Somcak's Journey

#28 - RuPaul's Drag Race

2009-03-28T15:52:00.002-04:00

Note to info tech class readers: This is my last post here, but not to worry, just point your browser to my original blog at http://somcak.wordpress.com/, and you'll get more of my fabulous life and other random postings! I post about 2-5 times a week, so there's plenty more to enjoy!

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I found a great new show, RuPaul's Drag Race (the first season just ended) and I loves it! Now y'all see why I don't own a TV? I stayed up until 3 am watching this show on Wednesday night. It's Project Runway meets America's Next Top Model with drag queens. There's less drama than I expected, and these girls are fierce! The best episode was Episode 6 - Absolute Drag Ball which featured a very special guest CHARO!!! I loves me some Charo!

My favorite contestant was Ongina - she's awesome! I'm so glad she won the Mac Viva Glam challenge - her's was the only one I liked, and that's even before my bias for her.

The show is definitely worth checking out, if only to spend some time to see what it takes for a man to be a woman!

#27 - BSG Season 4, Episode 20

2009-03-26T15:51:00.000-04:00

Spoilers!

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Can I just say that I didn't like the way it ended, but I'm happy that it ended without a way to resurect the series?

Didn't like:

Starbuck's ending
Apollo and Starbuck not together
Starbuck an angel? really? no!!!
Cavil offing himself

Liked:

Battle scenes (yes!!)
The playing out of the opera house - fabulous!!
Roslyn dying (needed to be done)
Tory being killed (she deserved it)

So there it is. I've rewatched it twice, and it does get better with each watching, but I'm still not satisfied. I'll be watching the whole series from the beginning starting next week; it is worth watching over again simply because the acting and costuming is that great.

#26 - Friday Cat Fun

2009-03-20T13:10:00.002-04:00

How do I spend my Saturday evenings? Like this:

First, the cats are getting warm, next to the radiator in the bathroom.

Then, it's dinner time.

Then, Figo goes to his pillow next to the radiator in the living room.

And Lily gets snuggly in the box of batting.

And what am I doing? I'm on the computer, of course!

#25 - BSG Season 4, Episode 19

2009-03-18T12:56:00.002-04:00

What!?!?! Really, you're gonna end the show like this!?!!??! Spoilers Ahead!!

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It starts with flashbacks to New Caprica before the invasion. Guess they're giving us a taste of the new series! Roslin looses her family in a car accident; Baltar snubs his dad. Starbuck is living with Zach, and Lee goes over there for dinner.

Back to "now" and Hera is crying for Boomer. Really? Is Boomer gonna change because of Hera? No.

Baltar asks Lee for a position for his people on the Quorum. Baltar says the most profound and self-introspective thing yet. In response to Lee's question of what truly selfless acts Baltar has ever performed (name just one!) Baltar says, "I wouldn't trust me either." Baltar doesn't get a seat at the table.

Meanwhile, BSG is being stripped for parts, as she can no longer function as a ship. The flag is being transferred to the Baystar. Adama and Starbuck talk to Anders (who they plug in) and decide that BSG can make one last mission: to rescue Hera. Really? I mean, it wasn't that important last week, now this week it's the final mission for BSG? I'm not buying it. Adama calls for volunteers (how this is done is awesome - the viewer sees the gossip moving round the ship!) and there are lots of folks willing to risktheir lives to save Hera. Really? Cause you've got Starbuck, who I'm convinced is half Cylon too.

Overall, I'm disappointed with the last few episodes. This is not how I wanted BSG to end. A fantastic fight scene, or some great character introspection, or.... But not this! Boo!!!!!

Next week is the last episode, I hope beyond hope, that there's at least one good battle scene, that could redeem (a bit) the ending of the show.

#24 - New Orleans Trip - Monday, March 9, 2009, and Tuesday, March 10, 2009

2009-03-14T17:33:00.001-04:00

(HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!)

On Monday, we got to "sleep in" until 7:30! We went to the Louisiana Children's Museum to help with school groups. B, E, and I worked in the "grocery store" helping the children locate items that started with "M" and to "checkout" using those items. It was, um, eventful. So eventful in fact, that at lunch I had a scotch and soda. Yeah. We had lunch at Leonardo Tattoria in the warehouse district. I had a pizza with pesto, shrimp, and pistachios - it was awesome!

