Photo Challenge: RETURN

Another couple of weeks gone by, another couple of natural disasters survived. Whew!

The following shots are the results from the RETURN photo challenge. Please comment, please click through, please show our photographers some love. Scroll down to see the new prompt and join in our next challenge!

Fondofsnape has a whole huge collection of posed photos with different pop culture character. I do not understand them at all but I am riveted by them. Apparently Captain Jack is trying to buy the favors of The Joker's roller girlfriend. I'm having trouble believing that Captain Jack has to pay for that sort of thing.

I was fortunate to accompany Elephant Soap on her return trip to the USS Midway Museum. I was not so fortunate to be spooked by pretty near every one of these creepy mannequins set up around the ship. I was extremely grateful that this one was at least behind glass.

Last week I celebrated one year of Eddie/my return to dog personship. Seems like longer. And shorter.

Once a year lshykula makes a pilgrimage to our homeland. I love this shot from this year's trip.

Given the aforementioned natural disasters I feel it's appropriate that the next prompt be RELIEF. You don't have to make your submission storm related and you can use any definition of relief that you like. Be creative. We love creative. Also we apparently love gratuitous use of the plural pronoun.

Please add your RELIEF photos to our Flickr pool by 9am Tuesday September 13 for posting on Wednesday September 14. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Going Overboard

Will it be 10 things or will it be more? Maybe less. Who can tell? We've survived an earthquake and a hurricane it's time to start living like there's no tomorrow, right? So I guess we start by throwing that 10 Things Tuesday rule to the wind!

1. First up, total fluff. Some delightful shots of #33 for Misti. She's in her first couple of weeks of grad school and it's tough to be doing something new all the time. I know she's got this but every little ounce of support we can send her way is helpful.

2. I know that some people are afraid that it's too easy to get an abortion in these here "United" States. Perhaps this article will ease some fears. "97 percent of ob-gyns had been approached by women wanting an abortion. Yet only 14 percent of those ob-gyns were willing to provide one." I'm no good at math but I can work out some of the simpler problems so I want to point out here that it's not 14% of all ob-gyns, it's 14% of the 97% who were approached. Less than 14% of ob-gyns are willing to provide an abortion. That should make you feel all safe and comfy.

3. I know this topic is going to sound ponderous but I promise, if I can get through the article you can, too. It's about how Iceland's citizens refused to pay back debt incurred by the banking industry in their country and, essentially, took back the nation. I'm not sure it's a direction the US can, or should, manage to go but it seems like important information for us to have.

4. This is also from Lindsay's Tumblr (she's featured a lot in this list). I love this picture of female Olympic athletes and how they all look different and awesome. Since we're living in a time where someone is about to publish a book for young readers glorifying dieting (complete with a cover graphic which I think is inspired by a really old After School Special on bulimia) I hope we get to see a lot more photos of all kinds of women.

5. How many times have I told you that I express myself better writing than I do speaking? Go on, count, I'll wait. Yes, I know it could be a long while and that you might need more toes. Apparently Aunt Becky (or rather, Aunt Becky's Daver) found a study that shows that people who talked about their problems and challenges did not change the way in which they coped with them. People who engaged in daily writing about them were able to change their approach. I may just stop talking all together and start passing notes. I suspect I will become quite popular in singles bars.

6. This one gets a little complicated so if we have to say, "Let's agree to disagree" we can. I won't like it but we can. KBR, a defense contractor in Iraq, is suing a former employee. You see, she was sexually assaulted on the job but they had had the foresight to have every employee sign an agreement to handle all disputes with the employer via mediation. That's apparently pretty common with these sorts of companies and it seems clear why. Rather than be bought off and keep her assault quiet the employee sued. So they're countersuing her. I smell something rotten, even though we aren't in Denmark.

7. I also think that this conversation has a number of facets to it. A self-employed photographer recently fired a group of her clients after discovering them bullying their peers on the internet. It was a bold move and I have to say I admire it even when I can see the side of the devil's advocates in her comments section.

8. Given that we've just been talking about a hurricane, we've just passed the anniversary of Katrina and the kids in Joplin, MO have recently gone back to school I think Sueb0b's post about not having a refrigerator is an important read. It's expensive to buy a fridge but look how expensive it can be not to have one. Makes me want to encourage everyone (again!) to read Nickeled and Dimed before they go running their mouths about welfare queens. (Or really any time. Read the book. It'll stay with you.)

