Waiting for Birds

The Extended Birthday Weekend

2006-07-05T23:30:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. Here it was slightly pre-empted by Jay's birthday celebration which began with homemade blueberry pancakes, finished up with a Nintendo DSLite and had many stops along the way.

The food highlights included blueberry pancakes, biscuits and gravy, cotton-candy ice cream, pizza, shrimp, edamame and this:

A little slice of deliciousness known as homemade coconut cream pie.

After fueling up with pancakes, Saturday afternoon was all about the bike ride. We rode down to the Ferry Pond and into a peninsula of sod fields. First though we had to take a detour:

(My New Trek F 7.2)

Jay scouted ahead at the dead end.

(Bear? Bugs? They're both scary.)

The detour was necessary because the road to The Meadows was flooded due to the excessive amount of rain we've been getting lately. The words "stalled front" and "continuous downpour" have been uttered innumerable times by the forecasters this month. Since our detour required a detour it was back to the large puddle for us and like the nameless Enterprise crewman I was the first to attempt the crossing but not without some encouraging words from Jay:

"What's the worst that could happen? You could get wet and I'd get a laugh."

Biking can be taxing so we decided to hit the ice cream store in Old Wethersfield, a place that reminds us of Stars Hollow (if it weren't fictional).

(Aren't our bikes cool?)

And Now for the Women

2006-06-23T19:27:00.000-04:00

It's raining rather hard here this evening and is predicted to do so for the rest of the weekend. This means lots of photo posts for you guys! Aren't you excited?

In case anyone is curious: these photos were all taken with a Canon S2 and were balanced etc. with Picasa 2. A vast majority of the computer ninja-ing has been done by Jay and also included a noise reduction program by the name of NeatImage.

The photos were taken at Pat Robertson's barn (no, not THE Pat Robertson) in Crandall, Indiana on June 3rd of this year. This was my first gig as a wedding photographer and was an extremely stressful, pleasant, and rewarding experience. I hope you enjoy the photographic evidence of The Day Nate and Kate Got Married.

Let's Begin With the G(B)room and G(B)roomsmen

2006-06-22T22:25:00.000-04:00

Photo Exhaustion

2006-06-05T19:54:00.000-04:00

After taking about 4 gigs of photos in the space of 3 days, I am definitely suffering from camera fatigue. At one point in time my face started to spasm because I had been squinting throught the viewfinder for so long.

I got back into Connecticut on midnight and have been trying to move back into my normal schedule. Last week was probably one of the worst weeks for me to miss workwise. I have parent conferences this week and am a bit underprepared to say the least. It's also my planning week. It's all about the improvising until Friday.

As far as the pictures go, I have decided to take at least a twenty-four hour breack from them. Hopefully, I can get myself into a good place with my various work/housekeeping responsibilities that I can do some editing and get some pictures posted shortly.

Even though I am physically exhausted my vacation gave me a mental and spiritual boost that will hopefully get me through this week in good shape. I'll post more later but I need to go make some puppets.

Back Home Again, In Indiana (Almost)

2006-05-28T23:32:00.000-04:00

It's birthday trip time. Last year my birthday vacation was spent moving Jay and all of our stuff to Connecticut from Dallas. This year I find myself in Louisville, Kentucky.

Today, I got to see my nephew for the first time. He is much cuter in person than in his previous appearances on this blog. This trip also marks the first occasion when my niece Emilee called me by name while running to give me a big hug. Last time I got out of the car she was a bit confused and called me Mommy.

I've been travelling since about 6:30 this morning and have been in aunt-mode since my arrival. I am a bit weary to say the least. My best aunt move today was entertaining a very tired Emilee with some homemade bubble solution. Blowing and popping bubbles helped to distract her from her cranky mood.

I'm going to bed to rest up for tomorrow.

A Sock Confession

2006-05-22T17:29:00.000-04:00

I did not make the Sockapaloooza deadline. I wasn't anywhere close to making it. Between my wrists hurting and my chronic case of procrastinationitis, there was no hope for me. My sockpal did not suffer from these same shortcomings and I recieved my socks in the mail days after the deadline.

That yellow package was the wet cat tail in the middle of the night that makes you shoot out of bed to make you check to make sure the toilet seat is down. Or more simply put it was a clear motivation for me to get my socks finished. I decided that I was not allowed to see my socks until I had finished my required pair.

I forgot to tell my wonderful sock pal of my plan so I'm sorry Dierdre for any stress I may have caused you by leaving this key component out of my plan.

My plan hit a bit of an annoyance because Jay couldn't deal with waiting. The annoyance went something like this:
"Come on open your socks."
"No, I have to finish my socks."
"Well, I'm going to open your socks."
"Please don't."
(Jay leaves room with package. Comes back.)
"Wow, your socks are cool. Do you want to know about them?"
"No, I don't. . . . Are they cooler than the ones I'm making?"
"I don't know they might be. You should look and see."
"Please go away."

I finished up my pair this Sunday with minimal damage to my wrists, thanks in part to regular doses of aspirin.

Sunday evening I was able to reopen my socks and this is what I found:

Jay was right. They are pretty awesome and they match most of my favorite fall clothes.

Zissou is quite taken with them as well. He couldn't keep himself from biting, nuzzling, and pawing at my feet.

These are the socks that I made and sent to Texas, after trying at least three different patterns and as many yarns. Once I correctly finished my first heel on the second try and completed my happy heel dance, knitting these socks was a blast. Hopefully, I can make some for myself after giving my hands a few days rest.

And a close-up of my stitching.

Thus ends the saga of the socks.

Zissou's Midterm: Does Not Play Well With Others of the Same Species

2006-05-19T16:24:00.000-04:00

When we met Zissou at the shelter he was living in a cage. The woman explained that since he was new to the shelter, he had to do his time before he could be allowed to mingle with the rest of the feline population. This sounded like a good policy to us and he seemed to be such a sweet cat that we had no reason to doubt her veracity.

Recently we've been thinking that she wasn't being completely honest with us. First of all, there was the partially healed scratch on his chest which upon closer inspection turned out to be a bite-like puncture wound. Most recently there has been this:

Meanwhile in Kentucky

2006-05-15T23:58:00.000-04:00

Jay and I had a surprise planned for this evening's post but due to technical difficulties you will have to marvel another day. To make up for the delay I present to you the newest pictures of John Tyler.

Mom said these pictures make him look less chunky.

(You are not food, therefore I am not interested.)

(Not only inedible but blocking clear path to food.)

(I grow weary of your presence, insolent frog.)

A Late Night Exchange

2006-05-14T01:12:00.000-04:00

"Hey Jay, what's this on Zissou's belly? I think it's a wart or something."

"That's a nipple."

"No it's not. Men don't have nipples."

The Ants Go Marching

2006-05-10T22:57:00.000-04:00

I did the March of Dimes walk this weekend with some people from work. These are some of things we passed on the way.

If you would like to see more you can start here.

I was definitely the tourist of the group. I thought we were going for a leisurely and enjoyable stroll but the group ethic was definitely fast-paced and frantic. I had to run to catch up a few times because breaking from the group would have confirmed my outsider status. Besides I needed a ride home.

We had a wonderful day for walking and photos. We got lots of free food, too.

Oh yeah, we saved babies, too.

El Gato Diablo

2006-05-06T21:41:00.000-04:00

As perhaps you have inferred from the title of this post, cat-owning is not going as smoothly these days. Zissou has become devil-possessed and taken to violently attacking feet between 3 and 5 a.m., specifically Jay's feet (I tend to sleep through these attacks. Or at least the cat part of the attacks. I'm usually awakened by Jay yelling and cursing the cat).

Jay tried sleeping with his feet outside of the covers because when body parts go under the covers they become unidentifiable prey for the cat. This phenomenon also works in reverse. when the cat goes under the covers everything that moves is a fair target for pouncing/clawing/hunting.

As you might imagine the cat just started attacking the parts of his legs that remained covered. Shin bites are just as, if not more painful than the foot variety.

