Ye-Xiao : 夜宵

Moving...

2008-11-30T20:44:00.003-05:00

Big news: I'm moving!
Moving blogs, that is. Since I opened the Animalicules shop, I think I should have an Animalicules blog to go with it. And I'm going to try and post more regularly on it. But I can't fill it up with just stuff I make because I can't make enough new stuff to do that very often. So the theme of the new blog is all things cute. Stuff I made, stuff other people made, random stuff I come across, etc. And the big question I'll be exploring is: What makes things cute? I've just barely gotten started, but the new blog is here:

Animalicules Blog

Now, for those of you that subscribe through Feedblitz and get my blog posts to your email - I *think* I can transfer over the whole list of subscribers. If that works, then you won't have to do anything and you'll start getting updates whenever I post on the new blog. Hopefully you'll get an email notification when I sign you up for Animalicules, but if it seems like it doesn't work, I'll let you know. So for now, don't do anything, just check out the new blog, and wait.

Thanks!!

Critters for sale!

2008-11-09T13:33:00.005-05:00

As I've told some of you, I've decided to try selling my softies! People sometimes tell me I should and I figure it's a good way to spread the cuteness. So I've opened up my etsy shop - it's called Animalicules. I just put up a few things to start with, some sheep and a pig. But there will be more stuff added as I go along. So check it out! And keep it in mind if you or someone you know is ever looking for a baby gift (or just something cute).

Mouse in the House

2008-11-02T20:38:00.001-05:00

Looks like we have a rodent infestation. Hanging out like he owns the place!

Whatever we tried, nothing seemed to intimidate him.

We finally convinced him to leave our house by promising to take him to a party. Little did he know it was a baby shower and he'd be going home with the baby! Heh heh.

Ghost!

2008-10-26T21:56:00.003-04:00

Here's the pumpkin LZ and I carved together, isn't it great? It says ghost!

Sculpture Park

2008-09-06T09:48:00.005-04:00

Yesterday Oscar made an enriching visit to the DeCordova sculpture park. Not everyone knows this but he is a sophisticated dog and an art connoisseur. Unfortunately museums do not appreciate this so he has to get his culture in outdoor venues. He hopes you will enjoy this slideshow of the installations he found most thought-provoking.

If you're reading this in an email, you may not be able to see the slideshow. Go check it out on the actual blog or see it here.

Sweat Rag

2008-08-21T00:36:00.004-04:00

When you go hiking on the AT, what you really need is a good sweat rag. And if it happens to have a picture of your trail name embroidered onto it, all the better!

Cozy Bunny

2008-08-05T23:44:00.003-04:00

Ahh, much better. So cozy!

Shhhh....

2008-08-05T23:42:00.003-04:00

Quiet, the bunny is sleeping!
But doesn't she look a little cold?

Frolicking

2008-07-24T23:46:00.003-04:00

Here she is, the proud owner of the tiny carrot:
Frolicking in the garden among the fresh herbs, this was taken on her last day here with us before she made the long journey to Atlanta to be with her new best friend.

Carrotus Minimus

2008-07-12T13:26:00.003-04:00

This is a very rare species of carrot. It grows in the wild and it's incredibly difficult to find because it's so tiny.

But who does it belong to? Stay tuned...

Softies

2008-07-06T20:37:00.001-04:00

One more look at the softie posse...

This isn't all of them, just the ones that could make it to the photo shoot.

Name That Softie

2008-06-17T21:07:00.005-04:00

At work we have an exhibit board where someone displays anything they want each month. Last month was me so naturally I did a softies board. The idea was that everyone named the softies and posted them on the board (that's those little white slips). Lots of people participated and it was a big hit! I haven't had time for much crafting lately but this is a good summary of the best stuff I've made so far. You can click on the picture to see it a bit bigger.

Strawberry Banana

2008-04-27T11:46:00.003-04:00

This guy is just trying to blend in with his fruity friends. Watch out or they might get blended together. Smoothie, anyone?

