Saturday, December 21, 2013

It's the most wonderful time

- of the year!

Noone does suburban Christmas lights like 'Murica!  This year I upped the anti with a buddy who offered to drive us around Chestnut street in South San Francisco, which has a famous lit up strip:
So pretty!  The detail is amazing - even all the windows have little lit up scenes set up for when you peer in.
Deer!  Snowmen!  Inflatable Santa with a husky sled!  You can't see but the deer on the right was nodding.
We made a special stop to snap this one of me and my buddy HK.  I love how she dressed for the occasion, she has a wardrobe for every holiday.
Again.  Rituals make a home.  SF, you're killing me here.
True to the ritual, I'm off to the Philippines tomorrow.  To all a good night!

Sunday, December 15, 2013

The power of empathy

I love the RSA shorts, this latest one on the power of empathy is simultaneously hilarious and thought provoking.  Take a moment to watch it, won't you?

"Empathy is a choice, and it's a vulnerable choice because in order to connect with you, I have to connect with something within myself that knows that feeling."

I've written about how I have been thinking about kindness a lot lately, I think empathy is its buddy that it goes hand in hand with.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Nesting, Part 7

I think it has officially been the longest time ever between posts.  You may speculate on what's been keeping me busy, but in reality this is just how long it took me to replace my mac which died last month *tear*.  I was thinking about whether these 'nesting' posts should stop as I've effectively been here a year now, so am I now 'nested'?

Then I decided no, because it's a perpetual act for so long as having a home is important.  I will never stop anymore than I will ever stop going to Paper Source.  And with that, some snaps:
The 49ers vs the Seahawks - so, so much fun and what a win!  I'm not really a big sports person, but just like my first ball game this was a ton of fun and I wish I'd gone to one sooner.  Bonus: we even tailgated and made chili dogs in the carpark beforehand - best Sunday ever!
A most beautiful lettuce (?) at Contraband Coffee Bar.  Mental note of keeping lettuces instead of flowers around the house more.  Bonus is that I'll be able to say things to it like "lettuce turn on the heater", or "lettuce get some dinner" around my house and it will be puntastically relevant.
New obsession: Roasted brussel sprouts.  Dust with paprika to give them a little kick - tip via a buddy.
New holiday: new peeps (see last nesting).  You could keep your calendar by these marshmallows.
Feels so good to be coming into Christmas - hoping y'all are enjoying the lead up to the holidays too!

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

San Francisco: Year One

The print I hanging up at home, love this guy.
Last week marked my one year anniversary in San Francisco, and what a wonderful year it's been! People who've known me over the years might be familiar with the fact that I sometimes like to roundup a year or experience with a collection of quotes, Maggie Alderson style (for those Australians out there who used to read Style Notes in the weekend paper).  With that, here's my first year in SF - summarised by a sampling of encounters from the last 12 months, enjoy!

Me: Would it be too weird if I wore thongs to work?
American colleague: Why… are you asking me this?
Me: Flip flops!  I mean flip flops!

Me: (At work) I know, I’m cleaning my laptop with beer and a post-it note because I can’t be bothered to get wipes.  What’s wrong with me?
Googler buddy: It’s ok, I saw someone washing a peach with sparkling water the other day.

Cashier at Plant Cafe: So just checking I’ve got your order right: there’s two poached eggs, subbing in a fruit salad on the side, a banana smoothie with a protein shot, then another set of poached eggs, with greens instead of potatoes and green smoothie subbing in coconut water instead of almond milk.
Me: Yep that’s right
Aussie expat buddy: When did we become like this?

(Meeting Silicon Valley overachievers)
New buddy: Do you have any hobbies?
Me: Um, sure - I guess I like to go running sometimes
New buddy: Oh great, like ultramarathons?
Me: No, no… more like regular run-down-the-block-and-back… style of… running.

(Meeting Silicon Valley overachievers - Take 2)
Me: I don’t really have a special skill to be honest.
New buddy 1: You’re a cute girl in tech - that’s rare?
Me: I’m not convinced that’s a skill.  Also, that “skill” has an expiry date.
New buddy 2: Well, so do mine.  I mean, I was only the Rubik’s cube world champion for 2011.

(At Dolores Park)
Hipster: Anybody want some (hash) cookies?
Me: *Looking blankly at him*
Hipster: Oh, don’t worry - they’re 100% organic.
Me: That’s not why I’m hesitating.