: French Quarter Fun

We walked over to the New Orleans Public Library, but the person were were to meet there to volunteer didn't show, so we went walking around the French Quarter and went to Cafe du Monde for beignets.

: Yummy Beignets

We went back to the hotel for a much needed nap. B wasn't feeling well, so us gals went to Landry's for dinner. I had the 20 shrimp platter - 20 shrimp served 4 ways (fried, scampi, roumelade, and lemon pepper). I'm pretty shrimped out! We went to Harrah's, then called it a night. At Landry's E was excited to see a vacuum backpack in use. So excited, she grabbed my camera and took a picture!

Tuesday, we really slept in (I slept until 10!) then we walked around the warehouse district and ate at Sugar House Restaurant, where I had a shrimp Po-Boy. B and R headed back to the hotel to rest, while E and I walked around Canal Street to pick up some snacks for the plane (Zapp's and Pralines) and then we went to Community Coffee where I picked up some chicory to mix with my coffee.

We went to the airport and flew home. It was a great trip - we did a lot of volunteer work and saw a lot of the city. Most of the city has recovered from Katrina, but there are still areas where there are condemned houses standing, waiting for someone to care enought to rebuild.

Parting Shot: a light post in Uptown NOLA.

#23 - New Orleans Trip - Sunday, March 8, 2009

2009-03-13T17:31:00.000-04:00

Saturday we woke up early and took the streetcar to the bus to go to Animal Rescue New Orleans. R and I cleaned cat cages and played with the cats, while B and E cleaned dog cages and walked dogs. I fell in love with 2 cats -Valentina and Minnie. I wanted to take them home. I would love to do more volunteer work at an animal shelter, but I don't think my heart can take it.

: Lovely Valentina

: Lovely Minnie, she was a cuddler!

We took the bus back to the streetcar and went to Cooter Brown's for lunch. I had the shrimp Po-Boy and fries - it was as good as I remembered! We walked around uptown, and then went to Green Light New Orleans where we scheduled appointments for people to have their light bulbs replaced with compact florescent light bulbs. We even rode bike's to one person's house to change light bulbs. It was quite fun!

: Changing Light Bulbs

We went back to the hotel, then went back to uptown to eat at Camilla Grill. We started walking back, instead of waiting for the streetcar. We made our own "art performance" of the street car, complete with sounds and door openings! Yes, we were all sober! We caught the streetcar back and played another 3 rounds of Catch Phrase - B and I won one round, R and E won two rounds.

Check back tomorrow for what we did on Monday and Tuesday!

#22 - New Orleans Trip - Friday, March 6, 2009, and Saturday, March 7, 2009

2009-03-12T16:44:00.001-04:00

Friday afternoon, we flew out of Pittsburgh and arrived in New Orleans in the early evening. After checking in, E (my roommate for the weekend) and I walked to Coop's Place in the French Quarter. We started with fried shrimp (E's first taste of shrimp!) and Abita (Purple Haze for me, Turbo Dog for E). I ordered the Seafood Gumbo - spicy goodness in a bowl! - and E had the hamburger.

Then we walked over to Bourbon Street, Daiquiri's in hand! We met up with R and B at Pat O's. R had an strawberry daiquiri, I had a sky lab, and E had her first hurricane.

Then we headed back to the hotel - we had an early morning on Saturday.

Saturday, we got up, had breakfast at the hotel, and headed out to City Park, where we mulched the trail in the oak grove.

then we had lunch at Cafe Navarre (I had a turkey panini), then we hung out at Lake Pontchartrain for a while. then we headed to the West Bank Family Literacy Center where we toured the center, then planted a flower garden.

We were sweaty and tired, so we headed back to the hotel to shower. We walked to Rotolo's in the French Quarter to have dinner. We made it an early night, and went back to the hotel to play catchphrase. B and I beat R and E in both rounds!

Check back tomorrow for what we did on Sunday!

#21 - BSG Season 4, Episode 18

2009-03-11T16:43:00.000-04:00

Only 2 episodes left!! Spoilers Ahead!!!

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Overall, I was again unimpressed by this episode. Why oh why does it have to end this way?

BSG (the ship) is falling apart; Adama decides to end it, and part it out. The new flagship? Rumors on the show say it will be the Baystar.

Roslin, Caprica Six, and Athena are all dreaming the dram of the opera house again. We see that Hera finally makes it to the colony (where the "bad" Cylons are staying, it's where the Cylons retired to at the end of the first Cylon war).