9. I've got to be the last liberal in the country pointing to a photo of Ms. Ronzulli, an Italian politician and mother. That's not going to stop me, though. Can we shift our vision to include parents as a normal part of the workforce?

10. I have to do an informal poll here because I know that my view is skewed. I read the results of this poll and I can't believe it. An average medium dog costs $118 per year in food bills? Is...I mean...seriously? That is not my experience. Is it yours?

11. Schmutzie was on Aiming Low recently extolling the virtues of napping. She actually took a little flack on Twitter about it from Finslippy who is unable to nap and does not like it. Where do you stand on napping? Show your work. I'll be under my desk catching 40 winks while you finish your essay.

12. John Scalzi is always my go to when I want people to clarify and enforce their comments policy. His post on arguing is equally pleasing to me. Before you go off on me about any of the items on this list please read it.

13. My friend, Aaryn Belfer, is the mother in an adoptive family. Her little group went to a camp for interracial adoptive families this summer and she's planning to write more about it. Here's the first post toward that goal. I urge you to read all the comments and then to go on and read everything else you can get from the Belfer canon. We need to talk about race. We need to talk about it sanely. We must never lose our passion.

14. I  can't let this go, either. NJ Governor, Chris Christie wants to bill people who have been sexually assaulted for their rape kits. I hope he also plans to bill victims of robbery for the services of the CSI team.

15. Let's end on a high note. An NYU professor is trying to save the post office. I love the post office. I love writing letters. I am, in fact, reading a book right now where two characters engage in a penpal exchange that made me wildly jealous. Cindy has recently started a penpal initiative with some of her relatives. I think I might spend some of my Labor Day weekend crafting some "just because" postcards. No one is ever going to read a book called, "The Emails of Anton Chekhov" (or whatever writer floats your boat). Let's write some letters people!

Coming Out Party

So, I went out there. I woke up around 8:15 and checked the radar and the reporting and the social media and it seemed like, if I wanted to take the dog out, it might be a good time. I looked out the windows in each direction and saw someone walking his dog so, hey, why not at least try?

I wrapped my phone in a water resistant case from Solution Man and a plastic bag. Winds were gusting and I thought about leaving it inside then realized that if a gust cut off my way home with debris or electric wires I'd need my phone. Put on my rain coat, convinced the dog to come with me, and it took some work, then headed out.

It's very quiet in the complex. So quiet, especially for this time on a Sunday when everyone is usually out with their dogs or headed to church. When I stepped out into the hallway, though, I smelled pot roast so everyone's still here and carrying on.

On the way out of the courtyard I met the guy I'd seen going out with his dog so I asked him if there was any danger to look out for. He said the wind seemed to be picking up but it was mostly just wet. Oh and there was a pretty big tree down on DeKalb. I didn't plan to go that far so I felt OK.

Then I went through the security building during a big wind gust and had to really work to keep the door from slamming behind me and surely breaking. The guards let me deal with that myself while watching me very closely with worried eyes. Thanks guys, you rest, I'll take care of it.

Out on the street the first piece of good news is the building's sprinklers still work! I was extremely worried that the grass would dry out today so thank goodness no one tried to cut that off. Humbug.

Anyway, the wind abruptly died down so I followed the dog up the block and there were some small limbs down but I didn't feel unsafe. Even felt ok going under the scaffolding on the corner, which I hadn't planned on. Around the corner there was a thin but long and bushy branch blocking the sidewalk. The dog beelined for it so I let him investigate and he deemed it a great place to poop. Huzzah! That gave me time to look around and I saw that on the other side of the limb was a line down. It wasn't electrical, probably cable, but I decided that could be our party alarm. So back we went.

Ed peed a couple more times but when we got to the complex's entrance he went straight inside, happy to be home. I decided it was a good idea to follow his lead and, new information, he can go almost 10 hours without going out if circumstances demand it.

We've passed one high tide but have another before the storm and its potential damage has completely passed. The coastal areas of the city are wildly flooded and much windier than it is here. When I turned on the news as I got back inside they were announcing that one tube of the Holland Tunnel has been closed due to flooding. That's pretty major. I've seen some photos of the subway which are a little nuts. Steps turned into waterfalls and platforms into swimming pools. They are predicting the transit system to be up by midday tomorrow but experts wonder if that's optimistic. Apparently the trains have been stashed in tunnels along their routes to keep them safe so between working out which stations have been cleared of water and getting the trains back to where they belong is going to be an intricate and time consuming venture. I'm guessing I'll be working from home tomorrow but I'm going to wait until this evening to make that call. It's not that I won't be able to get there at all but that if I don't have to add my body to the mess why should I?

