(no subject)
In case you hadn't heard, spring is on the way!
That's right! Iowa is going from this to this:
Trust me, that's totally a big change. Why, I can go outside without a scarf! And have!
Of course, all the snow melting combined with all the rain we've been getting this week means every county with a river in it (aka all of them in Iowa) is under about 10 million flood alerts right now. This creek is pretty small and has high embankments relative to its size, so no real worries here, but look at the way it's eating at the snow.
After taking that last picture, I continued briskly on my way only to pause and do a double take at the tree I'd just passed. Raccoon! In a tree! Right there!
It just sat in the tree looking at me as I photographed it from every angle. How coincidental is it that the day I see a raccoon in a tree is the same day I bring my camera? (I know my posts make it seem like I take my camera everywhere, but it's actually very rare that I do so at lunch. I was deliberately planning to take pictures of the creek.)
Awwwww.
Did I mention it's nearly spring?
Of course, while the creek is pretty, most of the civilized parts look like this. Or worse, if they're in downtown Des Moines. Ah well.
During my walk, two things kept running through my head. The first was this bit from Dragonhaven (the important part is the last line, but it really needs context):
I forgot to tell you, Lois doing it outdoors began the era of amazing numbers of outdoor barbecues, to give some disguise - and some excuse - for the latest eye-wateringly peculiar smells that hung around Billy and Grace's cottage. We were such barbecue freaks we were even out there in the winter and, trust me, at Smokehill, that's wacko. We did stop as soon as it got cold enough that even hot dragonlet poop froze pretty much instantly ... but Billy had to help dig the trench next spring when it all melted - and we dug that trench fast.
...People have a lot of dogs here.
The second was this song, which I believe I am doomed to have on constant mental repeat for the next month.
Starlite is such a hypocrite. "I've been up for hours"? No, you were just woken up by a bee and grumpy about it. "Even little things need a helping wing"? Is that why you grouched at the hitchhiking butterfly? Hmph.
But enough about the weather, Iowa's favorite topic or not. Mom finally mailed me the book I accidentally left in Ohio after Christmas, and there was a surprise for me in the box.
Alan made me a card. ^-^
The pictures are extra-big so the text is legible.
Now, let me explain here. It says CEO of L.I.S.A. because my brothers are under the completely mistaken impression that I am somehow responsible for the free books they receive from the Literary Interest Society of America every month periodically.
Aww, heart balloon. Vicki asked me a little while back if I every worried that my brothers kind of forget about me, since I live so far away. No, no I don't really worry. ^-^
Inside was a valentine with some balloons taped to the backside (Alan's into balloons right now) and a pocket holding free ninja info cards.
What the heck are those? Well, they're hard to explain, but...
Look, it's my three favorite ninjas! Sasuke's having a bit of a bad hairday, but have you seen the latest chapters of the manga? It's only accurate.
He even colored the backs. It looks like they're loosely patterned after the backs of YuGiOh cards, which he'd have plenty of around for reference.
My little brother is so sweet. ^-^
Has anyone else seen those new Haagen-Dazs Five flavors? I bought some because, hey, no corn syrup, and while I like frozen yogurt, the chocolate varieties never quite work for me. I've tried both the chocolate and mint flavors, and they were good (two great tastes together!), but what really kills me is the slogan: "All-natural ice cream crafted with only five ingredients for incredibly pure, balanced flavor... and surprisingly less fat!"
Oh, food industry. What's that? Not including all kinds of processed ingredients makes food better for you? And it only takes five ingredients to make ice cream, not over twenty? You don't say.
Courtesy of Joanne: Hey, you know what makes complaining about high heels and sneakers and cheerleaders and bleachers a lot more palatable? Gay subtext text! Who'd've thought? While I still think it's silly to mope about someone else looking nice as if you have no control over your own choice in tacky t-shirts and coke-bottle glasses, at least now I won't have to feel as guilty for humming along to Taylor Swift's admittedly quite catchy tune.
ETA: I was looking for "Another Pyramid" on Youtube for Vicki, since she's playing Pharaoh right now and was frustrated with her monument building, and discovered a YuGiOh version of the entire musical. Wow. The editing's not even that terrible, all things considered.
Everything I know about YuGiOh has come from internet videos (mostly the Abridged Series), so should I be surprised that apparently in Ancient Egypt AU Kaiba and Bakura had a torrid love affair? Or am I reading these scenes wrong?
