Saying yes...

FYI... (non-blogging w/bonus photo)

No, I've got no time, but here's a photo... of my office window... looking out at the new bird feeder that is attracting all sorts of leetle birds... which are then attracting my neighbor's cat. Pffft. As bimler said on FB... it looks like I've got a cat feeder.

The animal feeder (rabbits are loving the stuff that falls on the ground) is filled with a "gourmet blend" for teeny-tiny birds... On Wednesday, I had my first real life encounter with an Indigo Bunting. I took a photo... through the screen... with my cell phone. It looked like crap and will not be posted. If you have not seen an Indigo Bunting... I hope at some point you do. It's like seeing a Blue Raspberry Slurpy flying around! It's like nothing should be that blue in nature and be REAL! But it was. It was glorious.

OK... back to no time...

 

“Be grateful for luck. Pay the thunder no mind - listen to the birds. And don't hate nobody.”

We had plenty of luck this past week... but none when it came to seeing thunder. I heard thunder (he sounded nicer than his political posts would have you believe)... but I did not see thunder. I guess that's right. You see lightning... but you will not see thunder... even if you're only 10 freaking miles away...  because your 21st Century technology will fail you. Thunder will be lurking... waiting for you, but you will go hurtling past.

I was also in the vicinity of BG... had I been doing this trip again, I would plan differently, remembering all of the people who might be in my path. Oh well.

A random sampling of quotes from the past week???

(this one to be said in very dry, ironic tones) "Wow... two first in 24 hours... an Applebee's and a thud toilet." -- EL

"Who wants to pull over for a ham/pickle roll-up and a Coke??" -- Grizzled

"Fuck Cabin John Parkway!!!" -- Grizzled and Jennifer... many times...

Blogging may or may not resume.

 

Too good not to share...

h/t Karla

Notice: Closed by Mental Health Dept. due to spring fever...

Someone asked me if I was so undone by the passing of Davy Jones that I could no longer post. :) No, that's not the case. Life has been calling in other directions and I've had little time or inclination to put stuff up here other than filler. While the occasional filler is ok... like breadcrumbs in a meatball... I found the blog was slowly being turned into a Pink Slime factory. Best to put it on pause.

Enjoy the weather!!!

Breaking a Sweat for Von...

Inspired by Substance's comment at Kathleen's... Kathleen, who is not breaking a sweat by training...

Tuesday YouTubing

Woke up with this in my head this morning... although I think there's a reasonable explanation. I woke up in the middle of the night, and so as not to disturb the gently snoring Grizzled, I moved to the couch where I preceeded to watch/sleep to To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar...

For Von :-P

Update: Yes, this was up yesterday, as a joke response to Ms. Y-Von's post... and then a familiar email troll showed up. I wasn't up for that and took it down. But you know what?? We're heading into a good old fashioned blizzard and today I say, fuck it. Bring it on.

Human Gears

During the past few weeks I have been viewing myself and my Eldest Lamblet like gears... As the Wikipedia definition of the animation to the left says: "Two meshing gears transmitting rotational motion. Note that the smaller gear is rotating faster. Although the larger gear is rotating less quickly, its torque is proportionally greater." My lamblet definitely rotates faster than I do these days, but my larger rotations still get more work done and push her further ahead.

The Eldest Lamblet is leaving this week for an 18 day trip to the UK. Getting her ready has been interesting... While she's been excited and has had some of her own prep work to do, the majority of the work so far has fallen to Grizzled or me... the grunt work, the prep work, the foundation laying... all of the stuff she might take for granted. All of those things that kids this age still expect to just happen, or don't realize need to happen at all.

Up until this point in her life, we've often been her pack mules. We're been her PDA. We're the ones who have regularly let her know that the five minutes left until departure is indeed a finite amount of time and that there are only so many things you can do during that five minutes so best to do the majority of the things before the final 5 minutes. She doesn't believe us, but she'll soon find out, when she doesn't have me counting down the number of minutes left and reminding her where she set down the items she most needed to take with her. Yes,  she'll soon be without her reminders (in her defense, she's an extremely responsible kid about many things).

I'm thrilled for her. I knew this trip was right up her alley the first time I heard about it. I knew she was mature enough to appreciate all that was being offered, but she's still a teenager, a young teenager. No matter how old the soul, the body is still being held captive by teenage cells. Getting her ready and encouraging her participation in the more mundane aspects has been like pushing a cooked noodle. I also believe it is what will allow me to put her on the plane... I will ignore the fact that I am sending my babe away from my side... not just to summer camp, but across an ocean. I will ignore this because her departure will mean our job is finished, all items on the huge to-do list have been crossed off. Grizzled and I will have set her up the best we could, the rest will be up to her and the well-oiled machine she is traveling with... another set of large gears... 

Another thought that will allow me to put her on that plane is that I can't wait to see who comes home. She's wonderful as is and never ceases to amaze me, but I can't wait to meet the person who will be getting off that plane.

Moving Forward

Update below:

I've got absolutely nothing to say, I'm as busy as sin right now, but this spot was looking forlorn and dusty...

I had one of my usual stress dreams last night... being on or in a vehicle that was out of control, except this time while it was, I wasn't... my vehicle morphed between being a car and a bike and both were flying through streets, paths, and places where they shouldn't have been, but they were handling wonderfully. At one point, while in the car, I looked down to see that I was doing well above the speed limit, the tank was on empty, but it was too much fun. I decided to hell with the gauges and kept on going. When the car finally came to a stop, it turned into a bike and I kept on going. This was the first fun stress dream I've had in a long time. 

It's a new year, my tank is pretty empty from the holidays, and yet I think I'll keep on going.

Hey, ZRM... you mentioned lots of art in the new year. I fully agree. What's next on the challenge list?? 

Update:

ZRM- Ever-helpful fish has suggested that we do a watercolor of a loved one... stranger the better... no holds barred... it's up to you to decide whether you do your strangest w/c or choose your strangest loved one... or strangest w/c of your strangest loved one. What do you say?? I'm in. I hope you'll come play.

I asked fish to join as well figuring he'd be a master at the wet on wet technique, but he refrained. Pfffft. Anyone else feeling watercolory??

Off for awhile...

Other things are demanding my time...such as *despidering* the blog facilities... which is probably a good thing. Happy New Year to everyone! Those of you getting to 2010 before I do, please send winning lotto numbers (sans spiders)!