Author: Shelly

Crankypantsing

Instant Review: Plague of Locusts

Shelly

Well, not locusts, exactly, but it is rather plague-like. The students have returned, and the Powers That Be have decided to extend move-in from one day to an entire week. Oh joy! When it was limited to one day, traffic was ungodly awful, but because it was only one day, it was easy to rearrange my schedule so that I was not near campus. Now, that’s not possible. On top of that, no one seems to have even a basic understanding of how stop signs work, and all along Jordan, 10th, and Fee, pedestrians just wander into the street whenever they feel like it. Dumbasses!

Oh, and to make things more exciting, some of the roads that were recently repaved have not yet been painted. It’s all sorts of fun to watch out-of-towners trying to navigate the unmarked streets, since they don’t know where the turn lanes are supposed to be, or even if there are turn lanes. Hello Dude in the White Suburban! Could you please scoot over a few inches, so that I don’t have to wait through three lights for you to get a chance to turn left? I’m sure the other 87 cars behind me–all of which also want to go straight–would appreciate it, too.

Pets, Photography

Pandora

Shelly

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Pandora will be 18 this spring. That’s apparently the equivalent of 78 human years. She’s starting to show her age, too. She can’t jump as well as she used to. She doesn’t understand why, though, so she keeps trying to launch herself onto the kitchen counter. I’ve placed “steps” at strategic points around the house, to make it easier for her to reach her favorite spots. She doesn’t always use them, though. I wince every time I hear her fall, but I can’t make her stop trying to climb. She’s always been a climber. When she was younger, she would’ve swung from the chandelier if I’d had one. I’ve found her on top of the fridge, above the false ceiling, on top of floor lamps, bookcases, and cupboards. I’ve even seen her walk the shower curtain rod, like it was a tightrope. I think she might’ve climbed Everest if she’d known it existed.

She’s also getting clumsy. Wherever she goes, she knocks things over. Not a night goes by that I don’t wake up to the sound of something or other crashing to the floor, a victim of Pandora’s late night wanderings. It’s exasperating, but what do you do? Pick up the mess and try not to think about it, I guess. The bigger problem is that her clumsiness makes it more difficult for her to get out from underfoot. She also cannot react as quickly as she used to. I’m worried that I’m going to step on her one of these days, because she’s constantly underfoot. I’ve taken to picking her up and placing her in a safe place, to keep her out of harm’s way.

She also sleeps a lot more now. Not that it’s easy to notice when a cat is sleeping more, but she does, and more heavily, too. She’s got a new favorite sun spot, and spends most of the day basking there. She often rolls over on her side, with one or more paws up in the air. Of course, it’s impossible to resist taking a picture when that happens.

And, yes, her fur is just as soft and silky as it looks.

Crankypantsing, Pets, Photography

Useless Animals

Shelly

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Pandora

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Harriet

Before I got in the shower this morning, I left my clothes for the day–which included a black shirt–in a pile on my bed. Would anyone like to guess which useless animal decided to lie on them? Hint: Not the black one, because that would have been too easy. The worst part is actually that the hair in question has itty bitty barbs on it, so it weaves into fabric and is nearly impossible to brush off. It has to be removed hair by hair. If, that is, one removes it at all. I seem to be lacking that particular brand of motivation, so the hairs are staying right where they were shed.

Crankypantsing, Photography

The dragonfly forever passes like splintered diamond

Shelly

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White-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum)

One of things I’m going to miss about living in the country is the abundance of wildlife. Of course, it’s also one of the things I won’t miss. Butterflies and dragonflies and big, fat bumblebees are all very nice, but raccoons tumbling across my roof at 2am is something I could happily live without. I also won’t miss ‘possums getting into the trash. And then there is the mowing. Dear lord, the mowing. That I won’t miss one little bit.

Instant Review: The Good Life (UK) / Good Neighbors (US)

This was another Netflix find. It’s a 28 episode series produced by the BBC in the mid-70s, about a suburban couple who quit the rat race in order to live self sufficiently. Their neighbors are exasperated (who wants pigs, goats, and chickens next door?), but are generally good sports. I’m finished with the first set of discs, and so far, it’s been thoroughly delightful.

