I’m home!…for just over a week. Poor Moose. When one of us is out of town, she gets very clingy with the remaining human (aka “Velcro Cat”). Then depending on how long we’ve been gone (or it’s random because this is a cat), she will either leap into our arms or give us the cold shoulder upon our return.

The great thing about traveling is it’s an opportunity to see the world in new ways and reconsider the status quo. The great thing about returning home from traveling is putting these ideas into practice.

In this case, while in Minnesota, I started thinking about how Moose likes to go outside on a leash, but doesn’t like getting into the harness. The clips are small and then the straps tug on her torso in concentrated areas. So I sketched out an idea for a mini-jacket that was held together by velcro. The first prototype–a pattern cut out of a paper grocery bag and some yarn–went over well (she loved the yarn!) so I used an old shower curtain to make the first model. Verdict: it was really easy to attach and while she didn’t love wearing the jacket, she couldn’t get out of it easily and once the front door opened and she could go outside, she had a grand old time. For the next model, I plan on extending the fabric into straps and adding velcro to the ends, kind of like this hat.

While on the airplane, I love to binge on magazines on the iPad. Thankfully, DC Library offers free access to Zinio, so I can pour over Canadian Living The Economist to my heart’s content. Since a lot of these magazines include recipes, and I’m usually starving on the plane (thank you, mini LUNA bars!), I tend to screenshot a lot of them. However, as soon as I leave the plane, I tend to forget about them. Has anyone figured out a good way to save–and actually use–them? Maybe saving to One Note or Pocket with tags?

I leave again on September 12th–this time to Cozumel for ITU Aquathlon worlds. Get ready, Moose!