Areas of Unrest

12 November 2000 - Edgar and the Balaclava

QOTD: "Get your facts first. Then you can distort them as much as you please." - Mark Twain

Reading: Sparkle Heyter, The Chelsea Girl Murders

Listening to: Brazzaville

A few things did actually happen this week. For example, I took advantage of being home to do a bit of toy shopping. That included a trip to REI for a few more cold weather odds and ends (three days until I leave for Churchill!). Most notably, a balaclava. Not that I don't have perfectly good hats and scarves and such, but the word "balaclava" is just such a great one that I couldn't resist.

The really major purchase, however, was not at REI. I finally bought a digital camera. It's the one I've wanted ever since I learned it was going to be made - the Olympus one that can do instant Polaroid prints. It is far bulkier than many, but the instant print capability is ideal for a lot of the travel I do. Take the picture, give a copy to your subject, and still have the digital image - what more could anyone fond of the undeveloped world want? Admittedly, I didn't really need it for this upcoming trip. I can't be positive, but I doubt that polar bears want photos of themselves. And I don't plan to get close enough for them to ask!

Anyway, I'm still working my way through the manual, which is roughly the size of the telephone book. It seems there are all sorts of cool features (blackboard mode! whiteboard mode! umpty ump movie modes!) that I am never likely to use. I have a definite case of new toy syndrome.

Not that I've had time to really play much. I bought the camera Wednesday night and was too tired to face the manual then. Thursday night was storytelling and it went late as there was a particularly good crowd. I had planned to tell a Mongolian folktale, but Leonia told an African story involving a basket that a wife told her husband not to look into, and that was the perfect setup for the locked drawer story I learned from Tim when I was in England. Friday night was the usual trivia game. So I just had a little time yesterday, in between a massive amount of housework. And today was filled up with reviewing papers for the IEEE Aerospace Conference, which also meant seeing a few people I rarely run into.

And then there's my new bed partner. He was there in the ever so romantic setting of the supermarket. (The Von's at Sepulveda and National should you care to try your luck.) I just knew he'd be soft and cuddly and you already know about my thing about furriness. His name is Edgar and, while there is always some adjustment in sleeping with a new partner, I can tell it will work out just fine.

My previous chief teddy bear has been relegated to the top of the living room bookshelf. I'm sure that if he could talk, Bowser would be calling Edgar a usurper.