Well, here we are in the last throes of 2006. It's been a heck of a year for me, and I know it's been close to the same for some of you, too. Here are just a few items that stand out:
Some good things:
I continue to maintain my 40-lb weight loss, through a combination of the YMCA, changed eating habits, continued support from Jenny Craig, my family, and friends. I just joined the health center at work, so I'll be able to go on my lunch hour -- my quest for health continues!
I've finished 6 of the 10 classes needed for my MBA -- whoo hoo!
Some traveling during the months of March and April - snowed in during my birthday trip to WI; fun times in Bloomington with JK, and a flight to NC to see B before he shipped out -- he's back safely now, yay!
Started and have continued seeing the love of my life -- it's terribly, disgustingly cute -- and I've never been happier! We survived our first long-distance trip (to WI to visit M), his moving into & then buying a house, our first Thanksgiving, getting a PUPPY (who continues to be just SO cute!), and this weekend will have our first Christmas -- he was fabulous enough to install (not just buy, or have someone install, but he did it HIMSELF) a remote starter & keyless entry on my truck - wow!
Some difficult things:
The number one rough thing about this year - Grandpa passed away. I didn't really cry at the memorial service, and pretty much held it in until August when Mom called to say that she & Grams had scattered his ashes in the ocean. It happened again at Thanksgiving, I started thinking about how happy I was to have found someone who loves me as much as I love them, and how Grandpa would have really liked Speed, and . . . well, it just went from there. Both times, Speed just held me until I was done, knowing there's nothing he could do to "fix" it, but being there because I needed him. He's a keeper, I'm telling you.
Lots of sadness with the death of Steve Irwin -- I went to college telling people, "I want to be the Crocodile Hunter when I grow up," and it's sad to know that the world lost a great conservationist -- but I have faith that his family and friends, and those of us who appreciated his work will strive to keep it alive.
But to wrap up on a positive note:
The election wound up almost as well as I could have hoped, and my faith in the system was bolstered.
So here we are, folks -- the end to another year, but more importantly, the start to a new one. Take a moment to look around and remember the reason for whichever holiday you choose to celebrate -- family, love, joy, compassion, peace, harmony -- I wish you all of these and more!
Friday, December 22, 2006
Friday, November 24, 2006
Happy Day After Thanksgiving!
Greetings all-
it's been a bit busy since Election Day, but I hope everyone had a safe & happy Thanksgiving. My Turkey Day started yesterday, but does not end until Sunday: one of the benefits to having step-families is the guaranteed extension of the Thanksgiving & Christmas Holidays.
Guess what?
Speed (& I) got a puppy! Here, in all his cuteness & glory (and demon-dog eyeshine), I give you . . . Pepper!
Note the nose lick, courtesy of Speed's SUPERB timing.
And, because he is a GOOD PUPPY, here is Pepper sitting:
He's little, he's cute, he LOVES this tennis-ball-dumbell-thing Speed found at PetCo:
and he's ours!
Enjoy your weekend!
it's been a bit busy since Election Day, but I hope everyone had a safe & happy Thanksgiving. My Turkey Day started yesterday, but does not end until Sunday: one of the benefits to having step-families is the guaranteed extension of the Thanksgiving & Christmas Holidays.
Guess what?
Speed (& I) got a puppy! Here, in all his cuteness & glory (and demon-dog eyeshine), I give you . . . Pepper!
Note the nose lick, courtesy of Speed's SUPERB timing.
And, because he is a GOOD PUPPY, here is Pepper sitting:
He's little, he's cute, he LOVES this tennis-ball-dumbell-thing Speed found at PetCo:
and he's ours!
Enjoy your weekend!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Everything But The Pony...
Well, election day has come & gone -- I voted, did you?
If you read my last post, you've probably figured that I'm disappointed that Amendment 3 didn't pass -- and I am, truly. It was something that I truly believe would have helped cut down on smoking; however, this is how democracy works. The fact that it only missed by about 62,000 votes (which is 3% of the total cast) gives me hope that, eventually, my state will realize what's up. (on the same track, California's Prop 86, which would have raised taxes on cigarettes by $2.60 per pack, only lost by about 4.3%. And my state complains about 80 cents?!?
BUT, let's look at the positives -- here are some of things that PASSED in the State of Missouri:
Constitutional Amendment #2:
Constitutional amendment to allow any stem cell research that federal law allows (this one had a smaller margin than #3 had) -- three cheers for scientific progress!
Constitutional Amendment #7:
Constitutional amendment to require legislators, statewide elected officials and judges to forfeit state pensions following felony conviction or removal from office by impeachment or for misconduct and to allow voter referendums on pay proposed by a citizens commission (umm....duh?)
Proposition B:
Proposition to increase the minimum wage to $6.50 an hour, adjust the figure yearly to match the consumer price index and make other changes
And in my county, the Special School District got their tax increase.
In addition, it seems that (at this point), the Democrats have taken the House (227 seats to 194) and are sharing the Senate (49/49). We'll also have our first female Speaker of the House, California Democrat Nancy Pelosi.
All in all, I got everything I wanted, except Amendment 3 -- it's like Christmas morning, and I got everything I asked Santa for, except that pony...
If you read my last post, you've probably figured that I'm disappointed that Amendment 3 didn't pass -- and I am, truly. It was something that I truly believe would have helped cut down on smoking; however, this is how democracy works. The fact that it only missed by about 62,000 votes (which is 3% of the total cast) gives me hope that, eventually, my state will realize what's up. (on the same track, California's Prop 86, which would have raised taxes on cigarettes by $2.60 per pack, only lost by about 4.3%. And my state complains about 80 cents?!?
BUT, let's look at the positives -- here are some of things that PASSED in the State of Missouri:
Constitutional Amendment #2:
Constitutional amendment to allow any stem cell research that federal law allows (this one had a smaller margin than #3 had) -- three cheers for scientific progress!
Constitutional Amendment #7:
Constitutional amendment to require legislators, statewide elected officials and judges to forfeit state pensions following felony conviction or removal from office by impeachment or for misconduct and to allow voter referendums on pay proposed by a citizens commission (umm....duh?)
Proposition B:
Proposition to increase the minimum wage to $6.50 an hour, adjust the figure yearly to match the consumer price index and make other changes
And in my county, the Special School District got their tax increase.
In addition, it seems that (at this point), the Democrats have taken the House (227 seats to 194) and are sharing the Senate (49/49). We'll also have our first female Speaker of the House, California Democrat Nancy Pelosi.
All in all, I got everything I wanted, except Amendment 3 -- it's like Christmas morning, and I got everything I asked Santa for, except that pony...
Monday, October 30, 2006
ATTENTION MISSOURI VOTERS
November 7th is fast approaching, here's a great bit from STLToday.com about why you should vote YES on Amendment 3:
Yes on Amendment 3
10/29/2006
Missouri will collect about $107 million in cigarette taxes this year. At the same time, Missouri taxpayers will spend more than $2 billion — much of it through Medicaid and Medicare — to treat people with tobacco-related illnesses like heart disease, lung cancer and emphysema. The overwhelming majority of the money will come from taxpayers who don't smoke.
Anti-tobacco groups, including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart and Lung associations, doctors and hospitals, want to raise cigarette taxes by 80 cents a pack. That price hike would prevent many young people from taking up smoking; as it is, about one in five Missouri teens smokes. The tobacco tax revenue would provide money for anti-smoking campaigns in schools, increase payments to doctors who treat Medicaid patients and provide health care for the poor.
The tax increase, Amendment 3, is one of five ballot issues facing voters in the Nov. 7 election. It would raise Missouri's cigarette tax, now the second-lowest in the nation (behind South Carolina, a major tobacco-producing state), to about the national average.
Opponents of the tax, including convenience store owners and other retailers who sell tobacco products, argue that the amendment unfairly targets the poor. They've got it exactly backward. The tobacco industry unfairly targets the poor, and the poor suffer disproportionate harm because of it. The tax increase, in fact, would benefit poor people by giving them an additional incentive to quit smoking, by helping them learn how and by paying for some of the health care they need but can't afford.
The opposition is fueled by contributions from global tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds, and from stores that profit by selling a dangerous and addictive product. Their campaign against Amendment 3 is marked by the same shameless half-truths and outright lies that characterized decades of tobacco advertising.
They argue the tax will cost Missouri billions of dollars in extra Medicaid payments. But their facts — it may invite lawsuits that might make the state dramatically expand Medicaid coverage — are as insubstantial as smoke.
Opponents allege the tax will unfairly force smokers to pay for health care provided to others. Once again, they've got it backwards. Cigarettes would have to cost about $7.75 a pack in Missouri just to cover the cost of smokers' health care now. Even an 80-cent tax hike won't bring them anywhere near that amount.
With breathtaking hypocrisy, opponents criticize backers of the amendment because lawmakers in Jefferson City — most of whom don't support the tax increase — used tobacco settlement money to balance the state budget, rather than fund prevention efforts. Opponents also say the amendment is too complicated. But it has to be to keep tobacco tax money from being used for other purposes — like balancing the budget — by short-sighted legislators.
Opponents imply, falsely, that the tax is backed by big drug and health insurance companies. It's not.
Unlike the taxes we must pay to help cover the cost of health care for those with tobacco-related illnesses, the tobacco tax is entirely voluntary. If people don't want to pay it, they don't have to buy tobacco.
To reduce the incidence of smoking-related illnesses, to keep more Missouri children from starting to smoke, to help smokers quit and to help cover the cost of caring for those already debilitated by smoking, vote Yes on Amendment 3.
Monday, October 09, 2006
A Brief Rant
***Warning: reading or commenting on this post may result in a bunch of FBI guys showing up at your house with a warrant they don't have to tell you about, that you therefore can't complain about.***
I had to write a paper for my "Management Applications of Information Technology" class; something dealing with IT & ethics. I opted to write about the USA PATRIOT Act & the ethical dilemmas it creates. It's a 7-page paper, so I don't want to post it all, but I'm proud of it & want to share the intro & conclusion with you:
Adopted by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787; the United States Constitution was established, “in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, ” and today remains the oldest working federal constitution. The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, protect the people’s rights by expressly limiting the powers of the government. Among the rights guaranteed are:
Also described in the Bill of Rights are the rights to due process, trial by jury, and various rights afforded to individuals accused of crimes. The Bill of Rights was adopted because, “a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added ,” suggesting that our forefathers understood the need to regulate the power of government to prevent incursions upon the civil rights of the governed. Indeed, the Declaration of Independence states that the power of Governments is acquired through, “the Consent of the Governed,” and should be used to protect the rights bestowed upon them by their Creator, in the way that “seem[s] most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. ” Thomas Jefferson once said, “The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object, ” and indeed the role and responsibility of Government should be to protect and increase the rights of the people, never to eliminate rights they have already been guaranteed. The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act) allows governmental agencies to unethically infringe upon individuals’ Constitutionally guaranteed rights, often using information technology to do so.
...[lots of facts to back up my assertion]...
Ultimately, the ethical dilemma presented by the USA PATRIOT Act is this: we live in an age of unequaled technology, which can be used for positive or negative effect. The USA PATRIOT Act allows our government to utilize this technology to monitor individuals’ actions for the specified purpose of combating terrorism. The United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights exist to protect citizens from the misuse of governmental power and infringement upon their rights as individuals. In the struggle to protect citizens from acts of terrorism, those in power must weigh the need to protect the civil rights of both U.S. citizens and non-citizens. Questions must be raised regarding who is responsible for all aspects of data collection and usage; and how these individuals and organizations will be held accountable for their use of the data. When the data is incorrect, or is used wrongly, systems must be put in place to determine who is liable for the damage that may be caused. To quote David A. Keene, Chairman of the American Conservation Union, “the line should not be drawn at 'what is helpful for law enforcement,' but at what is needed to protect us while preserving the proper balance between preserving civil liberties and our nation's national security needs. " Ultimately, society must decide what uses of this information are ethical; however, when information is gathered and used without public knowledge, questions must be raised to determine if the ends justify the means. Benjamin Franklin said, “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety, ” and citizens who willingly allow their government to use information technology to trample the civil rights of others should not be surprised when they find their own freedoms at risk.
Feel free to comment, or write your Congresspeople, or research.
I had to write a paper for my "Management Applications of Information Technology" class; something dealing with IT & ethics. I opted to write about the USA PATRIOT Act & the ethical dilemmas it creates. It's a 7-page paper, so I don't want to post it all, but I'm proud of it & want to share the intro & conclusion with you:
Adopted by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787; the United States Constitution was established, “in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, ” and today remains the oldest working federal constitution. The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, protect the people’s rights by expressly limiting the powers of the government. Among the rights guaranteed are:
. . . freedom of speech . . . right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances . . . The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizure . . . [and assurance that] no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized .
Also described in the Bill of Rights are the rights to due process, trial by jury, and various rights afforded to individuals accused of crimes. The Bill of Rights was adopted because, “a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added ,” suggesting that our forefathers understood the need to regulate the power of government to prevent incursions upon the civil rights of the governed. Indeed, the Declaration of Independence states that the power of Governments is acquired through, “the Consent of the Governed,” and should be used to protect the rights bestowed upon them by their Creator, in the way that “seem[s] most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. ” Thomas Jefferson once said, “The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object, ” and indeed the role and responsibility of Government should be to protect and increase the rights of the people, never to eliminate rights they have already been guaranteed. The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act) allows governmental agencies to unethically infringe upon individuals’ Constitutionally guaranteed rights, often using information technology to do so.
...[lots of facts to back up my assertion]...
Ultimately, the ethical dilemma presented by the USA PATRIOT Act is this: we live in an age of unequaled technology, which can be used for positive or negative effect. The USA PATRIOT Act allows our government to utilize this technology to monitor individuals’ actions for the specified purpose of combating terrorism. The United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights exist to protect citizens from the misuse of governmental power and infringement upon their rights as individuals. In the struggle to protect citizens from acts of terrorism, those in power must weigh the need to protect the civil rights of both U.S. citizens and non-citizens. Questions must be raised regarding who is responsible for all aspects of data collection and usage; and how these individuals and organizations will be held accountable for their use of the data. When the data is incorrect, or is used wrongly, systems must be put in place to determine who is liable for the damage that may be caused. To quote David A. Keene, Chairman of the American Conservation Union, “the line should not be drawn at 'what is helpful for law enforcement,' but at what is needed to protect us while preserving the proper balance between preserving civil liberties and our nation's national security needs. " Ultimately, society must decide what uses of this information are ethical; however, when information is gathered and used without public knowledge, questions must be raised to determine if the ends justify the means. Benjamin Franklin said, “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety, ” and citizens who willingly allow their government to use information technology to trample the civil rights of others should not be surprised when they find their own freedoms at risk.
Feel free to comment, or write your Congresspeople, or research.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
NEW JOB and other updates
Arg - what is that now, three weeks? My apologies, it's been a bit busy. Here's a short summary:
I GOT A NEW JOB with the corporate offices of my hospital -- whoo hoo! Executive Services Coordinator in the office of the BIG president! More $$$, better hours, no holidays or weekends! I'm psyched, more later!
Grams' mammogram came back with "something" on it -- for a 25-year breast cancer survivor, that's a mega-depressing thing -- BUT, she had a biopsy, and all is well.
Then she had to put her dog to sleep -- he's the last real connection to Grandpa, I think, since they scattered his ashes in the ocean, so it's tough to deal with; but we are all doing what we can to be there for her.
Jenny Craig -- I'm holding steady between 135-140lbs, right where I want to be. Mom & Grams continue to lose, yay!
I'm still truly, madly, deeply in love with Speed. See how happy I am:
We have scheduled TEN WHOLE DAYS off work to just relax, beginning with a weekend jaunt to the Milwaukee area to catch up with M & JK. After that, we may go camping for a few days, who knows...
Lots of A's in school - yay me! Writing a paper (or should be writing a paper) on the ethics of govermental surveillance for my IT class (think USA PATRIOT Act -- shudder!)
Little bro home from school this weekend, family going out to dinner Friday night, whoo hoo!
Thinking of changing my car insurance carrier -- the little gecko says he can save me like $140/6-months -- does anyone have any experience with Geico? Thoughts, opinions?
That's about it, back to work I go -- in the immortal words of Tigger, ta ta for now!
I GOT A NEW JOB with the corporate offices of my hospital -- whoo hoo! Executive Services Coordinator in the office of the BIG president! More $$$, better hours, no holidays or weekends! I'm psyched, more later!
Grams' mammogram came back with "something" on it -- for a 25-year breast cancer survivor, that's a mega-depressing thing -- BUT, she had a biopsy, and all is well.
Then she had to put her dog to sleep -- he's the last real connection to Grandpa, I think, since they scattered his ashes in the ocean, so it's tough to deal with; but we are all doing what we can to be there for her.
Jenny Craig -- I'm holding steady between 135-140lbs, right where I want to be. Mom & Grams continue to lose, yay!
I'm still truly, madly, deeply in love with Speed. See how happy I am:
We have scheduled TEN WHOLE DAYS off work to just relax, beginning with a weekend jaunt to the Milwaukee area to catch up with M & JK. After that, we may go camping for a few days, who knows...
Lots of A's in school - yay me! Writing a paper (or should be writing a paper) on the ethics of govermental surveillance for my IT class (think USA PATRIOT Act -- shudder!)
Little bro home from school this weekend, family going out to dinner Friday night, whoo hoo!
Thinking of changing my car insurance carrier -- the little gecko says he can save me like $140/6-months -- does anyone have any experience with Geico? Thoughts, opinions?
That's about it, back to work I go -- in the immortal words of Tigger, ta ta for now!
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Sad Day
The world is mourning the loss of a great naturalist; a man who took us with him into the wild, to give us a better glimpse at the wildlife that he loved and tried to protect.
Here are a few quotes I thought were really good:
"'Rarely has the world embraced an animal enthusiast and conservationist as they did Steve Irwin,' Discovery Networks International President Dawn McCall said in a statement."
"The consensus of public opinion on the sudden death of the man we called the Crocodile Hunter is 'I’m shocked… but I know I shouldn’t be.' Steve Irwin waded into crocodile-infested waters, hauled poisonous snakes out from under rocks, and scaled trees in further search of things that send most people — and other animals — skittering in the other direction."
"'You need to come with me and be with that animal,' I once saw Irwin tell an interviewer on one of his Animal Planet specials, '…because if we can touch people about wildlife, then they’ll want to save it.
He then turned towards the camera, as I’ve seen almost no other celebrity do before in a soft-light interview. “Come with me!” he said, eyes wide. 'Come with me.'"
"Reports are now surfacing that Irwin, who was filming a documentary when he died, never saw the stingray that killed him until after it struck. His friend John Stainton told Australian media that the cameraman floated in front of the ray as Irwin swam alongside. The animal likely felt cornered. The barb swung.
If the camera hadn't been there, it may not have attacked.
But then again, if the camera hadn’t have been there, we likely would have never known Steve Irwin at all."
Here are a few quotes I thought were really good:
"'Rarely has the world embraced an animal enthusiast and conservationist as they did Steve Irwin,' Discovery Networks International President Dawn McCall said in a statement."
"The consensus of public opinion on the sudden death of the man we called the Crocodile Hunter is 'I’m shocked… but I know I shouldn’t be.' Steve Irwin waded into crocodile-infested waters, hauled poisonous snakes out from under rocks, and scaled trees in further search of things that send most people — and other animals — skittering in the other direction."
"'You need to come with me and be with that animal,' I once saw Irwin tell an interviewer on one of his Animal Planet specials, '…because if we can touch people about wildlife, then they’ll want to save it.
He then turned towards the camera, as I’ve seen almost no other celebrity do before in a soft-light interview. “Come with me!” he said, eyes wide. 'Come with me.'"
"Reports are now surfacing that Irwin, who was filming a documentary when he died, never saw the stingray that killed him until after it struck. His friend John Stainton told Australian media that the cameraman floated in front of the ray as Irwin swam alongside. The animal likely felt cornered. The barb swung.
If the camera hadn't been there, it may not have attacked.
But then again, if the camera hadn’t have been there, we likely would have never known Steve Irwin at all."
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Pics
Well, here we are -- the new & improved 136-lb me, and the new boyfriend -- aren't we cute?
and some of just me:
and some of just me:
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
NEW BABY!!!
From the Saint Louis Zoo website:
YAY!!!!!!!!!!
Go here to see a pic!
IT'S A GIRL!
The Saint Louis Zoo is proud to announce the birth of an Asian elephant baby this morning, August 2, 2006, just past midnight. Ellie, the Zoo's 34-year-old Asian elephant , gave birth to a 341-pound baby girl. Both mother and baby are doing very well.
This is Ellie's second baby and the first for the baby's father, Raja. Raja was the first elephant ever born at the Saint Louis Zoo. Now, at age 13, he's started a new family, with another baby on the way in February!
Mom and baby are currently off-display, but we will be adding photos and video of our new bundle of joy as soon as possible.
YAY!!!!!!!!!!
Go here to see a pic!
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Updates On All Fronts
I know, I know, it's been awhile since my last post (but not nearly as long as we've been waiting to hear from Bert), you have my apologies, but you know how it goes -- work, school, work, school, try to sleep, attempt to have a social life, rinse & repeat. I present to you, then, a summary of what's been going on.
The new definition of a romantic gift is . . . are you ready for this . . . a programmable thermostat! Don't laugh, I'm actually serious. After weeks of noticing me manually adjusting the t-stat before I leave the house (love the feathered kids, but they don't need it to be 70* while I'm gone, their species is from freakin' Australia!); Speed not only bought, but installed a programmable t-stat for me. Added note of cuteness -- he got one with a nice, big display, because he knows I can't see when I have my contacts out. Awww.
In return, I got him this, which I find to be equally romantic. Trust me -- I volunteered to scrub the shower when he moved into the new place, while he & "the guys" were doing the heavy lifting -- ohmygoodness, it was almost as bad as the fridge (did I tell you about the fridge? the one that the owner said, "I got divorced in 1998 & that fridge hasn't been cleaned since"?). So, the mega-romantic shower cleaner was presented to him last night with the following statement: "this is for you, because I love you & I never want to scrub that shower ever again."
Other notes: it's recently come to my attention that my favorite Lab Boy says I'm "Extreme Left Wing" -- am I that bad? I haven't even tossed in a political post recently (okay, I haven't tossed in any posts recently, but still) -- that's okay, Labbie, you still rock!
Thursday afternoon, I took Speed to the Zoo after work so that he could witness the chaos & cacophony that is "song time" at Camp Kangazoo. If you've never seen it, you can't understand -- but if you have, you know what I'm talking about. He observed. He chuckled at me being goofy beyond belief. He didn't run away. Score!
Enough of that. Work is there -- not too busy, but I managed to tick off a few folks by suggesting that their customer service & teamwork skills could use some polishing, to say the least.
School -- I have my Marketing Midterm on Monday - cross your fingers. For a group project, I'm working with another bio-type-girl & some guy who's been in a few of my classes. Project: pick a real or pretend product & develop a marketing plan. Original idea was something like this which, Big Brother aside, could be very handy, especially in preventing/solving Missing Children cases. We LEFT CLASS Monday with the plan to brainstorm & come back to pool ideas after the midterm. Then I get a voicemail from the guy that says we have to change our plan (no details why), maybe "a store in the mall" or something.
HUH?!?!
Talked to other partner last night, apparently the guy has issues with the "implantable chip is the mark of the beast" suggestion (which I hadn't even thought of, nor do I really get; I mean, we implant pacemakers that have serial numbers, what's the diff?); & is suggesting that the "Christian School" we go to (which I picked because it's the cheapest accredited MBA program in St. Louis) might take issue with it.
IT'S A MADE-UP PROJECT, FOR GOODNESS SAKE!
However, understanding that all are entitled to their own opinions, and not wanting to step on anyone's bible-thumpin' toes; I suggested we rework it to be a pet chip, rather than a human chip. My frustration in this comes because the other partner & I had already invested a few days of brainstorming into this; and just scrapping the whole thing would be a waste of time that I don't have to waste. So -- pet chip. Much like the current AVID chip, crossed with a GPS transmitter & able to reference (or carry) the animal's vet & vaccination records -- anyone interested?
Since I haven't mentioned my quest with Jenny recently, you'll be glad to know I've been holding between 135-140lbs for about two months now (starting weight 179.2)-- my original goal was 135, and if I hit that, whoo hoo; however, I'm quite comfortable where I am & have noticed all that good stuff that comes with a 23% drop in body weight -- more energy, better blood pressure & cholesterol numbers, etc.
Okay, guess I'd better get back to work -- yay for Saturday Shifts with nothing but paperwork to do!
Cheers, y'all!
The new definition of a romantic gift is . . . are you ready for this . . . a programmable thermostat! Don't laugh, I'm actually serious. After weeks of noticing me manually adjusting the t-stat before I leave the house (love the feathered kids, but they don't need it to be 70* while I'm gone, their species is from freakin' Australia!); Speed not only bought, but installed a programmable t-stat for me. Added note of cuteness -- he got one with a nice, big display, because he knows I can't see when I have my contacts out. Awww.
In return, I got him this, which I find to be equally romantic. Trust me -- I volunteered to scrub the shower when he moved into the new place, while he & "the guys" were doing the heavy lifting -- ohmygoodness, it was almost as bad as the fridge (did I tell you about the fridge? the one that the owner said, "I got divorced in 1998 & that fridge hasn't been cleaned since"?). So, the mega-romantic shower cleaner was presented to him last night with the following statement: "this is for you, because I love you & I never want to scrub that shower ever again."
Other notes: it's recently come to my attention that my favorite Lab Boy says I'm "Extreme Left Wing" -- am I that bad? I haven't even tossed in a political post recently (okay, I haven't tossed in any posts recently, but still) -- that's okay, Labbie, you still rock!
