for all those weirdos who don't read my husband (oaksong)'s journal, I have a little announcement...

I'm pregnant!

unfortunately I'm also suffering from an abundance of morning sickness (or as I like to say, every freaking time of the day sickness) which is why I haven't really been all that active the last couple of months. (it's sad, Bill actually bought me my own special little bucket that I take from room to room with me in case of a puke emergency)

we don't know the due date yet, I have a really messed up menstrual cycle so going by my last period is unreliable. we have an appointment with the obgyn on the 14th of July for the official examination, and we should know by then. Rough estimates put it around mid January though.

ok, time for my nap. (oh yeah, pregnancy has turned me into a cat, I sleep 12 hours, get up, eat, go back fro a nap, get up for lunch, go back for a nap, and then maybe stay up for a little bit before going to bed. but you know when I'm asleep is like the only time I'm not feeling sick. :( )

Tags: baby, heads up, health
Current Mood: chipper

Bill and I just got back from the most awesome weekend ever.

in which we attended the wedding of riki_kiki_taco me as co-maid of honor and he as sexy in a suit guy.
the wedding was awesome and about 500 times more festive than mine, (mostly due to the fact that Lee's family REALLY likes to dace, and that over half those in attendance were Oswego alumni) the fun included a rousing game of volleyball with the bride in her wedding dress, and me getting all weepy over their first dance. also, Bill and I got plenty of slow dancing in, he rocks. Bill also took like 5000 pictures, and will posting them eventually so keep an eye out.

then today before heading home Bill took me out on a date at the Rosemont Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park. where we spent hours wandering around checking out all the cool critters and taking pictures and just plain enjoying ourselves. we even watched feeding time at the penguin exhibit.

then we headed home.

and we found a new birds nest on out bathroom window. no eggs yet, but none the less, awesome!

like I said, awesome weekend. now I need to go collapse.

Tags: friends, holidays
Current Mood: tired

On Thursday my Grandpa Homan died.

it wasn't exactly sudden, he had been failing for a while, then Monday he became non responsive and they rushed him to the ER. on Wednesday evening the took him off life support and Thursday morning he was gone.

even when you are expecting it, it's hard.

on Friday Bill and I drove up to Carthage to see the rest of the family that had come up, but a lot of them had gone out shopping, so we missed them.

today is the calling hours, and we'll be going. I really want to see my Uncle Tom, he was in Syracuse picking up Uncle Kevin from the airport yesterday.

you can see the obituary here

Tags: family
Current Mood: sad

calling all Wavy gravy Ice Cream fans.

I'm working on putting together a copycat recipe for the ice cream that my husband describes as "it tastes like god would taste if you made it into an ice cream"

so far I have the description from Ben & Jerry's flavor graveyard, and a general idea as to how to proceed, but I need more info:
I need to know what it tasted like to you, more cashew or more Brazil nut? lots of caramel, or not very much? how many roasted almonds were in it? was it overwhelmingly fudgy, or was there only a modest amount of swirl?

once I start making test batches I will need testers, if you live close enough and used to love Wavy Gravy let me know and I'll pass some along.
(please! Bill and I should not be eating a lot of ice cream! although I will warn you, the ingredients are not cheap, so I don't know how many batches I will be able to afford to make)

Tags: food, heads up
Current Mood: hungry

i have a couple of people on my FList who may be interested by this:

several ways to treat a thunder(or storm) phobic dog

Tags: heads up, links, pets
Current Mood: cheerful

a while ago I challenged bunnykissd to a week of figure drawing. and we both came out alive and with better drawing skills.
as a reward we sent each other ATCs, and this week, Bill and I finally framed ours.

as usually, totally NSFW

Current Mood: chipper

For those who don't know, my friend riki_kiki_taco is getting married, and I'm a bridesmaid (payback, I'm sure, since she was my maid of honor)

A month or so ago I ordered the bridesmaid's dress and it finally came in. I tried it on last week and nearly cried.

You see, when they measured me I was exactly on for one size, but they always say to order a little bigger than what you measure, due to sizing weirdness. So I ordered the next size up.
Well, when I tried it on it fit perfectly from the waist down, YAY!

