lipstick.  Although I know in the past Lipstick has treated me wrong, it claims to have reformed.  And, I believe it--although I recognize that I may just be taken in by its obvious charms.  Only time will tell.  And my Scramble 2 scores.

When we're going out together, I feel like I can be myself--more monochromatic--just because lipstick is with me.  (That makes Purple my BFF, the third wheel, who will be waiting for me patiently and comfortingly when Lipstick and I are on the rocks again.)  So, today's outfit revolved around a black and white striped t-shirt.  And that made me think of France, and then I had to know why.  So I Googled.  And lo!  It's because of their naval uniforms.

And that made me think of all of the other great things the French have given us.  Herewith, a list of my top five favorite French things.

1.  Striped shirts.

(Even better with red lipstick, which is not French.)

2.  Mayonnaise.  Great with fries, burgers, Sapporo rolls, and turkey sandwiches.  Really, great with just about everything.

3.  Casablanca.  Without Paris, what would we always have?

4.  Jacques Lacan.  Because without the Symbolic Order, I wouldn't have a BFA.  And if I hadn't gotten that degree, I wouldn't have met James or Kevin, and CRD and I wouldn't have half the jokes we have now.  And I wouldn't have really utilized these over-active mirror neurons.

5.  That really great episode of Murder She Wrote where Jessica is in France.

Merci beaucoup, les grenouilles.

Amber & Missing

This guy has crazy curly whiskers.  La Perm.

Don't worry.  Pickles is not missing he's right here next to me, trying to lay on the keyboard.  But what happened to his kitty eyebrows on the right side of his face?  (Stage left, for us.)

See?  The left side has those crazy white frizzy, twisted whiskers.  But the right side is bare.

Did Pickles fly too close to the sun, counter-clockwise?  Or did he snuggle up next to the radiator a little too close?

Only Pickles knows.  I wonder if this means he'll be walking in circles until they grow back.

Amber & So Many Questions

This video, called "Kitten that occupies bed," posted by a user named LoveScottishFold has occupied a big chunk of my mental energy this morning.



Have the Japanese invented some new kind of e-collar?  Why does that little buddy guard the bed so feverishly?  Is he a trained guard kitty?

Amber & Dirty Floors

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that, although I had vacuumed and Swiffered wet the floors last night, they were even more dirty this morning. And, really, really dirt-y.


The boys seemed just as curious about the dirt pile as I was. In fact, they called my attention to it first thing I woke up. Pickles coincidentally wanted to lie down just where the dirt pile was.

In other unrelated news, the dill plant mysteriously disappeared from its pot. I guess it ran away from home.

What a morning of mysterious coincidences!

Amber & Signage of Mysterious Meaning

Not to totally JD CRD's excellent coverage of Signage of Bafflement, but WTF, management company?

So, let's parse these instructions. If we're being told to either walk our bikes inside or lock them outside, something other than those two options must be happening to necessitate the sign. Are people riding their bikes inside? Or maybe locking their bikes inside? Walking your bike outside seems acceptable, so that's not the instigating issue. Given how narrow the hallway is, I am guessing that people couldn't really ride their bikes into the elevator. But, I'm one those people who can't even ride with no hands.

Then, the addendum to the instructions makes it even more cryptic. Did the courier service in the building get upset, thinking they were falsely accused? Or, are they above the rules? Maybe they can ride their bikes inside? Or lock them inside? And "as per management" refers to what? Is that the signature to let us know who left the sign? Or, maybe they are above the rules as per management?

What a baffling start to my work day.

Amber & Hotel Rex

This is my bathroom and the pretty lamps in my hotel room. It is nice
and cozy. And there was adventure this morning worthy of Jessica
Fletcher. my bathroom ceiling was leaking, and, because CRD and I
watch so much Murder She Wrote, I was sure there was a dead body in
the bath tub. But because I was so tired, I told the front desk
instead of going up to investigate in true WWJD style. (To be clear,
the J there stands for Jessica). Since the leak has stopped, they must
have cleaned up the crime scene. My money is on the secretary.

Amber & Short Hairs

I got a haircut yesterday. I went in unsure of what to do with my hairs, but Jacqueline was definitely under the influence of the heat and was adamant that we go shorter. Jacqueline is, in fact, always right about hair. The end result is sort of like Mia Farrow from the second half of Rosemary's Baby, but less Satanic.


The sides are a little Twiggy-like, but maybe with less sleekness.


But there's also some of my bangs left, a little like this anonymous Japanese lady.

I could just take and post a photo, but using your imagination is good for your little grey cells!