Thursday afternoon, I took Speed to the Zoo after work so that he could witness the chaos & cacophony that is "song time" at Camp Kangazoo. If you've never seen it, you can't understand -- but if you have, you know what I'm talking about. He observed. He chuckled at me being goofy beyond belief. He didn't run away. Score!
Enough of that. Work is there -- not too busy, but I managed to tick off a few folks by suggesting that their customer service & teamwork skills could use some polishing, to say the least.
School -- I have my Marketing Midterm on Monday - cross your fingers. For a group project, I'm working with another bio-type-girl & some guy who's been in a few of my classes. Project: pick a real or pretend product & develop a marketing plan. Original idea was something like this which, Big Brother aside, could be very handy, especially in preventing/solving Missing Children cases. We LEFT CLASS Monday with the plan to brainstorm & come back to pool ideas after the midterm. Then I get a voicemail from the guy that says we have to change our plan (no details why), maybe "a store in the mall" or something.
HUH?!?!
Talked to other partner last night, apparently the guy has issues with the "implantable chip is the mark of the beast" suggestion (which I hadn't even thought of, nor do I really get; I mean, we implant pacemakers that have serial numbers, what's the diff?); & is suggesting that the "Christian School" we go to (which I picked because it's the cheapest accredited MBA program in St. Louis) might take issue with it.
IT'S A MADE-UP PROJECT, FOR GOODNESS SAKE!
However, understanding that all are entitled to their own opinions, and not wanting to step on anyone's bible-thumpin' toes; I suggested we rework it to be a pet chip, rather than a human chip. My frustration in this comes because the other partner & I had already invested a few days of brainstorming into this; and just scrapping the whole thing would be a waste of time that I don't have to waste. So -- pet chip. Much like the current AVID chip, crossed with a GPS transmitter & able to reference (or carry) the animal's vet & vaccination records -- anyone interested?
Since I haven't mentioned my quest with Jenny recently, you'll be glad to know I've been holding between 135-140lbs for about two months now (starting weight 179.2)-- my original goal was 135, and if I hit that, whoo hoo; however, I'm quite comfortable where I am & have noticed all that good stuff that comes with a 23% drop in body weight -- more energy, better blood pressure & cholesterol numbers, etc.
Okay, guess I'd better get back to work -- yay for Saturday Shifts with nothing but paperwork to do!
Cheers, y'all!
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
The Real Reason To Celebrate
IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred. to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
— John Hancock
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred. to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
— John Hancock
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
Monday, July 03, 2006
Explosive Fun
Whoo hoo, got to blow lots of stuff up this weekend, yay 4th of July!
People, I have discovered the COOLEST way to light fireworks:
That's right, it's a TORCH. Push-button, nonetheless. Oh my goodness!
Lots of fun, more details later, but I'll leave you with something to think about:
Sparkler Bombs.
People, I have discovered the COOLEST way to light fireworks:
That's right, it's a TORCH. Push-button, nonetheless. Oh my goodness!
Lots of fun, more details later, but I'll leave you with something to think about:
Sparkler Bombs.
Friday, June 30, 2006
News Review
Well, I'm off to IL this weekend -- Sunday officially makes 2 months since my first date with Speed, & we're going to do lots of playing outside (hopefully with minimal heat exhaustion, since it's supposed to be in the UPPER 90'S!!!). Not to leave you poor readers (all five of you) alone, however, I'm linking you to some news articles I've seen recently that made me either cheer or shake my head:
I think this vaccine is an awesome breakthrough; in cancer research in general and in women's reproductive health specifically; and I think that the age recommendation handed down by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is perfectly reasonable.
I think that anytime someone is going to give large amounts of money (and I mean REALLY LARGE) to groups that do good work, some groups just need to shut up. I mean, how does a group that "devotes the vast majority of its funding to combating disease and poverty in developing countries" "'spell doom for the families of the developing world'"????? Oh no! They want to give people money to improve quality of life! The horror!
I'm so glad that someone finally slapped GWB's hand & said "too far!!!"
I think the protection of Alaska's coral gardens is a great step for marine conservation.
This editorial by Sylvester Brown of the St. Louis Post Dispatch brought back great memories, because I'm a Missouri Scholars Academy alum.
Those are just some of the major things that have caught my eye this week -- happy 4th of July weekend, everyone, celebrate safely!
I think this vaccine is an awesome breakthrough; in cancer research in general and in women's reproductive health specifically; and I think that the age recommendation handed down by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is perfectly reasonable.
I think that anytime someone is going to give large amounts of money (and I mean REALLY LARGE) to groups that do good work, some groups just need to shut up. I mean, how does a group that "devotes the vast majority of its funding to combating disease and poverty in developing countries" "'spell doom for the families of the developing world'"????? Oh no! They want to give people money to improve quality of life! The horror!
I'm so glad that someone finally slapped GWB's hand & said "too far!!!"
I think the protection of Alaska's coral gardens is a great step for marine conservation.
This editorial by Sylvester Brown of the St. Louis Post Dispatch brought back great memories, because I'm a Missouri Scholars Academy alum.
Those are just some of the major things that have caught my eye this week -- happy 4th of July weekend, everyone, celebrate safely!
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Saturday Afternoon Snippets
Well, here I am, at work, one hour left -- it's been SOOOOOO slow (knock on wood), I'm almost going crazy . . . er . . . crazier. I've finished all the paperwork, done a bit of homework, and done more than my fair share of internet browsing. Thus, I thought I'd provide an update on various things.
Speed and I spent all last weekend moving him into the house he's renting for a few months while he builds his. The rental is owned by the same old guy who calls me Trixie. The guy is 70 & hadn't occupied the house in over 6 months AND he's a mega-packrat -- ohmygawd, it was a good thing I went out; the boys did heavy lifting & I did heavy cleaning. One great quote from the old guy, "I got divorced in 1998 and that refrigerator hasn't been cleaned since!" Oh goodness. I scrubbed. And Shop-Vac-ed. And Windex-ed. And then I did it all again.
This week at work has been busy enough to keep me entertained, and with no free evenings to spend with Speed, sigh. We still managed to make all but one of our lunch dates this week (the joys of working in the same department) -- did I mention I got flowers last week? I SO got flowers for NO good reason -- mega points, especially because I can't really remember the last time a b/f got me flowers -- and it was a big ol' bouquet, too, just because!
Okay, it's disgustingly cute, I know, I'm sorry. No, I'm not. I'm quite enjoying myself. Speed's meeting me after work tomorrow (yep, he'll be rescuing me from another day of boredom) to go to mom's house for dinner.
On the school front, I have one more class in Business Economics - the final - Wednesday, then I'm done with this class, YAY! The teacher, albeit intelligent & into his subject matter, gets on my nerves. I DID get to give a presentation about how various economic theories apply to the non-profit sector, specifically, the ZOO; so that was cool. Next course is Current Issues in Marketing.
We're getting back into Overnight season at the Zoo, yay!
I read this article which makes me sad; but this one gave me a bit of hope, though I think it may be due to the fact that they either (a) didn't find oil there or (b) it's too costly to drill. Oh no! Cynical Tiffany got loose! Beat her back into the recesses of my brain . . . beat, beat . . . okay, I'm better now.
Anyway, that's the mega-big excitement (thrilling, I know), back to surfing I go....
Speed and I spent all last weekend moving him into the house he's renting for a few months while he builds his. The rental is owned by the same old guy who calls me Trixie. The guy is 70 & hadn't occupied the house in over 6 months AND he's a mega-packrat -- ohmygawd, it was a good thing I went out; the boys did heavy lifting & I did heavy cleaning. One great quote from the old guy, "I got divorced in 1998 and that refrigerator hasn't been cleaned since!" Oh goodness. I scrubbed. And Shop-Vac-ed. And Windex-ed. And then I did it all again.
This week at work has been busy enough to keep me entertained, and with no free evenings to spend with Speed, sigh. We still managed to make all but one of our lunch dates this week (the joys of working in the same department) -- did I mention I got flowers last week? I SO got flowers for NO good reason -- mega points, especially because I can't really remember the last time a b/f got me flowers -- and it was a big ol' bouquet, too, just because!
Okay, it's disgustingly cute, I know, I'm sorry. No, I'm not. I'm quite enjoying myself. Speed's meeting me after work tomorrow (yep, he'll be rescuing me from another day of boredom) to go to mom's house for dinner.
On the school front, I have one more class in Business Economics - the final - Wednesday, then I'm done with this class, YAY! The teacher, albeit intelligent & into his subject matter, gets on my nerves. I DID get to give a presentation about how various economic theories apply to the non-profit sector, specifically, the ZOO; so that was cool. Next course is Current Issues in Marketing.
We're getting back into Overnight season at the Zoo, yay!
I read this article which makes me sad; but this one gave me a bit of hope, though I think it may be due to the fact that they either (a) didn't find oil there or (b) it's too costly to drill. Oh no! Cynical Tiffany got loose! Beat her back into the recesses of my brain . . . beat, beat . . . okay, I'm better now.
Anyway, that's the mega-big excitement (thrilling, I know), back to surfing I go....
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Update
So, today makes 5 weeks since my first date w/the new guy. I'm still keeping most of the details to myself (mwah hah hah) -- suffice it to say that he's pretty much everything my good friends would hope I'd find in a guy -- but here's a funny story.
New guy, who works in my department at the hospital, has earned himself the nickname "Speed," thanks to his penchant for driving various vehicles at speeds that would frighten your mother.
While out & about on a motorcycle ride Sunday, we ran into a guy that Speed is renting a house from; who had apparently heard about "the new girlfriend." Yes, he knew my name (because he'd asked about me previously), but when introduced he said, "oh, you're...Trixie, is it?" ha ha ha.
Super funny because that now makes us:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...did you figure it out yet?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Sorry, I had to!
New guy, who works in my department at the hospital, has earned himself the nickname "Speed," thanks to his penchant for driving various vehicles at speeds that would frighten your mother.
While out & about on a motorcycle ride Sunday, we ran into a guy that Speed is renting a house from; who had apparently heard about "the new girlfriend." Yes, he knew my name (because he'd asked about me previously), but when introduced he said, "oh, you're...Trixie, is it?" ha ha ha.
Super funny because that now makes us:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...did you figure it out yet?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Sorry, I had to!
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Hanging In There
I'm still here.
Been a bit busy, as you might imagine. Grandpa's memorial went well, I managed to get through my whole 2.5 page rant, which got rave reviews -- they laughed when they were supposed to laugh & they didn't fall asleep. Things are getting back to the new version of normal.
My grown-up job office has been short staffed for the last three weeks; so that's been hectic. My Business Econ professor is ticking me off, I'm glad I only have 4 classes left.
On to the positives:
I finally broke 140. After 50 weeks, yay! I'm still hoping to hit my goal of 135 by the end of my year with Jenny Craig, although if I don't, I"ll still be good -- 40 pounds is 40 pounds!
Saw X3 on Sunday afternoon with C & M -- I liked it a lot, but be sure you stick around after the credits! Had dinner with Bert Sunday night, caught up on life & such things.
Saturday, I'm driving to Cape Girardeau for a certain someone's wedding. Since I'm only expecting to know him & the family, I'm making it a single-day trip, but it promises to be fun.
Perhaps most exciting, I have a new guy in my life. Yesterday made one month since our first date. That's all I'm saying for now, stay tuned...
Been a bit busy, as you might imagine. Grandpa's memorial went well, I managed to get through my whole 2.5 page rant, which got rave reviews -- they laughed when they were supposed to laugh & they didn't fall asleep. Things are getting back to the new version of normal.
My grown-up job office has been short staffed for the last three weeks; so that's been hectic. My Business Econ professor is ticking me off, I'm glad I only have 4 classes left.
On to the positives:
I finally broke 140. After 50 weeks, yay! I'm still hoping to hit my goal of 135 by the end of my year with Jenny Craig, although if I don't, I"ll still be good -- 40 pounds is 40 pounds!
Saw X3 on Sunday afternoon with C & M -- I liked it a lot, but be sure you stick around after the credits! Had dinner with Bert Sunday night, caught up on life & such things.
Saturday, I'm driving to Cape Girardeau for a certain someone's wedding. Since I'm only expecting to know him & the family, I'm making it a single-day trip, but it promises to be fun.
Perhaps most exciting, I have a new guy in my life. Yesterday made one month since our first date. That's all I'm saying for now, stay tuned...
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
What to Say...
I've decided that it was a good thing that Grandpa wrote his own obituary. He was always the first to brag about us, but usually the last to tout his own accomplishments. His obit, in its entirety, reads as follows:
"Graf, Joseph L. May 8, 2006, age 77.
Beloved husband for 51 years of Lucille Ann (Schneider) Graf; father to Joseph C. (Anne) Graf and Cheryl A. (Mark) D'Harlingue; grandfather to 6; great-grandfather to 1; son of the late Joseph and Grace M. (House, Graf, Kraemer) Butz; brother to Charles (Marilyn) Graf.
