Two-bit Adventures

05-23-10_1710.3gp

2010-05-23T19:46:00.000-05:00

Concerto for Flute and Orchestra - Jacques Ibert

2010-05-14T09:47:00.000-05:00

04-20-10 Baby chant

2010-04-20T20:43:00.000-05:00

Remy doesn't roll over (on his own)

2010-04-16T08:12:00.000-05:00

Remy eats his hands

2010-04-16T08:11:00.000-05:00

Health care reform is a proud moment - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

2010-03-30T12:22:00.002-05:00

Health care reform is a proud moment - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

Posted using ShareThis

For The Norwich Bulletin

Posted Mar 29, 2010 @ 10:09 PM

I want to thank Congress for passing the health care bill. Even though I’ve always had health insurance, I believe there should be a system for all Americans who want insurance to have it. It’s part of the freedom of choice that we all value so greatly.

In the bill, if you don’t want insurance, then you pay a tax. This also makes sense to me because as a medical student I’m aware that doctors take an oath to do no harm and cannot turn away someone in need of emergency care. This tax will cover the cost of care for people who choose not to enroll.

I’m confident this law will improve people’s health because by covering more people with insurance, preventative health measures will enable them to avoid chronic illnesses.

All in all, I’m proud of our government and I hope that everyone, no matter their view on the issue, can be happy Congress did its job.

JOANNA CHAURETTE
Putnam

The best part of this letter is the comments.... highlights (so far) include:

"Like most Liberals, Joanna needs someone to take care of her."

"This letter is why only taxpayers should be allowed to vote." (i do pay taxes, btw)

"I fear the USA, as we know and love it, is doomed and nearing collapse."

"Joanna is just another useful idiot."

I most like the gloom and doom comments about how everyone will lose their jobs or get sick and die in the next 6 years. I also appreciate being called "useful".

2010-03-26T07:53:00.000-05:00

2010-03-26T07:21:00.001-05:00

2010-03-22T10:05:00.000-05:00

2010-03-21T09:48:00.000-05:00

i loooove this!

2008-11-12T18:03:00.000-05:00

Belly dance!!!

2008-05-28T13:52:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I re-started belly dancing at a studio in Worcester. It is so awesome! there are lots of girls of all ages and walks of life, and it's in a sort-of-real dance studio and there are workshops and performances and lots of fun social activities. My favorite part is that the teacher is a great choreographer and our first dance is to the Fabulous song by Takfarinas. Shimmy Shimmy!

(I can't embed it right now, so here's the link: Takfarinas!!!)

Another Celebrity Sighting

2008-04-21T12:02:00.003-05:00

Scott and I walked to the one room building that is the Putnam DMV office one sunny Saturday morning. While being helped at the counter a giant frame of a person comes in with a booming voice chatting up some people in the room. They smile and call him Ox. He catches me staring at his long eyebrows and handle bar mustache that is dyed black (roots are long and gray) and he sort of heckles in a scary but joking manner "Hey, are you following me? Because I get a lot of people who follow me!". I laugh nervously.

After he leaves someone leans over and explains that he used to be a professional wrestler.

he's listed in Wikipedia as Ox Baker.

you never know who you'll run into in this little town!

for St. Patrick's day

2008-03-09T21:34:00.000-05:00

Sugaring

2008-03-05T11:24:00.010-05:00

Scott and I visited the Tractor Supply store last weekend and were inspired to tap our maple trees to make maple syrup.First we gathered some supplies: 7 feet of tubing, 6 hard plastic things for the taps, drill, utility knife and hammer.

Scott began by drilling holes in the trees- the sap oozed out immediately.
He then hammered in the tap thing, and hollered to me "get the tubes ready, I'm getting covered in SAP!"I plugged in the tubes and set up the buckets.

We installed 6 taps into 4 trees and have collected about 10 gallons of sap. On the warm days it just pours out. This weekend we will attempt to boil some of it down.

2008-03-05T11:16:00.000-05:00

Maple Syrup Time

Spring arrives with trees still bare,
The farmers work with special care
To tap the sweet natural fare,
It's maple syrup time.

The days are warm, the nights are cool,
The snow melts into puddles and pools,
The farmers prepare their tapping tools,
It's maple syrup time.

The Native People's long ago
Discovered the sap that dripped and flowed,
They cooked it down--the process was slow,
In maple syrup time.

Tradition calls for buckets and spiles
And lots of wood split into piles,
Lots of work but lots of smiles,
In maple syrup time.

The pipeline is a current way
To bring in the sap that drips each day,
Gravity helps sap make its way,
In maple syrup time.

With forty parts of sap to start
The boiling is a major part,
The steam boils off leaving one small part,
It's maple syrup time.

With planning, work and boiling done
The tastiest part has just begun.
There's lots of maple recipe fun,
From maple syrup time.

The next time that you taste this treat
Think of the amazing feat.
Sap from trees into syrup to eat!
It's maple syrup time.

- Elaine McDougall, 1996

RIP Buddy

2008-02-11T15:51:00.001-05:00

You were a wonderful dog. warm, fuzzy, affectionate. you were obsessed with shoes and you loved to play games of "keep-away". we will miss you and your cuteness. You were only 4 years old. It seems unfair for you to leave us so soon.

kitty brings home copperhead snake necklace

2007-12-12T15:58:00.001-05:00

how pretty, mr. kitty cat!