Next we tried sleeping with a double layer of blankets. That way even if he bit us we wouldn't feel it. If we didn't feel it then we wouldn't react and he would eventually stop the behavior when he didn't get his desired result. That was my reasoning anyway. It works with two's so why not cats?

Turns out that if biting feet doesn't work the cat is willing to attack hands and will even resort to pouncing on stomachs to get his point across. Plus Jay gets really cranky when his feet get too hot.

So in the end, the cat got himself locked out of the bedroom at night.

The fatal flaw in this solution is the meowing at the door. The loud, persistent, and annoying meowing at the door which is impossible to sleep through.

Does anyone have any recommendations or advice? I know that cats aren't known for their trainability but if I can teach 2-year-olds to put caps on markers then this is definitely doable.

Hopefully.

Birds Do It . . .

2006-05-04T21:49:00.000-04:00

Most of the male bravado has settled down and the courtship before nesting has really begun. We often see the males feeding their mates and what says love more than a nice back scratch?

And the Spring Goes On

2006-04-30T09:38:00.000-04:00

We took a trip to Hartford yesterday. Most of these pictures were taken in or around Bushnell Park.

We found some interesting historical museums that I might like to visit at some future date including the Twain House, the Harriet Beecher Stowe Museum, and the Webster Memorial. Hartford is a rather strange city because it doesn't seem to be very planned. There are small, old Paris allies right next to the main thoroughfares with the monstrous insurance buildings. Oh, we found a cool old cemetary that we wanted to wander around in but we couldn't find how to get in. It was very frustrating because there was another couple inside taking pictures but they didn't get close enough for us to yell at them. Besides the fact that yelling in a cemetary is in very bad taste.

(This post's pictures brought to you by Jay. More pictures at flickr)

In case you were wondering, we are THOSE kind of people.

2006-04-25T18:41:00.000-04:00

I'm not talking about when I told my mom that I was planning on becoming a women's studies major and she sighed and said, "I hope you're not going to be one of THOSE women." I'm not sure if I fulfilled her prophesy or not. (You're welcome to weigh-in with your opinions.) On this occasion I'm referencing the kind of people who would put their cat on a leash and take it outside, despite the frequent and curious stares of random strangers. Witness our shame:

Zissou hopped-up on nature

Checking to make sure that we are close behind, but not too close.

Squirrel? Rabbit? Bird? Can you say over stimulation?

The outdoors experience was a generally pleasant one. He was a little rebellious and rolled about when he first realized he was attached to the string but he quickly adapted and then set about exploring.

The voyage back indoors was extremely unpleasant for all involved. The cat freaked out everytime we passed through a door and tried to claw his way down. We went through four doors and up one flight of stairs which were also the cause of some trauma. As soon as we were back in the apartment Zissou started purring and he hasn't begged to go out or tried to escape since.

I'm not sure if he had flashbacks to his rough and tumble life on the streets or if doors are just extremely traumatic for cats. Whatever the reason, it looks are days as THOSE kind of people are pretty much over for the time being.

Content to view his nature from the other side of a screen.

Did I Mention About the Spring?

2006-04-22T15:24:00.000-04:00

The Life Quixotic with Cat Zissou

2006-04-16T12:48:00.001-04:00

Presenting Zissou in repose,

flipped,

all stretched out,

approaching wakefulness,

at play,

bird watching (stalking),

and unaware of the size disparity.

If you made it this far, then you deserve a bit of a narrative to accompany the onslaught of pictures.

Last Sunday we visited a private, non-profit shelter called CATALES -- pronounced cat tales -- in search of a cat to call our own. In truth we visited a woman who has turned the basement of her home into a cat sanctuary. She currently has around 84 cats on the premises and the organization has at least two other foster homes. Not to mention the 10 or so cats that she claims as her own. If you're wondering, yes she does have a husband but he's a bit hard to make out because he doesn't move around as much as the cats.

We had originally been interested in a young female named Calliope but upon entering the room our attention and affections were drawn to the curious and energetic Austin who had set about meowing, pacing, and generally making it known that he wanted to be out of the cage and where the action was. Never to make a decision quickly, I insisted that we tour the entire facility of cats just to make sure. I think Jay was ready to take him home after about five minutes but it took almost 90 minutes for the process to be complete.

Then we had to wait until Thursday for him to come home with us. He had been booked at a fundraising/education fair for that Wednesday so Jay made the responsible call that it would be a lot of stress to take him home Sunday only to bring him back Tuesday and then get him again on Thursday. Besides we didn't have anything bought yet.

I had expected to get a female cat and was planning on naming her Yoshimi from the Flaming Lips' song "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots." After an hour or so we decided to name him after this man in this movie that way he still gets a theme song.

After we brought him home on Thursday it took him about fifteen minutes to decide that he liked the place. Since then he has been settling in a little more each day. So far he is leaving our plants alone, using his litterbox, and fulfilling his cuteness requirement.

The only thing that threatens his happy existence is his inability to recognize Saturday and Sunday as days of sleeping in past 6:30.

What Can Brown Do For You?

2006-04-12T17:59:00.000-04:00

Well, apparently they can't open the building door and walk up to my apartment and deliver my package. Also, they can't tell me that I need to come down to get my package or that they are having trouble getting the door unlocked or you know utter words to inform me that waiting for a knock on the door is not going to get me my package.

They can, however, leave a nice little slip that apologizes for missing me even though I was there in the apartment the whole freaking time!

This is just another example of imbeciles taking something I like (the color brown or say the letter W) and creating bad feelings about said thing.

I have a small W on my refridgerator. It's part of my re-claim the W from the evil neo-cons (much like decepticons only without the cool transforming bit) campaign.

As you can imagine, it's not going so well. Maybe if he would just stop being such an imbecilic holier-than-thou toad, I would have a chance.

. . . but you won't let those robots defeat me

2006-04-09T23:03:00.000-04:00

It has been awhile since I lived in a place that had a true winter. I forgot how much the seasons affect a persons state of mind. I find myself completely revelling in the beginning of Spring.

The past few months have been spent almost completely indoors, the weather and our general mallaise having combined to make us rather dreary homebodies of late. I can report a general change in this trend in the last three weeks. A change that has been marked by various weekend outings and adventures.

We have even been able to check a place off of our "Need to Do" list.

New Haven is known for its pizza. A few weekends ago we were able to partake of some truly superior pizza pie. The flavor of the pizza is all about the quality and age of the oven and the oven at Sallie's has been turning out delicious product since the thirties.

The oven isn't the only thing about the place that hasn't changed since the beginning which is why it took a bit over an hour of waiting in line to get a booth. Our pizza was definitely well appreciated by the time it got to our table.

Our happy adventure that we started this weekend won't have anything to show until Thursday. You'll just have to be patient and wait for it.

First Photos

2006-03-22T22:29:00.000-05:00

Introducing John Tyler Bottorff

Emilee seems to be displaying a "get this thing off of me" vibe in this photo.

In non-nephew news, one of our good friends is moving to Washington State in July. I'm happy that she was able to find a residency but am sad to see her go. Jay and I will be staying in Connecticut for another year as he completes his Orthotics residency.

We've been repopulating our apartment with plants in the past few months. I brought three plants from Dallas and none of them have survived except for the one ivy that I left with Mom in Indiana. They didn't die merely from neglect but from a variety of causes, including the cave-like lighting of our Connecticut apartment. We've been treating the new plants to some artificial illumination in the evenings to help them out.

As far as knitting goes, well, it doesn't. I've been trying to work on my socks for my sockpal but I'm really disatisfied with my yarn choice and the quality of my knitting. I'm using size 1 needles which for non-knitters is similar to knitting with really long toothpicks. I think I'm going to start over with new yarn and slightly bigger needles.

We're having a "Parents' Day" this Friday in my classroom. So it's going to be a rather stressful Friday afternoon. I'm just hoping that it can be a tantrum-free experience. Cross your fingers for me.

Folks, We Have a Name!

2006-03-19T01:35:00.000-05:00

In order to leave the hospital Baby Mysterio had to be officially titled. I'm not sure if it came down to an arm-wrestling match or if Jen played the "You chose last time we had this problem."-card but however it happened a name was decided upon.

