I feel compelled to post a photo of Flop

Cleo and Hobbes have had their moments here in the blog, but poor Flop, darling that she is, hasn't been featured. I think that it is only fair to get her picture out here for all to admire and coo over (LOL). So, without further ado, here is the Flop-meister.

Sometimes, there is peace in the kingdom, and the three will share a favorite place in the sun. More often than not, you will only find two together in any given spot...so these photos of triple sisterly bliss are few and far between. But these are my girls.

^Clockwise, from the 12 o'clock position, there is Cleo, Hobbes and Flop.

This is actually a grazing photo from last winter into spring. Those little boxes of grass were a great source of amusement for us, and usually led to a mowing session in the living room after the little jaws stopped chomping.

What's new, Pussycat? Me-ow-oh-ow-oh-ow!

Cat nap.

Cleo simply couldn't wait for the quilt to be done...she had to "try it out" in process, which of course made it very hard to navigate the quilt around under the needle. LOL

Flop even tried to wheedle her own time on the quilt, and would routinely knock it off the top of the machine during the evening. It would land on the table just behind the machine where she would prut and purr as if to say "Oh my...Oh dear...look what's happened. I guess I must lay here with this warm soft blanket to make certain no one steals it while Beth isn't looking." Flop is sweet, but terribly blonde.

So, January is slipping by, and not in a mellow, friendly way. Oh no! It is roaring out of here, huffing and puffing and freezing and snowing. It won't be good weather-wise for the next few days (not that it's been terribly delightful for easily the last week or better). Of course, it could always be worse...so I am keeping more of the rest of my opinion to myself. You're welcome. Mom has had her work cut out for her in the U.P. Marquette has been slammed with foot upon foot of snow, and she has been hand clearing her steep driveway with a scoop! But to be able to get to that chore, she first has to extricate herself from her house - another feat in itself with those U.P. snowdrifts against the doors.

Mom, next year put up snow fences around the exterior doors!

Well, my brain is weary, but my eyes are even blearier (is that a word?), so I am shutting down for the night. I hope to log more pics over the next several days...but time will tell. Still need to really get cramming for finals next week, so I am not guaranteeing any sort of time table for getting photos uploaded in here, but do check back. If you are looking for lots of pics, you may want to read further back into the blog....say through October, November and December. Otherwise, practice patience and you will be rewarded.

Have a great rest of the evening and a terrific Thursday. Thanks for the bread and meatballs, Jean - yum! G'night!

Little Bear says:

"If the Monkey gets a close-up, then I wanna be an announcer."

So it is written, so let it be done.

POOF!

Just some photos

My set ROCKED!!!! And it looked great on camera, too.

- so much so, it is the blueprint for everything which has followed. I want a chance to re-create, and I believe I see set decoration in my future (I have some cool things I am assembling for the next quarter). HA! I have ideas and I hope to get a chance to use them in the future.

Lakesha goin' all FCP! Are you having fun, yet? I would say that smile is a big 'yes'.

Maria, having fun on the Camera 1 position. Look at that lovely, relaxed, RETIRED smile. Way to go, kid! Oh& if you look closely, you will find a zingy pair of sneakers...that would be Ed.

Our favorite gal with our favorite ghoul.

Keep working on it, Adam, that whole Austin Powers Pinky-thing can be tough to master.

Lauren, Maria, Jill and Matt mugging with some of our former classmates (they went radio, and I think they are having fun).

Andrew C and Jory...gettin' it done in the big studio!

What can you say? Ah, yes. Double D called us the "touchy-feelies".

That works.

The monkey is ready for his close-up, Mr. DeMille.

Rockin' Anthony F. (don't hate me, kid. I can say your last name, but I don't want to butcher it trying to spell it in this post. LOL)

Poor January...you were gyped

As blog months go...you got rooked in the entry department. Sorry, old friend. And, nothing personal intended, January, but crap! - you were a sh*t month (thanks for the permission, Brad).

Between school and the state of Michigan (currently, one huge "state" of discontent, confusion and denial), I have been enormously shafted...and not in the good way. Geez, could there be an easier way to take someones money and not give them anything in return to show for it? Oh wait...yes, there is. It's called 'Specs-freakin'-Howard's-idea-of-FCP-and-PSD-instruction' (A.K.A. Four-tremendously-disjointed-weeks-of-delivery-and-little-practical-use-during-the-learning-stages).

The way in which the 3rd quarter has been presented, and the content delivered, is truly a work of art. [Yes! I know I am being completely sarcastic here. Sit down, mom.] The instructors are great - and really know their stuff - but have been given so little time to impart the knowledge (holiday interruptions not withstanding), then have to get on with the next portion of the quarter. There is no reason the information/lesson portion could not have lasted the ENTIRE eight weeks, given that next (the last quarter) quarter, we only have two basic classes - one of which will be a huge waste of time for me - at least 50% of it!

