Betsy Devine: Funny ha-ha and/or funny peculiar

Marijne, Floortje, Milan, Madelief, Karel, Jelmer, Wessel

Originally uploaded by ėtı.

What fun, a pregnancy-class reunion–and the Dutch word for that seems to be “pufclubreünie”!

What fun to stumble across other people’s wonderful photos on Flickr, Bubbleshare, Picasa, etc., etc.

Oxford window

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine.

Picture worth a thousand words?

Then adding more words would just make this blogpost too long.

Via our friends at Annals of Improbable Research, the TSA has new advice to travelers:

We encourage everyone to pack gel-filled bras in their checked baggage.

In other improbable news, tune in later today for the webcast of Atom and Eve, Friday, August 25, 2006, 7:00 pm, Austria time (6:00 pm in London; 1:00 pm in New York; 10 am in Los Angeles; and, to quote (as one so often should) Marc Abrahams, “other times in other places, of course.”

Side view of surprising Swarovski waterfall

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine.

One day off from opera preparation, here in Austria–three of us carpediemed off to visit see the local tourist ne plus ultra.

Enough Latin? Oodgay, I’llway opstay ownay.

Some favorite bits of Swarovski’s “Crystal world:”

• Vintage thirties photos of glamorous women with crystals, including a Folies Bergeres girl chatting with two Gauloise-smoking stagehands–she’s wearing a (Swarovski?) necklace, and nothing else.
• Giant, moving, playing accordion
• World’s largest gem, a carved crystal that probably weighs about 20 kilos
• Dream scene with glittery toy zebra in a glittery red shoe, rocking on a glittery sea
• The museum’s entrance, hidden under this waterfall.

We wandered the park a long time before we found it.

Front porch view

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine.

Maybe I should spend some time re-painting that chair, instead of just sitting down in it to read another book?

Too late for that now–we’re headed off to Austria tomorrow. In addition to giving a physics talk or two, Frank will sing the role of a lovelorn oxygen atom in one of Marc Abrahams’ IgNobel operas…

One tree squished Frank’s car

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine.

…blew out the power, closed our road, dropped trees everywhere…just a little bit busy today as a result, and Wikimania starts tomorrow…more details and photos in Flickr.

Meanwhile, a pile of people will rehearse IgNobel operetta in my living room in one hour, so maybe I’d just better get organized….

Frank and Beth

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine.

Will the next post at listics.com be written by Beth instead of Frank? Or will it be written by Frank channeling Beth? Tune in tonight and see if you can guess!

Rebecca and Aura

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine.

Rebecca Gerendasy (http://cookingupastory.com/) videoblogs the intersection of food and life. Aura Novembre (http://www.newstex.com ) is doing blog-outreach for Newstex ("Content on Demand"). What a great party!

Modeling a sportscar

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine.

Dear Frank,

I think you would look very good in this Saturn convertible.

Or anywhere else, for that matter.

I am having a great time at BlogHer–see you soon!

Love and xxxxx from Betsy