Wiener Dog Boot Scraper

2008-04-24T22:23:00.004-04:00

Isn't this an awesome wiener dog boot scraper? It's probably the coolest one I've ever seen. Too bad it's in Philadelphia or I would scrape my boots on it every day. It also has the honor of being the only thing I took a picture of on the whole trip. Why did I cart my camera around the whole time? Precisely for moments like this.

Tea Towel

2008-04-02T21:55:00.005-04:00

Here are a tea towel and potholder to mark the start of my embroidery career. They might be a gift or they might not, depending on where the apple falls.

My First Pig

2008-03-26T23:26:00.008-04:00

My first attempt at sewing a softie! He came out a bit deformed but I tried to photograph his good side. Not so bad for my first try but it will definitely take some practice before I can make the whole farm.

More Sheep

2008-03-05T20:35:00.004-05:00

A pair of sheep contemplating a rainy day.

Soft Card

2008-02-16T16:04:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!The card was done on time, I'm just late posting it. This is a safety card, so you never have to worry about paper cuts again. The best Valentine's gift ever, right?

Egg Cup Critter

2008-02-09T14:42:00.000-05:00

I found this cute little egg cup on the free table at work and I knew there must be someone who would like to inhabit it. So I put up a vacancy sign and sure enough, this little critter moved right in. He's still getting adjusted but so far he's very happy there.

Piggies Playing

2008-01-22T21:32:00.000-05:00

Oink Oink!

Sewing!

2008-01-10T21:29:00.000-05:00

This is my new sewing machine. (Thanks, mom!) Since it lives in our very dusty apartment, the first thing it needed was:

A new outfit! So the first project I made on it was a sewing machine cover. Then I got a little carried away and it ended up:

A reversible sewing machine cover! Two (very different) looks for the price of one. Stylish and dust free.

-ariums

2008-01-01T09:56:00.001-05:00


	As part of Boston's First Night events we went to a bunch of free museums including two -ariums. At the aquarium we found these amazing jellyfish. At the mapparium we went inside a huge globe. So cool.

Tree Family Portrait

2007-12-17T21:44:00.000-05:00

Smile for the camera!

Tree Family

2007-12-16T23:19:00.000-05:00

Instead of a real tree I opted for these guys this year. Less space, less waste. They're actually five times as big as they look but only the tips show because they got buried in the snow.

A Diamond is Forever

2007-12-09T19:40:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Vanessa who recently got engaged. The lucky lady received this to-die-for diamond solitaire which cost almost three minutes' salary! I hope she has it insured in case it unravels...

Scarf

2007-12-06T22:37:00.000-05:00

1. Scraps
2. Squares
3. Scarf!

Just
in
time
for
the
snow.

Squares

2007-12-02T17:41:00.000-05:00

First there were scraps.
Then there were squares!
Forty of them actually.
They could be coasters.
But they're not...

Scraps

2007-11-27T21:31:00.000-05:00

My scraps came out as pretty as the actual project! I'll post the finished product when its done but for now you can look at the colors of the work in progress:

Lady in Waiting

2007-11-24T23:24:00.001-05:00

This lady is waiting. Waiting to get the perfect hairdo before she can make her public debut. And until then she refuses to show her face. Which is just as well because I haven't sewn her face on yet. We're lucky she even agreed to this shot of just her mysterious yellow legs. It will have to tide us over for a while until she's ready to make an appearance...

Ski Snails

2007-10-30T22:19:00.000-04:00

Snails #3

Look at them go! These snails finally figured out how to shake off that annoying stereotype.

If anyone would like a snail bookmark, they are up for grabs so leave a comment to let me know!

Sea Snail

2007-10-29T22:30:00.000-04:00

Snail #2

Ahhh, the deep blue sea...

Can you guess what kind of snail will be crawling in tomorrow?

Tree Snail

2007-10-28T22:52:00.000-04:00

What is there at the top of that tree that's so great anyways?

Stay tuned tomorrow for another snail-themed adventure.

