Category: Nature

Sundry and Various

Muriel P died on Friday.  I talked to Jim P tonight and he’s doing okay; he and Carly are going to Ottawa for the memorial service on Friday.

I didn’t know her at all, and only met her twice, once when Keith was weeks old, and once at her husband’s funeral.

I am working on a long poem called (the difficulties).

Jeff and I nearly ran over a deer yesterday in Jeff’s car – a young buck wandering across the Gaglardi/University Drive East intersection (and about 30 meters from the last place I nearly hit a deer myself, on the ramp in a thick fog.  Did I jump!).  Jim and Jan have a cougar story, but I’d prefer them to tell the story, so I’ll wait until they send it to me 😉

The sunset is so stunning I nearly burst into tears when I saw it.  I am absurdly sensitive to colours and scenery these days, it’s like everything was turned up maximum gain.

I am so glad to be writing again, and I practiced mandolin for about 45 minutes tonight, too.

Actually bought fresh fruits and vegetables and ATE THEM.  It’s driving me nuts, I’m point two of a pound away from breaking 180.  Hopefully quitting coffee, with all that cream and sugar, will push things in the right direction.

Keith’s B-day tomorrow – Robert Anson Heinlein’s today

The four of us are planning to get together for his birthday. I already bought his present but it will probably arrive next week.

Had the folks over for beers last night; in attendance, Melissa, Ryan, Brian C, Jarmo and Rob of Nine, who was, unfortunately, not able to massage my printer into compliance as there is no driver for it. Drat.

After they all left, Swampy came over for a beer and told me that things are going much more smoothly than he anticipated and it was just really pleasant to have him here – and we discussed a couple of books, including Focusing and The Dosadi Experiment (which is basically a fast forward through Dune without the religion and with a kickass courtroom scene at the end). Then at nine my date came over. We sat outside next to the fountain until about the fourth time he slapped a mosquito (imagine that… a guy who gets bit by mosquitoes more than I do!?) at which point I said that I found it unconscionably inhospitable to contribute to his discomfort so, and besides, there was beer and a bathroom back at my place…

So I guess I’ve had a very sociable weekend already and it ain’t even noon on Saturday yet.

Today is the 100th centenary of Heinlein’s birth. How I wished he could have become a blogger. Okay, I don’t but it makes me laugh to think about how he would have talked about the last three or four sets of American governments.

I talked to Kira on the phone today.  She was purring.  Zeek!, thank heaven, is back to his old self and the bloody spot under his chin has cleared up.  His bloodwork came back okay so the 1200 vet bill Paul and I were looking at turned out not to be necessary.

Keith will come by today before work with more Aubrey/Maturin for me.  (more, more more!) and some other media for me to peruse (hopefully Fables III and IV).

I watched Denis Leary’s music video of Asshole last night.  I always liked the song, but the video was brilliant, IMO.

Facebook is extremely amusing, and I’m having loads o’ fun with it.  Mostly poking people.  I’ve gotten into a poking contest with two people; I know that sounds rude, but it’s harmless virtual primate fun.

Here’s a cool “matrix style” domestic argument, from Japanese TV.

glad news, sad news

My philosophical buddy Avinash called and reminded me to be rational – it was a lovely conversation.  I met him while I was running the Simplicity Meetup group last year.

Katie has a job!!!! She picked it out, applied, interviewed her new boss as hard as he interviewed her, and I am very proud of her.

Lady Miss Banjola is a pharmacist! Dred her blisterpakking skillz!

I have come to the conscious decision to let go of some stuff and it hurts, but it’s kind of a good hurt, if you know what I mean.  I’m talking material stuff.

Sad news…. Cali, Tom and Peggy’s kitty, aetat 24, is v. poorly and not going to make it.

What news?

I learned last night that the closing date has been moved in two weeks; it’s now July 15th.

Sandra sent me pics of a fine looking woman sitting in her living room in Syria with two tame hyenas.  Brr. Those things are loony dangerous!  It would be like taming bears, no sane person would do it.  Anyway, I’d repost it but for some reason I could not copy the pic to post.

I am definitely NOT coming to Victoria this weekend, as I suspect I will be heaving crap out of the two sheds this weekend once I hear when is convenient so to do with Paul.

Sigh.  V. happy about Katie still, and why the hell not.

My telus webmail is down.  Normally I wouldn’t mention such a trifle, but I ran a personal ad.  And that’s where all the replies are going, and the Telus minion was both rude and uninformative as to when the webmail will be up again.   Gr.

Rereading Master and Commander as I don’t have any fresh Aubrey/Maturin books.

Today, the photo for my passport, and possibly some of the other paperwork dealt with.

Click here, scroll down until you see Eli

Then contemplate the dog’s face for a while.  All hail the beedogs!

Eli’s expression perfectly matches how I feel right now.

From the Be Careful What You Wish For Department, I had a tremendous urge to hear a Cars tune or two a couple of nights ago, and last night I got about an hour’s worth at Elly’s.  I now have the crunching opening guitar riff of Good Times Roll jammed in my head.

Also listened to Alice in Chains Jar of Flies.  It is an annoying, and yet somehow deeply satisfying album.  ALSO and this was the big win of the evening in terms of auralstim, the EP from around the same time called Sap.  Wonderful harmonies, tunes like a drunk tripping downstairs in terms of structure, and oh, the crunchy, crunchy guitars.  How I like the sound, even if the lyrics are uninspired.  Can’t have everything.  I mean, I write a mean tune, but can I sing it?  Which reminds me, time to pick the mando up again. A mandolin can’t tell you to shut up, unless, of course, somebody else is trying to beat your head in with it.

Missed the Meenies

I was supposed to go yesterday to see the Blue Meenies at the John B Pub in Coquitlam, but somehow I got really antisocial and didn’t go.  Yesterday was a day remarkably unproductive of forward progress with any activities except that today I am feeling better than I have in ages, my bills are all paid, the garbage is out, I’ve finished the 5th O’Brian book (The Fortune of War) and I ate at home twice – remarkably, because there’s no denying I’ve been eating out a lot.

Mike was over and loaded the computer up with goodies and ate dinner here; we had planned to go to the B but he jammed and homework called him home.  I know it’s really anti-social, but I’m to the point that I’m really preferring interacting with people in real-time one on one.  I just feel overwhelmed, except at work, that seems to be a different case.  Any rate, Mike’s out of his place in Burnaby due to the elderly plumbing at his apartment, so he’s back with his folks.  This just means that every evening he has three dogs and a cat to take for a walk, because Winky walks right around the block with his dogs…. I have posted the best pic ever of animal companions previously, showing Winky, Tasha, Spud and Mila all basking in the sunshine in Mike’s folk’s front yard.
I now have access to a really remarkable internet radio station.  The music on it was so good that I literally slept on the living room sofa so I could continue to listen to it in my sleep…. then I realized that this was not too intelligent on a number of levels and crawled back into bed long about 3:45 am.  Now it’s off to get my hairs cut.

bloody expensive cat

Bengal cats will remove about $600 from your wallet if you buy a decent one from a breeder, and fine bloodline cats go for way, way more than that.  I first became acquainted with them about 7 years ago at a cat show, and I decided that if I was ever made out of money I’d get one.  For intelligence, beauty and temperament, they really can’t be beat.  Here’s a video that shows just how laid back and smart one can be…