Some days, well right now most days, I wish I was a clam. Or something of that nature. I don't know what it's like to be a clam, but they lack complex social relationships and emotions (at least in the human sense). NOFX says clams have feelings, too (actually they don't). Wisdom from pop culture.
On the other hand, you can probably guess that I recognize the wonder and beauty that comes with such a large neo-cortex and complex social relations, so I don't really want to be a clam...(?) But the power of our enlarged cerebral cortex comes with a price. A large one.
Suddenly I found myself as Erin the instructor, Erin the graduate student. Moving into a Brave New Phase. It's scary and exciting. It's full of promise, uncertainty, doubt, growth, and soul-searching. Once, everything was clear. And now, it's muddled again.
Complex social relations means complex emotions and situations. Hats off to natural selection! Thanks for this very large neo-cortex, but some days I feel the price is too high.
How 'bout those clams?
Paradigm shifts, transience, Texas, relational ecology, scissor-tailed flycatchers.
Do I miss the way it was? That depends. The way it was, and has always been, changing at a rapid pace.
I'm in the infancy of yet another phase; one (hopefully) set to begin next fall. The winds may have something else for me.
Will the nightmares and patchy sleep end when this is all resolved? Will it ever be resolved? Will the headaches cease? What more do I need?
Things are currently volatile, sometimes hostile. And hot.
Although, wouldn't you know, it rained today. Poured. Thunder roared and lightening flashed. The limestone kept the water on the roads. I left the umbrella at home and walked in the rain.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
I'm sorry
My intention was never to hurt anyone. If I have caused any sort of hurt, I am truly sorry. I may not get a chance to tell you and you may never see this. But at any rate, for whatever it's worth, I really am sorry.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The life with rats- week 2 for the babes
I finally held the rat babies for the first time yesterday! Phoebe has been extremely protective of her offspring. When I returned all five to the nest, Phoebe jumped out of her tunnel and bit me twice in the pinkie. That makes 7 bites since she has given birth. I finally dug out my hide gloves to handle Phoebe but she didn't try to bite at all. I put her in with the other girls which she seemed to enjoy. I suppose moms of any species need a break. I am still amazed at how small Phoebe is; she is, after all, just 10 weeks old.
I was able to sex the babies this evening while Phoebe was enjoying time with non-infant rats. I'm 90% certain that there are 2 boys and 3 girls. This was just the ratio that I was hoping for! The girls all live together while the two boys will be in their own cage in a separate room. Blake talked me into keeping the boys and I assigned him the task of naming the pair. I am eager and a little nervous to learn his choice. Brainstorming for the girls' names has begun. What an exciting surprise the Universe has bestowed upon me!
The babies haven't open their eyes yet, but they have whiskers and peach fuzz covering their tiny bodies. Their ears are beginning to perk up and I expect them to be fully furred in a few days (day 12 of development). They should also open their eyes around the same time. The cuteness nearly chokes me. I really can't think of a better "gift" (if you will); this has been exciting and joyous. And there is more ahead!
The babies on day 6. The one with the black head is a boy. I'm excited to see what the other four look like; they will be blonde or white!
What an adventure.
I was able to sex the babies this evening while Phoebe was enjoying time with non-infant rats. I'm 90% certain that there are 2 boys and 3 girls. This was just the ratio that I was hoping for! The girls all live together while the two boys will be in their own cage in a separate room. Blake talked me into keeping the boys and I assigned him the task of naming the pair. I am eager and a little nervous to learn his choice. Brainstorming for the girls' names has begun. What an exciting surprise the Universe has bestowed upon me!
The babies haven't open their eyes yet, but they have whiskers and peach fuzz covering their tiny bodies. Their ears are beginning to perk up and I expect them to be fully furred in a few days (day 12 of development). They should also open their eyes around the same time. The cuteness nearly chokes me. I really can't think of a better "gift" (if you will); this has been exciting and joyous. And there is more ahead!
