very simple

Ollie always needs to know where I am. If I’m sitting on the couch, he just sits with me, but when I’m at my desk, he just sits here and stares at me for hours. Sure, sometimes he’ll pretend to go to sleep, but I guarantee that if I even shift in a way that indicates that I might get up, he’s up on his feet ready to follow me. We actually put the dog bed here so that he wouldn’t either (i) continually try to climb in my lap while I try to use the computer or (ii) position himself directly behind my desk chair, so that I risk running him over every time I move.

No real description. I was just crossing 5th Avenue last night and thought this would make a good, gritty picture.

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

Another novel that is essentially a series of short-story-esque vignettes about people who are connected to one another (like a visit from the goon squad), this time the employees and other assorted folks associated with a failing international newspaper based in Rome. The author worked for the International Herald Tribune before it died, so it’s obviously a subject close to his heart.

It took me a little while to get into the story, but once it got going (and I figured out how the timeline worked), I really enjoyed it. Each “modern day” story of an individual character is followed by a brief vignette from the history of the paper, from it’s founding, through it’s heyday, up until it’s decline and eventual shuttering. Very nicely woven together, with parts that made me incredibly sad and at least one part that had me laugh out loud in public when I was reading it. Definitely recommend.

I swear, I’m not going to turn this into a hipstamatic triptych blog, but I probably have a few more of these to get out of my system before I move away from the theme.

This is the “old” part of the American Museum of Natural History, in triplicate. Just sort of lends itself to the aging that the app provides.

I’m beginning to enjoy the hipstamatic app on my iphone more than I thought I would, and have been trying out different “films” and lenses for fun. So, in the interests of playing around with the settings, I present to you a triptych of my traditional cafe breakfast: espresso and mineral water. Plus the new york times e-edition.

(click on the images to get them at full-size)

As promised. here, ollie, a tiny jack russell terrier, has managed to monopolize both my couch and my favorite blanket. he also drove me up a wall last night, insisting every two hours that he needed to go out. I’m sure that this had nothing to do with the fact that my nighttime doorman keeps treats in his pocket. But the joke was on Ollie, when he insisted on going out again at 9 (after going out at 7), because Al was on a break! ha!

Seriously – we got down to the lobby, Al wasn’t there, and Ollie stopped dead in his tracks and tried to go back to the elevator. I, being the mean aunt, then forced him to take another walk in the rain anyway. I think he’s learned his lesson.

I have a feeling that this won’t be the last picture of ollie that gets included in the project. I’m beginning to understand why all those bloggers do their weekly pet blogging. It’s an irresistible photographic subject.

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something about this scene indicates to me that perhaps this building doesn’t have the most adequate drainage system in place.

Compared to other cities like LA or San Francisco, we don’t actually get a lot of fog here, because we’re in a geographically unique situation. But yesterday was an exception.

My parents are going to Colombia and Costa Rica for two weeks (provided that they can get out of town with the ice storm tonight), so Ollie’s back with me until Valentine’s Day. Just in time for the entire sidewalk outside my apartment to get coated in a sheet of ice. He’s still adjusting, as evidenced by the fact that every time I walk near my bedroom (which includes walking to the bathroom and the kitchen), he jumps up on my bed and starts burrowing, as if we’re going to sleep. at 7pm.