That's right! Iowa is going from this to this:
Trust me, that's totally a big change. Why, I can go outside without a scarf! And have!
Of course, all the snow melting combined with all the rain we've been getting this week means every county with a river in it (aka all of them in Iowa) is under about 10 million flood alerts right now. This creek is pretty small and has high embankments relative to its size, so no real worries here, but look at the way it's eating at the snow.
After taking that last picture, I continued briskly on my way only to pause and do a double take at the tree I'd just passed. Raccoon! In a tree! Right there!
It just sat in the tree looking at me as I photographed it from every angle. How coincidental is it that the day I see a raccoon in a tree is the same day I bring my camera? (I know my posts make it seem like I take my camera everywhere, but it's actually very rare that I do so at lunch. I was deliberately planning to take pictures of the creek.)
Awwwww.
Did I mention it's nearly spring?
Of course, while the creek is pretty, most of the civilized parts look like this. Or worse, if they're in downtown Des Moines. Ah well.
During my walk, two things kept running through my head. The first was this bit from Dragonhaven (the important part is the last line, but it really needs context):
I forgot to tell you, Lois doing it outdoors began the era of amazing numbers of outdoor barbecues, to give some disguise - and some excuse - for the latest eye-wateringly peculiar smells that hung around Billy and Grace's cottage. We were such barbecue freaks we were even out there in the winter and, trust me, at Smokehill, that's wacko. We did stop as soon as it got cold enough that even hot dragonlet poop froze pretty much instantly ... but Billy had to help dig the trench next spring when it all melted - and we dug that trench fast.
...People have a lot of dogs here.
The second was this song, which I believe I am doomed to have on constant mental repeat for the next month.
Starlite is such a hypocrite. "I've been up for hours"? No, you were just woken up by a bee and grumpy about it. "Even little things need a helping wing"? Is that why you grouched at the hitchhiking butterfly? Hmph.
But enough about the weather, Iowa's favorite topic or not. Mom finally mailed me the book I accidentally left in Ohio after Christmas, and there was a surprise for me in the box.
Alan made me a card. ^-^
The pictures are extra-big so the text is legible.
Now, let me explain here. It says CEO of L.I.S.A. because my brothers are under the completely mistaken impression that I am somehow responsible for the free books they receive from the Literary Interest Society of America every month periodically.
Aww, heart balloon. Vicki asked me a little while back if I every worried that my brothers kind of forget about me, since I live so far away. No, no I don't really worry. ^-^
Inside was a valentine with some balloons taped to the backside (Alan's into balloons right now) and a pocket holding free ninja info cards.
What the heck are those? Well, they're hard to explain, but...
Look, it's my three favorite ninjas! Sasuke's having a bit of a bad hairday, but have you seen the latest chapters of the manga? It's only accurate.
He even colored the backs. It looks like they're loosely patterned after the backs of YuGiOh cards, which he'd have plenty of around for reference.
My little brother is so sweet. ^-^
Has anyone else seen those new Haagen-Dazs Five flavors? I bought some because, hey, no corn syrup, and while I like frozen yogurt, the chocolate varieties never quite work for me. I've tried both the chocolate and mint flavors, and they were good (two great tastes together!), but what really kills me is the slogan: "All-natural ice cream crafted with only five ingredients for incredibly pure, balanced flavor... and surprisingly less fat!"
Oh, food industry. What's that? Not including all kinds of processed ingredients makes food better for you? And it only takes five ingredients to make ice cream, not over twenty? You don't say.
Courtesy of Joanne: Hey, you know what makes complaining about high heels and sneakers and cheerleaders and bleachers a lot more palatable? Gay subtext text! Who'd've thought? While I still think it's silly to mope about someone else looking nice as if you have no control over your own choice in tacky t-shirts and coke-bottle glasses, at least now I won't have to feel as guilty for humming along to Taylor Swift's admittedly quite catchy tune.
ETA: I was looking for "Another Pyramid" on Youtube for Vicki, since she's playing Pharaoh right now and was frustrated with her monument building, and discovered a YuGiOh version of the entire musical. Wow. The editing's not even that terrible, all things considered.
Everything I know about YuGiOh has come from internet videos (mostly the Abridged Series), so should I be surprised that apparently in Ancient Egypt AU Kaiba and Bakura had a torrid love affair? Or am I reading these scenes wrong?