The humor is smart, and, most interestingly to me, the main characters seem to actually like each other. I guess I’ve gotten so used to shows like Raymond or King of Queens, where the characters don’t like each other (and who can blame them, since most of them are pretty awful people?), that I kept waiting for the Goods to tear into each other. They don’t, though. Even when they’re making jabs at each other, it’s not mean. It seems to be more of an “I know you and we’re sharing an inside joke” sort of humor, instead of “I know you and I’m going take advantage of it to score a point off you.” Very nice!

Instant Review: Ragweed

I cannot unrecommend it enough.

Photography

Pearl Crescent

Shelly

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Pearl Crescent

This little butterfly has seen better days. It had rained pretty hard earlier in the afternoon, and the sky was still overcast. It was prime butterfly photographing conditions, because they were all spreading their little wings, trying to warm themselves in the non-existent sunlight.

I had a heck of a time identifying him, because I assumed he was some variety of fritillary. I finally stumbled upon a most excellent on-line moth and butterfly identification guide, Butterflies and Moths of North America, published by Montana State University. You can search by location, and most entries seem to have photos to supplement the written descriptions. Another good resource for getting insect and spider photos identified is Bug Guide.

Once I finally identified this little guy, I realized I’d had the exact same mis-identification problem last year (almost exactly a year ago, in fact!), with another Pearl Crescent. Duh!

Crankypantsing, Photography

Friday Report

Shelly

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We had a glorious sunset Wednesday evening. The sky was deep aquamarine with pinky-orange clouds. It was absolutely stunning. It didn’t last long, though. In the half minute it took me to run indoors and grab my camera, the colors were already fading.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Weather Report: It looks like it’s going to start raining any minute. O ick.

Road Report: They are finally starting to pave 17th street. Yesterday morning, as I went to work, the street zamboni was out. Only, instead of cleaning the street, it was parked right smack dab in the center of the Walnut & 17th intersection, with no one in it. I realize it was ass-early in the morning, and that things are pretty quiet with the students on break, but still, that’s no reason to park maintenance equipment in the middle of the freaking intersection. For added entertainment value, the Pepsi bottling company is on that intersection, and their trucks were having trouble pulling out and around the zamboni. Wheee!

Asshole Driver Report: I was behind an articulated logging truck this ayem. Good, good fun, that was. I was careful to stay well clear of him, which, of course, meant that the asswagon behind me was attached to my bumper. I just love it when people tailgate so closely that I can’t even see their headlights. Grrr. Also, too, additionally, as well, I have noticed that, since plastering the back of my car with all manner of pinko leftiness, folks slow down and crane their necks to look at the crazy person whenever I make a turn. Who knew that driving could be a form of performance art?

Big Brother Report: What is wrong with those people? They haven’t got a brain between the lot of them, and there isn’t a sympathetic one in the bunch. I can usually find someone I can talk myself into supporting, but this season, they all suck. I found it amusing last week, when Janelle nominated Erika for eviction, ostensibly on the grounds that she “despised” Erika’s “under the radar” style of game play. Well, they are all, with the possible exception of James (who is loathsome for other reasons) playing safe games. So far, none of them have been forced to do anything to rock the boat or to exceed their comfort zones. But, I’ll give George credit. He put James up for eviction. I didn’t think he’d have the guts, or, frankly, the brains, to do that.

Mary, Our Lady of the Chocolates Mary, Our Lady of the Chocolates

Virgin Mary Report: The Blessed Mother’s visage has turned up in a lump of chocolate (via CBS).

Sky Report: Nothing of note locally, because it’s too cloudy to matter, but if you live relatively northish or southish, keep an eye (or two!) out for aurorae. There is a coronal mass ejection headed toward Earth, which could result in aurora-producing geomagnetic storms either tonight or tomorrow. We don’t usually get aurorae this far south, but it can and does, occasionally, happen. More info is available at SpaceWeather.com. Be sure to check out the sunspot gallery, while you’re there.