Another thing I learned and enjoyed on vacation to the Northeast was the fact that the state highway signs in New Hampshire featured a facial profile.

Maybe I’m a bit behind, but I did not know about this and after a brief search on the internet, I learned that the profile depicted is that of the Old Man of the Mountain.

According to Wikipedia, the Old Man of the Mountain was a series of five granite cliff ledges on Cannon Mountain in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, USA that, when viewed from the correct angle, appeared to be the jagged profile of a face. The outcrop was 1,200 feet (370 m) above Profile Lake, and measured 40 feet (12 m) tall and 25 feet (7.6 m) wide.

The first recorded mention of the Old Man was in 1805. The Man has been the New Hampshire state emblem since 1945. The reverse of the state quarter also features the Man. Daniel Webster and Nathaniel Hawthorne have written about it.

Then, tragically yet also poignantly, the Man collapsed on May 3, 2003.

This just adds to the allure and mystique of the state with the coolest motto: “Live Free or Die.”

I must also mention some choice meals that were consumed in the last 10 days that I forgot to take a picture of, but are equally important and missed. They are: mahi mahi, plaintains, rice and black beans from Bossa Nova (the meal I miss the most, this photo might be forthcoming), pork french dip sandwich from Phillippe’s, cheeseburger from In N Out, original with mango and strawberry from Pinkberry, pastrami sandwich from Langer’s, and sesame chicken from Kung Pao Kitty. My stomach is growling right now. For real.

*Photo addendums: Boss Nova and Square One meals

Meet Royal, my recently acquired typewriter. I purchased him at Second Chance, and I’m so excited to have a typewriter. I love how tactile typewriters are; the feeling of the keys, the weight of the thing, the concrete clack of the imprint, the fact that you’re looking at paper instead of a screen, the way the letters look, the act of pushing the lever over. It’s all so physical and romantic.

My backyard is a rabbit sanctuary*. Here are just a few of my friends. I’ll try to get pictures of all of them at some point. It’s a little difficult to tell them apart.

*The third picture is technically in my neighbor’s yard, but the little guy (or girl) was so cute that I had to get a picture.

I’m not talking about the airport. Mi hermano Kyle in action – leaping into frame:

Cody got me this awesome brand new skateboard this weekend! Thanks Cody! I’m so excited to ride it, although it is so beautiful and clean that I almost want to just put it up on the wall. It will get all dirty if I ride it! I often have this problem of using things that I think are so lovely that I want to just keep them in pristine condition.

And look, it even matches my house!

First it was off to the Omaha Craft Mafia Spring Loaded Show.

Here’s Amy (Plaiderpillar) showing off her wares.

Stop 2 was the Autopilot Art “Departure” Runway Show. The kids portion was the cutest!

Isaiah and Annora (post show in her own clothes, but still with a great pose) on the runway…

Yesterday I received the much-delayed Issue 4 of The Thing. Rather than trying to explain The Thing in my own words, I’ll take the easy route and paste their words:

THE THING Quarterly is a periodical in the form of an object. Each year, four artists, writers, musicians or filmmakers are invited by the editors (Jonn Herschend and Will Rogan) to create an everyday object that somehow incorporates text. This object will be reproduced and hand wrapped at a wrapping party and then mailed to the homes of the subscribers with the help of the United States Postal Service.

This was a bittersweet package for me, as it was my last issue of The Thing. I really wanted to re-subscribe, but at the time $100 was a lot of money for me. It still is, and now it’s up to $140. But look at the creators of issues 7-10: Jonathan Lethem, Trevor Paglen, Ryan Gander and Starlee Kine! So tempting. And getting that box in the mail stamped THE THING and opening the box (always different sizes and shapes) to discover the mystery object inside is one of the most exciting feelings.

So I savored this last experience until me and The Thing meet again.