Hot Blog: The Daily Coyote

2007-12-04T12:05:00.000-05:00

The Daily Coyote
She writes about raising an orphan coyote, named Charlie, in a small town in Wyoming where coyotes are demonized and shot on sight for being a nuisance to farmers. And there are lots of really cute pictures, too!

avoidance tactics

2007-11-12T15:42:00.000-05:00

as i was making the program for the symphony concert i ran into some cool cello pix on google images... instead of doing homework for school right now, i'll post my findings here for everyone's enjoyment!

concert!!!!

2007-11-06T10:07:00.001-05:00

my new favorite website!!

2007-10-03T21:07:00.000-05:00

http://makezine.com/blog/

Putnam adventure

2007-09-30T10:50:00.000-05:00

we took the dogs walking by the river.there was our good friend mr. heron... mrs. heron was just downstream as well...then we came upon a grove of walnut trees... "these are walnut trees?" we cried...so we filled our pockets with nuts and shucked them on the picnic table...then we ate them and they tasted like maple syrup and nut flavor all in one. "Mmmmmm". The End

all things need love

2007-09-15T12:40:00.000-05:00

some baby animals will die without love and cuddling.
this abandoned macaque baby was dying until it became attached to the pretty pigeon. wow, how disgustingly adorable.

Battle at Kruger

2007-08-13T08:37:00.001-05:00

too much pride

2007-07-24T12:05:00.000-05:00

someone from another lab "told on me" to my boss. i feel like a kid on the playground who is being punished for not sharing toys when i clearly had them reserved far in advance. i'm hardly to blame in this situation... my lab had reserved the procedure room last week. no one complained then, but now another group desparately NEEDS to use it just as i'm starting the experiment.

so perhaps i was too harsh.... i know that i'm not great at standing my ground or nicely expressing displeasure. the signs were up saying "do not disturb" i didn't post those signs, it was arranged far in advance, but i'm being accused of hogging the room.

if only i had said things more nicely... and not like the socially inept scientist that i loathe. instead of saying:

"no, i reserved this room, you should have received an email from [procedure- room-guy] and planned ahead accordingly"

i should have said:

"oh, you didn't get the email? no problem, do your quick little procedure and will try to fix this miscommunication in the future."

Well, i'll try to be better in the future.

ladies of science

2007-07-23T11:17:00.001-05:00

science scaries

2007-07-20T14:01:00.000-05:00

i'm tired. i'm in the lab analyzing data, and out of ~50 western blots i found three good ones... well, they're good enough to analyze for now. to be honest, i'm scared. Now that i'm a phd student doing real research, i have a reputation and potentially a career on the line. what if the 3 good blots that I found are not representative of other blots. and what if the results are not repeatable? i'm afraid that i'll put so much into these experiments and then when it is wrong or doesn't work out in the end i will make of fool out of myself and my colleagues. I suppose that is the risk you take in a research career. science used to be so much fun, but now i'm playing with the big leagues and these results are HUGE. i hope that they are right.

i'm staying here until 7pm, and then I'll be back in the lab tomorrow afternoon before i go dancing. hopefully for just a few hours. This is so much more thrilling than sitting in a classroom!

Blood

2007-07-18T13:18:00.001-05:00

Today I donated blood, but I do it for all the wrong reasons. Everyone likes the cookies and the juice, sitting in the comfortable recliner, and feeling so special for doing a responsible and potentially life-saving thing and I enjoy these things quite a bit. However I wait to donate blood until something like today happens. About halfway into my morning commute I realized that I didn't have my ID badge which is used to park on campus. I called Scott and he couldn't find it, so before finding the badge locked in the lab, i parked in the visitor parking at a rate of $1/hour. Luckily, Blood donors get free parking. Also today I didn't pack lunch and having already spent my budget on dancing and clothes I had no money for food (or parking). But Blood donors get $8 in the cafeteria! I can make that last for the next few days! So, giving blood is awesome and emotionally rewarding, etc. but it is also a fabulous way to fill you purse with cookies, buy $8 worth of food, office supplies, or whatever else they sell at school, and a free day of parking in the garage.
Au revoir, blood donation center,
until the next time i lose my badge or i'm too broke to eat!

Urban Mushing

2007-07-16T10:29:00.001-05:00

this is kinda strange... don't the dogs get overheated?

Underdog

2007-07-11T19:20:00.001-05:00

Not only is the new movie version of Underdog starring an adorable lemon beagle, but the voice is by Jason Lee! It's official, I can't wait to see this movie!

Cheeky Dog Show

2007-06-26T19:33:00.000-05:00

This is atrocious... Scott sent me this link of dogs being horribly exploited. And they aren't just any household retriever or hound, these are asthetically challenged dogs. These poor souls are entered into an "Ugly Contest" by their Owners, where they are leered at by drunken haggards at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in California. THEN 43,005 sorry, undoubtably average-looking Humans voted on the dog they found most horrifying.