But I could have fit a whole other person into the gaping space at the bust. BOO!
I swear to god, the dress was at least a good six inches past my bust and I'm not all that small, I wear a D cup! It was horrible!
Bill jokes I could have padded my bra with a couple of basketballs and still had room, and he wasn't far off.

In a panic I called Lillean's Alterations in Watertown and took it in. through shear luck I managed to get the same woman who made my wedding dress for me, this woman is magic with a sewing machine, so I began to feel a little better. (Although she did nearly laughed when I came out of the dressing room wearing the dress :( )

Anyways after pinning off a good two to four inches on each side, the dress began to actually look like a dress again. I go in next week with the strapless bra for fine tuning and then I can take it home!

(By the way Momo, everybody in the shop while I was trying it on commented on how nice the dress looked (once it was pinned) and I do have to admit, it looks really awesome!, you are like, the best bride ever! Oh yeah, and Inga wants to know if you want us to use the straps that came with the dress or no? She says she can make it fit better with straps, but you are the bride.)

Tags: bodywork, friends, looks
Current Mood: amused

AKA geographile

I know you've mentioned geocaching before, but hove you heard of earthcache?

it sounds like something that would be right up your alley.

Tags: geocaching, heads up

A week or so ago I was wandering around the web looking at other peoples art, and I noticed a lot of talk about ATCs and ACEOs (Artist Trading Cards and Art Cards, Editions and Originals)

(  Essentially it goes like this: )



What do you all think?
Do you guys have any opinions or thoughts on the matter?
Anybody wanna trade?

Tags: art
Current Mood: curious

This week has gone pretty well on the art end of things.
I was given the wrong date for the watercolour class, it actually doesn’t start until tomorrow. But I still got plenty of drawing in, and some painting too!

This last week I got a 40% off coupon to Borders and found this really interesting book Drawing Words and Writing Pictures its all about comics. It takes an in depth look at comics terminology, materials, scaling, getting published how to write good stories, how to frame the action, a little about how to draw, and a lot of other really interesting things, like a whole chapter on inking with a brush, and another on using pen.

I read through it in about 3 days. The book is really laid out to be used like a text book (although it's not nearly as dry and boring as most textbooks) and covered a 15 week semester. It's really opened my eyes to a lot of interesting methods of making comics, and I see all the web comics (and comics in the newspaper) that I read in a whole new light.

After reading I tried my hand a little one panel comic. And then promptly decided that while in understood most of the principles in the book, I really needed to get better at drawing things from head before I went much further, because, frankly I suck, and it was annoying me.

I've decided to start concentrating on figure studies with my daily sketching for a while, so that I can really get the human for ingrained in my mind. Once I get a little better I may someday start my own little comic. It's something that has been bopping around the back of my mind for a while now.

After I found out that the watercolour class wasn't until tomorrow, I was a little sad. But after a while I decided to pull out my paints and paper and play a little, just to get a feel for things.
I've been reading a lot about ATCs and ACEOs (artist trading cards, and art cards originals and editions) and have a pot about them I plan on making later this week. Suffice it to say for now, that they are little mini (3.5 x 2.5) works of art. And it struck me as a neat idea, and a great way for me to try out new things without the worry of wasting a lot of materials or time.

So I've been playing around with those and have come up with some very pleasing little paintings!

Which also got me to thinking about using my art to make greeting cards and prints and the like. I know of at least one artist that does a special painting every year and get a bunch of greeting cards made up from it to send out for Christmas, and then she sells the leftovers. And I really like the idea of something like that. And I figure if I can make a little extra cash from it, all the better!

So I've been looking around at places to get art prints made, and to get pictures put on greeting cards. I especially like this idea because (hopefully) come Christmas, bill and I will be pretty far away from our families, and it would be super awesome to be able to make something special like a custom Christmas card to send out.

Ok, enough rambling, on to ( this week's highlights: )
and as always if you want to see everything I've done this week, check out my deviant art page, or my flickr set.

Pretty uneventful and boring week over all.

I played around with colour a little bit more, but not much else. I did spend some time researching water colour paints in preparation for my class tomorrow. I now have a pad of water colour paper, a set of brushes, a palette, and a set of water colour paste and a set of dry water colours.

Besides that, this week has been rather uneventful drawing wise. I'm still practicing, and drawing, but not much progress to speak of.

