—a study in narcissism, belonging to an intimist, recluse and eccentric—
All photos are original to this site.
- Anti-Linear Brain - called that because it is.
Read it in reverse order; newest entries are at the top. - My Various Lists of Favourite Things, Etc.
- My Mirror Photos
- I love reading about and trying unusual foods,
especially ones that other people consider weird or disgusting, such
as various types of offal. I am also fascinated by exotic fruits.
The Cook's Thesaurus, the Food Lover's Companion,
Melissa's, and Trade Winds Fruit's Tropical Fruits Database are invaluable resources. When I want to research restaurants in New York, I rely on Chowhound, Citysearch, and MenuPages. The Food Timeline and eGullet Forums are also highly entertaining and educational.
- My favourite place in the whole world is the ocean, particularly deserted locations that have interesting creatures to find, like the quiet beaches of Block Island, RI, the Big Island of Hawaii, and St. John, USVI, where my husband and I return every January. I am devoted to echinoderms, and like cnidarians, cephalopods and sponges a lot, too. I'm very into tidepooling, love snorkeling and free diving, and have my PADI Advanced Open Water Diver and Enriched Air Diver scuba certifications. My favourite island is Hawaii, which I love in a million different ways (the creatures, the trees, the feel of the air, the people, the coffee, the food, the music, the language...). But East Berlin, Connecticut is a blissful place to live.
- I take great pleasure in sending creative-looking slugmail and using interesting stamps. I also occasionally like to play with Mr. Picassohead or deal myself a few rounds of Naked Ladies! solitaire. But these are the coolest ever: digital facsimiles of Louis Renard's Poissons, Ecrevisses et Crabes, de Diverses Couleurs et Figures Extraordinaires and Ernst Haeckel's Art Forms in Nature. Other favorite illustrators include Albertus Seba and Remy Charlip (whose books I collect--the older and more beat up, the better), and I have a real weakness for 1960s children's science illustrations, like the ones in encyclopedia sets, Herbert Zim books (René Martin illus., especially), Golden Guides, and early Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science books. I also really like Oliver Sacks' writing, particularly The Island of the Colorblind (cycads!) and Uncle Tungsten.
- I visit Jan Høiberg's excellent web site for The Band regularly, as well as bobdylan.com. For lyrics to alternate versions and unreleased Dylan songs (basement tapes!), Daniel Martin's "It's Not a House, It's a Home" Page is essential.
- Other things I wholeheartedly recommend: neem, kukui, mangosteen
(okay, I've never eaten mangosteen, so this is pure wishful thinking), rhubarb, shad milt, eels, The Modern, Pahu i`a, Lupa, Rise, Ye Sea Slugs!, Ask MetaFilter, and Clusty search engine.
- At the ocean:
Examining a snail on foggy Cooneymus Beach (July, 2000) and past my wrists in clay at Vail Beach, Block Island, RI (July, 2001).
Showing off a dried sea urchin at Kiholo Bay in Kohala, HI (Feb., 2002) and searching for chitons in St. John, USVI (March, 2002).
Writing in my ocean notebook, wet from snorkeling through an alien world of seaweed at Mansion Beach, Block Island (July, 2002).
Hands full of brittle stars and crazily happy, both at Wawaloli Beach, near Kona, Hawaii (September, 2003).
Crackling with salt, inside the wreck of the Gamma, Grand Cayman (November, 2003) and utterly content celebrating Ocean Day in Watch Hill, RI (July 19, 2003).
- A few additional favourite spots:
On the back step after planting flowers in the pouring rain, 2001.
In the driver's seat of my New Beetle, May, 2002.
Under "MY TREE," the Gifford Pinchot Sycamore: on my birthday, 2002 (smiling so much my face hurt), June, 2002, and April, 2003.
With our new plane, a Piper Warrior II, August, 2006.