Seems I needed to post my intermission music again and forgot, where does all the time go? My parents always told me that the older you get the faster time flies and if that’s not the God’s honest truth I don’t know what is! I’d swear just yesterday I was 26 so how the hell did I suddenly turn 40?

But anyway, that’s not actually the point of today’s post. It’s winter and it’s cold. The days are short and I suffer from SAD. It has been gloomy and raining for what seems like weeks and this leaves me in a somewhat miserable state. I’ve got my SAD light therapy lamp fired up but it’s no match for me.

Then, like a ray of sunlight in a damp, dark cave, bluberd comes over for an Olde Fashioned Attic Party and the winter depression is lifted. Whoever invented the SAD lights should look into attic parties, they work faster and are much cheaper.

(photo posted without permission from bluberd)

You can’t tell from the photo but we actually drank responsibly (for us) and got to bed before the sun came up. We were fine the next morning and were able to follow our plans for breakfast and a photo shootin’ hike in the woods.

Aside from the minor mishap of me falling on the rocks as we were crossing the Wissahickon it went well. It was a warm day with some sun too so it was like I hit the jackpot this weekend.

Side story:

While in the woods, Josie, our big dog, found some dead pile of animal to roll in so I’ve been trying to get the stench out of her harness and collar. This means while I’m de-stinking it, we have to hook her backup leash to her old collar. This isn’t usually a big deal but today my heart almost stopped when I was out walking her. We’re in the home stretch about 100 yards from the house when she spots the mailman. I try to quickly hustle her home but she puts on the dog brakes, slips out of the collar and hauls ass right for him. I had a bag of poop in one hand and a Chihuahua on a string in the other, in a split second I yell “HEY - MAILMAN!!!! - my dog got loose and is heading for you - SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!”

I flung the poop bag off who knows where, scooped up the Pig and ran after Josie. I got there just in time to see her puffed up like a razorback, snarling and frothing at his feet, and then he quickly pepper sprayed her, stopping her in less than a second. I was apologizing like there was no tomorrow and he was apologizing the same for having sprayed her. I told him I was very grateful he did, better that than any number of really ugly scenarios that could have happened. Good thing he heard me yell to him so he could prepare because he was behind a truck walking the other way and would have had no idea that Cujo was approaching.

Note to self: Buy backup harness for Josie.

My friend Lisa stopped by today after I told her about Sparky and she convinced me that she could untangle him from the wires and get him down without incident. I made sure to take some photos to appease Belchspeak’s morbid curiosity.

His arms were tightly wrapped around the wires and it took awhile before he finally released. I shrieked like a little girl as it fell to the ground with a dull thud, for some reason I don’t have the stomach for things like this, wimp.

I do think Belchspeak’s comment about potentially exposed electrical wires is a good one that we should follow up on.

Although he barely has the use of one of his front legs now, Motor Boy insists on going out in the yard every day and he moves from spot to spot as the sun makes it’s way across the yard.

He sits outside all day long and purrs as the breeze blows through his fur. I made sure to get the bubbler working in the “pond” for him today so he doesn’t have to sit next to a stagnant puddle of mud. I think it is relaxing for him.

At least someone around here has no problem sleeping.

Here’s my first feeble effort at this month’s self-portrait challenge of street photography, capturing “yourself somehow, somewhere on the street.”

This is a difficult challenge for me as I am a recluse and not one prone to drawing attention to themselves publicly (unless I’ve been drinking or have someone there I’m trying to entertain, then all the rules change).

So I’m having a totally crap day, everything is working against me and I’ve been told my dearest, sweet, boy cat is not long for this life. Every time I look at his loving face I burst into tears, so I just wanted to go outside and take a stinking photo of myself that didn’t suck scissors but my remote wouldn’t cooperate with me and the neighbor girl who I cannot stand kept running outside to bother me, the whole time my dogs were barking their faces off inside the house.  I just wanted to put my head under the car wheel and release the emergency brake.

This breaks my heart.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A commercial fishing boat hauled in what may have been one of the oldest creatures in Alaska — a giant rockfish estimated to be about a century old.

The 44-inch, 60-pound female shortraker rockfish was caught last month by the catcher-processor Kodiak Enterprise as it trawled for pollock 2,100 feet below the surface, south of the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea. 

NOAA rep. holds a 38-inch ruler
over the giant shortraker rockfish.

They estimate the rockfish was 90 to 115 years old.

Well all I can say is thank God they killed it! You sure wouldn’t want something that managed to live for an entire century to keep on living. Some estimates say it could have lived to be 157, and that just can’t be allowed to happen.

I say lets round up all the rare centenarians we can find and snuff them all out so we can dissect them to see what they ate for lunch too. After all, they’ve lived long enough, there’s nothing left for them to do.

This is my front window. I used to clean it daily but realized that my efforts were futile, I’m down to a couple times a week now. Within an hour of cleaning off the nose smears the dogs have once again turned the glass into an abstract expressionist painting.

The neighbors probably think we’re slobs, such is life.

I wasn’t really into working today and it was so nice outside that I threw caution to the wind and asked the associate if she would want to come home early so we could all go for a hike in the woods. Much to my surprise, she said yes. “Yeah!” said the puppies as they danced around the living room.

We are very lucky because although we live on the outskirts of the city we are also about two feet away from Fairmount Park, one of the largest city parks in the country (according to them). So we all piled in the car and drove to one of our favorite sections of the woods, smearing our noses on the car windows in eager anticipation. 

The critters wasted no time jumping into the stream, well Piglet was a little more cautious here in “the rapids.”

It was close to sunset and the woods were very quiet. I found it very odd that on such a perfect day, there were virtually no other people out hiking.

Piglet and Josie sniffed, pooped and peed on everything. They ran and jumped and frolicked like they were just set free from prison. Occasionally they’d stop for a treat.

I was busy most of the time taking photos so I often got left far behind. This doesn’t usually sit well with the pack. If I’m not too far behind, Josie usually will stop and wait for me, keeping an eye on me the whole time until I catch up. If I’ve gone out of eyesight, Piglet leads the pack in a mad dash through the woods to try and locate my position. There’s nothing better than seeing him come running over a hill followed by the rest of the gang coming to claim their lost sheep. It really makes a person feel loved.

They really wore themselves out and a great time was had by all.

ALL RESCUES IN AND SURROUNDING OHIO….
BEWARE OF MAUREEN MCLAUGHLIN!

This woman pretends to be a rescue. She collects small animals from unsuspecting people looking to place their animal with a rescue and possibly from breeders. She places the animal in a small crate and submerges it in a barrel of water….she drowns the animals. She has stated to the Humane Society that she has killed approximately 650 animals this way. According to local news station, WBNS Columbus’ Channel 10, she is now on the run. She may be “working” for rescues, shelters, or even a vet office.

BEWARE!  You can see her picture, read the news story, and watch the news video at:
http://www.10tv.com/?sec=news&story=sites/10tv/content/pool/200703/1765432341.html

Normally I’ll do anything to avoid working but I was actually trying make a couple dollars today. As luck would have it, my associate decided to come home early and the whole gang piled into my office. I couldn’t be rude of course, so I put that boring work aside and enjoyed my latte while watching the puppers who get so excited when mama comes home.

I could just squish that little dog and gobble him right up.

Then those jerks deserted me and they all took a nap. Back to work I went, how thrilling.