tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55417359616722709952024-03-05T08:03:33.809-08:00Do You Ever Just Think About... Stuff?Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-27764928642246583672013-10-26T20:58:00.002-07:002013-10-26T20:58:47.771-07:00I Love This Time of Year<div class="MsoNormal">
Several years ago, I was a member of a large online community, and joined a group that aimed to celebrate the Irish heritage of its members. It was a fun little thing, and I took to regularly posting Irish jokes, or the lyrics to traditional Irish songs - they started calling me the group's bard. And so one year I wrote this poem for them, drawing on the traditions of Samhain and some additional folklore. It needs some work, as I'd like the opening and closing lines to not rip off William Allingham's <a href="http://www.bartleby.com/101/769.html">The Fairies</a>, at least quite so blatantly. I'm sure there are other lines that are, if not blatant rip-offs, at least highly derivative, but I am at a loss to remember all of my sources at this point; I strongly doubt that the 15th line is original, because I like it too far, far too much for that to be the case. Still, I love this time of year, and either tonight or tomorrow, I plan to create a fun playlist on Spotify full of Halloween-y-type songs. I promise it will be full of <a href="http://www.zombina.de/">Zombina and the Skeletones</a>, and will probably also include soundtracks to Evil Dead: The Musical, and a punk version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack, assuming I can dig up those CDs. I may post a link to it here, if I remember. Anyway, here's the poem:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Samhain</b><span style="color: teal; text-decoration: underline;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We dare not go a-hunting, warns the poet,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For fear of the good folk in red caps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A history of imagination weaves rich tradition around
Samhain:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The new year begins with a new cycle in darkness;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The good folk dance with ghosts; witches make spells;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And the barriers between the worlds fade.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The dead, and those yet to live are able to walk the
earth—<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">They are honored with feasts and entertainment,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">While in the stillness of the dark half<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Glimmers of new beginnings ready themselves for our hopes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The festival of the dead is our final harvest,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our livestock brought down from the hills to live closer
and warm,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And the family works together, and whispers together:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of fallen angels too good to be lost;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of the lost gods of fallen <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region> with every charm but
conscience;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Frightening tales of the pooka, born of the race of
nightmares—<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And witches, who sing their ancient rhymes and fly off<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To their home in Slievenamon or over the Wicklow hills—<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Their spells smell of the grave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Up the airy mountain we go,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And down the rushing glen we return<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To celebrate the closeness of the gods in the closing of
summer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-51937321166260948382013-09-30T12:28:00.000-07:002013-09-30T12:28:56.297-07:00Cheetah PizzaAnother weekend of Crypticon has come and gone, and it was a lovely time. That said, for all that we've done there over the last five years that it's been at that location, there's been one thing that's always managed to slip off our personal itinerary.<br />
<br />
We still have never eaten at <a href="http://www.cheetahpizza.com/">Cheetah Pizza</a>.<br />
<br />
It was totally the plan this year. Friday night supper: TGI Fridays. Saturday breakfast: hotel breakfast buffet. Saturday lunch: CHEETAH PIZZA. What happened?<br />
<br />
We were exhausted, basically. It got away from us. But it's something I still regret, because I just can't figure out what cheetahs have to do with pizza. I have so many unnecessary and wildly speculative questions about this place.Why does Cheetah Pizza seem like a good idea? Is it very quickly made? Is it very quickly delivered? Is it made with real cheetah? Is it made <b>by</b> real cheetahs (every pizza is just a gazelle with its throat ripped out on real savanna-baked dough?)<br />
<br />
Is there a rival restaurant down the street called Hyena Tacos? Can I order up some takeout from Hippo Wok?<br />
<br />
Am I really just asking all these questions because I'm hungry and am kind of loopy as a result?<br />
<br />Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-84133124490443811932013-07-25T20:24:00.000-07:002013-08-11T19:19:50.385-07:00The Prairie Is My Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-v6YsCdJIlUnxgF6k24PXDdvCmbmMmYIqXR1KA1hT1BvDwvTEDuzMvbEtkPAbZ3lJiBLzTgibYoV0Krx1hayWCqDqaqfZgIpYqTVDCRunL_uBzTU_4xnf1uRiVdyYLFfURQHs3bAcSTM/s1600/Image-K-The-Prairie-is-my-Garden1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-v6YsCdJIlUnxgF6k24PXDdvCmbmMmYIqXR1KA1hT1BvDwvTEDuzMvbEtkPAbZ3lJiBLzTgibYoV0Krx1hayWCqDqaqfZgIpYqTVDCRunL_uBzTU_4xnf1uRiVdyYLFfURQHs3bAcSTM/s640/Image-K-The-Prairie-is-my-Garden1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoHeading8">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Who
is that rider so early in the afternoon?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
wind is cool but the heat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Beneath
is frightening<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Too
many clouds in the sky<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What
is it? The Norwegian boy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">With
his father’s horse?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
pastor, or someone from the bank?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
flowers – they are enough, time to go back in<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Western
skies parallel western lands<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Endless,
stretching onto forever, seeing miles from a good spot<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Empty
and rich – with color, with life with dangers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
land parallels the sky – <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">They
are alive, and they are related<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Close
kin, almost twins<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rain
and scorching sun, and the tornado<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Crops
and drought and locusts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We
take what we can,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We
live as we must<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But
the prints seldom last<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For
we, like the flowers in her hand<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fade
in time.</span><span style="font-family: Papyrus;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
The semester that I took a creative writing course, one of the assignments for the day was to visit the on-campus art museum, and write a few pieces based on the works that were on display at the time. <i>The Prairie Is My Garden</i> has always been a favorite of mine, and this is one of the things I wrote that day.Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-84962767921244806412013-07-16T18:20:00.002-07:002013-07-21T08:28:34.933-07:00New Books, New RulesAt this point, I've accomplished all of my major goals when it comes to playing WoW. All of the things that were driving me to log on and play for a little while every day after work have now been completed, and then some. My warlock and hunter are both at level 90, my shaman is *finally* at level 80, and I got my paladin up to level 65, dropped blacksmithing, picked up jewelcrafting, and leveled that up to an Outlands-appropriate level. I've achieved Exalted status with 3 factions in Pandaria (Tillers, Anglers, and Order of the Cloud Serpents, for what it's worth), and I did some older rep grinding and hit Exalted on a few BC factions, just for kicks. I obsessed over the pet battles, striving always for that rare capture (I'm still a little pissed that a rare cheetah cub still eludes me, that adorable bastard), and I've actually got quite a hefty stable of rare battle pets, including my level 18 panther cub, which started out as a level 1. This is kind of a point of pride for me, I will admit.<br />
<br />
For anyone that's not up to date on World of Warcraft doings, I'm sure most of that was pure gibberish. I mention it largely due to the fact that for the last few months, these goals, as satisfied as I am with them, have been a larger distraction to something that has been lurking in the back of my head for 15 goddamn years, and which lately has been demanding more brainspace, if not actual (or frequent) action.<br />
<br />
I have this novel, you see, that has been a bitch and a half to rewrite. I wrote the initial draft when I was in high school, constantly writing away before classes began, or after I'd finished in-class assignments, and after school - often during play rehearsal when I was not needed on stage or on book (on book, for those non-theatre people reading this, usually refers to when someone (often a stage manager or assistant director) follows the script and assists the rehearsing actors when they can't quite remember a line). I wrote two sequels to this novel, and another stand-alone novel as well, during my high school career. It may not have been *good* writing (hahahahahaha "<b>may</b>" - it's actually kind of terrible, you guys), but I wrote a lot. I'm not even going to try to bullshit anything about quantity versus quality, because it's just bullshit and silly and not the point.<br />
<br />
Entering college, the characters and general idea of this first novel of mine stuck with me, and I started the first rewrite. I changed things, as is the point of any rewrite, but I didn't ultimately get too far. Other things ended up getting in the way, and I spent less time writing. There was a semester where I took a creative writing course, and yet another rewrite began, but while my overall output improved, it seemed like it was getting harder to write.<br />
<br />
I have been out of college for more than <strike>ten years </strike> (what was I thinking, that I graduated when I was 20?) 7 years now, and I write very little these days, as anyone who follows this blog can attest. Fiction has always been more my calling, and writing about my own life is just boring. My thoughts and feelings and the events of my life don't change that much, and don't feel worth taking the time to put onto a screen for internet strangers to glance over. I've also developed a sense of privacy (nobody is more surprised about this than I am), and there are things that I just don't want out there - at least, things that I don't want out there <i>in this location.</i><br />
<br />
But things feel like they're changing. I'm 30 years old now, and while I admitted long ago that the life of a professional writer was one I could probably not live up to, what with the necessary discipline of writing every day, and all, there are still these people living in my brain. Even though I've spent very little time actually putting down words about their lives, I have spent quite a lot of time indeed devoted to working it out. I have gone over portions of this rewrite again and again as I try to fall asleep, distracting my brain from whatever my anxiety has decided would be great fun to torment me with.<br />
<br />
What's more, I've been reading new things. For such a long time, the books I was reading were limited to those I already owned. My collection is pretty good - I can read a bit of a book every day and not repeat a book for at least a year or two. But that's no way to grow or feed my brain. So I recently took an opportunity to hit up the local library and just read something different. I picked up a book I thought might be fun (but failed to actually catch my attention enough to make it very far) and a steampunk book, which I fairly devoured. I have a new author whose books I need to start collecting, and a new genre to continue to discover. Good times!<br />
