Happy New Year!

For the New Year

Sunday Funnies - extra!

Sunday Funnies

Albuquerque Dangerous for Women and Girls?

Recent headlines would suggest that it is. Attacks on clinics that provide abortion services are up. There were two attacks last Tuesday at two buildings belonging to Planned Parenthood of New Mexico. The New York Times reports:

An arson fire damaged a surgery center the organization uses for abortions, and the windows of a Planned Parenthood family planning clinic 12 blocks away were smashed, the officials said.

Neither building sustained significant damage, and activities at both of them resumed Wednesday, a spokeswoman said.

The attacks came just weeks after the Albuquerque clinic run by a nationally known abortion provider, Dr. Curtis Boyd, was destroyed by arsonists on Dec. 6.

It isn't clear whether the attacks are related.

The small, tightknit group of abortion providers here reacted with a mix of shock and fear over the attacks. In 1999, the same Planned Parenthood surgical center was set ablaze. An ex-convict, Ricky Lee McDonald, who has a history of violence against New Mexico abortion clinics, was found guilty in that attack and sent to prison. [...]

The Planned Parenthood of New Mexico spokeswoman, Martha Edmands, condemned the recent attacks ... “It makes me really angry,” Ms. Edmands said. “It’s really upsetting that anyone would attempt to put any kind of doctor out of business.”

She said the group was revamping security measures when the attacks occurred. Protesters regularly picket the surgical center, she said.

Overall clinic violence is down.

A study issued last year by the Feminist Majority Foundation, which monitors attacks on abortion clinics, concluded that the most serious anti-abortion violence had declined since 1994, when federal legislation gave greater protection to providers and patients. According to the report, 18 percent of clinics experienced severe violence in 2005, compared with 52 percent in 1994.

Still, the report said, many clinics are still targets of extreme violence.

A second news report that gives cause for concern involves an Albuquerque girl jailed in connection with a rape case.

A victims' rights group wants to help protect a 14-year-old girl who was jailed this month for refusing to testify against the stepfather prosecutors say raped her in 2005.

The girl, who lives in Albuquerque, spent five days at the Juvenile Detention Center and was released Dec. 20.

Linda Atkinson, New Mexico Victims' Rights Project executive director, said she lodged objections with the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office over the treatment of the girl.

"They wouldn't do this to an adult woman. Why did they do this with a child? Because they could. That made me furious," she said.

Project attorney Melissa Stephenson said this week she was considering filing complaints with the Judicial Standards Commission and the State Bar of New Mexico over the actions of the judge and the prosecutors who wanted the girl incarcerated so she would give a statement that could be used at trial.

A young girl is raped by her stepfather. He very likely threatened to further harm her if she said anything, maybe even threatened others in her family. She must wonder who would believe her, or what kind of protection she could expect from the authorities -- if she can even comprehend it all.

The girl was arrested and booked into the Juvenile Detention Center on Dec. 16 after State District Judge J. Michael Kavanaugh issued a warrant at the request of the district attorney.

She failed to appear for her stepfather's rape trial in November. The trial has been rescheduled for April.

The girl was released from custody Dec. 20, but no statement was taken because Kavanaugh did not have time and no other judge was available, said Todd Heisey, deputy district attorney. [...]

The intent was "to get her in front of the court and impress her with the seriousness of this matter," Heisey said.

Are these guys kidding? They want to "impress her with the seriousness of this matter"? I would imagine she is fully aware of the seriousness, which is why she chose to protect herself in the only way she could probably think of.

On Dec. 19, prosecutors filed an emergency motion to review the defendant Manuel Quinonez's conditions of release because they believe he has "played an integral part in preventing the child from testifying."

In the motion, prosecutors cite two incidents reported in December by the girl to 911. She said her stepfather "had been at her home, hit her, threatened to return to beat her again and was intoxicated."

Prosecutor Rachel Bayless said she has to wait until Jan. 8 or later to have the motion heard by Kavanaugh. He's scheduled to return to his office Jan. 8.

Bayless said she wants the defendant taken into custody to protect the victim until his trial in April.

"I believe he's a danger to the child," Bayless said.

Stephenson predicted the case would attract national attention and increase support for victims' rights groups and child advocates.

"The national movement to protect victims is growing due to cases like this," she said.

Data indicates four out of five sexual assault victims of all ages do not report the crimes to police because they distrust the justice system.

The jailing of the 14-year-old will only add to that distrust and have a chilling effect on other victims, advocates say.

