This was another productive weekend for me, as I accomplished some important tasks related to Otakon, home decorating, and Wild Violet.

( Crossing off items is fun! )

I was explaining to someone recently that I keep all my photos, including those that might be considered misfires. Sometimes I end up using them later, as part of a graphic for Wild Violet. Often, though they're not intentional, I find they retain an abstract beauty. Here are some from 2004 and 2005. I'll share others at another time.

( View the blurry beauty. )

The last weekend before Christmas had its ups and downs. The ups: Friday night, when we attended the holiday party for my husband, The Gryphon's, workplace. It was held at Maia, a restaurant and market in Villanova.

After meeting his coworkers, I can see why he loves it there. They were a group of young professionals with a sense of humor who ( Read more... )

On our final day in New York, we meant to get up early and go to Chinatown, but even though my internal alarm went off at 8:30, I kept hitting the invisible snooze and didn't actually wake until 9:15. I doubt the extra time would have made much difference, since My College Roommate and I had a train to catch at 2:30.

So instead, we stayed in the ( Read more... )

While my dog, Una, is a poet at heart, our cat, Luke, is an international cat of mystery.

When we adopted the orphan white and ginger cat with food allergies, we had no idea we were bringing home a feline James Bond. Whether prowling the kitchen, looking for ninjas disguised as mice, or lounging on the back of a chair, as if lying on the beaches ( Read more... )

Following is my Week One entry to Real LJ Idol, on the topic "saying goodbye." When I find out details about how to vote, I'll share them.

More than a decade ago, I took a cross-country flight. Before I left, I couldn't shake a feeling of foreboding, so I wrote letters to those I cared about, placing them in my safe deposit box. The letters ( Read more... )

For those who began reading recently, and especially for readers of Real LJ Idol, here's an introduction to myself, as glimpsed through a variety of lenses.

( Step through my looking glass. )

Our doggie, Una, has a sense of humor. Her taste is decidedly geared towards broader humor. She doesn't get verbal humor, partly because, as The Gryphon reminded me recently, much of her 500-word potential vocabulary is taken up by remembering different nicknames for herself. She does understand silliness, though, and she loves it.

( What does Una find funny? )

On the results show last night for American Idol, the bottom three came out as I'd predicted, with Ramiele Malubay, Kristy Lee Cook and Brooke White taking stools on the side.

( More about who went home. )

Since I’m still under the weather, I’m going to share some recent pics.

( Some photos, plus trolling for a caption idea. )