John Tyler Bottorff

or as his sister calls him

Nathan

Baby Mysterio Makes an Appearance While Remaining Mysterious

2006-03-18T00:27:00.000-05:00

Mom called yesterday evening to deliver the news of a healthy baby boy.

Like his sister before him, he has lived his first day without a name. Or perhaps he has a name and no one called and told me. He is said to look like his big sister so for the time being, here's an old picture of Emilee. I think if you squint and think "More Boy" it might be something like what he may look like.

I meant to call and check on the new guy but ended up passed-out on the futon around 7:30 p.m. This is apparently what happens when I don't drink any coffee during the day -- a day filled with eight crazy-headed 2-year-olds with boundless energy and a propensity to over-react and throw fits when asked to do simple tasks like washing hands or god-forbid sitting down while eating.

The birthday ice cream helped but only until the ice cream high kicked in for the little-ones. In case you are planning an event for the younger set, soft-serve ice cream creates a much more dramatic sugar rush than say your average cupcake with frosting.

Also, green milk = green poo.

Sidelined by Injury

2006-03-08T21:17:00.000-05:00

So it turns out that many of the things that I enjoy in my spare time require a healthy wrist.

I've been having sharp pains in my wrist for the past few weeks. I went to the doctor last week and ended up with souped-up Aleve and a wrist brace. If it doesn't clear up before the medicine runs out then it's off to the "hand specialist" I go.

So this means that knitting, video gaming, changing the TV channel and even reading large books are all out for now. Since all seem to cause an unacceptable amount of shooting pain. Sadly, I haven't figured out how to brush my teeth left-handed with any kind of efficiency.

I have learned an interesting new phrase: anatomical snuffbox.

As in "The searing pain seems to start somewhere around my anatomical snuffbox."

So I wonder if it got the name because it looks like a snuffbox or because that's where you put the snuff before you huff it up your nose.

A clue! A clue!

2006-02-22T23:30:00.000-05:00

I'm making plans to be in Louisville on June 3! Anybody else going to be there?

45 Minute Transformation

2006-02-13T00:17:00.000-05:00

This post-blizzard ritual is called "digging out the car."

I used our dust pan and a tupperware dish to scoop most of the snow off of the roof. Luckily, I found a snow shovel leaning against the building so that I could scoop away the snow from behing the car. The only casualty was the tupperware dish which somehow got misplaced in the process.

Most of the snow on the right of the car came from the top of the car. I cleared the left side but decided to leave some snow for the plowman tomorrow.

After all that work I celebrated with a snow angel.

Snow Photos

2006-02-12T13:56:00.000-05:00

The snow began accumulating early this morning . . .

and continues on still.

We're in the 18 to 24 inches swath on the map. Jay is stuck in Dallas on his way back from Reno because his flight got postponed until tomorrow.

So it's just me, the birds and the squirrels.

Previously Promised Pictures

2006-02-08T18:45:00.000-05:00

The Prototypes

The Final Four

(You can't see it very well but the alien ended up with a single yellow/black eye. I'll have to look for a better picture because I was pretty proud of it.)

Practicing for Sisterhood

Emilee kept handing the alien puppet to Grandpa and saying "Tell me about the alien." As soon as Dad got the puppet on his finger she would reach for it and proclaim "No, mine Grandpa." I think she has the whole older sister thing down.

Succombing to the Socks (or Getting My Knitting Geek On)

2006-02-07T23:06:00.000-05:00

At the end of January I threw my name into a huge pot called The Great Sockapaloooza (There are supposed to be that many o's.). In doing so I have committed to knit a random stranger a pair of socks by May 2nd or as I like to call it May Day plus 1.

I thought about it long and hard before I decided to join what the cool kids call my first "knit-a-long."

Of course, I've never actually knit a pair of socks and really tiny needles kind of scare me. What if I slip and poke out my eye? Or puncture an ear drum?

Could happen.

There's also the procrastination factor.

Because I mean 2 months to knit 2 socks. Come on, I knit 30-some-odd finger puppets in like 3 weeks. So what if the kids didn't get their presents until after Christmas. It was like a bonus Christmas. Let's not talk about the poor sad elephant parts that are haunting my knitting basket just waiting to be sewn together.

At this point I was going to show off my cute finger puppets but um, I can't find my pictures, or the drive that they are stored on.

Jay, if you're reading this in Reno, "HELP!"

Glistening Pearls of Wisdom (or What I Learned on My Recent Trip to NYC)

2006-01-31T22:23:00.000-05:00

1. If the thought "Hmm, that guy might be dead." crosses your mind when entering the subway, two seats is not enough room to put between him and you.

2. Don't share your street-vendor pretzel. When the person you are sharing with says "Your pretzel is stale and nasty." after obviously enjoying his pretzel, the urge to shove the remaining parts of your pretzel into said person's ear will be almost overwhelming.

3. It takes longer to get from the 80th to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building than it does to get from the 1st to the 80th.

4. In your walking adventures, try not to get stuck behind Europeans. Europeans don't walk like Americans. They have a tendency to stop suddenly and randomly move about in such a way as to make it impossible for you to smoothly pass them by.

5. You won't feel bad about not paying the full suggested price at The Metropolitan Museum of Art when you realize what they charge for a sandwich at the cafeteria. However, if you did pay the suggested price (even if you lied and said you were a student) your ham sandwich with a single leaf of arugula will be laced with bitterness.

6. Everything costs money. This shirt was on sale for 30% off of $14.95.

7. When looking up, watch out for crotches.

(Vivian was surprised to realize that in taking a picture of the airplanes she had inadvertently captured this artistically-shadowed bottom. I imagine the artist thinking, "You know I think people will be uplifted when they gaze skyward and get an eyeful of thong." (If this were government property, I hope Ashcroft would have Sharpie-ed in some gym shorts.)

Guess where we went this weekend!

2006-01-29T23:30:00.000-05:00

Mixin' It Up

2006-01-23T22:30:00.000-05:00

Wintry Mix in Action

Slowed to a Drizzle with an Accumulation of Slush

It's all propaganda

2006-01-22T20:42:00.000-05:00

I'm refering to the myth of the breathtakingly cold and beautiful New England winter.

Tomorrow we are supposed to be getting snow but sadly it's not going to be just snow. About halfway through the day the forecast changes from snow to the "wintry mix" which is the pleasant way of saying half-frozen-slush-falling-from-the-sky. Snow is pleasant and soft. The wintry mix is wet and miserable.

Have you ever tried to build a snowman out of slush? Have you ever had to look into the bright shining face of a 2 year old and tell them that "No, we can't build a snowman."

Wintry mix is never a substitute for snow.

Blogging Guilt

2006-01-19T22:19:00.000-05:00

It's not that I don't have anything to say, or that I don't have the time to say it. It's just that well . . .

Okay, there's no excuse.

Last week Jay even voluntarily left the computer and ordered me to make a post. Which isn't exactly the best way to get me to do anything.

So the last month in 100 words or less?

I had a wonderful holiday season filled with expected and unexpected gifts and expected and unexpected time off from work.

When Jay and I returned from the airport on Christmas we were met with several boxes of goodies. One was full of the multi-colored towels that we had ordered from JCPenney's and the others were surprises from Texas. It was Santa Claus-exciting!

Last week I got another surprise in the mail from one of my favorite artists, her previous work can be seen here.
My newest acquisition is a calendar with an original piece of artwork for each month. My favorites are entitled "Princess Leia's Spaceship" and "The Burning Bush Where God Is."

What's the weather been like?

Ask the birds.

Super Emilee!

2005-12-26T12:31:00.000-05:00

I know you've all been on the edge of your seats in anticipation. So without further delay, I present "SUPER EMILEE!"

Able to unwrap presents with a single pull.

She's so super that she even shares her playdough!

Holiday Traveling

2005-12-24T21:05:00.000-05:00

I got to take some time off from the daycare to fly home to Indiana for Christmas. We just got back from the hills of Kentucky and my sister's house.