"It's so shocking what the judge has allowed. The power of the court was used to bully this child," Stephenson said. "The system is broken."

We must do all that we can to end violence against women and girls -- whether it's by family members, strangers, or the judicial system.

Special K fans take note

There is a Pizza Hut ad that doesn't put your candidate in a very favorable light. Or, as Tennessee Guerilla Women would say:

Pizza Hut Ad Trashes Dennis Kucinich

Note to Pizza Hut: Smearing Dennis Kucinich is no way to sell pizzas. I just lost my appetite for all things made by Pizza Hut.

Here is the contact information for Pizza Hut -- For Urgent Matters: 1-800-948-8488 (U.S.) --OR-- email:http://www.pizzahut.com/ContactUs/OtherFeedback.aspx .

And from TGW: "You might tell them that if they're going to trash Democratic candidates, they're going to lose democratic pizza buyers!"

You tell 'em, sister!

Bad closing week for Obama?

Is presidential hopeful Barack Obama having a tough week? What prompted this post is a report from the NBC owned station in DC tonight.

“Barack Obama says if he doesn’t win in 2008 he will never run again. Obama says he and his wife will be different people in eight years and not as able to connect with the concerns of the average American. It was just five years ago that the Obama’s still had law school loans to pay off, and were living in a small condo.”

The news reminded me of the time Oral Roberts went on the air and told his followers that God would call him home if they didn't send money quickly!

Is Obama kidding or is he merely throwing the adult version of a temper tantrum?

How is he going to change? Is he going to acquire great wealth and not be able to connect with the concerns of 'the little people?' Will he be too old to understand what 'average' Americans want/need? Assuming he stays in the Senate, is he planning to forget about the people who sent him there? What gives, Obama?

Maybe Obama should take a closer look at his Iowa audience and then tell everyone with a straight face why he won't be able to connect with them in eight years.

I think there is a different motivation behind his comment. He has presented himself as the agent of change. Suddenly he is faced with having to respond to a very difficult international crisis. And during times of crisis a natural response is to gravitate toward stability. It isn't necessarily a good time to be talking about change.

Obama's troubles were compounded by an inept response to the assassination of Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. And then a feeble attempt by his campaign to spin their way out of it.

Even Chris Matthews, an Obama cheerleader, had to admit the statement was "cold."

Probably sensing trouble brewing about the remarks, Obama's chief political strategist David Axelrod tried to deflect attention away from his candidate by claiming that Sen. Hillary Clinton was to blame for her part in a series of events that resulted in Benazir Bhutto's assassination. (Taylor Marsh has a series of posts on this.)

Here is Obama's response to Wolf Blitzer:

Unfortunately for Obama, the tragic assassination of Benazir Bhutto has caused some to take a second look at the junior Senator from Illinois. And his actions suggest that he might not be ready for prime time.

It's no secret that I support Sen. Hillary Clinton. I think of all the candidates she is the best qualified to lead -- and here is an example of why I believe this to be true:

So what do you think?

Another neanderthal

Is anyone surprised that Mike Huckabee thinks women should "graciously submit" to their husbands? Didn't think so. But just in case you needed yet another reason NOT to vote for this neadnerthal, here it is!

Lucinda Marshall writes:

You've already probably got a long list of reasons why you think Mike Huckabee is way too scary to vote for, but just in case you need another one:

"In August of 1998, Huckabee was one of 131 signatories to a full page USA Today Ad which declared: "I affirm the statement on the family issued by the 1998 Southern Baptist Convention." What was in the family statement from the SBC? "A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ."

The ad wasn't just a blanket, "we support the SBC statement," but rather highlighted details. The ad Huckabee signed specifically said of the SBC family statement: "You are right because you called wives to graciously submit to their husband's sacrificial leadership."

Talk about a major EEWWW! Someone remind me again what century this is...

I agree Lucinda ... eewwwww!

Benazir Bhutto's final moments

The words belong to Tengrain, from his post at Mock, Paper, Scissors:

Very moving — if you can stand it

The photographer John Moore was at the ralley where Ms. Bhutto was assasinated, and narrates a slide show, The Assassination of Benazir Bhutto. The final image is especially haunting to me.

Thank you for sharing this, Tengrain.

A "Seven Lies for Seven Splotchies" meme

FranIAm tagged me for the "Seven Lies for Seven Splotchies" ... or something like that meme. I guess the purpose is to tell SEVEN UNTRUE FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF. I can do that! ha

Let's see ...