Starbuck goes to Baltar and wants him to figure out what she is (she found herself dead on earth, remember?). So Baltar finds out she's an "angel" - that's right, it was her dead on earth, and she's still alive; therefore, in his scientific wisdom, he says she's an angel. And Baltar outs her at the funeral service!!

Meanwhile, Anders has been hooked up like a hybrid to BSG, trying to revive him. Starbuck goes to talk to him, she's going to shoot him, when he comes online and he grabs her arm and says "you are the harbinger of death Kara Thrace." Nice. The rebel Cylons pull Anders offline, but at the end Starbuck puts Anders back online to decode the meaning of the music that Hera had written for her.

Not much of cliffhanger, and not a lot of action. Lots of storytelling and secrets exposed, but not much in the way of actual information needed to end the series. Very disappointing. I hope that the last 2 episodes pull it out and make the ending a great one.

#20 - Pittsburghese

2009-03-03T17:41:00.001-05:00

So I'm writing this blog post in picksburgese n'at. Sometimes, arahnd here we can hear our neighbors sounding like iss n'at. Not alls ovum mind you, jest some ovum n'at. Some words I've learned are:

nebby (or neb nose ) = nosy
red up = get ready
slippy = slippery
n'at = etcetera
Jagerbush = brier patch
gumband = rubber band

Here's a great picksburgese translator n'at. It works great, and translates most words n'at. In fact, I used it to translate this post. And yinz can looky up alls yinzes picksburgese vocabulary here. They even have an audio quiz yinz can take, though I'm a bit scared to try that.

#19 - BSG Season 4, Episode 17

2009-02-28T17:40:00.000-05:00

Spoilers Ahead -

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Starbuck!! She's 1/2 Cylon!!! I think sp anyway. Okay, remember back to how the "7th Cylon Ellen created" (Daniel) was artistic. Well, there's a piano player in the bar, or is there? My guess, it's Starbuck's dad (Drielde) who left her and her mom. The song she was taught by him is "the Cylon song" that activated the final/first 5.

And Chief was again blinded by Boomer's love, or her using him. And she kidnapped Hera, which has Chief freaked out that he helped her.

And Anders' brain activity is all over the board. Starbuck's back at his side, showing her love for him.

It was a really slow episode, but the twist at the end (Hera writing the song that Starbuck remembers) made it worth watching and the show redeemed itself from last week. 3 episodes left - and I'll be out of town for next week's episode - I'll have to wait until the followind Wednesday to see it!

#18 - BSG Season 4 Episode 16

2009-02-24T17:51:00.000-05:00

Spoilers ahead!!

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So, just as promised, Ellen is back with the fleet. No sooner does she get alone with Tigh then she beds him. Only after that is when she finds out Caprica Six is preggers with Tigh's baby!! Ellen was pissed!! So pissed in fact, that she decides to sabotage the birth, and she does; Caprica Six's baby died.

Before that though, the final/first 5 were deciding whether to create a "Cylon family" - escape from the humans. Ellen is the deciding vote - Chief and Tory want to go, Anders had expressed his wish to stay, and Tigh wants to stay. Tigh says that pure Cylon or pure human doesn't work - we've tried it and fraked it up.

Meanwhile, Baltar is back with his harem, and tries to do the brotherly thing and distribute food to the poor, only to have the food stolen. He convinces Adama to give his gals some guns. A bit of foreshadowing I'm sure, is that the one gal who was opposed to sharing the food, looks at her gun then him.

At the end, we see that the Cylons who have died since joining the fleet have been memorialized on the lost souls walls. It was touching to see them acting as humans; I think even President Roslin is warming up to them. And Anders seems to start having brain activity again; that should be a nice plot twist for the next episode!

This episode was one of the worst of the season; it's one that I won't be rewatching. It was very Soap Opera-like, and just a touch boring. Hopefully the action willl pick up again next week.

#17 - 1000 Books

2009-02-21T17:12:00.000-05:00

The Guardian UK posted a list a while back of 1000 novels everyone should read. I took a look at it and realized I had read a lot of them! I've read 167 of them in fact. Not surprisingly, I've read 27 from the crime list, and 29 from the war and travel list. Surprisingly, I've read 28 from the sci-fi and fantasy list! I don't' consider myself a sci-fi fan, but damn, it's looking like that's the sense of things!

