This makes me very happy.

My heartstrings have been tugged.

dmilem, gradually, my Smart Alec became my favorite Tom Bihn bag.

Fluevog, Apple (although they've annoyed me lately), Sock-dreams.com (more of a storefront than a brand), Green & Blacks

This sounds like a great trip!

A Dyneema trench coat would be perfect for the frequent minimalist traveler in the Matrix.

Badger, you're an enabler with impeccable taste. I've just spent the past 20 minutes looking at the Ibex web page and drooling.

Nice Marmot.

Lani, I fear I'll not be able to resist the lure of the Western Flyer much longer after that review.

Badger, yes.
Brasserie V at 1923 Monroe St (where the late and much-lamented Atlas Deli used to be, followed by Relish Deli).

The place gets packed, so my advice is to get there before everyone...

My Black Friday involved a lot of lounging around with a cat on my lap punctuated by a brief excursion through a biting wind to a cafe that specializes in Belgian beers.

The Smart Alec and I...

Seconding teresapoet's comment, I hope that Tom Bihn keeps making bags with ballistic and cordura exteriors. I, too, am not completely sold on the look of Dyneema as an exterior fabric for my...

Any chance of a photo of this?

Regarding the back compartment, I like the unzippered back on the co-pilot and on the cafe bags. I find it's a great place to stash a magazine or other papers.

No shopping for me, unless I need a few groceries. I'm hoping for some combination of coffee (as much as I want), leftover pie, music, crochet, and maybe some Xbox. Also, probably some booze. I...

Cute clothes!

I find that the Smart Alec sits on my shoulders much better than the Synapse and is more comfortable in general.

I have a tracking number, too.

Aubergine Little Swift, hasten my sweet.

Good news for future Smart Alec owners. My Smart Alec is tied with my Medium cafe Bag for favorite Tom Bihn Bag. It's the most comfortable backpack I've ever owned.

If I'm carrying normal purse stuff, the SCB is perfect. If I'm also carrying and iPad and insulated coffee transportation system, the MCB is what I choose. I'm not sure if my decision would be...

Without anything for scale, the Tristar looks tiny. :)
The color is gorgeous and I'm so looking forward to my Aubergine Little Swift.

A waist strap-less side effect?

I give you an 'A'.

You can make it. That's what coffee is for!

Shiva, eBook formatting and DRM (Digital Rights Management) drive me crazy. Basically, each of the major eBook companies have their own proprietary format. For example, Kindle books tend to be...

The Smart Alec is not a small backpack, but it will fit under the seat in front of you. I've never had an issue with a flight attendant commenting on it as a personal item while traveling in the...