Amber & My Inner Barney

Once in the vaguely-late-80s, I saw an episode of Family Ties. I didn't watch the show regularly, but I saw this one episode that made a long term impression on my thinking. In it, the Tina Yothers character, whose name I only learned today, is about to celebrate a birthday. Wikipedia recaps thusly.

Jennifer — bored with her nice but unspectacular friend Beth, and desperately seeking popularity — wants to make some new friends, but has trouble at first. Mallory offers some well-meaning advice to act like a valley girl, which Jennifer takes seriously when she approaches a cool cliqué of snobbish girls, all having trendy clothes and hairstyles. All this takes place as the family prepares to celebrate Jennifer's birthday. As usual, Steven plans a series of kiddie-style birthday activities, at which point Jennifer loses her temper and leaves with her new friends.

Wikipedia, in typical fashion, leaves out the critical detail. The dad's fatal error in planning the birthday festivities is that he does all of the decorations-- streamers, balloons, cake plates-- in purple. This is the Tina Yothers's character's favorite color. I'm not sure if it is her favorite color for just the episode, or for the whole series. Anyway, she normally loves purple. But her "snobbish" friends think purple is for babies.

In 1987, I was devastated. Purple? For babies? I loved purple. Tina Yothers and I had so much in common-- the middle name Louise, a surprise younger sibling, and a love of the color purple (not that musical by Oprah). And purple was uncool?

Of course, this was a two part episode, and I missed the second part. Who knows if Tina ever embraced the purple and accepted her love thereof?

The scars from the episode may have finally healed. Check out this Barney action I'm sporting today.
Purple, I love you.

Amber & The View From Here

My new job at Mother Goose, Inc., is different than my old job in many ways. In addition to the big difference of me not taking bus trips with the constituency, there is also a very different look to my new office.

This was the view from my old desk.

Grand and snowy. Actually, it was the view from standing up on top of my old desk. The windows were pretty high up off the floor and I was too short.

This is the view from my new office.

There are still plants, but less, and the windows are still high up, but more relative to the ground and less relative to me. And I still have my blue Garden bottle that will give my babies beards.

One big difference is that I have officemates. You met Sake already, but did you meet this guy?

Look how hard we work! He wasn't even posing for the photo. I swear.

Amber & San Francisco Treat, NY Times Style

Look, ma! It's my job. And there is a photo of my co-workers I just met in San Francisco.


For those too busy to read the whole article: The economy is in the toilet, so I need to work hard to make sure I still have a job next week. Still, better than furlough so far.

Amber & Back to It

I am home safe from San Francisco. I had some waking up trouble this weekend, showing that I really had adjusted to California Time better than I had believed while I was there. Plus, we lost that hour. And, I lost another few hours just staring into Woody's eyes.


But, now I am back in my morning routine. Only, I've been gone so long that Ginger seems to have forgotten he's not allowed on the counter, that the weird machine makes coffee, and that I promised to protect him from all small kitchen appliances when I adopted him.


This photo can't convey the hissing coming from both the coffee steam and the baby cat.

I love New York.

Amber & Progress

Getting closer. Via AirTrain.

Amber & Homeward Bound

We're on our way. Via BART.

Amber & Fitness

Look at me totally at the gym, post-workout before 8 am local time!

Amber & Complimentary Beverage

I am enjoying my Hotel Rex complimentary Merlot after another day of
meetings. Next, I have dinner at the big boss's house.

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 & Arrivals

We're here! And eating breakfast. It was a long day of travel (thank
you, snow) and a short night of sleep, but we are here.

Amber & Flight Cancellations

Due to the winter storm, my flight tomorrow morning has been canceled. Kevin has already moved onto a later flight, but, mysteriously, I remain on hold with Delta, listening to the most mellow mix ever. I get the feeling they want me very calm when I finally get through. I wonder if that works for them.