HOW COULD THEY DO SUCH A THING?
UGLY DOGS HAVE FEELINGS, TOO!!

btw, PeeWee Martini would've gotten my vote! :P

USMLE step 1 blows!!!

2007-06-21T18:30:00.000-05:00

I am about 12 hours from taking the first (official) standardized test of medicine. Step 1 of the USMLE (medical licensing exam). it feels like i have been going crazy these past 4 weeks. trying to adhere to my strict study schedule, and 2 weeks ago I began having panic attacks at 4:30am waking me from sleep.

Finally, I feel that i have consolidated everything I know... integrating what I have learned the last two years with some NEW things. I've taken hundreds (thousands?) of practice questions, and now I just want to earn a passing score! PLEASE!!! I don't want to do this again!!!

Thanks to my family who called just to chat reassure me (and not to bug me too much :P ). Thanks goes to scott who let me live like a slob without giving me too much grief. and thanks to the dogs for keeping me company.

New Addition!

2007-05-31T16:34:00.000-05:00

Hello, I'm back to blogging after a long hiatus... the past several months have been painfully busy with school. Now as I study for the medical board exam I find that it is pretty great "studying" all day. I sit around the house, do some gardening, update my blogs, and take a few practice tests which tell me that I know absolutely nothing. I'm not worried, I still have 22 days to learn everything about human disease...

We adopted a new dog! His name is Clyde and he is a real sweatheart whose behavior really highlights how difficult Josie has been to care for. So, what is he like?
Here's a list:
~1.5 years old
more dominant than Josie, neurotic beagle (not hard)
less dominant than Lucy, the cat who continues to have the run of the house
likes to be near people
doesn't like to cuddle
hates vegetables
loves to eat my underwear and carry them around the house
playful w/ Josie
he doesn't bark when people knock on the front door
But he barks approximately once an hour for no apparent reason
And he pees like a girl-dog!

That's our Clyde!

Seven Hills Symphony Spring 2007

2007-03-28T15:52:00.000-05:00

Darth Vader Conducts Lego Orchestra

2007-03-19T17:12:00.000-05:00

Science is Satan Spelled backwards?

2007-03-05T11:12:00.000-05:00

doesn't make tons of sense, but it's amusing nonetheless; i like the alter of death :P
get it on a t-shirt heredid u see the lunar eclipse? i took a blurry pic! see it here

Ironic Goodness...

2007-03-02T18:33:00.000-05:00

Teen Dials AIDS Help Line, Gets Linked To Sex Line

March 1, 2007 8:24 p.m. EST

Nidhi Sharma - All Headline News Staff Writer

St. Joseph, MO (AHN) - St. Joseph resident Lori Felzien had to face one of the most embarrassing situations of her life when her sixth-grade son dialed the number printed on a bookmark he received during a health lesson and it connected to a hardcore sex hotline.

The teen handed over the phone to his mother saying, "Mom, listen to this." Felzien then immediately contacted authorities at Bessie Ellison Elementary School who distributed those HIV/AIDS - awareness bookmarks.

According to AP reports, the toll-free number was once owned by Teens Teaching AIDS Prevention, part of the Kansas City-based nonprofit Good Samaritan Project. However, the AIDS hot line has no longer been functional since last year and a sex hot line has since taken over the number.

"We've got to get these cards out of these kids' hands," Felzien said adding that when she also contacted Mitzi Teliczan of the Buchanan County Health Department, which is also listed on the bookmark, they admitted to approving a series of bookmarks on different topics several years ago.

However, it was not until recently that the bookmarks were distributed throughout local schools which lead to the goof up.

Lunar eclipse

2007-03-01T16:02:00.000-05:00

Saturday night March 3rd there will be a TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE!
watch for it at moonrise! more info here.

hopefully it will bring good luck to Scott taking his Praxis test for teacher certification!

Pretty and Fun

2007-02-26T22:23:00.000-05:00

my first panorama with a free program called hugin. Yay!

I want this car

2007-01-04T09:49:00.000-05:00

Phantom Drophead Coup by Rolls-Royce

Celebrity Sighting in Putnam

2006-12-22T12:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, I sat next to Renee Zellweger at the coffeeshop today... well, i sat near where she ordered her drink. She's so lovely! and she looked at me and smiled! how nice of her to smile at a silly ogler, like me. After she left I had a screaming party w/ Jamie the barista who made Renee's latte.

Bigger things

2006-12-13T09:52:00.000-05:00

While surfing the web in class I came upon a link to images from the Cassini Mission to Saturn. (thanks to the Scientists group on LJ for the wonderful distractions).

It's nice to imagine the bigger things out there.
Don't forget to catch the meteor shower tonight (wednesday)... here's a fun page about what's up in space.

Funny Little Town

2006-12-07T16:26:00.000-05:00

Our little town is so funny! This morning I took my books to the coffeeshop downtown... Victoria Station Cafe. They have pastries, good coffee and most importantly wireless internet and impeccable coffeehouse atmosphere.

The crazy mix of people is fun, and I'm finding that especially as the tourist season ends, people are more friendly and talkative. Even though i'm usually reading a book or using my computer, people still come up to chat about the weather or ask where I go to school, which gets them talking even more. I'm finding that conversations started on the topic of medicine can be pretty entertaining.