If you go to me deviant art page, or my flickr set you will notice that there are two days missing.

I've been having trouble getting inspired and deciding what to draw lately, and I have been very unhappy with the results when I force myself. So I decided that if I really just could not decide on a subject to draw that I shouldn't force myself. I don't want this to become something I dread.

That's not to say I haven't practiced drawing in some way on that day. On Thursday I practiced shading with a pencil and getting a wide variety of tones using different techniques, and I also practiced some hatching and cross hatching with a ball point pen to see how it acted compared to the ultra fine point sharpie I've been using. And yesterday I did a lot of doodling, mostly silly little cartoon birds that I just didn't feel like scanning in and posting. I'm working on being more free and spontaneous with my sketching, and right now, everything just looks too close to what other people do for me to feel comfortable posting it.

( without any further ado, the highlights: )

Tags: art
Current Mood: calm

tomorrow will be the fifth anniversary of our first date, so Bill and I got all dressed up and went to the Thailand Thai restaurant to celebrate. (we went there for our first date, and have done for every anniversary since)

in preparation of an upcoming wedding we will be attending, and for grad school interviews, Bill has been spending a lot of time researching men's fashion and acquiring the necessary components. today was his first opportunity to get dressed up, so I just had to take pictures!



( two more under the cut )

Tags: holidays, looks, peektures, platypus
Current Mood: chipper

Good progress this week.

I've been very happy with the majority of the drawings I've made this week, and I think am slowly making more progress.

One problem I am experiencing, though, is the lack of interesting things to draw.

I often put of my daily sketch until late in the evening because I just haven't been able to find something that inspires me.

The weather is getting nicer though, so maybe I'll be able to find more subjects outside.

I also signed up for a water colour class. It starts on the 18th and I've both excited and nervous.
I have this little voice in the back of my mind saying that I'm not a good enough artist to learn how to use water colours and I'm going to go into the class and be constantly frustrating to the teacher and her won't be able to teach me anything.

*sigh.

Bill tells me it won't be so, but it's difficult to get over the self doubt.
But I won't let it stop me from going. I will learn even if I need to take several classes before I'm good enough.

Blah. Ok, if you want to see everything I've done this week, you can check out my flickr set, or go to me deviant art page.
Now, ( on to the highlights! )

Tags: art
Current Mood: tired

Well, the first month of my draw every day resolution has passed with flying colours. (Literally!)

I have now worked my way though Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards and have read almost every book on drawing from my local library (don't be too impressed, it's a small library) over the past month my skills have improved greatly and I am incredibly happy with my progress. I have already met one of my main goals of being able to make embroidery patterns from my drawings. Which has opened a wide world of possibilities and excitement for me, my fingers are itching to embroider more of my own designs.

I still have a long way to go before I'm completely happy; I only just within the last week branched into colour, and only then very tentatively. Pen and ink and made occasional appearances, but that as well need quite a bit of work.

as a way to increase my rate of improvement I am opening up my drawings for constructive criticism and critique. Please, of you want, each week either go to my flicker set, or deviant art gallery and comment on my pictures, tell me what you like, what you don't like, and how you think I can improve. I have one restriction; please only critique the more recent pictures. I have already made great steps, and am all too well aware of the faults of my earlier work, and in most cases have gone paste that, and no longer need somebody else to tell me how to improve them.

Thank you again to everybody who has already begun helping me improves my skill, and thank you in advance to everybody else.

Now go out there, and be brutal, I need it!

( this week's highlights: )

Tags: art
Current Mood: chipper

Another rather slow week on the drawing front.

I tried out a little pen and ink, and rather liked it but I still need a lot of practice. I really wish I could go out and draw outside. Nothing is really appealing to me inside, and pictures just aren't as good as the real thing.

Did a little more pencil work, some good, some not quite so much.

The speed sketching is going ok, I did a lot of practice for that with the pen and ink (sketch in pencil before going over it in ink then adding details and shading) I had a lot of fun with the pen and ink, and want to do more, but like I said, I'm feeling a bit short on inspiration and drawable subjects.

I think I'm just feeling very listless over all. (S.A.D. rears its ugly head)

I signed up for a couple of classes at the library, one in water colour and another just a plain drawing course. These are free (besides materials) so I can take as many as I like.

