Internet is back on at home but now Hurricane Irene approaches. And a tornado watch. Because an earthquake on Tuesday wasn't enough. Sigh. I'll be decamping (with Julie) to a friend's house, probably tomorrow, because the power will go out for who knows how long. I'm on Twitter until the power goes. Stay safe!
Perhaps this should be about the Biblical Ten commandments. After all, we had an earthquake yesterday. Those of you who are used to tremors & earthquakes: enough with your alternate giggling & hands-on-hips annoyance at the attention it has received. It felt stronger than a 5.8 in other areas. Something about the geological formations here in the eastern U.S.
Also, those of us in the New York & Washington, DC areas are on edge because of the tenth 9/11 anniversary. Shaking buildings = terrorist activity. We were relieved that there was an earthquake, actually. I have a funny story to relate at another time. Briefly: I was outside with a friend in a high-activity urban area & made up reasons why the earth was shaking that had nothing to do with an earthquake. My imagination is intact, if not in evidence on the blogs lately.
Anyway, locusts are here, the heat wave is in a break but it's been horrible. The first real threatening hurricane to the east is on the way (Hi there, Irene). Boils must be next.
The internet crisis, along with my health problems, continues. Julie the Cat's near-death two weeks ago (while I was house-sitting in northern Virginia) was so upsetting I can barely relate it. It is her asthma again. We spent most of the day at the emergency vet, after a taxi ride from N.Va to DC (yikes) & back. Lots of meds & she's still on them. She feels better, finally, after quite a long time of not knowing if the medicine was effective. The chronic nature of the illness is really worrying, though.
To the post title: here is an excellent summation of most of what I feel lately (& always) about blogs. I have some items to contribute but that will have to wait for now. Mrs. Monologues is hilarious. I haven't been able to keep up but I think I'll follow her on the ol' tweeter.
Big thanks to Australian bloggers Simon & Julie for their continued support in more ways than I can catalogue here. xo
Finally, I am able to tweet most days from a coffee shop. So join me if you like. I'd love it.
(Claudia Cardinale via Almost Famous Cats via Pinterest)
Try to stay cool & calm if you're under the same weather as here - that is, very hot & beyond-belief-humid. Trying to catch up with much & the internetz are not cooperating. Check out the underwater photography of Elena Kalis. I'd love to be standing there right this minute.
Update - Tuesday. I'm having trouble w/internet at housesitting gig. It comes & goes w/out rhyme, reason. I am a jinx:( But I am able to hang out on Twitter. Join me, won't you? Lots of blogger peeps are there.
Tuesday - 16 August 2011 - I have hopes for internet access at home tomorrow (Wed.)
Wednesday - 17 August 2011 - My hopes are dashed. Leaving coffee shop dejected. Growl.
Sunday - 21 August 2011 - As the kids say, OMG. I've been here all day trying to post & cannot form cogent thought out of swirling mini-thoughts. Plus: Julie the Cat has been very sick. Verizon is on strike & I cannot get the internet re-installed. I am hoping that news this a.m. re: strikers returning on Monday while talks continue bodes well. I shall return tomorrow.
(photograph by Elena Kalis via Tangerine Tangent as seen on automatism)
If I don't leave this coffee shop now, I'm going to have a public anxiety attack. It's nuts here today. Also, I haven't slept well & Julie (the Cat) & I are leaving to house/cat sit tomorrow. It's going to be like a vacation - I am so ready to be somewhere else even if it's in the DC-area.
I read many interesting things today & saw wonderful photographs. However, balky bandwidth & several inexplicably crashed sites are making it more-than-difficult to construct anything worth posting. I think I better get home to pack & decompress.
Summer Travel Galleries refers to a search on LIFE. If you aren't interested in Vladimir Putin's Manliest Moments, you might find Speedos: Gift or Curse? a hoot. (Three guess what I say about them. Oh gawd. I had a boyfriend not too long ago who insisted on wearing one. He's neither European nor an Olympic swimmer. These are the two categories I will accept--grudgingly--in Speedo sporters.) There are many more summer photo galleries for your viewing pleasure. Have fun.
I'll check in on Friday night (US East Coast time) if all goes well. And I'll respond to email, comments, & blog postings ASAP. I'll be in a better mood, too. I promise.
(photograph is from LIFE but I've wasted nearly an hour trying to find the credit. Phooey.)
Isn't this lovely? I adore fashion illustrations, modern & vintage which reminds me that Shabby Apple's dare to design competition 2011 is open for another week. You don't even have to sew the darn thing. Really. Maybe I should give it a go.
Check here for the details. Listen, someone has to win. Why not you? Pass it on to anyone you know who might be interested. Here are some free online drawing & painting tools that might be helpful.
(illustration by genius René Gruau for Dior via automatism)
I'm fooling around with this virtual makeover thingymabob. Ads pop up - you're warned. I know what looks good on me & so don't really need to do this but it's fun. The only problem is the photo available on my laptop has Julie the Cat in it. She looks great with red bangs (fringe for UK, Australia, etc)
Mad Men is now available on Netflix Instant for those who have it. (Drop in at Basket of Kisses, a Mad Men blog for all sorts of analysis, etc.) I got half-way through the pilot but it slowed down too much. And a guy near me kept looking over at a Don-&-Midge love scene. Euwwwwwwwww. Gave him the stink-eye to no avail. Must work on threatening looks.
No more of ceiling talk unless it's about Fred in Royal Wedding. (If you have Netflix Instant, it's available.)
The vote passed, there really was no choice. However, I am furious at the cuts that will be exacted upon the backs of those who can least afford it. My screech on that will be written next week when I have enough bandwidth to research properly.
(photograph via Fred Astaire Annex)
Internet is back on at home but now Hurricane Irene approaches. And a tornado watch. Because an earthquake on Tuesday wasn't enough. Sigh. I'll be decamping (with Julie) to a friend's house, probably tomorrow, because the power will go out for who knows how long. I'm on Twitter until the power goes. Stay safe!