<br />
So I'm out of goals in WoW, my main distraction, which means I am less impelled to log in every day, apart from sheer habit. I'm becoming more aware of, and dissatisfied with, the incomplete nature of this book, this story, that has been with me for half my life. And I'm reading new things that are wonderfully engaging.<br />
<br />
New books, new rules.<br />
<br />
I decided, while on my way home from work today, that each day, I will not log into WoW until I have written something. Maybe I will glare at my screen for an hour and come up with nothing, but you can't edit a blank page, and I'm sick of not even trying. I want to have a completed version of this novel that I can be at least moderately pleased with. I want to have solved the problems my first draft created. And it might be nice to actually have a few copies of that book out there. It would be especially nice if people felt my books were worth giving money to me for one of these copies. And it'd be quite nice if I could move on from this rewrite to its sequel, and to complete that bastard, and so on, and so forth.<br />
<br />
But it has to start somewhere, and so since I'm reading new books, there are going to be new rules that go along with them. I very much hope that these new rules will foster a bit of personal discipline, which I could maybe carry into other areas of my life that need it, such as the matter of my personal fitness and eating habits.<br />
<br />
Many things to work on. I have to start somewhere.Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-20143746217013308672013-04-14T08:28:00.000-07:002013-04-14T08:28:55.846-07:00Photodump 2: RETURN OF PHOTODUMPAs tens of you know, large portions of South Dakota, if not the whole state, are currently being terrorized by our constant nemesis: WINTER.<br />
<br />
This is baffling, even to people who are South Dakotans, because it is April, and WINTER was supposed to have been defeated for another 5 months or so to make way for our other nemesis: ROAD CONSTRUCTION. But WINTER had one last trick up its sleeve.<br />
<br />
We got hit early this week by nasty ice storm, which was followed up by a snowstorm that dumped several inches of snow on top of the already thick ice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqZbZGspxFA4qibkOdY40BiazFZc0VU7yCo0RupVOH2anvmMKEZuGhyphenhyphenI12MCD8-9u3stDLpI0L61D5CkgSMsNGK26CyK-9adFo8AoNIyXUiGX08diS_VQUK0xbTWcp7oYUMg1keACA5Q/s1600/IMG_20130409_081424_725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqZbZGspxFA4qibkOdY40BiazFZc0VU7yCo0RupVOH2anvmMKEZuGhyphenhyphenI12MCD8-9u3stDLpI0L61D5CkgSMsNGK26CyK-9adFo8AoNIyXUiGX08diS_VQUK0xbTWcp7oYUMg1keACA5Q/s320/IMG_20130409_081424_725.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNlXFckrk01CGmiVJQkDEMZR3Owsm3f3_WX49led1tteONdIm3IgcFywfXODFEGtQuiRajFCxLiq9u0mY_HL04l-yj-CB7Ax8CyGmQdPiUTBRKFY5RPOlmtKX2Dj1OxNis2mNAUvlhlk/s1600/IMG_20130410_075738_816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNlXFckrk01CGmiVJQkDEMZR3Owsm3f3_WX49led1tteONdIm3IgcFywfXODFEGtQuiRajFCxLiq9u0mY_HL04l-yj-CB7Ax8CyGmQdPiUTBRKFY5RPOlmtKX2Dj1OxNis2mNAUvlhlk/s320/IMG_20130410_075738_816.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<br />
I woke up the first morning of the storm to find that we were getting some leaks from our ceiling. Note: ceiling =/= roof. We have another floor on top of us. Some of the leaking was coming in from the area by our balcony, but it was still not pleasant to wake up to. Then I actually stepped out onto the balcony and took the second photo. Already, you can see that the weight of the ice was starting to cause branches to break and fall. Please to be taking note of the large tree on the left.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXEZAkidDaSzc_zKeQ78fWseHRemP5BovczNP9hxg3K_tLp_8Xp2I71wRyaNI5veF37ZTxpyPyZvPZhlHbQ8ba6B0YcWYpCiLQGJmVni8vt4WaxOfg4pZaSYqhRt41yz5wP5gUSK-ijA/s1600/IMG_20130409_181037_142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXEZAkidDaSzc_zKeQ78fWseHRemP5BovczNP9hxg3K_tLp_8Xp2I71wRyaNI5veF37ZTxpyPyZvPZhlHbQ8ba6B0YcWYpCiLQGJmVni8vt4WaxOfg4pZaSYqhRt41yz5wP5gUSK-ijA/s320/IMG_20130409_181037_142.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5xI_ggeKfo_58trkpEkcEVMgRHVIkJyxkM4XAtqVXdROD1ij842jJ0smUm100YC9RiIwcdBYN_hgDNEGUmmvC04vIWljev-uInAwYn4xcYEhni-PwtL3X7-o6cb9LI_PbjBxu2ipx0U/s1600/IMG_20130409_182754_673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5xI_ggeKfo_58trkpEkcEVMgRHVIkJyxkM4XAtqVXdROD1ij842jJ0smUm100YC9RiIwcdBYN_hgDNEGUmmvC04vIWljev-uInAwYn4xcYEhni-PwtL3X7-o6cb9LI_PbjBxu2ipx0U/s320/IMG_20130409_182754_673.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<br />
I walked home from work and took a few photos. I can only describe the weather at the time as "frozen rain." Didn't seem right to call it hail. It wasn't sleet or snow, though, and it certainly wasn't "freezing" rain. It had already frozen. The course of the day was continuing to take its toll on the local trees.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislv4ExsUqF2xG2mfapp3sABZrZMfPQ3IWfaWEHIemIH8iYcZlsjbHW6553Ks1VZHBNmJnxassp5zBW-M48m7wxtdb4QL_nNI4U83ZzH3veKARFf6SHE1rlguUdVCeaKt2vJbCe-f09ow/s1600/IMG_20130409_212809_122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislv4ExsUqF2xG2mfapp3sABZrZMfPQ3IWfaWEHIemIH8iYcZlsjbHW6553Ks1VZHBNmJnxassp5zBW-M48m7wxtdb4QL_nNI4U83ZzH3veKARFf6SHE1rlguUdVCeaKt2vJbCe-f09ow/s320/IMG_20130409_212809_122.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
That night, while I was in the bath, I heard my boyfriend step onto our porch. The sound of the door sliding open and shut seemed oddly loud, but I didn't think too much of it until he came back inside and told me that the tree outside our balcony had lost a large branch just as he stepped outside. So of course I finished my bath and had to take a photo.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qjCgKfwG-byGi_k92d6ChKRqwkT9RnKnGeDy4W-N2Fqd96b2jUkfaP_yjH6K603F0H7hJqON7dJCAH60fAJSoz0CMvDkGJK58My3QxgL-EPtwbifIK1e80sfndoUYdkegXjKB84NsZ0/s320/IMG_20130411_082600_575.jpg" width="180" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9NZLF7zRK1JIIr-bIU7erGXQ46n5UxLRquc7pwRKr9Ua-pah6KPtNamlxdOaJeY2sMz41m-nA_blGDqiI2Di_kbuoqsOSKX0ym_ip6DlNDDzM4d6Ya-49_ZH9Qous-A9gja5mqaOfjE/s1600/IMG_20130411_082554_601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9NZLF7zRK1JIIr-bIU7erGXQ46n5UxLRquc7pwRKr9Ua-pah6KPtNamlxdOaJeY2sMz41m-nA_blGDqiI2Di_kbuoqsOSKX0ym_ip6DlNDDzM4d6Ya-49_ZH9Qous-A9gja5mqaOfjE/s320/IMG_20130411_082554_601.jpg" width="180" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWj4xbJ9dbs97nXh24gC_dsLL2GOCH3K37M23r8oKa9KPjfpaJjOzGfK0Wn30CyofS9TiCAPl1NCY7RUKXjt9s8gTB2N9Qc1TuZ2jou93IFNNpxI47j61u8N7oDsAV7RrsER7FwshJTU/s1600/IMG_20130410_082906_064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWj4xbJ9dbs97nXh24gC_dsLL2GOCH3K37M23r8oKa9KPjfpaJjOzGfK0Wn30CyofS9TiCAPl1NCY7RUKXjt9s8gTB2N9Qc1TuZ2jou93IFNNpxI47j61u8N7oDsAV7RrsER7FwshJTU/s320/IMG_20130410_082906_064.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU27tvM9EGET_Z0x4lTO_uFUo2PfWbpRfC_W9ndWTwxI7g5CbrxcrRMcB-dNJ2ww9b80u-djxpdq7PJJ0lj46_OFYB0cE0WuKJGU8jtONKKGkU3Pvgm2mXW4eB4wPRhhfYrYVz_2yvwk/s1600/IMG_20130410_082910_863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU27tvM9EGET_Z0x4lTO_uFUo2PfWbpRfC_W9ndWTwxI7g5CbrxcrRMcB-dNJ2ww9b80u-djxpdq7PJJ0lj46_OFYB0cE0WuKJGU8jtONKKGkU3Pvgm2mXW4eB4wPRhhfYrYVz_2yvwk/s320/IMG_20130410_082910_863.jpg" width="320" /></a>There was more tree carnage on my way to work the next day.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6M20aAggouhfbyHm7H6cjrncrUER7wi3h2bonkTANot19L0FdE5kJ4QouuDlnUBJoFGQLEDVdUqvhVgqpgBI1R6BbljT7mg0oOS79K89dtO_dtVv8LPM17W4A4FxpuxDm3kQJPe0YdYM/s1600/IMG_20130410_083452_890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6M20aAggouhfbyHm7H6cjrncrUER7wi3h2bonkTANot19L0FdE5kJ4QouuDlnUBJoFGQLEDVdUqvhVgqpgBI1R6BbljT7mg0oOS79K89dtO_dtVv8LPM17W4A4FxpuxDm3kQJPe0YdYM/s320/IMG_20130410_083452_890.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I spotted this on my way to work that day, as well. I suspected it was someone's misplaced/forgotten jacket. It was frozen solid to the bench.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwVc0cpMmZ_fXo6RDPtzPsfdks4mIVcWIoe5c_XGCGCweh7LfGpfDTXeiJ6ZYZ-OUYGyYsFYos97k1hpv20SjbaSTWrIt0gvuqGaih89X2f5MRjgnFpCYNEShKmkfxnficpBTXfeqD1o/s320/IMG_20130410_180312_667.jpg" width="320" />There is a continued theme, here, is there not?</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFsDH3I442RhUD_u088NrdcAU946ZLI9135k84aCdPqIlxTrX-3Qy7E1UMzykUec3sPxQEteFrymggPaL9FPkVTK7DruLdCdkDtMvGh1zfpJHuzEl-j0HDPsY5ZnZDI6luQ4iqAqb-xM/s1600/IMG_20130411_194446_446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFsDH3I442RhUD_u088NrdcAU946ZLI9135k84aCdPqIlxTrX-3Qy7E1UMzykUec3sPxQEteFrymggPaL9FPkVTK7DruLdCdkDtMvGh1zfpJHuzEl-j0HDPsY5ZnZDI6luQ4iqAqb-xM/s320/IMG_20130411_194446_446.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_246yAYrseFO4lmqDPBN4XAyTzTjnf5tl1rG2SAQY3NUKPNBtBdPOVY-I_fyd6QrJeX1QK4HYuY3Nh4NW3YeRRjRwQhsE6uCMA_i1YqLvhcivFkX-Iql9LiCcsw7Oy507G3t5HgttvQ/s1600/IMG_20130411_194430_320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_246yAYrseFO4lmqDPBN4XAyTzTjnf5tl1rG2SAQY3NUKPNBtBdPOVY-I_fyd6QrJeX1QK4HYuY3Nh4NW3YeRRjRwQhsE6uCMA_i1YqLvhcivFkX-Iql9LiCcsw7Oy507G3t5HgttvQ/s320/IMG_20130411_194430_320.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsF1CRYAwe-FFTO6lWbVKcora05xT6yV4-QeshdVIRX1r_iQprGX-OC4T185jLrdcmyDs6x-FpP9iMDUg5uCT7SP7diqVMbJThTpRSVZCN5mq6QIAG7aNI4f4evLhdsDXYtOyhs0uagN0/s1600/IMG_20130411_194500_825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsF1CRYAwe-FFTO6lWbVKcora05xT6yV4-QeshdVIRX1r_iQprGX-OC4T185jLrdcmyDs6x-FpP9iMDUg5uCT7SP7diqVMbJThTpRSVZCN5mq6QIAG7aNI4f4evLhdsDXYtOyhs0uagN0/s320/IMG_20130411_194500_825.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
That large tree outside our balcony has split in half. The weight of the ice and snow on the large branches of either side of the tree finally caused it to split right down the middle. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvkstkLG8vHRDtoGs7Jzblwy1zhwIzmMKt7m1Eu2dmjmdddDhR0agCsIjoFAoM10C4aLcS7Wb_Qz192C0GIPxbdqzJbMb7K8awJg_1h_Gy2pvsI9Jv9NpoOlxBrcOkQooVOhUY8-9nFW8/s1600/VID_20130411_082648_639.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D101be26533fe1159%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1368405085%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D62BA089E414F56571AD3637FC89A04DFE49A24DC.5C533EB088C80F0501FC7516833FBE1ECFF12F1E%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D101be26533fe1159%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1368405085%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D62BA089E414F56571AD3637FC89A04DFE49A24DC.5C533EB088C80F0501FC7516833FBE1ECFF12F1E%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
There was too much tree carnage for just photos. Had to take some video, as well. This was on my way to work after the snowfall.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YS4NJCPQ1MZk8iTXPUQ2tPchZ_R0EdtbZh0066acVc6rz7Xaq_OCY5G2U4XJeafwLU3X7L8f6WW3mHEWCZIpXqiI3Yyw719YVLForesOy9pMLbkegkgapzu0w6Cfs15l2QCcaxBYh3I/s1600/VID_20130411_181422_036.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Da57aa75c84df2f2d%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1368486922%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DAEFEFDC6A83BB7DDCA3372DE577DE1B53CAB0C1A.2CDAA15D831DBCC1301A518D2A810E2535A6DDF%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Da57aa75c84df2f2d%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1368486922%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DAEFEFDC6A83BB7DDCA3372DE577DE1B53CAB0C1A.2CDAA15D831DBCC1301A518D2A810E2535A6DDF%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And now this was on my way home.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Temperatures have been warm enough through yesterday and today that white a lot of melting has happened already. I'm pretty tired of this winter bullshit, though, I can tell you that much.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-67578952652342288482013-04-06T18:07:00.000-07:002013-04-06T18:07:11.705-07:00Photodump: kitty paws and kitty noses and butterfly wings<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8385908982/" title="DSC_0089 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0089" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8385908982_08ce8d45c2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
We call him Mister Big Eyes for a reason.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8626097340/" title="DSC_0020 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0020" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8382/8626097340_3b170515b0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
