good news before I go...

So there is something I haven't told most of you.... we have known since February, had a date for about 2 months, had a ring for 3 or 4 weeks but TODAY it is OFFICIAL! V and I are getting married!

We have celebrated "Engagment week" with special picnic lunches, ice cream surprizes, nice dinners, and I was awoken this morning by this guy


bringing me this ring on his dressed up bow tie.

V is making breakfast and then we are going to try to do some house stuff and prepping for my trip. I'll spill more details soon- our stop in Chicago is to arrange wedding details! Have a fantastic month everybody!!!!

bad blogger

I admit, I have been a bad blogger. And knitter. I haven't blogged about Maryland Sheep and Wool from last weekend yet. I do have an excuse but it might be a bit disapointing for my 4 readers. I am going away. Far, far, away.

Here to be exact. For a month. Luckily it will be to do some really good research on fishes. I didn't get my permits yet so I won't be able to do my cool genetic project this trip but will still be spending lots of good quality time with fishes, in 113 degree heat, in a gas field, while staying with all the scorpions in my advisors' guest house. Woo hoo! Anyways, I leave early Sunday. My prepping for the trip has been the source of my non-blogging behavior. I hope to knit another baby blanket while I am gone, finish 2 manuscripts, submit an abstract for a conference, and submit another manuscript. Hopefully some hiking and adventures too!

I will blog last weekends fun before I go but things will be even more sporatic around here till mid-June...

I am suppossed to be cleaning the bathroom RIGHT NOW

It is another brother visit with less than 24 hours notice! Ahhhhh! This time it is V's brother, uhh V2 and his partner T. They will be out to the house tomorrow and hopefully get to see them tonight for dinner as well. Updates on all our adventures- well after they happen of course!

Have a happy Cinco de Mayo! Drink a margarita! We are off to a party to celebrate before headig down to Philly.

I am betting (but not really) on Bluegrass Cat for the Derby tomorrow! Pretty horse- great name =)

And Sunday Sunday Sunday. Baaaaaa
Baaaaaaa
Baaaaaaaa
What's that? could it be a little lamb?? mmm, sounds surprisingly like Sheep and Wool to me...

Wow...

From CNN about Darfur and how tonights ER episode will devote 4 times more time to Darfur than the news has all year ....

"The three network evening newscasts devoted less than a combined 10 minutes so far this year to the political and ethnic conflict that has killed at least 180,000 and driven 2 million more from their homes in the western Sudan province since 2003."

Now the question of whether people will not care and just see it as a made up dramatization since it is on freakin ER.

I love fishes

A couple weeks ago, the department got a call about a guy who was wanting to donate 50 or so mounted fish. Real big ones that are world records and stuff! Vance wanted to take them and sell some on eBay, keep others. The guy was wanting the tax write off, not just trying to get rid of them so all we have are the pics. Could you ever really see these in my living room?





Note: I am totally against sport fishing. So many of them are long lived, and have few offspring so aren't really sustainable resources. Plus I don't know how good population estimates are things are since many of them live in international waters. Really, it is mostly because they are such beautiful creatures that I hate to see them killed for 'fun'.

May Day

Happy May Day everyone! Or International Workers' Day! Best day for a labor protest don't you think?
From the horrible but available Wikipedia...
International Workers' Day (a name used interchangeably with May Day) is the commemoration of the Haymarket Riot of 1886 in , IllinoisChicago]], and a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement. The 1 May date is used because in 1884 the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, inspired by labor's 1872 success in Canada, demanded an eight-hour workday in the United States to come in effect as of May 1, 1886. This resulted in a general strike and the riot in Chicago of 1886, but eventually also in the official sanction of the eight-hour workday. The May Day Riots of 1894 and May Day Riots of 1919 occurred subsequently.

As a kid I was used to the tradition of May Day baskets: "These baskets are small and usually filled with treats are left at someone's doorstep. When you ring the bell, you are supposed to run away, if you are caught then the other person gets to kiss you."
Once I left one for my mom and then got chased by a dog while I was trying to hide from her.