The universe sometimes balances itself. For example, if I had to be on old for two hours and still get on a plane tomorrow at 8:30 from JFK, I would be worried about finishing packing. But, since I know the earliest flight I can get on is at 4:45 pm tomorrow (the one Kevin is on), I know I have plenty of time to finish packing.

I am usually very good at packing, but there have been some delays tonight, named Pickles and Tiggy.
Like my new bag? I am really into that "grass green." It matches the cat grass and Pickles's eyes.

Amber & eMac: Adopted

Tonight, my dear friend eMac went to live with Noreen and Ted. eMac was good to me for many years but since they invented Hulu, which is meant to be watched on the couch, was replaced by something smaller and more portable. But, he was a solid computer. Many years of Quicken and e-mailing were shared between us, and for that I am glad that he is getting a good new home.

I am also glad that when I worked at the Bronx Garden of Botanical Delights, I met Noreen and that she married Ted. They are nice people, they gave me Hauschka stuff, and they do good posing on demand.


I look forward to cooking for them at some point in the future, when my table is not covered with stuff that I am taking to San Francisco tomorrow morning. (Since Ginger is on the table, he gets to go, too, right?)

Amber & Disholibrium

Where I am at now.

Amber & Remote Blogging

Where I am at right now.

Amber & Road Races

Shortly after I woke up this morning, intense drumming started outside my window. I mentioned this on the IM to CRD, and he informed me that there was a road race starting in front of my house that our mutual acquaintance, Tyler, was running in. Once I got up the courage to face the cold, I confirmed this theory.

Also, while I was looking out the window, I discovered this bag full of bags on the very edge of my fire escape.

I think someone was chilling their bag stash overnight and it blew under my window.

Also, it is snowing. There are so many surprises this morning!

Amber & Marketing Genius

How adorable is this?



Only, I feel sold on cute animals rather than whatever brand of cell phone that is.

Amber & Officemates

Please meet my new officemate, Sake.

Best job ever.

Amber & Rediscovered Selves

James is an excellent photographer, so it was not surprising that I found so many of his photos squirreled away on the eMac while I was cleaning it out. What was surprising is how many iChat screen clips James has taken-- and I have saved.

There's this one, for example. I have had those jammies (and Tiggy) for at least ten years, so they're not terribly helpful at dating the shot. The glasses look reddish which would mean they were pre-fall 2006 when I got the same shape but in black. James is in the apartment he has now in all these shots-- you can see his reclining chair behind him.


The apartment kind of looks like it might be in Madison, but I'd have to be sitting on the coffee table since I had a computer cart and the background was a fire place like in this shot.

When was my hair that blonde in Madison? I know I bought those cat ears with CRD on a trip to Target. For some reason, I am wearing my old blue rectangle frames there. I never really liked those, but the lady pressured me.

That one is a classic. I am living on Avenue B-- you can see the brick fire place behind me. And the papasan is that green thing just over my shoulder stage right. Over my left is the drying rack, with my purple sheets and the weird star and flower patterned futon cover. My guess is this is early 2004.

There are, of course, many more where I am wearing face masks, or have a towel on my head. I'm never very glamorous in these shots, but they sure are fascinating bits of history. Thank you, James!

Amber & Rediscovered Cuteness

Look who I found when I was cleaning out the eMac! If you knew me in 2003, chances are I made you sit under the loft bed at the eMac and watch this several times.



See how his tail is curly like a cinnamon bun? Cinnamaroll: evidence I have long been a fan of cuteness.

Amber & Jimmy Time

Yesterday, I got my bangs trimmed for free, bought a perfectly-sized pair of jeans, went to Murray's Cheese Shop and got malted milk balls, had Laundry Club with CRD, watched a Doris Day movie that made me think I was having LSD flashbacks, and had a really delicious Mexican Brumch with Jimmy.

I took this picture of Jimmy while we were doing errands. He had to hold my coffee so I could press the black button on the camera.


Then, Jimmy took this picture of the two of us. I look sort of droopey, but I think that's from the cold windy weather and incredibly bright sunshine.