Amber & Happy Monkeys

I am still pretty sick, but I managed to venture out today and experienced the Snowpocalypse Aftermath first hand.  Mostly, it meant climbing some street corner snow banks, and trudging through slush.

To prepare for this dangerous adventure, I armed myself with three items of prime safety: my ridiculous big snow boots, my super soft hoody (no, really, have you felt how soft it is?) and a novelty-t.

This novelty t is from the Short-Haired Lady Coffee Place near Nick.  Nick goes there almost every day to work, but I like to go there because they have coffee.  And because I fit in good with my increasingly short hairstyle.  And now that I own this shirt, I like to go there even more because they support monkey happiness.

Close up:

Not all monkeys going into space were happy.  But this one sure is.  He must like coffee, too.  Or short-haired ladies.

Thank you for the nice shirt, Nick.

Amber & Pusses Galore

There may not be any real kitties here, but there are alot of symbolic kitties in Boston.  For example, the record shop might have a display of all cat-themed albums.

 

Or, if you go for ramen, the hot pepper spicy stuff might be inside a kitty.

 

Or, maybe on the wall there might be a chart of different CAT EMOTIONS behind you.

(Temple Grandin sure never addressed MY GOD EMOTION in her book.  But I have sure seen that on Tiggy's face when her brothers get too close.)

Boston is nice, but I still would rather have real cats.  My own real cats.  Maybe next time they can come with me.

Amber & In Boston

In Boston, there are spooky owls.

Amber & Handicapable!

Amber & Handmade

Over the weekend, I made this scarf to celebrate the cold weather in Boston.  It's made with Cascade Yarns 100% Peruvian Highland Wool, using a garter rib stitch.  It was my first venture into a bulky yarn with a needle above a size 10.  I found it fast and easy, and it only sort of felt like cheating.

It has been pointed out that I forgot to smize in this photo.  That is because, for some unknown reason, I am incredibly dizzy today.  Like when you drink way too much and have to lie down on the bathroom floor after Margaritas with your boss from the music theater licensing place at a Mexican restaurant at your first job after college?  And then you swear off tequila? Only, I am not drunk.  It could be sinus congestion, or it could be an ear thing.  I am waiting for the doctor to call me back.  I really need the room to stop spinning.

Amber & Autumnal Buds

It was a lovely November weekend, complete with fuzzy buds on this tree. Which reminded me of my kitties.

Amber & Differences

This is a blog post about Boston vs New York. In Boston, there are no kitties, but there are mugs with little animal buddies at brunch.

Amber & Smooch

It is now my custom to greet Bostonians with cheek kisses. C'est arrive!

Amber & Novelty T's

I have decided to make this Novelty T Week and feature, on my person, a different novelty t-shirt from my extensive collection. Really, I had started this theme week without thinking about it, but it's working so well for me, I decided to run with it through Friday, especially since crew necks cover up the fact that my odd anti-antibiotic rash has moved down my neck to my chest and upper arms.

I love novelty t-shirts. Back in the Avenue B Days, CRD and I used to come up with different slogans that we thought we should put on shirts. They were super witty and funny. But, I can't remember any now. And, I used to make t-shirts featuring illustrations of Amy drawn with crayons: Amy as an astronaut, Amy wearing a birthday hat, Amy as a chef. Etc. (If any of those still exist, I would love reader-owner photo submissions. I would also be pleased to feature reader submissions of your favorite novelty t-shirts.)

Yesterday, I wore this great shirt from BoyGirlParty that Nick gave me for an occasion.

This shirt does what every great novelty shirt should do: it raises questions. Where are the kitty's legs? What's he doing with that yarn? What's he looking at? Why is he so cutie and round?

Today's shirt was a birthday gift from CRD.


I don't know if you noticed, but that's a raccoon buddy playing the drums! But his drums are garbage cans! And he has a crazy look with pink eyes and some of the sound effect illustrations say "BOOM." ! What's going on there?

Of course, you've already seen some of my collection featured on this blog. My very third post ever featured CRD and I wearing our matching brown smoking bird shirts on a DC edition of Awesome Club.And, I added this timely one to my collection in January 2009.


I had blogged about that one before it was given to me by Nick on a trip to Boston. At the time, I even made a crack about not wearing novelty t-shirts to work. (Those were the old days.) I bet you can't wait for tomorrow's shirt!

Amber & Little Things

Diana identified CRD's signature home decorating style as cutie animals, and I think I've modified that for my signature office decorating style. You already met my apple-chomping hedgie binder clips which Alison adored and Nick gifted unto me, Boston-style, but the hedgie clips have lots of little friends. Meet, for example my froggie head erasers. Jimmy bought these for me about twenty years ago (seriously).