My niece Emilee is still revelling in the last few months of being the only grandchild. Come April her benign dictatorship will be threatened by the birth of her little brother (AKA Baby Mysterio).

This Christmas she was definitely flush with gifts. I contributed some playdough toys, finger puppets, and Superman pajamas to her booty. She insisted on having her Superman top on immediately and then proceeded to fly around the house.

Tomorrow is Christmas and my youngest brother is finally enough of a teenager that he hasn't threatened us with a 5 a.m. wake-up call. After opening up the remainder of the presents and feasting once again, it's off to the airport.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. As soon as I get back to a high-speed connection I'll be able to share the cuteness of Super Emilee.

Nor'easter #1 = 10 inches

2005-12-09T21:07:00.000-05:00

Jay and I have weathered our first major Nor'easter today. Apparently, his name was Armand but pronounced without a French accent.

The snow started around 6:00 this morning and stopped around 1 this afternoon.

We learned some interesting facts.

1. It is illegal to drive with snow on the top of your car.

2. New Englanders take their plowing very seriously.

3. There is nothing cuter than 2 year olds falling down into snow drifts and flailing about in their puffy snow outfits. They're like human penguins.

Hope you all enjoyed your own winter weather this week. We'll have pictures tomorrow.

Diaper Fashion

2005-12-01T22:57:00.000-05:00

In case anyone was wondering about the current diaper fashion, the news from the preschool front is that Sesame Street is still the kids' favorite.

Which is cool because it creates a bond between me and 2 year olds that are still having trouble with the concept of biting not being a socially acceptable behavior.

The problem occurs when the child loves the Elmo diaper too much to actually put it on their backside.

That's where the singing comes in. Having a song to sing seems to distract a child long enough for me to pry the diaper out of their freakishly strong hands and maneuver it into position. This process is made easier if they are first allowed to kiss and hug the characters on the diaper.

As most anyone who knows me can tell you, I can't sing. I can kind of hold a tune for "Back Home Again in Indiana" but that's only sometimes and not really even then.

However, I'm all for the public humiliation of off-key singing if it means that my preschool kids aren't running around naked.

So far I've got Elmo's World, the Cookie Monster Song, the Sesame Street theme song, and Rubber Ducky in my diaper time repertoire.

I'm in desperate need of a song for the Bert diapers. The theme song has already been assigned to Big Bird.

The Bert diapers are definitely the least popular and they really need a good song to boost their standings.

Really, I need a good song so that when a kid is down to Bert diapers they don't throw a fit and bemoan (read as: scream and flail about) the fact that they've already used up their Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird allotments.

Please help!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2005-11-27T21:21:00.000-05:00

I hope you had an excellent birthday!

I'm glad that I inherited my ability to fall with the least amount of grace possible from you.

Love you!

Goldfinch in Three Frames

2005-11-25T20:38:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2005-11-24T18:15:00.000-05:00

We awoke this morning to 3 inches of snow. We were expecting rain and sleet so this was a wonderful surprise. The first order of business was refiling all the feeders and finding one that had been dislodged by the wind or squirrels.

The snow didn't stick around for long. The temperatures reached the mid-40's today. Our little corner was still fairly white when the sun went down though.

I hope that you all have a wonderful and restful Thanksgiving weekend.

We chose watching birds over eating bird.

One Flew into the Window. . . Twice.

2005-11-20T22:15:00.000-05:00

These hands belong to Mr. David Pendell. He and his wife came to the rescue this afternoon when this young Sharp-shinned Hawk decided to hit our apartment door at ramming speed.

When I first saw him sprawled out on the concrete I thought for sure he had ended his young hawk life. Then when he skidded across the pathway on his belly I had a sickening feeling in my stomach that the best we could do for him was a quick death.

Then he got to his feet and "Oh happy day!" I grabbed the yellow pages and started calling the animal hospitals and humane centers while Jay started the online research. Eventually we ended up at a list of certified animal handlers in the Connecticut area. None of whom were what you would call close.

Since it was late Sunday afternoon, it took us three or four tries to get someone on the phone. The Pendells showed up about 20 minutes later and very professionally took charge. Sadly, the hawk was loathe to be captured.

In his final escape attempt he actually took flight but it was obvious that he was still hurt.

Then he ran into the window again.

As you can see from the picture, he did recover consciousness. The Pendells said that they would observe him for a few days and see what developed.

I'm debating as to whether or not I will check on his condition.

As it is, I can believe that we saved him from getting mauled by a cat or some such ignominious fate.

I've got a picture of your photograph

2005-11-07T21:03:00.000-05:00

Slideshows galore!

Believe it or not I've only put up a small fraction of the photos Jay and I have been taken. For those of you who would like to see more I have two new (ish) slideshow over at Flickr. You can get to them by following these links:

Fall in Sleeping Giant and other places we have meandered to lately

Avian Extravaganza

We recieved our first comment on one of our Flickr pictures. It was rather exciting.

The picture in question was one of Jay's and another of his was picked a someone's favorite. I'd like to say that it's a pleasure to have our collective photos appreciated but really I'm a little bitter. He's totally bogarting my flickr account.

It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't gloat or if I wasn't unnaturally competitive about all things photographic.

So yes, go look at pictures, and please like mine best!

A Cacophony of Thuds

2005-11-05T21:55:00.000-05:00

It started with a squirrel.

Poor thing thought it would be a good idea to check out the bird feeder hanging from the gutter. I'm not exactly sure what went wrong but it seems he mistook himself for a gecko and thought that he could just crawl down the slippery plastic to the sunflowery goodness.

As he tumbled earthward, I was hoping that squirrels were like cats and therefore he would turn in midair and land gracefully and unharmed. Then there was a thud.

I looked down out of the window to see a dazed but whole squirrel squatting on the ground. We made eye-contact but I tried not to stare. He seemed a little embarrassed by the whole thing. I watched until he started to nose nonchalantly for seeds on the ground as if he hadn't just cheated death.

The other squirrel that had been feeding down below didn't take the episode so calmly. Apparently a squirrel falling from the sky is a bit unsettling and worthy of comment. Squirrel number 2 ran to the tree and started flipping his tail and barking.

He might need some therapy.

The second loud thud was our gazebo bird feeder. It's actually the third feeder to take a dive from the second story but the only one that hasn't lived to feed again. It split into three unsalvageable pieces upon hitting the ground and disgorged a tiny feast for the squirrels.

The rest of the thuds were from the work crew that showed up and started pounding on the wall for some unknowable reason.

Needless to say they scared away the birds.

"In leaves no step had trodden black"

2005-10-31T18:30:00.000-05:00

(View from the Sleeping Giant's chin.)

Jay and I went back to hike around at The Sleeping Giant State Park. Since Sunday was possibly the most beautiful day we have had this month, we weren't the only ones there. We ended up having to circle the parking area twice before finding a spot.

Luckily, we picked some of the less traveled trails and were able to keep away from the maddening crowds. Although we did cross paths with a nervous mother who almost frightened her child off the side of the mountain. She kept exclaiming over the safety of her little girl while at the same time letting her slightly older son jump around like a mountain goat. Her most colorful warning was "There's not any snow to cushion your fall. There's nothing."

Aftering scaling up the giant's head we took our time meandering back down. We were swarmed by ladybugs and had to detour around a garter snake but the combination of foliage colors and gorgeous slanting fall light made the day.

Spot the Ent?

Trees through branches

Ground-floor leaves

Valley of Light

Jay's Eye-view

Jill's Eye-view

Calle de hojas

The local news had a shocking expose last week about the supposed "Foliage Flop." People take their leaves quite seriously out here. My stint on the Great Plains has made any fall seem like a magnificent event.

True to form we got a bit turned around on the way back -- all part of the adventure.

The Avian Horde

2005-10-23T11:05:00.000-04:00

They might be cute and fluffy looking but they are remorseless birdfeed pillagers.

Chipping Sparrow on the approach

Cardinal and Titmouse mid-pillage

When you see 13 inches of bird with a 20 inch wingspan heading for your window it will cause you to fall from your chair and gasp in surprise and horror of an impending crash. Luckily this flicker was able to maneuver to the feeder without crashing into the window. I think we need to get a bigger feeder. The black mustache signifies that this guy is most definitely male. When voicing flicker thoughts, a French accent is required.