1. In my early twenties I was involved in a torrid romance with ... dare I say ... Morgan Fairchild. It lasted for months, until one day I told her we were through. It brought her career to a screeching halt. I've never forgiven myself.

2. Just as my affair with Morgan was ending I developed a fascination with fast cars and got a ride in an Indy 500 race car. I was inches away from the finish line, set to become the first female rookie drive ever to win the coveted race, when a two dollar part in my engine failed and suddenly ... I was coasting to the sidelines. It was a bitter defeat that I still have nightmares about.

3. I was so torn up over the Indy loss that I decided to leave Indiana and moved to Florida to being a new career. For the next several years I worked as an alligator trainer, and let me tell you it's not easy getting those creatures to roll over!

4. I eventually grew bored with the whole alligator thing and decided to move to Washington, DC where I landed my next gig ... with the FBI. It seems my great grandfather is none other than J. Edgar Hoover himself (which could account for my sexual orientation). The Hoover connection opened many doors in the agency, but I eventually had to give it up since as an FBI agent ... even with the Hoover connection ... I really sucked.

5. It was at a DC mixer that I bumped into the future Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ... and I can't even begin to tell you what happened next! Let's just say it's no accident that she represents San Francisco!

6. Pretty soon Nancy was all busy with Speaker stuff, so it was time for me to MoveOn to something else ... I came up with this brilliant idea for how to organize large numbers of people. Well ... I really don't drink but, I was at a holiday party back in the late 90's and I'd had a few too many when I started telling everyone about my wonderful new idea for changing the world ... who knew that Joan Blades and Wes Boyd were listening in! Geezzz

7. After winning $300 million in the Lottery I decided to retire, but I still needed a hobby. You might not know this about me, but I like making movies and I wanted to be able to share them with all my friends at once. And one night it just came to me ... You ... Tube ... and the rest, as they say, is history.

So that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Now, who to tag next? How about Boxer, Jess at I was just wondering, Dr. Z at Zaius Nation, Swinebread of Atomic Romance and GETkristiLOVE.

What's your best 2007 birding memory?

Definitely the best bird photo I took all year

Boy, it's like I suddenly got the urge to just blitz out some posts, eh? Anyway, I was wondering--just what was my favorite birding-related experience of this past year?

What was yours?

For me, it's a tough choice--birding with Julie Zickefoose in March or birding with the Flock in Cape May. Both events were so pivotal in my development as a birder, in learning more about birds and fieldcraft and seeing lifers -- in addition to the outright WOW factor of meeting people like Zick and Birdchick, who were my first two birding heroes when I started this whole birding thing a few years ago. (For a long time, those were the only two birding blogs I visited!) Now, in Cape May I also met many of the people on my birdy blogroll, which really cranked that weekend up to amazing levels.

But I suppose I should choose.... or not! Screw it! I pick BOTH of those experiences! So there!

I really tried to choose, but I just can't! I loved Cape May and meeting the Flock in person, and I can't wait to go back there (in February for our anniversary!) and see the Flock again (and meet those honorary Flockers who didn't make it to Cape May!). Back in the spring, going to my first-ever birding festival and having what proved to be an all-out warblerama with Julie pretty much topped my year, even more than Cape May (but just a little!). There are so many reasons: everything about that weekend was just plain magical--from the beautiful drive to Titusville PA to the drive back home, from hanging out with Julie and seeing so many warblers in spring plumage to just seeing for the first time what it was really like to be out in the field with other people who were just as nuts as I am for birds. Maybe it's just that whole "never as good as the first time" thing, but that weekend was (again, just by a tiny bit!) my top birding experience of this year, following almost simultaneously by the Cape May Weekend.

Memories:

Yikes--cap head!

Kept the cap ON this time!

I wonder what the new year will bring.
So everybody -- let's hear it: your top birding experience of the year!

Will walk for birds

my backyard in the spring

Have you considered BIGBY for 2008? No, it's not a political slogan but an acronym for the Big Green Birding Year, a project started in Canada. It calls for reducing one's carbon footprint while birding by keeping a list of birds you see on trips that are taken exclusively under one's own power of locomotion. No cars, no planes, no big tours, etc. It's a neat way to get out there and bird your local environs while saving Mother Earth (and your wallet). I found out about it while visiting The Great Laura Erickson's great blog.

There's the Walking Bigby, in which you can only count birds you've seen while walking from your home or your work. There's a broader category, the Self-Propelled Bigby, where you can count birds seen while walking, biking, rollerblading, etc. That's the one I'm choosing, to encourage me to finally start using that bike I bought a couple of years ago and have only ridden twice.

