So my dad told the security guard to identify ten or so of the poorest kids, who couldn't go to school because they didn't have coats. He would get coats for them. Thus the project was born. The tenish (I can't remember the exact number) slowly grew and grew until it was about thirty, with additions being made until the eleventh hour - the security guard called the day before they were supposed to come hand them out and told him that there were three kids who lived in a shelter who hadn't been to school in a few days.

In the end, they collected coats, gloves, scarves and hats for these kids, and also put together stockings with some little toys and things. The school asked that all labels be removed so the coats would not be taken back and returned for cash. The kids were presented with their coats one at a time - and were always very suspicious and mistrusting at first. Needless to say, no one had ever done anything like this for them before so they didn't know what to make of it. When they tried their new coats on, though, it was all smiles, and they didn't want to take them off.

The thank you notes. My God. We read them around the table at Christmas last year and they made me cry. They were so grateful, and so heartfelt. About how some of the kids gave the little toys to their little siblings so they'd get something at Christmas. And of course how much they appreciated the warm coats.

This year, my dad did it again, and I got the opportunity to take part. :) It was a bit last minute (ahem - more notice next time, dad), but I was given the names and ages of two kids and in turn, Dad sent me pictures of them. They're so cute!!!

Mauricio, age 8

Jose, age 6

As I was hammering some chain the other day, and elongating some rings (or, as my tutor calls it, ovalizing), I realized that elongated rings can get very narrow. Unsurprisingly, it did not take my nerd brain long to make the intuitive leap from ovalized ring to 1.

Ring: 0. Ovalized ring: 1. Groups of 8. ASCII. Gemstone separators. Chain. Necklace. Pretty.

After a little experimentation with sizes, and some consultation, I made a bunch of sterling rings and started soldering. I've used garnet beads to separate the letters, and a sparkly stardust silver bead to indicate orientation: start here.

I'm actually pretty pleased with how it's turned out. My name is pretty short so I made it necklace-length with some silver chain.

What do you think?

Edit: I made another one... as a present for a friend! (Who will at least have to feign surprise when she receives it...) It only took me about a half hour to do all of the soldering this time and apatite was used in the letter-separation.

My favorite portrait of Grandpa, taken on Thanksgiving in 2006. He had great stories (some of which he told too many times), and in those he will live on forever.

Love you, Grandpa.

In the end, the weather in Galena was not dry, nor was it sunny, but it was only really slightly damp. There was no rain through most of the wedding, and the tents under which the ceremony and reception took place were amply dry. It was a great wedding - the first Jewish wedding I've been to. Lots of family and friends and a wonderfully close feel.

Today we drove back to Chicago, out of which I am due to get a plane at around 5:00. There was apparently 7" of rain in Chicago yesterday/last night and most flights were cancelled yesterday. Everything is flooded. Everything. Fields. Roads. Parking lots. Basements. One of the local high schools is being used as a shelter for people who have been flooded out of their homes. We just arrived at mom & dad's and... their (finished) basement flooded and now has standing water. The sump pump broke while we were out town and with no one down there to pump out the water, well. It flooded.

It could be worse, I suppose, though a lot of my dad's genealogy research was on the floor near his desk and is now soaked. :/ Also, my mom's life drawings from college got damp. There are naked people all over the living room floor now. Haha.

Hopefully (crossing fingers crossing fingers crossing fingers) I will fly out tonight and the rain will not affect my return to New Yorkland. As of right now, my flight is only a little delayed. While I'd love to continue to visit with my parents, I'm not thrilled about the idea of working from their house tomorrow. Too much of a hassle.

I'm feeling grateful right about now that I live on the 10th floor of an apartment building. If there's a flood at my place, it's very unlikely to reach my apartment. ;)

Anyway, we all met up in the office at 6:45. Then we spent the next half hour looking for cabs. Not very cool. When my little handful of people finally got there, we were dropped off over sort of around the side. As we walked closer, I could see there was a crowd. Around the red carpet. And that was just rubberneckers. There was a table at which we had to check in, give our names, and once that was over, there was the walking down the red carpet. With, y'know, paparazzi. As you do. It was intimidating. And I was Very Disappointed that we were not snapped walking down the red carpet, but I was also sort of relieved.

Procuring the first glass of champagne, once we were in, was surprisingly hard. It was all good after that.

There were a bunch of people milling about, and we gladly joined them, splitting up after a bit, circulating around, enjoying the champagne. The first famous person I saw was Alan Cumming, I think. But of course, Live Tyler was there, too. And Vivica A Fox. And Mary J Blige. And apparently some of the Real Housewives of Manhattan.

And Valentino, of course. Big man himself. Sadly, he did not bring his pugs.

I ended up spending a lot of time talking to Dtas people (of course), but also Danny Boome (who is a chef), who did some work with Dtas on the Guggenheim refridgerator microsite and a creative director for Saks.

Afterwards? Bottle service at the Bryant Park Hotel, which, sadly, did not serve real food. So we sat around eating chips and salsa all night.

All in all? It was pretty freaking fabulous, and probably the only time in my life that I'll be in the same zip code with most of those people. ;)

Oh... and Wireimage was there. Y'know. As they are.