no name but amber, archers, cinnamon, horses and birds.

Ok, you have to be a fairly hardcore oldschool videogame geek to appreciate the beauty of this <a href="http://www.gamechambers.com/gcMKmap.htm">thorough map of Mountain King</a> for the Atari 2600. Actually maybe not; the map has a certain elegance of its own. Anyway, it's a real achievement. Mountain King was an <a href="http://www.gamechambers.com/gcMtKing.htm">impressive game</a> for the time, as you can see it had a very large world. (And a nice rendition of the song.) Plus, there was that secret area 'above' the main mountain, that the <a href="http://www.gamechambers.com/gcMKing2.htm">website covers pretty well</a>. At first I assumed it was a glitch, but it turns out most of the Mountain King games for different systems had something like this. When you're way up there at the top, ladders and platforms shimmer and shake, it's like the game is letting you see something that doesn't really exist.

("19. No amber between red and green.") and some that

RACTER/Chamberlain, <a href="http://www.ezine.melb.net/~saul/essays/09racter.html" >supposedly written by a computer program</a>

<li>K. Thor Jensen's <a href="http://www.shortandhappy.com/">A Short and Happy Life</a> was one of my favorites, especially when it was updated every day. Check out <a href="http://www.shortandhappy.com/amber/">Amber Forever</a>, where he pretends to be a 14 year old girl in chatrooms, gets perverts to try to seduce her (him), and then turns the tables in fantastic ways. Funny, funny.

So much for love's vertical axis. What about the horizontal, progress through time? Can love be measured chronologically? How do you measure the wild fluctuations lovers go through in minutes ('I hate you', 'I adore you'), let alone hours, days, weeks and months. Is there a line at all? In retrospect, remembered at a safe distance, love appears as a series of squiggles and dots -- vignettes, not a seamless narrative. Reflect on your own love-life and you'll see. A phrase, a hand, a birthmark, the beads of shower-water on her shoulder, the ferns we lay in as hikers passed along the fell-path, that day at the swimming pool, the amber slash in her left eye, the taste of her sweat, the tremor running under her skin just afterwards, the way she always eats the apple core, her laughter, her hair clogging the sink, her mispronunciations, the color of Lake Louise as we stood gazing down, the evening she'll say the thing I've been wanting her to say, a hotel room in Stockholm, her right breast cupped in my palm as I sleep behind her nape, the secret night away we've been promising ourselves, paella and wine on the empty terrace restaurant, me washing her sleeping bag in the sea after she got sick from eating shrimps, that funny tooth, that dress, that other dress, the model in the Scottish Widows advert, my hand between her legs as she drove the car, the photo ofher leaving the beach at Vai, the sudden thought (while out jogging) of the men she had before, that raffia bag she carried, the cards she sends, the e-mails, the phone call I'm still waiting for, the bump of her ankle, the curve of her leg, the shape of her mind. Love persists as an idea, the current under all we do, but these, the ways we remember love (or register it now, or anticipate it happening in the future), the palpable signs, have a separate existence. The in-love bits are just that: bits. Without them there'd be no line - no marriage, no children, no future. But on a graph the bits that matter don't show up.

S'funny, Mo has an amber slash in her eye...

Loretta and Amber Atkins, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0157503/quotes">Drop Dead Gorgeous</a>, a great spoof on smalltown beauty pagents.

Bulkwater Dam's structural volume surpasses the largest pyramid in Egypt, and its burial chambers are filled with treasures beyond the pharaoh's wildest dreams.

it was the start of a beautiful sunset over some literal "amber waves of grain" (or something similar...I'm not much of a farmer...), and in the distance I could hear a church service for and by the folks from New Orleans...some really joyful gospel music and some enthusiastic preaching. Couldn't make out the words, but I think there's something amazing in being able to count blessings and live hope and faith even through a time of disaster and displacement.

I also liked "You don't go to war with regular laws, which are made outta red tape and bureaucracy and Neville Chamberlain. You go to war with great big strapping War Laws made outta tanks and cold hard steel and the American Fightin Man and WAR, KABOOOOOOM!"<br><br>

I'm a perpetual nostalgic, no bones about it. But if I were to only value some combination of the present moment and the unknowable future at the expense of my own past, I could only get poorer as time plunges inexorably forward, finally dying penniless. Nostalgia is a kind of accountancy, but also a method of mining, extracting value from the dark chambers of my own history and providing raw material for the frame of the future that I'd like to build.

3.The Magnificent Ambersons

It was a lot of fun. Clambering up the big stones of the wall made it an interesting physical challenge. Especially because those rocks were <i>sharp</i>. Unlike the guys climbing them, perhaps.

The Amber Spyglass,

Yet no scientist--no person as far as we know--has ever seen a giant squid alive [...] The indigestible parts of giant squid, in particular their beaks, accumulate in sperm whales' stomachs into the substance known as ambergris, which is used as a fixative in perfumes. The next time you spray on Chanel No. 5 (assuming you do), you may wish to reflect that you are dousing yourself in distillate of unseen sea monster.

<li>Odd anecdote: when I was a wee lad I was eating too many grapes so my mom put the bowl on... a piano, I think it is, out of reach. She comes in later to find me clambering up over the piano to get the little treasures, and my all-innocent response to her fierce look: "gapes... I <i>yike</i> gapes". That's a bit of a family catchphrase to this day.

Finally Amber Coverdale Sumrall's "Siesta" has a lovely reminder from the young narrator's grandmother:

What a crazy fun holiday weekend. Quiche making and picnic, Rock clambering and picnic, kayaking and cookout. Thanks to all who made it go!

In typing the name of the local pizza joint, "Il Mondo", Amber notes that Italian is not the most sans-serif-friendly language out there.

So Amber and I decided to kayak the Charles for fireworks - we were joined by much more experienced kayakers <a href="http://rhysara.livejournal.com/">rhysara</a> and <a href="http://c1.livejournal.com">c1</a>, who had their own equipment (AND HOW - Rhysara managed to get all her luggage on her monstrous beast of a craft:)

I just sent Amber a jokey one word txt: *hic*. Luckily I caught iPhone trying to autocorrect that to *HIV*.

Amber...

<img src="/m/2009.07.15.amber.jpg" width="500" height="375" >

--I know in certain cultures it's a terrible insult to <s>shoe</s> show the bottoms of one's feet, so sorry about that. But I helped Amber paint yesterday, and despite appearances, got most of the paint on the walls, not on the floor.

Amber's cat digs being pet while fed and vocalizes her complaint when that's not the case. That's kind of a spoiled cat but can't blame her.

(Incidentally, just to reassure people, it's not like having to think of reasons not to commit suicide is an issue for me! I have no instinct that way, at all... this is just me abstractly pondering the classic issue of existentialism. I mean hell, one easy argument is enjoying my loved ones (friends, family, Amber...) a lot and wanting to maximize my time with them. From a more intellectual point of view, it's not good if a person considering taking their own life for whatever reasons doesn't at least consider the horrific impact that even has on the people they leave behind...)

Amber and I went to a closed-circuit

Amber to me this morning

A woman on the subway had a "Piggly Wiggly" plastic bag. Odd, probably aren't any around here. In fact once I iPhoned Amber noted that the <a href="http://www.pigglywiggly.com/cgi-bin/customize?storelocations.html">list of states with Piggly Wigglys</a> has a near 1-to-1 correspodence with her mental list of states she doesn't want to live.

for amber: an aquatic ape fairy<br>

The backyard of Amber's new digs is verdant:<br>

We went to see one of the last days of the <a href="http://www.icaboston.org/about/pressreleases/shepard-fairey/">Shepard Fairey exhibit at the ICA</a>. Outside the main exhibit they had a nice stretch of white wall for me to use as a backdrop for pictures of Amber.

(Fortunately I find Amber pleasing to the eye and to the touch so it all works out that way anyway.)

(Despite their being kind of silly summer fare, Amber found the Transformers movie grabbing enough that she wanted an Autobot sticker for her car- but she didn't grow up with this stuff, so she had to double check that she was getting the right one. I had kind of assumed it was "obvious", the good guys have a softer, rounder kind of mask face, the bad guys are more sharp and wicked and pointy, and there might be some intuition to it, but only once you know what to look for.)

