In case you missed it

Puppies dressed as cats. Genius. Thanks Conan! I'm totally looking forward to more 'Tonight Show Mini-Dose of Joy' segments.



On the computer front, the good news is that Devlin is back and repaired! The bad news is that I have now discovered that the thunderstorm fried my modem too. So on Saturday I gotta go swap it out for a new one. And then to Best Buy to purchase the most expensive, fancy-fangled surge protector I can find. Thanks Mother Nature, you're awesome.

Also, when in doubt, I would advise you to purchase the Apple Care protection for your Apple product. All repairs for my computer were freesies. I'm just sayin'.

Reason #506,182 why I love the internets

Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat, is so cool, it's haunting Stephen Colbert's dreams.



This wasn't the only awesome part of Monday's The Daily Show. I also thoroughly enjoyed the "Be A F**king Person" segment immensely, as well as the "Barack Obama is Cliff Huxtable" bit. Why so late with this? I DVR and watch it later. Like, say, today at lunch, while eating an Amy's frozen meal on my couch.

In other awesome internets news, Chuck is back for another season (although short, and as a midseason replacement). But hey, we'll take it. Just don't make me eat a Subway sandwich while watching every episode, mmmkay?

I heart blogs

I just finished reading this story in The New York Times about Stephanie Nielson and her family. What a wonderful article. Certainly I'd heard about what happened to her before now. Lots of blogs I read have mentioned it and encouraged helping her family in any way we can. But seeing a story like this in The New York Times for pete's sake. Well, that's saying something. I mean, does that blow anyone else away? That it's gotten this big?



And I love that the story is also about the connections people make through blogs. How people find other people out there in the webs, and those people influence and inspire them, and then, of course, that leads to a connection. A strong one at that. I mean, think about it. What is a blog, really, but a glorified diary? And if you were reading someone's diary for a month or a year or even more, wouldn't you feel like you knew them - their mind, their heart - so very well?

I didn't read Stephanie Nielson's blog, so this hasn't affected me as strongly as it has others, but I can certainly think of some people out there who, if something happened to them, it would affect me. And I have never met these people.



The only reason I even crochet (and now knit!) today is because of Alicia Paulson and her blog. I have drawn a huge amount of inspiration and comfort from her, as do many. Not to mention an obsession with steel cut oats and the color pink. I've been reading her blog for about a year and a half now and have introduced her, in a way, to many others. Her book is out this fall and I am just itching to buy it. Can't wait.



And in planning for my trip to NYC this weekend, I literally pulled up Jessica Schroeder's blog What I Wore and went back and forth from my computer to my closet, trying to think of outfit ideas. That's her above. I love that she is incredibly stylish and cute and yet, her style isn't out of reach. I've watched her How to Tie a Scarf video like five times. Similar to the Sartorialist, she gives me ideas, but in a more attainable way. And for someone who used to absorb the streets of New York as if it was my own personal fashion show, her blog has been a nice way to fill that void.

Speaking of New York, tomorrow will be trip-planning mania. The freelance bits keep coming (thank you thank you!), so I am still not out from under that stress cloud. Won't be, really, until I have a job and stuff. Know that feeling you get when a weight just lifts off of your shoulders? It's awesome. I'm looking forward to it. So, New York here I come. I have scheduled every second of this trip to try and work in time with all my friends up there who I miss in just the most severe way. Hopefully without shirking my bridesmaid duties too badly. I am just so thrilled to see everyone. Plus the weather looks like it will be glorious. And I'll be escaping Ike and his potential wrath.

P.S. My pick of the John Derian Target collection is this one:



When does that stuff go on sale again? Do we know? I know I'm unemployed and all, but $6 ain't gonna break the bank or nuthin'.

Cawffee, tea, or...

It just figures - there are things that I took for granted when I lived in New York, which I recognize only now that I'm no longer there. Like being able to visit Fishs Eddy on a regular basis. And of course now that I'm in Austin...

I want these mugs!



Well, technically, that's three mugs and something for your shuguh. Bwah! I love it. There's cawffee and also a creamuh container. The three of them make up the Brooklynese collection. Nice. And the democrats mug. Oh me. I won't admit to being one still (I'm an independent - saves face for the family), but I want it dearly. And the notebook paper one would be an awesome gift for one of my many friends who are teachers. I kinda want to toss some freshly sharpened pencils in there and tie it all up with a big red bow.



These alphabet mugs are sweet - I'm not a huge fan of how the A is styled, but I love the K, which is my mom's initial. I might keep it in mind for her birthday, along with several containers of her favorite (yucky) instant coffee that we could never seem to remember to pick up during her latest visit. She loves her some Taster's Choice. Oops, she reads this blog, I forgot. Oh well, there goes the surprise!

Incidentally, the alphabet collection seems to be on sale right now...



And I haven't got a drop of Jewish blood in me, but I'd totally drink my morning OJ out of these Heroes of the Torah glasses. They're like super heroes! Jewish super heroes. Which reminds me of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. And suddenly they're even cooler.

Not only did I live in the same town as a Fishs Eddy, I used to work down the street from one, and I had friends who worked there who could have gotten me stuff at a discount. D'oh! Unfortunately, this was a time when I had no money to buy stuff. Oh wait, that's still the case...

Felt very productive this weekend - I hung a few pictures on the walls and my yellow paper drum lamp from the ceiling, installed a curtain over the glass door to the balcony in my bedroom (privacy anyone?), and best of all, finally got all the empty boxes out of the living room. Some went under my bed, and the rest to a box recycling center. Hooray for nesting. It was too hot to do much else anyway.

One last goody I've been meaning to share. I love Platon. I think what I love most is how instantly recognizable his photos are - he has a very distinctive style. He's been a regular photographer for two magazines I've worked for now, and he seems like a really lovely and humble guy. Via A Photo Editor, I found this great site with him talking about what he went through to get this award-winning photo of Vladimir Putin.



If you've got a minute, I'd highly recommend giving it a listen. What an amazing story. (Even today, The Beatles unite us all.)

Random

Today I...

..laughed my ass off at this. I mean, there were tears. My office-mates thought I'd lost my mind, no doubt. (PS - note the date of the story)
..coveted this. The t-shirt, that is. I want one bad.
..learned more than any regular person should know about the Prussian monarchy. (It's for my job, don't ask.)
..talked to my friend N about what being pregnant is like. Convo went a little like this:
Me: So what does it feel like? Does it feel like you've got an alien coming out of your stomach? You know, like that scene in Alien?
Her: ...
Me: You know what I'm talking about? Where the alien pops out? I always thought pregnancy would feel like that.
Her: ..?
Good thing I'm not having a baby anytime soon.