Amber & Bonus Content

Along with my order of pad thai and thai iced tea, today's lunch came with an editorial comment on the delivered delivery menu.

In case you forgot your bifocals, it says...

"the sangria was really bad today -- usually it's much better"

It's like an insider tip. I'm glad I didn't opt for a one sangria lunch.

Amber & Lost Mittens

After a delightful dinner with Mary and Kevin (but not Taya as planned--get better, baby Milo!), I got off the A train a few stops early for a surprise visit to CRD's for some bitching about my day and a little Jessica Fletcher. Murder She Wrote is like mashed potatoes: very easy on your stomach, comforting, and warming. Also: fattening.

Then, I get an e-mail from CRD with the subject header, "Guess What You Left Here?"

And this photo.


Sigh. Friends.

Amber & Ho Hum

I am having a Tough Time lately. First there was Woody's pneumonia (and the heart attack I nearly had from the $7,000 vet bill), then my projectile hypochondria resulted in my dragging poor panting Ginger all the way down to the vet only to discover that sometimes kittens pant because it is summer, not because their nasal polyp has grown back. Who knew?

Anyhow, I need a pick-me-up. CRD sent this suggestion. Turns out that a baby gorilla only runs you about twenty grand. Unlike all the chaos and illness that entered the home with my beloved kittens, I am sure there would be no complications from adopting a gorilla. In fact, I am sure I would save money on account of not having to buy so many gorilla booger snacks.

I will name him Gussie.

Amber & Candy Cousins

Did anyone else notice that Gorilla Boogers have a cousin candy? Otter Boogers?

Amber & Gorilla Boogers

James had a friend who tweeted (twat?) about eating gorilla boogers. Now, when I was an apprentice ape keeper at the National Zoo, I was interested in all aspects of my gorilla friends. I loved them so much, I was willing to pick up their poops with my hands (in gloves, sometimes double-bagged). In the interest of finding out what their food tasted like, I once ate a piece of gorilla biscuit, but I don't know that I would ever have carried it so far as to taste their nose crud.


James did a bit of research and discovered that Gorilla Boogers...


... are actually sweetened dried black bean candies.
The folks over at Candy Addict think this sounds unpleasant. I don't know. Maybe because I had such a vivid image of real life gorilla boogers in my head and this is so much better than that, I think I might eat them after all.

[Update: check out the official site. Update 2: bad links fixed.]

Amber & Slow Lorises

The clever folks over at Cuteoverload brought this video to my attenshuns. I watched it at work on Monday and nearly died from, well, cute overload.



Kevin pointed out that maybe slow lorises are really endangered beasts and maybe these people shouldn't have one in their bed. This is, apparently, a real issue. I sure hope folks won't see this slow loris getting tickled on Amber & and try to get one for themselves.

Also, I learned from Wikipedia that they are actually venomous animals who mark their territory with pee all the time. That's a pretty compelling argument for leaving their cuteness in the wild if you ask me.

Amber & Fan Mail

I have long been a fan of Wonder Woman's product, wonderfulness. Who knew she was also a fan of mine?

This is not the first mail I have gotten from Diana Prince, though. When I was a wee lass, I used to write letters to her, in care of the local CBS station, all the time. And, when the show was cancelled, I sent a letter to the station president saying that I knew that it was just because the P.T.A. was jealous of Linda Carter's body. Everything I knew about P.T.A.'s I learned from that song.

Amber & Woody, I Love You

Sometime after CRD gave me that friendship shirt with the hippo and the monkey riding the bicycle built for two. If Woody's legs were jointed differently, I would totally ride a bicycle built for two with him.

Amber & All Day Birthday Fest

This one is on LaSalle Street, so between May and Octobr 2004.

Amber & Happy Birthday, W

Around the same time, but Woodys head was flatter.

Amber & Happy Birthday, TW

In the Avenue B apartment, so pre-2004. I am blonde. We have Mikey the chimpilla in the background, but Tiggy is also bald-bellied. I am guessing around 2000.

Amber & Happy 11th Pussday!

Today is the birthday of the three cats who comprise the Chan Patrol: Ms. Tiggy Winkle, Boy Lucie, and Woodrow Wilson Gutherie Cat.

The kitties are seen here in their Sunday Best Birthday Outfits. I'm going to go make them a tuna cake now. (not really) I cant believe how lucky I am that my mom found them in the rhubarb patch eleven years ago.

Amber & Irresistable

Can you believe him? Or those sunbeams?

Amber & Snuggles

The boy seems like he is hanging in there. Nick and I are going to go get him a refill of one of his scrips, and eat ramen since it's right there, but then we will come home for programs and snuggles. Because I love Woody, programs, and snuggles. I am demonstrating snuggles now. Woody is demonstrating how kitties love sunshine.

Amber & Baby Steps

Look who is feeling ever so tiny bit better enough to have...

1. Sheet tent on the bed.

2. Belly rubs.

3. The window open for bird watching.

Amber & Food

Yum! Now I know I won't starve over the weekend, and that CRD can pack his sizable sneaker collection when he moves.

Amber & Home Safe

Woody is home safe. He has an intense regimen of medicines, including a kitty inhaler and an eye ointment-- both of which he loooooves (not). The boy has to be quarrantined from the other cats, so he is in the bedroom. We had some sink hands yesterday but also some sneezes that we called the doctor about this morning. We go back in a week. Get better, little mister.

Amber & Well Woodrow Wishes

Can everyone just think positive thoughts for Woody? He was admitted to the hospital to see a cardiologist. We want the baby home and safe.


I love that cat.

Amber & Coffee Break

When you are working at home, instead of going out for a (wood) smoke(d slice of pizza), or making an afternoon tea, you stop to take photos of your cats.

Some of them aren't feeling so well, and going in for chest x-rays tomorrow, but others are sure temptingly cuddly and curly.
How can you resist that belly up in the air? How could you just walk away without getting even closer?
Gorgeous.

Amber & Home Office

This is what it looks like when I work at home.

The three essential devices for a productive work day: a Blackberry, a laptop, and an impromptu cat environment made more enticing than the keyboard.