Just 'Cuz

Okay, seriously. This is just cracking me up.

There simply isn't enough breakfast sculpture in my life since Brian Shepp and the crew graduated UCLA.

What Monsoon Season Means to Me

Sent from Heather's Centro

This makes more sense when you know that Tucson has sun 360 days of the year--enough to maketh you mad.  Maaaaaad I say.

This is looking north at the Santa Catalina mountains, to the east (right) where you see the dark grey clouds begin...those bad boys...yeah, those wrap all the way around behind me. And they're big. And heavy. And full of water...which dumped on my head about an hour after I took this.

The temp went from 104 to 68 in an hour.  The night was lovely. I opened the windows. Yes, it's humid when it rains. No, when it's 68 I'm not going to complain (though I could...I'm sure I could...). The smell of the rain in the desert is like unto nothing else...I need to see if Juno's found it in a bottle yet...

Geeky Heather

DSC_0221
Originally uploaded by jenniethepotter

Pic thanks to Jennie the Potter when we were in Juneau. I secretly (or not so secretly) think this is what my DH thinks of when he thinks of me on a good day.
Goofy smile...if possible, doing the Rainbird Dance (which is, in effect, pretending to be a rainbird sprinkler...in the middle of Christopher Street...in the middle of the day...if you can get to NY).
So this goes out to him.

Why This Should Make Me Weep

Will just have to remain "one of those things"...

But I have a big smile on my face and tears in my eyes right now. Thanks to Lynn for sending this on.

If you go to the YouTube page you can watch it in HD (look below the video on the right for the link to get the HD)--it's MUCH more impactful that way...yarg, is that even a word?

Up 'N At Em'

Or at least up.

Dogs got me up at 6:22am which I think is a perfectly respectable doggie time. Strange morning here...dark clouds...which is odd in the summer especially this early. Usually there's a cloud buildup over Mexico and (when the Monsoons are in full swing) you get dumped on around 3pm.

The pool is turning green, but it's about to be drained and repaired so I guess I won't spend a chunk of change on algecide...Citricidal however, that stuff is my friend. Helped in the post-Salmonella malaise.

Ah, yes, much better now, thank you.

I've got about seventy irons in the fire, most of which will eventually show up here, but in the meantime, let me send you to the Daily Chum where you can see my roomie's spectacular scarf--the one she was working on when I met her.

And now, I must go feed kids and roll around with doggies.

Annoyances

There have been annoyances lately...like today, the President said (roughly) that anyone who's being responsible would vote to drill in Anwar.

Okay...parsing the whole thing would take too much of my time and effort (and it's hot---dry, sure, 107°, that too) but let's just focus on one little part.

That whole responsible thing.

I think we've gotten needlessly Libertarian here...and I'm not against Libertarianism...not if you live in a completely homogenous society of say...fifty people. Then I think it's bloody brilliant and I'm all for it.

No, I mean this whole "I get to define responsibility the way I want to" thing...

REAL responsibility?

Well, that means you accept your part of the problem (you're in cahoots with Big Oil)

and you are willing and able to propose a solution (getting out from under the thumb of Big Oil and get realistic about the whole "renewable resources" vs "nonrenewable resources" thing).

If we start there, then the next reasonable argument goes something like this: 

Because we've been beholden to the interests of a bunch of gynormous corporate entities for too long and in the process we've made certain that the little guy--the small businessman or businesswoman...the entrepreneurial sprirt upon which this country was founded, if you will--we've made certain that the good people of America simply cannot get a break (because all the breaks are going to the big companies in the form of giant tax breaks, etc etc) because of all of this, I have decided to change business as usual. 

We will now put out a request for bids on the following:

• government contracts for the best retro-fit of a gasoline-powered automotive engine to a viable alternative fuel source;
• government contracts for the best retro-fit of a home from oil to solar or wind;
  
• government contracts for the best retro-fit of a home from gas to solar or wind;
  
• government contracts for the best retro-fit of an in-home water system from complete potable water to grey water for toilets and home-created grey-water for irrigation; 
  
• government contracts for the best retro-fit of a fast food chain to provide recycled bio-fuel (no using NEW corn for fuel...that's just silly--and maybe the fast food chains will use cleaner oil for cooking in if they can make a little money off of the waste product);
  
• government contracts for the best retro-fit of a manufacturing plant from a non-renewable energy source to a renewable one;
  
• and, finally, 70% one-time tax breaks to any corporation who can (a) demonstrate,  and (b) distribute the means by which any and all unwanted waste/byproducts can be reused by another company/manufacturer for a profitable purpose.