I won't know if I can take the classes offered at the museum until I teach a class, the museum charges $30-$50 per class, and while there are several that I would really like to take I just can't afford it unless I am able to teach a class myself (I have a stranded color work class coming up on the 7th if anybody is interested! :D) and get paid.

Ah well.
As always, you can see everything I've done this week on my deviant art page or in my flickr sketching journal set

( this weeks highlights (if you can call them that): )

Tags: art
Current Mood: cold

to prove to Bill that it wasn't an Imaginary Cartoon:
one of my favorites, and also one of the weirdest loony toons cartoon out there (and that's saying something)

(the colour on this version isn't the best, but it has the original intro and outro, and better sound quality that the other available version on you tube)

Tags: links, random, sillyweird, tv
Current Mood: silly

this hasn't gotten quite as much hype as Obama's Guantanamo Bay decision, but I think it very rightly deserves a great big FUCK YEAH

a very positive step towards women's rights and women's health both here and around the world.

good going Obama!


(also, I totally need to make, like, a vagina icon or something...)

Tags: links
Current Mood: happy

This week has been rather lackadaisical when it comes to drawing. The second Betty Edwards book wasn't very helpful, and I realized (with Bill's help) that it was because the book was focused more on creative problem solving as a way to increase creativity, but despite my lack of self confidence, I'm already quite creative, and what I really need is more help with techniques.

So for most of this week I've been rather afloat without any idea as to where to go.
I know I need to work on my speed sketching, so I've taken a few tentative steps in that direction, but otherwise I haven't been doing much (although I have managed to draw something every single day so far)

Some techniques I would like to learn more of:

• hatching and cross hatching as a means of shading and adding tone


• speed sketching


• drawing from nature (this one is going to have to wait until spring, it's too frigging cold to leave the house)


• colour


• I have a set of chalk and a set of oil pastels; I want to learn how to use them.


• I LOOOVE the look and flexibility of watercolour, but suck at actually painting.


• charcoal


• pen and ink (this goes back a bit to the hatching and cross hatching, but also to getting the line right the first time, because you can't erase.)

Unfortunately I'm not quite sure how to proceed to learn these skills. Books, while inspiring, haven't been all that helpful of showing me exactly how things are done. I don't want to just jump in and learn later that I've been practicing everything the wrong way.

In the next couple of months, the Hand weaving museum is offering some drawing and painting courses, I think perhaps I will look into taking some.

As always, you can see everything I've done this week on my deviant art page or in my flickr sketching journal set

( Now, onto this week's highlights: )

Tags: art
Current Mood: chipper

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMO!!

Tags: birthdays, friends
Current Mood: bouncy

I finished Drawing on the right side of the brain this week, and over all I'm pretty pleased with my progress. I took Drawing on the Artist within from the library and have started working my way through that.

Right now it's mostly abstract getting in touch with emotions and feelings through drawing stuff, which frankly just doesn't appeal to me, (although some of the ideas of symbolism could come in handy later)

I also took out the sierra clubs guide to sketching in nature which so far seems really neat, and that was one of my main goals. It really makes me wish the weather were warmer so that I could go hiking.

Bill let me loose in Michaels this week, and I bought myself a full set of sketching pencils, some ultra fine point sharpies, a kneedable eraser and some charcoal to play with.

The pencils make shading so much easier, but a regular old #2 has been my main go to so far, I will admit that I am in love with my kneedable eraser, it so totally rocks. I played around with the charcoal, and I like it, but I'm not very good with it, and its super messy, more practice is in order. I like the clean bold lines than pen and ink drawings have, so I also want to play with the a little bit, and I really need a lot of work on crosshatching for shading.

As always, you can see everything I've done this week on my deviant art page or in my flickr sketching journal set

( this weeks highlights: )

Tags: art
Current Mood: hungry

I took your advice and got drawing on the right side of the brain and am slowly working my way through it.

I'm finding it an amazingly helpful book, and am quite pleased with my progress so far.

A few caveats, a lot of her "right brain/left brain" talk is rather unnecessary, and actually mostly pseudoscience. One could easily have taken out the first two chapters and instead plugged in a few paragraphs on visual/special thinking vs. language. But hey, this was originally written in the 60's so what can you expect, and if you take all the pseudoscience stuff with a grain of salt, and pay attention to the lessons and visual/special reasoning, it’s a pretty damned good book to learn from.