Recently there's been lots aof talk about peoples' new computers. People of an older generation, getting their first computer, or an updated computer. One man today was talking about his 8 kids the oldest of which was 50. He looked barely over fifty himself! I think he was wearing overalls and he had a Paul-Bunyunesque red beard and huge mass of hair. And then there are the young professionals (like me) with their "portable computers" and "cellular telephones".

Hit up the VSC for some virtual java by friending them on MySpace!

String Theory Violins

2006-11-28T12:59:00.000-05:00

String Theory: New Approaches to Instrument Design

Douglas Martin of Southern Maine designs modern violins using medical-imaging gear, laser scanners, arrays of microphones and computers to measure and model how the parts of a violin react once energy is introduced by a bow, fingertip, pick or, in the laboratory, the repeated taps of a tiny hammer.

The best one he's made has a top that is a mixture of spruce and graphite.

Graphite instruments are really coming around. Scott played w/ a cello soloist last week who used one. I like this quote from the article “Wood reached the limits of its potential in the first half of the 18th century”

Update and More links

2006-11-21T15:37:00.000-05:00

Turkey Day News
We are really nearing Thanksgiving here at Chez Chaurette, and Scott and I are hosting this year. What have we done to prepare? Well, the Bird is defrosting in the fridge, tomorrow we will prepare the brine. We have most of the shopping completed. Tonight I'm going to attempt to make cranberry relish and squash soup. (Please let it work this time!) In addition to these items I'm toying with the idea of making a sweet potato pie....
Tomorrow I relinquish the kitchen to my dear husband and his sister who will take over from where I've left off. I'll work on decorating the house. If I'm feeling ambitious we might have a holiday cocktail of some sort and maybe even some Christmas lights. whoa, slow down Mrs. domestic!

Cuteness related link
Whitney alerted me to a website full of pictures of cats in sinks! A brief Google search suggests that it is the rival site to stuffonmycat.com. What a catty rivalry. (groan).

I also have some video links that I'll post as soon as they start loading from YouTube....

Putnam News

2006-11-18T10:18:00.000-05:00

The little town of Putnam, CT made it onto national news sources yesterday... for being the place where someone was shot for a PlayStation 3. It was at the Walmart down the street from our house. Classy town, don't ya think? I'm actually going to Walmart right now to buy some Holiday lights. See ya later!

Read more on the shooting here.

one more

2006-11-14T21:39:00.000-05:00

almost immediately after that last post I found the most HILARIOUS site EVER! (Scott and I laughed our heads off so much that i was crying!?!)

Click here if you wish to be amused.

BTW it's more than just crazy cat pictures, the captions are really really funny.

fun stuff

2006-11-14T20:22:00.000-05:00

so, I haven't posted anything fun recently... here are some sites that i like...

this is a cool site where you start in the galaxy and zoom in... here
a youtube video for lab geeks called "brokeback rotation"
this is a simple website that makes me smile when i feel aggravated.
the cat picture is from a classic site (here)
finally, to end on a dark note... if you like surrealism or claymation, you'll love this video from Czech director Jan Svankmayer.

Enjoy!

No Dumping!

2006-11-10T12:07:00.000-05:00

so, it's november, and most of the leaves have fallen off the trees. this post isn't about raking, because i'm not really gonna concern myself with that for now. It isn't about all of the bulbs i planted last week (hundreds of hyacinths, tulips and daffodils), nor about Halloween.

This is about junk. You'd expect an abandoned house to be a junk yard, but apparently even with us living here, it is still the local junk yard.

Our sweetest neighbors, the watchdogs of the block, dumped their old halloween pumpkins on the back border of our property. The land technically belongs to the city (it's a "paper street") but we're the ones who have to look at it. and those pumpkins were like beacons!

So I carried them over to our compost box where they are hidden from sight, and I spent an hour picking up other trash. I'll list out the ones that particularly amuse me:

3 old christmas trees
a complete pop-up tent (collapsed)
the lid to an oil drum
parts of a hampster tube cage
the metal parts of 3 rakes (how ironic)
lots of car parts (including a hub cap)
a busted T.V. (broken glass)
2 wooden window frames
1 window frame with shattered glass (fun!)
dog toys

2006-11-05T11:52:00.000-05:00

There's a new blogger in the family... no, I didn't do the lame "blog in the name of my cat" thing... Scott has started a blog for himself as a teacher, musician, and all out music dork.

Give him some support by visiting his page and leaving lots of comments!
www.ctbass.blogspot.com

and if you've noticed the new tabs on my layout, they're not terribly exciting... clicking on them will just sort the posts by topic. At least they look pretty :)

Puppy Therapy

2006-11-03T11:13:00.000-05:00

Go to this site or this site to see pictures of adorable puppies!

this one looks like a cartoon fox!

Seven Hills Symphony Poster

2006-10-30T09:50:00.000-05:00

The Dog Who Loved to Suck on Toads

2006-10-26T13:36:00.000-05:00

This isn't from The Onion.... It's NPR!

"We couldn't keep our dog's addiction a secret any longer," Laura Mirsch says. "The neighbors all knew that Lady was a drug addict, and soon the other dogs weren't allowed to play with her."