Recently a third Bigby, the Public Transport Bigby, has been added as well -- for you city slickers lucky enough to have a decent public transportation system (train/bus).



So far, 75 people in Canada and the USA have signed up. Looking over the list of towns represented, I see Scappoose, Oregon (I'll bet that's Born Again Birdwatcher!) and my little village of Spring Mills, PA. Put your town on the map by signing up!

Thompson thinks no woman should be president

Republican presidential candidate Fred "I'd-rather-be-sleeping" Thompson, while campaigning in Iowa, said that no woman should be president.

Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson says there's not a woman who should be president next year.

It was a jab aimed at Democratic candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The former Tennessee senator was in Iowa today, challenging potential caucus-goers to choose the best man to help fend off what he described as a Democratic Party that would lead the country into a welfare state.

Without saying Clinton's name, he said -- quote -- "There is no woman on the horizon that ought to be president next year, let's all agree on that."

Thompson continued to refer to the next president as a man who should represent conservative principles and values.

Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto Assassinated at Rally

Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, the first woman to lead an Islamic nation, was assassinated as she was leaving a rally today. Bhutto served twice as Pakistan's prime minister between 1988 and 1996. The Associated Press is reporting:

Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday in a suicide attack that also killed at least 20 others at a campaign rally, aides said.

The death of the 54-year-old charismatic former prime minister threw the campaign for the Jan. 8 parliamentary elections into chaos and created fears of mass protests and violence across the nuclear-armed nation, an important U.S. ally in the war on terrorism.

The attacker struck just minutes after Bhutto addressed thousands of supporters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, 8 miles south of Islamabad. She was shot in the neck and chest by the attacker, who then blew himself up, said Rehman Malik, Bhutto's security adviser.

At least 20 others were killed in the attack.

Bhutto's supporters immediately pointed to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf as the person behind the assassination.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack. But some of Bhutto's supporters at the hospital began chanting, "Killer, Killer, Musharraf," referring to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Bhutto's main political opponent. A few began stoning cars outside.

"We repeatedly informed the government to provide her proper security and appropriate equipment including jammers, but they paid no heed to our requests," Malik said.

President Bush, who supports Musharraf, is expected to make a statement in a few minutes. He must see this as a major development if he is willing to interrupt his vacation.

It's that time ...

New Year's Eve is just around the corner, so it's time to think about your New Year's Resolutions! In case you are having trouble coming up with one (or more), here are a few suggestions!

This year, I resolve to:

Always replace the gas nozzle before driving away from the pump.

I will always "check for paper" when leaving the restroom.

I will try to drive closer to the speed limit.
In my case that may mean speeding up!

I will always wear clean underwear, "just in case."

I will keep an extra safe distance when driving behind police cars.

Just for today, I will not sit in my living room all day in my pj's blogging. Instead, I will move my computer into another room.

I resolve to be nice to people without bringing Jesus into the equation.

I will no longer park the BMW next to fire hydrants.

Never again will I try to diffuse an explosive device with a known practical joker.

I will remember that life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.

If I see a UFO I won't tell anybody about it.

I will balance my checkbook (and the national budget), on my nose.

Holiday Potluck at the Rumpus Room

In case you missed it, Germaine Gregarious held her annual Holiday Potluck at the Rumpus Room last Saturday -- and everyone was there!

Yes it was short notice, so our hostess urged everyone to "please just come as you are. No need to wear that holiday sweater from Aunt Sophie, unless of course you want to."

Dr. Zaius was there and so was Jon the Intergalactic Gladiator. Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein's Banana Daiquiris were delicious. I don't want to spread rumors, but he and GETkristiLOVE spent an awful lot of time at the bar!!

Which reminds me ... FranIAm was seen upstairs with some strange guy she picked up ... or was he trying to pick HER up? I get so confused sometimes. And I thought I saw DCup come in ... but then, I didn't have my glasses on. I think she said something about dancing girls, but I was busy with the jello salad.

Of everyone at the party, I think Swinebread of Atomic Romance may have had the best time of all! But hey, find out for yourself ... as I just happened to have my movie camera with me.



A good time was had by all! Happy Holiday Everyone!!

Ho ... Ho ... Ho ...

Since I couldn't decide, you get both!



Happy Holiday!