Our Director reviewing a chart I put together: So, if we change the date ranges, the curve will just go straight up right?
An actual BA in the room: I’m… not sure that’s true.
Me: So, that’s not actually a regression line… I just sort of drew it up using the curve tool…
Director: …
Me: I went to art school, ok!

SF cab driver: Whenever I want to meet women, I go to Whole Foods. Forget the bars, forget the clubs - you meet a girl at Whole Foods and you jus' *know* she's into organic, and daaamn! Them organic women are good!

Googler buddy: Should we do the slide now?
Me: What presentation is this for?
Googler buddy: No, I’m talking about the actual slide.  Like, in the foyer.

Friday, October 25, 2013

New hero

Yeah, just wow.  Just discovered this incredible interview by Elle Luna via this little piece.
Hang with the unknown.
Artist, designer and startup something wonder woman.  She painted a wall.  She uses hashtags like #mindfulness.  She's done things like this:

I walked up to him and said, “I use Uber all the time and I absolutely hate the app. I think you should bring me in to fix it.” He replied, “Oh, yeah? What are the three things you’d fix about it?” I said, “I’d redo the logo, redo the entire app, and change the rating system.” I think there was something about being in a dress that empowered me to say such things (laughing). And do you know what he said? He said, “Be at the Uber office at 9am on Monday.”

She says great things like this that make me think:

I think back to the different phases of a project at IDEO—it’s not so different from life, really—I’m in the exploratory, divergent phase. The part where you brainstorm a lot and encourage wild ideas and defer judgement. I believe that the longer you can hang with that ambiguity or unknown, the greater the results will be at the end. This was true for IDEO projects, it was true for Mailbox, and now it is becoming true for my life.

Most people won't.  What meaty thoughts for the weekend.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

New go-to fall recipe

Caramelised goodness in a flaky, buttery case.
Just invested in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook and first cab off the rank was this Butternut squash and onion galette.  There is something supremely satisfying about making something out of a new cookbook and having it turn out just right the first time around.  Even if you didn't realise that a pastry blender is wildly different from an actual blender (thank you, internet for that last-minute save).

It was really interesting to see how she'd modified it over the years from her original online recipe to the one in the book - giving the option of thyme instead of sage, or replacing the sour cream for greek yoghurt.  If anything this has given me more gumption to have some flexibility when cooking things up from a recipe.

Thoroughly recommend both the cookbook and the dish - perfect for fall.  Yes, I called it fall.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Scratches on a page

I can't remember the last time I fell so in love with a writer, but since weeping into a puddle over The Fault in Our Stars I've been having obsessive, crush-like bursts of stalking John Green.

As a part of my investigation into all things about him, I came across this response he gave on the writing of this most excellent book that at one point became a 'problem' for him:

"...for ten years of my life, I tried to write this book and it taunted me and it sucked and it kept sucking and nothing I could do for years and years made it suck less, and then finally I was given a way into it and I worked very hard to make it the best book that I could possibly make it, but books will always be a collaboration between reader and writer, and at some point I have to stop doing my job so I can start letting you do your job.

I mean that a book is a problem in that it is composed out of meaningless scratches on a page that must be translated into ideas that live inside your head, and you use a set of skills (literacy, critical thinking, etc.) to make that happen.  I don’t mean that it is an UNFORTUNATE problem; I just mean that it is a thing that has to be created by both of us, like a crossword puzzle or something."

Ten years!  Also, I love this idea that a book is created by both the writer and the reader.  This somewhat legitimises my stalking, we collaborated on this after all.

Taken from here (not to read if you haven't yet read the book), more from him and his wonderful brother here.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Nesting, Part 6

and resting really, but solidly on the mend!  I no longer have to run out of meetings in a coughing fit now, so that's a plus.
Snaps of the home and hood recently.
Secret confession: Whenever there is a special holiday on (which, lets face it, is pretty much all the time here) I go down to Walgreens purely for the purpose of scoping out all the intense looking candy and decorations on offer.  Ghost peeps!
Discovered Conifer - a new favourite store, just off the beaten track in my neighborhood.  I was passing by and saw a sign "art + clothing this way" - how could I resist?  Run by the most beautiful woman who has a personal relationship with all the emerging brands she stocks.  Just beautiful.
I found this magnificent beast panting on the sidewalk on my way home from froyo one day.  How I loved his thick glossy fur!  The little girl in the background stopped to say hello to him too.
It's a little hard to see but this house on my street has an incredible fiddle leaf fig tree in each long window, I look up in admiration (or, like a stalker) every time I walk past it - oh how I want one for my living room!  So sculptural.
Our friend Karl the fog came back for an evening the other day - even though it's not his season at the moment.  I don't mind though, I like him now.
It's nice to be back, SF.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Healing chicken soup