What an adventure.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Lessons from Life with Rats- The Surprise
As many people know, I have kept pet rats since November of 2007 when I got Maxine followed by Moo Moo. I added Matilda and Marley to the bunch following Moo Moo's death in December 2009. Maxine died in May 2010. I took Matilda and Marley to Texas last summer. The two of them are enjoying a life of bliss, now approaching 2 years old. I recently found out that Marley has a small uterine tumor and endometriosis. It's a bummer, but rats just don't live too long. Two or three years is all they get, even less in the wild. Dealing with their deaths is difficult; there are, after all, like any other pet. However, even the short time is worth spending with our sharp incisor-ed mammalian (and fellow Euarchontoglires) kin.
I adopted all of the rats as juveniles; 7-10 weeks of age. I watched them grow from rambunctious juveniles to adults to senior rats. They are frisky and squirmy as youngsters but as they get older they are more likely to sleep in your lap. They enjoy being pet behind the ears and stroked on the head and neck. You can teach them their names and simple tricks.
Under two weeks ago, I added two more rats to my family. I brought Io and Phoebe home to Matilda and Marley. The two new girls were only around 8 weeks of age. Both were skittish at first, but Io is comfortable with me and her new environment. Phoebe, on the other hand, is still unsure of me. Over the last week, Phoebe constructed a gigantic nest with all of the material from Marley's nest plus nearly a quarter of the bedding in the cage. When the little girls first came, Phoebe would sleep with Io and the other girls. Over the past few days, she started sleeping alone in her massive nest. The nest covered the small hut on the upper level. I really thought nothing of it; all of my rats in the past have been nest-builders. My girls love shredding newspaper and cloth to make comfy nests.
A few days ago, I noticed that Phoebe looked really bloated. I asked Blake if she looked bloated. I thought, "hmmm, I didn't think she was a fat rat but I have had chunky rats (Moo and Marley)." Yesterday, Phoebe bit me (twice!) when I was trying to find and her and bring her out of the nest. This afternoon while I was petting Marley, I heard squeaking. A light bulb suddenly turned on in my head.
It all makes sense. Rat babies! Phoebe, 10 weeks old, gave birth to 5 pups. Rats are prolific breeders; they live the "Jimmy Dean" lifestyle. Live (breed) fast and die young. That's they way the evolutionary cookie crumbles.
Luckily, Phoebe had a small litter (rats can have up to 13 pups, and average 8-9), Io is not pregnant and I have only female rats.
"Oh my gosh! What are you going to do with them, Erin??!!" my mom said to me over the phone.
"I'll probably keep them, mom. Or maybe I'll give away the males when they are weaned." I replied.
What a Sunday surprise! I am excited to watch rats grow up from birth. The life with rats continues with an exciting new twist.
I adopted all of the rats as juveniles; 7-10 weeks of age. I watched them grow from rambunctious juveniles to adults to senior rats. They are frisky and squirmy as youngsters but as they get older they are more likely to sleep in your lap. They enjoy being pet behind the ears and stroked on the head and neck. You can teach them their names and simple tricks.
Under two weeks ago, I added two more rats to my family. I brought Io and Phoebe home to Matilda and Marley. The two new girls were only around 8 weeks of age. Both were skittish at first, but Io is comfortable with me and her new environment. Phoebe, on the other hand, is still unsure of me. Over the last week, Phoebe constructed a gigantic nest with all of the material from Marley's nest plus nearly a quarter of the bedding in the cage. When the little girls first came, Phoebe would sleep with Io and the other girls. Over the past few days, she started sleeping alone in her massive nest. The nest covered the small hut on the upper level. I really thought nothing of it; all of my rats in the past have been nest-builders. My girls love shredding newspaper and cloth to make comfy nests.
A few days ago, I noticed that Phoebe looked really bloated. I asked Blake if she looked bloated. I thought, "hmmm, I didn't think she was a fat rat but I have had chunky rats (Moo and Marley)." Yesterday, Phoebe bit me (twice!) when I was trying to find and her and bring her out of the nest. This afternoon while I was petting Marley, I heard squeaking. A light bulb suddenly turned on in my head.