The ever-popular "jelly-bean toes".<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8626096794/" title="DSC_0023 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0023" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8118/8626096794_04a6e59f1c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8626095698/" title="DSC_0029 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0029" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8240/8626095698_15a4f77002.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
I can't remember if it's Cyric's paw or Isis's. The black-looking leg makes me think it's Cyric's, but it could be a trick of the light & is actually Isis Grey.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8626095158/" title="DSC_0033 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0033" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8542/8626095158_b7cbc24368.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
There's that nose again! Eeeeeeeeee!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8626094924/" title="DSC_0040 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0040" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8122/8626094924_dfeb16079c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Greedy butterfly, trying to get that whole orange by himself.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8626093134/" title="DSC_0062 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0062" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8406/8626093134_601824754b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
I long for an actual macro lens, instead of my shoddy macro lens attachment, which is pretty crummy at getting a decent portion of the frame in focus. Or, maybe I should long for some actual skill at photography, instead. Hmmm....<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8626091066/" title="DSC_0126 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0126" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8251/8626091066_9d5223c97b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
I got lucky.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8626090424/" title="DSC_0133 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0133" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8255/8626090424_418ea815a4.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Butterfly wiiiiiiiiiing! And butterfly buuuuuuuuuutt!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8624980881/" title="DSC_0170 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0170" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8121/8624980881_c529beffe2.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />
<br />
This is not a kitty paw, or a kitty nose, or a butterfly wing. It is a flower. I included it as a surprise to you all. Are you surprised?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8624978521/" title="DSC_0231 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0231" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8256/8624978521_a36e283c03.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Back to the butterflies!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8624977977/" title="DSC_0275 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0275" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8099/8624977977_54a679efde.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
I nearly stepped on this guy.Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-29561997189684755932013-03-17T12:00:00.002-07:002013-03-17T12:00:37.935-07:00Happy Saint Patrick's DayMy family, on my mother's side, has not been in the US for that long a time, historically speaking. The genealogy that has been done so far traces our personal history back to a Nathaniel Irwin, born 1778 in Ireland, died 1869 in Ohio. We might not have all the info on all of Nathaniel's descendants, but one of his postulated sons, Stewart Irwin, born 1812 in Tyrone County, Ireland, is my direct ancestor. We don't have records of exactly when Stewart came to the US (the notation I have is only that he came through New York), but we know that his wife, Sarah Richey, who was also born in Tyrone County, came to the US through Philadelphia in May of 1848.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's really all I've got to say on the matter. In other news, I did manage to get some kickass green streaks in my hair, thanks to a good friend who is skilled in the ways of doing kickass things.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHq3C3B2-CiTWj-7XjLqsXxSUyprmBe-FoPpDT6bygQ3j5zIoqB7ti1zLNfRrN-0gP7Le-XOTTfJAh8gfkkpn9ANDqUGpMpfGbVOog0LZmCltxKF1zVU8bpmCenuoVtwS5wdl51WosSE8/s1600/2013-03-16_16-52-38_827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHq3C3B2-CiTWj-7XjLqsXxSUyprmBe-FoPpDT6bygQ3j5zIoqB7ti1zLNfRrN-0gP7Le-XOTTfJAh8gfkkpn9ANDqUGpMpfGbVOog0LZmCltxKF1zVU8bpmCenuoVtwS5wdl51WosSE8/s320/2013-03-16_16-52-38_827.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QCaSHcq9WYU/UUYSfaIbcRI/AAAAAAAABVo/WHO91S0uzqU/s1600/2013-03-16_16-52-12_601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QCaSHcq9WYU/UUYSfaIbcRI/AAAAAAAABVo/WHO91S0uzqU/s320/2013-03-16_16-52-12_601.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiXwcU_dqzo9ZWXqfgdxUkQ2d21oTjGVrsY9aYcUK4_1NbZnONhQjbq0nIxv9FaWJ1-X0o4kRcU46j0z3CtITvhfUi5aKi8MKmmeNa9SdOnnbEUnSIAio7uM9HrEP8Amldr41-0NLysk/s1600/2013-03-16_17-41-15_422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiXwcU_dqzo9ZWXqfgdxUkQ2d21oTjGVrsY9aYcUK4_1NbZnONhQjbq0nIxv9FaWJ1-X0o4kRcU46j0z3CtITvhfUi5aKi8MKmmeNa9SdOnnbEUnSIAio7uM9HrEP8Amldr41-0NLysk/s320/2013-03-16_17-41-15_422.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ee5WnZuifA4/UUYSfblO_YI/AAAAAAAABVs/8K5zFRLw-Ns/s1600/2013-03-16_17-41-24_704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ee5WnZuifA4/UUYSfblO_YI/AAAAAAAABVs/8K5zFRLw-Ns/s320/2013-03-16_17-41-24_704.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f4Z3uOmyhPQ/UUYSf1Y46lI/AAAAAAAABV4/GdKkW0nNHcc/s1600/2013-03-16_18-36-46_930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f4Z3uOmyhPQ/UUYSf1Y46lI/AAAAAAAABV4/GdKkW0nNHcc/s320/2013-03-16_18-36-46_930.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fIBzZKkgEa0/UUYSf28oKuI/AAAAAAAABV8/oBPbtXgyvBA/s1600/2013-03-16_18-39-51_407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fIBzZKkgEa0/UUYSf28oKuI/AAAAAAAABV8/oBPbtXgyvBA/s320/2013-03-16_18-39-51_407.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-41649660044210024692013-03-06T15:41:00.001-08:002013-03-06T15:41:06.307-08:00An Imperfect SystemMe: Xbox!<br />
<br />
Xbox Kinect: * "ready" chime*<br />
<br />
Me: Fuck you!<br />
<br />
Xbox Kinect: * "sorry, what?" chime*<br />
<br />
Nick: There really need to be an Easter Egg for that kind of command.<br />
<br />
Also, in case anyone is wondering, it's 5:30 pm and I've accomplished everything from the agenda I posted last night. So I can get away with hurling maledictions at my game systems with impunity. Until The Revolution comes, of course.Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-50369306415472071072013-03-05T17:50:00.002-08:002013-03-05T17:50:09.105-08:00GSD ModeAlllllll the way back in December, I was cast in a small role in the local community theatre's production of No Sex Please, We're British. The show closed on Sunday, which means that pretty much all of my time has been taken up at work, and the show, with a few opportunities to socialize, run small errands and, from time to time, sleep.<br />
<br />
I've been so burned out, trying to keep all this up, that I've noticed things at work being more difficult for me than they ought to be. And, since I have a decent job that gives me both vacation pay and personal time off, and a fair amount of both for having been there less than a year, it occurred to me that using some of that PTO would be wise.<br />
<br />
I was torn, though, because my team at work won a small competition and earned a free lunch for today. I thought that maybe taking just tomorrow off wouldn't be so bad, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted two full days off. I was ready for another weekend, and it was only Monday. So I just sucked it up, got today off, and tomorrow, to recharge my batteries.<br />
<br />
It was a fantastic decision on my part. I slept in a few hours this morning, but when I rolled out of bed, I entered Get Shit Done Mode, and I feel outstanding.<br />
<br />
My bathroom: cleaned. It needed it badly. My bathtub had accumulated two weeks' worth of heavy makeup for two and was especially disgusting. It took 3 rounds of scrubbing to get rid of it all.<br />
<br />
My whole apartment: vacuumed. Two rambunctious kitties ensured that there was plenty to vacuum up, too. There are some patches of carpet that need to be hit with the Folex, or the noisy-ass carpet cleaner, but there's a distinct improvement.<br />
<br />
My coffee and end tables: cleared of all errata. This is an especially rare occurrence, as these surfaces are our catch-all for all the things.<br />
<br />
Green hair color: acquired. I had to do something for myself, just for the sake of it, and now that I'm not in a show anymore, I can do whatever the fuck I want to my hair again, and I want some damn green streaks. If I'm lucky I'll be able to get it done by St. Patty's Day (how cute is that?), but I need to track down some bleach. That's probably on tomorrow's agenda.<br />
<br />
And speaking of tomorrow's agenda, here's what I'm hoping to accomplish:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Laundry</li>
<li>Bake apple pie for Friday's cast party</li>
<li>Bake wild berry pie for Friday's cast party</li>
<li>Track down hair bleach</li>
<li>Clear kitchen bar-top of errata (another catch-all area)</li>
<li>Hang more art</li>
</ol>
<div>
No matter what gets done tomorrow, I'm already feeling so much better. There's something about GSD Mode that is just plain satisfying. You'd think the best way to recharge my batteries would be to relax, do nothing, pamper myself... but it turns out all I really need to do is GET SHIT DONE. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ypcomic.com/2013/02/20/the-last-motivational-poster-youll-ever-need/"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ypcomic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/fuckindoit-web.gif" width="206" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Fuck yeah!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-13763747708586040212012-12-06T18:23:00.000-08:002012-12-06T18:23:47.575-08:00On CraigslistAs part of my job, I use Craigslist frequently as a resource to help me value vehicles. Most of the time, the ads posted are worthless for my purposes, but there are a few gems that work out nicely. And some are just plain good for a laugh.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKaSuh2ydHTLyMTH7GWTVYzP9w-_wH4r4Of9ADGW-w1R0o8tUWXaCY6qlxXl2mIOTpsEXt3d8KBG_tAum822Nx5RYsO5wi3UhmcTT-SvWw8FamZDBEB8X4GsNdyuUGCNs7w_xqgc3OuE/s1600/Unmolested+Nissan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKaSuh2ydHTLyMTH7GWTVYzP9w-_wH4r4Of9ADGW-w1R0o8tUWXaCY6qlxXl2mIOTpsEXt3d8KBG_tAum822Nx5RYsO5wi3UhmcTT-SvWw8FamZDBEB8X4GsNdyuUGCNs7w_xqgc3OuE/s320/Unmolested+Nissan.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The header for this ad alone had me cracking up. What are people doing in this area to those poor Nissans that the owner of this car felt the need to specify that this particular one was UNMOLESTED. All in caps. Is there some sleazy ring of perverts that takes part in rampant Nissan molestation? Are they a plague in this area? Is no Nissan safe?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And then I scrolled down, and took a look at the car itself. I realized then that of course it wasn't molested. It was beaten with the ugly stick. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSD-CWCCo_hHhYLdJMPEFRwZppxwjV3BsnGuLqxdXLRRHwY0PERujS5QBPnxLhfN4N4LRjRAWVB_PBlJsJY02VIV8bnWYd0-MsHkO4cpHFCi6ePupHu5CEjifrfcp391b1uUzMzXUdDzc/s1600/pimp+my+shih+tzu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSD-CWCCo_hHhYLdJMPEFRwZppxwjV3BsnGuLqxdXLRRHwY0PERujS5QBPnxLhfN4N4LRjRAWVB_PBlJsJY02VIV8bnWYd0-MsHkO4cpHFCi6ePupHu5CEjifrfcp391b1uUzMzXUdDzc/s320/pimp+my+shih+tzu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My coworker came across this one today, and it had me giggling for an hour after she shared it with me. This person didn't just mistakenly put their ad for shih tzu puppies in the wrong category - they <i>deliberately</i> ran their ad in the cars and trucks section, and added a bunch of random car-related tags. As if someone looking for a Buick Regal or Chevy Camaro is also in the market for a shih tzu. I kept joking with my coworker about wanting to email this seller to ask questions about this particular "vehicle".</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
What's the mileage on these puppies? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Can I come by sometime and take one for a test drive?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Have they had regular maintenance done? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