Titmouse patroller. These little guys are still Jay's favorites. They have mohawks. How can you not love them?

We're not sure if the birds are watching us or if they just like to look at their reflections.

Almost forgot our flying ninja friends -- the chickadees. See how politely they queue up for their turn at pillaging?

Yeah new bird!!! This junco also goes by the name of snowbird. So he's more a harbinger than a member of the horde.

Finally, the Genghis Khan of bird feeding stations everywhere

Jay took most of the pictures for this post so all props go to him (I can claim the chipping sparrow and the junco.). Hope you enjoyed your tour through birdfeeder devastation.

This post brought to you by the letter "S" and the number "2"

2005-10-16T19:18:00.000-04:00

So yes, the rain did finally stop on Saturday. We were treated to a few brief moments of sunshine and much wind which resulted in a gorgeously clear sky.

Today was sunny and beautiful until we decided to go for a walk but at least it didn't rain anymore. We decided to walk down to the Connecticut River to see what changes a week's worth of rain had made to the landscape.

This picture was taken by Jay in June:

These pictures were taken this afternoon:

I don't know if you can really tell the difference from these pictures. So I added an arrow to the second picture to show where Jay was standing when he visited the river in June. Jay said that it definitely looked more Mississippi-like today.

The new pictures were taken with Jay's new Canon S2 superzoom camera. How much zoom does it take to be considered superzoom?

Compare:

(Uncropped Titmouse photo taken with my SD200 zoomed in all the way.)

(Uncropped Titmouse photo taken with the S2 zoomed in all the way.)

Isn't technology grand?

Rain, Birds, and Were-Rabbits

2005-10-08T10:04:00.000-04:00

The rain started last night. According to the NOAA web site it's probably not going to stop until Thursday or Friday.

Our birds are in general completely oblivious to the downpour. They have emptied our feeders and are currently dogfighting around the one remaining food source. Which means that soon I will be hanging out the window in the rain holding a metal hook.

The release of the new Wallace and Gromit movie makes it all okay. I got paid for the first time this Friday so I'm going to treat Jay and I to a little claymation extravaganza. First there will be some finely brewed Earl Grey accompanied by some delicious cheddar. I don't have any Wensleydale on hand.

Let the inventing beginn!

The Ranks of the Undead

2005-10-03T22:24:00.000-04:00

This weeks goal is to eradicate the zombies.

Those who have ever had the pleasure of spending a morning with me know that it's not my best time.

To make the car-pooling experiment a viable option means that I'm the first one up in the morning. This has to be one of the most heinous things about my new job. Made even more difficult by our erratic hot water supply and lack of heat.

According to our lease the management agrees to provide heat during the cold months. Apparently, October does not qualify as one of those months. Stupid New Englanders with their stoicism. If I'm getting out of bed in the morning I deserve a nice toasty apartment.

So last week amounted to a great big blur of being tired and/or being hopped-up on too much caffeine. This week is all about finding the balance. For example, this week I will make a cup of coffee at home or buy a cup at Starbucks, not both. This week I will not tempt myself to stay up later than I should by starting in on the last few chapters of a book -- that I will not be able to put down until I have finished it -- 20 minutes before it is time for me to go to bed.

So yes, this week is all about awakening my dormant Protestant work ethic. I was raised in the Midwest, it has got to be in me somewhere.

Early to bed and early to rise . . .

2005-10-02T23:06:00.000-04:00

This Monday I start my regular work hours 8:30 to 5:30. Jay and I are going to be driving together so that means I get to camp out at Starbucks or Dunkin Doughnuts for about an hour in the mornings. Starbucks has better chairs but the breakfast sandwiches are quite yummy at Dunkin Doughnuts. It's a toss up.

Last week went well work-wise. I've met all of the kids that will be in my room and have a pretty good idea about what my job will be like on a daily basis. There's a lot of things that will take some getting used to but I think overall it's going to be a good experience.

The best thing that happened this weekend was Serenity. You should all go out and watch it and then go watch it again. So awesome! If you don't believe me, ask Ruben.

Almost Lost

2005-09-26T23:24:00.000-04:00

We recently had a death in our hard drive family. In a stroke of sheer good fortune Jay had backed up our photos only days before. Yeah, Jay! It was such a wonderful feeling to see all of the pictures restored by Picasa.

I had completely forgotten about these photos I took just a few weekends ago when we were balancing on the cusp of autumn.

Thick grey clouds have hung over us for two days now and they are not predicted to depart for at least another day. We are well into the thick of the season.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow because I'll actually be getting to spend some time with my future class. I think it will be a good day except for the fact that my immune system is probably going to take a while to get back into Daycare mode and there's a stomach virus going around!

Jay and I are working on some carpooling experiments this week. So far it's worked out pretty well (all one day of it). I can actually walk to work if I give myself enough time. The walk takes about as much time as my morning commute in Dallas and it is much more pleasant. If I'm really good with my time management I can stop at Starbucks on the way! I'm thinking about purchasing a bike and helmet with my first paycheck if I can figure out a good place to chain it up at work and keep it here at the apartment.

I also have to make the ever important bell or horn decision.

Training Starts on Monday

2005-09-23T21:50:00.000-04:00

My application for employment has been approved by the home office! So Monday at 10 a.m. I will start the training process. Apparently there will be videos and reading.

Hopefully, none of it will be as graphic as the Chemistry Lab Safety Video that shows you how to stab yourself in the hand with a glass test tube.

So far the hiring process has involved interviewing, fingerprinting, and getting poked with a needle. Videos aren't so bad after all of that.

The "Great God" Bird's little cousin . . . "Holy Moses!"

2005-09-22T23:23:00.000-04:00

Sufjan Steven's collaborated with All Things Considered for a story about the return of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and the impact on the small town of Brinkley, Arkansas.

Welcome the Equinox (22/09/2005 @ 22:22 GMT)

2005-09-22T03:05:00.000-04:00

It's half-and-half day. So go all out and celebrate our tilted, spinning planet however you see fit! Whether you believe this marks the beginning of fall or autumn's halfway point, have a little fun in the diminishing sunlight of the northern hemisphere.

(December 2004. Dallas, Texas. )

Birthdays, birthdays everywhere!

2005-09-20T22:44:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Jeff!
I hope that you had a great day!

Happy Birthday to Wendy, too! I hope that the Chinese food was excellent!

I apologize for the lateness of these birthday wishes. I had a busy day preparing to be employed. This morning I was fingerprinted by a very friendly Rocky Hill police officer. Which ended up being a free service! The physical and TB test that followed later that afternoons were not so free. I also wasn't prepared to pee in a cup (always my downfall)! At least the nurse didn't have to stand in the room and witness my tribulation this time. It's stressful enough to have to pee in a cup without the added pressure of an observer. I go back on Thursday to get my TB test read and I should know by Friday evening whether or not my application was approved by headquarters.

To go back in time a little bit, I interviewed for a day-care teaching position with KinderCare last Thursday. I had a follow up job tryout this Monday and was able to meet some of the kids. I'm going to be with 2 year olds again! (No that's not a sarcastic exclamation point.) I really like working with 2's. When you're 2 everything is an adventure and in general kids are less "terrible" at school. The whole classroom is on their level and organized so that they can have fun, explore, and learn with a minimum amount of boundaries.

If all goes well I will start my training on Monday!

One of the things I miss about Oklahoma

2005-09-16T00:20:00.000-04:00

Don't Worry I Can Make One in Your Size!

2005-09-10T17:30:00.000-04:00

Yeah! The Chickadee Hat is finished. Can't you just feel the cuteness?

(It matches these in case you have forgotten.)

Nothing Says "Scenic Lookout" Like a Castle

2005-09-09T19:06:00.000-04:00

We've seen more castles in Connecticut than should really exist in a place that never had to defend against the Saxon hordes.

This is Castle Craig. Really it should be called Turret Craig but alliteration is more important than accuracy when naming such things.

