I have become the new owner of a used Amazon Kindle. A slightly shady co-worker of mine bought it for his wife for xmas, and much to his dismay, she didn't care for the little $350 bundle of joy. He sidled up to me at work the other day and asked if I was interested...I demurred, knowing I am saving money for lots of goodness to come but he insisted I take it home for the night. After snuggling the little white box of joy, I returned to work the next day and gave him the $100 he was asking for it. I'm a sucker for portable electronics. I have three ipods, two pda's, I'm on my third cell phone, and I had to have a laptop. This little gem will save me a bundle I believe. There are a lot of books that are available for free (the classics that have no copyright) and the Amazon bookstore has thousands of low cost books to download to my new little friend. Much more convenient than the library. Since purchasing said kindle, a week and a half ago, I have read no less than 13 books. Which, Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen was wonderful!

My life never seems to change, that could be because I am in it, right?

CD is going back to school, I'm excited and proud of him. In three years he'll have an associates degree in Animation. He'll be taking online classes, which will work around his jacked up work schedule. We've decided that when he graduates, that we would not be adverse to relocating if a great job opportunity came up. I love the mitten, but I don't love the economic situation it's facing for the next dozen years or so.

We're planning a trip to Australia in late winter/early spring '09. I've always wanted to go, and we have wanderlust. We're scraping every penny out of the bottom of the washing machine and under the couch cushions to save the dough we are going to need. It will be the trip of a lifetime, and I seriously hope we don't have to put it on the back burner for any reason. So many times I've been disappointed due to the lack of fundage.

I'm still enriching the lives of the critters at the zoo. I find my time there to be almost otherworldly. (caution: this may plant seeds in the minds of a few writer friends of mine, you've been warned) When I step on to zoo grounds, it's almost as if my everyday aches/pains/wants/needs/troubles/trials/tribulations are gone. I have found nothing so far in my life that a couple of hours watching polar bears playing won't distract me from for a little time at least. I know, we as humans have a responsibility to treat others with the respect we want from them, but it's different with what some would call baser species. With animals, you don't have to give to receive. I seem to be hard-wired to respect a fully maned adult lion, to stand in awe at the feet of a 35 year old giraffe, to coo at a week old turkey vulture. Sometimes I wonder if I didn't pick the wrong career.


Pre-press design has become a tedium of fixing other peoples mistakes, and of prostituting what I know to look good to please a customer. I don't know that I want to continue in the commercial arts. I feel beat down by the everyday tedium of indecision and ignorance. I guess it's that way for everyone, isn't it?

The DH and I spent new years with a friend, just shooting the bull and sort of getting to know one another better. I like to meet new people that you know immediately will be BBF.

We've torn apart the living room, threw all the furniture out the front door and pried all of the woodwork off the walls, patched it, and currently DH is sanding the walls, prepping it for my paint spree this weekend. This all started because we finally picked out furniture for the front room. As anyone knows that knows us, we have not had real furniture in the house since we moved in. Oh yeah, we had a hand me down couch and a couple of kitchen chairs, but that has been about it. I talked my DH into a love seat, Chair and 1/2, and a chair with no arms for our tiny living room. I did have to concede to a television in the living room, but that was offset by the promise of an armoire that closes, but only until our real "entertaining" room gets put together, then I get a living room without a TV, hooray! Oh, we are also sanding, staining and eurothaning the floors of the living room, hallway, master and spare bedrooms. We're purchasing a new bedroom set as well. I hope all of this resolves itself before spring, though we have a tendency to start things and leave them half finished. the DH promised I would be in my chair and 1/2 and reading in a finished room by Valentines day.

I neglected to take any before pictures. When it's done, I'm sure everyone will be invited over to enjoy the finished product!

I find recently I'm channeling my friends.
( Cut for length, or breadth, or just 'cause it's silly )

So the DH and I met with Bob for dinner last night and had a terrific time. We had Chinese at a place that Bob picked and talked for a good three hours. We seem to have a lot in common, it's nice to meet another person in the area like us. We're planning a movie and dinner date in a couple of weeks, maybe stardust or the third Borne movie.
Thanks Dark_towhead!

What is it with people that make them utterly dumb when they are out in public?

I worked the zoo on Wednesday evening. I left work early and had about 15 min to kill before my shift started, so I thought I'd wander the ARL for a bit and see what's going on with the Seals and the Polar Bears. Well, there were some of both around, and since it was hot they were mostly napping in the sun.

By the time my shift started, almost every animal I saw had dissappeared. One bear was sleeping in the grass, and one seal was bobbing around in the water (doesn't make for a very exciting shift, i'll tell you!) I traversed the evening answering the question "Where's all the animals" with as much grace as you can, when you have answered it 3 times before in the last minute.

