Because there aren't enough crazy cat photos on the internet

Twiggy basking in the morning sunlight. Looking crazy.

I found this picture while downloading some photos from the long weekend off my camera. Apparently I took it at the end of April. Her eyes are cute in dim lighting because it opens her pupils up. When they narrow into little retina-protecting slits (like this) she looks somewhat more demonic.

Two consecutive departmental emails

11:40 am: IThelp website will be down
12:33 pm: IThelp website is back up.

Departmental mailing lists are definitely abused more often than they are useful. Whatever happened to putting a little "this site is down for routine maintenance" page up? Putting a note on the photocopier saying it will be fixed Monday? That way the only people who know are the people who care, and the rest of us don't get excited about two new email messages only to be let down. 

The location of this morning's conference session

And my commentary:

This week I'm at the vision sciences society annual conference in Naples, Florida. It's basically awesome. I left my laptop in Montreal in a moment of wild bravery, and so am relying on my iPhone and public wireless at the hotels for all my computing needs. Free wifi can be tricky, and I know I haven't been keeping in touch, so here's a brief summary of my experiences.

(Not quite as brief as the description of my research I gave to the bigwig who asked for "the story in three sentences", but close. PS - it took me five sentences, but he forgave me.)

Things I love about resort conferences
- when the resort employees circle the poolside with free sample drinks
- tropical flowers that fall on my papers as I'm reading
- waterslides
- half-days without events scheduled
- swag! (water bottle, bag, 2 pens and counting)

Things I hate about resort conferences
- resort music (margaritaville, anything with steel drums)
- air conditioned conference rooms chilling my sandaled feet and bare arms (how long till I can go back to the pool?)

It's a rough life, but I'll manage.

Ah, resort conferences

Most Fun Ever

Thanks to The Pioneer Woman, I found a cool collaging site a few weeks ago. Oh dear.

I hated collaging in school - poring through magazines (being stuck with Canadian Living rather than Vogue didn't help this step), cutting, arranging, losing your arrangement thanks to a light breeze, arranging again, gluing... ick.

This site is like that, but instead of magazines you have THE ENTIRETY OF THE INTERNET and instead of glue and fickle cutouts you have basic resize, order, and arrange tools. It's addictive. It's helpful. For example, before I found this site, I didn't know that I NEEDED $500 glittery flats from Miu Miu to wear with the dress I bought for my old roomie Sara's wedding in September.

Now I know.  I need those shoes. And the Prada handbag too.

Having figured that out, I can go do my laundry so I have clothes for tomorrow and can pack for the conference I'm going to in fewer than 36 hours. I wonder if collaging can help sort out my priorities?