The human body is an amazing beast isn't it?  One minute it's fine with traipsing across 6 different cities and the next minute it's breaking down in full force - complete with 3am feverish sweats and a throat so on fire I thought I was going to die in my sleep (no really, in my delirium I considered calling up C to remind him that the couch is by some Norwegian architects that I like, so could he please keep it in my memory hahaha).

Anyway, I kid - I totally deserve this.  I feel like this is my body's way of shouting at me to stop for a moment, so here I am.  I've been hiding out in a snot cave this weekend and now just taken my first sick day since I can remember.  My beloved Google Shopping Express took care of most things, but as they don't do fresh produce I did trek out to my local store to make a proper chicken soup - bones and all.

I used this recipe as a guideline, but I made the alteration of sautéing the onions and garlic beforehand.
Chopping in progress.  I took a very liberal perspective on 'finely diced'.
Simmering goodness.  The green bits are the fresh Thyme floating to the top.
The get-well food of champions!
Not as good as my mama's but definitely hit the spot!

Friday, October 11, 2013

Go deep

Some words for your Friday - taken from one of my favourite HONYs, I was reminded of this as I was aggressively pushed over by the very physical waves at Byron:
At Wategos
"When a wave comes, go deep.

There’s three things you can do when life sends a wave at you.  You can run from it, but then it’s going to catch up and knock you down.  You can also fall back on your ego and try to stand your ground, but then it’s still going to clobber you. Or you can use it as an opportunity to go deep, and transform yourself to match the circumstances.  And that’s how you get through the wave.”

And a great weekend to you all!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

On multitasking

... and its apparent enemy, productivity.
Even my snacks distract me from work.
Ironic that I have visited Facebook twice, youtubed a song I wanted to hear, watched a short film on Vimeo that a friend sent me and checked my phone twice in the space between that first sentence and this one.

I have just started reading Brain Rules, which goes through "12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home and school" by equipping you with a better understanding of how the brain works and what it needs from you to operate well.  It's not one of the principles as such, but one thing that has stuck out to me in particular is the amount of effort it takes for your brain to switch from one task to the other - it's tenths of a second every time you switch any task - to both figure out where it needs to access to get the new data you need, and then extract and synthesise that data for the new task.  The flashing FB message thread I keep revisiting while typing this is a new switch every time, ditto checking my work email, because the information to complete both of those tasks are all sorted in different places in my brain.  The seconds added up, we apparently make ourselves 50% slower by any attempt to multitask.

Am currently thinking of ways to mandatorily reduce the distractions - a creative solution via zenhabits: hire someone to sit next to you as you work and pay them to slap you in the face every time you look at Facebook  :)

(Full disclosure: additional to the activities listed above I took a phone call, checked Facebook, googled something about marshmallows, checked Instagram, checked Facebook again.  Somebody slap me.)

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Beautiful home

I felt like I was in a Tourism Australia postcard but better.
I very badly would love to post pictures of the most gorgeous of weddings but I'm not sure that my haphazard Android photos between happy tears would really do the beautiful couple or the celebration justice.  It was a privilege to be a part of it, and it was surrounded by some really wonderful days on the sunny shores of Australia.  Such great friends.  I didn't think I would get so sentimental, but I did.

I will leave you a small snapshot of bathing in an incredible warm Tea Tree lake, next to what we called 'the secret beach' - so magical!  The Tea Tree is what stains the water darker.  One of many warm, lovely sandy afternoons.

p.s. the jet lag trick totally worked!  Definitely recommend.  Prepare to starve in between though - that part is less fun  :)

Friday, September 27, 2013

How to beat jet lag?