By category, here's how many I've read:

Comedy - 10
Crime - 27
Family and Self - 24
Love - 28
Sci-fi and Fantasy - 28
State of the Nation - 21
War and Travel - 29

Here's the list. How many have you read?

#16 - Oh Dear, I'm Going to NOLA

2009-02-20T17:43:00.000-05:00

That's right!! I got hooked up on a trip to New Orleans for Spring Break. Four days in the Crescent City volunteering for litercy. Of course, there will be time off as well.

The first night, I already know I'm gonna eat at Cooter Brown's. Last time I was in NOLA, that was the best place I ate. Shrimp Po Boys, cheese fries (with real Velveeta) and Abita Purple Haze. YUM!!

I'll also have to make time to go to Pat O's to get a Skylab - Good stuff! I'll also have to hit up Coop's Place (best remoulade in town) and sit in Igor's for a while (I spent a night there last time I was in NOLA - no kidding!).

So, this should be fun, and right before my birthday too!! I'm so excited - I get a vaction, I get to help folks, I get to do library stuff, and I get to eat good food! YAY!!!

#15 - BSG Season 4 Episode 15

2009-02-19T17:11:00.002-05:00

Wholly Crackamole!! (Yes, I just made that up!) Spoilers ahead, so don't read if you haven't seen it yet!!!

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Normally I write down what I see, and it takes maybe 1 post-it note (that's what I get for being a professional student!). this week, it's 4 post-its! YIKES!!

This was a storytelling episode this week, not an adventure or action one. But it sets the stage for the final 5 episodes. And speaking of the final 5 (Cylons that is) we learn that Ellen is indeed alive and Boomer is taking her to BSG. But that's getting ahead of myself.

Anders is in with Doc Cottle, and Anders has a bullet in the brain. Anders is having visions of what life was like on earth. He calls in the other 3 Cylons and tells them that they made resurrection technology. The final 5 were/are actually the first 5! they created the other Cylons, and they ended the First Cylon War. But again, I get ahead of myself.

the final/first 5 (geez, the semantics are hard!!) were working on earth at a military (?) lab to create resurrection technology. They created a resurrection hub/spaceship and resurrected there after the annihilation on earth. Okay. Then, they went back and sought the 12 colonies to warn them against creating robots to serve them; that it would end in disaster. Because, as we know, this has all happened before, and it will all happen again (So say we all! - and don't forget, "you are the harbinger of death, Kara Thrace."). But the final/first 5 lacked FTL drives, and it took them 2000 years to reach the colonies, just in time to end the war. They promised the Cylons that they would teach them to make human models. The first human model was Brother Cavel, named John by Ellen, after her father. Cavel's a bit pissed that he's human-like, he wants to be a machine. He's got major issues. After the other Cylons were created, Cavel boxed the final 5, messed with their memories, and sent them to the colonies, making sure they each survived and suffered. Yikes!

And the one true god thing? That came from the centurions, not the final/first 5. Nice touch there. Also, model 7 had to be boxed, his name was Daniel and Cavel boxed him because he was artistic, and mutated, and Ellen favored him. Cavel messed with the rebirthing liquid to make Daniel (#7) "malformed". Hmm.... Does this mean Starbuck is Daniel? I mean, she's artistic, and could be said to be "malformed." We'll have to see.

Meanwhile, Apollo and Roslyn are talking, and Roslyn is basically giving the presidency, in all but name, to Apollo. The new quorum will be based on the ships, not on the colonies. This should be an interesting development next week.

Also, BSG is literally falling apart. Adama rehires Chief to be Chief (YAY!!) and Chief sets to work restoring her. However, there's a ton of damage, and Chief suggests they use some "repair-goo" from the Cylon Baystar. No, Adama answers, then recants, stating it may be the only way to save her.

#14 - BSG Season 4 Episodes 13 and 14

2009-02-10T21:39:00.001-05:00

Spoilers!!! If you haven't seen these, then don't read any further!! I'm serious!!!

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Okay, I'm talking about these episodes together because they are really 1 long episode as they take place over the course of one day, one very long day, on the BSG. Rebellion!! Led by, wait for it, Gaeta?!?!?! the big heroes for the non-rebellion are Starbuck, Apollo, Tigh, Chief Tyrol, and (in my opinion) Leoben - after all, he does get Roslin hooked up on the wireless which gathers the forces for Adama.