Castle Craig sits among The Hanging Hills of Meriden.

The view from the top of the ridge is pretty cool and worth the hike even when you meet such fellows as these on the way up.

The way down was less eventful creature-wise. But the trail was steep and littered with round and ready-to-roll rocks that had me flailing about more than once, much to Jay's amusement.

In birding news, we are now the proud caretakers of seven bird feeders.

We had to deploy our back-up finch feeder because waiting patiently for an open perch is not what finches do best. We had also purchased an extra tube-feeder before we realized how successful the Blue Jay Mafia had been at not only combating grackles but also acting as Jay's back-up alarm clock. Nothing says get out of bed more authoritatively than a blue jay doing its best impersonation of a red-tailed hawk.

I also got some awesome mail from two of the kids that I used to teach in Dallas, including this masterpiece entitled "Rainbow."

(I added more pictures from the park to my Around Connecticut Slideshow at Flickr.)

When Critters Attack

2005-09-07T01:00:00.001-04:00

Our bird feeders were under siege this weekend from both a roving band of grackles and a determined squirrel.

The grackles managed to empty an entire bird feeder in just a few hours. They dispatched two envoys whose job it was to throw the seed down to the rest of the mob on the ground. Jay and I spent much of Saturday yelling at them to go away.

Grackles are a member of the corvid family. This group of birds also contains magpies, blue jays, and ravens. One of their dominant characteristics is their intelligence which gives them a remarkable memory when it comes to remembering where to find food.

We have some allies against the grackles, their cousins the blue jays. I like to refer to them as the Blue Jay Mafia. They agree to help with the annoying grackle population and we look the other way when they themselves wreak havoc at the bird feeders. Of course blue jays have the distinct advantage of being prettier than their cousins and also not quite as intelligent since they themselves haven't figured out how to gorge themselves on our freely offered seed.

So now we're faced with the choice. As the marginally more intelligent species how do we choose to act when all the cute birds are scared away by the annoying ugly ones who consume too much food at too quick a pace?

Do we resort to violence and start shooting BB's at them, do we sacrifice our reputation as sane and normal people by continuing to yell at them from the window, or do we try to outsmart them?

So far we're going with the outsmarting option. We are recalling our gazebo feeder and replacing it with a tube style feeder which, according to birding experts, is inaccessible to large birds.

Hopefully this ploy will work until the grackles migrate further South. I fear for our sanity if they are here to stay.

The "outsmart" strategy is a dangerous one -- not for the critters but for my own self-esteem -- because how do you cope when they outsmart you?

And here enters our other backyard nemesis -- the squirrel.

When we first put the feeders out several squirrels made investigations into them. Mostly they found that they were simply too far away from the branches for them to reach. This weekend we realized that one female squirrel had solved this dilemma.

She had learned to pull the seed bell up by it's rope. Saturday, she was able to dump the remaining seed off onto the ground.

When she realized her booty was too heavy to escape into the trees she proceeded to cheekily gorge herself on the remains in plain view of our window.

Our "outsmart campaign" involved replacing the string with a wire coat hanger. We assumed that the wire would be too stiff for the squirrel to manipulate.

The stiffness of the wire now allows the squirrel to put more of her weight onto it. She doesn't need to haul the seed up because the wire now makes it possible for her to stretch all the way to the seed. (I know it doesn't seem possible but when you deal with squirrels you start to believe the unbelievable.)

Tomorrow, we plan to make the wire longer.

A failure of the imagination

2005-09-04T00:39:00.000-04:00

I sat down to write an amusing post about the various wild life that have driven us crazy today. It turns out that the only thing that can keep my attention is the news out of the Gulf Coast. I am relieved and overjoyed to see that help is finally arriving for those who have been devastated by the hurricane.

It has been almost emotionally suffocating to watch the horrors mount up daily.

As one young four year old said, "It's pitiful, pitiful."

Reading over the headlines over at Salon and MSNBC only reinforces my sense of shame and disbelief. I don't know how the President can look survivors in the eye and talk about spending money to rebuild the region when his administration (and administrations before his) have repeatedly refused to pay to avoid this tragedy.

This tragedy calls for a leader who can do more than just strike a courageous pose. We need a leader who can imagine the horrors before he sees them or even before they happen so that the proper actions can be taken to prevent the preventable.

Why didn't he donate the use of Marine One to the rescue effort instead of going on a sightseeing trip of the damage? I don't need him to sit on the porch and commiserate with the devastated, I need him to actively participate in the effort to save lives instead of using up vital resources so that he can better understand the situation.

I continue to be amazed at the generosity of individuals and horrified at the devastation that has inspired such acts.

Happy Birthday, Lori!

2005-09-03T13:55:00.000-04:00

(These birthday flowers are guaranteed not to wilt depressingly on your kitchen counter.)

I hope that you enjoy your long birthday weekend! I wish that we could be there to celebrate with you, then we could play another Birthday Badminton Tournament.

Signs of Indian Summer

2005-09-01T22:19:00.000-04:00

"Indian summer is like a woman. Ripe, hotly passionate, but fickle, she comes and goes as she pleases so that one is never sure whether she will come at all, nor for how long she will stay. In northern New England, Indian summer puts up a scarlet-tipped hand to hold winter back for a litlle while. She brings with her the time of the last warm spell, an unchartered season which lives until Winter moves in with its backbone of ice and accoutrements of leafless trees and hard frozen ground." -- Grace Metalious from Peyton Place

Tour de L' Appartement

2005-08-30T23:49:00.000-04:00

When I first walked into our Connecticut apartment I was convinced -- there was no doubt in my mind -- that it was tiny in comparison to our Dallas place. Both Jay and his dad were a little stunned at my assessment. Although our place is not HUGE by any stretch of the imagination, it is, in fact, pleasantly roomy for a one-bedroom apartment. Perhaps it was the emptiness that made it seem smaller.

There are some odd things about our apartment that should be noted:

1. Our refrigerator sounds like it is powered by a hamster.

2. When the wind blows, it messes up our television reception.

3. The faucet water can go from tepid to scalding-the-skin-off-
your-bones hot in mere seconds.

4. Although the apartment came with a built-in coffee maker, we still use our own.

5. The color of the carpet and the trim that is painted to match can best be described as "that mauve/pink brown color that old people are supposed to like."

6. There aren't overhead lights in either the main room or the bedroom. Instead various plugs on various outlets around the rooms are controlled by switches. None of the switch controlled outlets are positioned anywhere near the switches. And only the bottom plugs of the outlets are controlled by the switches. Apparently, electricians are an evil lot.

7. The paper towel holder in the kitchen does not hold your paper towels. Instead it just pretends to hold the paper towels and then drops them as soon as you have filled the sink full of water. For some reason it is about a half inch too wide for any of the paper towels we have bought so far.

Here is the general floor plan for the apartment. I thought it might help when looking at pictures.

We split the large room into two parts. It just seemed like the thing to do.

This is what we call the Living Room. These pictures make it look like we get a lot of light in our apartment. We don't. We're hoping that when the leaves fall off the trees we'll be able to get more light.

This is the remainder of the large room. We refer to it as the Nook Room. The real nook met its demise in a dumpster in Dallas. Mom wasn't willing to give up her seat in the Neon to a bunch of egg crates. If only I had a luggage rack.

See that folding chair? That plus an outdoor, lawnchair cushion is what I sat on most of the way to Connecticut. We expected the Budget truck to have a bench seat. It didn't. So we made one!

This is our very neat and clean bedroom. The CRT monitor (bottom right) actually sits next to a bookshelf which is next to a lamp which is next to the closet. This is as much of the room as I could get in one shot and really didn't think that it deserved two pictures.

I really like the kitchen because it has one long swath of counter next to the refrigerator. This means you can make cookies without balancing the cookie sheet on the side of the sink. Sadly the top cabinets are placed so that it is impossible for me to reach to the back of even the lowest shelf. However, the stove hood is low enough for me to hit my head on it at least once a day.

The blue bins are for recycling and bird seed. We have a recycling dumpster in the parking lot which is very convenient.