What do they look like under the hood? Would you mind taking some pics for me? I'd like to see what the engine looks like.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Do these run on gasoline, or it it a hybrid? What about bio diesel? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Would you be willing to trade for my '01 Jetta, or some guns? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I know I shouldn't be surprised by anything I see on Craigslist - I know the reputation, but damn, when weird-ass things like this pop up, it sure as hell makes the day more fun.</div>
Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-24180009147155999542012-11-28T17:32:00.004-08:002012-11-28T17:32:31.538-08:00Happy Fangsgeebean!I have no idea why I love mentally pronouncing Thanksgiving like that, but I don't have to explain anything to you people, so judge me all you want.<br />
<br />
I was thankful this year for having a job that allowed me enough time off to enjoy the holiday, as it's been a rare thing for me these last few years. I went with my boyfriend out to Rapid City, where his parents are now living - they moved out there 3 or 4 years ago, and I hadn't had a chance to see their new home until last week.<br />
<br />
We took Isis with us, as it was more feasible than conning a friend into coming by and feeding her, or shelling out for boarding. I was concerned about how she'd handle being in the car, but she was surprisingly calm about it. She spent most of the drive checking out whichever parts of the car she would reach (we had her in a harness, and on a secured leash in the back seat, so she couldn't get underfoot while Nick was driving) or sleeping. Mostly sleeping, really.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0n65jpxhrXc/ULVljmWak9I/AAAAAAAABMw/Y00QS0QEymU/s1600/2012-11-21_16-33-59_519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0n65jpxhrXc/ULVljmWak9I/AAAAAAAABMw/Y00QS0QEymU/s320/2012-11-21_16-33-59_519.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Iei2kY4DknA/ULayy-ZNDPI/AAAAAAAABNA/9kNuaQvL-f4/s1600/2012-11-21_21-00-05_190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Iei2kY4DknA/ULayy-ZNDPI/AAAAAAAABNA/9kNuaQvL-f4/s320/2012-11-21_21-00-05_190.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<br />
Just as we got on the road, and at a gas station once we got into Rapid.<br />
<br />
I really don't have much of this weekend to talk about, but I do have a lot of pictures. It was your standard Thanksgiving holiday, with turkey, pie, and lots of time spent catching up.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DJBqn7EFht4/ULay1tSogpI/AAAAAAAABNI/qHu1W8-YEx8/s1600/2012-11-22_12-23-53_158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DJBqn7EFht4/ULay1tSogpI/AAAAAAAABNI/qHu1W8-YEx8/s320/2012-11-22_12-23-53_158.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It didn't take long for Isis to become Queen of the House, especially when she went into heat on Thursday morning. Her normally rambunctious and bitey temperament was replaced by one that was much more cuddly, needy, and whiney. It worked out, though, because that at least meant that nobody got viciously attacked and/or mauled. And I woke up on Friday morning to discover that I could now afford to get her spayed, so that'll happen on Monday and we'll all be very happy indeed. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--6z_Fy_bDwo/ULay6O58uSI/AAAAAAAABNQ/90yeObrdxr0/s1600/2012-11-23_15-30-00_739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--6z_Fy_bDwo/ULay6O58uSI/AAAAAAAABNQ/90yeObrdxr0/s320/2012-11-23_15-30-00_739.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--4dO2uetyYE/ULay902S9gI/AAAAAAAABNY/XY8iNvPRFSI/s1600/2012-11-23_15-30-19_536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--4dO2uetyYE/ULay902S9gI/AAAAAAAABNY/XY8iNvPRFSI/s320/2012-11-23_15-30-19_536.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Speaking of Friday, we went to the SD School of Minds on Friday afternoon and hit up the Geology Museum. I had so much more fun in the half hour that we spent there than I would have doing any shopping at all. And, admittedly, I did buy some stuff there, but they were trinkets for my desk at work, so I hardly think that counts as contributing to the rampant American consumerism that liberals like me are always bemoaning.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We also went to downtown Rapid City to kill some time and give us a chance to get hungry for supper - we talked the in-laws into going to a hibachi restaurant so we could get some sushi and they could try something new (but not sushi, alas). And I was able to walk through Artist's Alley and got many many photos, in spite of the failing light. And here's a ton of them.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-htVX6JK43a4/ULa1D8GY_uI/AAAAAAAABNk/2LfpvjmCd3s/s1600/2012-11-23_16-36-53_334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-htVX6JK43a4/ULa1D8GY_uI/AAAAAAAABNk/2LfpvjmCd3s/s320/2012-11-23_16-36-53_334.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oV3ASm8ykuM/ULa17_mcM4I/AAAAAAAABN0/Nnmo9f4A_r8/s1600/2012-11-23_16-37-35_742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oV3ASm8ykuM/ULa17_mcM4I/AAAAAAAABN0/Nnmo9f4A_r8/s320/2012-11-23_16-37-35_742.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oly0HBFvS2I/ULa2Bm2QfmI/AAAAAAAABN8/hvbhhld0GY4/s1600/2012-11-23_16-37-48_611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oly0HBFvS2I/ULa2Bm2QfmI/AAAAAAAABN8/hvbhhld0GY4/s320/2012-11-23_16-37-48_611.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XzNzWiIJjoo/ULa2P-aWwaI/AAAAAAAABOM/QebR-k5PA10/s1600/2012-11-23_16-38-12_124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XzNzWiIJjoo/ULa2P-aWwaI/AAAAAAAABOM/QebR-k5PA10/s320/2012-11-23_16-38-12_124.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vLKOrKx5Ryc/ULa2V851LII/AAAAAAAABOU/MHs0vVkXaLI/s1600/2012-11-23_16-38-19_750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vLKOrKx5Ryc/ULa2V851LII/AAAAAAAABOU/MHs0vVkXaLI/s320/2012-11-23_16-38-19_750.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b1Rq7CGxb1o/ULa2azIGcjI/AAAAAAAABOg/LxEgPwL9pDY/s1600/2012-11-23_16-38-33_599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b1Rq7CGxb1o/ULa2azIGcjI/AAAAAAAABOg/LxEgPwL9pDY/s320/2012-11-23_16-38-33_599.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lgGPWQ4amss/ULa2gnefEgI/AAAAAAAABOo/xZat9egB47U/s1600/2012-11-23_16-39-00_57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vVwfJrlBiGQ/ULa2kviP7MI/AAAAAAAABOw/RPj5IqUsNvE/s1600/2012-11-23_16-39-19_687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vVwfJrlBiGQ/ULa2kviP7MI/AAAAAAAABOw/RPj5IqUsNvE/s320/2012-11-23_16-39-19_687.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--09-gJxLnqk/ULa2uyui5EI/AAAAAAAABPA/l3ENQfMoOsg/s1600/2012-11-23_16-39-48_897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--09-gJxLnqk/ULa2uyui5EI/AAAAAAAABPA/l3ENQfMoOsg/s320/2012-11-23_16-39-48_897.jpg" width="320" /></a><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lgGPWQ4amss/ULa2gnefEgI/AAAAAAAABOo/xZat9egB47U/s320/2012-11-23_16-39-00_57.jpg" width="180" /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zc6LysnLDVc/ULa2zL7TFaI/AAAAAAAABPM/EyfkiFGgBzY/s1600/2012-11-23_16-40-10_52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zc6LysnLDVc/ULa2zL7TFaI/AAAAAAAABPM/EyfkiFGgBzY/s320/2012-11-23_16-40-10_52.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wRyC4B7B2qg/ULa3IPACIbI/AAAAAAAABP0/7nO_k9DnwaA/s1600/2012-11-23_16-42-35_126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wRyC4B7B2qg/ULa3IPACIbI/AAAAAAAABP0/7nO_k9DnwaA/s320/2012-11-23_16-42-35_126.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t9ii7jmocZQ/ULa231a4WaI/AAAAAAAABPU/NcdRcEooOTQ/s1600/2012-11-23_16-40-39_505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t9ii7jmocZQ/ULa231a4WaI/AAAAAAAABPU/NcdRcEooOTQ/s320/2012-11-23_16-40-39_505.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O4abrOU6Fmc/ULa29HT-92I/AAAAAAAABPc/FLnv1ihqRWE/s1600/2012-11-23_16-41-07_594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O4abrOU6Fmc/ULa29HT-92I/AAAAAAAABPc/FLnv1ihqRWE/s320/2012-11-23_16-41-07_594.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-imMiTXc_TRA/ULa3DMVQzbI/AAAAAAAABPs/WSM2P79ypmo/s1600/2012-11-23_16-41-39_251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-imMiTXc_TRA/ULa3DMVQzbI/AAAAAAAABPs/WSM2P79ypmo/s320/2012-11-23_16-41-39_251.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FeUlNDnESI/ULa3Li-TwaI/AAAAAAAABQA/7-hTWDnpfMk/s1600/2012-11-23_16-43-08_564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FeUlNDnESI/ULa3Li-TwaI/AAAAAAAABQA/7-hTWDnpfMk/s320/2012-11-23_16-43-08_564.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We ate and went home, and there was more catching up, and then it was bedtime. In the morning, Isis was still cuddly and needy.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYE_8XhPIv4/ULa3Pf7ITbI/AAAAAAAABQI/apfSQ63JysM/s1600/2012-11-24_10-37-17_798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYE_8XhPIv4/ULa3Pf7ITbI/AAAAAAAABQI/apfSQ63JysM/s320/2012-11-24_10-37-17_798.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And then it was time for us to come back to our home. It was a lovely holiday, and I'm delighted to have been able to enjoy it this year.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zk_0N6NVfac/ULa3aLzyvxI/AAAAAAAABQo/scbYNmXMBy4/s1600/2012-11-24_16-41-05_434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zk_0N6NVfac/ULa3aLzyvxI/AAAAAAAABQo/scbYNmXMBy4/s320/2012-11-24_16-41-05_434.jpg" width="179" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-INkmdykc9vI/ULa3i338ZQI/AAAAAAAABRQ/hZJGLrDzx48/s1600/2012-11-24_17-12-17_968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-INkmdykc9vI/ULa3i338ZQI/AAAAAAAABRQ/hZJGLrDzx48/s320/2012-11-24_17-12-17_968.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-68400644792230046212012-11-10T18:04:00.000-08:002012-11-10T18:04:07.863-08:00Snyders PortraitsLast weekend I got a chance to try my hand at actual portraiture. My stepsister needed some family portraits done and was willing to let my inexperienced ass take their pictures. Obviously, even the ones that I like the best are nowhere near as good as they could have gotten with a professional, but I think I can be happy with them right now.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8173717845/" title="Snyders (35) by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="Snyders (35)" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8066/8173717845_34e6491e67.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8173748896/" title="Snyders (38) by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="Snyders (38)" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8479/8173748896_582257ce60.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8173716249/" title="Snyders (68) by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="Snyders (68)" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8203/8173716249_f11a4001d1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8173716713/" title="Snyders (55) by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="Snyders (55)" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8206/8173716713_19db50f24e.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8173748312/" title="Snyders (45) by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="Snyders (45)" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8208/8173748312_101a24cc43.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8173715933/" title="Snyders (85) by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="Snyders (85)" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8478/8173715933_2a4a6e8388.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
It was surprisingly cold and rainy out, so everyone was on their best behavior in order to get it done quickly.Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-7318998396057623282012-11-04T20:25:00.001-08:002012-11-04T20:25:25.338-08:00Corporal Cuddling!Isis: IMMA TEAR AROUND THE GORRAM APARTMENT LIKE AN ASSHOLE!<br />
<br />
Nick: I'm going to hold you until you calm down!<br />
<br />
Me: You're going to be holding her for a few weeks, until we can afford to get her spayed, you know.<br />
<br />
<i>Nick wraps Isis up in his shirt.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Me: Awww, she looks like a babushka. ... She's plotting murder right now...<br />
<br />
Nick: This is different from any other time how?<br />
<br />
Isis: And these jerkoffs wonder why I constantly bite them...<br />
<br />