Attended Mt. Pleasant Grade School, Cleveland High School, St. Louis Univ., Washington Univ., Bailey Tech School (Auto Mech). He was in the Air Force thirteen years, worked for Gusdorf and Sons, Prudential Ins., J.L. Distr. and as an auto mechanic, retiring in 1994.
Services: Memorial Service will be held at KUTIS SOUTH COUNTY Chapel, 5255 Lemay Ferry Rd. (at Butler Hill) Sat., May 13, 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers please contribute to the charity of your choice."
It is, as he often was, simple, to-the-point, and with minimal embellishment.
I'm working up something to say at the memorial Saturday, so I'm going to start here.
The man I called "Grandpa" was and will remain the most influential male role model in my life. From him, I learned how to pitch without throwing "like a girl." He taught me the only card trick I can still remember; although he made it much more believable than I ever could. It's thanks to him that I can occasionally recognize the voice of Old Blue Eyes, and that I know to shift to 2nd gear when going down "the hill" in winter. In his own way, he impressed upon me the importance of evaluating a person based on their abilities and character, rather than their appearance or background. Most importantly, though, he taught me how a man is supposed to treat the people he loves. As much as he teased everyone -- including Grandma, and many of you will know what I mean when I say "Joseph, you're gettin' on my last nerve!" -- he always had our best interests in mind.
Grandpa loved his family more than words can adequately describe, and he never hesitated to make sure we knew it. The last thing he said to me was how proud he was of me, and how much he loved me. That, and to be careful on my trip to North Carolina.
I know he worried about me, like he did about all of us -- I've been told that's in the "grandparent handbook" they give out when the babies are born -- right along with the "parent handbook," I'm sure. Like parents, I believe that grandparents do the best job they know how to do, and Grandpa did it well. When I was away at school, he made sure that every time I came home, my car went in for an oil change -- "you take it into Joe Bess," he'd say, "don't worry about the bill, it's taken care of," and it always was. I still have a credit card in my wallet, Grandpa gave it to me when I left for school the first time -- six years ago this Fall -- "in case of emergencies, he said, use it if you need to, we don't even need to tell your mom." I may have used it for gas or a hotel room on the drive home a few times, but when I graduated & tried to give it back, he said "go ahead & keep it, just in case." I got a real, paying, grown-up job, and he said the same thing, "just in case." Grandpa did the best to take care of the "just in cases."
He retired in '94 largely because Mom, Little Brother & I were living with him & Grams, and we couldn't find a reliable babysitter. Figuring that he'd do a better job anyway (which was usually his line of thought -- that's where I get it from), he became our babysitter for the next year or so. He would make sure that homework was done and that dinner was made; took us on random field trips to the History Museum or the Arch, and would pack us up in the evening to pick Grandma up from work. He was always there, for us and for our friends.
I tried to call Grandma & Grandpa at least once a week when I was away at school, but there were times when I'd get busy and completely forget to do anything but go to class and sleep. About ten days into the cycle, I'd get "missed call" messages on my cell phone. Grandpa would call, but not leave a message, because he didn't want to bother me. I'd talk to mom, who'd say, "call your grandparents, they're worried about you but don't want to bother you." Now that he's gone, I wish he'd bothered me more often, or that I'd had more time to call him. I'd get random cards, and Grandma's cookies were always a big hit, but what touched me the most was when he'd call and say "I just saw something in the paper . . . I'll save it and send it to you." I have random clippings scattered throughout my folders from school; things that Grandpa thought I'd be interested in. No matter where I was -- and boy did he worry when I left the country for nine days -- I never wondered whether he was thinking of me, and I never considered that he wouldn't be there when I got back. Now that he's gone, those of us who knew him will take the lessons he taught and continue to apply them to our lives; and we will pass them on to the next generation. Grandpa wasn't the type of person to just fade away, it wasn't his style. He was my Grandpa -- and he will remain, as he always has been, a solid, strong, permanent fixture in my life.
"Graf, Joseph L. May 8, 2006, age 77.
Beloved husband for 51 years of Lucille Ann (Schneider) Graf; father to Joseph C. (Anne) Graf and Cheryl A. (Mark) D'Harlingue; grandfather to 6; great-grandfather to 1; son of the late Joseph and Grace M. (House, Graf, Kraemer) Butz; brother to Charles (Marilyn) Graf.
Attended Mt. Pleasant Grade School, Cleveland High School, St. Louis Univ., Washington Univ., Bailey Tech School (Auto Mech). He was in the Air Force thirteen years, worked for Gusdorf and Sons, Prudential Ins., J.L. Distr. and as an auto mechanic, retiring in 1994.
Services: Memorial Service will be held at KUTIS SOUTH COUNTY Chapel, 5255 Lemay Ferry Rd. (at Butler Hill) Sat., May 13, 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers please contribute to the charity of your choice."
It is, as he often was, simple, to-the-point, and with minimal embellishment.
I'm working up something to say at the memorial Saturday, so I'm going to start here.
The man I called "Grandpa" was and will remain the most influential male role model in my life. From him, I learned how to pitch without throwing "like a girl." He taught me the only card trick I can still remember; although he made it much more believable than I ever could. It's thanks to him that I can occasionally recognize the voice of Old Blue Eyes, and that I know to shift to 2nd gear when going down "the hill" in winter. In his own way, he impressed upon me the importance of evaluating a person based on their abilities and character, rather than their appearance or background. Most importantly, though, he taught me how a man is supposed to treat the people he loves. As much as he teased everyone -- including Grandma, and many of you will know what I mean when I say "Joseph, you're gettin' on my last nerve!" -- he always had our best interests in mind.
Grandpa loved his family more than words can adequately describe, and he never hesitated to make sure we knew it. The last thing he said to me was how proud he was of me, and how much he loved me. That, and to be careful on my trip to North Carolina.
I know he worried about me, like he did about all of us -- I've been told that's in the "grandparent handbook" they give out when the babies are born -- right along with the "parent handbook," I'm sure. Like parents, I believe that grandparents do the best job they know how to do, and Grandpa did it well. When I was away at school, he made sure that every time I came home, my car went in for an oil change -- "you take it into Joe Bess," he'd say, "don't worry about the bill, it's taken care of," and it always was. I still have a credit card in my wallet, Grandpa gave it to me when I left for school the first time -- six years ago this Fall -- "in case of emergencies, he said, use it if you need to, we don't even need to tell your mom." I may have used it for gas or a hotel room on the drive home a few times, but when I graduated & tried to give it back, he said "go ahead & keep it, just in case." I got a real, paying, grown-up job, and he said the same thing, "just in case." Grandpa did the best to take care of the "just in cases."
He retired in '94 largely because Mom, Little Brother & I were living with him & Grams, and we couldn't find a reliable babysitter. Figuring that he'd do a better job anyway (which was usually his line of thought -- that's where I get it from), he became our babysitter for the next year or so. He would make sure that homework was done and that dinner was made; took us on random field trips to the History Museum or the Arch, and would pack us up in the evening to pick Grandma up from work. He was always there, for us and for our friends.
I tried to call Grandma & Grandpa at least once a week when I was away at school, but there were times when I'd get busy and completely forget to do anything but go to class and sleep. About ten days into the cycle, I'd get "missed call" messages on my cell phone. Grandpa would call, but not leave a message, because he didn't want to bother me. I'd talk to mom, who'd say, "call your grandparents, they're worried about you but don't want to bother you." Now that he's gone, I wish he'd bothered me more often, or that I'd had more time to call him. I'd get random cards, and Grandma's cookies were always a big hit, but what touched me the most was when he'd call and say "I just saw something in the paper . . . I'll save it and send it to you." I have random clippings scattered throughout my folders from school; things that Grandpa thought I'd be interested in. No matter where I was -- and boy did he worry when I left the country for nine days -- I never wondered whether he was thinking of me, and I never considered that he wouldn't be there when I got back. Now that he's gone, those of us who knew him will take the lessons he taught and continue to apply them to our lives; and we will pass them on to the next generation. Grandpa wasn't the type of person to just fade away, it wasn't his style. He was my Grandpa -- and he will remain, as he always has been, a solid, strong, permanent fixture in my life.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Dealing
My grandpa passed away last night.
Today would have been 8 weeks since his surgery; he's been in the ICU ever since. In one of his lucid/coherent moments yesterday, the doctors asked what he wanted, and he said he wanted to be taken off the machines. Most of the family was there -- little brother is up at school, he has finals this week; and the two youngest cousins were at home.
Some of you may remember my audio blog from March, where I mentioned that Grandpa's biggest reminder was that, if something went wrong, we had to call the Pasta House. So there I am last night in the hospital, everyone's crying, and all I can think of is "we have to call the Pasta House!" -- today, Mom mistakenly said "Olive Garden" & I'm like, "no, no, it's the Pasta House, whatever you do, it has to be the Pasta House!"
I'm not sure if I'll be blogging about this anymore, I'm trying to do what I've always done & be the rock for my family; while dealing with the loss of the most influential male role model in my life.
Today would have been 8 weeks since his surgery; he's been in the ICU ever since. In one of his lucid/coherent moments yesterday, the doctors asked what he wanted, and he said he wanted to be taken off the machines. Most of the family was there -- little brother is up at school, he has finals this week; and the two youngest cousins were at home.
Some of you may remember my audio blog from March, where I mentioned that Grandpa's biggest reminder was that, if something went wrong, we had to call the Pasta House. So there I am last night in the hospital, everyone's crying, and all I can think of is "we have to call the Pasta House!" -- today, Mom mistakenly said "Olive Garden" & I'm like, "no, no, it's the Pasta House, whatever you do, it has to be the Pasta House!"
I'm not sure if I'll be blogging about this anymore, I'm trying to do what I've always done & be the rock for my family; while dealing with the loss of the most influential male role model in my life.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Of Travels and Finals . . .
As mentioned previously, I'm headed to Bloomington. JK & I couldn't find a decent campground that allowed alcohol (& you KNOW one of the fun things about camping is being able to chill out w/a 6-pack around a campfire), and there's a high chance of rain, so we decided to grab a hotel room instead & partake of the nightlife in town. Not sure how much of a joke that will be, but it IS a college town, so I have hope. Saturday, we'll probably check out the zoo, maybe hike a trail in the state park if the weather's nice.
I had my Financial Management final last night -- I'm pretty sure that it's impossible for me to NOT get an "A" in that class, woot!
My next class, Business Economics, starts in about a week & a half. I think. Might want to check that out. Hmm.
Oh well. I have NO motivation to do anything work-related, but am trudging through data entry with the help of my new iPod. Did I mention that it rocks? Probably so, but I'll say it again. It rocks.
Later!
I had my Financial Management final last night -- I'm pretty sure that it's impossible for me to NOT get an "A" in that class, woot!
My next class, Business Economics, starts in about a week & a half. I think. Might want to check that out. Hmm.
Oh well. I have NO motivation to do anything work-related, but am trudging through data entry with the help of my new iPod. Did I mention that it rocks? Probably so, but I'll say it again. It rocks.
Later!
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Wednesday Update
Well, if J can do "half-assed Wednesday" posts, the least I can do is throw you something -- though I don't have a ton of excitement to share right now.
I've been mega-social the last few days -- Friday I went out for a few hours w/some Zoo folks, Saturday I went out with C & M for dinner & pool. Sunday I slept late. Monday I did the happy-hour thing with some guys from work, and Tuesday night had dinner w/another friend from the Zoo. That's like four times as much socializing as I normally do. I actually have plans to do the happy-hour thing again next week -- it's kinda nice to have some folks to chill out with after a hectic day @ work.
I'm going to Bloomington, or thereabouts, this weekend. My friend JK from Northland called & said "I want to get out of Milwaukee this weekend, let's do something." After establishing that I wasn't driving 6 hours up there, and he wasn't driving 6 hours down here, we decided to meet in the middle, maybe go camping.
My major excitement for the week: I bought an iPod nano. It SERIOUSLY rocks. 'nuf said.
Okay, I have a new book calling my name (Deception Point, by Dan Brown), so I'm outta here -- take care!
I've been mega-social the last few days -- Friday I went out for a few hours w/some Zoo folks, Saturday I went out with C & M for dinner & pool. Sunday I slept late. Monday I did the happy-hour thing with some guys from work, and Tuesday night had dinner w/another friend from the Zoo. That's like four times as much socializing as I normally do. I actually have plans to do the happy-hour thing again next week -- it's kinda nice to have some folks to chill out with after a hectic day @ work.
I'm going to Bloomington, or thereabouts, this weekend. My friend JK from Northland called & said "I want to get out of Milwaukee this weekend, let's do something." After establishing that I wasn't driving 6 hours up there, and he wasn't driving 6 hours down here, we decided to meet in the middle, maybe go camping.
My major excitement for the week: I bought an iPod nano. It SERIOUSLY rocks. 'nuf said.
Okay, I have a new book calling my name (Deception Point, by Dan Brown), so I'm outta here -- take care!
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Saturday Randomness
First things first: HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!!!
Okay, I'm at work. By working today, I was able to have last Monday off (to come home from NC) without using vacation time. It just means that I'll be sitting here in boredom till 3pm today. Joy.
