What do you get after a rainstorm?

A Rainbow!

She's home and none the worse for wear.

~ happy dance, happy dance ~

Happy Hogmanay, everyone!

Dictionary.com

Hogmanay \hog-muh-NAY; HOG-muh-nay\, noun:
The name, in Scotland, for New Year's Eve, on which children go about singing and asking for gifts; also, a gift, cake, or treat given on New Year's Eve.

The origin of the word Hogmanay is unknown.

I can't believe I forgot

Yesterday was the Best Friend's 25th wedding anniversary and I completely forgot about it. I've been so distracted about the cat and so into re-reading George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire that it just totally slipped my mind.

There's no excuse. I shall go flagellate myself . . . as soon as I finish reading this chapter . . . and maybe the next . . . ooh, but there's a Jaime chapter coming up so I have to read through that one . . .

BELATED HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Still no joy

On the missing cat front, that is. There is still no sign of Rainbow.

Still no kitty

Rainbow hasn't made it home yet.

Rainbow still missing

There's still no sign of her. I have no idea where she goes off to when she gets out of the house. At least we're having warmish weather so she won't freeze being out. I do worry about traffic, though, since I live near some busy streets.

Rainbow is missing again

I woke up about 9-ish this morning to discover the dining room window had been broken out and two cats were missing. Mouse dutifully came home after I'd thrown on some clothes and had gone outside rattling the food bag, but Rainbow is still missing. Given the distance the screen and the broken glass had scattered out, I'd say one of the cats decided she wanted outside enough to crash through the closed window. I didn't find any cuts on Mouse and I didn't find any trace of blood on the ground, so I don't know if Rainbow is the one who broke the window, although I suspect her to be the one since she has a little more mass than Mouse does, and I don't know if she's hurt. With any luck, Rainbow will come wandering home in a day or two like she did the last time she got out.

Right now I have a box in front of the broken pane and a chair holding the box in place so the other cats can't get out. I'm not sure when I can get someone in to make repairs.

What's your (other) elf name?

Your Elf Name Is...

Holly Hot Chocolate

What's Your Elf Name?

Nobody say a word!

Christmas Elf Name My Christmas Elf Name is Get your Christmas Elf Name at JokesUnlimited.com

Being a cat must be such a hard life . . .

Happy Solstice!

iWon News | Judge Rules Against Pa. Biology Curriculum

By MARTHA RAFFAELE

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - In one of the biggest courtroom clashes between faith and evolution since the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, a federal judge barred a Pennsylvania public school district Tuesday from teaching "intelligent design" in biology class, saying the concept is creationism in disguise.

U.S. District Judge John E. Jones delivered a stinging attack on the Dover Area School Board, saying its first-in-the-nation decision in October 2004 to insert intelligent design into the science curriculum violated the constitutional separation of church and state.

The ruling was a major setback to the intelligent design movement, which is also waging battles in Georgia and Kansas. Intelligent design holds that living organisms are so complex that they must have been created by some kind of higher force.

Jones decried the "breathtaking inanity" of the Dover policy and accused several board members of lying to conceal their true motive, which he said was to promote religion.

A six-week trial over the issue yielded "overwhelming evidence" establishing that intelligent design "is a religious view, a mere re-labeling of creationism, and not a scientific theory," said Jones, a Republican and a churchgoer appointed to the federal bench three years ago.

The school system said it will probably not appeal the ruling, because several members who backed intelligent design were ousted in November's elections and replaced with a new slate opposed to the policy.

During the trial, the board argued that it was trying improve science education by exposing students to alternatives to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection.

The policy required students to hear a statement about intelligent design before ninth-grade lessons on evolution. The statement said Darwin's theory is "not a fact" and has inexplicable "gaps." It referred students to an intelligent-design textbook, "Of Pandas and People."

But the judge said: "We find that the secular purposes claimed by the board amount to a pretext for the board's real purpose, which was to promote religion in the public school classroom."

In 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot require public schools to balance evolution lessons by teaching creationism.

Eric Rothschild, an attorney for the families who challenged the policy, called the ruling "a real vindication for the parents who had the courage to stand up and say there was something wrong in their school district."

Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., which represented the school district and describes its mission as defending the religious freedom of Christians, said the ruling appeared to be "an ad hominem attack on scientists who happen to believe in God."

It was the latest chapter in a debate over the teaching of evolution dating back to the Scopes trial, in which Tennessee biology teacher John T. Scopes was fined $100 for violating a state law against teaching evolution.

Earlier this month, a federal appeals court in Georgia heard arguments over whether a suburban Atlanta school district had the right to put stickers on biology textbooks describing evolution as a theory, not fact. A federal judge last January ordered the stickers removed.

In November, state education officials in Kansas adopted new classroom science standards that call the theory of evolution into question.

President Bush also weighed in on the issue of intelligent design recently, saying schools should present the concept when teaching about the origins of life.

In his ruling, Jones said that while intelligent design, or ID, arguments "may be true, a proposition on which the court takes no position, ID is not science." Among other things, the judge said intelligent design "violates the centuries-old ground rules of science by invoking and permitting supernatural causation"; it relies on "flawed and illogical" arguments; and its attacks on evolution "have been refuted by the scientific community."

"The students, parents, and teachers of the Dover Area School District deserved better than to be dragged into this legal maelstrom, with its resulting utter waste of monetary and personal resources," he wrote.

The judge also said: "It is ironic that several of these individuals, who so staunchly and proudly touted their religious convictions in public, would time and again lie to cover their tracks and disguise the real purpose behind the ID Policy."

Former school board member William Buckingham, who advanced the policy, said from his new home in Mount Airy, N.C., that he still feels the board did the right thing.

"I'm still waiting for a judge or anyone to show me anywhere in the Constitution where there's a separation of church and state," he said. "We didn't lose; we were robbed."

The controversy divided Dover and surrounding Dover Township, a rural area of nearly 20,000 residents about 20 miles south of Harrisburg. It galvanized voters in the Nov. 8 school board election to oust several members who supported the policy.

The new school board president, Bernadette Reinking, said the board intends to remove intelligent design from the science curriculum and place it in an elective social studies class. "As far as I can tell you, there is no intent to appeal," she said.

I hab a code in my nodz

I woke up feeling very icky this morning and the ickiness has not gone away. It's not a bad icky. Just very annoying 'cause my nose keeps running and my lips are chapped 'cause I have to breathe thru my mouth.

Why do I always get sick over the weekends? Why can't I get sick on a Tuesday, say, so I can stay home from work?

Oh, well. I had fun at breakfast and I have another sock done and I've actually been paid to make a pair of socks for one of the Prodigal's friends. Things is good.

I braved the cold for breakfast

I went out in the cold and wet to have breakfast, at IHOP of course, with Raelerin and her hubby. She calls him Alberilin but I like to think of him as Garth. (Don't worry about it. This is another D&D reference. And a really twisted one to boot since Alberilin is Raelerin's father and Seitherin has nothing to do with Garth.) We had a very lovely visit. It was nice to see Garth a.k.a. Alberilin again. I hadn't actually seen him to talk to in a couple of years even tho' Raelerin and I have taken to meeting for lunch or breakfast every couple of weeks or so.

Sometimes I miss playing D&D on Sunday afternoons.

One by one, they come to nap

This time I caught Rainbow trying to get a little shut-eye on the sofa. She popped her head up when she heard me coming, but she couldn't be bothered to move and went back to sleep after I snapped her.

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun

The Wurst Haus is back!

Sort of. Quite a few years ago, the best restaurant in town was a German deli and restaurant called the Wurst Haus. It was owned by a German couple who used their own recipes for the food. The atmosphere was wonderful. The people were great. The food was as close to perfect as you can get. Needless to say, my ex, son and I were regulars.

But then Bernie and Marlies decided to retire and their daughter took over. And things slowly got not quite as wonderful, not quite as great, and definitely not near perfect. Eventually the restaurant was sold to someone who obviously didn't have a clue why the place was the most popular eatery in town. Things went from not quite so good to worse and the restaurant finally shut down.

There was much sadness in the hearts of people who loved Bernie's food.

And then last Friday night I cut through town to pick up some nachos on my way home from work, and what do I spot on the corner of This Way and That Way? The Wurst Haus. I was leery about trying it out. A friend's husband ran a check to see who filed the DBA and it was someone neither of us had heard of. We knew it wasn't the last person who had the original restaurant, but still . . .

Anywho, a lunch date I had today had to be postponed until tomorrow so I decided to live dangerously and try the Wurst Haus out. It was almost like going home again.

The man who owns it used to work as a chef for Bernie. He wanted to open a restaurant in town, so he asked Bernie if he could open the Wurst Haus again. Bernie agreed. Not only does the restaurant have the same name, it has the same menu and the food is made using Bernie's recipes.

I had Wiener Schnitzel, Blaukraut, Bratkartoffeln, and green peas (Schoten?) with a plate of lentil soup (Linsensuppe?) before and Apfelstrudel after. The only thing missing was the Bier, but they still haven't gotten their liquor license so that will have to wait a bit.

I'm stuffed and happy. This is a good Christmas present.

The Prodigal Son has a job

He's working as a carpenter's helper. He started on Tuesday. He's working for a home builder. Right now they're working on a house somewhere up Galveston way so he's got a long drive twice a day same as I do.

NewScientist.com | Strange new object found at edge of Solar System

Buffy, the Theory Slayer . . . giggle.

tmesis

tmesis \TMEE-sis\, noun:
In grammar and rhetoric, the separation of the parts of a compound word, now generally done for humorous effect; for example, "what place soever" instead of "whatsoever place," or "abso-bloody-lutely."

Tmesis is from Greek tmesis, "a cutting," from temnein, "to cut."

Three months today

It's my three month anniversary at work today. I didn't even realize it until I was on my way home.

I've been busy at work so I've been really tired when I get home. I've been relaxing by reading. And that's what I'm about to go do. But first I will fix myself a bowl of lentil soup for supper. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home tonight and picked up a couple cans of Progresso lentil soup. It's not as good as mine when I make it, but it will do in a pinch.

Look who's napping now

Silly Heru.

Frozen through

Even though it's in the mid 40s outside and the low 70s inside, I'm frozen solid. There was no heat in the office today - at least, that's what it felt like - and I am cold from the inside out. I had the heater in my car set to broil on the way home, but it didn't thaw me out. I'm going to have to fix myself a nice scalding hot cup of tea and snuggle under my blanket just to take the edge off the chill. Thank goodness I have a loverly pair of woolen socks to keep my toes toasty.

It's cold!

Somebody turn the heat back on. It's in the upper 30s but it feels colder because there is a wind blowing. I guess winter has well and truly decided to come.

B.C.

He just has a way with job descriptions.

Ranch crackers

This is a nifty little recipe for ranch flavored saltine crackers. It works best if you make it late in the evening so you can let the mess stand over night.

1 1/4 cup Cannola oil
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 box (4 packs) of saltine crackers

Blend the first three ingredients in a lidded bowl large enough to hold the crackers.

Add the crackers and shake until the crackers are covered in the mess.

Shake a couple of times more before you go to bed then let the mess stand overnight.

logorrhea

logorrhea \law-guh-REE-uh\, noun:
Excessive talkativeness or wordiness.

Logorrhea is derived from Greek logos, "word" + rhein, "to flow."

Look who's napping

Little Miss Izzy must have worn herself out.

Oh, how funny

You Are "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth"

Gee, if I could only Have my two front teeth, Then I could wish you "Merry Christmas." At Christmas, you are a happy soul who's easy to please. You're biggest concern is making those around you smile.

What Christmas Carol Are You?

Whenever I'm asked what I want for Christmas, guess what my answer is?

Dead Man's Chest

This is the trailer for the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie coming out this summer. It looks majorly fun.

Tis the season

Cool Christmas Light Display and the music isn't bad either.

Izzy being a piggy

Christmas cards

The first one arrived today. It was from my vet thanking me for all my business this year. It included a $10 off coupon on the next visit one of the furry monsters has to make to him.

The cards I'm sending out this year are bought, but I haven't even begun getting them signed, sealed, and delivered. I plan on starting that this weekend since some of them have to travel to other lands across vast oceans.

I've also got to start packing up the things I've made people for Christmas so I can get them sent off as well. Fortunately, most of those don't have to leave the state of Texas so I should have a couple of weekends to get that done.

More socks

I finished another pair of socks for the Prodigal Son. This set is in blue with a chevron pattern which doesn't really show up in the photos.

I've really turned into a knitting demon. I wonder how long that will last. I've got three skeins of sock yarn in my stash just crying to be knit up. I think I may try my hand at a plain cap with one of the skeins. I just need to find a nice simple pattern.

Kids!

The Best Friend leading me to the goat pen.


Goats and kids, oh my!


The Best Friend bottle feeding one little fellow.


Kids will be kids.

I took the pictures on Saturday, November 26. It was feeding time when I arrived. It was also play time for all the kids who got into everything.

I'm back

The visit with my folks was nice. Mother, as always, overfed me. I managed to knit one sock and start another while I was there. I also went to see the new Harry Potter again with the Best Friend and the Other Friend. And then we had dinner at Outback and I had two glasses of Riesling with my chicken. Lovely time!


This is what the morning looked like as I left town on the 24th.


The view out of the car window on the highway between Edinburg and Falfurrias on the way home today.


Another view out the car window of the same stretch of road.


A view of the stretch of road between Falfurrias and Riviera.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm off to spend the holiday with the folks and I will probably be 'net-less while I'm gone, so I hope all of you who celebrate Thanksgiving have a good one.

What is my stupid score?

All my prezzies arrived at once!

Go look what I got for myself. All of them arrived today. It was Christmas in November.

Merry Christmas Target

Follow the link below to add your name to this important issue.
Go to http://www.afa.net/petitions/signpetition.asp?id=1470 to sign.

Target Stores have decided to ban the words "Merry Christmas" in their stores starting this holiday season. Please sign this petition, which is about this important issue. The American Family Association is calling for a national boycott of Target Stores on the day after Thanksgiving (the busiest shopping day of the year), please join in...do not shop at Target! Let's get the message across that you cannot take Christ out of Christmas, even if you are trying to hide the very words Merry Christmas!

Do I really need to express an opinion about how utterly stupid, narrow-minded, and exclude-ist this is? If Christmas were the only holiday celebrated in December, I might even be tempted to be outraged by the generic "Happy Holidays". But it is not. At least two others, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, also occupy the same time slot as Christmas. I, for one, would rather have "Happy Holidays" than nothing at all.

I do wonder how many of these people who get offended by including other celebrations under the "Holiday" banner actually know when the 12 days of Christmas are.

Just saw the new Harry Potter

Wow!

I have a personality - when did that happen?

Your Personality Profile

You are elegant, withdrawn, and brilliant. Your mind is a weapon, able to solve any puzzle. You are also great at poking holes in arguments and common beliefs. For you, comfort and calm are very important. You tend to thrive on your own and shrug off most affection. You prefer to protect your emotions and stay strong.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Betty Grable, eat your heart out!

(Yes, I'm poking fun, but you'll get it when you click the link and take a gander.)

The socks are done!

I pull off "weird" well?

Your Hair Should Be Orange

Expressive, deep, and one of a kind. You pull off "weird" well - hardly anyone notices.

What's Your Funky Inner Hair Color?

How do you turn Frappr! into a verb?

There really needs to be one 'cause I just spent the morning - yes, the entire morning - reading blogs and . . . well, Frappr!-ing. In the course of my adventures, I've added a dozen blogs to my Bloglines and I Frappr!-ed "Howdy!" to at least three times that many people. My bum is numb from sitting at the computer! ;D

I'm off to finish my first pair of socks. I only have the toe of the second sock left to do and then they will be wearable by the Prodigal. And then I will work on the second slipper so the Prodigal can wear them as well.

Garth would snort over this

(But only if he were given to snorting. Sorry, inside joke having to do with D&D.)

But not as much as he'd snort over this

I'm a Synthetic Electronic Individual

What advanced degree should I get?

You Should Get a MFA (Masters of Fine Arts)

You're a blooming artistic talent, even if you aren't quite convinced. You'd make an incredible artist, photographer, or film maker.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

Rocks

A snap of the rocks beside the jetty behind the Pier 99 restaurant.

It's here!

Approximately 440 yards of 100% Merino wool sock yarn hand dyed in shades of pink and purple. This is the yarn I'm going to use to make my first pair of socks.


The Prodigal Son thinks he might want the first pair in this colorway.

But before I can begin knitting the socks, I have to hunt down a set of five size 3 double pointed needles. Since I'm already in my jammies, this won't happen until tomorrow on my way home from work.

I thought we'd lost another one

Saturday night Rainbow got out of the house through the front door which had been left open by either the Prodigal Son or his girlfriend. By the time I realized the door was open and the cat was gone, it was already fairly late at night. The Prodigal and I did a quick search of the house and yard, but Rainbow wasn't anywhere to be found. I even took the cat food bag outside and shook it, hoping she would hear and come home to eat.

I did a search Sunday, but there was no trace of her. There was still no sign of her when I left for work this morning, nor this evening when I got home.

However, the Prodigal just stuck his head in my room and asked me to guess who'd come home for supper. Yep, Rainbow. He was in the process of feeding the other cats when Mouse stopped on her way into the mud room and looked at the back window. She had her head cocked as if she were listening to something so the Prodigal looked out the back door and called for Rainbow and a tiny little meow answered him. He finally saw her in the shrubs and went out and got her. As far as we can see, she's perfectly all right. She doesn't appear to be the least bit traumatized.

It really is a small world

More pictures of the red deer in Germany courtesy of wildlife.tv:

If Dr. Seuss wrote for Star Trek: The Next Generation...

"Worf: The saboteur is in the brig.
He's very strong and very big.
I had my phaser set on stun --
A zzzip! A zzzap! Another one!
He would not budge, he would not fall,
He would not stun, no, not at all!
He changed into a stranger form
All soft and purple, round and warm."

I found a new toy

Making up for lost time

That's what today's postings look like, don't they? I certainly didn't intend for that when my annoying cell phone woke me up at four this morning with that incessant "I need to be recharged, you moron" beeping it does. I woke up, plugged the phone in, feed the cats, and, well, you know the rest.

I have actually taken a break away from the computer today. I had breakfast with a friend this morning. At IHOP, of course. I don't know how long we were there eating and talking, but it was fun and I really enjoyed the visit.

I also stopped by the post office to pick up my mail. Mostly just junk and one bill. I'm expecting some Merino sock yarn so I can knit my first official pair of socks, but it still hasn't arrived yet.

And then it was off to Jiffy Lube for an oil change, a fuel system cleaning, and a tire rotation. While the car was there being worked on, I walked over to the mall and picked out this year's Christmas cards at the Hallmark shop and I popped over to the calendar kiosk WaldenBooks sets up every year about this time and picked up two desk calendars - one with knitting patterns and the other with crochet patterns.

And lastly, on my way home, I popped into the grocery store to pick up a couple of necessaries.

And now I'm home on the computer again. But that is going to change because I'm going to take myself into the living room to watch TV and read. I feel very much like curling up on the sofa with a good book and a cool drink.

There's a hole!

In my ear, that is, right where it's supposed to be. I actually managed to get a stud into the ear that Heru mauled the other day. Had no problem doing it, in fact. I am happy to report that although the ear is still painful, it is healing nicely.

Initially I thought Heru caught the ear right at the hole and torn down with his claw, but he actually caught the ear right beside the hole and clawed around it before his titanium nail nearly sliced my lobe in half. It turns out my one little piercing was never in danger of closing over.

I guess this means I get to keep shopping for earrings.

;D

Seitherin, Warrior Princess, at your service

The Warrior Princess

You are strong, courageous, and dynamic, a woman of action. You have an iron will and a sharp tongue. Indecisive, weak, or wishy-washy people test your patience. You tend to grow bored quickly and yearn for excitement.

Role Models: Brunhilde/The Valkyries, Xena

You are most likely to: Lead your people to victory against an army of orcs.

What Kind of Princess are You? - Beautiful Artwork (Original Music is BACK!!!) brought to you by Quizilla

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Water builds the heat in Europe

Red deer in Germany

I've just spent the last little while watching red deer in Germany ruminate. It was so fascinating, I took a couple of snaps to share courtesy of wildlife.tv.

Jan Patrik Krasny Gallery: Dragon - Epilogue.net

Jan Patrik Krasny Gallery: Shipwreck - Epilogue.net

I was just bemoaning the lack of a baby

I subscribe to several email newsletters from various yarn and/or knitting related sites, and every once in a while a freebie pattern comes along that is just so sickeningly cute you bemoan not having someone to knit it up for. That happened to me early, early Friday morning. I got the Lion Brand Yarn newsletter and they had six - yes, six - sickeningly cute hats for small children and babies. So naturally I thought to myself it was too bad I didn't know anyone with a baby.

Well, ask and you shall receive.

The Lady at Work who came on staff the same day I did popped into my office first thing Friday morning to tell me she was pregnant. Aside from being thrilled for her, you can just imagine the glee I felt at having a reason to knit a froggy cap or a panda hat or a Chicken Little cap or even the apple, the bear, or the tiger.

I warned poor Lady at Work she would come to hate me.

;D

Grand Canyon West Skywalk

Um, no.

I've pretty much gotten over most of my fear of heights - which is really a fear of being pushed because I have no problem with heights when I'm by myself - but I think standing 4,000 feet above a river on a man-made ledge protected only by a layer of glass would probably send me over the deep end. I don't care if the ledge can withstand the weight of 71 fully loaded Boeing 747 airplanes, 100 mile an hour winds coming from eight directions, and an 8.0 magnitude earthquake from within 50 miles. It's still a man-made ledge covered in glass 4,000 feet up in the air. With lots of people gawping at the view.

I could probably manage it if there were no one else on the platform with me. But what's the likelihood of that happening, eh?

Take the Blame, Mr. President - McCain's excellent advice for Bush. By John Dickerson

"The public is smart enough to distrust the nightly news producers. They're also smart enough to know when they're not getting straight talk."

No, they're not. If they were smart enough to know when they're not getting straight talk, Bush wouldn't be president.

Hogwarts Dancers - Google Video

Sometimes it good to be left speechless.

;D

MotoArt First Class Chairs

And sometimes you just have to ask "Why would anyone buy that?" followed closely by "Where would you put it?"

MotoArt Small Bomb Table

And sometimes you just shake your head and walk away . . .

;D

Birdie!

I was trying to get a snap of the bird, but he kept moving and it was almost impossible to see anything in the viewer on the camera because of the brilliant sunshine. I'm surprised I managed to actually get him in the frame - not that you can see him all that well.

Again, this is on the jetty behind the Pier 99 restaurant.


There was also a turtle swimming around who kept surfacing that I was trying to catch a snap of but never managed. The first time I spotted him, I was too surprised at seeing him to even think of putting the camera up to take a picture. The next couple of times I spotted him, I'd turned the camera off - to conserve battery since I was snapping pictures like crazy - and he was gone under again by the time I got it powered on and ready to snap.

Jaime Jones Gallery: Peacekeepers - Epilogue.net

At last, a warrior woman who isn't naked. And drawn by a person of the male persuation no less.

B.C.

So, so true . . .

B.C.

Hey, Best Friend! This one reminded me of your spouse.

;D

Moss, the briny kind

This is a picture of the algae covered rocks beside the jetty behind the Pier 99 restaurant in Corpus Christi. The rocks really do look like they are moss covered.

To punctuate or not to punctuate, that is the question

Semicolon You scored 23% Sociability and 76% Sophistication!

Congratulations! You are the semicolon! You are the highest expression of punctuation; no one has more of a right to be proud. In the hands of a master, you will purr, sneering at commas, dismissing periods as beneath your contempt. You separate and connect at the same time, and no one does it better. The novice will find you difficult to come to terms with, but you need no one. You are secure in your elegance, knowing that you, and only you, have the power to mark the skill or incompetence of the craftsman. You have no natural enemies; all fear you. And never, NEVER let anyone tell you that you cannot appear in dialogue!

My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 0% on Sociability You scored higher than 86% on Sophistication

Link: The Which Punctuation Mark Are You Test written by Gazda on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

And on a more cheerful note

This is a picture of the artificial jetty behind the Pier 99 restaurant in Corpus Christi with a view of the Lexington and a bit of the Gulf of Mexico.

I won't have to buy earrings ever again

Why, you ask.

Because Heru almost sliced my left earlobe in half right below the hole for my earring. He also put a small gouge in my right arm and left a scratch between my breasts.

I'll bet you're wondering why Heru would do that, aren't you?

Because the Prodigal Son scared the bejeebers out of him while I was trying to pick Heru up. It was all an accident, but it certainly was painful.

My guess is the hole that used to be in my ear won't be there when the tear heals. But I'll probably have this interesting crease in my lobe instead.

I've put antibiotic cream on the tear and a band-aide over the wound. I'm not sure if I'm going to the doctor to have it looked at. I will probably decide in the morning after I see what the night brings.

When it rains . . .

. . . the windshield wiper blade falls off the wiper arm and lands in the driveway.

I turned the wipers on this morning to clear the dew off and the driver's side wiper blade simply came off the arm. I suspect the blade wasn't put on properly back in September when the wiper arm was replaced. That explains why the wiper was doing such a poor job of wiping. I couldn't get the silly blade to pop back in so I took the car to Firestone to have them do it. I managed to only be 20 minutes late to work unlike yesterday when I was two hours late. Yesterday I spent about an hour at Firestone having the headlights replaced and adjusted.

You can see the ocean

I took this photo from the hotel room balcony a little later in the morning, about 1/2 an hour or so, than the foggy one I put up yesterday for your viewing pleasure. You can see the ocean and the battleship - I did a slight zoom so the ship would show up nicely - but you can't really see the bridge behind the battleship. There was still a touch of fog in the air.



And this is what the ocean, the battleship, and the bridge look like when there isn't any fog and I don't zoom in on any of the features. I took this picture on Saturday just after I checked in.

Took a mini-vacation

I took a mini-vacation to Corpus Christi this weekend to buddy around with the Best Friend. I've just finished uploading all the pictures but I've got stuff I need to do so I won't share any of them, except one, just yet. I'll share more later when I've got some time.

This was the view from the balcony of our hotel room this morning.



Would you believe there's a battleship and an ocean out there?