<i>Nick devises a new method of kitten containment.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2YJON1pVBfo/UJc-XwCBdpI/AAAAAAAABMI/ACGkXRstMms/s1600/2012-11-04_22-16-45_628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2YJON1pVBfo/UJc-XwCBdpI/AAAAAAAABMI/ACGkXRstMms/s400/2012-11-04_22-16-45_628.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>I start laughing so hard it becomes difficult to take this picture.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>Nick decides it's even funnier to let her tail free.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AzugdHPkpAA/UJc-nQG_rEI/AAAAAAAABMQ/gytMpLR-dL8/s1600/2012-11-04_22-20-10_895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AzugdHPkpAA/UJc-nQG_rEI/AAAAAAAABMQ/gytMpLR-dL8/s400/2012-11-04_22-20-10_895.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We will not live through the night. Will someone please ensure that what little remains of me is buried with pie?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3zvR-0iIMks/UJc_T9MdwII/AAAAAAAABMY/ZdYbVYltfT8/s1600/2012-11-04_22-23-19_83.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3zvR-0iIMks/UJc_T9MdwII/AAAAAAAABMY/ZdYbVYltfT8/s400/2012-11-04_22-23-19_83.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There is no end to the humiliation. </div>
Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-88422368478576912712012-10-28T14:55:00.002-07:002012-10-28T14:55:50.749-07:00Adventures in Vertigo (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Tell Doctors When I Know More Than Them)Last Saturday, October 20, I went up to Brookings for a girl's night out, and I had quite a time. When I woke up the following morning, I felt surprisingly fine - not much of a hangover at all. As the day progressed, however, I started feeling rather worse. I had to face facts - I'd overdone it the previous evening, and I had a hangover that needed to be dealt with. I haven't had many hangovers in my life; I've been remarkably lucky in that regard.<br />
<br />
At one point I'd made some food, but decided I wasn't up for it, so I set it aside and took a nap. It was about this time when I first started feeling especially dizzy. When I woke up, I ate the food (very slowly). From that point on, the rest of the day is kind of a blur. I just remember the dizziness being very bad, and thinking that I needed to throw up, and hugging the toilet in the hopes that I would. I couldn't sleep. At one point, I did start to throw up, and I lost everything I'd eaten at all.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure when it became necessary to call a local nurse hotline, but I did have my boyfriend make the call, and based on my symptoms, they suspected I was severely dehydrated, and should be taken to the ER. Good fuckin' times.<br />
<br />
Once at the ER, we were told that it looked like I had a nasty stomach virus of some kind. Given that I'd thrown up repeatedly between the tortuous walk down to the car and my arrival at the hospital, this seemed like a reasonable diagnosis, but it bothered me that they didn't see the debilitating dizziness as any kind of major symptom. From where I was laying, it was the <i>only</i> symptom, and the real source of my nausea. When they gave me a proscription for something for nausea, I was skeptical, but too weak to ask if I could also have anything for the crippling waves of vertigo that kept me from wanting to move any part of my body. They recommended I go on the BRAT diet (crackers, toast, and a whole host of bland food) and sent me home with my 'scrip. I threw up again in the parking lot outside our apartment, and was put to bed.<br />
<br />
The next few days are much a similar blur. I was barely able to make it from the bed to the bathroom without assistance. I couldn't sit up or even open my eyes. I had my boyfriend play episodes of The Simpsons on the bedroom tv just so I didn't have to lay in silence with my active mind but crippled body. I developed aches in my ribs from spending hours on one side or another - it was too miserable to try to lay on another side until it became absolutely necessary.<br />
<br />
My diet was pretty limited, but I did deviate from the BRAT diet enough to start getting me kind of cranky about the ER diagnosis. I had absolutely no problems eating frozen fruit, or peanut butter on my toast. By the time Wednesday evening rolled around, all I could think was that they'd seen my vomiting, looked at the twelve other patients in the ER that night with the same symptoms, and didn't think much further. I took my last anti-nausea pill and forced myself to focus on the ER discharge papers we'd been given. There was no mention of my dizziness.<br />
<br />
Thursday morning, I had my boyfriend call the ER and explain the situation - what I'd been treated for, and that while the last time I'd vomited had been on Sunday evening, the dizziness hadn't eased. They had me go to a walk-in clinic. Because my boyfriend had spent the whole week afraid of catching the virus, he'd been sleeping on our crummy 8-year-old futon that I'd bought for $100 at Walmart, and was exhausted, so my mother took me. The drive over there was total misery. I couldn't bear to open my eyes at all, and had to be guided everywhere. They offered repeatedly to put me in a wheelchair, but I knew that that would only make me sick. I had to be under my own control, or the dizziness would get the better of me.<br />
<br />
The woman who saw me seemed quite surprised that they hadn't even done any blood work at the ER. She ran some more tests, recommended that I return to the ER for an MRI, and off we went for another wretched car drive.<br />
<br />
This is getting to be longer than I'd expected. Here's the TL;DR for the whole thing: Drinking. Hangover? Dizzy, dizzy, dizzy, puke, ER, three goddamn days of dizzy, ER, CAT Scan, finally pills that work, and... still dizzy.<br />
<br />
I'm seeing an inner ear specialist tomorrow at 9am. They're going to put me on a table and ... I don't know, but I hope it'll fix things. For one thing, I can't afford to miss any more work, but the main thing is that I want to be able to walk in a straight line. I'm better than I was three days ago, but I'm still quite a ways from being totally well. It really comes to something when brushing your teeth on your own feels like a major triumph, and taking a shower takes everything you've got.Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-74506721899586777232012-10-16T19:58:00.001-07:002012-10-16T19:58:32.455-07:00Crypticon 2012 in Photos<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8044360726/" title="DSC_0007 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0007" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8182/8044360726_7815fdb6a9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Motherfucking raven!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8044360316/" title="DSC_0008 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0008" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8031/8044360316_be53341e41.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Crazy bird eyes. Eye.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8044346923/" title="DSC_0015 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0015" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8316/8044346923_021370da5b.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />
<br />
Tony Curran! I met van Gogh, y'all! Incidentally, he could only stay a few hours due to other conflicts, but he was ridiculously charming and delightful, and it is a tragedy that he couldn't do a Q&A.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8044356072/" title="DSC_0018 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0018" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8455/8044356072_5d6635f51d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8044355266/" title="DSC_0022 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0022" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8033/8044355266_115af8c1aa.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Badass Evil Dead 2 bike.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8044330893/" title="DSC_0096 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0096" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8170/8044330893_0b1902ce3e.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Getting ready for Zombie Prom. I had to redo my makeup 3 times, which is why it is so crummy right now. I just got sick of cleaning it all off my face and then starting over. I really could have used a lot more blood, but that goes without saying.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8044330528/" title="DSC_0120 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0120" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8044330528_e80b70f9b9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Zombies invade... the exercise room... We were really drunk and it seemed like a hilarious idea.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/8044315253/" title="DSC_0143 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0143" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8320/8044315253_9ec78461e7.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Still really drunk.<br />
<br />
Our swag this year was pretty reserved, because we were on a serious budget, so I haven't really taken a ton of swag pictures like I did last year. It's mostly art anyway, and we're still deciding where to hang everything. However:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNtpYCi5XOo/UH4emFyIybI/AAAAAAAABKM/JXn-wsIgDEU/s1600/2012-10-04_21-52-05_248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNtpYCi5XOo/UH4emFyIybI/AAAAAAAABKM/JXn-wsIgDEU/s640/2012-10-04_21-52-05_248.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Crappy cell phone pic, but fucking awesome posters!Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-1693472641289691632012-09-08T22:50:00.000-07:002012-09-08T22:50:36.005-07:00So, I'm Playing World of Warcraft... Again...I'm one of those gamers that the rest of the gaming world seems to hate (especially on <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_Warcraft" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="World of Warcraft">WoW</a>), so it's probably best to keep in mind that this whole post is coming from the perspective of a Casual Gamer (and, worse, a Female Casual Gamer).<br />
<br />
My relationship with WoW has always been extremely on-again/off-again. Truly dedicated readers may remember my post <a href="http://justthinkaboutstuff.blogspot.com/2009/05/nerdery-and-such.html">proclaiming my love</a> for <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.puzzlepirates.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Puzzle Pirates">Puzzle Pirates</a> over World of Warcraft from quite far back. My relationship with Puzzle Pirates has become quite the same. I still love it and think it's a marvelous game for pretty much all the reasons I listed in the afore-mentioned post, but I just don't get around to playing it much, anymore. These days, it's usually because WoW has got its hooks back into me, largely due to the lure of playing a fluffy red panda girl in the upcoming <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mists" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Mists">Mists</a> of Pandaria expansion. I am so very, very shallow and easy to please, sometimes.<br />
<br />
That said, if someone were to ask me what I'd really be looking for in another WoW (as a Female Casual Gamer, nobody will ever ask, which is why I'm currently writing this out), the thing that I'd <b>really</b> love to see, which would get me even past the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Futurama-Vol.-1/60030646" rel="netflix" target="_blank" title="Futurama">Futurama</a> Fry Shut Up and Take My Money Phase (which, for anyone wondering, looks a little like this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/PpUil.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/PpUil.gif" /></a> )</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