It all makes sense. Rat babies! Phoebe, 10 weeks old, gave birth to 5 pups. Rats are prolific breeders; they live the "Jimmy Dean" lifestyle. Live (breed) fast and die young. That's they way the evolutionary cookie crumbles.
Luckily, Phoebe had a small litter (rats can have up to 13 pups, and average 8-9), Io is not pregnant and I have only female rats.
"Oh my gosh! What are you going to do with them, Erin??!!" my mom said to me over the phone.
"I'll probably keep them, mom. Or maybe I'll give away the males when they are weaned." I replied.
What a Sunday surprise! I am excited to watch rats grow up from birth. The life with rats continues with an exciting new twist.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Don't need no credit card to ride this train
August 1st! Where does the time go?
On this day in 2007, the I35 bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River during rush hour. Hey Congress, let's invest in infrastructure!
Well Congress has reached a deal on our "debt crisis", but no matter who "won", America is the real loser. Check out any news outlet, except for "fixed noise" (aka Fox News), and you'll see what I mean. However, I stumbled upon this gem today. Give it a read. It was just what the doctor ordered.
My mom called me tonight to tell me that an old canine's life was over. This faithful friend was my aunt and uncle's dog. She was around 16 or 17. Molly, as we called her, had a good life. She spent copious amounts of time chasing after small rodents and patrolling the yard. She had a plethora of belly rubs and table treats. It's never easy to lose pets; I understand how much they mean, how great of friends they are. But, at least we had the joy of the time that they were alive, however brief it was. As Alec Baldwin, guest starring on "Friends", said about a dog long gone, "Bow wow, old friend, bow wow."
Speaking of our furry companions, the rats are visiting the vet tomorrow for respiratory infections (an easy fix) so once the rats are all better, I am going to get more rats! Probably just 2. But maybe 3. It will be great fun!
The Netflix movie viewing continues during my breaks from collecting data and playing around with Breeding Bird Survey data (google it if you want an explanation). I have been watching horror movies for the last week. I saw some good ones, including Let the Right One In, Dance of the Dead, and Warlock. The English remake of the first movie, Let Me In, is also worth watching if you don't like subtitles (original is in Swedish). Warlock is an 80's flick and a little campy but it is one of the better films to come out of the late 80's. I also watched Altered and Trick r Treat. Altered didn't really do anything for me and Trick r Treat was decent, but there sure was a lot of child-killing in the latter. And by that I mean children being killed, and a little bit of children killing other people (but mostly the former).
Blake and I caught a matinee showing of Cowboys and Aliens yesterday. It was a fun summer action flick. I thought it was worth the $5.50 I paid.
A sleep study awaits me tomorrow evening. Sleeping attached to electrodes will be a first for me.
On this day in 2007, the I35 bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River during rush hour. Hey Congress, let's invest in infrastructure!
Well Congress has reached a deal on our "debt crisis", but no matter who "won", America is the real loser. Check out any news outlet, except for "fixed noise" (aka Fox News), and you'll see what I mean. However, I stumbled upon this gem today. Give it a read. It was just what the doctor ordered.
My mom called me tonight to tell me that an old canine's life was over. This faithful friend was my aunt and uncle's dog. She was around 16 or 17. Molly, as we called her, had a good life. She spent copious amounts of time chasing after small rodents and patrolling the yard. She had a plethora of belly rubs and table treats. It's never easy to lose pets; I understand how much they mean, how great of friends they are. But, at least we had the joy of the time that they were alive, however brief it was. As Alec Baldwin, guest starring on "Friends", said about a dog long gone, "Bow wow, old friend, bow wow."
Speaking of our furry companions, the rats are visiting the vet tomorrow for respiratory infections (an easy fix) so once the rats are all better, I am going to get more rats! Probably just 2. But maybe 3. It will be great fun!