(This is either a bookmark or just a long thin picture.)

What I Do At Work II

2007-09-20T21:20:00.001-04:00

Warning: This is a weird one.

Here's something else I did for work, one of my more interesting jobs, I have to admit. One site is going to have a feature about the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra, so to go with it I made up a tutorial for how to make musical instruments out of vegetables. Did they work? Judge for yourself. Here are the very short clips (just a few seconds) of the instruments:

Carrot Strummer

Eggplant Clapper

Guess all those years of Suzuki finally paid off!

What I Do At Work

2007-09-13T21:43:00.000-04:00

If you have been wondering what I do at work, this post is for you. A few of our sites have been updated recently and I made it into the credits. Ah, the fame and glory... My name is finally in lights. Well, in pixels at least. Here are links to the credits pages but you should look around the rest of the sites too, even though you won't know which parts I actually worked on. Check them out:

Cute Graffiti

2007-09-09T21:46:00.000-04:00


	This graffiti artist sure knows the meaning of cute, whoever it is. These spray painted critters used to greet me every morning outside my old building, but now I'd have to make a special trip to visit them.

Home Sweet Home

2007-08-27T23:22:00.000-04:00

More than 6 months after we first laid eyes on it, we're finally settled into our new home! It's been a crazy summer but we made it and I even managed to take some pictures. Here's the outside, we are on the second floor, with the windows on the right and in front.

Want to take a tour? Click here for more pictures!
And don't forget to read the notes! (Mouse over the photos and click on the boxes to read more. They won't show up in the slideshow though.)

As the old Chinese saying goes: "Gold house, silver house, nothing beats our own dog house."

Walkability

2007-07-30T22:04:00.000-04:00

How walkable is your neighborhood? If you go to walkscore.com you can find out! It uses google maps and gives your home a score based on how many things are within walking distance.

Where we live now is a 92 (out of 100), which means it's a Walker's Paradise. When we move (assuming we actually do) we'll be at 89, still not too shabby. Now I have numerical proof that we don't need a car and we're not the only ones that think so.

Sand Sculpture

2007-07-15T17:22:00.000-04:00

This week's adventure was the sand castle competition and festival. Is that really sand? It is, but it's not from the beach here, it was trucked in from somewhere else. Like the beach really needs more sand?

Sneak Preview

2007-06-30T13:53:00.000-04:00

Despite the cabinet mistake, the knob confusion, the faucet crisis, and many other set-backs, the condo renovations are coming along nicely, which means it's time for a little sneak preview!

Pre Heat Wave

2007-06-28T20:29:00.000-04:00

	We took advantage of the perfect weather before the heat wave to go on a day trip. Can you tell where we went? Hint: The trip involved a cookie as big as my head!! And we found these weird branch boxes there.

Wedding Video

2007-06-19T21:12:00.000-04:00

Today is our second wedding anniversary! In honor of the occasion, you can now watch our wedding video. Yes, two years after the big day I finally learned how to cut out the embarassing parts and slap some subtitles on it. Thanks a million to Sarah for teaching me how to do it all!!

It's about 14 minutes so you might want to set aside some time to watch it. If you have any questions about what's going on, feel free to post or email and I'll try to explain. If you can't watch it you might have to visit the actual blog page or install something - read Google Video's help or try me. And now, on with the show...

Cambridge River Festival

2007-06-17T22:32:00.000-04:00

Like most would-be bloggers, I haven't actually been posting much lately but I'm hoping to start adding more. Here's what you've missed:
1. I graduated and got my Master's in Education.
2. I started my new job at WGBH in the kids' interactive (websites) department. So far so good, though it's not easy getting used to being in the same place for 8 hours every day. My new hobby is finding ways to decorate my "cube" to try and mask the sea of gray.
3. The renovations of our future condo are going well, we are keeping very busy picking out toilets, fixtures, paint colors, couches, etc. etc. etc.