A most delicious breakfast toast at Bar Jules in Hayes Valley.  It's ok to eat this much because it's organic *ahem*.
I didn't do a very good job adjusting to Pacific time at all and have been a slow, slumbery beast this past week.  Tomorrow, I'm throwing myself into my third timezone in three weeks - thrilled as I am to head back to Sydney for a spell, I definitely want to do a better job of assimilating.  It's a #firstworldproblem I know, but I was frequently a snapping turtle in work meetings (sorry, so sorry for anyone who had to deal with me).

To that end, I'll be giving this how to beat jet-lag method a go, and have squirreled away some nuts leading up to the journey and will fast the way through.  Already looking forward to the big breakfast on the other end.

Happy happy Friday, whatever timezone you're in!  I'll be seeing you again down under.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Just be sad

Louis C.K. hates cell phones - 


I predict this clip making the rounds at the moment will reach the same epic status as his 'Everything's amazing and noone's happy' rant.  After talking through why he's not giving his kids cell phones, he gets passionate about resisting our constant, knee-jerk reaction to reach for our phones to fill the empty spaces of our day.  He recalls a time when he was listening to a Bruce Springsteen song in his car and was overcome with sadness -

You know what, don't.
Just be sad.
Just let the sadness stand in the way of it.
And let it hit you like a truck.
I let it come and Bruce -- and I started to feel, oh, my God.
And I pulled over and I just cried like a bitch.
I cried so much and it was beautiful.
It was like this beautiful -- it was just this -- sadness is poetic.
You're lucky to live sad moments.
And then I had happy feelings because when you let yourself feel sad your body has like anti-bodies.
You have happiness rushing in to meet the sadness.
I was grateful to feel sad and then I met it with true profound happiness.

Oh his truth cracks me up!  Also - yet another reason to resist the urge to hang out with your cell phone.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

24 hours in Dublin

Beyond porridge at the office, I had the pleasure of a whole Saturday in Dublin with old friends.  Not sure if this was only owing to the sun, but this city definitely charmed me well beyond my expectations. Unexpectedly delicious meals were had (it wasn't just potatoes and corned beef as I'd feared!) and some really gorgeous architecture - some snapshots of what we were able to squeeze in:
Morning coffee at 3FE, definitively the best flat white in Dublin.
Obligatory photo of brick buildings with brightly coloured doors.  Yellow became our punch-buggied favourite.
Beautiful St Stephen's Green, Ireland's best known Victorian public park - with the sun out there were loads of people about, strolling or even snoozing on the grass.
Learning to pour our own pint at the Guinness factory!  This was good touristy fun.
An amazing shaved pork salad at The Pig's Ear - definitely recommend.  We dined early to catch the three course special, not pictured: goose fat potatoes and an amazing brown bread ice cream with Guinness cake crumbs and honeycomb.  See I can't tell you what I learnt at the Guinness factory but I memorised the menu here.
Necessary visit to the Temple Bar - it isn't actually just this bar but in the words of my newly-Dubliner friend "it's basically this whole area where the roads are covered in stones and it's hard to walk.  Oh and there's live music!"
Was such a good trip, to be sure, to be surrrrrre!  Didn't quite make it to the infamous Coppers, but that's not entirely something I regret.  Till next time, Dubliners!  

Friday, September 20, 2013

On nervous breakdowns

One of the fancier tea and biscuit combos I've had - over at Laduree in Sydney last year.
Brilliant 'posthumous advice for my daughter'.

"Nine times out of ten, you probably aren’t having a full-on nervous breakdown – you just need a cup of tea and a biscuit."

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Oh, hey Dublin

The solitary shot I have of Dublin so far, taken from one of the cafe windows at le Goog at breakfast.
Unexpected pro of the Dublin Goog office: they know how to make porridge - ok so the kid in the video is Scottish, not Irish, but close enough.  It's a cold climate that knows how to make an excellent, sludgy-but-not-too-sludgy warming bowl of oats.  Looking forward to exploring beyond the office walls this weekend with buddies, including this new Dubliner!

Also, noone actually says 'Top 'o the mooorrrnin' to yoooo'!  So I discovered, when I tried to be "local".

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

I don't

Fascinating read on a scientific guide to saying "no".  This certainly isn't a new topic (see here and here) but it's interesting what effect verbiage can have on your mind and actions:

“I can’t” and “I don’t” are words that seem similar and we often interchange them for one another, but psychologically they can provide very different feedback and, ultimately, result in very different actions...  To put it simply: you can either be the victim of your words or the architect of them. 