Yesterday Amber and I got to go to the wedding of Scott and Josúe! Yay Massachusetts!

<a href="http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-9-types-of-intelligence.html">http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-9-types-of-intelligence.html</a> - Amber sent me the link. EVERYTHING needs to be evaluated in a many dimensional kind of way.... though you end up sounding too much like that "evaluating a poem's greatness" shtick Robin Williams has all the students rip out of the book in Dead Poets Society.

In <a href="/2001/06/">June of 2001</a> I started posting a series of photos of T-shirts I had gotten rid of. I <a href="/2001/06/19/">apolgetically explained doing that</a> back then. And I'm doing it again-- Amber helped me weed out my wardrobe, getting rid of about half of it, at least shirt-wise.

The other day Amber mentioned never seeing me in jeans... I have no idea why I scanned in this picture and saved it here, but - there are jeans.<br>

At airport, Portugal bound! Grateful to Amber for the 6am drive....

More tiles. Not the best ones they had, but orange. (Miss you Amber!)

Man with Orange Tie (hi Amber!) Actually, Johnny pointed out that photos with people are more interesting than just architectural type photos.

Amber-- DISASTER FILM! (I actually have little idea what that's about.)

Before my trip to Portugal Amber and I played a round of Mr. Snowman at the Summer Shack near Alewife. While not as <a href="/2006/12/24/">epic as the round with Miller, Kate and Tammy</a> (I think crayons make it a bit tougher, plus it might be better as a four player game) Amber (on the offense) did quite well...

Going back to more primitive toys, I rather liked Amber's little house made out of an obscure, flinty building toy called "keystones"...<br><br>

I hadn't heard much of this technique before (google image search each word pf they lyrics, glue the results together). Also, a good song (Amber got kind of obsessed with it and its album for a week.)

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoaTl7IcFs8">Say Hey (I Love You)</a> Michael Franti) <i>--I think Amber sent me the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=252rtam_9w0">Flash Mob dance scene</a> from weeds...</i>

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTpw2Mr79cI">Ring-A-Ling</a> (Black Eyed Peas) <i>--Amber requested that her ring tone be made from this</i>

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_2rrxONlLo">I Gotta Feeling</a> (Black Eyed Peas) <i>--I think Amber introduced me to this one, but I dig the anticipatory feeling of the video so much</i>

Relationships have a similar effect on me. I make my bed, try (marginally succesfully) to keep my apartment and car neater, try to make more interesting and pretty things all 'cause I'm smitten with Amber.

Yesterday tooling around with Amber and EB we got to thinking about old dirty jokes we liked as kids...

EB got one of those chimnea outdoor fireplace things that he, Amber, and I enjoyed a week or so ago.

Amber:<br>

<img src="/m/2009.10.25.fireamber.jpg" width="375" height="500" >

Amber and I got to talking last night. At one point she put one of the differences between us starkly; her gaze is more to towards the future, I tend to dwell more on the past. I think this makes us a nice complementary set, but it also puts up some challenges in terms of expectations we have for each other.

I don't know if that feeling is strengthened or weakened by my moving every couple years as a kid. But it also seemed a bit of an extreme, youthful impulse to Amber, even though she made a big move not too long ago, from Indiana back to nearer her roots in New England. And she thinks I might have an easier time of making a new social life, since I'm a bit more extroverted (or at least more of an <a href="/2005/03/21/">attention-seeking introvert</a>) than she is. But even I'm very wary of how friendships don't come as easily and maybe as deeply as they did back in the day, and that is one of several factors that keeps me rooted in Boston. (Actually when I think of some of the friendships I have developed, some of them come from the other person kind of pushing, sometimes suggesting get-togethers that seemed a little forced -- but almost all of these ended up being among the deepest and most important friendship I've had.)

Still, there was a wistful note Amber sounded that broke my heart when she spoke of her time since the move and said "it's been a fast four years". And in her voice I thought I could hear things: a bit of pain over the breakup with the person she moved back with, a bit of loneliness over the difficulty in making a deep set of friends, a bit of uncertainty about the best path for the best way to shape her apartment and career and everything else, but most of all a bit of melancholy about the fleeting nature of time and memory. (I might be projecting, or at least guessing, a bit here.)

Amber was ready with some two-knife action:

<img src="/m/2009.10.28.amber.jpg" width="375" height="500" >

By happy (or GHOULISH) coincidence, we had 13 carved Jack-O-Laterns, including the small little gourdish things Amber and I brought on a whim:

I carved the minimalist unhappy face to the right of those, and Amber made the pretty branch 3 down from that.<br><br>

I like keeping my beloved tattered decade-old hooded sweatshirt over at Ambers for sometimes-use. It deserves a better nickname than "Sweaty".

Amber + Me looking at "kitty condos"

<b><font color="blue">amber</font>:</b> OMG, you are a WILD & CRAZY GUY!<br>

<b><font color="blue">amber</font>:</b> Haha!<br>

<i>--TXTing between Amber and me</i></div>

Negative of a negative Amber found in a cupboard in her house, presumably of some previous occupant. (I mirrored it here, not sure which way it's supposed to go but this looks a bit more balanced)

This morning, singing to Amber, I was surprised to realize just how much of the "Diff'rent Strokes" theme song I recall- pretty much all of it.

Amber sent me <a href="http://thisisindexed.com/2009/11/and-so-on-2/">this link</a>, which seemed like a diagrammatic version of <blockquote class="quote">And I am reminded of the great Sultan who asked his Sufi master to provide him with a special gift. He desired a gift that would make him content when he faced despair, and humble when overflowing with joy. The master came to him and brought a simple silver ring. 'What is this?' the Sultan cried. 'How can a mere ring perform such a feat as I require?' The master replied, 'Sire, read the inscription engraved thereon. And remember it for it will bring contentment out of despair, and humility our of unrestrained rapture.' The Sultan read the words: 'This too must pass'. And I too am travelling with hope and humility. However my journey ends I know: This too must pass.</blockquote>That's the conclusion of <a href="http://cosmicsky.co.uk/bh/moorishstory.txt">this webpage</a>, and the contentment/humility is a better way of stating the goal than the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_too_shall_pass">King Solomon version</a> "If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy", because unhappiness for its own sake seems perverse.

This T-shirt was in a dream I had last night... it was at some kind of Con. I thought Amber might like it what with her being a librarian by training and all.

Totally just made Amber's day by telling her about how if she *double* twists her key in the car door it unlocks the passenger side too.

Working at Ambers, I get hopeful she's returned when I hear the garage door opener, then I remember- no garage, must be the furnace. Sigh! (The weird thing is I don't think I've lived in a place with a garage since high school.)

Nightmare fighting w/ fat canibal w/ knife wearing pig mask. Also Amber says I told her about dream method of making unix commands harder.

Enjoying Christmas prep with the family in Ocean Grove NJ, but missing Amber and kind of longing for a catch-up staycation...

EB, Kj, Amber and I went to see Avatar! How stylin' were we with the IMAX 3D?

Amber and I set up the folkart tree my dad commissioned. Rex finds it extremely inviting.

The wreath was also a nice mix of Amber's and my ornaments. WE ARE NOT AFRAID OF OVER-ORNAMENTING.

Amber was NH bound for Christmas, and I headed down with my Aunt and Uncle to our familial place in Ocean Grove New Jersey.

I got the chance to revisit a lot of favorite videos with JZ and Amber.

<i>Wizard of Oz</i> is great, if sleepy. Amber and I watched through all five hours of

<i>Blankets</i> is a great graphic novel, sweet, romantic, a great study into growing up among bible thumpers - Amber's first

How I spent the first day of a new decade with EB's bunch and Amber:<br>

Interesting conversation with Amber, brought Daoism into idea of coping with seasons; probably of the dao to adapt your life to slower pace of dark winter, but a mistake to let it dominate your life and totally hibernate.

Last week I saw a commercial that reminded me... I always kind of wanted to see a Monster Truck rally thing. It is a testament to Amber that she was willing to go along. (Actually she ended up kind of liking it as well.)