This link is about Lady, a cockerspaniel who is addicted to sucking on hallucinagenic toads.

UMass + Nobel Prize = nifty

2006-10-25T09:49:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard already, a UMass Medical researcher won the Nobel Prize for medicine (even though he researches on worms). The excitement has campus been indescribable, and because this is a unique position to be in I'll try to share some of it in this post.

Craig Mello is a regular guy with a team of regular scientists in his lab (two of them are in the Seven Hills Symphony, so they must be good people). He talks endlessly about his family and his daughter, and is an advocate for research in the field of diabetes.

UMass is a small school. We knew that he would be awarded the Nobel prize and that it was just a matter of time, but we never thought that it would be so soon! Currently I'm studying with his collaborator, and the research is amazing.

Mello's discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) has completely revolutionized modern genetics. Briefly, he discovered tiny RNA molecules that function to destroy messenger RNA (the kind that becomes protein). These tiny RNAs exist in all forms of life from yeast to plants, to mammals and humans. The implication is that an RNA can be designed to target a dysfunctional mRNA and prevent disease. Clinical trials using RNAi are happening right now!

So stay tuned to RNAi, and if you're chilling with scientists, and want attention from those geeks, you can brag that someone you know, know's the recent Nobelaureate. Whoa... that's so exciting, I'm sure!

Wreath

2006-10-10T13:20:00.000-05:00

I made this!

After completing the Virology Exam at school, I spent the afternoon channeling Martha Stewart.

vines pulled off fence... 0$
thin wire... 2$
silk flowers... 10$
not thinking about virology for two hours... priceless

Taste of parenthood

2006-10-07T17:59:00.000-05:00

Last night Josie kept us awake with a 10-hour case of the hiccups. Yes, pathetic little doggie hiccups. She hiccuped until she vomited, then tossed and turned, jumped in and out of bed, coughed, licked, and whimpered until morning. There was no sleep for Josie, just complete dog misery. We googled "adult dog hiccups" found nothing, and then tried calling the emergency animal hospital, which is where we took her in the morning. The vet gave her a "hump" of fluid under her skin (strange, eh?) and told her not to eat anything for 12-24 hours.

Scott said that it was the closest thing to having a real human baby in the house, and I think I failed the test! I came home at 12:30 am, exhausted from dancing, and I proved true my ability to sleep through just about anything... Whoops. I tried to stay awake, really, i did, and I was good until 4:30am. Scott stayed up with her for the rest of the morning. I'm proud of him, he will be such a great father, but we're both a little worried about me.

2006-10-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

Sometimes i feel like i don't deserve my life. this is happens when i become sad for no reason--- and then i feel guilty for not appreciating everything that i am 'blessed with'.

i've been told that these feelings are the result of a chemical imbalance or simply a narcissistic self-indulgence... because like i said above, rarely do i have anything rational to be depressed over.

it is true that i'm spoiled rotten. i'm usually an unorganized wreck and i only make it day-to-day because so many people are there to save my ass when i'm forgetful or things get difficult.... but haven't I worked really hard to get where i am? i am so confused.

sometimes i fantasize about having real things to be depressed about. how much simpler my emotions would be. i'd be alone, working or not, no friends or confidantes, (certainly no computer!), i could be sad and hate everything with good reason. And i could be wonderfully irresponsible! just drift around... and be as mopey and self destructive as i wanted to be...

Tennis

2006-09-27T09:58:00.000-05:00

Autumn has arrived, and what does that mean? the start of competitive tennis leagues, of course!
What... you didn't see that one coming? well, neither did I. My tennis enthusiast husband signed us up for mixed doubles. You can see our schedule for this Friday here.

if you know me you may be surprised by this because i have never played competitive sports before (except for a brief and unsuccessful stint on the high school swim team). We took group tennis lessons this summer, and finally, last week we invested in new racquets.

my challenges in short: i can't keep the ball in the court, i'm easily intimidated (read "chokes under the slightest pressure"), and my serve is sketchy and unorthadox to say the least.

On the upside my backhand is hilarious to watch (it will surely bring the opponents to the floor in bouts of laughter) and most importantly, Scott is awesome and will pick up my slack (hopefully).

why am i subjecting myself to this public humiliation? Well, first of all, it feels kinda cool to belong to a "racquet club", and even though it is family owned and pretty low key, there are still a couple of kooky people there (pros excluded) who act really serious about tennis. In addition to that reason, I generally try to embrace all new experiences and challenges.... and after i get over feeling silly it feels really really good to slam the tennis ball around the court.

And the final reason? the booze party in the lounge afterwards!

"A bladder that barks"

2006-09-12T15:20:00.000-05:00

I'm inspired to try this dog training technique on my dear baby Josie...

altho I think the dog whisperer is lame and possibly staged...

I believe what Emily Yoffee says, I trust her... (she owns a beagle, so she must be reputable!).... and she is hilarious.

