See here for details!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 03:04 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 10 words, total size 1 kb.

Congratulations to the Smallholder and Mrs. Smallholder on the birth of the latest Jr. Smallholder, who weighed in at 8lbs, 6 oz, and is reported to have lots of red hair!

h/t YML

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:56 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 39 words, total size 1 kb.

Jesse "Speaks" arrived safely into the world via C-section at 3 am Tuesday January 16, 2007

7lbs 5oz, 20 1/4 in long, dark brown hair

Mom, Dad, and Baby are all doing well!

Jesse is really adorable.  Drop by Jen's page to see baby's first photos and leave them your best!

And many thanks to Aunt Jaynee for springing the news!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:06 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 62 words, total size 1 kb.

This blog has often looked at the subject of Karma, perhaps a funny thing for me to believe in, but time and time again it has proved to be exactly how things work.

Today, two examples of Karma, one good, and one bad.

First, good karma in the story of Shawn Hornbeck.  When their son disappeared 4 and a half years ago, Pam and Craig Akers took a proactive role.  They never lost hope, they learned what they would need to do to bring Shawn home, and they formed a foundation to bring information and hope to families in the same situation.  The Shawn Hornbeck foundation has helped many people in the last 4 and a half years.  And today, Shawn is home, thanks to another kid and a pair of alert policemen.  Karma.

Second, bad karma.  You know how every time you call a repairman or have something installed you have to wait for them?  In our case it's a new dishwasher that should have been installed a week ago.  For some reason it had to be installed today instead of last week.

The instructions were that the dude was supposed to call before he arrived so that we could call the landlord, since he had to approve any extra installation expenses.

Well, as you can imagine, he didn't call, and so we had to call the landlord after he arrived.

Which means he had to wait for us. He was not happy. And then when he found out that the landlord doesn't live in our complex he walked out in a huff.

It was all I could do not to laugh.

Karma.  What can I say.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:22 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 272 words, total size 2 kb.

2007 has been a rotten year for the Georgia Aquarium so far. First they lost Gasper, a male beluga whale, when he had to be euthanized because of a long illness with osteomyelitis.  Yesterday they lost another of their stars, a young adult male Whale Shark named Ralph.  No one knows yet what caused his rapid deterioration.

Here's Ralph happily swimming along in October, when I visited:

<

And here's Gasper:

Sad, especially as the Georgia Aquarium is a lovely facility.  Very clean and well organized, and the animals are clearly well taken care of.  Another fun thing about the place, as you can see from these 2 photos, it is PERFECT for photography when other people don't get in the way and/ or leave the flash off.  there are tanks overhead and underfoot and makes for some neat viewing of the marine (and river) animals on display.  I was quite taken with the place, and I hope that these are two isolated incidents that don't repeat themselves in the other exhibitions.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:57 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 175 words, total size 2 kb.

That is all.

UPDATE: fixed.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 04:34 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 9 words, total size 1 kb.

In anticipation of today's Friday F*ck Off, here's a list of people I'd like to tell to F*ck off:

LA Drivers
Leftards who let power go to their heads
Feminists
People who pick on the weak
assholes who don't pay their child support
People who slam their siblings in public
People who don't pick up their dog poo
Egomaniacs
Incompetents
Cashiers who don't know how to use their registers
Target
jackass house guests who complain for a week.  About EVERYTHING
Litterbugs
Fucktards who drive SLLLLLOW in the left lane.  Especially on the Arroyo Parkway.
cagastro and pals
that little ronery North Korean fuck, too
TV network executives
Sales tax
Stuffed shirt bureaucrats
telemarketers
the replacement mailman
idiots who wash their sidewalks.  Talk about wasting water. Fuckers.  This is CA.
dook basketball
Nick Saban
Dan LeBatard.  Where the Fuck is Wilbon, goddammit??
the NIH study section who told me that they love my science and acknowledge that I have the expertise to do the work, but they don't think I have enough experience.
Ads on the delete screen on the TiVo.  WTF is that about?  I pay enough for the fucking service as it is.
Sorority Chicklets
The Girls Gone Wild guy.  And all the little sluts on those videos too.  Cheap much?
vegan evangelists
enviroNazis
Clueless fucks who think that if they keep those Kerry/ Edwards bumper stickers on, that they can live in denial that the election is over.
John Kerry
John Edwards
sheeple who actually believe the media in all instances without question
and did I mention fucking stupid LA drivers?

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:54 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
Post contains 230 words, total size 2 kb.

1 A little tense? (BTW, I went through journalism school and worked on the school newspaper with Dan LeBatard. Super nice guy and very talented as a writer. I have no beef with him.)

Posted by: rSM at January 05, 2007 04:12 AM (IyNwh)

2 Wow. Glad you didn't add people who ask for the same thing 2 or 3 times... or is that included under 'incompetents'? GRIN. Hope your year is starting to look better now.

Posted by: vw bug at January 05, 2007 05:54 AM (5wNak)

3 **chuckling softly to myself, hoping CTG doesn't overhear and tell me to eff off!**

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at January 05, 2007 06:14 AM (MwQOF)

4 Excellent list - just excellent. I love this one best: "that little ronery North Korean fuck, too" Well put ROFLMAO.

Posted by: Teresa at January 05, 2007 07:38 AM (gsbs5)

5 This list is great. I'll throw in my hat to L.A. drivers as well. For all the time people in this city have to actually spend driving, you'd think they'd eventually get good at it, let alone just plain competent. Nope. It's amazing. L.A. drivers when it rains? Forget about it. That's a f@#$ off long enough to fill a book.

Posted by: Emily at January 05, 2007 08:01 AM (lXDk3)

6 Dayum good list! ; )

Posted by: Christina at January 05, 2007 10:36 AM (NUhQR)

7 I like your style. :-) I actually feel better just having read that... Thanks.

Posted by: Richmond at January 05, 2007 02:28 PM (e8QFP)

8 Impressive list! Wash the sidewalks?! Some people have waaaay too much time on their hands.

Posted by: Marie at January 05, 2007 07:03 PM (keaCm)

9 LA Drivers - I don't live there... Leftards who let power go to their heads - who? Feminists - no comment People who pick on the weak - but they're so much fun... assholes who don't pay their child support - I do, so I'm safe People who slam their siblings in public - they're idiots, and deserve to be outed People who don't pick up their dog poo - one more reason to NOT have pets Egomaniacs - such as me? Incompetents - such as my family? Cashiers who don't know how to use their registers - ha! that's classic Target - I just shopped there today, but only because I got a gift card from my boss jackass house guests who complain for a week About EVERYTHING - kick them out and don't allow them to call a taxi... Litterbugs - damn straight Fucktards who drive SLLLLLOW in the left lane, Especially on the Arroyo Parkway. - slow drivers should have their license revoked cagastro and pals - who? that little ronery North Korean fuck, too - um... TV network executives - I don't watch television, so.... Sales tax - agreed Stuffed shirt bureaucrats - hell yeah! telemarketers - click the replacement mailman - going postal rocks! idiots who wash their sidewalks. Talk about wasting water. Fuckers. This is CA. - I live in the middle of nowhere... no sidewalks (I miss the city) dook basketball - what? Nick Saban - who? Dan LeBatard. Where the Fuck is Wilbon, goddammit?? - who and who? the NIH study section who told me that they love my science and acknowledge that I have the expertise to do the work, but they don't think I have enough experience. - can't get experience without getting a job, but can't get a job without experience; catch 22, the chicken and the egg Ads on the delete screen on the TiVo. WTF is that about? I pay enough for the fucking service as it is. - no clue what you're talking about Sorority Chicklets - never met one The Girls Gone Wild guy. And all the little sluts on those videos too. Cheap much? - never saw the videos vegan evangelists - that's a new one on me enviroNazis - tree~huggers? Clueless fucks who think that if they keep those Kerry/ Edwards bumper stickers on, that they can live in denial that the election is over. - who cares? Junior won... John Kerry - I know the name, and the face, but the only thing I really know about him is that he's married to the steak sauce chick and was an idiot... second- or third-hand knowledge, at best John Edwards - I assume from the above statement that this guy ran with Kerry.... I don't watch the news, so... sheeple who actually believe the media in all instances without question - I know a lot of those... and did I mention fucking stupid LA drivers? - see first answer

Posted by: Thomas Warlock at January 05, 2007 08:20 PM (kTf66)

10 *smirk* Yeah, my day went kinda like that, too.

Posted by: Mia at January 05, 2007 08:50 PM (Dlq0g)

11 I have to tell you, it was very cathartic to read your list!

Posted by: Bou at January 06, 2007 06:37 AM (PQFHD)

12 LA drivers?! Heh... try navigating your way through the rush-hour circus in Midtown Manhattan. It's common for NY drivers/cabbies to be plastered (so to speak) on the front pages of our three dailies for plowing into showroom windows and mowing pedestrians in greenmarkets down.

Posted by: Erica at January 06, 2007 03:59 PM (n1ABe)

13 Those Tivo ads drive me nuts!

Posted by: Sissy at January 08, 2007 08:48 AM (3lsFM)

14 Did we get it all out of our system?? *S* I'm like you, sometimes once I get started it just keeps rolling and rolling,,,

Posted by: Michele at January 08, 2007 10:27 AM (DqxwU)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

I suppose I owe you all an update.  Haven't really written anything of consequence for a while.  Sorry about that, but I've been a little out of pocket.

Christmas was great.  We spent the week in Fresno, enjoying the cold and the fog as only natives or long-time residents can.  Santa Claus was particularly nice to us, actually.  I got a small (read: $30 on Black Friday sale) microwave for my office and a new bluetooth headset for my cell phone (it looks like a ladybug!).  DH got a fishing pole and a tackle box, as he has recently resumed his fishing habit with my dad, aka FishMagnet.  We also got to play with the nieces and nephew.

However, the best part of the week was just being able to sleep late and relax and not be on a schedule.

Since we got back, work has been kicking my ass.  I did a lot of extra stuff before the break so that I would have it done. Good damn thing I did, because I would otherwise be living at the office trying to keep up!  Good thing that microwave was under the tree :-)

I feel highly unmotivated to discuss politics or current events.  There's just not much worth mentioning.  The Democrats are doing their "In your face" dance, Jerry Ford is still dead, and so is Saddam.  Castro is still NOT dead.  Using the Koran at the swearing in is literally a tempest in a teapot, even if the bastard is only doing it to make a political point.  The shit never changes, you know.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:39 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 266 words, total size 2 kb.

It's been a heck of a busy day.

Too much Champagne, too little sleep, up early for the Rose Parade, too much traffic, rich food, USC football, and the coolest damn game I've ever seen, courtesy of Boise State.

Parade pictures tomorrow after work, including the starring appearance by Robbo, Steve-o, and friends.

My lucky bastard husband is off another week.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:41 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
Post contains 64 words, total size 1 kb.