<dd>My new purchase, the Toshiba P505, a 18.4 behemoth of a machine, meant to let my "main machine" be a laptop, and make living at Amber's make more sense - so it could mark the end of the "Monk" era

Amber noticed the NY Times is "VOL. CLIX" (volume 159) - CLIX is a nice Roman Numeral.

Amber

<font color="orange"><b>amber:</b></font> sad about Chrome, kinda :-(<br>

<font color="orange"><b>amber:</b></font> shoulda had a Mosaic one!<br>

<font color="orange"><b>amber:</b></font> LOL!!!! I'd hate to see that!<br>

<font color="orange"><b>amber:</b></font> or like this?<br>

Email exchange (massaged into a convo) between Amber and her friend Sam.

Me and Amber this morning

Amber

Yesterday Amber and I drove up to her folks' in New Hampshire. <br><br>

<img src="/m/2010.02.14.amber.jpg" width="400" height="421" > <br>

So yesterday I gave Amber the second part of her Valentine's Day gift (after a small pile of roses in her favorite color...) it was a pair of <a href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/jewelry/9efe/">Caffeine molecular earrings</a>, but the thing was I had ordered them for Christmas but they didn't arrive nearly in time, so then I repurposed them for Valentine's Day. And then Valentine's Day went by without me having time to retrieve them from my secret hiding spot and so they were for President's Day... I'm not the easiest boyfriend to have, sometimes...

Anyway we were watching DVR'd "Lost" last night... Amber's pretty patient in explaining all the stuff I haven't seen because of missing previous seasons... and the <font color="red"><b>SPOILER WARNING</b></font> revelation at the end was that Claire was still around, and seems to be bouncing around two different time lines, which led to this exchange...

But then Amber topped it by following it up with

After I took that shot, Amber txt'd and asked if I could get more shots with snow covered trees against blue skies - it was such a gorgeous clear day. Where I was in Brighton was a bit too urban to get shots of trees without powerlines and streetlights, but I did my best...

Amber caught me multitasking: standing eating pizza, petting the cat, dancing to music, and THINKIN' ABOUT WRITING GAMES! <a href="http://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/437">http://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/437</a>

QUIZ! Do you know which years are leap years without looking? Amber was surprised I knew, I was that she didn't. A programmer/Y2K thing?

I went with Amber and Kjersten to see the Alice in Wonderland. The "lightshow" they do beforehand is kind of boring (but where else is one going to hear Big Bad Voodoo Daddy these days?) so we made our own fun with pictures.

<img src="/m/2010.03.07.amber_kj.jpg" width="500" height="375" >

Kjersten apparently had a lot of trouble getting just the right shot of me and Amber so I made a montage of this series...

My UU covenant group did a Valentine "pick a song you find most romantic" deal... (I thought it was going to be a difficult pick for me but then Amber reminded me of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwFS69nA-1w">First Day of My Life</a>. Duh.) So I burnt a copy of the play list for everyone, and these were 3 songs I added to my regular rotation... for some of these it was as much the description the group member gave than the song itself.

So, probably the lion's share of songs came from Amber and I watching the 5 hours of the <a href="http://www.soulbounce.com/soul/2008/09/vh1s_hip_hop_countdown_fights_the_power_not_to_the_delight_of_rappers.php">VH1 Top 100 Hip Hop Countdown</a>

<li>start using my PC USB control pads with Glorious Trainwrecks style games - especially multiplayer stuff with Amber etc

Between stuff like Hulu.com and craptastic #comcast dvr and cable service, amber and I are thinking cable tv might not be for our next place.

My sore neck provoked me into using a backpack rather than a courier bag. Irritating not to be able to easily stow and retrieve a book - also I feel so awkward using both straps, since using just one was <i>de rigueur</i> in middle and high school. But of course the style changed to the utilitarian in the early 1990s. "Still, asymmetry is always cool..." I point out to Amber. "Right, but beauty is based on symmetry." Odd, those two opposing relations.

Hee, for reasons symbolic and utilitarian I'm making the Google Calendar that Amber and I share the default one on my iPhone.

A MAD Magazine compilation is my current bathroom reading - usually it's not so funny, but it was formative to me as I grew up- taught me not to take the grownup world so seriously. When I said that to Amber, she joked "maybe THAT'S my problem, no MAD growing up" - then she realized, maybe there was some truth there.

Woo-doubly nifty day: picked out a sweet apartment w/ Amber, then early birthday gift: helicopter flying lesson (!!!) <3 amber, helicopters.

Amber and I went to the Top of the Hub restaurant. Between that and the helicopter lesson she got for me, there's really a theme of catering to my love of high-up views. I realize that taking in the view from the restaurant was a bit of a unique experience in my life... I don't remember ever seeing such a high view of an area that I know so well -- realizing now I've been in Boston about half my life, and then working in the whole greater Copley area for a few years, and planning to do so again.

Amber on the American side of Niagara Falls

Amber and I kicked off our Cleveland trip with a jaunt up to Niagara Falls... we got there a bit before sunset, and caught some nice light...

After we took in the falls we headed over to Clifton Hill, which is a crazy mashup of glitzy and lowbrow rides and attractions. Amber consented to go on the big old ferris wheel the <a href="http://www.cliftonhill.com/niagara_falls_attractions/niagara_skywheel/">Sky</a>...

To be honest Amber doesn't like big rides like I do. (Actually, she's not even crazy about driving over big bidges...) So this is her gradually getting a bit more freaked out (but putting a brave face on it...)

One of the flat lego portraits of Marilyn Monroe, but I like Amber's shadow beneath--<br>

Amber's Yaris hit a nice milestone...<br>

Amber watching her shot.<br>

<img src="/m/2010.04.10.cleveland/Image18_amberwatch.jpg" width="500" height="375">

he has a <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/stevethomas/gifts">store with posters available</a>, maybe I should get some of these for the "media room" basement Amber and I plan to setup -

Excellent choice of birthday gift from Amber!

--Marilyn Monroe - Amber's friend Sam let us have a print of this she didn't want when we were with her in Cleveland... thinking about using it as kind of an inspirational thing in the basement exercise-y area. Funny how much it looks like one of Madonna's main looks... maybe that's where Madonna got that bicep fetish of hers.

Me and Amber

<font color="red">UPDATE</font> The Meryman: Gin, Diet Tonic, Lime, a Splenda. Named after its inventor Amber.

<center><applet code="aprilamber" archive="/java/aprilamber/aprilamber.jar"

<param name="image" value="/java/aprilamber/loading.gif">

<b>aprilamber </b> -

<a href="/java/aprilamber/aprilamber.pde">source</a>

So yesterday Amber, Kjersten, JZ, his gal Michelle, her dog Moose, and I formed <i>Team Angry! Manatee</i> for the second

Here is our team in full (sorry that Moose is blocking Amber)

After solving most of the puzzles as a group, we decided to split up to try and get more photo coverage, so mostly I was walking around Beacon Hill, the Common, and the Public Garden with Amber and Kjersten. Here we are in front of a "Civil War Memorial".

Amber figured out why Android's homescreen looks less polished to her than iPhone's - icon labels w/ borders, not just written on background

<img src="/m/2010.05.04.niagaramber.png" width="500" height="431"><br>

--Amber (Niagara Falls, Ontario.)

<I>flowers by me and amber</I></center>

Amber and I went for a long overdue trip to the MFA the other day. Walking back to the car, we saw this liberally decorated mailbox:<br>

Amber has a new theory that the almost complete lack of "70s Classic Rock" in my collection might be a manisfestation of an indifference to string instruments in general.

Also, Amber found this on one of her favorite tumblrs:<br>

Amber thinks near ubiquitous DVR + stuff like Hulu means less common talk about big shows. Or it's the fragmenting audience?

For years I've been bummed about how little noise I make when I blow my nose; Amber says the trick is to nasally inhale first. INHALE? Whoa. Have I been missing out this whole time???

(Found by Amber, original <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gatochy/406213827/in/set-72157594350861466/">here</a>, I think from her

Amber just now

There's a hawk nest with a family on a building near the roadway at Fresh Pond, near Alewife... here's a quick photo Amber took from the car:<br>

The thing is, there are all kinds of birdwatchers with crazy telephoto lenses. But Amber was mostly amused by the guy who turned his camera around to take a picture of the birdwatchers

I'm not sure if anyone took a picture of Amber taking a picture of the guy taking a picture of the people taking the pictures of the hawk.

