P365 Day 113: Just like the rest of us

Happy Halloween! Paul's costume: a "normal guy."

P365 Day 112: Kitty huggles

My baby! The Joe-Kitty loves to purr and cuddle. And I love to hold her. It's surprisingly hard to wrangle one hand from under her to hold a camera, but I managed. And she kept right on purring.

<3

P365 Day 111: My costumes were never this clever

Tonight, Paul and I went to the apartment complex's Halloween party. Among the adults, we saw a witch, a guy in a dress and 'fro, an H1N1 pig and a very convincing Rubik's cube. Among the kids, we saw vampires, storm troopers, a witch, a half-dog/half-fireman, and this precious piece of sushi! I hope she wins the costume contest.

Hey, locals, Bootsies still needs a home. (Go on, click through. She's adorable.) Her owner moved out today and can't take her with him to his new place, and I caught her hovering near the door of his apartment, waiting to be let in. She then ran toward me and tried to get in our apartment. Paul's told me we can't take her in — and I know he's right, even if I really feel sorry for her — so I at least want to do my part to help her find a new home.

Sushi. Too cute. I don't remember every Halloween, but I think my favorite was my bear costume from when I was about four. Anyone else remember their favorite costumes?

P365 Day 110: Where once a pumpkin stood

My neighbors put out their jack-o-lantern Saturday night. This is what it looked like Wednesday morning. Poor little guy. Never stood a chance against the marsh humidity.

Also, eww.

P365 Day 109: Deep in thought (?)

I asked Paul if he minded me posting a picture of him making a funny face: "What if your students see it?"

"It's not the first funny face they've seen on me."

He calls this his "thinking face."

P365 Day 108: Des(s)ert the table

My mom used to have this joke — when someone would ask what's for dessert, she'd say, "Desert the table." And that's probably what Paul and I should have done tonight, but instead we shared a piece of this monstrosity after dinner. And it was good.

P365 Day 107: Snuggled up

Fred-Kitty's pillow!

I've become incredibly addicted to (The Customer Is) Not Always Right and My Life is Average, which now have been added to the links on the left. (Also added: F My Life, My Life is G, and Postsecret.) I'm about half way through the archives of both, but it's taken a really long time. Hope nothing important has happened on Twitter or Google Reader in the past couple of days.

P365 Day 106: Stuffed just right

This is more of a note to myself than anything, but I realized the other night that I love my pillow so much that it's darn near impossible to sleep on anything else. So I took a picture of the label. Then I added the closest thing I could find to my Metawishlist. Now there should be no question about what to buy the next time I need a pillow.

P365 Day 105: In the cool rain (also, more on Bootsies)

I took this in the rain from the third-floor landing in my building. The rain was cool, like it's supposed to be in autumn. I think I'll fix a cup of tea and curl up on the couch.

In sad news, Bootsies, the cat I posted about a few weeks ago, is looking for a new home. She's five years old and among the most affectionate cats I've ever met. She likes tummy rubs and wants to be friends with Fred and Joe (they're too territorial to return the sentiment). If you know someone who can take her in, please let me know so I can pass it on to Bootsies' owner.

P365 Day 104: Thin red line

I edit with one brand of pen, and one brand only: Pentel Energel. I keep them in retractable red 0.5mm, red 0.7mm, red 1.0mm and violet 0.7mm (in honor of my favorite editing professor). As you can see, I always have an ample supply on hand for freelance work.

If you're ever feeling gifty, I have some Energels on my Metawishlist.

Average (?!) life

I've made it my mission to read My Life is Average, starting at page 1 and going through 700-whatever (then going back to the beginning to catch up). I find MLIA elicits more of that small-grin-happy-heart-precious-shoulder-shrug than either My Life is G or F My Life.