is a very simple thing.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I don't give a crap about new endgame dungeons, or new <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Player_versus_player" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Player versus player">PvP</a> scenarios, or a new level cap or new races or new classes or any of that. The thing that I'd most like to see right now is a new leveling zone for 60-70 (or even 60-80).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Seriously, fellow WoW players - wouldn't it be like a fucking dream to have the option to <b>not</b> schlepp your ass through ugly-ass <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warcraft" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Warcraft">Hellfire Peninsula</a> and the rest of Outland for 8-10 levels before you can move on to Northrend? I've only managed to get 3 characters through Outland and into the frozen north in all the time I've been on-again/off-again playing. I currently have a level 61 paladin, and leveling her feels like <b>work</b>. I have a 51 mage and a 48 rogue that I'm just dreading leveling up any more, because that would mean taking them through the same goddamn quests I've done 3 or 4 times already. Sure, once you get through Hellfire Peninsula (or as my 12-year-old brain likes to call it, Hellfire Penis-la-la), you can go to Zangarmarsh or <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Russell%2BBrower%252C%2BDerek%2BDuke%252C%2BMatt%2BUelmen/World%2Bof%2BWarcraft%253A%2BThe%2BBurning%2BCrusade" rel="lastfm" target="_blank" title="World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade">Terrokar Forest</a>, and from there to Nagrand (which, I'll admit, is the one zone in Outland which I do kind of enjoy) or elsewhere.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I know it would probably be difficult as fuck having to fit a few new zones in, given the current crafting materials, patterns, and recipes for the specific 60-70 levels, all while making it work within the elaborate Lore of Azeroth to boot. When <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_versions_of_Robin" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Alternative versions of Robin">Deathwing</a> came to town, he ripped the world apart, which gave the players different quests, and remarkably changed zones to explore (another admission - I thoroughly enjoy some of the revamped <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/cataclysm/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Cataclysm">Cataclysm</a> zones and will probably take most of my new characters through them - I'm looking at you, Thousand Needles), but at least we still had <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_copper_ores" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="List of copper ores">copper ore</a>, wool cloth, medium leather, and earthroot to go with all the lingering old-world crafting recipes and such. But how do you add a whole new set of zones when you've got crafting materials like Fel Ore and Netherweave Cloth, and still stick within the Lore? So yeah, I get that it'd be a huge pain in the ass and is even less likely than the odds of me being any kind of a quality member of a raid team.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
But Thrall's Balls, it sure would be nice. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=2c22b5a8-31eb-4c02-b4d9-79a337d8285a" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>
Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-89540334252808932182012-08-31T08:56:00.000-07:002012-09-01T12:26:56.471-07:00What's Subtlety? Can You Eat It? (Part 1)We had another D&D adventure last weekend, and while it wasn't quite so nutty as our characters' first venture out, there were some notable moments. And by notable, I mean "quickly becoming increasingly obvious that our strengths lie in slaughtering goblins, and not being subtle in any way, shape, or form."<br />
<br />
For instance, our first task of the adventure was to get a <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drawing" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Drawing">drawing</a> of a magical hat in a <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magician_%28fantasy%29" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Magician (fantasy)">wizard</a>'s keep, so it could be swapped out with a Helm o' Opposite <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alignment_%28political_party%29" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Alignment (political party)">Alignment</a>. The wizard's lab was on the 4th floor of the keep, and none of us had the drawing skill, so we brought along a <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartender" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Bartender">barmaid</a> provided by our employer who did. We spent some time deciding how we'd get up into the lab, and who would go, and so on.<br />
<br />
Now would probably be a good time to mention that our characters all lean towards the Evil end of the Good, Neutral, Evil spectrum.<br />
<br />
Now would also be a good time to mention that I am utterly shitty at playing a character with an Int score of only 11. But I am good at playing a <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alignment_%28Dungeons_%26_Dragons%29" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Alignment (Dungeons & Dragons)">Lawful Evil</a> character, so ultimately while I'm really good at throwing out ideas that my character wouldn't actually have, I'm also really good at following whatever plan we end up deciding on, even if it might involve shooting a halfling boy in the face with a crossbow. Or hauling his and his nosy mother's corpses to a nearby set of ruins for a quick and easy burial.<br />
<br />
In the end, we decided that it would be a good idea to send our <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theft" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Theft">thief</a> up into the keep with the barmaid, because he could climb walls and stuff. Except he failed his roll to climb walls, and had to be levitated up. But the two of them got up into the lab, found the magic hat, got the drawing, and then... heard <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_communication" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Cat communication">meowing</a>.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the rest of our team is at the base of the keep, invisible, and praying that our thief doesn't decide to steal anything. Because that would be <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Evil">Bad</a> for this particular adventure.<br />
<br />
Anyway, it turns out that the barmaid is also a bit of a wizard, and she points out to our thief that the meowing is probably from a familiar, who then walks into the room and starts sniffing around.<br />
<br />
I probably should also have mentioned - our thief is definitely Chaotic Evil. And very, very good at playing that role.<br />
<br />
He decides to crossbow-up the familiar and lands a good hit on it, but doesn't actually kill the thing. The barmaid freaks out on him, shoves him out the window, and we all basically have to beat a fast retreat before the wizard actually returns and catches us. Because catching us would be Bad.<br />
<br />
Our next task seems easy, by comparison. We just need to "take care of" a certain local character who owns a bar. We're told we can do it any way we like, "just don't burn down the place." He's got two body guards, but we're not too concerned, because we just took out a whole cave of goblins and bugbears. We got this.<br />
<br />
Heh.<br />
<br />
We ambush the guy outside his bar and our thief gets a good hit on him before the bodyguards shove him behind them and start trying to be menacing. Luckily, we have a priestess with us who maxes out her Hold Person spell, so the bodyguards don't last too long - they get frozen, they get their throats cut, we turn to the target... who's vanished. He's fucked right off. What a dick.<br />
<br />
So this means that we have to go racing through the streets, over rooftops, following a diminishing trail of blood, and finally we track him to an alley, where our DM suddenly says, "Everybody roll a save versus <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_%28Dungeons_%26_Dragons%29" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)">Breath Weapon</a>!"<br />
<br />
By this point, I really hate this bastard, and so I did my best to kill him as quickly as possible. He goes down, we strip him and then spend about a half hour debating where to leave a cloak pin that will frame a local thieve's guild for the murder.<br />
<br />
More to follow. This has been enough lunacy for one day.<br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=c01bd84f-a3a9-4879-8161-b2c537be78c7" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>
Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-15483169196837514942012-08-10T22:02:00.003-07:002012-08-11T09:55:41.672-07:00Such a Very Tiny KittyOn my birthday, I received a text from my mother, informing me that another one of her farm cats had just given birth to <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitten" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Kitten">kittens</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://imgur.com/WSAYq"><img alt="" src="http://i.imgur.com/WSAYql.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com" /></a><br />
<br />
I joked that the dark one would make an excellent birthday gift, because who doesn't love a teeny tiny kitty, right? Obviously she was far, far to young to be taken from her mother, but it was fun to tease my <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyfriend" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Boyfriend">boyfriend</a> about bringing another one home and giving <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Isis">Isis</a> a little brother or sister.<br />
<br />
Last week, we took a trip out to my mother's place to meet the little ones. There were probably other reasons, but let's face it: all you really need is teeny tiny kittens.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://imgur.com/HAAeB"><img alt="" src="http://i.imgur.com/HAAeBl.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com" /></a><br />
<br />
It soon became apparent that this little one was having some serious problems.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/junfAsO6nh8" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Poor little one. My mother has gone out of town for a few days, so I told her that we'd come by to check up on the little one, check the mail, raid the garden... but mostly check up on the little one.<br />
<br />
We went out on Tuesday evening, and things got serious. I stepped out of the garage and looked down, and there was the little grey one, laying like she was asleep, but... well. The little dark one was still alive, somehow, even though her sister appeared to be the stronger, healthier one. However, the sister didn't get a few extra feedings of KMR formula, and this one did.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/t1pJzOG4-vM" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
I let my mother know, and she mentioned that the kitten's mother had probably stopped producing milk. We made a fast decision, and brought her home with us. Since then, my boyfriend has been spending his days and nights trying to nurse the little one to health. We weighed her, and she was only 4 ounces. When I checked the wisdom of the internet the next day, I got quite the shock. A <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Health">healthy</a> three-week-old kitten should be closer to 10 ounces.<br />
<br />
Getting her to eat was difficult. We (but mostly my boyfriend) spent a lot of time forcing KMR into her mouth, drop by drop, via a nursing bottle, or a syringe, or on the tips of our fingers. Anything we could think of to just get her weight up.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://imgur.com/Ht09G"><img alt="" src="http://i.imgur.com/Ht09Gl.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com" /></a><br />
<br />
This was two nights ago. She's curled up in the palm of my hand, fitting so easily. This would be adorable, if I didn't have bizarrely small hands for an adult. Instead, all I could think of was how very sadly tiny she was.<br />
<br />
And then she started walking normally.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/x10ACU1dAAU" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
That was yesterday morning, I believe. It was still a struggle to get her to eat, and her legs still had a tendency to lock in that awkward position, but we saw some improvement. I convinced my boyfriend to call the vet today, and he was able to get her in this afternoon. This is what we learned:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>She's extremely dehydrated</li>
<li>Her body temperature was much lower than it should have been</li>
<li>She's underweight</li>
</ul>
<div>
He's loaned us an incubator to get her <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoregulation" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Thermoregulation">body temp</a> up, and gave us some special <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canning" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Canning">canned food</a> to mix with the KMR to feed her, as well as droppers to make <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Eating">feeding</a> easier. She received two shots at the office to help with the dehydration, and we're now trying to feed her every 2 or 3 hours or so. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9kDU9EyfkdE" width="560"></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This was just after I got home from work today. It was such a relief to see her going after the food like that. We fed her again just a few minutes ago, and it was kind of a struggle to get her to eat, but we're much, much more hopeful about her survival chances. We're taking her to the vet again tomorrow morning, but all through the night we're going to be feeding her in shifts. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We've been trying to be cautious and realistic about her chances for survival. You may have noticed that we don't appear to have named her. I'm hoping that a week from now, I'll be able to post more photos, and more videos, of a much healthier kitten (named <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freyja" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Freyja">Freya</a>, if I get my way). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Isis, by the way, appears to have had mixed feelings about the whole matter. I'm trying to give her extra cuddles, and I ordered her a new toy from <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="ThinkGeek">ThinkGeek.com</a> tonight. But she's still absolutely gorgeous, and a complete and total handful. </div>