Let's see, something you might enjoy:
I never knew court transcripts could be so entertaining, but if you share my interest in the whole evolution/ID "controversy" (which I fondly like to refer to as "Creationists trying to repackage a religious idea and teach it to unsuspecting youth under the guise of science"), you may enjoy reading the transcripts of the Dover, PA court case - the one where the School Board made teachers read a "disclaimer" about Evolution - which can be found here. This actually helped renew my hope in the future of science education, because before the court could even make a ruling, the voters had ousted all members of the Board who supported the "disclaimer." Power to the people!
My final exam in Financial Management is Thursday. For the Midterm, we were allowed one 8.5" x 11" piece of paper, front & back, on which to copy formulas, examples, etc. to assist us on the test. Okay, understandable, I'm not a big fan of memorizing random formulas; in fact, in my Chem class in college, we were allowed a 3"x5" index card for each test -- but only ONE, so as the semester progressed, you either wrote smaller or left off the stuff you knew. Back to Financial Mgmt -- my GRAD LEVEL course -- we are now allowed TWO 8.5" x 11" sheets, front & back, for the Final. Come on, people! Good grief, isn't that a bit much? So, I'm taking my "page" from the midterm, shrinking it to 33%, and therefore getting almost two blank pages to write notes covering the last 6 chapters of material. And forget actually writing notes, I'm just copying & shrinking the PowerPoint slides from the review we did in class (because the midterm review was almost EXACTLY the same as the test, just with different numbers). I anticipate NOT stressing over this Final too very much.
Next class on my path to an MBA: Business Economics.
I still have not unpacked from my trip. All clothes in my suitcase smell of cigarettes, thanks B, so I'll be taking them & the rest of my wardrobe to the laundromat tonight.
5 hours left . . .
Okay, I'm at work. By working today, I was able to have last Monday off (to come home from NC) without using vacation time. It just means that I'll be sitting here in boredom till 3pm today. Joy.
Let's see, something you might enjoy:
I never knew court transcripts could be so entertaining, but if you share my interest in the whole evolution/ID "controversy" (which I fondly like to refer to as "Creationists trying to repackage a religious idea and teach it to unsuspecting youth under the guise of science"), you may enjoy reading the transcripts of the Dover, PA court case - the one where the School Board made teachers read a "disclaimer" about Evolution - which can be found here. This actually helped renew my hope in the future of science education, because before the court could even make a ruling, the voters had ousted all members of the Board who supported the "disclaimer." Power to the people!
My final exam in Financial Management is Thursday. For the Midterm, we were allowed one 8.5" x 11" piece of paper, front & back, on which to copy formulas, examples, etc. to assist us on the test. Okay, understandable, I'm not a big fan of memorizing random formulas; in fact, in my Chem class in college, we were allowed a 3"x5" index card for each test -- but only ONE, so as the semester progressed, you either wrote smaller or left off the stuff you knew. Back to Financial Mgmt -- my GRAD LEVEL course -- we are now allowed TWO 8.5" x 11" sheets, front & back, for the Final. Come on, people! Good grief, isn't that a bit much? So, I'm taking my "page" from the midterm, shrinking it to 33%, and therefore getting almost two blank pages to write notes covering the last 6 chapters of material. And forget actually writing notes, I'm just copying & shrinking the PowerPoint slides from the review we did in class (because the midterm review was almost EXACTLY the same as the test, just with different numbers). I anticipate NOT stressing over this Final too very much.
Next class on my path to an MBA: Business Economics.
I still have not unpacked from my trip. All clothes in my suitcase smell of cigarettes, thanks B, so I'll be taking them & the rest of my wardrobe to the laundromat tonight.
5 hours left . . .
Monday, April 17, 2006
Trip Pics
Well, I'm back -- the trip was great, flights were a piece of cake, and it was awesome to see B again -- especially since he's scheduled to head to the desert sometime next month. Speaking of, here are some pics of the aforementioned best friend:
This is the look I get upon announcing that I'm getting my camera out...
This is from downtown Raleigh...
This is as close to a smile as I got out of him...
Standing in his doorway, obviously thrilled that I'm still snapping pictures...
And, perhaps the most disturbing (especially for those of you who know him), B in uniform this morning as we said goodbye...
More later, I'm off to veg out in front of the TV.
This is the look I get upon announcing that I'm getting my camera out...
This is from downtown Raleigh...
This is as close to a smile as I got out of him...
Standing in his doorway, obviously thrilled that I'm still snapping pictures...
And, perhaps the most disturbing (especially for those of you who know him), B in uniform this morning as we said goodbye...
More later, I'm off to veg out in front of the TV.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
T-minus 24 hours . . .
It's early.
Today is my "lucky" day of working the 6am-2:30pm shift at work. The upside to this is the "leaving at 2:30" part, which will give me time to go home & finish packing before class.
That's right, I said "finish packing," yay!
By this time tomorrow, I'll be patiently (or impatiently, probably), waiting for AwesomeStepdad to come pick me up & take me to the airport. My flight leaves at 9:30 CST, and I couldn't be more excited! Well, I could, but my head might explode, so I'm trying to keep it in check.
The house is straightened, Mom will be checking on the feathered kids while I'm gone, all I need to do after work today is complete the packing process, go to class, and then try to get some sleep before beginning my adventure. Don't worry, I'll take pictures.
Have a great weekend!
Today is my "lucky" day of working the 6am-2:30pm shift at work. The upside to this is the "leaving at 2:30" part, which will give me time to go home & finish packing before class.
That's right, I said "finish packing," yay!
By this time tomorrow, I'll be patiently (or impatiently, probably), waiting for AwesomeStepdad to come pick me up & take me to the airport. My flight leaves at 9:30 CST, and I couldn't be more excited! Well, I could, but my head might explode, so I'm trying to keep it in check.
The house is straightened, Mom will be checking on the feathered kids while I'm gone, all I need to do after work today is complete the packing process, go to class, and then try to get some sleep before beginning my adventure. Don't worry, I'll take pictures.
Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Reading List
Okay, Okay, I stole this from Jess. At least it prompted me to go buy a new book!
Meme instructions: Look at the list of books below. Bold the ones you've read, italicize the ones you might read, cross out the ones you won't, place an asterisk* after the ones on your book shelf, and place (parentheses) around the ones you've never even heard of.
The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown* << the aforementioned new book
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams**** all FIVE books plus the extra “short story!
The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
(The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger)
(His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling*
Life of Pi - Yann Martel*
Animal Farm: A Fairy Story - George Orwell*
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller* (started it . . . )
The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien*
(The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon)
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (does watching the movie count?)
1984 - George Orwell
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J. K. Rowling*
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
(The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini)
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut*
(The Secret History - Donna Tartt)
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis
(Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides)
(Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell)
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
(Atonement - Ian McEwan)
(The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon)
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
(The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood)
(The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath)
Dune - Frank Herbert
Plus Jess’s add-ons:
Sense & Sensibility - Jane Austen
(Mrs. Mike - Benedict & Nancy Freedman)
(My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Piccoult)
The Illiad - Homer
(The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien)
The Girls Guide to Hunting & Fishing - Melissa Banks
In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
(Age of Iron - JM Coetzee)
(Existentialism and Human Emotions - Jean-Paul Sartre)
And now, some from my own list (consider them bold & with a *):
Einstein’s Dreams – Alan Lightman
Contact – Carl Sagan
A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson
The Tao of Pooh – Benjamin Hoff
Marley & Me – John Grogan
Swim Naked, Defy Gravity & 99 Other Essential Things To Accomplish Before Turning 30 - Colleen Rush
Wild Thoughts from Wild Places – David Quammen
Meme instructions: Look at the list of books below. Bold the ones you've read, italicize the ones you might read, cross out the ones you won't, place an asterisk* after the ones on your book shelf, and place (parentheses) around the ones you've never even heard of.
The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown* << the aforementioned new book
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams**** all FIVE books plus the extra “short story!
The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
(The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger)
(His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling*
Life of Pi - Yann Martel*
Animal Farm: A Fairy Story - George Orwell*
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller* (started it . . . )
The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien*
(The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon)
1984 - George Orwell
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J. K. Rowling*
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
(The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini)
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut*
(The Secret History - Donna Tartt)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis
(Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides)
(Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell)
(Atonement - Ian McEwan)
(The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon)
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
(The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood)
(The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath)
Plus Jess’s add-ons:
(Mrs. Mike - Benedict & Nancy Freedman)
(My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Piccoult)
The Illiad - Homer
(The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien)
The Girls Guide to Hunting & Fishing - Melissa Banks
In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
(Age of Iron - JM Coetzee)
(Existentialism and Human Emotions - Jean-Paul Sartre)
And now, some from my own list (consider them bold & with a *):
Einstein’s Dreams – Alan Lightman
Contact – Carl Sagan
A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson
The Tao of Pooh – Benjamin Hoff
Marley & Me – John Grogan
Swim Naked, Defy Gravity & 99 Other Essential Things To Accomplish Before Turning 30 - Colleen Rush
Wild Thoughts from Wild Places – David Quammen
Saturday, April 08, 2006
In the Last 10 Days . . .
A brief summary of what's been going on:
Last weekend started at 2:30pm on Friday; because I had worked the early shift at my grown-up job. I went home, took a nap, then went out with some friends. My plan was to have a diet coke, hang out a bit, & go home rather early, because I had to be at the Zoo at 8am Saturday . . . but when we got to the bar, W was ordering "another round" & the evening continued like that. We played pool (as much as I've played in the last month, you'd think I'd be improving more than I am), enjoyed random bar food (mmmm, pizza & waffle fries), & hung out; then I went home.
Saturday, I worked a Girl Scout program from 8am-330pm, then went out with some of my coworkers to the Cheesecake Factory ; then rushed back to work an overnight. Upon our return we found that the building we work in had NO WORKING RESTROOMS due to a sewer issue. Yipe -- 180 people and no bathrooms? Luckily, the emergency plumber-guys were on the scene, & had everything back to normal by 8pm. The program went really well, except for this awful group of mothers (their scouts were fine, the adults were terrible) who talked through the programs, weren't happy with ANYTHING, and then gave us negative reviews on their evaluations AND wanted a partial refund -- the nerve! Note: if you hadn't been TALKING through the whole class, you might have actually noticed that it is FAR above a "poor" rating! If I were my boss, my response would be thus: "The other groups who were with you seemed to truly enjoy & learn from the programs, in fact, you are the only group who's ever reviewed these instructors in a negative light. In addition, we offered to address your main issues, but you refused. In light of this, we are unable to offer you a refund." That's the PC me -- the real me is thinking of adding, "We will understand if you choose not to return in the future, in fact, please don't" Oh well.
After spending 26 hours at the zoo (with only the Cheesecake excursion as a break), I went home & slept till 7pm Sunday. Oh, and I got a really good sunburn. Good meaning red, painful, and noticeable. Since I'm working today (Saturday), I got a day off this week, so I took Monday & slept late, then straightened the house.
Thursday, I had my Finance Midterm. I've decided that the main problem with having the first two hours of class time alloted for the midterm (& then having class afterwards) is that I had to find a way to entertain myself for AN HOUR AND A HALF when I finished the test in 30 minutes. Oh well, I did homework. Joy.
As I was leaving work yesterday, Mom called. Grandpa had apparently become unresponsive, and didn't recognize Grandma. The hospital's first thought was that he'd had a stroke. I rushed to join Mom & Grams at the hospital, Gramps was asleep. They took him for a CT scan, which didn't show anything major. When they brought him back, he recognized us & even smiled at me trying to be my normal goofy self. Ending up unable to do the things he wants to do would be the worst thing possible for Gramps, but not being recognized to the man you've been married to for 51 years (their anniversary was Thursday, by the way) had to be horrible for Grams. BUT, we remain positive. Please continue to send good thoughts!
I got my tax refund today. Imagine my suprise when I saw the amount deposited to my account was $480 more than I'd expected! I checked the IRS website (which was actually very helpful), turns out I'd made a calculation error & they'd caught & corrected it for me -- WHOO HOO!
In less than a week, I'll be in NC (see last post) -- I'm going tonight to buy at least one new pair of shorts (because all mine are TOO BIG!), in hopes that the weather will be nice!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Last weekend started at 2:30pm on Friday; because I had worked the early shift at my grown-up job. I went home, took a nap, then went out with some friends. My plan was to have a diet coke, hang out a bit, & go home rather early, because I had to be at the Zoo at 8am Saturday . . . but when we got to the bar, W was ordering "another round" & the evening continued like that. We played pool (as much as I've played in the last month, you'd think I'd be improving more than I am), enjoyed random bar food (mmmm, pizza & waffle fries), & hung out; then I went home.