I literally choked on my Hawaiian Punch when I read this:

Today, I was playing a game with my two-year-old brother, in which I would make an animal sound, and he would respond with the corresponding animal. After he correctly answered "cow" to my "moo", I said, in a deep, manly voice, "I love the ladies". He said "Mommy". I have never been more curious as to what my mother says when I'm not around. MLIA

Funny. Still coughing.

P365 Day 103: Seriously?

Snuggies for dogs? Are you serious? Ten bleepin' bucks to keep your wiener warm, when, for fifteen bucks, you could wrap him up in your own leopard-print Snuggie. Mind out of the gutter, folks.

By the way, I took tonight as an opportunity to reacquaint myself with Pretty Hate Machine, which turned 20 yesterday. Good stuff.

Hey, Memphis, do me a favor: Go to the Graveyard Book Bash at Davis-Kidd Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. They're part of a contest to get Neil Gaiman to come to Memphis. I'd really (really, really) like that. I'd drive back to meet him. Please? Please?

P365 Day 102: :-P

Paul and I picked up this little coconut dude at a restaurant when we were in Charleston for the first time, looking for a place to live. (That feels like ages ago!) He — the coconut dude, not Paul — now proudly sticks his tongue out from his spot on a shelf with our Xbox 360 and some wedding mementos.

I have an update on the geocache wedding present box I mentioned yesterday. Gizmodo has posted spoilers of where the box opens and what gifts were included in the box. Again: Coolest wedding present ever.

A couple of site updates

I've added and subtracted a few things from my site index on the left. Changed the quote and all that. I know I'm missing a couple of links; I should get that taken care of shortly.

In the meantime, here are a couple of sites that didn't make the cut but are worth checking out:
My Life is Average
Chloe's Cookie Blog
Fail Blog
xkcd

Also, check out this awesome reverse geocache puzzle posted on Hack a Day. A friend shared that with me today, and I think it's the most awesome wedding present ever.

P365 Day 101: Fred's tasty three-for-one

My nose has a flavor:


My toes have a flavor:


The couch has a flavor:

P365 Day 100: Over the bridge

This is the Arthur Ravenel Jr. bridge, which links Charleston peninsula with Mt. Pleasant. I'll confess I took it a couple of days ago and have been saving it for P365 Day 100.

Wow ... already a number with two zeros at the end. Project 365 has been a lot of fun so far. It's an undertaking, for sure, but it's allowed me to open up in a different way than I've ever blogged before. I'd highly recommend it to anyone. (One caveat: It'll probably greatly reduce your number of tweets.)

And now, off to play some Castlevania and watch CSI reruns on Spike. Just a lazy Sunday afternoon.

P365 Day 99: Good food, music and games (just not all in one place)

Paul and I ate dinner tonight at Jack's Cosmic Dogs, which is a bit of a drive from our apartment but totally worth it. Alton Brown is quoted as saying, "Jack’s serves up the best hot dogs I’ve ever had. Ever." That's good enough for me.

In new (to me) media news, I picked up both Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia and The Flaming Lips' new album, Embryonic, today. Regarding the former, in my opinion, anything preceded by the word "Castlevania" is worth checking out. Regarding the latter, I'm already a TFL fan, and it can only be made better with tracks featuring Karen O and MGMT.

P365 Day 98: Wrap it up

Unwrapped stones have been piling up in the bead box through no fault of their own. I pick out pieces I like but don't really know where I want to take them. Take, for example, my trip to Beads on Cannon the other day. So many pieces that could become something; I just don't know what yet.

I spent a little time this morning working with 20-gauge wire — a little stiffer than the wire I'm used to — and ended up with two broken nails and a goldstone that doesn't really strike my fancy. (I'd forgotten that wire wrapping takes a big toll on my nails.) I've held off on cutting the wire and starting over.

I'm glad to have something to keep my hands busy. I'll get back in the groove of wrapping soon enough.

P365 Day 97: In which I have a lunch outing

Joe-Kitty and Fred-Kitty get along best when they're half-asleep. (D'awww.)

