Eeeeeuw

Dropped a brand new packet of dental floss in the dog water dish tonight. Total loss.

In other dog/floss related news, left a packet of floss on the counter the other night only to find empty container on the floor come morning. Am watching dogs closely for any signs of distress... they are so stupid. They will eat anything. Hope waits for us to take the baby to bed at night so she can plunder the countertops and highchair tray undisturbed.

In other news... washed cars Saturday in what felt like gale force winds, it was cold and windy but sunny so it seemed like a good idea until about halfway through. Then, not so much... Yesterday cleaned out interiors of garbage, toys, sippy cups, etc. -- found 7 sippy cups between the two cars, 6 of them in my car. So that's where they all went! Then I had time to vacuum out my car, and took the time to do super thorough job, under/between all the seats, etc. Even put up the 3rd row of seats so I could get under them. I amaze me. I even cleaned the interior surface of the windows and cleaned all the spilled latte' spots off anyplace I could find them. Go, me!

It was all very worthwhile for just the sheer pleasure of having a very clean vehicle once again, but made doubly so by finding the lost key-card to a friend's condo building. I used it to get in while I was cat sitting and then it just disappeared. I looked everywhere and thought I was going to go clean out of my mind. It must have fallen out of my coat pocket and down between the seat and center console... whew! It was quite satisfying to race into the house and call her to tell her. Yay!

Our chickens are laying eggs like mad. The extended molt they went through really bummed me out, I thought they wouldn't lay anymore, but now I'm pretty sure they are all laying. I find 3 or 4 eggs per day, so I think one of them is a bit sporadic, as we have four banties. Still, the eggs are starting to accumulate. French toast! Tapioca pudding! Mmmmm!

The new bunny is doing fine, I will clean cages tomorrow and take some photos while I'm at it. She still sneezes but doesn't seem sick, maybe she just has allergies to dust? I notice she does it after rooting around in her food dish sometimes, maybe that's it. I gave her antibiotics twice a day for two weeks, and she seems all right so I guess we'll just keep an eye on her.

It's not exciting news like some people have, but that's all I have to report. :)

6 Things That Make Me Unique

Courtesy of yellojkt, who did not tag me but merely listed it on his blog. I'm not tagging anyone because I hate that kind of pressure.

1. I have put on my left shoe first since I badly, badly sprained my left ankle in the 8th grade. Every. Single. Time. I do not put the baby's shoes on left-side-first, because I am not completely psychotic. But my own, yes.

2. One of my legs is longer than the other and my back is slightly twisted because I had a bone graft in my leg as a wee toddler. Spent 7 months in a long cast and 2 months in a short cast. My mother, who is a total saint, donated part of her hipbone to bridge the gap left when part of my left tibia was removed due to a tumor. And then she had to change my diapers while I waved an unwieldy and potentially dangerous cast in her face, for months and months. Bone grafts really take off in babies, and photos of me from a year or two later show my left kneecap riding almost completely offset above my right. As I grew up it sort of evened out but I'm a little crooked and always failed the scoliosis screenings in junior high. I still can't carry a bag on my right shoulder, it slides right off, and when I had my leathers custom-made at Langlitz they cut the jacket to accomodate this slight, yet charming, imperfection. :)

3. I like pickled beets to the point of insanity. They are like candy...

4. When I visit foreign countries I like to buy toothpaste to use at home as a reminder of my trip.

5. I studied in Moscow when it was still a communist countryj (and was hungover most of the time).

6. I have had every single one of my limbs in a cast at some point or another, some more than once.

Snow!

So it snowed four inches yesterday between 5am and 5pm. For us, that's a lot of snow. I took the baby out in it twice, and thanked my parental instincts (more like shopaholic ways) for getting snow bibs and mittens for her a while ago when they were on sale. She stayed warm and toasty and played for ages. We live in a pretty flat loop so entertainment mainly centered on mucking around in the snow with shovels and dustpans, helping Aunt Shannon and cousin Thomas make a sort of heapy igloo-ish thing in their driveway, and pulling the kids around on a toboggan. Then after the first round of play I made real homemade hot cocoa with marshmallows and we all got warmed up.

Here's Delia in the igloo:


It's finally starting to melt, slowly, and traffic is starting to be able to move without bashing into things more than usual, so J. went in for a half day. She came home early yesterday when the roads started getting bad.

Best of all, I got to drive to the store! It was a double duty trip: grocery store for chowder fixin's and then mall for WoW expansion software! I put the rig in 4wd-hi and it gave me no trouble at all, just a wee bit of slippage going around one corner. I would not have driven this morning for love nor money, it was like a skating rink out there with the packed snow now frozen to a gloss on the freeways, but yesterday it was just fine as long as you went cautiously. And the snow was falling so prettily... I needed something like this.