Music Break

Sunday Funnies

Queen Elizabeth Goes YouTube

Fifty years ago, Queen Elizabeth delivered the first televised Christmas Broadcast, filmed at Sandringham House in Norfolk. That video, along with others, is now available on The Royal Channel, on YouTube. The Royal Channel went live just after midnight, and the Queen's advisers hope it will help broaden her appeal.

The palace said it hoped the site would make the 81-year-old monarch's annual speech "more accessible to younger people and those in other countries". [...]

“Today is another landmark because television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on Christmas Day,” she said.

Back in 1957, when the Queen delivered her first television message, she acknowledged the need to adapt to changing times.

"I very much hope that this new medium will make my Christmas message more personal and direct," she said from her Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

"That it is possible for some of you to see me today is just another example of the speed at which things are changing all around us."

Look for a new message from Queen Elizabeth coming soon.

The 'War on Christmas' ... I almost forgot!

As Dr. Zaius would say "No time for blogging today" ... I've got to wage my war on Christmas! Hope I'm not too late!

Happy Holiday!

9/11 Panel Study Finds That C.I.A. Withheld Tapes

Is anyone surprised? The most corrupt administration in history continues to go about their business untouched. And you thought Ronald Reagan was the "Teflon president."

Tapes destroyed ... was Bush involved? At this point during the Nixon presidency he was boarding a helicopter to leave Washington, DC for good! Does the same fate await George W. Bush? Don't hold your breath.

The New York Times reports:

A review of classified documents by former members of the Sept. 11 commission shows that the panel made repeated and detailed requests to the Central Intelligence Agency in 2003 and 2004 for documents and other information about the interrogation of operatives of Al Qaeda, and were told by a top C.I.A. official that the agency had “produced or made available for review” everything that had been requested.

The review was conducted earlier this month after the disclosure that in November 2005, the C.I.A. destroyed videotapes documenting the interrogations of two Qaeda operatives.

A seven-page memorandum prepared by Philip D. Zelikow, the panel’s former executive director, concluded that “further investigation is needed” to determine whether the C.I.A.’s withholding of the tapes from the commission violated federal law.

In interviews this week, the two chairmen of the commission, Lee H. Hamilton and Thomas H. Kean, said their reading of the report had convinced them that the agency had made a conscious decision to impede the Sept. 11 commission’s inquiry. [...]

A C.I.A. spokesman said that the agency had been prepared to give the Sept. 11 commission the interrogation videotapes, but that commission staff members never specifically asked for interrogation videos.

Oh, don't ask don't tell! But I don't think this is going to save them.

The review by Mr. Zelikow does not assert that the commission specifically asked for videotapes, but it quotes from formal requests by the commission to the C.I.A. that sought “documents,” “reports” and “information” related to the interrogations.

Mr. Kean, a Republican and a former governor of New Jersey, said of the agency’s decision not to disclose the existence of the videotapes, “I don’t know whether that’s illegal or not, but it’s certainly wrong.” Mr. Hamilton, a former Democratic congressman from Indiana, said that the C.I.A. “clearly obstructed” the commission’s investigation.

Is it too much to ask that SOMEONE in the Bush Administration be held accoutable for their actions? Seven years into this mess it appears that it is.

PoP's Little Snowman

A little late but better late than never, I present this little snow(ice)man to PoP, who just wanted someone to build her a snowman.

Enjoy!

He's about 2-1/2 feet tall, with crabapple eyes and maple-twig mouth. His nose is made of ice with a lot of cinder-dust on it. He ain't no Frosty, but I bet he doesn't come to life shouting that annoyingly sorta gay-sounding "Happy Birthday!" like the real Frosty, and he doesn't "thumpety-thump-thump over the hills of snow" either, which I always thought was a little weird and creepy.

Bush: It's a Horrible Life

Stop the Hate, Stop the Lies

In order to get radio stations and television networks to do the right thing a proven method is to target their advertisers. Let them know that as a consumer you would prefer they not support radical right hate-mongers.

Fear of losing their customers (read dollars) will cause them to put pressure on the media outlet to drop controversial personalities ... like Michael Savage, and other right-wing nuts featured on WIND, a Chicago area radio station.

Driftglass has put together a comprehensive list of advertisers, complete with contact information. Driftglass writes:

This is more in the nature of an experiment based on the simple fact that for the last two decades, Right Wing liars in the media have been able to get away with spreading their evangelism of hate ... Advertising revenue is the life's blood of radio, and is what makes it possible for bottom-feeding moral CHUDs like Michael Weiner Savage to exist and enjoy a handsome living.