I photographed them next to the smallest thing I have in my office: the miniature buttons on my BlackBerry. (Oh the typo mayhem!)

There are also these little panda bear binder clips, but I have less of those because Pickles found them before I brought them to the office.


Jimmy also bought those for me years ago at the same time he bought me this panda flash drive robot. His little head comes off to reveal a USB plug.

My signature office style is cutie, tiny little animals that serve an administrative function.

Amber & When Dreams Become Real

Remember this?

Well, I gotz it.

Amber & Boston Corgis

Boston is different than New York. There are some really nice things here that we don't have in New York.

An example is the nice Corgi named Bunny in the tights and shoe store. [Scroll down for a better picture of Bunny.]


Bunny looks kind of freaky in this photo, but really she was a giant love muffin. Corgis are sheep dogs, but really really small ones. Maybe they have a specialty in small sheeps. I got some nice stripey tights, but I really wanted to take Bunny home with me. Surprise, Woody! You have a new Baby Sister.

Amber & But Wait, There's LOTS More

I know I was super excited about the two new Boneses just one post ago. But, if I weren't already away for the weekend, I would have a very full schedule!

There's a new Psych about firemen. What could be better? Gus and Sean making pop cultural references from my youth, witty fast-paced banter, and fake psychic MURDER solving? What?

And then, there's a new Burn Notice. This is a show about a former spy trying to figure out who framed him and got him laid off. The thing that makes this show is the voice over where the main character, Michael Westen, explains how spy things are done. It's like a DIY home spy kit. I've learned all kinds of things about making my own cover identity, bomb construction from yogurt in my kitchen, and breaking and entering. Educational. And, in this episode, maybe he will find out that his archnemisis is a Cylon and maybe she's just in his head?

There are probably alot more free Internet Programs (BSG, Lost, 30 Rock, etc.) to tell you about in case you were wondering how to spend your weekend, but I want to go to brunch now. You keep watching.

Amber & Best Bones Ever

I just watched the Best Bones Ever while here in Boston. CRD and I love Bones and think every episode is pretty spectacular, but every now and then there's an episode that's so good, you want to watch it twice. This was the case with the first 2009 episode of "Double Trouble in the Panhandle."


In it, Booth and Bones have to go undercover as circus performers to solve a mysterious MURDER.This epsiode was AWESOME. It was packed with features I love including, but not limited to, Booth, Bones, circus, fake moustaches, undercover, eye patches, and fake Russian accents. We also get some Sweets backstory.

But wait, there's more. By the grace of god, we get ANOTHER new Bones. This one is about ice in its various form: ice fishing, ice hockey, murdered bodies being "iced. It's also a really strong feature but doesn't have eye patches or circus acts and the corpse is a little fleshier than I would prefer. But, there are the usual funny jokes. My favorite line was delivered by Cam when she says, "I like it, just a little too much." I feel the same about these characters.

Amber & Bats, Dark Style

So, I saw The Dark Knight over the weekend in Bean Town. I was disappointed after all the hype. Sure, I thought it was a solid superhero movie, with fine performances and a bounty of cool gadgets and stunts. And before I heard about his alleged spat, Christian Bale could have darkened my knight any day.

But, I agree with the brit and my former colleague Lizzie's brother. As A.O. says,

"Instead the disappointment comes from the way the picture spells out lofty, serious themes and then ... spells them out again. What kind of hero do we need? Where is the line between justice and vengeance? How much autonomy should we sacrifice in the name of security? Is the taking of innocent life ever justified? These are all fascinating, even urgent questions, but stating them, as nearly every character in “The Dark Knight” does, sooner of later, is not the same as exploring them."

And Heath Ledger's Joker is really good. But it's still very one-note. He's evil, there's no nuance, there's no layering.

What ever happened to the days when movies were layered like petit fours?

Amber & Action

I'll be in the office sitting at my desk all day, doing circulation stuff and trying to figure out what to do about forgetting to leave my Farm Share basket in the lobby for today's drop off. Nick will be in Boston Common putting American folks on the phone with Iranian citizens. It's what Nick is calling "people to people diplomacy." Says Nick:

"This is a campaign to bring the voices of Iranians and Americans into a discussion that is being dominated by extremists on both sides and bringing us closer to the unthinkable: nuclear war. Our leaders continue to rattle their sabers and spread fear, but we're ready to talk, and if they won't take that first step, we will take it for them. We've had enough. Enough posturing. Enough threats. Enough fear."

It's a rainy day in DC but it's supposed to get up into the mid-sixties. (Good thing I wore long johns!) I hope the weather is good, the phone lines cooperate, and there's alot of good communication and maybe some understanding. Good job, Nick!

Follow Up:
Nick says the action was a success! Early press coverage here and here and here.