Now vast sheets of it are slipping off the porch roof and everything's starting to drip. I hate to see it go, but it was such fun while it lasted. :)

Meme stealing fun!

Okay, I may not have been as tempted to steal these memes but I was named personally in yello's answers so what could I do?!

Meme #1

1. When you buy a greetings card are the words or the picture more important to you?
They are equally important, though a funny picture will win if necessary.

2. What's your favorite kind of cake?
Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, preferably made by my mother.

3. Do you ever make gifts for people, if so what, or do you buy them?
I string necklaces and bracelets and earrings and car charms, also sometimes make little scrapbooky photo albums that are way, way cooler than they sound here.

4. What's your favorite holiday - i.e. Christmas?
Probably Christmas, because I get to see everybody. And gifts! I love them.

5. Are you going on holiday this year? If so, where?
Maybe to the coast or camping or hopefully both.

6. What was the best party you've ever been to?
Years ago we had a party at my house for my friend's birthday. It was huge and so much fun. There was a large, fun mix of people, plenty tequila, etc. Good times!

7. If you are married, describe your wedding. If not, what would your ideal wedding be like?
Wedding #1, small at a UCC church, after which we went for coffee with some of the guests.
Wedding #2, (to same person, read on), in mezzanine lobby of local auditorium when our county decided to issue same-sex marriage licenses. It was really fun. I was 6 and a half months pregnant and was battling a bladder infection, and J. had gotten home late the night before from a business trip. I got up super early and went down to stand in line for the license, and a friend went to get J. and we all waited. I had to fill out the paperwork 3 times because you couldn't make any mistakes and I was so excited I kept writing stuff wrong. Then we went to get another friend to be a witness and we all went to the auditorium, where officials of all types were performing ceremonies for free. We were asked, publicity or non-publicity? We chose non, and next available officiant, and were led through the lobby (all around hearing ceremonies and Mazel Tov! and so forth, flashbulbs going off everywhere) until we got to our official. (Who turned out to be a UCC minister whose brother used to be J's minister years ago. And now we go to his church.) Anyway the guys in front of us needed another witness so I volunteered. Then it was our turn and the guys stuck around to watch, and because I am a total sap and was hormonal besides, I got all choky-uppy and by the time I was done I was crying and dammit, I took 'em all down with me. Not a dry eye in the house. :)

A while later the state supreme court invalidated all the marriages and we got our sixty bucks back. We were one of 3000 couples who got married during all of that.

8. What's the most romantic thing that's ever happened to you?
J gave me beautiful earrings last Christmas (2005) which made me cry.

9. What's your favorite romantic song?
Hmm. Have to think. Probably Dave Matthews "Two Step" which isn't romantic exactly.

10. Favorite heartbreak song?
Lyle Lovett, "North Dakota", or Sting, "Inside"

11. Which celebrity would you like a dream date with?
Angelina Jolie, or Alan Cumming.

12. Which female celebrity do you find beautiful?
Angelina Jolie is the Hottest. Woman. Ever. (I agree with yello here)

13. Which male celebrity do you think is attractive?
Brendan Fraser. George of Jungle look good in Armani! And Alan Cumming, something about him.

14. Describe the kind of underwear you normally wear.
Standard-issue cotton granny panties which do not ride up or otherwise make nuisances of themselves. Sorry to be so boring.... but I do go for bright colors and patterns.

15. If you could be in a television sit-com, which would you choose?
That 70's Show, or Scrubs.

16. Which character would you like to be?
Donna, or JD.

17. What are your favorite boy and girl names?
Boy: Hamish
Girl: Delia

18. What's your supermarket of choice?
Winco for cheapness, Fred Meyer for things other than food, Trader Joe's for fun.

19. What is your best character trait?
I'm funny. And I'm a good friend (I hope).

20. What is your worst habit?
Obsessively playing WoW when I should be doing housework. Also, blogging.

Meme #2

1. Elaborate on your default icon.
No idea what this means.

2. What’s your current relationship status?
Partnered (married in all the important ways) for 7 years.

3. Ever have a near-death experience?
Nearly got t-boned by a semi once going through an intersection, it stopped about 3 inches from my car. Also have nearly been killed on freeways when riding my motorcycle.

4. Name an obvious quality you have.
I’m a natural redhead but you’re gonna have to take my word for it.

5. What’s the name of the song that’s stuck in your head right now?
"The Internet is for Porn!" which sometimes gets combined with "We Are Santa's Elves" from the Rudolph tv special. It then goes something like this: "We are Santa's elves! We stock Santa's shelves! So grab your dick and double click for elves, elves, elves!"

I didn't say it was pretty.