<br />
EDIT:<br />
<br />
Just got back from the vet visit. Her weight is up a little bit, and her body temp is normal now. We are still going to use the incubator, and she got more fluid injections, as well as some antibiotic ointment for a squinty left eye. But she's eating better, and with the other improvements, I hope she'll be out of the woods soon.<br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=77168eb0-b414-4998-88e1-aa0c4020eb12" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-65588816768654340522012-07-29T16:21:00.000-07:002012-07-29T16:21:37.756-07:00Adventurers Gonna AdventureI got into <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Dungeons & Dragons">Dungeons and Dragons</a> pretty late in the game. In the brief time I was with my <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Divorce">ex husband</a>, I sat in on several of his D&D sessions with our friends and roommates, but never took part - I can't recall the reason for that, if there ever was any to begin with. I don't remember much about them, though - largely because I wasn't actively taking part, but probably also largely because they were just pretty normal.<br />
<br />
A few years later, after I'd gotten a divorce and met someone awesome and met his awesome friends, there was talk of starting up a D&D campaign, and this time I went for it. I wasn't going to miss out on this action any longer (we play 2nd Edition - I had no idea what I was getting into). Since then, I don't think any of our sessions have been anything even remotely close to normal.<br />
<br />
Last night, for instance, was the first session of a new campaign with new characters and a brand new player - our friends' daughter, who is 16 and wonderfully and enthusiastically nerdy. So while she's working on getting her priest in working order, her dad asks the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_Master" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Dungeon Master">DM</a> if his character <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Mosby" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Ted Mosby">Ted</a> (short for Tedyllican) can use his <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deck_of_many_things" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Deck of many things">Deck of Many Things</a>, which has been passed down from character to character through campaigns. The DM allows it.<br />
<br />
Now, here's the thing. Ted's a <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobgoblin" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Hobgoblin">hobgoblin</a> thief. He's blisteringly ugly, he's not too bright, and his player is kind of a nut to begin with. So as our party rolls into Scardale Town, trying to be low-profile, Ted starts asking the proprietor of a silken goods shop if she happens to sell any red silk thongs for him to wear. Because it feels good on his junk. Our party stops by a <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leather" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Leather">leatherworker</a>'s shop later, and Ted orders himself a pair of ass-less chaps. Luckily for our party, those won't be ready for a few days, so we continue to the place where we'd arranged to meet our contact for the nefarious deeds we'd be doing.<br />
<br />
It's in a square near a fountain which has the magical property of preventing anyone from magically eavesdropping on anyone. There's a lot of activity in this square, and a lot of people are hanging out playing games, like chess. Ted, not being very bright, realizes they're playing games and whips out his Deck of Many Things and starts offering it to nearby people. Luckily for them, he's ugly and he smells like a hobgoblin, so nobody draws a card. So Ted draws one, and everyone at the table braces themselves for what's going to come from that fucking deck.<br />
<br />
He rolls, the DM figures out what card it corresponds to and he just shakes his head. "It's a Throne," he says. "Ted gets 18 charisma and a small keep."<br />
<br />
None of us can believe the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luck" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Luck">luck</a>, or the weirdness of it. In-game, out of nowhere a soldier-type guy walks up to Ted and says, "I can't believe I just noticed this, but you are the best damn hobgoblin I've ever seen. I've never seen such a fine-looking hobgoblin as you. I want you to have this key. It's the key to my keep, but my troop has all vacated it, so it would just be going to run without anyone staying there. I want you to have it, because you have really impressed me today." And then he walks off.<br />
<br />
We all tried to shake it off and continue with the adventure - luckily our task for that session was to clear out a cave of goblins and, as I am currently playing a badass dwarf fighter, it was a nice way to end the evening. As we drove home, my boyfriend said to me, "I just realized - Ted got turned into Ridiculously Photogenic Hobgoblin."<br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=e5dd61b8-0d3b-4a50-a5fd-a95123714d9f" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>
Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-80696776677556101852012-07-15T12:02:00.000-07:002012-07-15T12:03:17.228-07:00Trip to the ZooYesterday we visited the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=43.5373805,-96.7648048&spn=0.01,0.01&q=43.5373805,-96.7648048%20(Great%20Plains%20Zoo)&t=h" rel="geolocation" target="_blank" title="Great Plains Zoo">Great Plains Zoo</a> here in <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=43.5363888889,-96.7316666667&spn=0.1,0.1&q=43.5363888889,-96.7316666667%20(Sioux%20Falls%2C%20South%20Dakota)&t=h" rel="geolocation" target="_blank" title="Sioux Falls, South Dakota">Sioux Falls</a> which, in spite of being oppressively hot, was still a wonderful amount of fun. And of course, I took upwards of 400 photos, and of course, only about half of them were even remotely worth sharing.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7570858056/" title="DSC_0046 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0046" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7132/7570858056_202eef2a0f.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />
<br />
An <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_tiger" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Siberian tiger">Amur Tiger</a>, if I recall correctly. Taking some time to cool his balls.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7570861860/" title="DSC_0054 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0054" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7246/7570861860_c5ea212842.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />
<br />
Napping in the stream.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7570879600/" title="Crane brain by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="Crane brain" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8286/7570879600_c17684f048.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
It looks like brains! Crane's brains!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7570916062/" title="DSC_0187 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0187" height="334" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7114/7570916062_f18080ab12.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
I forget if this is a <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Rhinoceros" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Black Rhinoceros">black rhino</a> or <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Rhinoceros" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="White Rhinoceros">white rhino</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7570932356/" title="DSC_0218 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0218" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7270/7570932356_0478aaf197.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />
<br />
Giraffe!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7570832884/" title="DSC_0398 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0398" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8144/7570832884_62b6df16fc.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />
<br />
Peacock!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7570831966/" title="DSC_0386 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0386" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7253/7570831966_afc234218a.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />
<br />
Feathers!<br />
<br />
There's still a lot of construction going on at the zoo, and a number of animals weren't in their exhibits/pen, but it was still a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.<br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=e3977063-a5fe-4987-b986-7ee36ff3f56c" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-86187659476139553082012-07-09T20:43:00.000-07:002012-07-09T20:43:03.868-07:00Isis the Nicest!I don't have much to talk about, so I'll just share some cute feline photos of our sweet* little <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Isis">Isis</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7405490196/" title="Isis (113) by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="Isis (113)" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8007/7405490196_878e48d504.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Such adorable feet!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7405489456/" title="Isis (150) by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="Isis (150)" height="334" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7090/7405489456_6e650f125a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Ennui. You can see that her eyes are starting to change from blue to yellow-green.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7530751204/" title="Isis (190) by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="Isis (190)" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7530751204_7246068438.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Yaaaaawwwwnnnn!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7530769012/" title="Isis (227) by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="Isis (227)" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8018/7530769012_5a60fa96a6.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />
<br />
She's kind of bitey. She'll bite anything.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7530788722/" title="Isis (248) by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="Isis (248)" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8142/7530788722_b8a82f8903.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Probably one of the best photos I've taken, especially recently. But it's not hard with such a photogenic subject!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*She's actually only mostly sweet. A lot of the time she's kind of a terror, but I guess that's part of being a kitty.</span><br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=d8c54ed8-5df5-496e-96a5-bae834fffb4a" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-9912642997339157212012-06-02T20:58:00.000-07:002012-06-02T20:58:36.585-07:00Ren Fest!I took a crapton of photos at today's Ren Fest. Here are some of them.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7324302444/" title="DSC_0382 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0382" height="334" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7088/7324302444_ecc7c3d45a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7324154280/" title="DSC_0150 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0150" height="334" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7088/7324154280_a7b1349187.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Ridiculously photogenic fairy girl.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7324076916/" title="DSC_0050 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0050" height="334" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7078/7324076916_38366e20ff.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7324075006/" title="DSC_0054 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0054" height="334" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7101/7324075006_a3017bd8a0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_games" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Highland games">Scottish games</a>! Dudes in <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilt" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Kilt">kilts</a> flinging heavy <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shit" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Shit">shit</a> around!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7324073838/" title="DSC_0056 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0056" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8144/7324073838_1fa8cf4c26.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />
It wasn't the only <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_%28armour%29" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Mail (armour)">chain mail</a> bikini of the day, but it was the first - and the only one I managed to get a photo of.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7324124316/" title="DSC_0212 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0212" height="334" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/7324124316_072312318e.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7324259710/" title="DSC_0295 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0295" height="334" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7097/7324259710_d7b7acd152.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
More Scottish games! Which involves dudes flinging more heavy shit! Caber (cabre?) tossing, I'm told, is the oldest recorded sport, dating back to either <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40th_century_BC" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="40th century BC">4000 BC</a>, or just back 4000 years. I fail to remember which, as the mead was kicking in right about then.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarlone/7324313996/" title="DSC_0353 by Aarlone, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0353" height="334" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/7324313996_e753941c77.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
It's the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Queen" rel="cbslastfm" target="_blank" title="Queen">Queen</a>! Quick, look busy!<br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=c95d0e22-b1a3-42af-9fd1-abd5025e944f" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-17645290127980235662012-05-21T19:59:00.001-07:002012-05-21T19:59:22.188-07:00My little family is growing!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We think it's a girl, and she's probably about 4 or 5 weeks old, and has already started taking some (soft) food, as well as peeing and cleaning herself on her own. She's one of the older <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitten" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Kitten">kittens</a> from the farm cats at my mom's place, and the most adventurous and friendly. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfa2l6kLMBWHQys8ERO6iukqyxEeXk2JoV7G0xfm-EV2rC1pjn9Ri1BDCdn8kbpST6wMnkRVMhHVVgPGqaHys1XIhVG6JBEv4jYKtQQxZ-oJYgAdqW5PUOaIliDBRJfJU7RKaXZuVtAk8/s1600/2012-05-20_14-54-32_707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfa2l6kLMBWHQys8ERO6iukqyxEeXk2JoV7G0xfm-EV2rC1pjn9Ri1BDCdn8kbpST6wMnkRVMhHVVgPGqaHys1XIhVG6JBEv4jYKtQQxZ-oJYgAdqW5PUOaIliDBRJfJU7RKaXZuVtAk8/s320/2012-05-20_14-54-32_707.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mz3C490PIzU/T7r-_hwYaZI/AAAAAAAAA1c/_NXtQDDK-Gk/s1600/2012-05-20_14-54-36_412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mz3C490PIzU/T7r-_hwYaZI/AAAAAAAAA1c/_NXtQDDK-Gk/s320/2012-05-20_14-54-36_412.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxvc0tbTsB1tXw6Kt-MVW12MKjApE2-wNlATSDfW5cXUNC32t6KnvRmSC4RVIr8ZO-vFw7CkBBWiimzVGVWJU3tYntUm3feTvus1po9q0ouENp5G46A8QQy2uYXEeKBJzai6aY-SmvcY/s1600/2012-05-21_17-42-33_331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxvc0tbTsB1tXw6Kt-MVW12MKjApE2-wNlATSDfW5cXUNC32t6KnvRmSC4RVIr8ZO-vFw7CkBBWiimzVGVWJU3tYntUm3feTvus1po9q0ouENp5G46A8QQy2uYXEeKBJzai6aY-SmvcY/s320/2012-05-21_17-42-33_331.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YWkPeAXGPbw/T7r_BbxHQNI/AAAAAAAAA1s/6biorh4zT_4/s1600/2012-05-21_20-10-58_585.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YWkPeAXGPbw/T7r_BbxHQNI/AAAAAAAAA1s/6biorh4zT_4/s320/2012-05-21_20-10-58_585.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67oj34wrgRVSTxPNoMYuoricgYSNmdjqaD0NYnHKDWHeqSuEtOUTgIOb0wdePiZEGFfdFesb7spbCNWHyCVMhzzk0qhe4DIEThZG7pOaocfbfqsZztbIzIQnNwOq5Yj4mzdNBBiugP1w/s1600/2012-05-21_20-17-36_547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67oj34wrgRVSTxPNoMYuoricgYSNmdjqaD0NYnHKDWHeqSuEtOUTgIOb0wdePiZEGFfdFesb7spbCNWHyCVMhzzk0qhe4DIEThZG7pOaocfbfqsZztbIzIQnNwOq5Yj4mzdNBBiugP1w/s320/2012-05-21_20-17-36_547.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You guys, I'm pretty sure I'm in love with this kitten, and there isn't a damn thing anyone can say or do that will convince me that human babies are better than kittens. Or cats. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Now, we just need to decide what to name her. We're pretty much drawing from the (massive) pool of gods and heroes from various pantheons throughout space and time. <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Isis">Isis</a> is a forerunner, as is <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyx" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Nyx">Nyx</a> (my personal favorite).</div>
<br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=c98398d5-0fe9-4ea1-b792-dde516a2ae76" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-65939953310411250952012-03-21T22:29:00.000-07:002012-03-21T22:29:35.988-07:00The Holiness of BooksI love <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Book">books</a> almost as much as my boyfriend loves movies. My personal collection is a fraction of what it would be, if both my <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leisure" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Leisure">free time</a> and funds were, if not infinite, at least significantly amplified. There are a lot of attitudes about books that differ from mine, not in the sense that some people don't care for books and think that anyone who enjoys reading for leisure is stupid, but in the sense that books themselves are, somehow, sacred. Sacrosanct.<br />
<br />
I've known people who feel it's disrespectful to dog-ear a book, or to let its spine crack. I may be in the minority, but I feel that that attitude just misses something. Then again, I have books that I've owned since I was in middle school (one very special one that I've had as long as I can remember). I couldn't even begin to guess how many times I've re-read them; this is where that limited funds thing comes in to play, to some extent, but I'd still re-read these books, because I love them. They are dog-eared all to hell, and a little battered, and some of them even have pen marks in the margins. But I'm confident that if someone were to browse through my collection of paperbacks, they'd have little trouble guessing which books were among my best beloved. I don't treat my books like precious treasures, even though some of them are, to me.<br />
<br />
When it comes to books, there are different ways to show reverence and respect, I guess. I love books, I love that they are wonderful sources of information and inspiration and flights of fancy and speculation. I feel that even the most notorious hate-filled books are something special, if only because they teach us the language of hate - the more we can recognize it, the more capable we are of forestalling hateful actions (that is, of course, the hope). I don't feel, however (and this is my atheism bleeding through), that there is any book so holy and precious that it cannot stand to be damaged, or even destroyed.<br />
<br />
Yeah, I know. That's a fucking shocking thing to admit.<br />
<br />
My qualifier is that I would hate for <i>every copy</i> of a book to be destroyed. Because, as I said before, they all have something to give to us, if only for the example of what not to say, how not to do it.<br />
<br />
I guess I don't really know where I'm going with this. I've just been reading two of my most favorite books in the last few weeks (<a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sorceress-Cygnet-Patricia-McKillip/dp/0441775675%3FSubscriptionId%3D0G81C5DAZ03ZR9WH9X82%26tag%3Dzemanta-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0441775675" rel="amazon" target="_blank" title="The Sorceress and the Cygnet">The Sorceress and the Cygnet</a>, and <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.amazon.com/Cygnet-Firebird-Patricia-McKillip/dp/0330330853%3FSubscriptionId%3D0G81C5DAZ03ZR9WH9X82%26tag%3Dzemanta-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0330330853" rel="amazon" target="_blank" title="The Cygnet and the Firebird">The Cygnet and the Firebird</a> by <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_A._McKillip" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Patricia A. McKillip">Patricia A. McKillip</a>), and it's been on my mind.<br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=1500d160-805d-4e63-af8e-610171acf58a" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541735961672270995.post-85625656927571438432012-02-29T12:41:00.000-08:002012-03-21T22:30:16.067-07:00It's Over Nine Thousaaaaaand!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJQbueyJVOuczWtMLRDM0_PVgvJR0uXT1cKEGVFx7CRIztI3pG-3op9J1XRkrZGssLOYKPfEKm0e9iWx0xXn_IhsJAMPGgoxtjs2k8xFOdfHtl7URbGSgVi_7KqQOC2Vqu0KDrgdcmek/s1600/Over+9000.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJQbueyJVOuczWtMLRDM0_PVgvJR0uXT1cKEGVFx7CRIztI3pG-3op9J1XRkrZGssLOYKPfEKm0e9iWx0xXn_IhsJAMPGgoxtjs2k8xFOdfHtl7URbGSgVi_7KqQOC2Vqu0KDrgdcmek/s640/Over+9000.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I screencapped that just now, because it amused me. And, while I've never watched a single full episode of Dragonball Z, I can appreciate a good meme as much as the next weirdo.<br />
<br />
This Over 9000 feat is a pretty big deal for me, when you consider that my 14 followers have visited this little old site almost 650 times over the last four years. You guys are so dedicated! As a thank-you, here are some photos of the happiest of puppies!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS8t9e-XFTj41vK1FL862nX0i_ME2gvB8kY08BpEgYOxm-woo6I" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS8t9e-XFTj41vK1FL862nX0i_ME2gvB8kY08BpEgYOxm-woo6I" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRTK0FRAGk0ZDVakgDlW87t4FFRZovor4I-YYOOpyy73vHQAby_jA" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRTK0FRAGk0ZDVakgDlW87t4FFRZovor4I-YYOOpyy73vHQAby_jA" /></a><a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ3d44pfWqJVfr-sj805w8Tzi0CzZ3TaL29HlOct98ky9MQIYEZmQ" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ3d44pfWqJVfr-sj805w8Tzi0CzZ3TaL29HlOct98ky9MQIYEZmQ" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRZjAQwd1Jr7eWwxSbmehWbMVR7ttoAOByQleWwb6j_sKGhg7Eekw" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRZjAQwd1Jr7eWwxSbmehWbMVR7ttoAOByQleWwb6j_sKGhg7Eekw" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/D3PRv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i.imgur.com/D3PRv.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
In full disclosure, I basically just went to Google and searched for "happiest of puppies" and copied the image URL for each of the pictures except for the last, which I saw on Reddit today.<br />
<br />
And, speaking of Reddit, I'm fully aware that I <i>really</i> couldn't have gotten over 9000 views without having linked this blog to the My Little Pony subreddit. So, as a thanks to all my bronies, here's a few pictures of ponies!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQVKeMIDu3hhzi-KFqKS7A3Scd6Z-tKvPQEgkgc3dF4drVlHpDgNw" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQVKeMIDu3hhzi-KFqKS7A3Scd6Z-tKvPQEgkgc3dF4drVlHpDgNw" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmT9PmdroFe4I3DdAZjZqFumkgWcccJ6eu3Ee947wlYYYvpTbhhw" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmT9PmdroFe4I3DdAZjZqFumkgWcccJ6eu3Ee947wlYYYvpTbhhw" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT8vxrTdWTY4zaFvdW0Av9KKOMl_hfqiRdW9uOkByeh9niVEqcU" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT8vxrTdWTY4zaFvdW0Av9KKOMl_hfqiRdW9uOkByeh9niVEqcU" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSo5v1SG534hDCT_aVg2te5Xz0Jm10upxyOGIx0BXxyR6AQ8z-NEg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSo5v1SG534hDCT_aVg2te5Xz0Jm10upxyOGIx0BXxyR6AQ8z-NEg" /></a></div>
<br />
Yay.<br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=1500d160-805d-4e63-af8e-610171acf58a" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06366135910768934269noreply@blogger.com0