It was a real nail biting week between the 2 episodes, I mean the teaser trailer shows Adama before a firing squad and the rebel cylon baystar being hit by missiles. Context is everything though. The missiles were an attack on Roslin's raptor, and the firing squad scene was Baltar's dream.

And Baltar seems to be growing up. He's getting back in touch with his morals and calls Gaeta to try to talk him down. It didn't do any good, but, well it was at least worth trying.

Adama had a lawyer (the lawyer!!) for his "trial" which was "judged" by Zarek. Adama was sent to the firing squad. But it's Adama so there's no fear that someone will falter. Apollo and Starbuck save him. I'm sure there's some symbolism in having his son and his "adopted" daughter saving him.

I guess I'll get an answer to the question I posed last week about the quorum as Zarek had them all killed after they dismissed him. I'm not worried though, Roslin seems to be stepping back in the game and she'll have a new election soon.

Chief pulled out the FTL drive!!! Go Chief go!! Gaeta and Zarek made peace and were before the firing squad at the end. Good deal, no one messes with Adama, not even Tigh!

The nail biter for the week - the lawyer helped (maybe?) Starbuck get Anders to Doc Cottle. I didn't really catch that they were getting Anders to Doc Cottle, but AAA did, so I defer to him in all matters BSG. I really don't care if Anders lives, he's not one of my favorite characters, but he is one of the final 5 (cylons) so I guess we need him around.

And the teaser trailer for next week shows the return of Ellen and, it appears, the enemy-cylons. Hmm...

By all means, this has far exceeded my expectations for the final season!

#13 - Snow (it's all melted now)

2009-02-08T21:38:00.002-05:00

So here are the snow pictures I promised last week. Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, we got 2 days in the 50's and the snow's all melted. The forecast is for colder and clear weather for this week! YAY!! Then we can get back to the snow!

: The front enterance to my apartment building

: Outside the law school

: Outside the law school

The last picture shows how the salt makes the snow melt and how the snow looks dirty a day or so after it's fallen.

#12 - Super Bowl

2009-02-01T23:24:00.000-05:00

One of the best games ever, according to my mom. Afterwards, Pittsburgh partied in the streets. I took to the streets as well, and walked to Pitt where the streets were closed off and people were partying in the streets.

Here's the pictures!

Here's a kid on the street sign post on Bigelow between Forbes and 5th.

Here's the corner of Forbes and Bigelow, looking towards Hillman Library (people are on the first floor balcony area of Hillman).

People are still walking on the streets and driving, honking their horns. I have class at 9 am tomorrow, I wager I'm one of 5 folks in there!

#11 - Distance Education

2009-02-01T15:18:00.002-05:00

A good friend put on her blog a couple of posts about the state of distance education at our grad school. I want to state my support of her views and explain how my undergrad degree, which I completed online, worked so much better than grad school and why.

First off, my undergrad was completed at University of Maryland University College (UMUC); it's a B.S. in Legal Studies (a paralegal certificate, and the only ABA approved distance education program for paralegal education). UMUC's system was superior to our grad school system for 2 reasons - 1) the online program was completely separate from the on-campus program, and 2) there was a different system in place at UMUC for the online component than the online program we use at grad school.

Complete separation of the programs online from on-campus may seem counter-productive at first, but for students it's the best way to go. There were no videos to watch (hence, no missed student comments). The modules could be completed at anytime, the assignments on the discussion board had due dates, but all of the projects were described at the beginning of the semester. Generally, each course had a legal memo due every Monday. I would work ahead as much as I wanted, allowing me complete freedom in my schedule. I would generally do 2 or 3 weeks worth of work, then take a break for a week or 2, then complete another 2 or 3 weeks worth of work. This allowed me to work at my own pace and receive feedback on my work immediately. Also, classes were limited to 35 students per professor, so the professors were able to comment on our work immediately, not at the end of the semester as is the case in grad school.

The system UMUC used for their online classes was excellent. The projects were submitted via discussion board, but the discussion board acted more like a comment string on blog posts. Responses to projects, and responses to the responses, were in a tree format similar to what we use at grad school, but when an unread message was posted, all of the strings above it were automatically "popped out" so there was a frame of reference for the comment. This allowed us to have meaningful discussions because there was no having to flip back and forth between comments.

