Odds and Ends

1. I believe in owning at least one travel guide for the place where you live. The new eat.shop new england is the perfect size, fun to read, has great photos and features some very neat locally owned shops and restaurants in the five coolest little cities in New England: Newport, Providence, Portsmouth, Burlington and Portland. It made me want to go wandering. (Check it out at www.eatshopguides.com.)

2. I took an hour-and-ten-minute break from errands last night to catch "Santaland Diaries" at the Gamm. It was pretty good to kick back with a glass of wine, contemplate life as a Macy’s elf and then head out for a round of late late-night shopping. As I stood in line a few hours later  behind a woman buying a stack of pink bathrobes, boxed panatone, watches, picture frames and a lamp, I decided you don’t need to work as an elf to witness the weird subculture of department store consumerism. (Full disclosure: I bought a coat and a giant box.) If you go to the Gamm (I think they still have some tickets), get a red velvet frosted cookie at the concession stand and report back? I was dying to try one of those.

3. I think it’s awesome that people are still calling about these fishing photos in the December issue. If you too are looking to buy prints, check out Mark’s website.

4. Providence has nice water.

5. We’ve encountered three wunderkinds in a single week! I think the kids of Rhode Island have decided to take matters into their own hands. You’ll spot a couple of them in the February issue. Stay tuned.