In case you've forgotten what we look like, these are some reminder photos from the Cambridge River Festival. It seems like there's a festival every weekend, it's great. I even managed to get a picture of one of those tiny red bugs running across my book. It was tricky capturing those speedy little legs.

Green Mystery Man

2007-05-25T17:49:00.000-04:00

This mystery man likes moonlit dinners and long walks on the beach. When he's not sitting on citrus fruits, he enjoys snowshoeing and lion taming. His favorite food is popcorn and he has a pet hedgehog. It's not easy being green so he's looking for that special someone to make life a little more exciting. Want to know more? Leave him a comment and he'll get back to you.

Radiators

2007-04-13T21:58:00.000-04:00

Last week I found a radiator graveyard. Either that or a radiator convention. I had never seen so many radiators gathered in one place before but now if I ever need one I'll know where to go. And they're magic! Mouse over them to see their special powers*.

*If you are reading this in an email and there's no magic, you will have to click through to my actual blog site. Then you'll have to click on the picture once before the magic will start. I know, it's annoying.

Old Town

2007-04-04T15:00:00.000-04:00

Another photo montage! These are some cute details on the buildings in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia. Do you know which one is from Robert E. Lee's boyhood home?

Washington DC

2007-04-01T12:10:00.000-04:00

A few highlights from our trip to the capital city:
(Click on the picture to see it bigger.)
1. Abrahamontherange.
2. The Arlington Cemetery where we visited Monty Meigs. We were hoping for some special treatment for being related to the inahbitant of Plot One, but no such luck.
3. Waiting in the bread line at the FDR Memorial. I think I chose the wrong line, it didn't move an inch.
4. The Washington Monument - funny, it doesn't look much like him.
5. A head we found on a bridge. Is this supposed to be someone famous?
6. The mosaic floor in the Library of Congress. I could make that, no problem.

Ice Mosaic

2007-03-09T08:27:00.000-05:00

Look at this ice on the river! It looks like it should fit together but it doesn't quite, just like my mosaics. I could have gotten a better picture but I was taking it from a moving vehicle. Despite the fact that its been way below freezing every day this week, our apartment is broiling hot. The heat broke once and it started to feel more normal but then they fixed it and now it's hotter than ever! I am certainly not complaining, I am thoroughly enjoying my sauna.

Mosaic

2007-03-07T10:35:00.000-05:00

I finally took pictures of my mosaic masterpieces! The stool may be a little too sharp to sit on but it works great for reaching high places, as long as I'm wearing shoes. Why a napkin holder? you may ask. After I realized I had all those tiles I figured I needed more things to cement them onto. I went to goodwill looking for anything made of wood and this is what they had to offer. Now I just have to get some napkins for it to hold!

Half Off

2007-02-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

The best way to enjoy Valentine's Day Chocolates is a week later when they're half off! I was surprised to find so many little guys in this box, there ~~are~~ were fourty four! Which is appropriate considering it is now the year of the pig!

Mosaic Preview

2007-02-14T17:21:00.000-05:00

Here is a sneak preview of what I made with all those smashed up tiles. I was going to bring home my other masterpieces today but didn't get there because of the snow/sleet/rain/ice balls. So, for now all I have to show is this blurry photo of my mosaicked picture frame. More to come...

Shards

2007-02-05T17:32:00.000-05:00

Here are the tiles I made, glazed, and smashed. I have since been cementing them onto any wooden objects I can get my hands on. Stay tuned for the final results.

Three Owls

2007-01-26T11:10:00.000-05:00

Three little owlies. Sadly they don't have names. Any suggestions?

Froggie

2007-01-16T08:50:00.000-05:00

Being on vacation is great because I have time to make critters like froggie here! Today he's going to go to a new home though, one where he might get torn apart if he wasn't made sturdily enough. Then again, if the baby doesn't like him, he'll be safe. Not sure which one I'm hoping for.