According to my NY1 weather guy, who I have stayed with through 4 shirt changes so far this storm, the trip through Coney Island significantly reduced Irene's strength so New England should get a much saner version of the storm. Hope that's true!

There's a sinkhole in the courtyard, a tiny one, and reporting tells me that all this water is weighting things down and compromising the ground so I think we'll stay put. Seems like a good day to hang around the house enjoying an excuse to be lazy.

To Wait Baby

I'm good at waiting. I've had a lot of practice, it doesn't bother me and I usually have plenty of things with me to keep me occupied. Waiting means you've got something good planned...usually.

I wish I had something more exciting to tell you today, though. Mostly the day has exceeded expectations. The laundry room was pretty empty, the greenmarket was open, the restaurant for breakfast was open, the mail was delivered and the rain didn't start in earnest until about an hour ago. Even the cupcake place was still open and still had cupcakes when we arrived around 4.

The winds keep getting downgraded. This is not to say that they aren't still dangerous but a little downgrade when you get to these levels always feels hopeful. I just heard on the news that the dangerous winds and rain will be from 2am to 2pm. I think I'll see how it looks and try to walk the dog around midnight then see how it goes from there. I will say that, with the evacuation (of very low lying areas) complete, the transit system shut down (unprecedented) and being back in my apartment (2nd floor, 7 floor building, facing the courtyard) it's starting to feel a little eerie. The courtyard is quiet, the street subdued, and the walls thick. It's unusual to feel alone here.

I'm not alone. I was just out on the street where all the delis and many of the restaurants are not only still open but mostly full. I've done my laundry, I've showered, I have food, the dog has had a longish walk and the electronics have been or are being charged. I have candles and matches and a loose plan of attack if we have any real trouble. I have even taken a strong dose of aleve for the headache this weird barometric pressure is giving me. I think I'll spend a little time closing the harder to reach windows, filling some containers with water and unplugging any unnecessary electronics and then I'll maybe take a nap or watch one of my Netflix discs (Rabbit Hole and The King's Speech).

I know this must seem a little unnatural for folks who are used to the hard, quick natural disasters like earthquakes and tornadoes. It's the nature of the beast, though. We get a lot of warning and often it turns to nothing but even when it does there's a pretty long waiting period. Irene is big and she's moving at about 15 mph. She'll get here when she fucking well gets here and she's not going to hurry up for anybody. Unlike many of her predecessors it seems she won't be swayed from her path either. The combination of the new moon's high tide and the hurricane conditions will likely make the flooding the very worst part of the storm. Con Edison may turn power off pre-emptively if it seems like seawater flooding will damage equipment. Right now there's no reason to believe I'll be affected but, hey, you never know. (Yes, old time New Yorkers, that was a lottery joke. How do you like me now?)

For those who are worried for me I hope you can see your way clear to breathe easy. Have a glass of wine. That's what I'll be doing. I'll try to keep you posted on social media but if the power goes out I'll want to be careful to conserve energy on the phone and, with or without power, cell phone lines may go down or be clogged with extra traffic.

For those of you who are in Irene's sites after she breezes through New York, please don't take me to be saying you shouldn't worry about this. Follow instructions, get some provisions and secure yourself a safe place to sit this out. Then have a glass of wine. If we don't live through this we don't get to brag about our awesome storm stories later.

Happy Saturday you all! We're living the exciting life, no?

Boy Scouting

It has come to my attention that some people are wondering about the whole hurricane situation. Others who are slightly more informed are worried. Seems as though I should give you a quick run down of what I can see from this vantage point.

The city is ramping up its preparedness. There are a lot of reasons for this, some better than others. The mayor took a ratings hit when not prepared for an enormous blizzard in December so he's trying make it look like he learned something. Our city's health commissioner, I believe, was working in New Orleans during Katrina and has experienced being unable to evacuate people so is sensitive to the potential threats. It's a big city with a lot of places in it that get flooded over much less excitement than a hurricane. The broadcast area is much larger than just those folks so we all get the information. If the current models are correct we are actually going to get slammed.

That being said, the storm hasn't made landfall yet. Everything is going to change when that happens 'cause that's how hurricanes work. The term "Storm of the Century" is relative. I do not live in a low lying area.