Saturday, I worked a Girl Scout program from 8am-330pm, then went out with some of my coworkers to the Cheesecake Factory ; then rushed back to work an overnight. Upon our return we found that the building we work in had NO WORKING RESTROOMS due to a sewer issue. Yipe -- 180 people and no bathrooms? Luckily, the emergency plumber-guys were on the scene, & had everything back to normal by 8pm. The program went really well, except for this awful group of mothers (their scouts were fine, the adults were terrible) who talked through the programs, weren't happy with ANYTHING, and then gave us negative reviews on their evaluations AND wanted a partial refund -- the nerve! Note: if you hadn't been TALKING through the whole class, you might have actually noticed that it is FAR above a "poor" rating! If I were my boss, my response would be thus: "The other groups who were with you seemed to truly enjoy & learn from the programs, in fact, you are the only group who's ever reviewed these instructors in a negative light. In addition, we offered to address your main issues, but you refused. In light of this, we are unable to offer you a refund." That's the PC me -- the real me is thinking of adding, "We will understand if you choose not to return in the future, in fact, please don't" Oh well.
After spending 26 hours at the zoo (with only the Cheesecake excursion as a break), I went home & slept till 7pm Sunday. Oh, and I got a really good sunburn. Good meaning red, painful, and noticeable. Since I'm working today (Saturday), I got a day off this week, so I took Monday & slept late, then straightened the house.
Thursday, I had my Finance Midterm. I've decided that the main problem with having the first two hours of class time alloted for the midterm (& then having class afterwards) is that I had to find a way to entertain myself for AN HOUR AND A HALF when I finished the test in 30 minutes. Oh well, I did homework. Joy.
As I was leaving work yesterday, Mom called. Grandpa had apparently become unresponsive, and didn't recognize Grandma. The hospital's first thought was that he'd had a stroke. I rushed to join Mom & Grams at the hospital, Gramps was asleep. They took him for a CT scan, which didn't show anything major. When they brought him back, he recognized us & even smiled at me trying to be my normal goofy self. Ending up unable to do the things he wants to do would be the worst thing possible for Gramps, but not being recognized to the man you've been married to for 51 years (their anniversary was Thursday, by the way) had to be horrible for Grams. BUT, we remain positive. Please continue to send good thoughts!
I got my tax refund today. Imagine my suprise when I saw the amount deposited to my account was $480 more than I'd expected! I checked the IRS website (which was actually very helpful), turns out I'd made a calculation error & they'd caught & corrected it for me -- WHOO HOO!
In less than a week, I'll be in NC (see last post) -- I'm going tonight to buy at least one new pair of shorts (because all mine are TOO BIG!), in hopes that the weather will be nice!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Words Cannot Describe the Degree of my Excitement
I'm going to North Carolina!
Why, you may ask?
Well, it starts with my best friend, who's stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro, NC. This is, by the way, the town where Andy Griffith taught high school, and apparently could be the town that inspired Mayberry (which is why I never really worry about him getting into too much trouble.
The aforementioned friend will soon be shipping out to "the desert" for an unspecified amount of time. Actually, it probably is specified, but last time he went, they "specified" three months and it ended up being six, so take that as you wish.
On the phone the other night, I said "that's not cool; I wish I could fly out there to see you before you go," and he said "Seriously, Tiff, if you can figure out how to get here, I'll split the cost of the trip with you."
Baroo?
Never one to back away from a (not really spoken or implied but I'm treating it that way anyway) challenge, I hopped on the 'net & found a great deal on Expedia.com. I managed to change my schedule at my grown-up job so I'm off Friday the 14th through Monday the 17th WITHOUT taking any vacation time; and one of the wonderful folks I work with at the Zoo offered to take the overnight shift I had for that weekend. SWEET!
So, booked the flight, booked the rental car -- we are at t-minus 17 days and counting, yay!
And as an added bonus, my grandmother's brothers live about an hour from Goldsboro, so I'll be making a trip down to see them on Saturday or Sunday. Yay family!
Again, I'm SO psyched, I'm practically speechless -- and for me, that takes a lot!
*on another note, grandpa is doing better; the docs are slowly but surely weaning him off medications & machines; he's coherent & responsive, so thanks for the good thoughts, keep sending them our way!
Cheers!
Why, you may ask?
Well, it starts with my best friend, who's stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro, NC. This is, by the way, the town where Andy Griffith taught high school, and apparently could be the town that inspired Mayberry (which is why I never really worry about him getting into too much trouble.
The aforementioned friend will soon be shipping out to "the desert" for an unspecified amount of time. Actually, it probably is specified, but last time he went, they "specified" three months and it ended up being six, so take that as you wish.
On the phone the other night, I said "that's not cool; I wish I could fly out there to see you before you go," and he said "Seriously, Tiff, if you can figure out how to get here, I'll split the cost of the trip with you."
Baroo?
Never one to back away from a (not really spoken or implied but I'm treating it that way anyway) challenge, I hopped on the 'net & found a great deal on Expedia.com. I managed to change my schedule at my grown-up job so I'm off Friday the 14th through Monday the 17th WITHOUT taking any vacation time; and one of the wonderful folks I work with at the Zoo offered to take the overnight shift I had for that weekend. SWEET!
So, booked the flight, booked the rental car -- we are at t-minus 17 days and counting, yay!
And as an added bonus, my grandmother's brothers live about an hour from Goldsboro, so I'll be making a trip down to see them on Saturday or Sunday. Yay family!
Again, I'm SO psyched, I'm practically speechless -- and for me, that takes a lot!
*on another note, grandpa is doing better; the docs are slowly but surely weaning him off medications & machines; he's coherent & responsive, so thanks for the good thoughts, keep sending them our way!
Cheers!
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
A Few Bits of Randomness
Well, I got back safely, whoo hoo!
Grandpa's in the hospital, he had his 3rd open heart surgery last Tuesday, while I was stuck in Hurley. Things were okay, then Friday they were really not okay & we thought we were going to lose him; but we didn't. His vitals are a bit better & he's now stable -- critical, but stable. So send good thoughts our way.
I did a whole lot of nothin' this weekend, except homework. Yay.
I'm dog-sitting Friday. "Murphy" is an 11-month old maltese/poodle mix, lovingly referred to as a "maltepoo" (long "e" sound there).
More homework this weekend. Yay.
My little brother's b-day is today, he's . . . 21. Anyone who's known him for a long time may now commence feeling old.
Out of nowhere, I got an email from a long-lost friend. Welcome back to the world, B!
Last but not least, I have a dinner date Friday. Whoo hoo, I'm trying to have a social life!
Grandpa's in the hospital, he had his 3rd open heart surgery last Tuesday, while I was stuck in Hurley. Things were okay, then Friday they were really not okay & we thought we were going to lose him; but we didn't. His vitals are a bit better & he's now stable -- critical, but stable. So send good thoughts our way.
I did a whole lot of nothin' this weekend, except homework. Yay.
I'm dog-sitting Friday. "Murphy" is an 11-month old maltese/poodle mix, lovingly referred to as a "maltepoo" (long "e" sound there).
More homework this weekend. Yay.
My little brother's b-day is today, he's . . . 21. Anyone who's known him for a long time may now commence feeling old.
Out of nowhere, I got an email from a long-lost friend. Welcome back to the world, B!
Last but not least, I have a dinner date Friday. Whoo hoo, I'm trying to have a social life!
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Home Sweet Home
Well, after being snowed in Monday, I attempted to leave Northern Wisconsin on Tuesday morning -- no prob, the snow had stopped, sun was out, main road in town was pretty cleared, I was on my way . . .
I got about 20 miles out of town, the snow picked up, road was covered in packed snow, and I did a 180* in my Ranger. I was quite happy to stay ON the road, thanks, and that the two big trucks coming from either direction saw fit to avoid squishing me. I pressed on to the next town (because it was closer than where I'd come from), & checked into the Days Inn in Hurley, WI at like 10am. I watched cable, watched the snow, took a nap, watched the snow, did homework, watched the snow . . . are you seeing a trend here? Bonus: shortly before the Truck Ice Capades, I saw a bald eagle flying above the trees that line the side of the road. Awesome.
By 8:00am Wednesday, the storm front was gone, the roads were cleared, and I headed home -- this just meant that I had to drive the whole 10-hr stretch in one day. Not my preferred method, especially by myself, but it was a beautiful day & I enjoyed the trip.
I hope everyone else's weekend/start to the week went well!
I got about 20 miles out of town, the snow picked up, road was covered in packed snow, and I did a 180* in my Ranger. I was quite happy to stay ON the road, thanks, and that the two big trucks coming from either direction saw fit to avoid squishing me. I pressed on to the next town (because it was closer than where I'd come from), & checked into the Days Inn in Hurley, WI at like 10am. I watched cable, watched the snow, took a nap, watched the snow, did homework, watched the snow . . . are you seeing a trend here? Bonus: shortly before the Truck Ice Capades, I saw a bald eagle flying above the trees that line the side of the road. Awesome.
By 8:00am Wednesday, the storm front was gone, the roads were cleared, and I headed home -- this just meant that I had to drive the whole 10-hr stretch in one day. Not my preferred method, especially by myself, but it was a beautiful day & I enjoyed the trip.
I hope everyone else's weekend/start to the week went well!
Monday, March 13, 2006
Snowed In!
Well, looks like no whirlpool suite for me! The snow started about 2am (or so I've been told), & it's still falling. There's probably 6-8 inches on the ground, it's still falling, and it's drifting! I've moved to a different res hall so as to spread the "Tiffany presence" around! Saw various professors that all miss me terribly (as well they should) & a lot of other folks that are still up here.
From the National Weather Service:
Well, since classes are cancelled (do you know what it takes to cancel classes in Northern Wisconsin?!?), everyone is off & hanging out. I have to get started on some of my (blech) homework for Financial Management. Ta ta for now!
From the National Weather Service:
THE WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT.
HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MOST AREAS ARE REPORTING SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 7 TO 8 INCHES AT THIS TIME... HOWEVER A SNOW ACCUMULATION OF AROUND 14 INCHES HAS BEEN REPORTED NEAR GLIDDEN. AN ADDITIONAL 5 TO 9 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED THROUGH THIS EVENING. STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 13 TO 18 INCHES...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ALONG THE SNOW BELT.
STRONG WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL ALSO CAUSE AREAS OF CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. VISIBILITIES WILL BE DRASTICALLY REDUCED TO NEAR ZERO IN OPEN AREAS... AND SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO DEEPEN ON ROADS.
TRAVEL WILL CONTINUE TO BE VERY DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE ACROSS ALL OF NORTHWEST WISCONSIN TODAY. THE COUNTY SHERIFFS IN WASHBURN AND ASHLAND COUNTIES HAVE CLOSED ROADWAYS. SNOW PLOWS ARE NOT ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE HEAVY SNOW BECAUSE OF THE NEAR ZERO VISIBILITIES.
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW...WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING ARE EXPECTED. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
Well, since classes are cancelled (do you know what it takes to cancel classes in Northern Wisconsin?!?), everyone is off & hanging out. I have to get started on some of my (blech) homework for Financial Management. Ta ta for now!
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Day 3 - the Day After
Greetings from the North Country, where we have a Winter Weather Advisory -- according to the National Weather Service, we may get 4-6 inches of snow tonight, yay!
I got in to Ashland about 730 last night (after adding two more states and a handful of LIVE deer to my count), took a quick shower, then walked to the Deepwater with Dan, Travis & Dana, & met up with April, Bruce, Dusty, Molly, Tex, EJ . . . we played pool for at least four hours. Dan took pics, which can be seen here, despite the misspelling of my last name. More pics to come, since we're off to the Deepwater again tonight (hey, when you're in Ashland and want food & ambience (or ambiance if you prefer), you're limited on your options) -- we have more than $25 in quarters, and at $0.75/game, we're set for hours.
Slept in until about 1030, had brunch in the cafeteria (who'd have thought I'd ever do that again?), stopped to see cool Psychology professor Paul Norris, played on the computer a bit, then the boys gave me a lesson in bocce ball (pics here), followed by a trip to McDonald's (yes I splurged) because the guys said "we're not going out until 6? we're going to need to eat before then." Now we're chilling out in Dan's room, I booked a posh hotel room in Stevens Point for tomorrow night's trip home (last night of vacation, all to myself, I splurged on the whirlpool suite 'cuz I got a GREAT deal on it!).
More later, adios!
**As of 10:45, no snow, but up here that doesn't really mean anything.
I got in to Ashland about 730 last night (after adding two more states and a handful of LIVE deer to my count), took a quick shower, then walked to the Deepwater with Dan, Travis & Dana, & met up with April, Bruce, Dusty, Molly, Tex, EJ . . . we played pool for at least four hours. Dan took pics, which can be seen here, despite the misspelling of my last name. More pics to come, since we're off to the Deepwater again tonight (hey, when you're in Ashland and want food & ambience (or ambiance if you prefer), you're limited on your options) -- we have more than $25 in quarters, and at $0.75/game, we're set for hours.
Slept in until about 1030, had brunch in the cafeteria (who'd have thought I'd ever do that again?), stopped to see cool Psychology professor Paul Norris, played on the computer a bit, then the boys gave me a lesson in bocce ball (pics here), followed by a trip to McDonald's (yes I splurged) because the guys said "we're not going out until 6? we're going to need to eat before then." Now we're chilling out in Dan's room, I booked a posh hotel room in Stevens Point for tomorrow night's trip home (last night of vacation, all to myself, I splurged on the whirlpool suite 'cuz I got a GREAT deal on it!).
