This happened a long time ago, but I always remember it when I think about the people I know who work at home, all those of us who have symbiotic relationships with our pets and our pajamas (and possibly a little too much alone time, too).

I also think about it when I get jealous of what other people get to write about—their topics and projects always seem so much more interesting than the marketing emails and landing pages and brochures I grind out. That’s a big part of why I started this outpost, to give myself unfettered room to roam. Nothing off limits, nothing to sell. Calls to action designed to share my delight, rather than fatten my clients.

One morning in San Francisco, I was writing something about enterprise software—I’m basically a fluffer for the technology industry—and I spoke to my friend Kurt, who was deep into writing the Rough Guide to Country Music back then.

“I’m profiling Dolly Parton today,” he told me.

That is so much cooler than software, I thought.

(more…)

Whew! Here’s your feel-good story for the day: a little penguin’s daring escape from a circling pod of whales. I’ve never noticed how penguins leap in the water—don’t they seem like odd little birdfish?

Speaking of penguins, when I lived in Melbourne I was riveted by fairy penguins; basically, itty-bitty ones that look like plush action-toys, ready for the cuddling. There’s a fairy parade off the coast, where you can watch them waddle in every evening (I could have gone every night). While I was there, an oil spill threatened the fairy parade population, so they had to be rescued and cleaned of petroleum and scum. They use dawn dish detergent!

Of course, the cleaned birds have also been stripped of natural oils, so they’re more susceptible to cold. The Aussies, always ready for a crafting challenge, sent in penguin jumpers by the bucketload. I know—squee!

Here’s a penguin sweater pattern, in case you want to get your knit on.

Speaking of penguins in protective outerwear, you may recall Pierre, the balding penguin at the California Academy of Science, in San Francisco. At 25, he’d begun losing his feathers, so his clever keepers fashioned a wetsuit for him. Lucky Pierre!

video via, jumper images via