The Netflix movie viewing continues during my breaks from collecting data and playing around with Breeding Bird Survey data (google it if you want an explanation). I have been watching horror movies for the last week. I saw some good ones, including Let the Right One In, Dance of the Dead, and Warlock. The English remake of the first movie, Let Me In, is also worth watching if you don't like subtitles (original is in Swedish). Warlock is an 80's flick and a little campy but it is one of the better films to come out of the late 80's. I also watched Altered and Trick r Treat. Altered didn't really do anything for me and Trick r Treat was decent, but there sure was a lot of child-killing in the latter. And by that I mean children being killed, and a little bit of children killing other people (but mostly the former).
Blake and I caught a matinee showing of Cowboys and Aliens yesterday. It was a fun summer action flick. I thought it was worth the $5.50 I paid.
A sleep study awaits me tomorrow evening. Sleeping attached to electrodes will be a first for me.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Current Events and other Happenings
"If English was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for us."
This quote was revived in a recent article, as well as a friend's facebook status, and since it came from a gem in the long line of great TX governors (that includes Good Hair or as I like to call him "ass-clown"), I deemed it appropriate to start this post.
The tragedy in Norway is unbelievable. A terrorist attack in Norway?!?!? By a Norwegian? What is the world coming to? My thoughts go out to the families of the victims and the citizens of Norway.
The other big story of the summer is the debt ceiling showdown. I don't think I can even go into this because it enrages me. So I'll just point you to some great pieces that sum up my feelings, here, here, here, and here. If I hear the right say, "We can't tax the job creators!!", one more time...
But hey, if the multi-millionaires (billionaires) of the NFL can make a deal, so can our leaders!! Right? Right?
...crickets...
But hey, if the multi-millionaires (billionaires) of the NFL can make a deal, so can our leaders!! Right? Right?
...crickets...
My summer has been good, full of swimming, birds, data, writing, reading, and movies. The cats STILL haven't cleaned the apartment while I'm away, but I read an article recently that light house cleaning apparently decreasing the risk of breast cancer, so at least there is a bright side! Thank the Universe for technology because Netflix streaming is one of the best things ever, even though those bastards are changing the plans and raising the prices. I watched "Being John Malkovich" for the first time. It was weird but I enjoyed it.
Pandora Internet Radio has become a favorite of mine lately. I was jammin out to 80's pop radio on Pandora when "Hungry eyes" came on, which reminds me that I made Blake watch Dirty Dancing about a month ago. It was one of my favorite movies when I was growing up. And it stars Patrick Swayze. But Blake made fun of it and predicted the ending while telling me that every cartoon he watches has made fun of it. Sigh. Well at least I get some payback for seeing Alien vs. Predator 2 in theaters. Speaking of movies, I decided to watch "Unborn in America" the other day, a look at the religious right and their fight to end abortions. I should have known from the start that this was a bad idea (if you didn't already notice, yours truly is an atheist liberal aka Rush L.'s nightmare), but I went forth anyway.
UGHHHHHH!!!!!!! and AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
accurately describe my reaction.
I turned it off half way through. I just couldn't finish it. Most of the speakers shown (they interviewed 2 women), including the founders of the group in focus, are men. What's the probability of a man getting pregnant this year? Zero. If it is impossible for men to get pregnant, then why are the even leading the conversation? And the wonderful male governors of states such as TX, FL, OH (just to name a few) have signed into law policies that are surely to increase the number of unwanted pregnancies (and therefore abortions).
The religious zealots seem to have a large influence on today's Republican leaders (and policies at the local, state, and federal level- Intelligent Design anyone?). They seem to be taking us backwards in time. I thought we were living in the 21st century. I could rant on and on about this issue, but I'll just to direct you to a wonderful article on Alternet that sums it all up.
Ok, enough of the "controversial issues". My adventures of the VS swim suit continue. What can I say? If you got it, flaunt it! Right?