The bird in the picture is a titmouse.

I hope you have enjoyed your virtual tour. It probably took longer than an actual tour. On an in-person tour you would get to see the bathroom and the toilet which is way too close to the door.

Check out these booties!

2005-08-27T21:45:00.000-04:00

I've been busy knitting some baby booties this past week. They're a gift for one of the mom's at my old preschool in Dallas and have been a really fun and quick project. Especially because I got to use all sorts of knitting tools in their production.

I call these "Gremlin Booties." They're for the cute but slightly unpredictable baby.

Jay refers to these as "Chickadee Booties." Whether or not your baby is bright and cheery, her feet can be. I'm currently making a hat to match. That way you can trap your baby in cheerfulness.

Bootie-making paraphernalia.

If you would like to make some booties of your own, you can get the pattern at Let Me Finish This Row on the Lion Brand Yarn web site.

Emilee Feeds the Birds

2005-08-25T01:11:00.000-04:00

My niece Emilee recieves proper sprinkling instructions from Mom.

The next day Emilee tries to solo as a bird feeder. Sadly, the seeds don't get sprinkled so much as dumped in one big pile.

Dissatisfied with her efforts, Emilee tries to rectify the situation by scooping the bird seed back into her bowl and then dumping it out again. She will later resort to picking up small handfuls and throwing them about.

At the age of two, she is already hooked on birds. She even knows the difference between "quack-quacks" and "honk-honks" thanks to Grandpa's tutelage.

You Call This Working Hard?

2005-08-23T03:00:00.000-04:00

I recently read a throw-away comment that linked George W. Bush's media posturing with that of Franklin D. Roosevelt's.

This doesn't sit right with me at all. To me it seems that Roosevelt's reluctance to be shown as anything but strong and capable was a direct result of his desire to be both of those things -- not just for himself but for the people he led. Roosevelt's posturing was more about giving the public someone to look to during times of horrendous hardship.

Both during the Great Depression and World War II, the American people were asked to stand in the face of their fears and believe that a better day would come, to believe that they themselves could actively work towards a better future and that the sacrifices required of them were being asked of them by someone who was himself sacrificing for them.

During a time of war and hopelessness Roosevelt presented an image that allowed people to believe in the possibility of peace and prosperity.

How does Bush swaggering about on his ranch even compare to that?

During our time of war and of gut-wrenching fear, it would be nice to know that those who guide our country are working hard to protect us from the things that explode in our dreams. That they are staying late. That they are coming in on weekends. That they are sacrificing of themselves for the betterment of everyone's future.

When does the President deserve a vacation? When does he get to worry about getting enough exercise and staying balanced?

Maybe he doesn't. Maybe that's what being President is all about.

But certainly, not before he stops asking American servicemen and women to put their lives at risk each and every day in a war that he conjured up for them to fight.

The Matrix Extravaganza (With Popcorn and Nachos!)

2005-08-22T00:23:00.000-04:00

Ah Existentialism -- The power to choose and to do so wisely.

I'm not sure why I hadn't seen the last of the trilogy until last night. Neither Jay nor I could remember much about Reloaded. It was obvious what needed to be done.

We had to watch the story from beginning to end.

I was honestly surprised that Jay agreed to the endeavor. The third movie might have been postponed until Sunday if I had not pulled out my foolproof Nacho Bribe.

I like the movies a lot as it turns out. Even though the second movie seems to get overwhelmed by the extravagant environment and the unending fight scenes. It does eventually remember that story and plot-advancement are essential qualities in a movie.

The Matrix is easily the most brilliant of the three movies. But the story carries strongly through to the end and the overall meaning of the films keeps evolving until then.

I think the one thing that bothers me most about the second two films is that no one ever addresses the fact that people are walking around with large metal holes in their bodies.

Not because I think that they should be mocked, but because the whole story is driven by the antagonism between man and machine. And here are people walking around with machines in their bodies -- machines that can easily interface with their brains!

New England Pragmatism

2005-08-21T04:05:00.000-04:00

"As we now are so you must lie, Therefore in time prepare to die."

This was my favorite epitaph from our recent wander through the near-by cemetery. It managed to be prophetic, creepily morbid and rhyme in only two lines!

Organization Chaos

2005-08-19T22:30:00.000-04:00

This week I've been trying to finish the process of moving in. Even though we've technically been moved for over a month, we still have boxes laying about packed or half-unpacked.

Our new apartment is larger than our Dallas abode but it has much less storage space. We've gone from a walk-in closet to a walk-up-to closet. Which means that we've had to procure a lot of new storage and shelving units.

It's progressing and I hope to have pictures of the apartment posted by Monday.

If you want some pictures to puruse in the meantime you can shuffle on over to my Around Connecticut slideshow at flickr.

My virtual environment has not been spared from my organizing binge. It all started when Jay helped me to make a new banner and then I realized that it didn't match the rest of my page. Once I got started making changes it was hard to stop -- new colors, new pictures, and new links.

Want to read the site in French? No problem.

We've also procured a couple more feeders to keep our winged-friends happy. The bird activity in our courtyard area has skyrocketed in the last few days. We still haven't had any customers at the thistle feeder but all the other feeders do a pretty good business.

I'll update the bird photos as soon as I can get them to sit still for their close-ups.

The Titmouse Dimension

2005-08-15T02:45:00.000-04:00

This weekend has been full of excitement. Not only were we without power for 5 hours on Friday due to an exploding manhole but on Saturday we were viciously oppressed by the heat and humidity.

Luckily, we were forewarned of the impending oppression by the NBC weatherman and we were able to avoid the worst of it by staying in our air conditioned apartment.

I'm so glad we did because we were able to witness our first avian visitors -- three juvenile tufted titmice.

I have to say that the Tufted Titmouse is one of my favorite birds -- not least of all because of it's absurd name. They are cheeky little birds who aren't afraid to mob owls or pluck dog hair for their nests. According to The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior, they are one of the most loyal feeder birds. It also mentions that the oldest titmouse lived to the age of 13 years and 3 months.

I was rather pleased to learn that our first visitors were such loyal blokes and was determined to greet them with an affable "Titmouse!" on their return visits. If they ever decide to make any return visits, that is.

We have purchased another feeder to be filled with a delectable blend of sunflower seeds -- a favorite of theirs according to Sibley. Hopefully, the gazebo styling of the new feeder will bring them back. Who can resist a green awning?

As of now, we own five bird feeding devices and we've seen a grand total of three birds. Although the spider on our window is enjoying all the insects that the hummingbird feeder attracts.

*Update: Monday was a good day for birds. The titmice lived up to their reputation and visited several times. Although greeting them with cheers kind of makes them fly away. Oh well, I'll have to do my cheering on the inside.

Sadly, George, the titmouse's name has a rather mundane explanation. According to Stan Tekiela in Birds of Oklahoma: Field Guide the "[p]refix 'Tit' comes from a Scandinavian word meaning 'little.' Suffix 'mouse' is derived from the Old English word mase, meaning 'bird.' Simply translated, it is 'a small bird'" (pg. 185).

Walking Misadventures

2005-08-12T00:59:00.001-04:00

Lately, my walks around town have been filled with mishaps of one sort or another. This weekend I went with Jay to take some pictures of the river. I didn't fall in this time, because we never actually made it there. Even if we had made it there, pictures would have been impossible because the sleekest digital camera is worthless without a memory card.

I did, however. manage to bruise my knee on a guardrail after picking gorgeous handfuls of blackberries that I couldn't eat. I couldn't eat them because I had decided to brush my teeth before setting out on our walk. Blackberries plus toothpaste residue equals a bitter nastiness.

Not realizing that my walk karma was still in the negative zone, Jay and I set out for a jaunt this evening.

All was going well. . .

and then there was buzzing.

Bees? Wasps? Mosquitoes?

No.

The Biggest, Blackest, Bloodthirstiest Horsefly on the face of the planet.