Worth a read.  Or not, you can say 'I don't do this' and read this later  :)

Monday, September 16, 2013

That's amore

How wonderful it is to see two really great friends get married.  There's so much I want to say about the villa and the Italian countryside right out of a postcard and the food (truffled fondue single served in an egg anyone?), but I think this photo taken by a buddy nails what the day was really about: it's two people saying 'forever' to their best friend and having the greatest time doing it.  
What a day.  Such fun.  Thrilled for them as they escape to the Italian coastline this weekend - the start of an amazing adventure together!

Friday, September 13, 2013

Oh, hey Bologna

Less than 24 hours here; I've eaten my way through three types of pasta and bought a giant glass bottle which I find adorably hipster-charming but I'm pretty sure is just what the locals pour their water from and I have zero luggage space for.  What I'm really trying to say is: I'll be coming back fuller in more ways than one.
This is the beautiful store that lured me into my giant glass bottle, complete with raffia roped around its bottom.  Rows of corks, arranged by size in jars!  Tiny bottles with tiny corks to match!  At least I was definitely the only tourist in there.
The view from 500 steps up on the highest of the 'Two Towers' here.
I love the way that people just sit around on the streets here; like literally just sit on the streets until the afternoon turns to dusk and then dark.  This practice creates a wonderful, deliberately paced culture here.
Gorgeous trays of dried pasta for sale, I just love the colours from the golden tortellini to the squid ink tagliatelle.  In the window next to it are rows of syrupy little cakes and meringues - beautiful!
 
Loving this small Italian town.  Wedding tomorrow - can't wait!

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Powerfully meaningless

I've been marinating on this great article I read recently on why we don't need a reason for everything.
A kite I captured at Stinson beach a couple of weekends ago.
"...finding a place where the consequences aren’t so great allows us a place to relax. Finding the opportunity to do something meaningless allows us to play, to take risk and fail without some repercussion that may kill us in the end."

The notion of 'play' being critical is another thing that got drummed into us at design school, and I cannot agree more on how essential it really is; I honestly think this is why I so value ridiculous crafts and find them theraputic.  The practice creates a suspended space, where you can be kinder to yourself and your works.

Here's to the powerfully meaningless.  I wouldn't mind a great chalkboard either.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Fog

By Carl Sandburg
Taken on my walk to the shuttle in the morning, that edge of an island on the right is Alcatraz.  Every morning with this view, I remember those words.
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on. 
Via a buddy, was reminded as he returned on little cat feet tonight.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

California treasures

Oh that last long weekend was both not long enough at all, and also just way too long - to the point where I feel like I'm only really catching up on life now (case in point: this blog).  It was so very sad saying goodbye to the parents, but switching them with C at the airport made it infinitely easier.  A quick recap of a wonderful little weekend, discovering some new California loves:
Driving to Stinson Beach (well, at this point we thought we were technically still driving to Muir Woods - before we got there and realised there was no parking whatsoever).
Walking along Stinson Beach - such a beautiful stretch of land, but still no comparison to Sydney's beachy shores.  It's the sand quality that distinguishes Australia - I miss the fine, golden sand.  I also miss this one, carrying my shoes for me so I could have both hands free to inspect washed-up jellyfish and take photos.
On jellyfish - this is is just a glimpse from the jellyfish room at Monterey Bay Aquarium.  Honestly, you just have to go to this place.  Mind blowing.  I'm not even going to try to capture it in photos right now.  And oh there were penguins!
C crafted a weekend that was full of all of my favourite things, including my first trip to the Lost Art Salon, a hidden trove of artwork from the 19th century onwards.  Was just so much fun to quietly dig through all of the pieces - definitely going back.  Like burgers, expect a Part 2. 
Thank you C!  And oh California, you continue to woo me with your treasures.

Friday, August 30, 2013

Well earned weekend

Now retired TOMS with a beer, on the grass at Outside Lands a few weeks ago.  Hoping the weather keeps up and there is more outdoor goodness to soak up over this weekend.
Happy happy long weekend to all the US folks!  This week just gone has felt like one of the longest where I've just been totally exhausted - to the point where I've even slept through the early shuttle a couple of times and completely missed a workout date with a buddy (oops) - definitely my bodys way of crying out for some rest.