The question advertisers need to ask themselves is: "Do I want to promote garbage, or do I want to sell my product?"

Make them decide!

Need a laugh?

As I watched this I kept thinking of DCup! Hope you enjoy Mrs. Hughes.

Calling Dr. Phil ... 911 ... Dr. Phil ...

If asked I'm sure most men don't have a clue why their wife/girlfriend/partner is upset. And I would bet they don't think they are the problem in their relationships, but sometimes you just never really know. Take this story for example. Was he being over demanding? Did he push his wife to her limit? Was this the straw that broke the camel's back? What do you think?

A woman who was angry because her husband wanted her to turn up the heat pulled out a gun and shot their flat-screen TV while he cowered behind a pillow, Macomb County authorities say.

The 65-year-old man called 911 Sunday night from the basement of their Washington Township home, about 25 miles north of Detroit.

"My wife's got a gun. She's shooting at me," Joseph Grucz said in the recorded call.

He told the operator that Cheryl Grucz, 61, was angry because he wanted the heat turned up. She fired a round while he hid his head in a pillow, striking the plasma TV, then went upstairs, the Detroit Free Press said.

"She's all excited about it because she's so cheap," the husband said.

His wife, who had picked up another extension, told the operator she wanted to tell her side.

"I'm not going to hurt him. He has pushed me over the edge, that was all," Cheryl Grucz said, according to a recording obtained by WXYZ-TV. "He has had a stroke, and he's taking it all out on me."

"No I'm not," her husband said.

"Yes, he is," she told the dispatcher.

Cheryl Grucz was arraigned Monday in Romeo District Court on a charge of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, a charge with a top penalty of 10 years in prison. She also faces a felony firearms charge. Grucz was freed on $50,000 bond until a preliminary examination Jan. 15.

The judge also ordered her to enroll in a domestic violence program, WDIV-TV said.

So, should this woman go to jail? What do you think? Inquiring minds want to know.

Happy Happy Sad Times

The world is in a serious state of flux right now, and it's affecting me in all sorts of ways.

1. The weather can't decide whether it wants to be sunny and high 30s (yesterday) or snowy and low 30s (today) or just plain icy/freezing rainy (a lot of recent days). I miss the sun.

2. I ate or came into contact with something which caused a serious skin reaction, and I'm covered head to toe in hives. Itchy hives. Bad itchy. Last night, the bottoms of my feet were so itchy I almost began to cry; that's how itchy. I went to the doctor today, and now I'm as 'roided up as any baseball player. I have to wash all my clothes and towels and stuff with fragrance-/dye-free detergent, and hope that fixes it (along with the 'roids). I'm completely exhausted by the itching, the burning, the low-grade fever, and the constant Benadryl intake.

3. Somehow, by some magical alignment of the planets, I scored a 100 on my last calculus test; my average is now a 91, an A-. I actually emailed my professor and asked him if there had been some error! So I'm still working on my final exam (it was take-home) plus I have an oral exam (during which I have to work some problems for the professor, so he knows we know the material) on Friday. I really can't believe that I might actually make an A in this class. Remember when I would've been happy for a C? I guess it's true, the life motto I've had since my teaching days: "You're smarter than you think you are." That motto has carried me through a lot. When I told my dad (the civil engineer and math genius), I thought he was going to cry, he was so proud. *sniffle!*

my secret weapon!

4. My four-day holiday weekend is fast approaching, and I cannot wait! I'm going to bird my little heart out! We're baking cookies, making gingerbread houses, sleeping under the christmas tree, eating cookies, playing games--all the traditions we've established during our almost-six-year history as a family. (the sleeping under the tree thing is from my childhood) It's gonna be so much fun!

5. Next week, sadly, I only have Jan 1 off; however, we were just informed that we will be allowed to wear jeans and sneakers to work all week! Yay! Business casual sucks! Bring on the blue jeans! I'll be wearing my Disapproving Rabbits shirt, my "Finch better have my money!" shirt, my Cape May migration mainline shirt--I'll be throwin' down the mad birdin' lookz, yo!

Woo hoo! I love casual days. It's funny--in the summer, we're allowed to wear shorts (as long as they're not blue jeans shorts). So I wear shorts every. single. day. all. summer. long. That's my favorite time to come to work!

So our Christmas bird count was postponed until this weekend, and we're not going to Ohio after all until before New Year's, so I get to go. I'm so excited. I'm planning on taking lots of pics, so I'll mystify and amaze you for the new year.