365 Photos Day 35: Beginnings of Spring

I love springtime. Budding trees, blooming flowers, and baby animals are a welcome sight after the dark dreariness of winter. February starts off with Imbolc, the Celtic holiday celebrating the beginning of spring. It's related to Groundhog Day, which basically stands for the same thing. Yesterday was Chinese New Year. The past few days have been warm and sunny. With all these symbols of new beginnings, today I decided to go in search of signs of spring. I found this old leaf, still clinging on, hanging next to the beginnings of new leaf buds. It just seemed to symbolize this transitional period to me.

365 Photos Days 27-34: Cute Rat and Memories

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I've been really busy the past few days, but I finally got caught up.  First, the obligatory zoo animal picture.  This is one of the baby rats from the education program. Isn't it adorable? They're about a month old (they were born on New Years Eve, I think). I got to help weigh and take identification photos of them before they got sent off to their new home in the education building. I know a lot of people dislike rats, but pet rats are so cute! Just look at that little nose, and that friendly, curious expression. He's saying "Hello!"

 Now, on to what I used to catch up on my photos. Images of things around my house that make me think of certain people. This is Kero-chan. He's a stuffed animal from an Anime called Card Captor Sakura. He makes me think of my friend Becky, because we used to have joint custody of him back in college. See, we both really liked the cartoon, and there was only one of the stuffed animals at the anime store in town, and it was kind of expensive. So, we split the cost, and would trade off who had him. At the end of our last semester together, I talked Becky into letting me give her the other half of the cost, and kept him permanently. I still think of her when I see him, though.

This necklace was a college graduation gift from my friend Rain.  Anyone reading this blog is probably aware that I associate myself very strongly with both cats and the color silver (my online handle for the longest time was Silvercat). I used to comment on this necklace every time Rain wore it. So,  one day just before graduation, she came up to me and handed it to me. It's come along safely through three moves now,  and I would be absolutely heartbroken if something happened to it.  I haven't worn it in a while, but talking to Rain on the phone recently prompted me to go through the jewelry box it was in and pull it out. Rain, I really miss you!

This is a note from a former coworker.  It had been a really rough, really busy couple of weeks, and a big project we had been working on was finally coming to a close.  For some reason, coming in and finding this encouraging note on my desk made my day. I stuck it in my pocket and brought it home. I run across it from time to time, and it always makes me smile. Oddly appropriate that I'd run across it now, when work's been so busy and hectic.

This is our autograph from Mike Nelson, the second host of Mystery Science Theatre 3000. MST3K was (and still is) one of the cornerstones of our relationship with our best friends Miles and Rachel. It's what we did to be lazy and hang out when we were sharing a house.  One weekend, back in Asheville,  the four of us drove for two or three hours to hear Mike speak on a (relatively) nearby college campus. We went up afterwards to get an autograph, only to realize while we were talking to him that the only thing we had for him to sign was our parking pass. So, we had him sign that, and it's lived on the fridge ever since.


This is the tree-topper for my flat Christmas tree.  My Gran (maternal grandmother) made it for me.  In fact, she made me a whole set of cross-stitch ornaments and gave them to me as a birthday present a couple of years ago. My Gran is incredibly artistic, and has had some kind of art project going on as far back as I can remember. These days it's mainly cross-stitch, but she used to do a lot of wood work as well.  She (along with my Mom and aunt Jenny) also used to do the majority of the decorations for Vacation Bible School at our church.  Needless to say, these ornaments are greatly treasured, and I intend to keep them to hand down at some point.

The last time I was home, my Momaw (paternal grandmother) gave me jewelry my Popaw (paternal grandfather) had bought for her. This included her wedding and engagement rings, which I was EXTREMELY nervous about flying cross-country with.  I can't tell you how glad I was to open my suitcase when I got home and find that box safely where I'd stowed it.  I wear the cameo locket quite often, but the other pieces (especially the rings) generally stay safely stored. I'd wear the rings, but apparently my Momaw and I have the same size finger, so they fit perfectly on my left ring finger, but nowhere else.

My Popaw was a whittler. He could make the most amazing things out of wood.  Toys, picture frames, wooden chains, knick-knacks.... My Mom has a beautiful cedar-wood swing on her front porch that he made specifically for her years ago.  The smell of sawdust always makes me think of him.  Especially on warm days, you could always find him in his workshop making something. This is a picture frame that he made me a couple of years before he passed away.  One of these days,  I'm going to get  around to getting a photo of him to put in it.

