I have never in all my years with cats seen something like this.

Crazy!

Sadly, I had to take down this link because youtube removed the video. It's too bad, because it was a completely ridiculous and hilarious video of a cat taking a shower by sticking it's head under a kitchen faucet.

So last weekend Dave and I spontaneously took a very long walk. We left the house to get outside and go for a little walk and several hours and six miles later we were in Medford (the next town over) after a very wandering route. Since it was so spontaneous, I don't have any pictures, but I do have a strange story to tell.

At one point, we were standing at a major intersection, where 93 crosses with a big city road. While we were waiting to cross the street, we noticed a basketball rolling through the intersection, from no apparent source. As we crossed the street, Dave picked it up. He was about to toss it into the grass at the corner when he realized, hey, this is a pretty nice, mostly inflated basketball, I might as well take it. We continued walking, looking at the ball, and suddenly realized the ball had a name written across it in marker. The name was Anubis. The Egyptian god of the dead, Anubis.

I was a little freaked out by this omen, but Dave insisted we had to take the ball along. We stopped for lunch at a diner and managed to acquire a plastic bag in which to carry it. We continued on for another few miles, vaguely heading for this big state park that we knew was in the area. While we managed to find the park, we were unable to find a way in that didn't involve cutting through yards, so we stopped at a playground and shot some hoops. I haven't played basketball since at least junior high and discovered that I am terrible at it. Terrible terrible.

After we got tired, we headed home, Anubis in tow. He's now residing on the back porch (I refused to allow him in the house) while we figure out what else to do with him. Post on craigslist? Re-inflate him and play basketball at the playground around the corner? Pass him on to another friend? Haven't decide yet. Let me know if you have any ideas.

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I'm heading out to California for about ten days to visit Tassajara Zen Mountain Center for a work period. I will be completely offline for the week that I'm there, and right after I come back we're off to NYC for the wedding of some dear friends. Not that you'll notice much difference, but don't expect any new posts for the next couple of weeks--after that I should have some great photos and adventures to share!

Earlier this year I joined the Somerville Medical Reserve Corps, the local branch of the public health emergency response service. I thought it would be an interesting way to learn more about disaster management, as well as a way to contribute to my community and perhaps meet some public health folks now that I've left my network in NYC. Last week I was finally able to participate in an event (they are usually during work hours).

The event was a test of the Somerville Fire Department's Emergency Decontamination Unit. The scenario was a lab with some kind of radiation emergency--an explosion, a dirty bomb, an accident, etc. The volunteers (there were nine of us) had to be pretend victims and go through a triage assessment, a test of the decon showers (yes, we wore bathing suits, no, it was just water, no actual decontamination), and then a post-cleaning assessment. I didn't bring a camera since I knew I would be getting wet, and I couldn't find any good ones online, but basically it was a long, three-chambered tent with showers and changing areas, staffed by firefighters in full hazmet gear. It was very impressive and caused some confusion among people trying to get into the hospital or just walking by. A few lucky volunteers also got to help the Fire Department test the emergency immediate decontamination unit: getting washed off with a fire hose. In addition to the Fire Department, the local hospital, EMS services, and local emergency planning department were involved. Following the test, we sat down with representatives from each group and discussed how it went and provided feedback on some instruction signs the emergency planning department was testing.

Overall, it was a really neat experience. First, it was helpful for the emergency planning and Fire Departments, and if there's anyone in your community you want to be well-trained, it's the Fire Department! I was very impressed with the local Fire Department and it was really cool to see a few women among the emergency response team. Second, it was very interesting for me, as a public health person, to see how emergency planning works, and to see one of these scenarios tested in real life. Third, I got to meet some interesting people in my community. Finally, it was a lot more fun than spending yet another morning looking at job postings! I look forward to doing more work with the MRC, most likely at the flu vaccination clinics this fall.

Oh, my poor neglected blog. It's somehow been two months! And the two year anniversary of my blog passed unremarked a few weeks ago. Well. It's been a busy summer:

• I went to Asia (link is fixed, thanks Dad!)
  
• I got laid off
  
• I hosted my brother, my aunt, and some friends
  
• I went to NYC, NJ, and Western MA (twice!)
  
• I joined the 21st century and got one of those fancy new-fangled phones that has internet on it. I got a Google/Android 3g/MyTouch/whatever phone and I LOVE it.
  

I'm now entering my third week of unemployment. Aside from looking for jobs, I've been doing those little projects around the house that never seem to get done, reading lots of books in my new hammock, and cooking a lot, especially with all the veggies from our CSA. Oh, and I've been paying a lot of attention to the cats, which they appreciate. I am also thinking about redesigning and upgrading this blog, which will hopefully induce me to post more often.