I had lunch today with Bev, a copy editor from a local business paper. We went out for barbecue (she likes cole slaw — eww) and discussed the local job market (bad) and music scene (decent). Her paper has had mandatory week-long furloughs the past couple of quarters. Better than layoffs, but it doesn't bode well for hiring new editors.

This is only the second time we've spoken in person, and I had a really good time. It's nice having new friends and reasons to get out of the house.

P365 Day 96: Feel the burn

We didn't spend long at the beach yesterday. An hour, tops, from the time we walked from our car to the beach and back. And this is what happened to poor Paul. The front of his legs and arms took a beating, and he has a slight raccoon-eyed look from his sunglasses (but don't mention it to his freckled face). All from this, having forgotten his SPF 1,000 sunblock.

I'm fortunate to be genetically olive-skinned, so an hour in the sun leads to a slight pink that darkens into a light tan. And then, like yesterday, I get to go to the store and buy makeup one shade darker — meaning one shade darker than super-pale. Problem with us is we don't go out enough. The Beatles tanned in the English rain; we tan by fluorescent bulbs and computer monitors.

P365 Day 95: Lunch visitors

Mom, Dad, Paul and I picnicked on Isle of Palms this afternoon. The weather cooperated perfectly, and the gulls joined in on the picnic action. Fun way to spend my parents' last day in Charleston. Tonight, dinner at Vickery's and a little post-dinner shop therapy for Mom and me.

P365 Day 94: Bead peace and love

Mom took me to Beads on Cannon today for a little shop therapy (read: she picked out her Christmas gift). I bought myself this cool peace-sign turquoise, which I'm already wearing. I'd done a really good job backing out of my beading habit now that I'm broke, but this trip might have set me back a little bit. I could totally get lost in there.

P365 Day 93: Family line

My family and I took a cruise around Charleston harbor this afternoon. It was pretty but hot and about 60 minutes too long. Anyway, from foreground to background: Mom (the birthday girl), my grandmother, Paul and Dad.

Tonight is pizza and The Beatles: Rock Band night. I bet Mom will ace every song.

P365 Day 92: I've got my eye on you

This is usually the last thing I see before Joe-Kitty attacks the camera cord and all the subsequent pictures are blurry.

My parents and grandmother are driving into Charleston tonight and spending a few days with us. Mom said the only things she wants for her birthday tomorrow are cupcakes from Cupcake, and I think I can oblige that. They'll get to see their grandcats (and, for my grandmother, her great-grandcats!) and I'll get to do the tourist thing with the family. Fun!

P365 Day 91: In heavy rotation (around the sun)

My iPod's been stuck on They Might Be Giants' latest children's album, Here Comes Science, for a few days. It's really catchy, with songs about everything from blood to electric cars to Roy G. Biv. Oh, and it provides a follow-up to the now-outdated "Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)."

The new song is called "Why Does the Sun Really Shine? (The Sun is a Miasma of Incandescent Plasma)." The video:

P365 Day 90: Warm cozy

Someone mentioned the other day that I haven't posted any pictures of myself for Project 365. Now I have a reason.

It's technically autumn and the temperature dropped a couple degrees below 80 today, which was reason enough to pull out my dear ol' flannel shirt. I rolled up the sleeves and together we went to buy lunch and groceries. Oh, winter clothes, how I've missed you. There's just no opportunity for me to wear you because it so rarely gets cold on the coast.

Go ahead and laugh at my love affair with flannel and thermal and cozy sweaters. It's something I dare say my little sister Cari understands, based on the first time I met her ... in May ... when she was wearing a thermal sweater that I myself own. I blame genetics.

P.S. I'm back in a t-shirt now that I'm home. Just in case you were wondering. Which you weren't. But that's OK.

P365 Day 89: In which I annotate my books

(Picture of Death from the Sandman calendar. Being choosy about what I read doesn't make me a book snob.)