I'm not against being prepared so I've ordered food and water to be delivered tomorrow. I'm going to get some batteries for the old flashlights and probably buy a new one. I'm not planning to go anywhere during the worst of the storm. I'm watching the storm models to work out a dog walking schedule that helps us stay out of the worst of the mess. Most importantly I'm watching all of the shows on the DVR in case it is somehow damaged in the chaos.

I expect that it will be very wet and very windy. I expect that there will be flooding in some areas. I will not be surprised if we lose power. I do not feel unsafe.

Let me reiterate, I do not feel unsafe.

Even so, thank you to everyone who offered me a place to come with my animals to ride out the storm. You're solid gold. If you hear a knock on your door very early on Monday morning, don't be scared, it's just me.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday: #365

I'm still doing that 365 project. I did actually miss a day but gave myself the leeway to make it up and not browbeat myself too much. I think the missing was a lesson about my approach. Here are a few faves from the last couple of weeks.

 

Steady On For Ten

Yeah.

I had a whole other plan for today but instead we'll have 10 things I didn't like about today.

1. Earthquake.

2. Earthquake!

3. EARTHQUAKE!

4. Auntie Blanche would have been 101 today but she's DEAD.

5. Earthquake.

6. Earthquake.

7. Earthquake-induced panic attack.

8. Earthquake.

9. Earthquake.

10. MOTHERFUCKING EARTHQUAKE!!!!

*Photo taken in CA where they're supposed to keep the earthquakes.

Picture Of My Dog...

...As graphic representation of the way I feel lately.

My First 365 Project

In human adoption lingo they call this Homecoming Day.

A year ago I was sitting at my work desk, much as I'll be doing today. While I gently rolled through my to do list I couldn't help but overhear my co-worker's increasingly frequent telephone conversations with her husband. He works for Con Edison and that day, out at their yard in a rough area of Brooklyn, the arriving workmen had found what they described as a puppy waiting for them. They tried to feed it potato chips and it wouldn't take them. They tied him up. They took him for walks. They asked around. Finally I couldn't stand it any longer and blurted out, "If no one comes for that puppy by the end of the day they shouldn't take it to a shelter. I'll take it and figure out what to do."

I'll pause here so you can clean the post-guffaw coffee off your keyboard.

Yeah, "figure out what to do."

I know myself and have said a million times that once an animal crosses my threshold it's pretty much mine. The cats I have now are the closest I've ever come to wanting to sell pets to the travelers and I wouldn't give them up without a fight. A pretty big fight. So I hit Facebook and Twitter and was rewarded with donations of a crate, a leash, food, a training leash and recommendations galore. Even if he was mine I couldn't just use Emily's gear on a new dog.

After a discussion of logistics it was decided that the gallant husband would finish his twelve hour shift, pick up the dog, drive it to my house and then proceed home to New Jersey. When he arrived about 7:30pm what leapt out of the box he'd wisely put on the front seat was not a puppy. It wasn't a pit bull, either. Given the neighborhood he'd been found in I assumed he'd be a left over pit bull puppy that someone didn't know how to deal with.

Instead it turned out to be a terrier mix that someone didn't know how to deal with. My personal jury is still out about whether he was abandoned or ran away. There's a good case to be made for both. He was unneutered and a bit of a terror when he arrived but he was wearing a clean, sturdy collar and a flea collar. He's smart and somewhat independent and highly crafty. (And I don't mean he decoupages while I'm at the office.) I can see how someone who expected a lazy lap dog might have been overwhelmed. On the other hand he also likes to wander. He's not afraid to explore and if he decides something needs to be followed it can be hard to get his attention back. That's a terrier thing. It's just as easy to see how he might have weaseled his way out of a backyard and been unknown miles away before he realized he'd left his GPS at home.

There's been a lot to learn over the course of this first year. What follows is a partial list of those lessons.

 - Best guess is that he's a mix of Manchester Terrier (an offshoot of the min pin, which accounts for his body type and some of his mannerisms), Jack Russell Terrier (or possibly fox terrier but his attitude and mannerisms are almost undeniably JRT) and Pug (the curly tail, the underbite and, I think, a certain level of taming of his terrierness). According to a local expert after puggles became popular some breeders tried to mix pugs with jack russell and fox terriers for a sleeker, smaller, equally desirable dog. Ed does look like what might happen if someone tried that and failed.

 - Neutering really is better for everyone concerned. I had him neutered within 7 days of finding him and determining that he had no ID of any kind. Once he had a month for the hormones to leech out of his system the territorial marking and humping were reduced to manageable levels.