I've complained here a few times about terrible customer service (WaMu, I'm looking at you: WaMu sucks is one of the top search phrases that brings people to my blog) so I thought it would be only fair to post some good customer service experiences.

I'd been eyeing this sweatshirt from Supermaggie for quite awhile, so when I noticed they were having a sale, and I needed a new hoodie, I ordered one. It arrived a bit over a week later, wrapped in tissue paper that was sealed with flower stickers. My order included a hand-written, personal thank you on a beautiful card that the company had designed. It was such fantastic packaging that it improved the order, I think. The quality of the prints is great, and the hoodie is super cute and cozy.

I also recently bought some dresses from Shabby Apple. They're an online dress company that makes cute dresses that are actually work appropriate. Because of my narrow shoulders, I frequently find that most dresses are too low cut to wear to work unless I wear a tank top under them. Which is fine and all, but I like wearing dresses in hot weather because they're cool, and wearing a tank defeats the purpose. Anyways, the point is, Shabby Apple's dresses are designed to not be too low cut to wear to work yet still be cute and not frumpy. So, I ordered a few things to try on. When my order arrived (very quickly), one dress fit perfectly, one was a size too big, and one just fit weird. It was a cute dress, but I couldn't tell if it was the wrong size or the wrong style for my body type. I emailed the company the next day to ask their advice, and they were so responsive--I got a reply within an hour of their office opening, and the person asked me a ton of questions about how the dress fit, what sizes I wear for other clothes, etc. Part of the problem was that the dress gaped in the back and she even offered to measure the dress to make sure it hadn't been cut wrong. Ultimately I decided to return it because it just wasn't quite right on me, and she offered to refund me, give me store credit, exchange the dress for another one, or send another size. I am super impressed with this level of service and will definitely be ordering again. AND they donate 5% of their dress sales to a microcredit organization for women in India, where many of the dresses are made.

I know rants can be more entertaining posts, but this is the kind of service that means I'll be ordering from these companies again, and it makes me want to tell my friends about them as well.

The infrared camera at the Boston Museum of Science says so. Look how cold my nose and hand are! (Blue=coldest, white=warmest, red=mid-range.)

Oh right! I have a blog!

A couple of weeks ago, Dave and I went out to Mt Auburn Cemetery. It might sound a little morbid, but it's actually one of the most beautiful places I've been in Boston. It was founded in 1831 as the first large-scale designed landscape open to the public in the United States, and it's credited with beginning the American public parks and gardens movement. Many famous people, including Buckminster Fuller, Isabella Stewart Gardener, Mary Baker Eddy, and Julia Ward Howe are buried there. It's 174 acres of trees, flowers, and birds, and it's one of the most peaceful places I've ever been. Amazingly, it's still in use today as a non-denominational burying ground, open to people of all economic levels.

I have a set on Flickr, but here are a few of my favorites:

A Civil War memorial:

This was really interesting. It appeared to be an empty plot, but apparently it's full. The Scots' Charitable Society is the oldest non-profit in the US and was founded in 1657 to assist with the burial of indigent Scottish immigrants, primarily indentured workers. They now provide academic scholarships and financial assistance to people in need.

Just a nice view:

After a pretty tough day, I walked out of my office to this.

I've been spending a lot more time outside now that it's finally spring! More time outside means less time at the computer...since my last post, I've:

• Turned 31, and celebrated with a fantastic dinner at Craigie on Main; beautiful tulips from my aunt and uncle; and special fancypants coffee imported from San Francisco by my brother.
  
• Had a mini-reunion in Washington DC with several friends, hosted by the always-wonderful-hosts Kristen & Frank
  
• Visited the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens in DC, thanks to Hilary (pictures on Flickr)
  
• Hosted an Easter egg hunt for a certain toddler (and some interfering cats)
  
• Attended part of MIT's European Short Film Festival
  
• Experimented with an exciting new innovation in pie: rhubarb hand pies
  
• Gotten outside whenever possible!
  

I'll be back sometime this week with a 31 things to do before I turn 32 list, in honor of my most recent birthday!

Dave built the most awesome bookcase ever. I finally have space to hold all my books (well, except for my public health books, children's books, and a selection of my non-fiction, which are in another bookcase), plus room to grow. It's wonderful to have a custom-built bookcase that fits perfectly in the corner, and it's almost as wonderful to finally have finished unpacking! It looks even better when you're not seeing the flash reflection, but you get the idea.

Also, the cats like it.

This week I'm guestblogging over at No Apathy Allowed while Mandi is traveling. Check it out!