Unless you already know a lot about drawing that is. The premise behind a lot of the exercises is to train you into looking at things differently, and as such they tend to have a lot of props and other helpers to get you going, which you practice with a lot, and then eventually drop as you get better, like training wheels on a kids bike. But if you already have a pretty good grasp of what she is trying to teach, the props and exercises can actually make it harder for you to do what already comes naturally.
I've only run into this problem twice so far, the first time was incredibly frustrating, and I was very upset, but once I realized why I was having difficulty, I was able to set aside the props and actually practice a more difficult form of what she was teaching, and further my skills.

Now, without further ado, what I have drawn this week can be found at my sketch journal flickr set or on my deviant art page

( A few of this week's highlights: )

Tags: art
Current Mood: chipper

I'm trying to teach myself to draw.

my long term goals are to be able to sketch the birds and squirrels i see out my window, to paint my adorable pets, and to make line drawings for my embroidery.
the other perks of being able to draw well are nice too.
but I'm a beginner, and learning mostly from library books and drawsketch.about.com and it's slow going.

drawing is the first art/craft I've come to that i have not been at least acceptable if not good at right away, and frankly I'm not used to it, and it's frustrating.

everything I've read says "practice, practice, practice!" and while I'm not used to have to really work at this kind of thing, I'm going to make a go at it.
as part of this I've decided to buy a sketchbook and starting on the first, draw something, anything, every single day. it's probably not going to be much at first, but we'll see. I'd ideally like to try something new at least once a month, (preferably week) and eventually work my way through pencil, charcoal, colored pencils/crayons, pen and ink, and watercolors. and i really would like my drawings to be more spontaneous, quick, and confident and less slow and labored (yet still good!)

the other part is you, deviant art and Flickr.
no matter how horrible or small my daily drawing journal entry may be, I am going to post it for the whole world to see, and hopefully offer up some encouragement and constructive criticism (and maybe a little obligational pressure to actually keep to my resolution.)

so wish me luck, and please be gentile!

(if yyou are on either deviant art or flickr, feel free to friend me or whatever.)

Tags: art, artsycraftsy, links
Current Mood: determined

yesterday my grandmother's cat, Rusty, decided that the new wok dad got for mom would make the perfect place to sit and watch the holiday festivities.
of course we had the camera ready...

hay teal_cuttlefish, these guys should be right up your alley. (although, there don't seem to be any teal ones yet.)

Tags: heads up, links
Current Mood: calm

I just finished making Paneer
(it's pressing right now)

so that later tonight Bill can make Mattar Paneer for dinner.

yum, yum, yum!

Tags: food, links, recipes
Current Mood: excited

or something...

this weekend Bill and I will be attending the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck NY.

we hope to leave Friday afternoon, and will be gone until Sunday night.

for more info, and some identifying accessories if you think you'll be there, check out my knitting blog

Tags: heads up, knitting, links, spinning

Esme taking a catnap before dinner

Tags: peektures, pets
Current Mood: hungry

our neighbors are cooking corned beef has for breakfast.

Esmerelda can smell it, and has - understandably - confused it for gooshyfood

so now she keeps trying to sneak into the bedroom (where the smell is the strongest) to try and find it.

Tags: pets
Current Mood: cold

yesterday Bill and I finished our errands early, so we decided to head out to the Zoo to kill some time before dinner.

we had a great time, and you can see tons of pictures I took here

but I think my favorite part of our visit was when Bill got llama kisses:

Tags: critters, nature, outside, peektures
Current Mood: chilly

on the way to the car after work today bill and i spotted this truck:



now, that wasn't the coolest part (although it was pretty cool)

the coolest part was who was in the passenger seat:



yep, it's an airship pirate kitty.

Tags: critters, outside, peektures, sillyweird
Current Mood: silly
What's Playing?: Abney Park - Airship Pirates

After thinking about it for a while, and talking with Bill, I've finally decided.

I'm going to write a book.

Nothing big or fancy, just a simple little cook book.