UMUC, unlike grad school, didn't require us to post a response to other students, but did encourage it. This difference led to more meaningful discussions. In grad school, we are required to post a 150 word response to someone else's posting. This is so demeaning! It says "you can't be trusted to organically create a discussion, so we require you to make a discussion of a minimum amount of words so we can say you are having a discussion."

Can the grad school program take a lesson from UMUC? Yes. I think the first step needs to be complete separation of the online and on-campus courses. I have had 2 courses at grad school that do not have an online component - these are the 2 best courses I've had. I think if my grad school wants to keep it's high ranking, it needs to separate the distance education and on-campus education in the next year so that both sets of students benefit from their education.

Edited to add: There is a discussion going on about this in the comments at my other (real) blog, feel free to chime in over there as well.

#10 - New Computer

2009-01-29T21:53:00.002-05:00

I got a new computer last week. I've been hesitant to post about it because, well, I don't love it. I got it so I could watch/stream BSG (yes, that's makes me a double nerd!) because the old one was overheating when it had to stream video.

My old computer was a Gateway laptop bought for $200 nearly 3 years ago. It was a floor model at an electronics store, and the "M" key was missing. The sales clerk found me the "M" key, threw in a laptop bag, and I was good to go. I got home and taped the "M" key to the "N" key and the "," key, and it worked just fine. My old computer ran Windows XP with Office XP. It was a dream to work with. I spent probably 2 hours total formatting Word and Excel for auto fill, format style, etc. The keyboard was small, normal for a laptop, and the screen was a mere 14 inches (diagonally).

My new computer is a close out model Compaq laptop; I bought it for less than $400 online, including shipping. I love the new computer, but not the software. The new computer has a full size keyboard (YAY!!!) with a 10-key (the calculator-like keys to the right). It's got a 16 inch screen, which is perfect for viewing movies and streaming videos.

The new computer is running Windows Vista Home Edition (whatever the home edition part means) and I picked up a copy of Office 2007 at school for free (Thanks Intro to Info Tech Prof! I wouldn't have bothered to look into that without you mentioning it in class!). I've waited a week to write this post because I thought I'd get used to the new software - I hate it. What's with the tabs on Word? I knew where everything was in the menu bar, I knew the keyboard shortcuts to add a table or a row in a table, and now, I have to figure out which tab it's on. Bleh! That, and I have to use "save as" for everything so I can save it as a "doc" file instead of a "docx" file so I can open the documents on other computers I use! And I used to be proficient in Excel - now, I opened it, saw the tabs, and closed it. I did what I needed to do in a spreadsheet in Google docs. In fact, I'm writing more and more using Google docs for 2 reasons: 1) I can access it on any computer I use, and 2) I know the keyboard shortcuts.

So now I'm in the market for an external hard drive so I can grab all of my music and pictures off the old laptop. I don't want to have to sit here again for hours on end feeding my CDs into my computer to rip them and then label them. I know, super-geeky, but that's what I'm turning into, a super-geek!

Teaser: I will be posting this weekend about the snow that's falling and what it's like to get bundled up to go outside! I'll try to take some pictures too!

#9 - BSG Season 4 Episode 12

2009-01-27T21:15:00.000-05:00

A question, not a spoiler:

One question I had was how the Quorum representatives chosen? I mean, did they split up the fleet so that some ships elect one rep, or is it voted on by where they lived before? And if it's the second one, how is it equally elected? I know, I get hung up on the minutia of how this would actually work. I guess it's the lawyer in me! lol

Okay, here's the spoilers.

Chief's kid isn't his!?! What? And Baltar's back preaching, but anti-god. This was more of a set up episode, showing the alliances that are being made that will impact the way the rest of the season/series will go. And is Adm. Adama going to give up his leadership roll under the influence of Roslyn? And who will fill the power vacuum? Zarek and his allegiance with Gaita? Hmm....

Overall, it was a rather slow episode, but necessary for the groundwork to be laid for the rest of the season.

#8 - Teaching Old Cats New Tricks

2009-01-24T14:24:00.001-05:00

It's been my experience that the older the cat is, the more tricks s/he will learn. Now my fur-babies are only 2.5 years old, but they are learning new tricks!