Monday, July 18, 2011
I'm baaaaaaaack!
Hello again.
I have abandoned this blog for the last six months. What can I say? It's been a busy six months. I have officially completed a year of my master's program and out collecting data. Much has happened since the last time I wrote, but I won't go in to great detail here. The highlights of the last six months have been my 5 year anniversary with Blake, a trip to the coast, and a trip to Sequoia National Park in California. I saw bears, a western rattlesnake, waterfalls, HUGE trees, and lots of birds including the mountain chickadee.
I also celebrated my 24th birthday with a wonderful party complete with a cake and good company. My birthday present from Blake was a Victoria's Secret swimsuit (I chose the present!!). And if you are reading this blog (and can use the internet) then no doubt you are aware of the VS product line. And you can also imagine that VS swimsuits are sexy. I chose this as a gift because the suits are by bra size and the top was sure to fit! Anyway, those of you who have seen me in person are aware of my (relatively) large breasts. So add my slightly good looking face to the VS suit and guess what happens?? The not-so-discrete stares and chatter start.
"Dude, look over there!" Conspicuous head turn.
I decided to go to the river this afternoon for a swim, just to get out of my apartment. I jumped in the water and I was swimming around when I caught the stares of two young men standing just upstream.
"Dude, look at that chick!" Friend turns around. I laughed and swam underwater.
"The power of boobs over men never ceases to amaze me," I thought to myself as I continued to swim around.
When I got out of the water, the two aforementioned friends were still staring at me when I said, "Hello, how are you?"
The friends were surprised but then invited me over for a beer. I thought "why not?" and accepted. We chatted for about 20 minutes. They told me I was hot; I laughed and told them that I'm glad they enjoyed my swim suit. One of the friends then asked me, "Did you expect guys not to stare?"
The people at VS totally know what they are doing. Reminds me of a scence from a classic from my childhood, The Sandlot.
"Oh man. Too cool."
"She don't know what she's doing."
"Yea, she don't know what she's doing."
"Yea she does, she knows exactly what she's doing."
I have abandoned this blog for the last six months. What can I say? It's been a busy six months. I have officially completed a year of my master's program and out collecting data. Much has happened since the last time I wrote, but I won't go in to great detail here. The highlights of the last six months have been my 5 year anniversary with Blake, a trip to the coast, and a trip to Sequoia National Park in California. I saw bears, a western rattlesnake, waterfalls, HUGE trees, and lots of birds including the mountain chickadee.
I also celebrated my 24th birthday with a wonderful party complete with a cake and good company. My birthday present from Blake was a Victoria's Secret swimsuit (I chose the present!!). And if you are reading this blog (and can use the internet) then no doubt you are aware of the VS product line. And you can also imagine that VS swimsuits are sexy. I chose this as a gift because the suits are by bra size and the top was sure to fit! Anyway, those of you who have seen me in person are aware of my (relatively) large breasts. So add my slightly good looking face to the VS suit and guess what happens?? The not-so-discrete stares and chatter start.
"Dude, look over there!" Conspicuous head turn.
I decided to go to the river this afternoon for a swim, just to get out of my apartment. I jumped in the water and I was swimming around when I caught the stares of two young men standing just upstream.
"Dude, look at that chick!" Friend turns around. I laughed and swam underwater.
"The power of boobs over men never ceases to amaze me," I thought to myself as I continued to swim around.
When I got out of the water, the two aforementioned friends were still staring at me when I said, "Hello, how are you?"
The friends were surprised but then invited me over for a beer. I thought "why not?" and accepted. We chatted for about 20 minutes. They told me I was hot; I laughed and told them that I'm glad they enjoyed my swim suit. One of the friends then asked me, "Did you expect guys not to stare?"
The people at VS totally know what they are doing. Reminds me of a scence from a classic from my childhood, The Sandlot.
"Oh man. Too cool."
"She don't know what she's doing."
"Yea, she don't know what she's doing."
"Yea she does, she knows exactly what she's doing."
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