Specifically, a muffin cook book based on my experience at the coffee house.
After months of experimenting, I've put together a rather large and varied assortment of muffin recipes. With Bill's encouragement I'm writing everything up and once that is done I will seek out a publisher or two to decide my fate.

As a little teaser I thought I might post this recipe that I made today at work.

( Ginger Scones )
(Note: if you are mactavish you will want to double the ginger amounts, but if you are most anybody else, this should be plenty ginger-y)

Tags: bookworm, food, recipes
Current Mood: hungry

Bill and I recently got the first disc of the Muppet show from Netflix. and besides manamana i think this is my favorite sketch:

Tags: happyears, links, sillyweird, tv
Current Mood: silly

Last Saturday, Bill and I got to watch a most awesome performance by the incredibly talented kingofthewho.

Over a week gone and I'm only just now getting around to posting, I suck.

A month or so ago, dancingwriter announce that they would be in my area on vacation and she and kingofthewho were wondering if there were any venues that kingofthewho might display his musical and storytelling talents. I, of course working at a coffeehouse that routinely hosted local musical talent did a pretty good Arnold Horshack impersonation in my excitement.

kingofthewho and dancingwriter were wonderful, and the performance was simply amazing! Lots of storytelling of old Celtic myths (he does a very good eagle impression btw.), and some awesome music. Bill and I bought his new CD and have played it almost every day since. (The round thing, and blood of summer are my favorites.)

The night ended far too soon, but we are hopeful that we will have the chance to listen to another wonderful night of song and story next year; I just wish we lived closer so we could hang out with them more often.

(I took a picture to commemorate the night, but my photography skills suck, and it's quite blurry :( )

Tags: friends, happyears
Current Mood: chipper

This past week, Bill and I ventured out to Watertown to go to the Jefferson County Fair

( lots of pictures ahead )

Tags: critters, extrovert, knitting, peektures
Current Mood: chipper

many of you may have already seen this over on Bill's journal, but i want to make sure everybody sees it, because this guy is just amazing.

Arthur Hinds ([info]kingofthewho ), whom you may know from the most awesome Pagan Celtic band Emerald Rose, will be performing here in Clayton on July 26th at the Lyric Coffee House (where I work)!

Parts North

If you'll be anywhere near the area then, you have to come listen to the most excellent Mr Hinds! Bill and I will be there, we wouldn't miss it for anything.

Tags: happyears, heads up
Current Location: 13624
Current Mood: excited

today Bill and I played "Stink Fight!"

a really amusing and cool game from the inside of a box of "leapin' lemurs" cereal from envirokidz (the lemur cereal doesn't show up on their web site fro some reason, but it's peanut butter and cocoa puffs, very yummy.)

the story behind the game is that sometimes in the wild, lemurs will fight by rubbing their scent all over their tails and then having a sort of stinky sword fight.

I was amused.

Tags: food, games, sillyweird
Current Mood: silly

IT'S NOT BROKEN!!!!

:: does the happy dance :: (gently)

went to the Orthopedic group today for the follow up on my arm and ankle.

doc says my ankle needs to stay in the brace for another 3-ish weeks, and I will need PT to strengthen everything up.
but that my elbow is not broken!
yayay!

he says I have loose ligaments and wider range of motion than normal, and that was why the ER doc was worried, but there was nothing on my ex-rays, so I'm good to go.

it's still sore, and I have to be really careful with it. but no cast and I can go back to work on Thursday! WOOT!

Tags: owies
Current Mood: jubilant

why?

oh, because I'm a huge dork and klutz and managed to fall while leaving work today and sprain my ankle and (possibly) break my elbow.

the sad thing was that the injury that hurt the worst at the time was the tiny little scrape on my knee.
that was promptly trumped by my elbow as they took x-rays, and my ankle as I tried to walk into the house when I got home.

I have happy meds (Tylenol + codeine) and need to make an appointment to have my elbow re x-rayed on Monday.
(re x-rayed? yes, because of the swelling they couldn't get a good look to see the break, so I have to get more pictures taken once the swelling goes down)


so all in all I had an interesting day.

Tags: owies
Current Mood: drained

as i was just sitting here surfing the web I suddenly heard an eagle call, followed by a goose, some sparrows and finally a blue jay and grackle and another eagles call, all coming from the eaves above the front door.


there are starlings nesting there.
it's kinda surreal.

