Video 3: You know ... the islands? The cocaine? The elegant cars?

The Handshake slipped to the tip of my tongue

Eight hours from now I will be daftly navigating the Jersey Turnpike to an area north of New Brunswick ... all for a dog.

Midge was born a runt, hound/boxer (and pit, but my apartment doesn't need to know that) mix that eventually developed a crazy case of mange. See side. Rawhide Rescue nursed her back to health. She's now a hairy little wiggle beast. Also see below. Unfortunately she's skittish. Not in the aggressive way (biting, lunging, attacking), but in the cowering, OMGHALPME crawling type. I've been told she does not like car rides, so the hour and a half drive back to Collingswood will be fun. Then I just have to juggle Midge, her two crates, a week's worth of food and a bucket full of toys from my car to my 10th floor apartment.

Despite the difficulties, I can't shrug off the deal. When I first sat down to pet her, she fixed me with this... look. Damn dogs and their LOOKS.

Expect web cam clips tonight, if all goes well.

Video 2: Laakso

Laakso: a band a Swede-lover caught me up with back in Va. Give this movie a few run-arounds. You'll grow to love it, I swear.

Image 2: Red hair

How I miss it.

To Helsinki!

20 minutes until I leave for work. Ready ... steady ... KYA!

Thanks to the meeting of a certain MinneSODA-ian, I have little time for amusing multimedia items. Namely, web cam shorts, interactive graphics of the apartment and what sharp objects I need to duck tape before the puppy moves in (TOMORROW), as well as photos of the surrounding Camden countryside. I could complain. No more marathon reading. No more Dandy Warhol walks to the park and back. LATE NIGHT FEASTING.

But I'm the happiest I've been since I moved here. I finally feel like I belong in the Philly metro area - not because I'm street savvy or a shitty driver - but because I am no longer a hermit. I actually have plans Saturday night! (And Monday, Tuesday, yesterday, tonight.)

To add to my giddy dance: I'm finding a creative niche at work. Yesterday I spent 3/4 of my work hours piecing together a 30-second shot from about an hour of footage, adding video overlays, NAT sounds and delicious credit screens. The day before that I presented a Twitter proposal to my boss. This week I'm working with the cops reporter to plan a multimedia series on the local serial rapist/murderer. Next week I write up a report on social distribution and how newspapers can use it to their own ends.

Maybe these reports don't sound like the most interesting items to work on .... but after a month of simply updating the website... Gold.

Video 1: I'm Moving Out

Note: Movie not necessarily a portrayal of my biases/opinions/beliefs. D: Cool song though.

Image 1: Standards

Sorry. I had to.

Ahoy bandwagon!

Note: Go to CourierPostOnline.com to see my first video assignment - Camden chef a cook-off finalist.

I'm settled in with my Comcast triple play, my $970 (utilities included) rent and my pretty Collingswood water towers and pigeon shuffle view.

I love it here.

Restaurants, cafes, family-owned markets and specialty shops are but a 10 minute walk from my 1-br apartment. Take the slow-moving, buzzy elevators down to the lobby and walk across Newton Lake Drive to reach algae blooms at their best. Stroll five minutes southwest and enter the City of Camden (aka: Warsaw) for drive-by shootings and homeless people with teeth that make jewels out of EU dental records. Want to get here? Make a right just before the old bridge painted with the 'PREGNANT? Get help' sign. Want to meet me at the Courier-Post? Call ahead and then cross a bridge - it's the only location I'll drive to.

Philly calls? Jump on the PATCO for a 10 minute shoddy Metro bump over the Jersey border.

Pictures after my camera charges. Questions? Comment here. I've already installed a landline for your silly late night phone calls. And there's always the cell phone.