I was looking at my Google Reader trends this morning and discovered I subscribe to an almost embarrassing number of blogs — probably more than any rational person would ever care to keep up with. But I love them so. I’m grateful to technology for allowing me to keep up with people I might otherwise have lost touch with, keep a pulse on trends in art, design, music, literature, psychology, visual resources, educational technology, and library and information science, drool over recipes I’ll likely never use, and laugh sheepishly at low-brow humor. The blogosphere makes me feel wonderfully enlightened (in some ways) and connected almost every single day.
I think in the past almost three years of this blog, I’ve started a few “series” that were short-lived (c’est la vie, right?). It’s possible this will be another one, but my plan, as of this November 2, 2009, is to occasionally share blogs I’ve been particularly loving lately (or for a long time).
Without further ado…
Erie Basin is a blog that makes me want to have a lot of money and a hobby of spending it on antique jewelry. I would wear long fur coats and heels and broaches and rings, and I would research provenance of everything and write short stories featuring each object. The blog primarily features items from an antique store in Brooklyn by the same name, and, while I haven’t been there, it looks to be a very well curated collection of items — mostly jewelry, but also strange faux-taxidermy things and links to interesting stuff elsewhere in the world. It’s like a little museum that is itself a gift shop. Sigh. Sigh.
I catalog some weird stuff at work. The other day I had a handful of slides of 18th century relics. A relic, for those of you who have forgotten your art history, is thought to be an actual part of a saint or someone special and holy, or some kind of personal effect of such a figure. They’re often housed in reliquaries — special cases made of special materials that are much, much prettier than the disintegrating object itself. I don’t actually know much about all of this, but it seems that in the 18th century, people said to heck with the special cases — they just adorned the rotting bones. The results are creepy and gross. But I have a favorite…
Readers, meet Saint Munditia:
Not only is she breathtaking as she reclines in her glass-walled abode, but she is also the patron saint of single and unmarried women, which makes me love her more. You can be her fan on Facebook if you’d like. I love the Catholics.
I think the snow days of adulthood are almost as good as the snow days of childhood. I do sort of wish I had a full-body snowsuit and a “snow mountain” at the top of the cul-de-sac and siblings and neighborhood friends to build forts with and a little hill to sled down and mom waiting out the storm inside with hot chocolate, ready to go on demand. I’m pretty content, though, with
a couple episodes of The Wire
Infinite Jest (maybe today is the day I will finish it once and for all!)
On Love
Amélie
a selection of hot beverages and a new coffeemaker
fixings for acorn squash deliciousness, rice cereal, and bastardized huevos rancheros
unlimited napping capabilities
the velour pants I stole from my sister (happy not-25th birthday, Jenny! I love you!)
oh, and did I mention not having to dig out my car or deal with its ridiculous new windshield wiper trick, which is only momentarily funny and then cold, wet, and exhausting?
So I rejoined Facebook, right, because I was going to England and also because I thought there might be a 10-year high school reunion (there wasn’t), and it seems like it’s a good way to get in touch with people. Now I’m happy that I’ve connected with a handful of people and get to “passively” keep up with their lives (this used to be known as stalking, but it’s different now). As it turns out, Facebook has more value than I thought. For example, I’m in touch with young cousins, know when people have their kids and get married and engaged, and even keep up with co-workers. I was surprised that in a recent (boy) falling out “friend” status was (pettily) on the table as a reward or punishment (and “friends” we are no longer). But really what I want to do is mock people on Facebook. I want to copy and paste people’s status updates as my own, because I think it would be funny:
Leslie really wants to make a kitty litter cake, but is afraid people will be too disgusted (google it for images). I need your input! Coworkers…should I bring it for our in-service? [okay, so I like cats, but this takes it WAY too far]
Leslie is going scrapbook shopping today
Leslie Is feezing. [sic]
Leslie Gets 2 meet my honey in denver 2mro night with NO kids. Im SO excited!!
And anything having to do with sports. Rockies, Broncos, whatever.
Of course I can’t do this because it’s mean, and my intention isn’t to be mean. It’s not that I don’t like these “friends,” I just think their statuses would be hilarious coming from me… It’s So Damn Tempting. I’m a jerk sometimes. I’m sorry.
Okay, so maybe it’s just ruining my reading habit. I can’t finish it for the life of me. I’ll admit I’m not trying that hard. I think part of the problem was that I held back a bit this summer and tried to pace myself with the Infinite Summer folks… Then I started to freak out about the GRE(s) and read this
and this
and this
and this
almost in their entirety. But not quite.
And now I’m thinking about application essays and trying to read with those in mind… I’m only 200 pages away with Infinite Jest. I could knock that out on a good wintry mix Sunday. I’ll do it, eventually. And I do like the book. Sigh.
Yeah, so, remember last year when I read all the time? And as recently as May when I wasn’t a caffeine fiend? I bought this yesterday:
It is programmable so that my coffee will help me awaken in the morning. I suppose if I had to choose between morning caffeine dependency and waking up at four and not being able to sleep (as has been the case for many years), I would choose the former, hands down.
I LOVE Portland! Pretty much everything about it. God. Wow.
Highlights:
Melissa’s adorable former-warehouse apartment near the railroad. (Melissa is my #1 tastemaker in all things musical and literary. We also have the same purse.)
Daryl’s beautiful house.
Fall colors. In Denver I feel like we missed this — the leaves started to turn, and then we got that early freeze/snow/ick, at which point they almost all turned brown and crispy while still on the trees.
Butternut squash risotto.
Powell’s (of course)
HOT drinks. I’m totally bringing these to Denver: pear hot toddies (pear brandy) and cowboy coffee (coffee with kahlua, tuaca, and frangelico, served with a sugared rim). And the bars we visited, The Liberty Glass and the Doug Fir, were both worthy of favorite-ing (especially the former — adorable).
Noah and the Whale. What a cute bunch of talented guys.
Much too much going on to write yesterday, namely catching up with a good friend who’s up from the Southern Hemisphere. There aren’t enough hours in the day for those conversations. And on the horizon: so many parties tonight I have to pick and choose (mostly based on what I said I’d do first). One looks like it will be a partial high school class reunion — hooray! I’m packing for a little weekend trip to Portland, flying with a carry-on for the first time since all the rules changed on sample sizes, etc. I like the way my toiletries look in their uniform, unlabeled jars. Heading there with few expectations other than to spend time with interesting people in a city I think is gorgeous. And to maybe drink in the sights (bearded men, sigh)…