Tags: critters
Current Mood: weird

last night Bill's Mom gave me a bunch of lilacs from the garden.

the house smells very strongly of lilacs now.

I'm in heaven.

Tags: glamour, nature
Current Mood: bliss

you know what sucks?
finding a tick on you after a really nice hike.

know what sucks even more? finding the tick on you in the middle of the night after said hike.

and even more suckey than that? not being able to sleep afterwords because your brain keeps freaking out about creepy crawlies, and imagining more ticks and the potential awfulness that ticks bring.

know what doesn't suck but is really awesome?
having a husband who after you wake him up over said tick, gets up, removes it, administers to you wound and then does his groggy best to comfort and reassure you even though he needs to get up early in the morning for work.

Tags: nature, owies, platypus
Current Mood: twitchy

ok people, you know what day it is!



usual disclaimer: f-bomb, total NSFW

attention riki_kiki_taco, ourika, and bunnykissd &co.
as well as anybody else in my ares who I forgot.

my boss has told me that this summer I will be having Sundays off.

summer + weekends = Renaissance festival!!!

yayay!!
::flails like Kermit ::

we will most likely only be able to make one trip, but that should be enough.

anybody wanna come with?

Tags: friends, heads up
Current Location: 13624
Current Mood: jubilant

the weather has finally turned nice around here and we have been able to open the windows.

this of course, makes Esme incredibly happy, and busy.
she has spent the last two days running between bedroom and living room window watching birds, neighbors and neighbors dogs.

today she looked so content and relaxed in her new favorite spot that i decided to take some videos:

( cat on windosill, two videos, not all that riveting, but incredibly cute. )

Tags: peektures, pets, weather
Current Mood: content

on the way home from a meeting with my boss tonight i decided to drive by the river and the sunset was very pretty, so I took some pictures:

( see? )

Tags: outside, peektures
Current Mood: sleepy

it is really and truly spring now!

about the beginning of march the ice breaker went through the St. Lawrence and ships have been coming and going along the narrow path.

but only just recently has the rest of the mighty river begun breaking up. which mean it finally is spring. (even if it is still pretty chilly out)

the view from the benches at Frink park. you can see it's clearing up nicely along the seaway, and the ice burgs are bumping around around the shoreline



the little (and big) ice floats look so pretty

Tags: nature, outside, peektures
Current Mood: cheerful

today Bill and I went to Wellesley island to go for a hike.
the weather finally was warm enough and there was no rain. and frankly we were going stir crazy.

things are just beginning to thaw and melt up there. there is still quite a bit of snow on the trails. but there is also a lot of melting and running water.

several times we cam to parts of the trail that were flooded and there were quite a few impromptu steams.

at one point we came to a spot were water was flowing towards us from both ends of the trail and diverting of to the side towards a small bay nearby. the running water over the leaves was very pretty, and the resulting curls and rivulets when we stired up the mud was kinda pretty. so I took a picture:



I also took some videos today. the first one is of the muddy stream an the next to are of a spot where the ground was covered with a layer of ice, but there was water flowing along the ground, UNDER the ice, making weird/cool shadows and movements.

( vids )

Tags: nature, outside, peektures
Current Mood: chipper

we just got back from picking up Stacy and WOW!

I hadn't realized how loud and crappy she was getting until it was all gone. she drives like a dream, is so quiet that I for got I had her on. it's awesome!

Bill says the only problem is that we have to brake sooner now, since we cant just coast to a stop letting the friction of everything that was wrong with her slow her down. :p

Bill did taxes this morning, and our refund should more than cove the costs, so even that isn't too terrible.

YAYAYAYAYAY!!!

Tags: vroom
Current Mood: jubilant

owies

the guy from the garage just called about Stacy.
there was A LOT more wrong than I expected

on top of the tune up, oil change, and rim replacement there was:

*the right front speed sensor is gone
*the solenoid and oxygen things are way off (emissions, which means, if I got inspected, I wouldn't pass)
*the muffler and tailpipe are swiss cheese
*brakes? what brakes?
and
*i need new belts

parts (full warenty, top quality) and labor all told: $1521.50

*heavy sigh*

Tags: vroom
Current Mood: crappy