More later, adios!
**As of 10:45, no snow, but up here that doesn't really mean anything.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Day 2 -- My Actual Birthday
Greetings all!
Well, after sleeping 'til noon on Maria's couch after being out till like 2 or 3, I'm awake, bright-eyed and bushy tailed . . . or, I would be, if I had a tail . . . but bright-eyed nonetheless!
We're off to grab a bite, then to see the model for Maria's new condo, then I'm off to Ashland! Yay, another 6+ hour drive!
That's all for now, catch ya later!
Well, after sleeping 'til noon on Maria's couch after being out till like 2 or 3, I'm awake, bright-eyed and bushy tailed . . . or, I would be, if I had a tail . . . but bright-eyed nonetheless!
We're off to grab a bite, then to see the model for Maria's new condo, then I'm off to Ashland! Yay, another 6+ hour drive!
That's all for now, catch ya later!
Friday, March 10, 2006
Off I Go!
Made it safe to WI, met up with Maria & Justin, who's still obnoxious as hell but we love him anyway, I think . . .
Saw license plates from 15 states, about a dozen hawks, two wild turkeys & some not-quite-alive deer.
Tonight, it's off to the piano bar; tomorrow it's off to Ashland -- it looks like I'll once again be celebrating my birthday at the Deepwater Grille!
Saw license plates from 15 states, about a dozen hawks, two wild turkeys & some not-quite-alive deer.
Tonight, it's off to the piano bar; tomorrow it's off to Ashland -- it looks like I'll once again be celebrating my birthday at the Deepwater Grille!
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Happy Birthday to Me!
*Note to the reader: I'm posting this early because I'm not sure if I'll have blogger access on my trip.
24 years ago, somewhere between 9 & 10am on March 11th, 1982, I entered the world at St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis, MO. As I declare my birthday an official holiday, here are a few other cool things that happened on March 11th:
1818: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is published. 1861: The Confederate States of America adopted its constitution. 1888: A torrential rainstorm hit the East Coast. The rain turned to snow the next day and it became the Blizzard of 1888, the most famous snowstorm in American history. It caused more than 400 deaths. (not cool, but definitely cold) 1930: William Howard Taft became the first U.S. president to be buried in the National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. 1941: President Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Bill. 1942: General Douglas MacArthur leaves the Philippines saying, "I shall return." 1985: Mikhail Gorbachev became head of the Soviet Union following the death of Konstantin Chernenko. At 54, he was the youngest member of the ruling Politburo. 1990: Augusto Pinochet of Chile, dictator since 1973, steps down.
1990: A newly elected parliament in Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union. 1993: Janet Reno won unanimous Senate confirmation to be the first female U.S. Attorney General.
Just a few famous people born on my birthday:
Douglas Adams (1952) -- the answer is...42.
Bobby McFerrin (1950) -- Don't worry, be happy.
Sam Donaldson (1934) -- Hold on, Mr. President!
Everyone should now celebrate!
24 years ago, somewhere between 9 & 10am on March 11th, 1982, I entered the world at St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis, MO. As I declare my birthday an official holiday, here are a few other cool things that happened on March 11th:
Just a few famous people born on my birthday:
Douglas Adams (1952) -- the answer is...42.
Bobby McFerrin (1950) -- Don't worry, be happy.
Sam Donaldson (1934) -- Hold on, Mr. President!
Everyone should now celebrate!
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Wednesday Night Audio
To-Do List
I like lists. They help me to organize my thoughts & the things I have to do. With that in mind, here's my "to-do" list to prepare for my trip:
Drop laundry offPick up laundryVisit the Cingular storeDinner with the family for my birthdayClean bird cagesPackShow Mom how to take care of birds while I'm goneGet clothes from the tailorClassGet the Ranger's oil changedPack some (healthy) snacksSkedaddle outta Saint Louis!
Coolest Thing I've Seen This Week
Yay, science! Check out this new species of crustacean discovered in the South Pacific:
Isn't it cute?
Isn't it cute?
Monday, March 06, 2006
Get Your Science Right
While driving to work this morning, I saw a bumper sticker that said "Darwin was wrong because; fish don't walk & Jesus is still alive."
Aside from the questionable punctuation & the fact that I don't remember Darwin saying ANYTHING about Jesus, this is right up there with the "If we evolved from monkeys, then why are there still monkeys?" folks*.
So, for the "fish don't walk" people, I dug up some pictures:
If "fish can't walk," & these little guys aren't swimming -- what are they doing? Hmm....
Besides, if an octopus can do it, why not a fish?
*For the record if you haven't already heard, we didn't evolve FROM monkeys, we have a common ancestor that we share WITH the other primates. You have three types of teeth, opposable thumbs, short snout, comparably large brain, no tail -- you are an ape, accept it. Per the Saint Louis Zoo, "Chimps are our closest living relatives. In fact, we share 98.4% of our DNA with chimps." Say hello to your very distant cousin:
Aside from the questionable punctuation & the fact that I don't remember Darwin saying ANYTHING about Jesus, this is right up there with the "If we evolved from monkeys, then why are there still monkeys?" folks*.
So, for the "fish don't walk" people, I dug up some pictures:
If "fish can't walk," & these little guys aren't swimming -- what are they doing? Hmm....
Besides, if an octopus can do it, why not a fish?
*For the record if you haven't already heard, we didn't evolve FROM monkeys, we have a common ancestor that we share WITH the other primates. You have three types of teeth, opposable thumbs, short snout, comparably large brain, no tail -- you are an ape, accept it. Per the Saint Louis Zoo, "Chimps are our closest living relatives. In fact, we share 98.4% of our DNA with chimps." Say hello to your very distant cousin:
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Headline Review
Happy Saturday!
It is officially one week until my birthday, and where am I? That's right, at work! I'm chilling out at my grown-up job & while enjoying my grilled cheese sammich (my guilty pleasure when I have to work weekends, the cafeteria makes a great grilled cheese!), I was browsing the news pages. There have been a variety of good articles on various subjects the past week or so, so I thought I'd share a few that caught my eye:
Things that worry me:
(1) South Dakota's attempted total ban on abortion -- please, take my rights, it's not like I'm using them.
(2) The Supreme Court reviewing a total ban on late-term abortion, because the ban in question does "not include an exception for cases where the health of the mother might be at risk."
(3) The proposed Missouri House resolution that states that "voluntary prayer in public schools, religious displays on public property, and the recognition of a Christian God are not a coalition of church and state." Because if it's not, I'm not sure what is.
(4)Any city government (or any government at all, for that matter), who thinks they have the right to decide what constitutes a family. It would seem that the aforementioned ordinance, in addition to affecting the folks mentioned in the story, would also prevent gay couples from raising children in the city. Hmmm. I'll have to agree with this column, the answer to one board member's statement, "I don't understand why you as a woman didn't exercise your right to marry that man" is that it's NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS. I have very vivid memories of close-minded people suggesting that my dad, brother, stepmom, stepsister & I weren't a family because we had different skin tones -- and my parents were married!
Things that I agree with:
(1) the conviction of six animal-rights supporters for "using a Web site to incite threats, harassment and vandalism against a company that tests drugs and household products on animals." I'm not saying we should just randomly test harmful chemicals on animals, but what these people did went too far -- the information they posted contained "their home phone numbers, addresses and where their children attended school." When you put people's children at risk, you're seriously crossing the line. Your First Amendment rights allow you to rant & rave & assemble peaceably, but not to put other people in danger.
(2) As silly as it sounds, and as many other things we could be using legislative power for, I think requiring coathooks in public restrooms is a great idea.
(3) The woman who got whacked by an elephant after climbing into its exhibit. 'nuff said.
(4) Japanese scientists have found a method to get gasoline from cow dung. Given the stats in the article, the yearly dung production of Japan could create over 210,000,000 gallons of gas, which is enough for my little Ranger to drive the around the world (at the equator, of course) almost 200,000 times!
(5) The kids who built a soybean powered car, that can go "from zero to 60 in four seconds and get more than 50 miles to the gallon." Expect to see them all hired by big oil for large sums of money, and subsequently locked away in cubicles where no one will hear from them ever again.
Okay, enough for now, have a great weekend, and happy reading!
It is officially one week until my birthday, and where am I? That's right, at work! I'm chilling out at my grown-up job & while enjoying my grilled cheese sammich (my guilty pleasure when I have to work weekends, the cafeteria makes a great grilled cheese!), I was browsing the news pages. There have been a variety of good articles on various subjects the past week or so, so I thought I'd share a few that caught my eye:
Things that worry me:
(1) South Dakota's attempted total ban on abortion -- please, take my rights, it's not like I'm using them.
(2) The Supreme Court reviewing a total ban on late-term abortion, because the ban in question does "not include an exception for cases where the health of the mother might be at risk."
(3) The proposed Missouri House resolution that states that "voluntary prayer in public schools, religious displays on public property, and the recognition of a Christian God are not a coalition of church and state." Because if it's not, I'm not sure what is.
(4)Any city government (or any government at all, for that matter), who thinks they have the right to decide what constitutes a family. It would seem that the aforementioned ordinance, in addition to affecting the folks mentioned in the story, would also prevent gay couples from raising children in the city. Hmmm. I'll have to agree with this column, the answer to one board member's statement, "I don't understand why you as a woman didn't exercise your right to marry that man" is that it's NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS. I have very vivid memories of close-minded people suggesting that my dad, brother, stepmom, stepsister & I weren't a family because we had different skin tones -- and my parents were married!
Things that I agree with:
(1) the conviction of six animal-rights supporters for "using a Web site to incite threats, harassment and vandalism against a company that tests drugs and household products on animals." I'm not saying we should just randomly test harmful chemicals on animals, but what these people did went too far -- the information they posted contained "their home phone numbers, addresses and where their children attended school." When you put people's children at risk, you're seriously crossing the line. Your First Amendment rights allow you to rant & rave & assemble peaceably, but not to put other people in danger.
(2) As silly as it sounds, and as many other things we could be using legislative power for, I think requiring coathooks in public restrooms is a great idea.
(3) The woman who got whacked by an elephant after climbing into its exhibit. 'nuff said.
(4) Japanese scientists have found a method to get gasoline from cow dung. Given the stats in the article, the yearly dung production of Japan could create over 210,000,000 gallons of gas, which is enough for my little Ranger to drive the around the world (at the equator, of course) almost 200,000 times!
(5) The kids who built a soybean powered car, that can go "from zero to 60 in four seconds and get more than 50 miles to the gallon." Expect to see them all hired by big oil for large sums of money, and subsequently locked away in cubicles where no one will hear from them ever again.
Okay, enough for now, have a great weekend, and happy reading!
Friday, March 03, 2006
Friday
Hum dee dum.
It's Friday which, if I didn't have to work this weekend, might lead to joyous shouts. But alas, it's my weekend to work in the office, so I was off yesterday instead. What did I do? Oh it was wonderful, let me tell you! I slept late, ate a bit of brunch, emailed in my final exam, then went back to bed until 3:30pm. It was marvelous. I took the treacherous pants to the tailor, along with another pair of pants, a skirt, & a dress. $62 later, it's STILL cheaper than buying new clothes. I chuckled, because one of the pairs of pants had already been taken in a few months ago, and are again too big. Yay me!
Then, I went to the YMCA & hit the stairstepper for 30 minutes. For the record, I have done 30 minutes of stairstepping FOUR TIMES this week, plus my 45-minute Aquacise classes on M & W. Double yay me!
After the Y, I rented & watched Yours, Mine & Ours (the remake) which was cheesy-funny; and Rent, which was AWESOME!
Sunday, I'm going to a birthday party for Jon's dog, who is turning one. As Jon puts it, "he can no longer be called a puppy & he gets big boy dog food!" Yes, it's a party, for a dog. Got a problem with that? I didn't think so! Yay puppy party!
I want to go home & go to sleep. But I have errands to run after work, including another jaunt on the stairstepper.
By this time next week, I'll be north of Springfield, IL, on my way to Milwaukee. Whoo hoo!
It's Friday which, if I didn't have to work this weekend, might lead to joyous shouts. But alas, it's my weekend to work in the office, so I was off yesterday instead. What did I do? Oh it was wonderful, let me tell you! I slept late, ate a bit of brunch, emailed in my final exam, then went back to bed until 3:30pm. It was marvelous. I took the treacherous pants to the tailor, along with another pair of pants, a skirt, & a dress. $62 later, it's STILL cheaper than buying new clothes. I chuckled, because one of the pairs of pants had already been taken in a few months ago, and are again too big. Yay me!
Then, I went to the YMCA & hit the stairstepper for 30 minutes. For the record, I have done 30 minutes of stairstepping FOUR TIMES this week, plus my 45-minute Aquacise classes on M & W. Double yay me!
After the Y, I rented & watched Yours, Mine & Ours (the remake) which was cheesy-funny; and Rent, which was AWESOME!