Happy 25th Anniversary to My Ever Lovin' Aunt Susan and Uncle Bill! Here's the (heh, Amber) frog pin and earrings we collaborated on for Aunt Susan...<center><img src="/m/2010.05.25.amberfrog.jpg" width="350" height="262"></center>

--<a href="http://gifanime.tumblr.com/">via gifanime</a> but here for Amber...

Checking out Amber's and my soon-to-be new apartment, our first official place together... woot!

<li>the Datebook app, with synching to google for the calendar I share with Amber (she thought "relationship 'saver'" was overstating the case, but still it's been good for us.

<li>pocketwatch w/ "wallpaper" - I like seeing <a href="http://kisrael.com/2010/05/04/">that line art of Amber</a> - it looks great on the iPhone.

<center>Amber enjoying her favorite part of IKEA:<br>

Heh, detail of dating a bookseller's daughter: Amber labels boxes of small cheap paperbacks "mm", i.e. "mass-market" -- so cute!

Amber and Me

Amber hammers with stronger blows; fewer blows=fewer chances to mess up. I use more blows, compensate for small errors. This difference probably mirrors how we cope with life in general.

--Brilliant Find by Amber, take off the famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Chat_Noir">Chat Noir</a> prints. (<a href="http://ppdm.deviantart.com/art/Le-Totoro-Noir-92773259">prints available for purchase!)</a>

<img src="/m/2010.06.12.ambershore..jpg" width="500" height="375" >

<br><i>--Amber at the shore in Ocean Grove NJ</i>

Cicero wrote "A room without books is like a body without a soul"...<center><img src="/m/2010.06.16.books.jpg" width="250" height="188"></center>and those don't even include Amber's, plus there's another bookcase to the left<br>

Err, I'm in the back left, behind the really tall guy, popping out from time to time. The "first generation" Qs sang the first verse, I guess we were supposed to mosey forward but this was crazily under-rehearsed... (though Amber got to hear me listen to sQ's and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D99n9f3vU4">Queen's version</a> over and over as I tried to learn it on the way back from Cleveland.)

I got a ton of music from Amber this time, she has some terrific mixes. (Mostly I downloaded fresh MP3s - it's finding out the music that's the trick, rather than saving a buck)

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvQLZ0vB-T8">Umbrella (Remix)</a> (Rihanna featuring Lil Mama) - <i>Favorite mix of the 4 or 5 versions Amber inherited.</i>

Amber pointed out there were some stunning blue hydrangeas in the neighbor's yard-- the fullsize version of this is even wicked more lovelier...the colors are just crazy, this looks like something rendered by a computer (err, in a good way)<br>

Amber and I caught the last week of the Jim Henson exhibit at the National Heritage Museum - this was one of my favorite doodles there...<center><img src="/m/2010.06.20.mgrs.png" width="203" height="161"></center>

My (new? or just unrealized...) superpower: smothering my legitimate urge to be helpful with a general obliviousness, so that I offer to carry, say, the third of 3 big boxes Amber is wrestling, or bring up the sixth of 6 loads of laundry.

Having 4th of July in this year, but pretty hopeful about Boston Pops Fireworks in HD with a big projector and Amber...

Amber and I had a housewarming bbq today... we had a bit of sidewalk chalk on the driveway, this was by Miller:

Kate did the top <i>and middle part</i>, Amber did the bottom<s>, not sure of the middle...</s><br>

<center><img src="/m/2010.07.05.kateamber.jpg" width="373" height="500"></center>

<i>Commissioned by Amber though she might not have realized it at the time.</i>

Pretty Colour Invader Rally 3D! Inspired by Amber's liking of

UPDATE: this is actually Pretty Colour Invader Rally 3D *2*... changes are: invaders now stay upright, move a little differently, have outlines, and the (remodeled) chase cursor moves X+Y when you just move the mouse, and X+Z when you hold the mouse button down as well. You can see the <a href="/java/pcir3d/">original here</a> -- would be interested if anyone (besides Amber who I consulted with on this) cares enough to say which they prefer.

I've converted Amber to the best way of dealing with scraps of tortilla chips: crunch even smaller, mix in with salsa, eat with spoon.

Me and Amber

Amber found this page of <a href="http://flavorwire.com/106769/strange-but-true-tattooed-legos">Tattooed Legos</a> -- actually a promotion for Piot Extra Fine pens:

HOW THE MIND WORKS FOR DUMMIES (by Amber M and Kirk I, 2010):

<center><img src="/m/2010.07.31.rexandamber.jpg" width="400" height="299"></center>

This poster, Blueprint of a Hot Fudge Sundae, I've had since I was a kid. Amber recently put a decent frame on it for me.

Actually this whole corner of our kitchen is pretty cool, how Amber used the kind of odd triangle cut on the other side of the stairs leading down to the basement.

Finally today Amber, Kjersten, and I went for a walk and Kjersten spotted this clover and moth...

Amber testing iPhone's SMS character count

Amber is damn serious about her little shells.

MELAS and Amber drove me down... we didn't quite realize that they allow a few extra folks to ride on the boat, so they played "para-spotter" and drove up the shore, stopping to take photos here and there, which I thought was pretty hip! Amber took this over-dune shot of me...<br>

<br>--Amber noticed this local blatant Reserved Parking FAIL... or is it a Handicap WIN? Doubt it'll make <a href="http://failblog.org">Failblog</a> but who knows.

Amber

Amber

Made with Amber's videogame interests in mind, it's a classic Arcade game in circular form... more of a toy than a game, there's no score, no dying... just lots of centipedes and mushrooms to shoot at. Space resets everything.

Nice evening for a Rockport Legion Band concert by the shore! Amber took this next one:<br>

<img src="/m/2010.08.29.ambershore.jpg" width="400" height="299">

<center><img src="/m/2010.08.30.amberocket.png" width="250" height="235"></center>

Amber's Turkey Meatloaf of Love<center><img src="/m/2010.08.31.loveloaf.jpg" width="400" height="299"></center>

<center><img src="/m/2010.09.02.ambersweet.png" width="179" height="250"></center>

iPhone 4 photo of a ladybug on Amber's car.

Me and Amber, Fresh Pond Rotary.

Sardonic Note Amber after I spent a little too much time fiddling with that last as a twitter submission

Last season's mix was really where I imported a lot of song from Amber's collection, but her music still has new finds for me...

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRopmfinsWk">Lola</a> (The Kinks) -- Al's was "Yoda". Also kind of a rediscovery from Amber's

Me and Amber

This weekend Amber and I joined good ol "what happened to my sidebar" Dylan and a crew of people up at his family's cabins on Lake George, NY...

<img src="/m/2010.09.lg10/people/IMG_6756.JPG" width="500" height="375"><br>Amber and Me, ready to row.

<img src="/m/2010.09.lg10/people/IMG_6809.JPG" width="500" height="375"><br>Amber kayaking. Much easier than rowboating!

<img src="/m/2010.09.lg10/people/IMG_6890.JPG" width="375" height="500"><br>Amber offering up a shiny apple!

<a href="http://www.thesandwichfair.com/">http://www.thesandwichfair.com/</a> -Amber wants to go to the 3-day "Sandwich Fair" I was psyched, but it turns out Sandwich is a place name :-(

I remember the old half-buried giant tires from the place... Amber says her school also had one of those "USA on the pavement" things that might've sparked an interest in geography in her.

<img src="/m/2010.09.23.amber.png" width="240" height="320" >

<i>--I'm bummed this didn't come out as <a href="/m/2010.09.lg10/people/IMG_6890.JPG">pretty as Amber</a>. Still I loved the apple appeal.</i>

<a href="http://www.homedics.com/products/ceramic-tile-digital-scale.html">http://www.homedics.com/products/ceramic-tile-digital-scale.html</a> - Amber and I bought this ceramic tile scale. Odd blend of stone and technology, like William Gibson's Idoru "sandbenders"

Amber

in that same apartment, clambering over the 19th story roof with an australian visitor -- 'photography isn't about photos. photos never come out right. it's about the *adventure*"

the first kiss with amber, the electricity and sudden spark of this being the one...

and on the way backcoming to the where the church where i lived in an apartment with my folks was with amber, and seeing the grassy lot

Today Amber, Kjersten and I went to the 100th Anniversary Sandwich Fair in New Hampshire. We had a lot of great fair food, but, ironically enough, there were absolutely no sandwiches to be had.

