Monkeyfish

Nummy? New-Me? Numb-I?

However you say it, I hope that Nume stuff finds a stateside distributor.

Supermodels in velvet pants: you have been warned.

Our dining chairs look like this. They are Navy Chairs by Emeco, and we chose them because we love the aesthetic. The lines are very traditional, but the material (welded aluminum) is a nice counterpoint to this staid styling. We thought that they would have a long design shelf life.

Durability was also a concern; I have distinct memories of the flimsy wooden dining chairs of my childhood coming unglued at every joint. Finally the set was reduced to a group of shaky impostors and the two "good chairs" which were carefully staged before each meal in a switcheroo reminiscent of the Pellet with the Poison scene in The Court Jester. The Emeco chairs, by contrast, are so bulletproof that they will still be around when the heat death of the universe makes sitting in an all-metal chair a very uncomfortable proposition.
However, that attractive brushed aluminum finish presents a problem.

My wife is, well, how to put this? Whatever the opposite of "Bootylicious" is. Bootylackish? Bonylicious? Having my wife sit in your lap is as delightful as having any lovely woman sit in your lap, with one caveat: you must also imagine the woman has a golf ball in each back pocket.

When she snagged one of the dining chairs to use as an office chair, we began to notice a disturbing trend. She was wearing through pants at a rate that was simply alarming. It took us some time, but we finally made the connection between cause and effect. That brushed metal finish is slightly abrasive. If you spend hours at a time in the aluminum chair, and there is a friction point (or two...).

In a move born of pure fiscal responsibility, we decided to upgrade her to a Mirra chair to match mine. I've been extremely happy with my Mirra. It's a less-expensive alternative to the Aeron, with the same functionality. Hopefully, the fabric mesh seat of the Mirra will pay for itself in pants in a few months.

Blingky

We didn't use a pacifier for Monkeyfish, so we would have found it hard to justify $17,000 for a diamond-studded one.

Especially since the manufacturer does "not recommend it for actual use." Tchotchke offends me.

Dateline Hamburg

I'm in Germany for a few weeks on business, and man do I miss the Monkeyfish (she seems to be coping). My wife has sent me photos, and we've video iChatted a few times, and she already seems older, smarter, taller. And it's only been a week. I think that when we take people or granted—that is, when they're around all the time—we perceive them as a sort of aggregate of all the time we've known them. The specifics fall away; it's like a conceptual shorthand. It's why husbands are the last to notice a haircut, or why a wife might not immediately recognize that we just shaved off our beard. When we've missed someone, when we're hungry for detail, we see them in the moment, and all the latest changes are telescoped into a slightly new person.

I'm in Hamburg, currently the Rainiest City On Earth. Today was a break in the weather, however, and I think it finally lifted me out of the funk I've been in since my no-sleep-on-the-plane-exacerbated jet lag took effect. Staying here during the World Cup has made my choice of hotel rather limited, but I finally moved to a place with Internet access. And you, dear reader, and the beneficiary.

Hamburg is lovely. I'm living in a little suburb called Norderstedt, and all the rain has made it green, green, green. My hotel is surrounded by farmland and horse pastures on one side, and an industrial park nearby on the other. Of course, German industrial parks are more attractive than most American suburbs.

I've only been into Hamburg proper a few times, and mostly for drinks. This weekend will be my first real sightseeing adventure. We're going in for Schlagermove. Any excuse to drink beer here. There have been about nine festivals since I arrived last week.

I'm traveling with our MacBook Pro*. It's great. The 15-inch is a good size to carry, and this notebook is screamin' fast. There's everything you need as a traveler: big, bright screen and decent speakers for watching DVDs with Front Row (I even brought the remote); built-in iSight camera for video iChat (time zone differences permitting); the power supply is perfectly designed for international use; very good WiFi range; backlit keyboard for nighttime airplane use; and it even runs Windows, which I need for one lousy application. If I sound like a commercial, it's only because I'm trying to convince you to run out right now and buy one. And note to Apple travelers: as I fortunately discovered, your AirPort Express can serve as a charger for your iPod Nano and your Motorola Razr. Sweet!

* Yes, honey. I know that it's your computer.

Hi, Chair

We're nearly past all this; Monkeyfish sits in a regular chair as often as not. But the Nest chair by Sally Dominguez certainly is cool. And it converts to a lounger, somewhat mitigating its $575(!) price tag.

Or, check out the Calla high chair by Yves Behar (price TBD).

Picked one? Great. Now all you need is a loft apartment in Milan.

Netto Collection

Netto Collection

Modern Baby Furniture Changing Tables Dressers Toys & Accessories

Piccolini

Piccolini

Modern, stylish baby + toddler furniture

Blobby Farm

In the spirit of Ugly Doll:

Blobby Farm

Black Wagon

Clothes and gear for infants, boys & girls:

Black Wagon

You Know, For Kids

Glarkware makes cool T-shirts. Including this one.