Old Money

2007-01-11T15:25:00.000-05:00

One of our prize possessions was this old ten dollar bill from 1934. It was a much brighter green than bills are now, but sadly the color didn't come out well in any pictures I took. We kept it for over a year figuring it was too much of a treasure to spend, but then we decided it was time for it to move on. I spent it last month at a pizza place and the guy there thought it was so cool he said he was going to keep it. So at least I know it is still being loved!

White Elephant

2007-01-01T11:17:00.000-05:00

We found this inflatable white elephant in a castle. We wanted to take it home but it wouldn't fit on our bikes. Actually it was on display for Boston's First Night celebrations, which also included fireworks, a parade, and tango lessons.
Happy 2007!

Cloudlet

2006-12-29T10:14:00.000-05:00

This little guy was a present for my mom. Hopefully it will be the first in a series of little felt creatures. Only if I stop procrastinating and get my papers done, though.

Bear Clothes

2006-12-21T15:09:00.000-05:00

Doesn't this bear have an amazing fashion sense? So stylish. Thanks to Sarah for the picture, I knitted the clothes for her for the secret santa and she brought them home to Lauren the Bear, just in time for the blizzard. Good thing she got those warm clothes, otherwise she'd be freezing her paws off.

Penguin Present!

2006-12-19T09:07:00.000-05:00

This is my new penguin! Sadly, I did not make her, but Sarah did! I know, one eye is bigger than the other, but it's not her fault, she was just born that way. The big question is, what is in that present??

Leaf Cards

2006-12-17T21:39:00.000-05:00

A few cards I made a while back. They should have been "happy autumn" cards but they didn't get sent to anyone and here it is almost winter. Sad.

Happy Hannukah!

Carved Crayons

2006-12-05T20:59:00.000-05:00

Wow! Who wants to try this?

The Nest Revisited

2006-12-02T11:39:00.000-05:00

It's time to reveal the mystery of the nest. (If you don't remember the mystery, click here.) Be forewarned, now that people have been wondering for so long, when I reveal the truth it will be rather anticlimactic.

The quick answer: Our crazy neighbor put the nest there.

The explanation: On September first, we came to the apartment to clean it and it was a very nice day. We discovered a bird's nest outside the window, with a little blue egg in it. So sweet, right? But we didn't have a camera with us. We went back to CT and the next day when we came back with the UHaul it was rainy and very windy. We started moving stuff into the apartment and we met this crazy lady who turned out to be our neighbor. She asked if we had seen the good omen in our new place. We had a brief conversation about how great the nest was. For months she had been watching the bird make its nest and have babies under the previous tenant's air conditioner, but she could only watch from outside, far away. So I invited her in to see it up close. She was very excited but when we came in, the nest was gone! She suspected the landlord had taken it down and she went to investigate. I went down to the truck to get more boxes. When I came back up there was the nest, on the windowsill, inside! The lady had found the nest on the ground under the window and brought it back up for me because she knew how much I missed it. That's when I took the picture. We deduced that since the air conditioner had been taken away the nest's protection was gone and the wind blew it down. Then we convinced her it was a little too dirty to keep in the apartment so she took it away again. Maybe she still has it in her apartment, who knows. And that's the story of the nest.

This post is dedicated to EJL.

The Zoo

2006-11-28T11:31:00.000-05:00

The Friday after Thanksgiving is free day at the zoo! How could we pass that up? Sadly, the giraffes (shouldn't that be giraves?) were not out because of the cold. I wonder where they go during the winter. Do they migrate south? We did enjoy the other animals though, here's what everyone was up to:

The camels were gossipping about their neighbors, or was it about us?

The zebra was looking for his contact lens which had fallen out.

The mandrill was challenging all the visitors to a staring contest.

The ostriches were helping the zebra look for the lost contact lens.

The tapir had to pee and didn't feel like walking over to the bathroom.