Upon moving to Pittsburgh, both cats were trained not to jump on counters or tables. They could, however, jump (and sit) on my nightstands. Since my bedroom isseparated from the kitchen by only a curtain, one nightstand is right next to the refrigerator. Now Figo, the 18 pound tabby, decided to go exploring up high. And so he does. He does what I call "creepy cat" - he sits on top of the cupboards and stares at me while I'm laying in bed. Very creepy. Figo's been doing this since November, but because he's so camera-shy, these are the first pictures I've been able to snap of him being creepy cat!

: Creepy Cat Figo with Lazers Charged

: Figo, the big cat

Now Lily has learned a new trick. I don't have photographic evidence yet, but I assure, it's coming. A few nights ago, I was watching Ab Fab, and I thought I heard water running. I paused the DVD, and didn't hear it any more so I continued watching the episode. I went in the bathroom a bit later, and saw Lily jump down from the sink. She had turned the facet on! It was only a dribble, but my goodness! Who knew my tiny calico could do such a thing? Now, I check on her in the bathroom (her domain, as she enjoys laying in front of the radiator in there) at least once an hour.

Here's a shot of LillerButts sitting in front of the window.

: Angry Lillers

#7 - National Aviary

2009-01-22T17:16:00.002-05:00

Monday, I went to the National Aviary here in Pittsburgh. It was part of a trip organized through SLAPSG. First, we went to feed the Lorikeets; I forgot to take pictures of that! Then we went behind the scenes and got to see the veterinary hospital on site. It was amazing and interesting. Then we got a tour of the kitchen and found out what the birds eat.

: a pigeon at the aviary

Then, the best part. We met Sidney the Penguin!! We found out all about penguins, and got to see him eat some fish. It was amazing to be that close to a penguin. It was awesome!

: Sidney

After that, we went to the rainforest room and got to watch the feeding and the rain shower. That was very cool. It was actually more exciting than I thought it was going to be, and I'm very glad I went.

: A Pelican at the Rainforest Room

#6 - BSG Season 4.5

2009-01-18T15:21:00.000-05:00

Rock on! I finally got to see Friday's episode of BSG yesterday!! Spoilers below, so if you haven't seen it yet, don't look!

Okay, so who is the fifth cylon? I mean really. First, Starbuck finds herself dead on "earth" and then we find out that Chief, Anders, and Tory all realize they lived on Earth 2000 years ago and knew each other! Meanwhile, the humans find out all the remains on earth are "skin jobs," and we know Chief, Anders, Tory, and Col. Tigh are 4 of the final 5 cylons, which are the 12 models. So that makes sense. So Starbuck, the 5th (missing) Cylon? That makes sense, especially in light of what the hybrid said about her ("you're the harbinger of death, Kara Thrace."). Except, what's up with Leoben running from her when she tells him what the hybrid said? He's been so into her (remember on New Caprica?) and he just runs?!?! WTFrak? And then Starbuck tries to tell Apollo what's up, but he has to tell her that Dee shot herself. OMG!! What's up with that? I loved Dee!! And part of the reason I love this show is that they have no qualms about killing off main characters that are lovable (such as when Billy died earlier in the series).

Okay, so I'm starting to accept that Starbuck is the 5th (missing) cylon, when I realize, she doesn't remember being on earth when it was annihilated. So maybe she's not the 5th cylon? But, then that makes her the harbinger of death, right? And if she's not the 5th, then what? So I'm mulling these things over when Adm. Adama really gets his drink on, borrows a gun, and confronts Col. Tigh about (supposedly) being a cylon. But Col. Tigh seems sober (What? That man lives on ambrosia!) and sees right through Adama's suicide wish. Especially since Tigh knows Adama just lost his daughter-in-law (wait, Dee and Apollo were still married, right?). Tigh forces Adama out, and back into power! We all know what happens when Tigh takes over, it ain't pretty, so I'm grateful that for once Tigh wasn't hitting the ambrosia!

And Roslin giving up?! NO!! Roslin, hon, you are their leader. You have to have hope. And burning the prophecies? Damn, it looks like faith is dying among the colonial fleet! And where's Baltar in all of this? I mean, he was preaching the "one god" thing for the last year, and his only scene in the episode is confirming that earthlings were cylons? Is he becoming a man of science once again, or is this just to cover for the "truth" of his monotheism? Hmm...

Final scene: D'Anna saying she's getting off this merry-go-round and staying on earth. Col. Tigh walks off, enters the water, and realizes he too was on earth when it was annihilated. "Ellen, you're the fifth!" WHAT!?!?!? No, Ellen, really? She was, well she did appear out of nowhere, and she is dead. But no, D'Anna can't leave, she's the only one who knows who the 5th cylon is. And she stated that the 5 were in the fleet, after Ellen was dead. So it can't be Ellen, right?