Farm Photography and Music Room

2006-08-28T11:53:00.000-05:00

On this morning's commute I heard an NPR story about the high definition photographs of farmland in Kansas. Whoa, they have strong accents in Kansas... even in Johnson County. I keep forgetting that. Anyway, the map is supposed to be better than GoogleEarth because the edges of the image are adjusted to be in scale with the center of the image. That is something I didn't know about google earth... the edges of each picture appears smaller and the center of the picture appears larger. The Kansas project seems neat, but I don't know who will want a high definition scale image of Kansas. Gotta catch those cheating farmers (the first goal of the project is make sure farms are abiding by the rules of their subsidy). The map would undoubtedly be cooler if there were lots of mazes carved into the fields. Like the Julia Child maze at Waner Farms in Sunderland, Massachusetts.

In local news, the piano arrived and is beautifully situated in the Music Room. It definitely needs some tuning. Regardless of how it sounds, it is sure pretty to look at! Now I just need some music to play. Scott is staring at the Rachmaninoff Vocalise in a minor... we both took a try at playing it... we need easier music. :)

Cancel your Labor Day Plans!

2006-08-24T13:06:00.000-05:00

Do it for Jordan Knight who's performing at the 146th Annual Woodstock Fair! What a retrofabulous lineup.... Aside from the-older-brother-of-my-favorite-New-Kid's appearance there will be performances by Joan Jett, All 4 One, 98 Degrees (minus Nick Lechay), and Blood Sweat and Tears. Wow, blast from the past.

House News: We're piano-sitting for Whitney and Greg! First we'll need to get it in the house... this will happen on this upcoming Saturday if all goes well. The piano will really complete the look of the 'Music Conservatory' at Chez Chaurette. Still need a good name for that two-tone music room.... Salon Fantastique? It is set up like a salon/parlor thingy with fine art originals on the walls....ooh la la! I'll post a picture after the piano is set up.

Anyway, Scott has been composing/ arranging in the corner and he's even taught lessons there. (One college student said it was the coolest house ever, i'm glad that he approves, or at least we exceeded his expectations) I'm relieved that he's getting some professional use from 22 Alpha Street, because it justifies the two of us living in such a large place. I love the fact that it is large, it actually feels like the perfect size for us, but.... it's the biggest house on the block, and we are the smallest "family". It's silly to worry over these things, I know.

School News: Classes have technically begun, but it hasn't set in yet. Scott returns to teaching on Monday, the same day as my first exam in Cellular Pathology and Immunology. The symphony's going slowly, the first rehearsal will perk things up, though. As will my first exam! Can't wait...

Saying 'Goodbye' to summer w/a coupla schlock movies

2006-08-18T18:58:00.000-05:00

Hey Wes!
Open letter to Wes Anderson regarding his career, upcoming movie, and choice of music from the guys of Steely Dan is pretty harsh but definitely amusing. I still love you, Wes! [link here]

Snakes on a Plane
SoaP is playing as a double feature at a drive-in theater w/ Miami Vice. Cookout + beer + cheesy action films = Classic Saturday Evening in the Woo.

..... reminder to self.... buy fake plastic snakes to throw on drunk people during the movie to enhance the cheesiness factor.

My open letter to Samuel L. Jackson

Dear Jedi Master Shaft

i'm bringin' snakes... you betta bring a whole lotta whoopass.

HOOOOAAAAH!

Sore Loserman

2006-08-10T13:41:00.000-05:00

I have mixed feelings about the results of this election....

Lieberman is an experienced politician who knows the ropes and has friends and allies on BOTH sides of the aisle (which is really useful when you're the minority party). Lamont offers very little in either of those respects, but he won the election... why would lieberman leave the democratic party? the whole thing makes me sad...

and, I keep having bad flashbacks to the 2000 presidential election (which lieberman should know all about) when Nader [arguably] stole the win away from the dems. Please don't let it happen again!

Thanks to bobscag for this link =-)

Daily Show on Lieberman Loss

ELECTION DAY

2006-08-08T07:49:00.000-05:00

wow, my vote might actually count... but count for what exactly?

NYTimes cover the Lieberman vs. Lamont primary.

And of course... Slate's take on the infamous Kiss video posted on YouTube (w/several links)

Mom and Grandma's Visit

2006-08-07T19:12:00.000-05:00

and fun with flickr!

www.flickr.com

Falcon Ridge Folk Festival

2006-08-01T15:38:00.000-05:00

It's late, but I am finally getting around to posting about FRFF. There are still a few bruises on my arms and legs, but the blisters have pretty much healed and most of the mud and dirt is cleaned off of my feet... well some of that mud came from Whitney's ~wild~ wedding. Overall, it was amazing. I had a really amazing time.

My experience in a nutshell: The group that i camped with were very welcoming and friendly. Met many new people, had some good conversations and great food. i got to hold the cutest baby (second to Jillian, of course ;).

Saw most of John Gorka's set, Wild Asparagus, and Crooked Still on the main stage. Saw the Neilds on the workshop stage. Listened to Cheryl Wheeler's performance from nearby. And most importantly I danced a lot of contra.

Wedding Day (for whitney and greg)
Saturday brought several torrential downpours... right on the campers AND the bride and groom! It caused the temperature to fall and so it was quite comfortable, and the rain stopped long enough for the ceremony to take place. It was beautiful as the swallows swooped above. The mother of the bride observed that the storm showed the power of nature and brought a sense of importance to the ceremony.