Enjoy the two or three days you have, y'all!

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Tennis Theory

Crediting this to a guy I used to work with - 'the tennis theory' is the idea that if you want to get better at anything, you need to work at it with people who are better at it than you - i.e. the only way to improve your game of tennis is make sure the guy on the other side of the net is superior to you.  He came up with it while actually playing a game of tennis, but it became something we referenced throughout the time we worked together when talking about about our various career decisions, in our over-cube-wall conversations.

I use it all the time whenever I'm pepping someone into a project or role they feel out of their depth in, but I've recently also had to apply it to myself, impressing it over my feelings of being not-the-greatest tennis player.  It's a heartening thing to bring to mind when you feel like you're just hitting missed swings.  You'll come back to the court tomorrow stronger for it.

p.s. On a vaguely related note, a fan's touching story that will make Roger Federer your favourite athlete.  The sweetest!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

On fortune

A fellow paraglider over a lake in Pokhara, Nepal last year.

"Fortune favours the bold."

- Stolen off a colleague's chat status, but is originally a Latin proverb apparently.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Burgers of SF

One thing that 'Merica really does right is the burger - I've written before about my addiction and they are they are a whole different beast over here.  While I'd love to order the ones I've sampled into an empirical 'best of' list, it just wouldn't seem fair to all the other burgers out there that I am yet to sample *I'm-a comin' for youuu my pretties*.  Also, I sadly don't even have a picture of one that currently tops my list (over at Spruce - order it off the bar menu), so I can tell you now that this tour of beef patties in pictures is already incomplete.  Until part two, here's five spectacular sandwiches, objectively ordered by accessibility - don't make me pick favourites yet!
In-N-Out: enough said.  When is this a bad idea?  The answer is never.  I resisted on the double-double here, but if you're a first timer that's a must - you could even go 'protein style' if you want to skip the bun, but that sort of defeats the purpose really.
This is the 'French and Fries' over at Roam - not going to lie, I thought the fries were an addition on the side but when this arrived I got this pleasant surprise.  Gruyere really makes this one - but in reality that cheese is the cause of and solution to all of life's problems.
Truffle again.  This compact little package comes to us from Umami Burger - I love this place, but hear mixed reviews from guys, maybe based on the fact that the portions edge on the small side.  Personally, this is a favourite of mine - order it with their smushed potatoes and a plate of their huge golden onion rings.
A favourite pastime of mine: going to swish restaurants and ordering the burger.  I added bacon to this fancy, glorious pile of happy from Mission Beach Cafe.  Yes that's truffle parmesan fries.  Yes a side salad was an option.  No I haven't been to the gym a week.  Thank goodness for like-minded friends to dine with.
Glazed doughnuts instead of a bun you say?  Why yes, yes I think I will.  'The Ringmaster' from Straw was a beast I shared with a buddy as part of an early celebration.  True to our waiter's words, the savory of the beef cuts through the sweet of the doughnut and actually makes this a surprisingly moreish parcel.
This is definitely only 'Part 1'.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Gettin' pretty

For those who are regulars you'll notice that le blog has been getting a progressive makeover of late - thank you little bro for your DIY code hacking and endless help and patience with me!  ("Can I make this pink?  What about <some-random-idea-I-saw-on-another-blog>?  How hard would it be to get confetti coming down the sides?").  Of note within the changes to date, the upside down city view in the banner is the view from my apartment window, at the golden hour I love best which greets me when I walk in my door from work.

It's a work in progress, please excuse the quibbles while we get it right - like images getting a little snipped here and there - in the interim  :)

Nesting, Part 5.5 (Special Edition)

My parents have been camping out in my studio with me for the last week or so, hence the nest is a little cramped at the moment but oh so happy.  A small snapshot:
A very sweet gift of chocolates, appropriately shaped from home.  There was also a marzipan penguin aka my spirit animal in there as well.
Who needs Google Maps when you have this elaborate trip planner - note the trip variation options and even different streams for their and my plans.  Independent of dying Android batteries too.
My view from the couch - I was dozing off to sleep while these two crazy kids were staying up late watching Bubble Gang on YouTube (on their Nexus 7, no less).  Hello also makes an appearance.
Not pictured: tutorials how to use a Clipper card, obligatory clam chowder and even a trip to Daiso - yep, hitting all the major landmarks over here  :)