The other day, a friend and I were discussing how we annotated our books, and I mentioned that I have a much-loved and well-worn copy of Walden floating around. There's plenty of wisdom in Walden, but it's hidden among themes that turn off the average reader. And that's all I can say about Walden because my friend is planning his own Walden-theme blog post and I'm not going to snipe it.

Then last night, talk turned to T.S. Eliot ... and he turned up his nose again, after admitting he'd never read any Eliot! I made him read "Prufrock" — which he proclaimed "certainly didn't suck" (ahem) — but then he asked why I can't like "normal authors" (he mentioned Vonnegut and a couple others).

... All this rhetoric coming from a guy who prefaced reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by actually reading Pride and Prejudice ... and who text messaged me a few days ago with this: "Mr. Bingley proposed to Jane! Hot damn! I do so hope Mr. Darcy is soon to follow!"

I don't read nearly as much as I should, so I'm picky about what I do read. I don't think that makes me a book snob. It makes me an ... informed consumer of books. How's that for justification?

TL;DR: Try new authors. You might like them.

P365 Day 88: Today I'm drinking ...

... Loose-leaf Banana Caramel tea from SBS Teas. They don't sell it anymore, and as you can tell, my bag is getting kind of low. Bummer. It's sweet and banana-y and caramel-y and caffeine-free. It will be missed.

P365 Day 87: What I'm not reading

Every time we move, we pare down the contents of our bookcase, but we never run out of things to put on it. I'm currently caught up in a couple of video games, so this picture of things I'm not reading includes half the Fruits Basket series (which I really should finish), a few books by Neil Gaiman, a few books by my friend Johanna, meditation books, marketing books, chemistry textbooks, graphic novels and Cats for Dummies.

In other news, a friend of mine Tweeted a link to a site called My Parents Were Awesome, which self-describes as: "Before the fanny packs and Andrea Bocelli concerts, your parents (and grandparents) were once free-wheeling, fashion-forward, and super awesome." Check out the photos there. Very awesome, indeed.

P365 Day 86: Fred-Kitty's Halloween stash

... is a big bowl of Butterfinger bars. Nom!

One week 'til my parents visit. I've got to get crackin' on those few remaining boxes in the background. They linger because I have nowhere to put anything anymore. Guess another trip to Goodwill is in order.

P365 Day 85: She doesn't actually have boots

This is Bootsies, the cat we're pet-sitting for a neighbor while he's in Mexico. Bootsies likes to hang around our screened-in porch, but Fred-Kitty and Joe-Kitty aren't quite ready to share their turf with another girlie.

One hang-up: Bootsies, as you can see, doesn't actually have boots. Come on, people. Truth in advertising.

P365 Day 84: Easy being green

In no particular order: a cool, green towel of mine that sadly has been claimed by the cats; Bronty, who makes a scary noise when you squeeze his tummy; Li Shan tea; Pokemon Emerald and LeafGreen (I like the other ones too, but they're not green); my well-worn poetry notebook; Minute Maid Light Limeade; and Body Shop Minteva perfume. Making guest appearances are Paul the Walrus (a gift from my friend Jon G) and Sprite Zero (with a hint of green, no less).

This obviously isn't a comprehensive list of green things I like. For example, I didn't include the boxes of any of my Xbox 360 games. Nor did I have a kiwifruit on hand. Nor did I cleverly arrange everything on my (now pared down) tea shelf, which is now painted green.

Exciting news of the day: RB2 is getting a great selection of Queen songs in a couple weeks. Oh, that I had the money to download all the RB2 and TB:RB DLC that catches my eye! Still, it's going to be hard to resist getting at least a couple of the Queen songs.

P365 Day 83: Chromatocat

Here's Joe, hanging out in a Dionex bag. Chromatograph. Chromatocat. ... Oh, forget it. It's one of those jokes that's funny in my head but loses something in translation.

Yay, science!