So, after I watched it, I had to call my friend AAA, who got me hooked on this show in the first place. We discussed it. Perhaps there are 13 cylon models, just as there were originally 13 colonies. Yes, this makes sense. Ellen could possibly be the really missing cylon, the one no one knew about, just as earth was the missing colony. Hmmm....

Let me just say, this is the most compelling TV show I've ever seen. It's high drama and high stakes. I mean, what's going to happen to humanity now? We have no way of knowing, and 9 episodes left. This is going to be the longest, most nail-biting 9 weeks of my life!!!!

#5 - Pittsburgh and the Steelers

2009-01-17T15:38:00.003-05:00

So, I haven't updated yinz lately about what's going on here in Pittsburgh. Let's see, it's currently 15 degrees, 4 degrees with the windchill, and it's lightly snowing. Reminds me of my favorite song about Pittsburgh -

Of course, the Steelers are playing the Ravens tomorrow. It's supposed to be a "balmy" 28 degrees for the game. Now, as most of you know, I don't follow football, but with the song below blaring from the storefronts of downtown, it's hard not to notice!

And then of course, I have the feeling that I'm turning Pittsburgh-ese because I can follow and understand most of this video:

Yeah, I think I'm starting to adapt to life in the 'Burgh!

#4 - More Figo

2009-01-15T14:21:00.001-05:00

Figo is definitely taking after his namesake. He loves his tennis ball, and bats it around with his hind legs. Let's take a look at the action..

Figo: I see the ball, I see the camera. Must. Not. Look. At. Camera.

Figo: Ball? What ball? There's no ball around here. And get that camera outta my face!

Look closely, see the ball? He's kicking it with his hind legs!!

Figo: Damn camera! It's messing up my chance at a goal!

Bonus pic of Lily:

#3 - Greek Pasta

2009-01-13T16:37:00.001-05:00

I whipped up a triple batch of Greek Pasta the other day. It's not so much a recipe, but it was yummy! The leftovers were good both hot and cold.

Ingredients

8 oz dried pasta, any shape (I used bow ties, but I've used penne in the past)
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained
3 roasted red bell peppers
1/2 red onion
3 cloves garlic
1 chicken breast, cut into cubes, coated in Greek seasoning (optional)
21 (or so) pitted Kalamata olives (optional)
4-6 oz feta

Recipe

Heat water to boiling, and dump in the pasta.
Chop the roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts; set aside.
Chop the onion and mince the garlic; set aside.
Prepare the optional chicken.
Heat a skillet and add a bit of vegetable oil to coat the pan. Add the onions and garlic, sauteing until the onion is near translucent. Add the chicken, and cook through.
Add the roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts, stirring until warmed through.
Drain the pasta and place in serving dishes.
Stir the veggie mixture and place on top of the pasta.
Crumble the feta on top. Add olives.
Enjoy!

#2 - Holiday Recap

2009-01-11T16:19:00.000-05:00

As promised, here's a recap of the holidays.

Of course, the holidays revolve around Smokey Joe Joe the Wonder Cat (yes, that's his full name). For those of you following along at home, SJJtWC was my cat until my sister cat-napped him instead of sending him to Lisbon. The nerve!! Every attempt to cat-nap him back has been foiled by SJJtWC himself, as any discussion in front of him regarding living with me ends up with him using my suitcase as a litter box!!

Of course, my sister had her tree up. Can you tell which ornament I gave her this year?

: Hint, I live in Pittsburgh.

Yep, I gave her the Steelers Penguin!

We went to see Xmas lights too! This house was really decked out with mechanical goodness!

Of course, I also spent time with the family.

: From Left - Me and SJJtWC, Mom, Sister

As you can see, we did go to In N Out! YAY!!!

#1 - Ab Fab

2009-01-10T15:56:00.000-05:00

I haven't been posting lately because I went away for the holidays, got sick, and well, I did recover, my sister bought me the complete Ab Fab!! So, I'm in full Edina-mode without my Bubble or Patsy!!

Tomorrow, I'll post about my holiday adventures.

(start Edina voice) I'm leaving now darling, I'm going. Mummy's going dear. (end Edina voice)