From what I understand, (necessity being the mother of invention and all) we'd see a return on those bullet points faster than we'd see a return on Anwar...not to mention the fact that Responsible Folks say the oil companies have PLENTY of offshore drilling rights they haven't exploited b/c it's STILL too expensive to do so...at $4.50 a gallon, it's STILL too expensive.

Please.

When Holly and Dawn (see upcoming Chum) can reuse Pendleton fabric to make AWESOME couture, you're trying to tell me there's NO WAY we can reuse our company byproducts SOMEhow? If Soysilk (love it!) can be made from leftovers after Tofu has been created...there HAS to be some use for EVERYthing, right?

And I know what the naysayers are saying--if everything goes Solar or Wind or whatever, then the large power utilities go under and that's an even worse economic nail in our collective coffin. 

I agree. I think they should be the ones bidding. And I think part of their contracts should include upkeep, repair, and replacement. I think there's a TON of money to be had on nothing more than yearly inspections...and power plants should ALWAYS be a backup system...

I'm just sayin'...Anwar is not the only solution. There are other--more responsible ways...

I'm putting the soapbox away now. Thanks for indulging me.

Dog Buddies

Squirrel hunting is FUN!
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Birthday fun

He turns eight and suddenly you cant recognize him!
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Huey!

I saw this 23 years ago and was blown away. 

Nothing but spectacular singing.

Love

It.

Birthday boy!

Thing one is EIGHT!
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Amber

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UPDATE!

Rosie Is Found!

She--once again--went back to her old 'hood. It took her A LOT longer this time, probably due to the 100°+ heat, but she's fine.

We pick her up in the morning.

So: 1 skink, 2 small fish tanks, 2 large-ish dogs, 2 small-ish boys.

Not the package we expected, but there you are!

New Cloud

Back from NYC.

It was lousy weather.

I miss my friends.

NYC smells when it's hot and humid.

I don't miss that.

I miss the Black Cow.

I miss Vera.

It was good to see family.

I prefer to travel with children AND husband.

Our dog ran away.

Again.

Some lousy kid from the neighborhood left our gate open and the housesitter didn't check when she let Rosie out to do her business and...no more Rosie.

I spent yesterday hanging signs and checking shelters.

Ugh.

So, we'd been talking about getting a dog buddie for Rosie (b/c clearly Rosie needs one) and found one today. I hope Rosie comes back so they can play together. Amber is the newbie. 9mos old and very very fun.

Off to sleep--the Lag has me in it's clutches.

Because, Seriously....

I now know I'm not the only one to have knitted Kevlar!

And where have I been, you ask?

Retuning my routine. Adding a dog to said routine. Changing said routine to better match the needs of our family.

But what does that mean in English?

PANIC!

Blind effing panic.

I am SO NOT GOOD at changing routines. It's almost (almost I said) comical how lousy I am at this. Travel—that I can do. There's no expectation of routine, and generally one emerges regardless. But home...ah, well... here's what an ideal day a day that could be replicated would look like.

Up between 8am and 9am (my Sister cited this as the appropriate time for our body clocks and she's right).  Breakfast and read the paper.To be honest, even if I had the time, I wouldn't. But it's a nice idea, no?

Get to work doing something involving the computer and/or paper (writing, answering letters, etc)--immediately. Somehow if I don't start right away, all hell breaks loose and it never gets done--or it's relegated to rushing and that's no good for anyone.

Workout/have lunch/shower (not in that order--and let's be honest about the workout thing, shall we?).

Work (read: at the computer...).

Get kids (you'll notice they didn't show up until now--I'm not so good at getting back home after taking them to school in the morning. Things Happen, as we say.).

Lay around knitting.

Be served a home-cooked meal...or something... Okay, but I just finished typing how stalker-ish it was to have the serving guys on the boat know our names...maybe I wouldn't like that. Maybe if I could Get Something Done every day, I'd enjoy the cooking thing more? Who knows. Either way, start making dinner at the same time every night. Eat. 

Routine. 

I like that.

Sit around reading, watching movies, drinking Scotch, knitting, going out to a show...not by myself, mind you. Some Husbands thought they and the kids were left out of all of this. No no no. As long as the Scotch and knitting are included, all are welcome aboard!

Sleep around midnight.

Repeat.

You'll notice how completely, unbelievably, pathetically unrealistic this is. I know that. I acknowledge that. I'm just sayin...

I don't know that I'd like it any more, but it's a routine. After last week (which was all about emergent, not even urgent got through)  my constitution is screaming for a routine. If I don't start firing on the work thing pronto in the morning, I'm all fatootsed. But.

C'est la guerre, right? It ain't gonna happen.

And honestly, if it did...I'd probably be bored off my tuches.