365 Photos Day 26: Phred

This is Phred. He's our Phrenology head. Harrison picked him up years ago in an antique shop in Black Mountain. He's a really interesting conversation piece, and was carefully packed to come with us across the country. Phrenology is the idea that, since the brain is compartmentalized, a person's skull shape can  tell you a lot about his or her personality and mental capacity. In the early 1800s, scientists were still uncertain whether or not different parts of the brain had different functions. So, phrenology is a pseudoscience that just happened to be on the right side of a scientific debate of it's time. It's complete bunk, but interesting to read about. If you'd like to know more, check out the Wikipedia page.

365 Pics Day 24: Stuffed Animals!

I love stuffed animals. I always have, and probably always will. I have at least a couple of boxes of them here, and attics and storage rooms full of them back home.  I can't remember the last time I got rid of any. These are my two favorites. Brandon, the bear, has been my constant companion since High School.  Yes, he's named after Brandon Lee. I would have named him Bruce, but it didn't seem to fit. Ralphus, the tiger, was a Christmas present my Freshman year of college.  He was a hug substitute for Solomon, my cat at home. They were about the same weight (Ralphus is actually relatively heavy. His feet are full of sand), so it was comforting to walk around my dorm room with him hanging on my shoulder (Solomon's favorite snuggling position, oddly enough).  Ralphus was also Harrison's roommate Adam's favorite of my toys. Any time Adam came over, he'd grab Ralphus and put him in martial arts poses, and inform us he was teaching him Kung-fu. I still laugh every time I think of it. So, they are both battle worn, to say the least, but are still very much loved.  I plan to keep them around until they fall completely apart and can no longer be mended.

365 Photos Day 24: Anti-gravity cat

Trinket's favorite thing in the world is an empty box. I think it comes from spending her formative months in the kennel of a small animal hospital. She seems happiest in enclosed spaces. Her current box is left over from a Christmas present. She's been having so much fun with it we haven't had the heart to throw it out. We just stuck it in a corner for her.  She spent most of the evening hanging out in the box... Here's a question for the viewers at home... Is the cat on her side, or did I rotate the picture?

365 Photos Days 20 and 21: Baby Cougar! And a sand dollar.

Being a volunteer at the zoo's animal hospital is awesome.  There's always something cool going on. This time, I got to watch as the vet team did an exam on the baby cougar. The keepers had noticed she was limping, so they brought her in for some x-rays and an exam, just to be on the safe side. Everything looked ok on the x-ray, but the vet's going to send them off to be read by a specialist, just in case. The exam room was so crowded. There was the vet, the two techs, two North America keepers, another volunteer, and me. Couldn't help but stick around, though. She is adorable. And growing so fast! She's already lost most of her spots! Her eyes are still blue, though.

One of the neat things about living in Portland is that we're only about 45 minutes or so from the coast. Not that it's ever warm enough to go swimming there, but I do get to see the ocean occasionally. The hazy, cloudy day today made me wish for a nice warm vacation day. So, today's picture is one of the sand dollars I have drying on my balcony railing. I'm quite fond of sand dollars, and there are quite a few of them on the beaches around here. Interesting fact- they're actually the skeletons of sea urchins, and the "doves" inside are their teeth.

365 Photos Day 17-21: Catch-up 5 pack....

Sorry I've gotten a little behind. It's been a busy week.  Monday night's picture is to the left. We were waiting on House to come on, and dinner to finish cooking. I happened to look over, and Harrison and Jesse and Mariah were sitting lined up on the couch, each playing a game on their DS. It was really cute, and made me remember how much I love how nerdy my friends are.








Tuesday's picture is my cat, Trinket. She may look pretty and innocent in this picture, but believe me, she's actually evil incarnate. I'm certain if she had opposable thumbs she'd become an evil overlord and take over the world. Without the opposable thumbs, though, she has to be content with taking over my comforter.






I forgot to take a picture on Wednesday,. We went to Powell's. I had a gift card, Harrison had never been, and so I got distracted. This is the face Trinket made to show her disapproval. No, actually, it's a picture I took earlier, and am posting because it's funny. And because I needed a picture for that day.