The reception was lots of fun as the guests took off their shoes and sloshed around in the mud. I learned West Coast Swing from a professional ballroom dancer, and met many of Whit's interesting friends. Congrats to W&G!

All in all, this long weekend was special and lovely. for more general festival pics check out this flickr link.

The luckiest daughter

2006-07-31T17:03:00.000-05:00

This is what I saw when I came home from work .

The handrail was stained
to match the stairs...

Mom was hemming the
dining room curtains
to clear the floor...

And Grandma was drinking
scotch straight from the bottle.

Links and Life

2006-07-14T18:12:00.000-05:00

Pseudo-science warning!
Some of these are true.... like #17, which is very true, hyperventilating will help you hold your breath for longer. However, what they don't tell you is to be careful because many healthy people drown this way. It actually fools your brain into thinking that you don't need to breath and then you faint underwater... and you don't get to spend that new shiny quarter after all that effort...

Real Science link
Is there really just a single Down's Syndrome gene? No, that's just silly! Down's Syndrome is caused by the hundreds of genes overexpressed by the third copy of chromosome 21. The more interesting aspect, to me at least, is that no one has previously understood what the link is between Down's Syndrome and early onset Alzheimer's Disease. Yay for genetics!

Tennis Lessons
Scott told me the other day that he was doing me a huge favor by forcing me to take tennis lessons (okay, I actually enjoy it sometimes) because he says that it will help me advance my career through networking out of the clinic... but maybe I should play golf instead! (top 100 golf doctors) the really good golfers are in KC... hmmm

Life Update
My life is so much fun right now... so much fun and excitement that it's kinda stressful... Thursday I'm going camping at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, then I hoof it over to SteadyLane Farm, tent in tow, to play cello for Whitney and Greg's wedding, then I go back to Falcon Ridge for the last day of festivities. Scott is leaving in a few days to teach in at St. Joe's in Maine for two weeks, and also next week my lovely visitors arrive.

The house is not coming along... obviously since i've haven't posted about it very recently. The carpenter, who's not as wonderful as I once thought, is coming on the 31st... which is a week too late since Mom and Grandma arrive the 26th. It's a frickin' heat wave here, so instead of doing work at home (no AC) we've been going shopping at the mall... which is a direct cause of the next barrier to home improvement... that we have no more money.

Arrrgh... I can't wait to get away!.... check out the lineup at FRFF

2006-07-14T10:46:00.000-05:00

Wow, neurons are amazing. i love neuroscience, and the researcher's cocky quote:

"If your brain can do it, we can tap into it"

There's another science link that i was trying to remember yesterday... hmm how about this one in Slate about politics and HPV. I really wish that every woman could get the new HPV vaccine free of charge, but it is encouraging news that condom use protects against transmission. Spread the word that cervical cancer is preventable!

Here's a study done at Johns Hopkins showing that mushroom hallucinations provide test subjects with the single "most spiritually significant" event of their life (duh). Even though people have known this fact for hundreds of years, these researchers were the first to use an appropriate control (Ritalin!). Best of all, it was government funded! Don't you wished you'd known about this study? :P

So, we are trying to get the house ready for Mom and Grandma's visit on the 26th. This involves installing a handrail for the stairs, cleaning, removing construction debris that is still piled in corners, dehumidifying the basement, and then some more cleaning.

I hired the carpenter through this online referral site called Service Magic, which is indeed very magical. i highly recommend it, however scott isn't nearly as enthused about it because he couldn't find a landscaper.

Thx, an update and Tanglewood perfection

2006-07-09T21:25:00.000-05:00

Thanks guys!
I've received fabulous feedback on the house and this site, and I absolutely love all of you for it! A good one this weekend was the "drive-by compliment" as we were digging a flower bed... She said that she remembered what the house used to look like and that we are doing a great job. *Awe* Dad keeps sending me 'hick' and 'redneck' emails... What are you trying to tell me? Is it some kind of intervention?

Weekend Warriors
It was a productive weekend in Putnam: the yard is done... for now. We dug more flower beds around the foundation, graded the soil to wash water away from the house, and finally put numbers on the mailbox.

Gross and Scary, but mostly gross

Cellar Door may be a beautiful couple of words but it is also the only thing separating us from the Monster Mushroom that lives below. It is so bizarre, I never imagined that 'shrooms could grow upside down in the basement w/o light... I keep imagining the X-files episode where the fungus causes hallucinations and then eats people.
Hopefully that won't happen to us, well the second part at least. Measures that we are currently taking to combat the fungus population? A 45 liter dehumidifier to start. I'm too shocked to do much else. Oh geez, just as I conquered my fear of spiders a new phobia (mycophobia, cellar-phobia) emerges

Tanglewood Perfection
We have perfected the Tanglewood experience. More to come later! Enjoy these pix

We live in the country!

2006-07-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

Scott has given me a hard time for telling people that we live in the country, so I have compiled a list of things to convince him... and everyone else.