<br><img src="/m/2010.10.09.sandwich/06ambernervous.jpg" width="500" height="375">

<br>Amber was much better than <a href="http://kisrael.com/2010/04/07/">last time on a ferris wheel</a>

I won a rhino for Amber! And Kjersten wielded a fierce plastic sword.

Amber in Kjersten's glasses.

So Amber really likes the group <a href="http://www.wearephoenix.com/">Phoenix</a> -- a few weeks ago cmg noticed they were playing at BU so I surprised Amber by getting tickets.

I'm not quite the huge fan Amber is but they put on a rockin' show.

I feel rather jaunty biking home, a bunch of flowers from Alewife for Amber tucked under the flap of my courier bag...

Amber at the deCordova

<a href="http://catalogchoice.org/">http://catalogchoice.org/</a> - Amber saved 3 trees, 316 gallons of water, 890 lbs of greenhouse gas by using this site to not get catalogs...

A few weeks ago Amber and I went to the deCordova sculpture museum and garden, a first for both of us.

Amber might be smiling because I had stepped backwards to frame the photo, tripped on a stair, landed neatly on my butt, and still got the shot. Then an attendant came over to tell us we're not supposed to take photos in the place.

The article says "Industrial Design and Alias work by Lunar Design" and attributes photos to James Porto. I can't find too much information on this article, or in fact, the entire issue --it seems like the thing was made when Wired was still uneven about getting its material online. (and Amber's library resources came up blank as well.) The design work is pretty cool though -- with the exception of the "Porsche Cortex" they're not quite as grindingly minimalistic as the iPad. The Swatch one seems to be designed for bicycling, and the "SonyShack" device has a custom button for the wagering/betting that all the models support.

Yeesh. Despite working there for 7 months it took Amber to point out that the street # of my work address is the first 3 of my phone #.

<center><applet code="scrib1_amber" archive="/java/scrib1_amber/scrib1_amber.jar"

<param name="image" value="/java/scrib1_amber/loading.gif">

<b>scrib1_amber </b> -

<a href="/java/scrib1_amber/scrib1_amber.pde">source</a>

Ya, the same thing as yesterday but in the pretty orange amber likes.

But thanks to Amber's persistence in having us put up a ceiling mount for the projector, we got to watch the movie on a 114" diagonal screen.

<dd>I think Amber had this one. This was all over the gym I was going to in 1997.

<dd>Amber had this album last summer, when we first started going out.

<dd>Amber has a thing for Wonder Woman, so I tried to find the best remix I could.

<dd>This came up on Pandora when Amber and I were assembling IKEA bookshelves.

<br>Amber and I decorated a wreath... I like how we both have a red sled ornament with our name on it from our childhood.

<a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/out-of-our-brains/">http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/out-of-our-brains/</a> - Amber linked a great piece on gizmos as extensions of our minds. That articles talk on "body thinking" makes me think that a "neuron accurate" computer brain model wouldn't work if it were sans body...

The link Amber posted the other day on <a href="

Amber's article explains that too, I think...it talks about how people who "talk with their hands" aren't just talking with their hands, they're probably <i>thinking</i> with their hands as well. (For that matter, speaking is more a form of on-the-fly thought assemblage than we usually acknowledge--) The physical body becomes the medium of computation. And iPads allow for a deeper physical communion than a keyboard and mouse or keyboard and touchpad. (And more so than the iPhone, even, since the throughput of the larger screen is that much greater.) A barrier to the closed loops as "gadget as extended nervous system" is knocked away, and the result is an almost tangible sense of pleasure at our newly enhanced and extended brain.

Geared up for my first snow bike commute. And by geared up I mean I brought the new gloves Amber gave me as an early Xmas gift.

<br>Lens flare! Amber points out that sans buildings this looks pretty darn rural.

"Oh- Don't... it's like Weekend at Bernie's" Amber and I have mixed feelings about the post-stroke Dick Clark...

Again no 4-stars, but I've really been enjoying catching up with "The Office" with Amber.

<a href="http://loveblender.com">Love Blender</a> every month, but Amber suggested a snow globe (after a snowflake, which didn't work out so well. And after a snowbank which would have been really tough to make heart-ish.) She also pointed out the snow bits in the thing shouldn't have an outline.

Just had Amber guide me in the making of pancakes with blueberry sauce! Nice. I will slowly gain something resembling kitchen competence.

Amber setting up the most romantic Valentine's Day ever...

So yesterday Amber and I kind of played hookie and headed toward that Mecca of Winter Romance, Swampscott..

Dream: our black cat Rex could transform himself into white rollerskates- but both he and skates were present? Hitting skates made eyes flash red. Amber told me to stop that.

PROTIP: you can observe more pretty cloud formations if you're wearing sunglasses (I should skip pointing them out to Amber if she's not)

Coming home from getting an iPad 2 from Amber, our Red Line train had some breakdancers who did kind of a lot in the little space they have, plus they had a nice panhandling shtick ("I just got a ten!" one would yell "FROM WHO" everyone'd yell back "Some Rich Looking White Guy!")

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wigqKfLWjvM">Fidelity</a> - Regina Spektor - such a lovely song, and a great artist, who Amber introduced me to.

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hBkgdP1UKg&feature=fvst">I Want To Hold Your Hand</a> T.V.Carpio - from the "Across the Universe)" soundtrack, but I had forgotten about it until I heard it again from Amber's collection.

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tqxa47oONQA">Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing</a> - Chris Isaak. Rewatched "Eyes Wide Shut" with Amber.

Amber says that if she twittered it would be something like "Surprised Kirk hasn't made any 'Erin Go Braless!' jokes this year. Yet."

upcoming <a href="http://www.gruntwerk.com/hubcrawl/">Hub Crawl</a> Puzzle/Photo Hunt... sadly Amber and I might miss it this year (it might be when we're in Europe) but still I enjoyed making a friendly introduction to it... I'll post a link as soon as the copy gets reviewed by the Hub Crawl's crack team of staff ninjas!

So the rest of these shots are from my converted groupon helicopter ride with the <a href="http://www.eastcoastaeroclub.com/">East Coast Aero Club</a>...Amber gave me a copter flying intro lesson last year, but I wussed out on the study needed and had a nice tour instead.<br>

Arlington High...funny being able to sms this as a photo to Amber in real time.<br>

Amber

Amber points out this is the last day I can make that joke "Old? No way! It's like I have the power of two 18 year olds stuck together!"

Me and Amber just now

The center egg is mine: I made a K with electrical tape, then died it green, the orange. Clockwise from top are two electrical tape colored ones, a neat orange-pink one amber made by using a Q-tip to remove color, an Alien Bill I made using the Q-tip as a paintbrush, Raya's GI Joe/Rambo-ish egg with the tap still on,

Kjersten's polkadots, one with the tape technique and stickers, a really ambitious and lovely flower in wax by Amber (with green grass on the bottom) and then an egg I started with Ambers "remove color" technique that came out weirdly so I decided to use a sharpie for outlining. It came out kind of cool and funky, actually.

Amber and I had been working on straightening up the place a bit before our trip in 2 weeks. I was taking a break and lounging as she walked in looking a bit more on the ball than I was feeling at the moment, and she was then amused when I asked "How can I help you? Err, how can I help us?"

Amber, I dig helping you...

<i>--<a href="http://fuckyeahawesome.tumblr.com/post/4723310964/erikanize-popcorn-popping-in-slow-motion">via</a> (found by Amber)</i>

Amber says Dunkin Dounuts should start Boston Kreme munchkins. I say they NEED to do it for the sake of the nation.

<br>Finally at the end of the day, Amber and I retire to the awesome 7th floor patio for a snack, and to reflect (in a mirror in an apartment across the street) <br>

<br>Amber framing a shot.<br>

Near Belleville, Amber noticed this rather scorched apartment building.

<img src="/m/2011.05.29.ambersubway.jpg" width="375" height="500"><br>

Amber on the Tube. I like the sense of motion.

