Holy Fucking Comic Con, Batman!

Just got back from NY Comic Con, where I spent the better part of my working day attending panels and talking to various people about children's publishing and how it dovetails with comics publishing, and what the future of kids comics publishing looks like. Lots of cool people, lots of cool panels. And LOTS of things to look at. I'm so tired now! But I bought a couple of cute t-shirts and met tons of people and learned a lot.

Comic Con is huge this year (again) but they seemed to have planned better. I left just as they were starting to let in the "regular" folks (non-professionals) and it looked like it was going to get pretty damn crazy. But there's at least more room for everyone to rub shoulders this time around.

If you're going, check out the Scholastic booth in the back (in the 900 aisle), where they have their Graphix line represented. Other children's publishers with booths include Abrams, Harper, Penguin/Putnam, and Hachette/Little Brown.

It was so much fun to spend the day in a place where I could be a children's publishing professional AND an enormous geek. I'm all exhilarated and exhausted now. But at least I have a TOTORO plushie to cuddle this weekend as I do initial edits on the Disney Princess manuscript an author just sent in....

Oniochalasia!

Check out this list of 20 obscure and obsolete words. My favorite is "oniochalasia" -- I always knew there must be a word for "Retail therapy."

Amazing stuff.

Check out this video of a guy playing the "Inspector Gadget" theme on the flute, WHILE BEATBOXING. Awesome doesn't even begin to cover it.

In other news, we had a lovely time out with friends Saturday night in Chinatown. We celebrated the Chinese new year by stuffing ourselves silly. My new year's resolution: learn how to cook baby bok choy. How hard can it be?

Morning of two hot beverages

I have in my hand: 1 hot lapsang suchong tea with soy milk. It's not *real* lapsang suchong, of course, which turns out to be, like, impossible to find outside of this one province in China or something. But it's a tasty equivalent.

I have waiting for me in the kitchen: 1 hot chocolate, my way. This means it's made of a blend of soy and rice milk, with two heaping spoonfuls of the Ghirardelli (!?) hot chocolate mix and one heaping spoonful of Droste Dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder. I also add cinnamon and vanilla.

It's a morning of two hot beverages and I feel pretty good about that. Whatever it takes to wake me up, you know?

Smugly self-satisfied

I waffled around for a while this afternoon, doing laundry and surfing the web. Suddenly, it was 7:00pm and there was a) no food in the house, and b) no food our bellies.

I threw on my coat and ran out into the brisk, cold night, tugging my silly little rattly shopping cart behind me. First stop was Frank's "gourmet grocery store" which, in my experience, means they have mostly what the Associated has, but for a buck more. Still, they have some things you can't get at the Associated, such as:

- Nice olive oil
- Bread flour
- "intense mint" Lindt chocolate
- baked-not-fried blue corn chips
- Tofu-basil ravioli
- Boca vegan sausage (SO DELISH, btw)

After that, I hit Ahn's greengrocery. I don't know what Mr. Ahn's former occupation was before he brought Mrs. Ahn to Manhattan and started up the best Korean deli in the neighborhood, but the man is an inspired greengrocer. Also, he has two adorable shop cats and speaks rapid and jovial Spanish with his South American stock boys.

At Ahn's I picked up:

- Apples
- Pears
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Parsley
- STRAWBERRIES.

Strawberries! In February! Perry and I ate them for dessert and they were totally decent, too. It's hard for me to feel cranky about globalization when there are good strawberries in February.

Nota Bene: My spellcheck doesn't recognize the word "globalization". Awesome.

Also: I know they say you shouldn't go grocery shopping when you're really hungry, but I have to say, I think that's bunk. I buy more than I would normally, sure, but I never (OK, almost never... I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the frozen pie crust I got tonight) regret the more... *imaginative* purchases I make while under the influence of hunger. And the pleasure of it is so great... walk into a store with $40 bucks in your pocket and you have the power to walk out with SO. MUCH. FOOD. Shopping when I'm really hungry makes me feel wealthy and invincible.

Week of cold weather and cute outfits!

It's been cold so far this week. But I have employed a new strategy which allows me to dress cutely for the office and still be warm when I have to venture outside. I've been wearing cute skirts and tights, but I haven't frozen my ass off! Here's how.

When I bundle up to go outside, I wear the following, listed from inside layer out:

1) A giant silk scarf
2) A down vest
3) A giant wooly scarf
4) A giant wooly coat
5) Gloves
6) Hyper-fashionable "Deerhunter" hat

With my core cozy and my extremities protected, I can run around in tights all I want! It's genius!

Cheery tulips on a sunny Sunday

This morning I paid my last visit to poor, sweet Schroedinger, the kidney-impaired kitty I've been tormenting while his people are out of town. When I got back, I took this picture of the pretty tulips I picked up yesterday at the greengrocer. Look, it's all meta, 'cause there's a PAINTING of tulips behind them!





Today I plan on ACHIEVING. Here is my list:

- Rosemary white bean soop
- Laundry
- Filing/bills
- Muffins
- Catching up on UGLY BETTY downloads (yay for Betty on iTunes!)

Wish me luck!

Morning update

1) I wore my new docs yesterday for the first time! They hurt, but not as bad as I'd feared. I hope they start breaking in soon, though.

2) This morning I will gird up my loins and go to our friends' house. They are out of town, and I am pilling their cat while they are gone. I am also:

- Maaloxing their cat
- Laxativing their cat
- IV'ing their cat with a sharp needle and a drip bag

!!!