tell me, am I right to think that there could be nothing better?

Great news: I have my camera back, after many lonely weeks without it. You know what that means, right?

This is Beau Brummell, my newest acquisition. Some of you may know about my long-term longing for a stuffed dinosaur. It's been rough going, since most dinosaur toys aren't very soft or cuddly, or if they are, they just look sort of weirdly cartoonish. But then, while window-shopping in Canada one night, I came across this handsome chap and, well, it was love, right away. My elbow curls perfectly behind his neck-frill, and now I'm that much less-alone.

This is not a recent picture. In fact, I don't remember ever taking it, and so have no idea when it's from. I do know, though, that I only wear that shirt when I'm running out of clean clothes, so that may narrow it down a bit. Regardless, it makes me really, really miss Asheville, and so I feel compelled to post it. Deal.

Here's my main man, Sal Paradise, looking dashing. This is about as still as he stays, these days, and so most of my efforts to photograph him end up all blurred and ridiculous. He's so soft, though, with such thick fur, and those whiskers kill me, every single time. Look how he's grown up!

He's got the same love for sunbathing, though, and so most early afternoons find us sprawled on the floor, in a fierce contest for the best spot of sunlight. Needless to say, I usually let him win.

But wait; there's more! Although I've been without a working camera, I've still managed to capture, via cellphone, some grainy records of some good times.

Here I am with some stranger's baby. Luckily for everyone involved, I had the stranger's permission - although I was tempted to run off with the little guy. His name's Isaac, and Marshall and I got to hang out with him at Wafflehouse one afternoon while his parents ate. Look at those tiny fingers! And that bib! And his hair! Man, I can't wait to have some kids. Until that day, I'll just keep browsing adoption.com and pretending I could start a family any day now.


Here are Belly (Isabel) and Boudreux, the dogs we'll be sitting for this summer. They're way-cute, and get along famously. I can't wait to take them for long walks and begin filming Adventures in Bellysitting.

With my feral cat, again. He fell asleep, like, two minutes after this was taken, and then my arm fell asleep, too, but I couldn't bring myself to move because kitty seemed to be dreaming and I didn't want to cut in.

Here's my grandma in the emergency room, after they jammed an NG tube through her nose and down into her stomach. It hurt a lot (I came thisclose to passing out, just watching it), but she's a trooper. I told her I was taking this picture to send in to Ellen DeGeneres, and look at that smile she gave me. Man oh man.

I'm off now to visit Mrs. Zeisloft! Hope you're all living it up, wherever you are.