Christmas Spirit

2006-11-24T21:18:00.000-05:00

The Christmas spirit lives on Jackson Road. That's what the sign said out front and from what I saw, I'd say it's definitely true. From my aunt's house in Cornish, you just go down the muddy driveway, across the dirt road, along a stream, up a hill, around a bend, and you can't miss the glowing wonderland. It's only halfway decorated and already there's so much - they not only did their house but the mountain too. There are two tractors and a motorcycle covered with lights, a bunch of miniature displays in glass cases, numerous inflated holiday characters, a sleigh with Santa and his crew, a creche, Christmas music playing continuously, Rudolph's red nose shining up on the mountaintop, candy canes galore, I could go on and on. And that's only the outside - I won't even begin to describe the inside. Needless to say it was truly amazing. Clearly the highlight of our Thanksgiving in New Hampshire.

The Wig's Night Out

2006-11-20T17:06:00.000-05:00

The Hallowig had its time in the spotlight this weekend. It felt so loved during the modelling sessions and photo shoots. It had such a good time in fact that it seems to have decided to stay in Arlington instead of coming home with me. I just hope you're happy wherever you are, Hallowig.

Two Years

2006-11-13T09:16:00.000-05:00

This was my anniversary surprise! That's right, it was two years on Saturday. At night we went to Finale where we had the super duper quintuple chocolate plate. It may have had a slightly classier name than that but you get the idea. It was so good. Then I bought a winter coat. And rain pants. Romantic, isn't it?

Pilgrim Path

2006-11-06T23:00:00.000-05:00

On Sunday we went to Mt. Auburn Cemetery, America's first garden cemetery. We walked around, collected leaves, and climbed up the tower. I have to say it's the nicest graveyard I've ever been to. (Click on the photo to see it bigger.)

My Wig

2006-11-01T17:30:00.000-05:00

Here's my Halloween creation for this year: the Hallowig. I'm tempted to keep wearing it after Halloween. It actually makes a great hat since it covers my ears and neck. Maybe I'll make more for the winter and have them in every color. Anyone want one?

Halloween Cookies

2006-10-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

It's the day before Halloween, so I figured this might be a good time for cookies shaped like pumpkins and Frankensteins. They don't taste as good as I was hoping, but they're cute enough. The first batch had candy corn for eyes which was not my best idea seeing as how the candy completely melted in the oven. Although it is an appropriate time of year for eyeballs oozing out of their sockets, I decided to stick to m&ms and jelly beans after that.

A Trip to the Museum

2006-10-29T18:22:00.000-05:00

Marbled Paper

Today we spent a nice afternoon at the MFA. We saw a demonstration of Turkish paper marbling which was amazing. They float the paint on top of water and do all kinds of swirly designs in it, kind of like when you make marble cake. Then they float the paper on top, make sure the edges are flat, and when they pick it up all the paint has been transferred to the paper like magic! And all that effort just makes one beautiful piece of paper. The other highlight of the day was their exhibit on Soviet Textiles from around 1930 which were designed to get people psyched about industrialization. Imagine shirts and pillowcases with tractors, gears, and factories on them. They're fabulous!

Soviet Fabric

Scrabble Seating

2006-10-21T08:49:00.000-04:00

These scrabble benches are so great. If I had them in my house I'd have the rug be the board. When anyone wanted to make a really long word they'd have to carry a huge pile of pillows to the right place. Then once you'd covered the whole board with letters you could just lay down on top and go to sleep.

Apple Pie

2006-10-19T19:54:00.000-04:00

Apples apples everywhere. What's a girl to do? So this afternoon I whipped up an apple pie! Okay I didn't exactly just whip it up, I don't really know how to do that. I got the recipe from Emeril and then I whipped it up. Okay okay I can't take all the credit. LZ helped too so I guess we whipped it up. How many more times do you think I will say whip it up? whip, whip, whip. Anyways - crumb topping and frozen pie crust, the only way to go. And I still have enough apples left for about five more pies! Anyone want a piece?

Apples Apples Everywhere!

