I’d been there once before, for a whirlwind (I don’t think I was even there for 24 hours) visit with The Park City Foundation, an Embolden client.

Through the wonders of Facebook (and a testament to her communication skills – I take no credit here… I’ve got postcards from her from all over the world) I’ve been keeping up with my old summer camp counselor and friend, Katy. Turns out she’s got a new venture under her belt – water bottles. They’re pretty fab – full disclosure: she gave me 2 – the square green one below and a pink one that features original artwork (look way down at the bottom for a photo I stole from the Waterbox website).

Waterbox square bottles - I've got the green one. I love it. A lot.

Now, I’ve always been a toucher. Like paper. I had a really hard time transitioning from a paper calendar to a PDA.

And objects. Things that feel nice in your hand. That are weighted properly. That have beautiful lines and proportions.  These water bottles most certainly do.

Original artwork on a Waterbox bottle

They’ve got some lofty ideals – which are nice. From their website:

Our goal is to create a product that we know can withstand extended abuse (in our packs, purses and falling off our desks), feel safe giving to our children and be proud of as a unique piece of art that brings beauty into the world. It’s not just about creating an object with which to hold our beverages of choice, it’s about creating something that not only will last but that we will want to hang onto forever.

But I’m more interested in idea of water bottle as object.

It’s got great details. The logo embossed in the cover and the base. The feel of the neck when you hang onto it. The paint-job. The color (it’s not screaming-at-you green). The shape of the square one, which you can’t really get a good idea of from the photo above, is just fantastic.

And it fits in a cup holder.

Hello, brilliant.

You can buy a Nalgene or a Sigg. But why? These are comparable in price, but are far more beautiful. And they’re made by some fantastic people. Go get one. You’ll be the coolest kid with a water bottle around.

[via my pal caligater]

I like being alone, except for when I don’t.

My longtime friend Rachel Ferro posted this to  her Facebook page – so here it is to share with you all.

Megan and I tied the knot - August 28, 2009

A couple of weeks ago, my good buddy Erika emailed me a HARO query about queers who changed their names to reflect a union.

The query:

I’m in search of same-sex couples with one or both partners who have legally changed their names to reflect the union.

Well, that fits us.

Married.

And done with the irritatingly long process of a name change.

Megan and I are now famous. With maybe the worst quote ever. At least the photo’s cute.

It’s an AP story and ran all over creation and back (including AZ, CO, KY and MA, but not in the ProJo for my RIers, dammit.) Our little snippet of fame:

Elisa Hebert, 32, wasn’t attached to her surname before she traveled with partner Megan from their home outside Denver, Colo., to Rehoboth, Mass., a plus since most of their friends and family are from New England. Back home, Elisa appeared in court to complete her legal name change before a judge managing a roomful of ticked-off parents and their kids hauled in for truancy. “I felt like a 12-year-old who was in trouble,” she said.

via Name changing for gay couples not a straight line – U.S. news – msnbc.com.

For those of you who are not from RI, Jamestown is a little island in-between the mainland and Aquidneck Island – what you’d know as Newport (the red in the image on the right).

We moved to Jamestown my senior year of high school – my parents were there until about 2005. It’s a pretty excellent place to live.

Those children do look adorable in a tuxedo.

So does my dad.

Our twin 8yo nephews visited last week while their mother and new step-father honeymooned.

We did the Denver Zoo (good stuff), the Aquarium (even better), and spent MANY hours in the pool.

Good times had by all. It took me several days to recover.

It had us up at 3:30a and out of the house, and now we’re back, ready to turn around and take me to the airport.

I’m super proud of her, but a  bit short on time. Here’s pics of the big event!