Jay and I began jumping, jerking, and weaving. Motorists were staring at what appeared to be two crazies on a holiday from the psych ward. I wasn't afraid at first. Horseflies tend to choose Jay over me, so I let him get ahead of me a bit. When it comes to humongoid, biting insects -- there are no allegiances.

My reprieve was only to last seconds. Because this horsefly had learned to multi-task. This cousin-of-Mothra had no problem simultaneously tormenting two people. This Hell-spawned behemoth only gained power from our fruitless attempts at self-defense. "Resistance is futile," was buzzing in our ears.

In a desperate attempt to rid ourselves of the beast, we sprinted for our lives.

Tragically, our legs were no match for horsefly wings.

Not to be outdone, we slammed on the brakes and he flew right by.

Only we had to keep walking on the same sidewalk and he was waiting.

I don't know how we escaped. Maybe one of our flailing limbs actually connected for a stunning blow or perhaps he was merely out for public humiliation this day. Or did the sadistic little bloodsucker deem us unworthy?

Whatever it was, we didn't slow down and we didn't look back.

Exploring the Devil's Hopyard

2005-08-09T16:28:00.000-04:00

Chapman Falls

Last weekend we went to Devil's Hopyard to do a bit of exploration and picture taking. Jay had already been on his own but it was the first time for me. (Click on the photo to the right to see some other pictures I took while there.)

Apparently, it's one of those places where people have forgotten the origin of the name, much like the nickname Hoosier.

We had a beautiful day and just when we got hungry, we stumbled upon a berry patch. I know you're not supposed to eat the things you find in the woods but they were too gorgeous to pass up. Jay did the courageous thing and tasted them first to make sure they weren't poisonous.

Do You Know the Way?

2005-08-05T14:26:00.000-04:00

There always has to be something about a new place that makes you miss the old one.

In the case of Connecticut vs. Dallas, it's the road system. I know that you may be wondering how anything in Connecticut could be more horrific than driving in bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic on I-635. But when you're sitting on I-635 and you see that you are at exit 12 and you know that your exit -- your gateway to freedom -- is exit 15 then you can say to yourself "Only three more miles."

You know this because Texas, like most other states in the Union (for once), uses a mile-marker based exiting system. Sadly, Connecticut has not seen the wisdom of this method.

So, when you've been driving for something like 13 or 14 hours from Indiana to Connecticut and you pass mile marker 21, there can be no "only-2-more-miles-to-my-exit" elation. Instead, when you pass exit 16 at mile marker 27, you start to get a little angry. And not just because after 14 hours in a car, everything makes you angry. But because you deserve to know how much longer you will be driving along on I-91 without the aid of a fancy GPS system. Who cares if this is the 16th exit since I've entered Connecticut?

Regrettably, the sequentially-numbered exits were only the beginning of our Connecticut road woes.

Once you leave the highway, the hunt for road signs begins. It would seem that large, clearly discernable road signs would somehow mar the New England charm of the place. Because what's more charming than having to turn around several times because you didn't realize you were on Main St., since nowhere was it labeled Main St.?

Recently, we were trying out a new way to Target which involved turning left on 2 Rod Highway. This was the trip where we learned that roads change names frequently. While we were wondering why a road would be named "Hang Dog," we should have realized that on the other side of the street it was also called 2 Rod Highway. We didn't make it to Target in under 10 minutes.

The two times we've gone to Buckland Hills we've been unable to leave it without having to turn around at least once. Partly because the entrance ramp to I-84 is marked only by a One-Way sign, pointing the other way.

Speaking of road signs, this is one of my favorites.

Stop Bush (Dallas, TX)

Serenity Now!

2005-08-05T02:24:00.000-04:00

A new Serenity trailer is available at the movie's web site or from QuickTime. I'm giddy with excitement!

I had to get out the Firefly DVD's and revel in the genius that is Joss Whedon (War Stories to be specific). Which reminded me that I haven't kept up with my X-Men reading and that sadly, Rubén and his cache of comic books are no longer a mere 45 minutes away. I miss you, my friend.

Ode to IKEA

2005-08-01T00:48:00.000-04:00

Jay and I visited the IKEA store in New Haven today. Normally, I hate shopping. The fluorescent lights and Muzak send spasms of pain up and down my spine.

Why are these people walking so slowly? Why is that woman trying to get me to take a survey? Why is there nothing in my size? Why do they think this crappy music will make me buy more stuff?

In contrast to your average American shopping mall, IKEA is a feast for your senses. The store is divided into two floors. The top floor is mostly devoted to individual showrooms. You get to wander through kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, and bedrooms all designed in different styles and different price ranges. IKEA is all about the helpfulness. Shopping bags, pencils, maps, and measuring tapes are all available around the store to ease your shopping stress.

Hungry? Why not try some Swedish dishes at our reasonably priced cafeteria?

The lower floor is where you pick up the things that you selected from the showrooms. But before you get to the furniture warehouse, you must first traverse the gauntlet of Extremely Cool Stuff for Next-to-Nothing Prices. This is when having Jay along really helps because he's able to keep things in perspective. Apparently, just because something is only $7.99 and it used to be $34.99, doesn't mean you need it. Did you know that you can make ice cubes in the shapes of arrows?

We did purchase two items for our apartment. A five-shelf bookcase and a small table, both for only $19 a piece. Oh yeah and some licorice boats because nobody makes black licorice like the Swedes.

The Trek East

2005-07-28T00:56:00.000-04:00

The four most common ways of getting into an accident:

1.) Not making wide enough turns
2.) Backing up without someone guiding you
3.) Going through the McDonald's drive-thru
4.) Following too closely

Well, here are your keys. Good luck!

Total Mileage: 1801.42

Oklahoma Wild Flowers

Gateway to the West

Refueling

Pennsylvania -- Mountains, Construction, and Big Rigs.

It takes talent to be this clumsy

2005-07-26T00:16:00.000-04:00

Jay and I walked to the Connecticut River today. It's a little over two miles round trip. You have to go across the road, through the cemetery, up the hill, down the hill, and over the railroad tracks.

After the railroad tracks there is a steep descent down the riverbank. We used some exposed tree roots as a sort of stairway/ladder system in order to make it down to the water. Once on leveler ground we found a sturdy rock from which to watch the river traffic.

As the wake of a passing cabin cruiser lapped against our rock, I noticed the waves getting higher and higher. Sadly, I decided to move only as one finally crested over my shoes, making my sturdy perch slippery and perilous. Perhaps if I had realized the outcome, I would have simply let my shoes get wet.

Instead I shifted my weight to stand, launching my feet down the slippery surface as I haphazardly tumbled toward the water. Luckily, I was able to flail around enough to get a foot down and grab the top of the rock before getting completely dunked.

"But what of your walk companion?" you might ask. "Didn't he heroically try to pluck you from the river?"

No, he was too busy laughing.

And by tumbled I mean slipped clumsily into the drink.

Sea Gulls, Wendy, and Randy

2005-07-25T16:50:00.000-04:00

Sea Gulls, Wendy, and Randy
Originally uploaded by fragglejill.

I visited Wendy and Randy in Lakemoor, IL on my great trek East. Wendy and I played 7 games of Trivial Pursuit (3-3-1) and had wonderful hours long chats.

We also went on several jaunts around the area, including Lake Michigan and Chain o' Lakes State Park.

These are some of the pictures I took.

Bird Feeder Frustrations

2005-07-24T21:17:00.000-04:00

So far there are only two bird feeders -- a small hummingbird feeder suction-cupped to the window and a nylon sock full of thistle seed dangling from a nearby branch. So far there have been no birds. A goldfinch dropped by a neighboring tree but despite all my encouragment, decided to ignore the bulging white sack of bird feed only one tree over. I think he did so out of pure malevolence.

In the building across the way, an older gentleman has constructed his own bird nirvana. Blue jays, cardinals, goldfinches . . . the man has them all. He also has a ground floor apartment that sits next to the wooded area. We, however, are trying to lure birds to our second floor windows, apparently, a much less frequented bird destination. Tomorrow, I'll be sprinkling some bird seed on the ground and maybe even playing some bird calls out the window. If that doesn't work I might just stick a fake bird on the feeder and pretend.