This is Mariah's cat Isis. To be more specific, this is Isis being really cute.  I was over at Mariah's watching a movie Thursday night, and Isis was feeling lovey and affectionate, and was trying to get our attention. It worked.










And finally, for today's picture, it's my goldfish Electrum. I got him a couple of years ago from work. A co-worker handed goldfish out as party favors at a birthday party, and brought the ones that didn't get taken home to work the next day. By the end of the day, Electrum was the only one left. He was in a little cup, with a tag on the lid saying "I'm a goldfish. Please take me home and love me!" And so I did.

365 Photos Day 16: Caracals!

Today I went to the zoo again to help with caracal introductions. The zoo got a new caracal a few months ago, and they are slowly letting him spend more time together with the female we already had. The female's name is Peggy. She's the smaller, lighter one in the crate up top. When she was in quarantine, our  nickname for her was Pickle, because she had such a sour personality. The quarantine keeper was the only person she'd tolerate, but there's a good chance that was mainly because that's who fed her. I've seen this cat take treats from the keeper through the cage, purr, and then suddenly pin her ears back and hiss while still licking the treat. Ridiculous cat.  Reminds me of Trinket. Cricket is the male. He's the much larger, darker one on the ground. Polar opposite of Peggy. He was hand-raised in South Africa, and loves people. When he was in quarantine, he would make sad little chirping noises if he heard people outside his enclosure and they didn't come in to say hello. Such a sweet cat. It's funny to watch him try to get Peggy to play with him. Hopefully, she'll keep him company, and he'll mellow her out.
So, that was my morning. I spent the first hour of the shift watching the outer exhibit while the cats slept in holding out of the cold and rain. The second hour, I switched with the other observer and watched them sleep or, once Cricket got bored, watched him try to get Peggy to play. All in all, not a bad Sunday.

365 Photos Days 14 and 15: More animals!

At work on Friday, I rescued a beetle that was crawling around on one of the purification machines. Yeah, that's right. I saw a bug, and instead of squishing it, I coaxed it into a tube and took it outside. I did it for a spider once a while back, and was laughed at. I used to do that with flies when I  was little. Always had a soft spot for animals of any kind, even creepy-crawly ones. Well, most creepy-crawly ones. Can't stand roaches. They may be the only type of living thing that I just can't stand.

Today at the zoo, I got to see baby rats. They were so cute! I didn't get to take any pictures, but they looked  like overgrown mice. Sooo cute. I did, however, get to take a picture of Brunilda the prehensile-tailed porcupine. She was hiding in the corner, pouting. Animals from the education department are always fun.

365 Photos Day 13: I Cook! Honest!

I'm known for eating out more than I should. People are always surprised when I show them I'm actually a pretty decent cook. I'm a fan of woks and pressure cookers, and use one of the two almost any time I cook. In fact, when I moved across the country, the kitchen equipment I made sure to bring with me was my wok, my pressure cooker, and one pot. So, tonight, Harrison and I decided on a new culinary creation... beef and stirfry veggies in the pressure cooker, served over rice. It was incredibly yummy.

365 Photos Days 11 and 12: Small Comforts

It's no secret. I love chocolate.  Sometimes all I need after a long day at work is something sweet washed down by a nice cold glass of soymilk.  I've even been known to make late-night runs to the grocery store or corner 7-11 to get my fix. Ding-dongs in particular are a nostalgic treat.  We used to have them all the time when I was a kid. They even still come in the aluminum foil wrappers! They seem smaller these days, though.

Another thing I like to do to relax is sketch. It's a good way to de-stress, while still making me feel creative and productive.  Colored pencils are my medium of choice, and my subjects range from role-playing characters to fantasy/made up creatures to animals and plant life. Basically, whatever I'm thinking about at the time.

365 Photos Day 10: Random stuff on the table at work

So, one of my coworkers occasionally puts a random assortment of things up for grabs on the lunch table.  A number of us noticed the, shall we say, suggestive item,  and asked her about it.

Her reply: It's a massager!

*facepalm* Not helping your case, dear!

(seriously, it is.... the round bits roll and you're supposed to use it on your neck. but... yeah....)

365 Pics Days 8 and 9: Weekend edition!

Didn't get around to posting a photo yesterday. Saturdays (at least most of the best ones) are pretty busy for me.  First, I went to the zoo for my volunteer shift. I got to help the quarantine tech wrangle ducks, I met a tree kangaroo, and I made enrichment toys for a couple of L'orest monkeys who are off exhibit.


This one was just a plain animal feed bag with the plastic liner cut out. We added some vanilla for a fun scent. We also gave them a closed box with cinnamon sprinkled in it, but they got bored with that one too fast to get any good pics. It was lunchtime and so I think they were a little disappointed to be given things that smelled like food but weren't.

Then there was D&D and hanging out with people afterwards (we watched a couple episodes of the X-files. That brings back memories...) Felt really crummy this morning, so slept in waaay late (even for me).  Todays picture is of my mouse Swicegood. She looks about like I felt!

365 Photos Day 7: Castle Ravenloft

Tonight we ended up spontaneously hanging out with our friend Kyle, playing board games. Always an excellent way to spend an evening. We got to try out the Castle Ravenloft board game (based on a D&D module, but not exactly D&D). Harrison picked up a copy with some of his Christmas money. We tried it once before, and lost horribly. This time, though, we managed to complete the first mission without being killed by Gargoyles or traps. Turns out winning is a lot more fun. The darker figures on the right of the picture are the player character minis, and the other figures are monsters. The red one's a spider, the white one is a gargoyle, and the blue one's a wraith. The board itself is made up of interconnecting dungeon tiles, which are randomly drawn. So, the board is different each time you play, even if you do the same mission. Pretty cool. Looking forward to playing it again soon.

365 Photos Day 6: Fighting for the User

Finally got around to seeing Tron Legacy tonight. I have... mixed feelings. The story could definitely have used some tightening up. It was, actually, kinda confusing. Especially the end. I don't want to give anything away if people haven't seen it, but, really... what... huh? I am certainly glad we saw it, though. It was visually interesting (and 3D... I'm a huge fan of 3D movies) and fun.  And Quorra (Olivia Wilde's character) is basically Delilah (my favorite role-playing character) without the cat bits. And The Grid reminds me of Arcadia (the setting of the game Delilah is originally from).  So, basically, it put me even more in the mood to game than I already was.  *Sigh*

365 Photos Day 5: Portlanding Inside

So, on a fairly regular basis (thanks  to the generosity of Harrison's aunt),  Harrison and I get shipments of meat from Kansas City Steaks. These come packed in styrofoam containers filled with dry ice. We usually let it dissipate in the kitchen sink. Today, while we were cleaning the kitchen, a chunk from the shipment we just got fell into a pot, and fun insued. It was almost like collecting the cold drizzle and fog that's been outside all day and bringing it inside. Hmmm... not sure if that was such a good idea after all....

365 Photos Day 4: Coffee

Caffeine and I get along well. It helps get me going in the mornings, and I can only think of once when it kept me from falling asleep at night.  When gaming, I prefer to partake of it in soft-drink form (Coke Zero only these days. I gave up the sugary stuff this past summer). In the mornings or for after-dinner conversation, however, I've discovered a love for coffee. Any kind, really. Especially when it's cold outside.  There's just something soothing about enjoying the warmth and aroma of a hot cup of coffee while engaging in good conversation.

365 Photos Day 3: Piano

I played piano for years. I started in kindergarten and took lessons until sometime in Junior High.  My senior year of High School, I took it as an elective for a semester. I haven't really played much since then, but I've really missed it.  So, this year, with my Christmas money, I bought myself a keyboard.  (I used the timer function on my camera to photograph myself practicing).

365 Photos Day 2: "Til the Season Comes 'Round Again

I love holidays.  Halloween and Christmas are my favorites, but pretty much any holiday will do. I love the music, the friends, the fun, the laughter.... The time between my birthday and New Years holds a lot of fond memories and special traditions for me. I love the idea of a fresh start in the New Year, but I'm always just a little sad to see it come. Taking down the tree, putting away the lights and decorations, and turning off the Christmas music always feels a bit like saying goodbye to an old friend. Tonight was the last night this season for Zoo Lights. A bunch of my friends and I braved the cold for a few hours and rode the train and wandered around looking at lights. One last fond farewell to the holidays until next year.

365 pics Day One: Gaming

There's a sort-of superstition back home that what you're doing on New Year's Day is what you'll be doing all year. If that's the case, it's going to be a good year. I slept in, made fudge, and then gamed all afternoon and evening. Today's picture is of my seat at the gaming table. It's my dice mat, dice, character sheet, and a piece of the fudge (which came out quite well for a first try).