6. Name a celebrity you would marry.
Hmmmm not sure. Marry? kd lang so she would sing to me.

7. Who will cut and paste this meme first?
No idea.

8. Has anyone ever said you look like a celebrity?
Once a woman at the library where I used to work said I looked like somebody in a Gustav Klimt painting. At the time I didn't really know who that was but looking back it was a huge compliment and probably a pick up line. Damn! Hindsight!

9. Do you wear a watch? What kind?
Sometimes, cheesy Timex or (when I get batteries replaced) a Bulova Marine Star.

10. Do you have anything pierced?
Ears, one hole each.

11. Do you have any tattoos?
Many.

12. Do you like pain?
Er, no.

13. Do you like to shop?
Yes! Mmmmmmmmm shopping...

14. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?
Probably a coffee drink.

15. What was the last thing you paid for with your credit card?
Some books off the internet.

16. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone?
J's sister.

17. What is on your desktop background?
This picture:


18. What is the background on your cell phone?
My cellphone is antiquated and does not have pictures or fancy ringtones or music on it.

19. What was the last movie you watched?
Hmmm. Probably "Under the Tuscan Sun" while studying or something.

20. What was the last book you read?
Currently working on "Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction," though I just finished re-reading "The Eyre Affair."

Thus endeth ye memes. Read them and weep. Thanks, yellojkt. :)

Little Bunny, we hardly knew ye.

I'm still in shock.

Little Clem developed diarrhea yesterday; we thought, well, let's not give any fresh fruits or veggies, it's probably just the change in diet and the new surroundings. This morning it was not any better so I thought, I'll call the vet when I get home from the gym.

Well, after the gym I had to go pick up a prescription and that took bloody ages. When I got home.... Little Clem was gone. His poor little body was stretched out in the litter box. I can't believe it. Poor little guy.

J. is on her way home, we're returning his remains to the pet store. Our other bunny is totally fine, no evidence of any illness at all.

I'm so sorry, little guy. I just didn't know you were so sick that you'd be gone in just a few hours. I wish I could turn back the hands of time and do right by you.

Snow Day!

We had some decent snowfall last night -- first real snow since we moved across the river, really first real snow I can recall since January of 2004, when we returned from spending New Year's in Alaska to find the weather in our fair city colder than it had been in Nome. Our noble housesitter was stuck with us for three more days of snow and ice before things thawed enough to navigate the roads again. We were lucky the power didn't go out, since our house was 100% electric, and also lucky to have a mini-mart one scant block away. It was three solid days of Yahtzee, dvd movies, and snacks galore. It was also the week that J. felt the baby move for the first time. I had been feeling her for some time but she finally got big enough for J. to feel. It was a glorious week.

At any rate, it snowed last night for about three hours, snow that stuck and stayed with us until midday today. No school for the kiddies and the neighborhood was lousy with red-nosed hooligans pelting one another with snowballs.

Then it melted, but we have an arctic front moving in and it's supposed to be 18 or 19 degrees F. tonight, which is butt-cold for us. I made sure to clean the chicken hut and give them ample fresh shavings, adjust their crummy 60 watt bulb for optimal warmage, and snug the extremely attractive blue tarp over the whole mess with a festoon of bungee cords and rope. And I just finished taking out the garbage and recycling for what we affectionately call Garbage Man Day. All is cozy and the hatches are battened.

The point of all this reminiscence and smug preparedness, other than to describe the unfamiliar warm feeling of virtue to you, my dear reader(s), is to bring you pictures of an adorable child cavorting in the snow! Enjoy!

She is a little over 2 1/2 now and this was her first real snow. Her first instinct was to eat it, but once she got over the novelty of Edible White Stuff All Over Everything, we managed to get her onto a sled.

Clemopatrick

We got a new bunny yesterday. Poor Exidor was lonely and constantly harrassed by Ringo, with no one to complain to, so we got him a pal. Because we're crazy and stupid, that's why.



Note Ringo in background, all growed up and poised for maximum harrassment -- pretty poofy, eh?

We had decided we'd call the new bunny Cleopatra, because it just seemed to go with Exidor so well, but the new bun turned out to be a he-rabbit. So I suggested CleoPatrick, which I thought very clever and funny, but somehow it morphed into Clem (grainy old cartoon featuring little turtles digging for a lost brother, singing "Oh where can you be, Brother Clem, Brother Clem, oh where can you be darling brother/Oh we know you're down below, so come up and say hello, you're a young thing and cannot leave your mother", anyone?), and Clemuel, and now Clemopatrick. Anyway we call him Clem.

He's young and tiny! We though Exidor was small, but we were so wrong. He's a total monster next to little Clem. We were also a little worried that Ex would be mean to him, but the first thing Ex did was practically groom the fur right off of him. So we're pretty glad we got him a friend.