 - He is highly trainable and thrives on learning new things. As a result he can jump through a hoop, catch a ring around his neck, crawl, do a handstand against a wall, stand on his back legs, walk on his back legs, sit, lie down, wait, stay, nearly skateboard and leave it. Even if "it" is a juicy chicken bone. No, he can't shake. No, I don't know why. He just doesn't like it.

 - I am not highly trainable. The reason he can't do that handstand without the wall or fully skateboard or probably shake, too, is that I'm a novice trainer. With someone more used to the process I think he'd be making us dinner a couple nights a week. Although at a recent work party for a friend's business someone dropped a tool out of reach and he retrieved it for her so that was pretty awesome. Some shit he just knows and I never taught him.

 - I am overprotective. The combination of having him be my first small dog, continuing to feel Emily's loss so close to the surface, and just being me have less than optimal results on the dog front. I just wasn't able to let him off leash without being totally paranoid and weird. As we all know paranoid and weird is the very best attitude combo to give off when training a dog. Fortunately I got out of the way of the process for a couple of weeks and other, calmer folk prevailed so I have the gift of a dog who is really very good off leash. Except for that thing where he occasionally trees a jogger. Let's not talk about that.

 - He is what my mother calls "a sporty traveler." He likes trains and buses and cars. He'll ride in a bag, in a box, in the back seat, in the front but ideally he likes to travel in your lap.

 - He's just like my old cat, Madam. They are perfect in new situations. For Eddie it's one visit or about 3 days of perfect behavior while he assesses the rules and systems of the joint. That gives him the information he needs to proceed to break down and/or circumvent the aforementioned rules and systems. It's better than Madam. She'd be sweet and dear for exactly three weeks then she'd bite you. You could mark the date on your calendar.

 - He's a barker. We can lessen it but we can't eliminate it. It is now most prevalent when he's playing with other dogs.

 - People who don't like little dogs tend to like Eddie. I cite myself as a prime example. He seems to come across as a bigger dog and he loves big dogs so big dog people know he's one of us.

 - He likes to sleep in crates, in dens, in boxes, under beds, behind cushions, on your lap and most of all, under the covers.

 - He likes to lick faces and his tongue is small enough to fit right up your nose. (Ew!)

 - He can jump really high. Like really high. Like look me in the eye high.

 - He fetches but indoors only.

 - He has airborne allergies.

 - He's a picky eater. However, the only person he will follow out of the park no matter how much I call him is Michelle. Scooter Snacks are magic and don't you forget it.

 - He's a great photographer's dog. If I stop to take a shot he sits next to me. He sits or lies down or stands to have his portrait taken. He's not afraid of the camera nor does he try to lick it.

 - People ask, "How long did it take you to love him?" a lot.

 - I don't have a good answer yet.

 - I still feel the need to work into the conversation that I'm a big dog person even though I have a small dog. I am clearly terrified of being profiled in the dog community.

 - People remark on and ask to approach a small, cute dog way more than they do those things for a German Shepherd mix wearing a prong collar.

 - Some people do not ask at all to approach or touch a small dog.

 - Those people get a biiiiiiig surprise from Eddie.

 - It's pretty awesome to be able to take your dog nearly anywhere and I've gotten to be the kind of person who gets a little resentful of events and places where dogs are not welcome. I'm not proud of it but I have to admit it's true. He's a great addition to any party, I assure you. It's OK, though, I understand if you're not into it.

 - He's not perfect.

 - He's as close to perfect as I need him to be.

All the posts that reference Eddie can be found here.

EDITED: Ask And Ye...You Know

 

Fond of Snape made this cool diptych just 'cause I mentioned it. It is composed of hers and AuntiChili2's complementary photos from today's photo challenge. Kind of gorgeous, huh?

Edited to Add: She made another one, too (below). She thinks it's better, more expressive and joyful. I like 'em both, just can't choose. So it's up to you internet, vote in the comments please.

Photo Challenge: HELLO FRIEND

Is it time for another photo challenge post already? This is what happens when one leaves town for nearly the entire challenge period. We have a new member this time around, too! It's getting to be a trend. Who will join next time? Anyone? Come on. You know you wanna.

You also know the drill: Click on the photog's name to see their Flickr stream (do it!). Check out our pool to see the offerings that we didn't have room for here. Comment, comment, comment, it's good for a shutterbug's soul. Scroll down for the next prompt!