Sunday, I'm going to a birthday party for Jon's dog, who is turning one. As Jon puts it, "he can no longer be called a puppy & he gets big boy dog food!" Yes, it's a party, for a dog. Got a problem with that? I didn't think so! Yay puppy party!
I want to go home & go to sleep. But I have errands to run after work, including another jaunt on the stairstepper.
By this time next week, I'll be north of Springfield, IL, on my way to Milwaukee. Whoo hoo!
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
My Clothes Are Trying To Kill Me
Well, I had my Jenny Craig meeting last night -- I lost another two pounds, for a grand total loss of 38.2!
This means that the pants to the suit I bought a just a few months ago are a bit loose, and therefore sit more on my hips than up at my waist. I did not think this was a big deal, until . . .
My pants tried to kill me.
Sure, they'll deny it, something about being inanimate objects, but I know the truth.
They plotted . . . and they waited.
I'm pretty sure my shoes were in on it, too -- gives new meaning to the term "accessory," doesn't it?
As I was walking down the four flights of stairs in the parking garage (which I do, every day, up to this point without incident), my heel caught in the hem of my pants (which is now hanging lower than usual) and ALMOST led me head-first into the concrete wall. I think it was only by sheer willpower that I stayed vertical.
Sheesh.
What a way to wake up!
This means that the pants to the suit I bought a just a few months ago are a bit loose, and therefore sit more on my hips than up at my waist. I did not think this was a big deal, until . . .
My pants tried to kill me.
Sure, they'll deny it, something about being inanimate objects, but I know the truth.
They plotted . . . and they waited.
I'm pretty sure my shoes were in on it, too -- gives new meaning to the term "accessory," doesn't it?
As I was walking down the four flights of stairs in the parking garage (which I do, every day, up to this point without incident), my heel caught in the hem of my pants (which is now hanging lower than usual) and ALMOST led me head-first into the concrete wall. I think it was only by sheer willpower that I stayed vertical.
Sheesh.
What a way to wake up!
Friday, February 24, 2006
My Life as a Cartoon
Occasionally, I run across various comic strips that don't just speak to me, they scream. Here are a few that I find very familiar:
(Remove the "significant other" & just picture me talking to myself)
That one's just so darn funny because it's true!
(Remove the "significant other" & just picture me talking to myself)
That one's just so darn funny because it's true!
Change of Plans
After some thought, I have decided not to go on the trip mentioned in my last post. Not right now, anyway, I'm going to save it for a warmer time, maybe this summer. Instead . . .
I'm going to Wisconsin!
I've taken two extra days off work, and am going to go visit some friends from school. I'm leaving Friday, 3/10 to drive to Milwaukee. I'll spend Friday night, Saturday, and Saturday night with my dear friend M (mentioned here), and hopefully catch up with JK as well. There has been talk of visiting the Milwaukee Zoo, and the basic catching-up that occurs when you haven't seen folks in awhile.
Sunday, 3/12, I may very well drive up to the frozen Northwoods to visit some friends who are still attending my alma mater. I can stay there Sunday night, visit a few professors Monday morning, then head back south. Stay Monday night at some random hotel, then back home to good ol' STL on Tuesday.
THAT, my friends, is the new plan!
I'm going to Wisconsin!
I've taken two extra days off work, and am going to go visit some friends from school. I'm leaving Friday, 3/10 to drive to Milwaukee. I'll spend Friday night, Saturday, and Saturday night with my dear friend M (mentioned here), and hopefully catch up with JK as well. There has been talk of visiting the Milwaukee Zoo, and the basic catching-up that occurs when you haven't seen folks in awhile.
Sunday, 3/12, I may very well drive up to the frozen Northwoods to visit some friends who are still attending my alma mater. I can stay there Sunday night, visit a few professors Monday morning, then head back south. Stay Monday night at some random hotel, then back home to good ol' STL on Tuesday.
THAT, my friends, is the new plan!
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Birthday Holiday
In 17 days, I will be 24. That's right, March 11th is my birthday, and through the luck of scheduling, I actually have a 3-day weekend. I've been pondering what to do for said occasion. Skydiving? Nah -- too much cost for too little time. Day at the spa? Nay, I've done that before. A weekend cruise? Ummm...no, for various reasons including but not limited to price, time constraints, and having no one to go with. However, I think I've come up with something good.
I think I shall take a weekend trip away from it all. Here is my plan:
Friday, March 10th -- Leave home & enjoy a nice 5-hour drive to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. That's right, I said Arkansas. Check into semi-posh hotel. It's a Best Western, but it has extra perks & an on-site restaurant! Get somewhat comfy, then head for a horseback ride with dinner. Back to the hotel to shower & do not much of anything.
Saturday, March 11th -- Enjoy a leisurely breakfast, then head to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge to see big cats. Take lots of pictures, hang out there till I'm tired, then head back to town to find somewhere to eat. Meander along the main streets. Eat dinner somewhere fancy & spend a bit too much. I may visit this, tee hee, but will NOT be going here, lest my scientific background and addiction to FACTS get me in trouble.
Sunday, March 12th -- don't get up too early, have breakfast, do any last-minute shopping for stuff I saw the day before, then head home. 5 hours of rocking out in the car, just me & my CD collection.
If you get bored, check out the attractions here & let me know if there's anything you think I should look into.
I think I shall take a weekend trip away from it all. Here is my plan:
Friday, March 10th -- Leave home & enjoy a nice 5-hour drive to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. That's right, I said Arkansas. Check into semi-posh hotel. It's a Best Western, but it has extra perks & an on-site restaurant! Get somewhat comfy, then head for a horseback ride with dinner. Back to the hotel to shower & do not much of anything.
Saturday, March 11th -- Enjoy a leisurely breakfast, then head to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge to see big cats. Take lots of pictures, hang out there till I'm tired, then head back to town to find somewhere to eat. Meander along the main streets. Eat dinner somewhere fancy & spend a bit too much. I may visit this, tee hee, but will NOT be going here, lest my scientific background and addiction to FACTS get me in trouble.
Sunday, March 12th -- don't get up too early, have breakfast, do any last-minute shopping for stuff I saw the day before, then head home. 5 hours of rocking out in the car, just me & my CD collection.
If you get bored, check out the attractions here & let me know if there's anything you think I should look into.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Trip to the Zoo
Thanks to R for pointing me to the Slideroll website! All of the pics were taken by yours truly, so here goes -- take a trip with me to the Saint Louis Zoo!
Bonus points to anyone who can name all of the animals featured (and "penguin" and "camel" are not enough information!)
Bonus points to anyone who can name all of the animals featured (and "penguin" and "camel" are not enough information!)
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Two Million for $2 Million
Visit the website for the Saint Louis Zoo's Two Million for $2 Million Campaign.
From the website:
"The Saint Louis Zoo, along with 209 accredited zoos and aquariums across the nation, is seeking two million signatures to ask Congress to increase their wildlife conservation support to $2 million in 2006.
This petition asks Congress for $2 million to annually fund conservation and research programs for the Multinational Species Conservation Fund, a highly successful wildlife conservation program run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with a proven record of success over the past 14 years. The programs have succeeded in maintaining or increasing key populations of some wild animals facing enormous survival challenges: elephants in Asia and Africa; rhinos in southern Africa, Indonesia and India; tigers in Russia; marine turtles in the Caribbean and southeast Asia; and great apes in east and central Africa.
Each of these species faces grave threats to their survival in the wild, and they need our help to protect them. Our goal is to increase the funding from Congress to $2 million annually for each of these species.
Help us send a message to Congress that you care about these imperiled species and want to help protect them in the wild. Please take a moment to “sign” this petition asking for at least $2 million for each of the wildlife species covered under the Multinational Species Conservation Funds. AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums intend to deliver two million signatures to Congress on March 7, 2006"
Make a difference!
From the website:
"The Saint Louis Zoo, along with 209 accredited zoos and aquariums across the nation, is seeking two million signatures to ask Congress to increase their wildlife conservation support to $2 million in 2006.
This petition asks Congress for $2 million to annually fund conservation and research programs for the Multinational Species Conservation Fund, a highly successful wildlife conservation program run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with a proven record of success over the past 14 years. The programs have succeeded in maintaining or increasing key populations of some wild animals facing enormous survival challenges: elephants in Asia and Africa; rhinos in southern Africa, Indonesia and India; tigers in Russia; marine turtles in the Caribbean and southeast Asia; and great apes in east and central Africa.
Each of these species faces grave threats to their survival in the wild, and they need our help to protect them. Our goal is to increase the funding from Congress to $2 million annually for each of these species.
Help us send a message to Congress that you care about these imperiled species and want to help protect them in the wild. Please take a moment to “sign” this petition asking for at least $2 million for each of the wildlife species covered under the Multinational Species Conservation Funds. AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums intend to deliver two million signatures to Congress on March 7, 2006"
Make a difference!
Friday, February 10, 2006
Alive & Kickin' . . .
An update on a variety of things that are happening:
My Jenny Craig Quest continues, I'm now down 35.6 lbs! That leaves me 8.6 lbs to my goal weight, whoo hoo!
I had a job interview yesterday. It's in the same company, but with a different department. My boss suggested it, because it would provide a lot more opportunities for advancement than my current position does. Cross your fingers!
I have had five dates with the same guy. #6 is tomorrow. That's all I'm saying about that.
This may be the coolest thing I've heard or read in a month: ‘Lost World’ of wildlife found in Indonesia. Rock on! Now let's work to protect it so we have time to figure out what all is there!
I had my midterm in my first MBA class last night. 72 questions of the T/F, Multiple Choice, and Matchig variety, plus fewer than 10 short answer. I finished i 25 minutes, and that's WITH re-reading everything to double-check. We'll see how I did next week.
I didn't know that Darwin's birthday is Sunday. Happy birthday, Chuck!
Thing that most ticked me off this week: KSDK Channel 5 did an I-Team investigation on what they called "a dark secret at the Saint Louis Zoo." Ready for the secret? THIRTY YEARS AGO, we had chimpanzee shows. Was it acceptable then? yes, and lots of places did it. Is it morally reprehensible in today's world? heck yeah! The news "investigation" says this:
Here's just a part of what Zoo Pres. Dr. Bonner said:
To me, that sounds less like a lack of acknowledgment and more like a "we're doing what we can, even though our hands are legally tied in some areas," what more do they want?
The reporter spent a long time talking about this "dark secret" that's not really a secret, and then covers his tail by saying
Any mention of our new, state-of-the-art, multimillion dollar Fragile Forest Exhibit? Noooooooo!
Good Grief.
Okay, I'm done.
Adios!
My Jenny Craig Quest continues, I'm now down 35.6 lbs! That leaves me 8.6 lbs to my goal weight, whoo hoo!
I had a job interview yesterday. It's in the same company, but with a different department. My boss suggested it, because it would provide a lot more opportunities for advancement than my current position does. Cross your fingers!
I have had five dates with the same guy. #6 is tomorrow. That's all I'm saying about that.
This may be the coolest thing I've heard or read in a month: ‘Lost World’ of wildlife found in Indonesia. Rock on! Now let's work to protect it so we have time to figure out what all is there!
I had my midterm in my first MBA class last night. 72 questions of the T/F, Multiple Choice, and Matchig variety, plus fewer than 10 short answer. I finished i 25 minutes, and that's WITH re-reading everything to double-check. We'll see how I did next week.
I didn't know that Darwin's birthday is Sunday. Happy birthday, Chuck!
Thing that most ticked me off this week: KSDK Channel 5 did an I-Team investigation on what they called "a dark secret at the Saint Louis Zoo." Ready for the secret? THIRTY YEARS AGO, we had chimpanzee shows. Was it acceptable then? yes, and lots of places did it. Is it morally reprehensible in today's world? heck yeah! The news "investigation" says this:
It's a past the Zoo President admits to, but doesn't like to acknowledge.
Here's just a part of what Zoo Pres. Dr. Bonner said:
"Wound up in animal testing?" "Yeah, exactly so," says Dr. Bonner. "How did that happen?" "Well, again going back historically, at a time when that was acceptable they were placing animals and really, probably not many from St. Louis. . . . Fault and responsibility are two different things, should we do everything we can to remedy that, even though it's not our fault, yes we should,"
To me, that sounds less like a lack of acknowledgment and more like a "we're doing what we can, even though our hands are legally tied in some areas," what more do they want?
The reporter spent a long time talking about this "dark secret" that's not really a secret, and then covers his tail by saying
"By the late 1980's, most zoos adopted strict guidelines set forth by the Chimpanzee Species Survival Plan. Members, like the St. Louis Zoo, must abide by the plan's breeding and transfer recommendations, ensuring the chimpanzee's future.
Steve Ross from the Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo is the coordinator for that program. He tells me, no chimpanzee today could ever be sold to a medical testing facility. He also says the St. Louis Zoo is held with the highest regard when it comes to caring for chimps."
Any mention of our new, state-of-the-art, multimillion dollar Fragile Forest Exhibit? Noooooooo!
Good Grief.
Okay, I'm done.
Adios!
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