Inbreeding

For once, this blog will refer to inbreeding as an actual (and in this case, sadly unavoidable) condition and not as an insult directed at stupid people.

There's this pond by the mall where I take the baby for library storytime. The pond is completely surrounded by parking lots, streets, etc., with no other greenspaces nearby except across a busy road. Still, it's a thriving hotspot for ducks and nutria! I always look for the nutria when I pass by there and am rarely disappointed; the little cuddly brown creatures are usually foraging in the grass, right there along the sidewalk, as if cars were not zipping past on a busy street.

This afternoon I went by myself to the mall to pick up a necklace I'd had repaired and as I passed the pond, I saw something on the grass and thought to myself, Gaaah, people are such pigs, there's some trash on the grass... I looked again and found that it was an albino nutria! I rounded the curve and saw another one in the grass on the other side of the pond.

Now, I am pretty sure nutria are a non-native species, and probably undesirable, but it's not the fault of these particular nutria that they are here, and I can't help but root for the underdog. They are so cute... The albinism is most likely due to inbreeding, one would think, because there doesn't seem to be a way for the population of this pond to breed with a different population elsewhere. Not without some change and a fairly comprehensive understanding of the local public transit.

So, I will continue to be excited about spotting what amount to be giant rats around the mall pond, and I will marvel at the white ones. I'm just that way.

What A Dog Likes

Added to list of things our dogs find irresistible: Play-Doh.

Here's the rest of the list, for the morbidly curious:

1. Food in any form (raw, cooked, rotten, belonging to others, imaginary, etc)
2. Any plastic item manufactured by Playmobil (Santa's head particularly delicious)
3. Toothbrushes
4. Used diapers/sanitary items (eeeeeeuw)
5. Cigarettes (unsmoked), matches
6. Litterbox "nuggets of joy" (cat or rabbit, cat being the preference)
7. And especially crayons (any brand), little flecks of which are found later embedded in various piles of dog crap out in the yard.

Of course, these dogs are mere amateurs; our Doberman Bosco could and did eat a large banana whole, peel and all. He picked and ate cherries off the tree and blackberries from the vine. He would catch and swallow anything you tossed to him, food or not, which made it ridiculously easy to give him a pill. He also ate dog crap when he was lucky enough to find it, making our backyard a veritable smorgasbord. Frequently the life cycle of a bag of cat food went as follows:
Day 1: eaten by cat, digested, deposited in litterbox.
Day 2: salvaged lovingly from litterbox by Ollie and/or Hopie, re-eaten, re-digested
Day 3: re-deposited in yard
Day 4: re-salvaged from yard by Bosco, re-re-eaten, re-re-digested
Day 5: re-re-deposited in yard
Day 6: quite possibly re-re-salvaged by Bosco, etc, ad infinitum, ad nauseum.

It's a pretty life we lead, isn't it?

Happy New Year

Also, Happy Anniversary To Us. Seven years. Can you believe it?! I selected a scrapbooking organizer thingy for the office closet as my gift (plastic organizers being the traditional seven-year gift, right?).

Spent last night watching "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" and making pumpkin pies, just because we like pumpkin pies, and went to bed promptly at about one minute after midnight. Actually we were watching some home & garden show and I surfed over to the New Year's Eve broadcast from New York with a whopping three seconds to spare. I had thought that the show we were watching would end before midnight but evidently I was mistaken. There were some random fireworks outside as we crawled into bed, but nothing too spectacular. Not that it would have kept me awake anyway.

Today, made turkey soup and loafed around the house all day. The baby, as of this very moment, has been in the tub for about two hours. She loves to play in there and if you try to extract her without adequate reason (i.e. some fun activity to attend or other urgently entertaining thing) she will protest vehemently. By yelling things along the lines of "NO! I CAN'T! I DON'T! WANT! TO!" She's singing and splashing around in there very happily. Two hours, in water that I'm certain has been cold for a good while, and without a thrilling paperback. How does she do it?!

Her newest thing is to exclaim, "Poo poo!" and whoop it up, laughing maniacally, or else "Tartar sauce!" (courtesy a SpongeBob game on her Leapfrog that she got for Christmas; that's what SB says instead of "dammit!"). She sings songs like "Jingle Bells" but inserts "poo poo" or "tartar sauce" into them, i.e. "Poo poo Bells, Poo poo Bells, Poo poo all the way," etc. It's funny but yet getting tiresome...

School starts on Friday. Am actually looking forward to going back, esp. as I have only one class this term. Hoping for another A! So far I have gotten all A's, because I am smart and also because I have taken all this before, albeit years and years and years ago. Still, human anatomy has not changed much since then. :)