2006-10-17T09:23:00.000-04:00

On Sunday we went apple-picking. It was our first zipcar adventure! My zipcard was defective and wouldn't unlock the car so we got off to a rocky start but after a phone call to customer service, it was smooth sailing. We went to One Stack Orchard in Stow, MA. They have lots of apples to pick and an old cider press where they make unhomogenized cider. No hay rides, no corn mazes, just apple trees! After we picked more apples than we'll ever eat, we drove around admiring the foliage.

In other news, exactly one year ago yesterday LZ and I moved (back) to the US. It is a momentous occasion. Overall, it was a pretty good year.

Newburyport

2006-10-10T21:20:00.000-04:00

This weekend we went to Newburyport, a small New Englandy town at the end of the commuter rail. They were having the Fall Harvest Festival so it was a good day to go. We saw the Yoyo Show and a scarecrow contest (see photos). We ate seafood chowder in bread bowls. Also, we thoroughly enjoyed watching people parallel park their boats.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

2006-10-07T14:05:00.000-04:00

中秋节快乐！
Yesterday was the Chinese full moon festival. I hope everyone admired the full moon!

Today is Saturday and I've been monitoring TV all day. That's right, when your Harvard professor tells you to watch TV for homework it's not called watching, it's called monitoring. We learn very important things here.

Cactus 仙人掌

2006-09-28T17:49:00.000-04:00

LZ gave me this bright yellow cactus. It was a surprise when I came home from school one day. Don't let the cuteness fool you, it's very dangerous! But we love it anyways.

Of course, the day after it came to live with us I knocked it on the floor and it lost a limb. Sorry little guy!

FunFact: In Chinese the word for cactus means immortal's palm.

Commenting Glitch

2006-09-25T14:27:00.000-04:00

I just found out blogger is not as great as I was hoping. Sometimes it messes stuff up without telling me.

I didn't realize you had to be registered to leave comments. That should be fixed now and anyone should be able to comment without registering. Hope it works. Thanks to those of you who already commented! Keep it up!

The Big Fight

2006-09-25T13:44:00.000-04:00

Yesterday evening I had a huge fight with my computer. It has been on its last legs for a while now but it logically chose last night, right after I wrote six pages of my first assignments for school, as the ideal time to throw a fit. After many grueling rounds the fight finally ended in a tie. I did manage to get my files out by going into DOS and copying them to a floppy disk (remember those?). But the computer was so stubborn it just would not work again. It may be time to walk away and get a new computer but wouldn't that be letting it win? I don't think I'm ready to give up just yet. Next time it will be a fight to the death.

Ovinity

2006-09-18T22:30:00.000-04:00

Here she is, my latest ovine creation. While she may look the same as the rest of the flock, she has her own distinct personality. She can usually be found by the window, contemplating the first few leaves falling from the trees. This will be her first winter and she hopes her warm woolen fleece will make up for her inadequate acrylic legs and head.

Nubby Potato

2006-09-17T17:12:00.000-04:00

Last week we discovered the Central Square farmers' market which was a great find. Although it still seems expensive (after you've lived in China everything will always seem expensive), farmers' markets are always a good thing to happen upon. I found these adorable little nubby potatoes:

So naturally I brought some home and put them on the windowsill to take pictures of them. The farmer in the market told me what variety they are but I forgot. I'm sure my agriculturally-inclined sister will enlighten me. They're almost too cute to cook!

Just now when I said the farmer in the market, I was reminded of a great abiyoyo anecdote. One teacher pulled out a picture book that goes along with the song "The Farmer in the Dell" and a kid got really excited and yelled out "The farmer in the deli!" Kids say the darnedest things.

The Nest

2006-09-17T17:03:00.000-04:00

We moved into our Central Square mini apartment on September 1st. We came into the apartment, looked around, and lo and behold, what could be on the windowsill but *gasp* a bird's nest:

There it is in all its glory. A very auspicious sign!
I suggested we use it to make that infamous Chinese delicacy - bird's nest soup, but LZ didn't think it was such a great idea.

Now, to make this blog more interactive, I have a challenge for all of you:
What is wrong with this picture?

If anyone gets it right and has a good explanation, maybe they'll get a prize!