the most depressing gif ever.

created by tumble user sunisup, seen here

she is quoted in the Atlantic article as saying 'Made because I was having trouble visualizing the sheer scale of the land loss, and reading numbers like 'blah blah million acres' wasn’t really doing it for me.' i agree- this visualization communicates the injustice much more vividly.

Drink of the Summer.

photo source

the last two summers, i have unintentionally ended up with a Drink of the Summer. in 2010 it was a whiskey sour. Last summer i discovered the magic of the gin & tonic (and the beauty of the Bombay Sapphire bottle). i thought perhaps the g&t would carry me through this summer as well, but a couple of weeks ago, i finally tired of them a bit (after stocking up on tonic water of course) and went looking for a new flavor. i quickly found a new and unexpected winner..... sangria! i had a really great glass at W.A. Frost on our birthday and that was it. i don't know why i never thought of it before. i'm a huge red wine fan in the cooler months, and sangria is basically a chilled, fruity, slightly boozier version. an old friend of mine from SC started a recipe blog and posted a great sangria recipe, so that's what i have been using (i omit the apple). I am currently on my third batch, with all the fixings for a fourth already in hand...

Finders Keepers: one year later

it's been over a year since Gordon wandered into our backyard, basement, and ultimately the entire house... which he now rules with an iron kitty fist. he's a loud, bossy kitty who likes to get his way. bathroom door shut when he wants to sit on the windowsill in there? don't think for a minute you'll get to poop in peace until you let him in to keep you company. and when it's his turn to "go", if the litter box isn't freshly scooped, believe me you'll hear about it.

but he's also a very sweet kitty who just wants you to slow down and sit in the same space with him. not for cuddling really, he just likes his people close by. he also likes back & face scratches, and his favorite toy is this lame piece of twine i braided for him one of his first nights hanging out with me in the backyard.

he has several nicknames- The Kitty, KiKi (derived from Kitty Kitty), Kunte Kittae, Kinton (said in a Tim Gunn voice), and my favorite- Keeper. as in "he's a keeper." it came to mind a  few months ago and i kinda wish we had named him that. but for whatever reason Gordon fits him so we're sticking with it.

i never in a million years thought i would own a cat. i was allergic to cats, i'd never lived with cats, i didn't "get" cats. but this little guy has brought us so much joy and laughter (and conversation!) over the last year, i can't imagine life as it is without him. 

good-bye old friend.

click for larger image

an entry in the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest, seen on my favorite photo blog In Focus. i've long known that elephants mourn their dead, but every time i see an example i find it very moving. below, the caption from photographer John Chaney:

Good Bye Old Friend: Elephants are legendary for their memory and intelligence including attributes associated with grief, making music, altruism and compassion. We came across this elephant whose corpse was overcome by vultures and jackals. From a distance we heard and then saw another elephant approaching at a fast pace. She was successful at chasing away the predators and then very slowly and with much empathy wrapped her trunk around the deceased elephants tusk. She stayed in this position for several hours guarding her friend.

Gone Girl

this was a great summer read. i am not one for mysteries/suspense thrillers, but this one was really well crafted and didn't feel like a Mystery-with-a-capital-M. it's the story of Nick & Amy, a couple whose young marriage has already begun to atrophy. Amy disappears on the morning of their 5th anniversary, and it sure looks like Nick is to blame. the story is told back & forth between Nick and Amy, and it's really hard to know whose voice to trust and believe. But in the great tradition of summer reads, it doesn't make you think too hard. (and yes, its movie rights have already been optioned.)

It's currently rocking the NY Times Bestseller list, so put it on hold now because it'll take a while for your turn to roll around. worth the wait though.

Watertower by Tom Fruin

if you live in New York, please go visit this water tower for me and tell me how awesome it is.

Photos by Robert Banat seen here

can you guess what this is?

click through for the answer at The Big Picture...