1.) Our town is in the so-called "last green valley" of the Boston to Washington corridor

(actually, Scott found this picture himself)

2.) our neighbors (down the street) have horses in their yard
3.) the closest movie theater is at least a 40 minute drive
4.) the closest Indian reservation is a 30 minute drive
5.) the majority of customers at Dunkin' Donuts are farmers
6.) we pull ticks off of Josie every night
7.) in the morning the air smells like sweet honey grasses and at night it smells like wood stoves
8.) the supermarket is across the street from a cow and llama farm
9.) one night at the supermarket shoppers (and employees) actually stopped what they were doing to go outside and watch a beautiful sunset (I was so amazed by this that I ended up watching them!)
10.) and my favorite... The RMV is housed in a tiny trailer with a 20 person capacity and a "bouncer" at the door!

medical news... sorta

2006-06-29T13:19:00.000-05:00

(click on the pictures to link to the article)

i can't wait to see this crazy stuff in the clinics.

Life saving Beagle dialed 911 during the owner's diabetic attack.
This cute woofer is "trained to detect potential diabetic attacks by licking and sniffing Mr Weaver's nose to check his blood sugar levels and pawing him."

I looooove Beagles! Scott and I dream of someday having a pack of trained beagles to do our bidding around the house. We've already "trained" Josie to "landscape". This is just further proof that Beagles are the smartest dogs ever, not to mention the cutest! :)

Mr Weaver says "i prefer doggie licks to needle sticks any day!"*

*Mr Weaver never said such thing

“Consider the daffodil. And while you're doing that, I'll be over here, looking through your stuff.”

2006-06-27T13:43:00.000-05:00

Some of Jack Handy's Deep Thoughts for this beautiful Tuesday. We finally finished planting bushes... it's amazing how a couple of flowering shrubs so effectively draw your eye away from the less impressive features of the house... such as rotting basement windows boarded up with styrofoam. Speaking of the art of illusion, mulch is awesome at covering up ugly things that you don't have money to get fixed right away.

i'm glad that we have our priorities straight.

anyhoo - with blissful indifference - here are pretty pics, before and after.

<=Before: Ewe... what you don't see is the bathtub that was abandoned in the yard.

After: from Alpha street=>

<= After: from the hill behind the house facing alpha street

"What is it about a beautiful sunny afternoon, with the birds singing and the wind rustling through the leaves, that makes you want to get drunk?" JH

2006-06-23T11:28:00.000-05:00

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provides rewards cards to sex workers, as long as they get regular medical care. Read about it here.Ironically many of them use their rewards to entertain clients, thereby furthering their careers. Hmmmm...maybe the points shouldn't go toward hotel discounts, ya think?

Here's an article that supports my theory that everyone-is-lonely-as-you-are-so-you-might-as-well-go-out-on-a-limb-
to-make-a-few-friends
It appears that this study only counts real, human friends, not virtual friends, internet friends, or animals. yeah, now you're feelin' it.

sad: supreme court split over the Clean Water Act.

happy: female bishop, it's about time.

Wednesday links

2006-06-21T11:21:00.000-05:00

We planted more bushes: a lilac (Syringa vulgaris), two more rhododendrons, and three Ruby Spice Summersweet bushes (clethra alnifolia). our formerly happy rhododendron looks kinda sickly now hmmm...

The peach tree is quite peachy! it is just tall enough for me to stand under while i select out the small fruit, dead buds, and things.

Sad news for urban schools where only HALF of students graduate

quotes from hitler or ann coulter? take this quiz.

2006-06-20T21:22:00.000-05:00

Whether you love Garrison Keillor or not, the passage from the slate article is still funny...

In 1985, when Time magazine called Keillor the funniest man in America, Bill Cosby reportedly said, "That's true if you're a pilgrim." A decade later, a cartoon version of Keillor forced Homer Simpson to assault his TV and shout, "Be more funny!"

Tix are still available here!

Also tomorrow is pee-on-earth day . we'll let josie celebrate this holiday for all of us.

... in an unrelated story we planted a rhododendron bush today, and it got plenty of water from the thunderstorm.

meet my house

2006-06-17T10:04:00.000-05:00

her name is Al.

This picture was taken in early spring, probably march '06 when we signed the purchase and sale agreement.

Does she look sad in the picture? she's had a rough couple of years.

Al is over 100 years old and she was constructed in an unknown location (with a brick foundation) and moved to where she sits now (on a stone foundation).

Most recently she was a two family apartment. Someone bought her, tried to renovate her, and failed miserably. Neighborhood rumors claim that they also tortured animals (rabbits, dogs), sold drugs, and dumped trash in the yard, erected a pool which promptly collapsed. Neighbors put up privacy fences. Not surprisingly Al was forclosed upon. At this time her exterior was two-toned (half yellow and half blue).

introduction

2006-06-15T09:46:00.000-05:00

i'm posting here in order to express my thoughts and feelings in general, and to record my experiences as i discover what it means to be an adult. (read quarter-life crisis). i'm slowly coming to terms with "settling down". well, maybe after the panic of new homeownership wears off.

i've come a long way from my first apartment... "rent payment is overdue? i was waiting for the bill"... and as i'm settling into my first home in a new state i'm wondering if the mortgage company will send us a bill for the first payment. hmm.

the housebuying situation was hilarious and painful, and as the house undergoes repairs and hopefully transformations i'll try to document it. i'm sure that it will be amusing whether you've had the pleasure of going through a similar situation or not.