When we were in England, Amber pointed out this rather awkward-looking photo from a NY Times article

<a href="/photos/2011europe"><img src="/m/2011.05.31.IMG_1987.JPG" width="225" border="0"><br>amber and kirk in europe 2011</a>

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdS6HFQ_LUc">S&M</a> - Rihanna. Amber digs this tune - there should be more videos this playfully sexy. "I may be bad / but I'm perfectly good / at it" ... "sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and wips excite me"

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXmF4GbA86E">SOS</a> - Rihanna. On one of Amber's play lists, dig the Tainted Love samples

--<A href="http://twentytwowords.com/2011/06/08/new-yorker-rides-into-obstacles-in-bike-lanes-to-prove-a-point/">via 22 words</a>, posted here for Amber because even though she doesn't like youtube videos she sometimes likes this kind of stuff...

<font size=-1>Kirk and Amber, sittin' in Paree--<br>

Amber on the T this morning

Today we went up to New Hampshire for a belated Father's Day thing for Amber's folks. We went to <a href="http://www.pollyspancakeparlor.com/">Polly's Pancake Parlor</a>.

While we were waiting Amber rode their signature red horse.<br>

Amber

Me and Amber

Yesterday we went to see Amber's brother in the

Watched the "Director's Cut" of "Cinema Paradiso" last night with Amber--over two nights actually... it's long! Probably a bit too long, in retrospect I prefer the brevity of the version I had in college. This was the transcription I made way back in college... here's an <a href="http://my.opera.com/DarrenWONG/blog/2007/03/03/cinema-paradiso">alternate translation</a> along with a bit from the Director's Cut where Toto tells his interpretation of the story to Alfredo... again, maybe it says too much.

Me and Amber @ Alewife

Me and Amber diving near Fresh Pond

here Amber and I are on a park bench.<br>

And here Amber has decided to start joining me in my favorite photo pose.

Amber was taking photos from the boat...

Back to the dock... Amber got the rubber chicken because she didn't feel like heading up herself.

Amber on the shore.

Amber mentioned something about the "beginning of the end" middle-age wise and made me thought of this little piece I hadn't thought of in a while...

T-rex bones and Amber at the Natural History Museum:<br>

--I was looking at some of the random art and sketch programs I have on my iPad (before I realized <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/artstudio-for-ipad-draw-paint/id364017607?mt=8">Art Studio</a> was hands down the best) and I found this-- err-- retouching of a photo I had taken of Amber, near Niagara Falls. I assume I made it, but have no recollection of what I might be on about, but it makes me kind of laugh...

Amber and I went to see the (ignoble!) final Patriots preseason game. Here's Brady!

Finally today we visit EB and co up in Rockport, and we stopped at Top Dog, and Amber got us some condiments that I made into a traffic light.

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X34JarNjoIU">Peace Frog ( LP Version )</a> The Doors. Quite possibly Amber's favorite Doors song.

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QE35ihfNxc">Dirty Water (Live)</a> Dropkick Murphys. Got to talking about this with Amber's folks... And man, I just love the band name "Dropkick Murphys".

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxTxFjuOj3M">What I Like About You</a> Lillix. I like high energy girlband covers of songs, Amber introduced me to this one.

Amber

I spent a big part of Saturday looking at Google Book's <a href="http://books.google.com/books/serial/ISSN:08901759?rview=1&source=gbs_navlinks_s">complete collection of Spy Magazine</a>. (Weirdly I ended up finding the "Party Poop" photo I was looking for after I had skimmed through every magazine in the index by doing a text search on the half-remembered caption-- Amber confirms Google Book's indexing is often half-assed) It's astonishing how fresh late-80s Spy looks today.

<a href="http://www.emptyage.com/post/11591863916/generation-x-doesnt-want-to-hear-it">Generation X is used to disappointments</a>. Generation X knows you didn't even read the whole thing. <i>(via Amber)</i>

On a tangentially related note, Amber has noticed an uptick in the number of puns emanating from my person.

--Speaking of doodling Amber set me this link, referenced in an article

--Sticking my head over Amber's shoulder in the mirror reminded me what an oversized cranium my neck sports... hadn't thought about that in a while

(Another wacky anecdote, where I can see my thinking is verbal, but not audio or visual: spelling. I'm OK at remembering the spelling of words in terms of the consonants, but once it's a blend of vowels, forget it. If it doesn't come out in how I say it, I'm not going to remember what it looks like on the page. Amber had to learn that it wasn't just my usual laziness or a lack of attentiveness that was causing so many typos... she knows at a glance that a word is spelled wrong -- I think the hook is visual for her -- while it is physically much harder for me to get the vowels right because of no mouth-interactive consonants to grab onto.)

Last weekend Amber and I were up in Burlington, VT, visiting her brother, along with their folks. I like this series of photos in front of Lake Champlain taken by her step-mom Laura... I keep trying to tell Amber that we (and everybody, I think) have too many boringly-posed photos like the first one, and not enough like the others...

--Amber helped me lay out what are clearly my best personal business cards ever.

Last night Amber and I decorated for the season a wee bit...

<br><img src="/m/2011.11.28.xmas/amber.jpg" width="375" height="500">

I love museums where Amber's bag is verboten as a backpack, but she can just wear it on one shoulder and it's magically an accepted purse.

Amber and Me @ Davis Square

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzob0x51rjA">Make It Take It</a> Amanda Blank. Another Amber favorite.

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRhOJe_7kuI">Loose Lips</a> Kimya Dawson. I think I heard this on one of Amber's playlists, and/or from the movie Juno.

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu9V3Phfsf8">Video Games</a> Lana Del Rey. Super sweet song that Amber and I really like. At first I wasn't sure if it was sarcastic, but no, it is gently about slow evenings with her boyfriend, even as he played his World of Warcraft.

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSLvcJ4I1mw">They</a> Jem. A favorite of Amber's.

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuMvkNDuOuQ">Don't Fence Me In (From "The Bachelor")</a> David Byrne. Heard this on Amber's iPod a long time ago.

Speaking of all things Jesus-y, Amber and I went to Kevin Smith's comicbook store "Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash" where they have props from his movies, including the "Buddy Christ" from the "Catholicism WOW" campaign in Dogma:

We had lots of good eating over the weekend, including the Zucchini and Cheese Omelettes by Amber.

<br><img src="/m/2011.12.29.ognj/amber_profile.jpg" width="375" height="500">

Amber just wanted photographc evidence that she should have won... clearly her final 2 viruses are being taken out there on the far left even as the bouncing "Lose" message taunts her.

Amber, firing up laptop: "Let's see if Facebook is more interesting in 2012!"

(Amber suggested the art-- brilliant!)</center>

Amber and Me, this morning over pancakes and the Sunday New York Times

Last December Amber and I took a weekend mini-break to Western Mass, the centerpiece of which was a daytrip to MASS MoCA. This contemporary art museum is about as far west as you can be and still be in Mass.

<img src="/m/2012/01/16/amber.jpg" width="500" height="375">

<br>--<i>via Amber's Dad</i>

<a href="http://t.co/sEXifOs9">http://t.co/sEXifOs9</a> - Amber's always observant of developers being off by a factor of 2 or 3 in their time estimates, this detailed "software as a long hike" metaphor nails some of why that is.

<i>--I'd just like to say that I'm moderately proud of the setup I got together for Amber and I to play Centipede (her favorite game)I can get into the 20 Ks and the 30s once; her high score is like 45K.</i>

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbyOKKqsTfE">Off To The Races</a> Lana Del Rey. Amber's big on this gal right now, and I dig some of her songs.

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RtKukzsfwE">Glycerine (Acoustic)</a> Bush. 90s Calling! This was on one of Amber's playlists.

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgWgEoaAYDY">Smell Yo Dick</a> Riskay. Amber hates this song but I like the note of sadness it carries.

Amber got me a lovely cake from Quebrada, which has Grey enraptured.

Amber says she likes this photo of me, it's how she often sees me...

Sunday was Amber's folks and mine meeting for the first time, for Easter Dinner...

Marilyn Monroe in "My Week with Marilyn". Like Amber mentioned, so many things wrong with sentence...

Amber on how I like to peer into her mouth when it's open for a big yawn

(Amber didn't actually say the last two things, but it would have been funny if she had!)

Today I captained team "Barkin' Aura Rainmaker" (an anagram of Amber, Arun, Ariana, and Kirk-- I thought it sounded more clever than my first idea AAAK but it was harder to remember) in the 2012 <a href="http://gruntwerk.com/hubcrawl/">Hub Crawl</a>, a photo scavenger hunt with puzzles... this year the rally point was near Faneuil Hall and the main areas were from there up to the tip of the North End.

My mom got me one of those Heroica Lego boardgames, Amber and I tried it out a few weeks ago.

--Amber drew and colored this heart on the paper tablecloth at Full Moon restaurant.

Amber and Me

I feel like Amber and I may have been the only two people watching "Men in Black III" and "My Dinner with Andre" today.

Amber, before we headed out for dinner

After a weekend jaunt to Pittsburgh Amber noted a surprising lack of river- and harbor-side dining options...

-Two weekends ago my friend and I installed a new stereo in my car. Last weekend, Amber's brother Brendan showed me this video.

By coincidence, Amber played Centipede at Asbury Park's Silver Ball Museum (mostly dedicated to pinball, but arcade games have made an incursion) and filled up the entire high score table.

The article touches on the male-dominated aspect of the video game industry then, which is something that persists to this day. Really a pity, too-- since making that <a href="/2012/02/22/">dedicated home tabletop rig for Centipede</a> for Amber, my appreciation for this game has greatly deepened... from color aesthetics to ramping up the difficulty to the balance of skill and chaos, this game really is pitch perfect.

And then some fun with the waterproof canon Amber got me last year...<br>

Before the fireworks, a shot of Amber. She prefers the ones where she's, you know, smiling, but I dig this one.<br>

<img src="/m/2012/07/07/amber.jpg" width="500" height="375">

Before the show I experimented with my camera's "fireworks" mode... Amber likes this one.<br>

The show Portlandia inspired us to look at maps on iPad-- Amber discovered Portland OR boasts "NW East St". Nice!

Amber's Corn Find: Microwave 3-4 minutes in husk. Chop off cm from wide end, grab+squeeze thin end. Husk+silk slides right off. Delicious!

Me and Amber

So, a few weeks ago I did a book purge. Amber helped me scan all the ones I'm getting rid of, which was an important part of the letting go process for me, so that the titles can be gone but not (electronically) forgotten.

but Amber liked the part about "How am I not myself?":

Amber

Amber

<img src="/m/2012.09.01.kirk and amber (outside of pier w).jpg" width="400" height="400"><br/>kirk and amber (outside of pier w)

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vThuwa5RZU">As Time Goes By</a> (Dooley Wilson) Got to take Amber to see this movie for her first time.

Amber pointed out that it might be more convenient if I did my "music I've found lately list" monthly rather than seasonal-y, that three month's worth of my music would be a bit much for anyone to run into all at once.

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_atqdSFIPw">Lisztomania (Alex Metric Rmx)</a> (Phoenix) Phoenix is one of the few groups I've seen live in the past few years, 'cause Amber digs them so much. Good song with lyrics that don't explain too much.

Me and Amber

<a href="http://ckmobilebikerepair.com/">http://ckmobilebikerepair.com/</a> -- got Amber's bike fixed up -- they're often parked where Mass Ave meets Minutemain Trail but they'll come out to you! Thumbs up for that concept and execution.

I am sure that for the rest of my life, whenever you and I meet, I will be searching for Bill in you. Amber is really lucky to have you because you have inherited Bill's capacity for love and devotion. I am lucky, too, for your friendship.

A Frenchman, a Japanese and a Russian were trapped by Tzar. He locked them in a closed chamber and asked to surprise him using three steel balls ... the winner will be released, the others will be executed. In a week the Frenchman demonstrates a juggle with the balls. The Japanese has created a rock garden. The Russian sits sad in his chamber with only one ball in his hands. The Tzar asks him: "Why are you so sad and where are the other balls?". The Russian answers: "One broken, one lost".

I'm acting guardian for Emma, Amber's older kitty. I like her temperament; not too aloof, enjoys being pet, but not in your face and lap all the time. <br>

<li>!<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWOyfLBYtuU">Dog Days Are Over</a> (Florence + The Machine) Amber digs this song. It's a little long, but good.

Today is National Soundcheck Day, "1 2 1 2 1 2". Sad that I won't see another day of this format, and that it had been a darkhorse candidate for a day to get hitched with Amber...

Dialog between me and Amber last night, after I described my evening using Emoji. It's a challenging narrative form!<br>

<li>!!!<a style="color:red;" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsk8QQj5Nrc">la ritournelle - Mr dan's magic wand mix</a> (Sébastien Tellier) I didn't realize quite how beautiful and sad this song was 'til I sent the link to Amber. The video is also so lovely.

For the ceremony, my mom assembled a bunch of photos, picked some music, and Amber used that beastly iMovie program to assemble a terrific slideshow:

Old Kitty Emma is looking more and more as if she's on her last legs. I'm worried about how much she might be masking discomfort and constantly second guessing myself about when it'll be time to call it. And always guilt about maybe I coulda been a better keeper for her, though rationally I don't think that's a fair judgement on myself; sure there's always more of a degree of "intense cat person-ness" one can aspire to, but I don't think that would have changed the landscape here that much; the setup, with that many pills, was probably had signs of its own unsustainability, though it has been a good number of years. Amber, Emma's person for most of her 16 1/2 years, was over last night (in town for work) and is definitely in the "she's just really old" and it can be well-meaning but inadvertently hurtful to prolong things camps.

Emma was a fine cat. I really appreciate that she liked being pet but wasn't really a lap cat, so she'd keep company and then enjoy the petting and attention when the human was willing/able to give it. (I never knew her during her fat cat days with Amber and Karen and David -- too me she was always a skinny old lady.)

Also before that there were some young ducks walking around the walks where all the people were clambering. (We didn't pursue them too vigorously. I admired how rock-colored they were.) <br>

The apartment is great, but really needs two people. I picked it with Amber and have enjoyed having Miller as a housemate after that. <br>

out of my aunt and uncle's to live with amber<br>

Ah, moving's peculiar existential silver lining... Life may be short, but (with Amber's help, maybe) there was certainly time enough to accumulate all this stuff I am taking to Goodwill.

chambers of like minded folks (freed from the old constraints of

Of course, I have to square all of that with my vision of "oh, I might want to show this book to someone someday" - or the even more ego-centric concept, that my big shelves full of books help convince people of my intellectual bona fides. Amber had me go through one deeper than usual purge a few years ago, and I guess I'm grateful in retrospect.

Thinking about one of those Caster or Leesa mattresses. I went mattress shopping with Amber in 2012 or so, and really don't want to go through that crap again. I sort of really hate the pressure to know what kind of mattress I want.<br>

Also I just realized this printer/scanner Amber stuck me with (Lexmark freebie with a Mac she bought, perpetually out of ink) makes a darn fine footrest!

Amber, last night, in the store UNIQLO, when I said maybe I should get rid of all my graphic Ts and just get ten plain gray t-shirts.

<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QzleRO1F6E&list=RD9QzleRO1F6E">Jessie’s Girl</a> (Mary Lambert) Very sweet cover.

<a href="/m/2016/07/31/2009.07.15_spy_pond_with_amber__IMG_2419.JPG"><img src="/m/2016/07/31/2009_560.07.15_spy_pond_with_amber__IMG_2419.JPG" border="0" width="560" height="420"></a>

<br>I started dating Amber, shown here at Spy Pond. There's something poignant in her expression here, but she says mostly she just had a cold.

<a href="/m/2016/08/02/2009.06.25_amber_a_bit,_lena_lake_walk_and_bjorn__IMG_1941.JPG"><img src="/m/2016/08/02/2009_560.06.25_amber_a_bit,_lena_lake_walk_and_bjorn__IMG_1941.JPG" border="0" width="560" height="420"></a>

<br>Amber with strawberries.

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<br>Amber at ICA.

<br>Amber finds machines viscerally appealing (hence her tolerance of Transformers movie) and I was always curious so we went to a Monster Truck Rally. Man are those things LOUD - bring earplugs or be ready to buy them there.

<br>On a trip to Cleveland we took a sidetrip to Niagara falls. I persuaded Amber to try this ferris wheel - it was scary for her, but going ahead with it calmed her down about driving over bridges - it's this general feel of stuff not being under you...

<br>Amber spied through a rock sculpture at the deCordova sculpture park.

<br>Amber's dad, I think on the Cannon Mountain Tramway in NH. I wonder if those who know him will agree this is like the most Amber's dad photo ever.

<br>Amber and her bestie Sam, who is wearing a dinosaur mask I had just bought at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

<br>Amber's brother did some bike racing. STOP GUYS! You're going too fast.

<br>Emma was a sassy cat. After Amber left I took care of her, though she aged out half a year later. (Supposedly she was once a fat cat but I only knew her skinny.)

<br>Amber by the shore.

<br>At this point the owners wanted to sell the apartment I had found with Amber (and subsequently invited Miller in as a housemate) and this is a Halloween party in the new place.

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I'm almost as worried about the emotional health of many of my friends and loved ones than the circumstances of a negative outcome to this election. Some of that is justifiable, and I don't want to completely downplay it, but it's so easy to get wrapped up in this kind of tribalism thinking. I guess I find some cold preemptive comfort with a few friends I have who are fretting the other way, who think Hillary and/or the establishment is bad/bad/bad and that despite the known unknowns of letting a reckless populist egomaniac in the whitehouse, it'll work itself out. I think they're wrong, wrong enough that I'm fighting for Hillary, but I take comfort in how the country has survived lots of gruesome ugly political idiots before, and all of our perspective is distorted through the echo chamber media and the difficulty of know what political life was like in the last two centuries.

The sorting hat increased polarization and instability in the wizarding world by sorting youngsters into predefined echo chambers, so they grow up without understanding opposing viewpoints<br>

I had a (possibly final, or at least last for a while) walking discussion/debate with my estranged college buddy and erstwhile debate companion EB. He used the conservative labeling of some liberal behaviors as mere "virtue signaling" - this cynical view discounts the motivations of liberals as just showing off how they're in accordance with the values of their tribe, their echo chamber, that "political correctness" isn't just using language considerate of the feeling of other groups but a tool for reinforcing a power structure. <br>

Been dabbling with podcasts, including some from outside my echo chamber. Joe Rogan had some NRA youtuber dude Colion Noir, a bit more interesting than some demographically, since he's African American. Didn't listen to all of it (I think I prefer retrogaming podcasts' backlog, tbh) but I guess their take on the old "guns don't kill people" trope is the "there's all this fuss about INANIMATE OBJECTS".<br>

Beautiful - <a href="https://kottke.org/18/05/old-memories-accidentally-trapped-in-amber-by-our-digital-devices">Old memories, accidentally trapped in amber by our digital devices</a>. I have a folder that's a snapshot of the files on an old Windows Desktop (back when I used to use that as temporary storage) - it has the most random stuff in it, and is a slice of life I'm loathe to give up.

Becky Chambers, "A Closed and Common Orbit".

Also he mentions making frequent use of "worldizing", playing back constructed audio and then using recording of that, which adds a lot of acoustic life to it. To me it sounds similar to the echo chamber in Phil Spector / Larry Levin's "Wall of Sound" recording style.

mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony, <br>

Medium level hike, some clambering up and down.

rivets, amber thread stitching,<br>

<blockquote class='quote'>Wonder bread guy is out; that guy on Twitter who has his own personal murder chamber where he builds elaborate murder machines out of plywood and kitchen knives and then just uses them to pop balloons is in.

<td class='stars'>★<br>★<br>★<br>★</div><td><a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CptfMEEC8g'>WTF (feat. Amber Van Day)</a> <br><i>HUGEL</i></td>

<a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/one-star-reviews-into-illustrations-national-parks-amber-share/?utm_source=thoughtviper&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=organic">Illustrated National Parks In America Based On Their Worst Review</a>. It's funny because some ("No cell service & terrible wifi", "Nothing specific to do") would really be good selling points for some!<br>

<td>Such a haunting song.<br>One of the youtube rips. I think Amber was a big fan of these guys.</td>

His chamber in the silent halls of death,<br>

The Great Pyramid of Egypt is another "colossal wreck" from which "level sands stretch far away." A paid army of citizens worked with dedication for twenty years to erect this only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World. Scholars now understand that the Great Pyramid was designed to be a <i>resurrection machine</i> for Pharaoh Khufu. A pair of tunnels, one from each side of his burial chamber, connected it to the outside world. Every night Khufu's spirit traveled out through these tunnels and ascended to become a star in the heavens, a star that showered blessings upon every Egyptian.<br>

By good luck, when I was inside the Great Pyramid in 1978, I discovered a path to one of these tunnels, a path cut through the rock by thieves. My dollar pocket flashlight revealed the tunnel's cross section to be square, about six inches on a side. Straight lengths of this tunnel, each eight to ten feet long, connect Khufu's burial chamber in a sweeping arc to the outside world. The pair of escape tunnels for his spirit were a working feature of Khufu's "resurrection machine."<br>

<footer>Amber Coverdale Sumrall, "Siesta"</footer>

in "Siesta" by Amber Coverdale Sumrall.

<footer>Wilt Chamberlain</footer>

<i>2022 Update: after watching Weide's Vonnegut documentary, I looked up this song and realized the lyric might be "I forgot to ask". Which still carries weight in the same way. Maybe even more poignant for me; Amber told me that it was me failing to ask her "Please don't do this" is what sealed our fate.</i>

<td>Wistful late 80s indie. <br>Like almost a decade or so ago Amber mentioned not being able to find this one song "Chamapagne" on an old Lisa Loeb tape from 1989, but now it's here on Youtube, and I ripped it as an mp3.</td>

<div class='r3 c0'>amber</div>

<br>Amber's cat Emma. Allegedly once a big cat, I only knew her as this sassy skinny old lady. (Actually a sweet cat, I appreciated her mix of being social without being a cuddler.) Left to my care when Amber split, realizing when it was time to put her down was super difficult even though I hadn't known her that long. (Also she had that weird insistence on not eating unless she was being pet. I was a little surprised she had got her earlier humans to play along with that, but then I had to too)

<br>Amber and I got Rex as a kitten. He was a punk.

I'm sorry if this is just progressive liberal snobbery that's not helping or preaching to my echo chamber choir, but damn, this needless suffering is frustrating as hell.

To draw an analogy: a man's suffering is similar to the behavior of gas. If a certain quantity of gas is pumped into an empty chamber, it will fill the chamber completely and evenly, no matter how big the chamber. Thus suffering completely fills the human soul and conscious mind, no matter whether the suffering is great or little. Therefore the "size" of human suffering is absolutely relative.

Explain my no vote. (Another voice says, "Yes m'am.") [Heavy sigh] You know, I'm a diagnostic radiologist. And diagnostic radiologists, historically and in many places in this state, *still* do all of the first trimester OB ultrasound. So I am extraordinarily, personally familiar with the development of a fetus in the womb. And for you to sit here and say that at 15 weeks, a fetus has a functional heart; a four-chamber heart that can survive on its own, is fallacious. That is not true. There is no viability. You know, I look around at my colleagues on this committee. I am the *only* woman on this podium right now. I am the only physician sitting on this podium. This bill is a medical sham. It does not follow medicine. It does not even purport to listen to medicine. And for each and every one of my colleagues to be so willing to cast an aye vote, when what you are doing is putting your finger; putting your knee; putting your- a gun to women's heads. You are *killing women* because abortion will continue. Women will continue to have efficacy over their own body, whether or not you make it legal. I vote no and I really, really apologize to the people in Kentucky that we are spending this much time and this much energy when we have families in poverty. We have single women heading households in poverty at a higher rate than any other group in the state. And you all are not addressing that. You all are making it worse. Thank you.

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(here's a <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/derinthescarletpescatarian/735122282777870336?source=share">lil video</a> that was a bit too familiar from some hiking and clambering Melissa and I did this weekend)

This was a novella that came packed with the video game "Elite". I think about it every time we get an AMBER alert.

phrase:""

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