I see a new Pixar movie in the making using this snap by fondofsnape as inspiration.

herm007 has cultivated some serious brotherly love in her boys. At the time of this shot they'd been separated for nearly a month.

Lack of appropriate sandwich fixin's is but one of the many hardships facing New England girl, lshykula, now that she lives in the Rockies.

New Member Alert!: erika4bz is raising a serious ham, here. I have giggled every time I've looked at this picture. I am powerless in the face of his full commitment to the cheesy.

What are the odds that we'd have two beautifully similarly themed photos in this challenge? What's even cooler is that Auntiechili2 lives only about an hour from fondofsnape. I kind of want to make a diptych of them but I think I need some form of photoshop for that.

Here's my friend, Elephant Soap, pointing out just how friendly you have to be with your fellow enlisted folk if you plan to live on an aircraft carrier. Pretty freaking cozy.

Recently the aforementioned Elephant Soap and I spent some time in San Diego. While we were there we rubbed elbows with this beauty, and friend to 117 Hudson, Sueb0b. Also her fancy red stapler.

For our next round please ruminate on the concept of RETURN. So many of us are returning from vacation or are returning to school and work or, as in my case, have overshopped a little and are wishing we could return some things. Do with it as you will. Go as far outside that box as you like. Then RETURN to the Flickr Pool to submit your shots.

Please enter your photos by 9am on Tuesday August 30 for posting on Wednesday August 31. Please tag them with PhotoChallenge and RETURN. Any questions can be directed to me here in the comments or using isabeau6 at hotmail dot com.

Thanks!

10 Moments

Some of these will be Blogher related and some will be plain old vacation related. Just little things, things that might get lost otherwise.

1. Looking up from texting Aaryn details of my airporty whereabouts to see her leap out of her car in front of me.

2. Heading to the front desk of the Marriott after bidding Aaryn adieu, saying hello to the clerk then looking right and realizing that Cindy was standing next to me speaking to another clerk. Our timing, it is perfection.

3. Inspiring a pedicab bidding war to get us back from The Midway to the hotel. Then feeling a little bad about only paying $10 + tip.

4. Listening to 2 tourists behind me in line for the trolley strike up a conversation and finding that one of them lives right near Cindy. Sadly Cindy and I had parted ways 2 cities and 4 days before so I couldn't introduce her.

5. The intensely gorgeous and delicious cheese and goodie plate designed and executed by Aaryn's husband, Sam, to help ease me into the Pacific time zone. Cheese definitely helps jet lag.

6. Sitting in the car with Chris. All the time sitting in the car while she drove me all over LA. Sometimes when you don't talk to someone for a long time you forget how awesome it is. Also, I love car conversations.

7. After Chris left for work on Monday I spent a good chunk of time winning her skittish boy cat over. Mostly that involved sitting very still and using my peripheral vision, two things at which I am very good. In less than 2 hours I convinced him to nose my hand and let me pet his tail. Apparently that doesn't happen very often. I am pretty proud of myself for someone who read a book and sat on a toilet to achieve a goal.

8. Matthew apologizing for not bringing me to more touristy things in San Francisco. "Oh god, don't worry about that, I really liked wandering around the Mission looking at all the murals," I assured him. "I thought you would," he quietly replied.

9. Sitting by the fire pit near the pool on Saturday morning communing with camera and iPad before the sessions began.

10. Walking out of dinner our last night in San Diego, hearing music and realizing we were getting an incredibly clear listen to the Swing Dance show happening on the flight deck of The Midway. We danced a little on our way back to the hotel and the closing night festivities.

Photos: 1. Kind and gracious Superman on Hollywood Boulevard. 2. Cindy sorting her Blogher swag. 3. Puppies that were brought by a major movie company as a distraction outside a party one night. 

Re-entree Vous

I have a little bit of a problem with re-entry, with switching gears, with transitions, if you will. When one has spent a lifetime fighting change one does not generally acquire the skill to flit from thing to thing and place to place with ease.

I fear the whole difficulty with changing thing has made it seem like I didn't have a great trip. I had a fantastic trip. It was marvelous and I lived every second of it pretty much exactly the way I wanted to.

However, I don't yet have words to explain it all. The short answer is: I am lucky enough to be friends with some of the finest people on the planet. Also, paella is glorious.

I'll get around to the long answer soon, I'm sure. But not tonight. I have to conquer this whole re-entry thing before the next change comes barreling down the pike.

Back to Work

At least all my Blogher stuff arrived, too.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry