I am not a fourth grade teacher

Friday was depressing after the dog attack on Thursday. The kids I teach animation as part of an after school thing decided to start calling each other names with vaguely racist undertones. Ok. Not so vague. They were racist. It got so bad that I told them that if I heard "that word" again, I'd send whomever said it to the after school program director. It was said. Unfortunately, it was said by one of the kids with a poor reputation for disruption already. There was crying. There was finger pointing. It was horrid.

I don't remember ever having such a discipline problem. But then, I went to six schools by the fifth grade, so I never really got to be anything else than "new girl."

I don't want to confine these kids, but I'm doing a horrid job getting across what they need to do to make animations because they're so used to being told exactly what to do. I hate that limitation, but I'm going to have to do it. Sad.

At least UT won the OU game. Stoops. hehehe

Agh! The dogs!

Yesterday evening, while A. was drinking sparkling shiraz with friends, Pico started barking with the neighbordogs who are totally ignored and bark all the time. I got annoyed and brought her in. Miss Maggs decided that because I was annoyed, she should attack Pico.

So she did.

I'm lucky I was able to get them apart. I've since done a little research on how to effectively break up a dog fight with just one person. It's not easy, but one way involves tying one dog by its hauches to a fixed object (fence, door) and grabbing the other dog by the rear legs (carefully) and tail, and pulling. I pulled Miss Maggs by the tail, but she wouldn't let go, so the three of us (with Hope in tow) walked around the house, crapping and pissing in fear. Okay. so it was only Pico. But still.

Yay.

I should have realized that Miss Maggs was getting a little cocky when I'd walk in the living room and find her on the settee. Not enough exercise, not enough socialization. Not enough. Never enough.

I mopped everything up with dawn dishsoap (lavendar), then orange oil. And I smudged the house with cedar. It still feels bad. I really wish dogs had never come into our life, and now there's no going back.

Lesson learned about an open freezer

Desk-fly
Originally uploaded by orangeacid.

(Image borrowed from orangeacid's Flickr account b/c I don't have a macro.)

Two days. That's all it took for the freezer door to be slightly ajar in 97 degree weather. Two days, and enough of the dog food melted to cause a convocation of flies. I've killed at least 500 of them. (no, really.) They're there to drive me crazy.

I hate flies.

Sneaky Water Theivery?

So, if the city opens up a fire hydrant to reduce pressure on the lines, and the water is being ejected so fast that it's projected across the street and down the gutter on our side, is it sneaky to walk out with a plastic pitcher and start dumping water on the very dry plants in the side yard?

I was being observed by both the dogs and two city employees. Since my pants are tight (I'm wearing my painting jeans) I came back inside.

Gah, I've got to lose weight.

Outside the Erwin Center after the Ann Richards Memorial

Outside the Erwin Center after the Ann Richards Memorial
Originally uploaded by carabou.

And we got 1.5" of rain on Saturday and Sunday. Some may have thought it was because it hadn't rained at ACL in the past couple of years. I think it was because a dear governor of texas passed on last friday and mother nature mourned one of her most unpredictable storms. The memorial service was today. We weren't there to see President Clinton cry on Saturday, but we saw Senator Clinton share her own recollection of the powerhouse that was Ann Richards. We'll miss you. And we're not giving up the fight.

olla (Oh-Yeah!)

olla (Oh-Yeah!)
Originally uploaded by carabou.

Went out rowing today in the "Raymond Yin" (what a fine little boat - and a much better way of doing crunches). And I got soaked. Not from sweat this time, but from the sprinkling of some form of sky moisture. I think it was angels crying. Or maybe one of Neptune's dolphins decided to land with a huge belly flop. Or maybe it's just the sky falling. It's been so long since I've seen stuff other than pollen and dust (and cottonwood tree leaves) coming from the sky -- I'm not really sure what's going on. Whatever it is, it's almost 1/4". Wow. Nice and light sprinkling. And it's only 80 degrees instead of a bazillion

Also made some ollas for the yard. Hopefully I'll figure out how they work and get them in the ground and make the plants even happier than they already are (not).

We braved the outside world yesterday (after we did some work on the counter in the kitchen) and went to see Idiocracy. One of those films that requires multiple viewings to get all of the visual comedy. The plot is simple, and not unique, but still fun. Eugenics and commercialization ... We also watched Good Night and Good Luck. What a contrast. But both good in their own special way. I cared who's butts they were, and why they were farting. The main difference I see between Idiocracy and the Ballad of Ricky Bobby is the love ... Will Farrell may be mocking NASCAR, but he's doing it with love. And maybe, just maybe, a little tongue. Costco love was a little ... scary. But undeniably funny, nonetheless.

--
Some people dance to the beat of a different drummer,
And some people POLKA!

the bow of the Chile Pequin

the bow of the Chile Pequin
Originally uploaded by carabou.

We're back from Maine, glorious cool weather and misty days. I was glad it rained half the time we were there. Sad to go on vacation to get rained on and enjoy it. We went two months without any rain, and finally got a measly half inch. I've broken out the sprinker and am keeping a patch of grass alive. The rest ... what a great excuse to replace it with something else.

I'm also experimenting with ollas in the side garden. I've glued two terra cotta pots together, but I didn't seal them well, so I'm going to have to pull them out and reglue them. Bah.

Cat fur

If I were the type of person who thought about these things, I might take the observation that my cats' fur seems to change over time a little more seriously. My cats are getting older, and it seems that their fur is sticking around longer (they're now more DMH's than DSH's). How long does cat fur stick around before it's shed, anyway? A year? Seven years (eyelash fur)? And is there some weird enzyme that the skin produces after a while that makes the fur longer as the bones get thinner (and the cat hunts less since it's no longer "hungry" all the time)? (My cats are *always* hungry. Even when they've just eaten.) If I had the background, I might try to figure this out. As it is, I'll just wonder. And watch the near&dear's bald spot grow.

Monkeys

So the problem with the monkeys and Shakespeare is that right now there really are thousands of monkeys writing and publishing. But only a few of them are brilliant works. And when Shakespeare finally gets around to writing, one of the monkeys jumps up and yells "copyright infringement!" And this has nothing to do with Ann Coulter trying to justify her way out of a plagiarism accusation. I hate the ignorant-- what was it? -- "harpie" and I've never even met her.

Balmy day

Rained .2 inches last night. The weather on the first dog walk of the day was amazing. 70 degrees outside, slight breeze, gentle filtering light through partly cloudy skies ...

And I learned you can wash down comforters without destroying them. But I was still upset he didn't read the label.

Wash day dilemma

So do I thank him for doing the laundry (and spending three hours at the laundromat) or do I get really frustrated because he washed the very large and expensive down comforter that says (in large letters) DRY CLEAN ONLY?

plants for adult butterflies

swallowtail
Originally uploaded by carabou.

annuals, biennials, perennials

• Achillea (Yarrow)
  
• Agapanthus (Lily-of-the-nile)
  
• Agastache (Giant Hyssop)
  
• Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)
  
• Aquilegia (Columbine)
  
• Armeria (Thrift, Sea Pink)
  
• Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly weed)
  
• Aster
  
• Astilbe (False Spiraea)
  
• Borago officinalis (Borage)
  
• Bouvardia
  
• Catananche caerulea (Cupid's Dart)
  
• Centranthus ruber (red valerian)
  
• Ceratostigma plumbaginoldes (dwarf plumbago
  
• Chelone (turtlehead)
  
• Chrysanthemum maximum (shasta daisy)
  
• Coreopsis
  
• Cosmos
  
• cynoglossum amabile
  
• Delphinium
  
• Dianthus (pink)
  
• Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower)
  
• Echinops (globe thistle)
  
• Erigeron (fleabane)
  
• Eryngium amethystinum (sea holly)
  
• Erysimum cheiri (english wallflwoer)
  
• Eupatorium
  
• Gaillardia grandiflora (blanket flower)
  
• Heliotropium arborescens (common heleiotrope)
  
• Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket)
  
• Iberis (candytuft)
  
• Lathyrus odoratus (sweet pea)
  
• Liatris
• Lobelia
  
• Lobularia maritima (sweet alyssum)
  
• Monarda (bee balm)
  
• Nepeta
  
• Origanum vulgara (oregano)
  
• Penstemon (beard tongue)
  
• pentas lanceolata (star clusters)
  
• Phlox
  
• Primula vialii
  
• Prunelia vulgaris (self-heal)
  
• Ranunculus
  
• Rudbeckia hirta (gloriosa daisy)
  
• Salvia (sage)
  
• Scabiosa (pincushion flower)
  
• Sedum (tall) Stonecrop)
  
• Solidago (Goldenrod)
  
• Tagetes (Marigold)
  
• Tithonia rotundifolia (Mexican sunflower)
  
• Verbena bonariensis
  
• Zauschneria (California Fuchsia)
  

Shrubs

• Abelia
  
• Aralia spinosa (Hercules' club)
  
• Buddleia
  
• Calluna vulgaris (Scotch Heather)
  
• Caryopteris (Bluebeard)
  
• Ceanothus
  
• Clethra alnifolia (summersweet)
  
• Eriogonum (some) (Wild Buckwheat)
  
• Hebe
  
• Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
  
• Lantana
  
• Lavandula
  
• Lonicera (Honeysuckle)
  
• Mahonia
  
• Philadelphus (single flowered mock orange)
  
• Potentilla (Cinquefoil)
  
• Rhododendron
  
• Rhus trilobata (squawbush)
  
• Ribes
  
• Rosmarinus officinails
  
• Sambucus (elderberry)
  
• Spiraea
  
• Syringa (Lilac)
  
• Vaccinium
  
• Vitex agnus-castus (chaste tree)
  

Trees

• Acer (Maple)
  
• Aesculus (Horsechestnut)
  
• Apple
  
• Citrus
  
• Salix (Willow)
  
• Vitex (Chaste Tree)
  

Plants that attract butterfly larvae

second swallowtail
Originally uploaded by carabou.

From some book that needs to be credited, but all I have are printouts and they didn't put the information on the header/footer.

annuals, biennials, perennials

• Alcea rosea
  
• Antirrhinum majus
  
• Artichoke
  
• asclepias
  
• aster
  
• cleome hasslerana
  
• dicentra
  
• digitalis purpurea
  
• eriogonum
  
• foeniculum vulgare
  
• geum
  
• helianthus
  
• heliotropium arborescens
  
• linaria purpurea
  
• lupinus
  
• penstmon
  
• sidalcea
  
• tropaeolum majus
  
• veronica
  

Ground covers, vines

• passiflora
  
• strawberry
  
• wisteria
  
• Cassia
  
• Ceanothus
  
• Hibiscus
  
• lavatera
  
• Malva
  
• Plumbago suriculate
  
• ribes
  
• rose
  
• spiraea
  
• viburnum
  

trees

• aesculus
  
• betula
  
• celtis
  
• citrus
  
• cornus
  
• crataegus
  
• malus
  
• pinus
  
• platanus
  
• populus
  
• prunus
  
• Pseudotsuga menziesli
  
• quercus
  
• salix
  

You are about to blow food or drink out of your nose

And we've already got our tickets

• Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• Van Morrison
• Willie Nelson
• Massive Attack
• String Cheese Incident
• Ben Harper
• The Flaming Lips
• it goes on!

The Renewable Energy Roundup folk learned their lesson last year and scheduled this year's festivities for the next weekend.

(and yesterday I killed 23 flies)

Eighteen Flies!

Okay. The fly and flea killing is getting obsessive. I know. And I'm coming to terms with the need to get rid of things and the problem of having things that no-one wants (not clutter), so I have to absolutely throw them away. Even the perpetual listing on half.com doesn't work.

It's hard to throw away books. Maybe I should just burn them instead.

Open Tables

Yesterday I killed 23 flies and N&D ate dinner at the Headliners Club (and wore a jacket. He really does clean up well). He said the food was adequate, but the view was fantastic. In explaining the food, he said that I was an amazing cook (when I did actually cook), so he had high expectations (isn't he sweet?). He had some sort of stuffed chicken dish on risotto, giant stringy asparagus and an overly dry strawberry shortcake.

We then started talking about Wink and how the food is exceptional (for the most part -- I haven't yet had an adequate meal, but we don't eat there often), but the atmosphere is crowded and loud. Granted, we usually get a little tipsy and are part of the reason it's so loud, but there's too many tables for the space.

Food? Yum. Since Clee and I (and TAH and Topher) are such amazing cooks, and we get together frequently anyway, I'm initiating a grub club and I'm spending the day working on a logo (on top of applying for jobs and patching and painting the drywall in the bathroom). This Thursday I want to try some tapas recipes so the theme is going to be "Little Victuals". I like the rhyming factor.

Mothers Day

Love your mother!

Actually, Kill FLIES! So far, 18. There will be more.

UPDATE: Nine more flies and I discovered why the bedroom smells bad. Nuncle pissed on my yoga mat. So far, in the last three days, that's: The Technology Review magazine (not even opened as it had come in the mail that day); the cardboard cat scratches (all three at the same time because I was vacuuming); just outside the litterbox; the watering fountain; and now my yoga mat. I would think this was a sign of sickness, except I know it's all him being a little pisser. Literally.

Why, why did I spend so much saving this cat's life? Sometimes I think liver failure was nature's way of sparing me this pain and I should have paid attention to nature rather than paid to save his life. Now I'm paying with stinky house and Nature's Miracle. It's good, but the cat has got to stop!

UPDATE: THIRTY ONE MORE FLIES!!!!!! And windows in the bedroom that I can actually see through.

UPDATE: THREE more flies (that makes 61 flies. All because of the rotting loquat, fermenting chinaberry, and the dog poop. I hate flies. Clarification -- flies are okay. I hate BZZZZZZ ZZZZZ ZZHBAHZZZZZZ). Also, spread out the mulch, including around the pear tree (again) and moved the small Senecio mandraliscae to the front. The full sun and no water it was getting with the other succulents was leaving it rather sad looking. So less sun and more water and hopefully it will improve.

Instant bog!

Instant bog!
Originally uploaded by carabou.

Today sucks. Just in general. I never really viewed myself as depicting the "victim" -- but I'm really get tired of being yelled at. I'm not a scapegoat for others frustrations. Quit killin' the messenger. Really. Obtuse? Yes. But I really can't say much more other than I feel like crap and I don't know how much longer I can handle this. At all.

Birthday!

Birthday!
Originally uploaded by carabou.

Trudy's for a birthday cake in a glass. I had a frustrating day, especially since all I really wanted to do was go to Pedernales and sit with my feet in the water, eat some chocolate cake and think about life. *sigh*

Carolee and Christopher are ver' cool though. Two amazing books (one fun, one supercool), christmas lights, mints, a fabulous butterfly dish (not a butter dish, but the butterfly named "Figure 1"), night blooming jasmine and a rather cool pot. They're so cool. *sigh*

THIS WILL NOT BE A FEEL SORRY FOR ME POST!

Eventful Easter

Weeding 15 April
Originally uploaded by carabou.

N&D's been amazing these past few days. He's watered all the plants that needed watering, built a Chuy fence, helped me build a new door to the crawlspace under the house so we can get rid of the pile of bricks and rather large plant keeping the dogs out, and he created an extension to our side fence to keep people from jumping over it.

The Story with Caveat: I have no concrete evidence; this is based on impressions of the event and it could have actually been something completely innocent.

Thursday night at about 1:30am N&D and I were jolted out of bed by the dogs barking furiously, a loud thunk and a
weird metal sound, and then the 70# dog squealing horribly (she squeals
anyway when she's nervous -- she's a diva -- but this was more of a
pain squeal). After five minutes of "time out" to calm her down, she
didn't jump up to greet me, was breathing irregularly and licking her
side as if it hurt. No obvious broken ribs, but she was acting as if
they were bruised.

In the morning, over on the only side of the house without a motion
sensor light, where I cleared out the hedge so we can fix the metal on
the chain link fence that is bent and loose, I saw the mulch
underneath the tree on the non-dog side completely mushed up in about
a four foot-long swatch. Just large enough for a person jumping a
fence rather quickly to land.

N&D's been leaving the dogs access to the backyard at night as he's been feeling as if someone's been scoping the house. The last time he felt this way, we found out someone had actually been using our yard to dump stolen wallets.

We didn't actually see anyone ... The dogs bark at cats ... and dogs
... and squirrels ... and people walking by ...

... but we're pretty sure someone tried to break in to our house

Happy Easter/Mid-Pesach/Seasonal Holiday of your Denomination!