One visitor I was talking too asked the question (again, for the umteenth-hundred time) and when I told her they are usually in bed at this time of night, since the zoo is normally closed after 5 pm, she asked "Can you go GET a bear so I can see it?"

What floored me, is that she was SERIOUS!
I couldn't answer, it took me about a minute of staring before I realized she was really waiting for me to go get her a bear! "Sure" I told her, "just wait right here, I'll be right back!" I took off and waited for her to leave before I went back into the tunnel.

I will apologize now for the all caps above, but I'm really really feeling it. I went for part 1 of the volunteer orientation at the Detroit Zoo today and I can't wait to get started!

I'm way ahead of myself here, let me 'splain...no no, take too long, lemme sum up... Instead of sitting in my house cramming my face with food this summer, I am Volunteering at the Detroit Zoo. There are a few different volunteer programs I can sign up for, one of them requires a 2 year comittment (this is the one I really really want to do, and there are openings!)

Tonights orientation should have been titled "Do you really want to do this?" and I can tell right off some of the people I met tonight won't be back for the second orientation, which is OK. better to find out now then when you have signed a 2 year commitment agreement! This will also fill some of the lonly time when the DH is working those strange shifts over the summer. The zoo is open late on Wednesday nights.

I have always wanted to work with animals, I know I won't be working with them directly, but I will be a contributing factor to their wellbeing. (I will also get to do some shifts in the Amphibian House when my training is done! I get to work with the frogs!)

I usually look forward to the weekend, bright eyed and bushy tailed, I live for my weekend. Oddly enough, I find myself looking forward to a Thursday. (Thursday? I hate thursdays!) NO, Really, I am looking forward to Thursday, or Thursday April 5th that is. That is the day of Orientation #1 for the Zoo. You see, I'm volunteering this summer to work at the zoo. As some of you know, I am all a flutter when it comes to the zoo. I dunno why, but I feel it's one of the most worthy causes out there. I signed up to do almost everything at the zoo [except for greeter, I am not one of those happy people :)] If things go right I may even be chosen for the Docent program. That's where they take me to 12 weeks of intensive training and a written test, in the end I'll be eligible to work in the Arctic Ring of Life or in Amphibiville. (frogs are my fav animal, outside the little dog that is). maybe now I can be less of a geek and concentrate more on what I'm supposed to be doing now that I have that off my chest.

I find more often when people are doing something I see as destructive to themselves, and they see as wonderful for themselves, I don't speak up. I think that I've decided people need to find their own way. Part of natural selection and all of that. It's hard watching someone lose their identity, though.

DH and I went to see 300 on the first Friday it was open. I don't think I've seen a better scripted movie this year. I must be growing more bloodthirsty in my old age, right after it was finished, I wanted to see it again. The battle scenes thrilled me and the intrigue kept me rivited to the screen (too bad there were a bunch of jerks in front of us talking through the whole movie). It's definately a movie we'll purchase when it comes out on video. I can't wait to have the 300/Gladiator movie night! oh, and the spartans? YUM! If there were more guys in the SCA that looked that way, I'd probably enjoy it more ;-)

THANK YOU dark_towhead!!! I started reading "Graveyard People" by Gary A. Braunbeck. I am in LOVE with this author! what a treat to sink my teeth into an author that reaches me again. It's interesting how I used to jones to see Castle Rock, Maine; but I fell out of love with that town and it's inhabitents a while ago, and I think I've been wandering through the US looking for a new hometown. I found it in Cedar HIll, Ohio! Thanks again for the plethora of little universes you sent home with us from your little universe!

well, I must run, Van Gogh is calling to me from Cedar Hill.

MLH and I trekked to rooster mass this past weekend to visit a couple of the most LOVELY people in the world.

hntrpyanfardark_towhead

Did you ever have a friend that, no matter how much space or time has passed, you take up with them as if you had seen them yesterday?

These two people are what I consider the epitome of fun. I can't remember when I had laughed so much.

We visited an Arms and Armor Museum, a pornographic boy/turtle show, the New England Aquarium, and each of their respective worksites. We also shared good food, some Vampire (YUM!), a long lost carride in downtown Boston, Hugs, Giggles, Breakfasts, insights, and oodles of booky goodness.

It's my hope that wherever they end up, it's a place where they are happy.

...but I am also praying it's a day trip by car away, 'cause I really would like to see the two of them more often.

I also find it odd how melancholy I was the day we left. I suppose it's the fact that the LH and I don't really have friends near home that we would spend time like this with. As odd and introverted as I am, I feel as if they create a safe place to be myself, and to show my true colors...