Gorram it!!!!!!

As for the state of Michigan... [growl, growly-growl, rrrrrr] No worker left behind - my ass! How do you want your load of sh*t from the state delivered? By the spoonful, the shovelful, or up your butt as an enema? Suffice it to say (right now), that the story is far too long to get into here...but, stop by with a glass of Samos and I will happily tell you where not to be unemployed (with expectations of the state delivering your UIA payments in a timely way after completing all paperwork and jumping through all hoops - as indicated by rude phone liaisons).

Lastly, the gossip girls have really got to grow up. The class disfunction is enough, without the b*tchy attitudes and childish one-upsmanship (which isn't required). Really, it isn't. How long do you think you will last with that sort of extreme nyah-nyah attitude and work ethic in the real world? CLUE: You WON'T!

So, thppppbbbbt!

We got a long way to go, and a short time to get there...

...I'm eastbound. Just watch old Bandit run!"

That tune just keeps running through my head. Especially when I am driving to class. Of course, I substitute "southbound" for "eastbound", but I don't think Jerry Reed would mind. LOL

You got yer ears on, son?

So, the last several weeks have been a bit of a cluster f*** as far as schedules and school. Between the holiday breaks interrupting , snow days, more holidays, the instructors switching the schedule around to fit their own needs...we have barely had what one would consider a decent forth quarter education.

Personally speaking, I think one of our instructors talks a mile-a-minute, barely allowing for note-taking (or taking a breath). He punctuates everything by rapping stacks of paper on desks, or audio equipment, or the podium he speaks from. My belief: he hypes up on Red Bull from the minute he wakes up, and chases it with espresso shooters, just to make it through the day with his eyes open. Experiencing one of his 'lectures' is like watching a drug-hyper pup try and figure out which tree he is going to take his much-needed tinkle on. Poor bladder. And if that wasn't enough insanity, he is stuffing down what should be 8 weeks worth of information/class sessions into not even five sessions. His classes are just over two hours long, and the time he allows us to fulfill the in-class assignment is ludicrously short...during which he constantly interrupts, or has interruptions from other staff members wanting to have conversation. Add to that, he is continuously reminding us of the time we have remaining to get the assignment done. VERY nerve-wracking. At least it is for me.

Another pitiful excuse for properly preparing us is the sad 4-week effort to instruct us in (cram down our throats) FCP and PSD. Notwithstanding, some of the students already either have the software, or have had instruction from another source - community college, high school, availability outside the class - which is great for them. Those of us who require more time to process, digest, use, become familiar with something have been left in the dust. Then, adding insult to injury, they administer these quizzes to measure our knowledge (so the school can look as though it's providing and measuring real growth and knowledge transfer), only to throw us into new classroom settings (or, away from practice and hands-on time with the software). Yes, creating commercials will be fun, but trying to utilize the equipment/software we barely know to edit and finalize the projects is asinine.

Anyhow, that's my rant for the moment. Although I did love and appreciate the lighting lecture, and I think it is woefully inadequate for the school that they don't provide this lighting portion as a part of regular instruction. FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!! In other words...'what da f***!?'

Thanks, Jose, for a brilliant pinpoint of light in a gaping black hole which is Q3.

Planting photos in here after I wash some dishes. Later!

Gotta go with the flow...after all, tomorrow is another day. Thank you, Scarlett O'Hara.

Well, while baking potatoes and heating chili to mound on top (with melted cheese and sour cream), we began to experience brown-outs. So, we are all getting ready to log off for the night and get ready to sleep on the lower level with the fireplace if necessary.

We have oil lamps burning, and candles at the ready. As soon as our 'spuds with mud' are consumed, getting ready for bed will commence, until we can relax and take whatever happens when it happens.

The kitchen window is speckled with rain, and it looks miserable outside - but, at least it's rain instead of ice. As I was driving home tonight, little ice rain crystals began falling, sounding grim and ominous against the metal of the car. The power lines hate ice (and heavy snowfalls), and the brown-outs usually foretell of pro-longed darkness and cold if conditions stay as they are, or worsen. So keep your fingers crossed for continued electricity and heat throughout the night.

I had hopes of loading some new photos of RTV 0907 onto the blog, and I still may. However, I think it is more likely going to be tomorrow morning for a photographic update. Apologies.

Communication! He-e--l-l-o-o-o-o-o-o

OK, so now a good number of your instructors have said it... and while you may think it applies only to others in the class - use the words of wisdom yourself!!! Communicate!

This is not a competition between us, doggoneit! We are in the class together...to lean on...to learn with...to learn from. Strengths and weaknesses - we all have them, and no matter how old you get, it is a constant in life. No matter how brilliant you think you are (and you laugh at someone else's short comings and foibles), try and be human. And since class is not the place to compete, let's try to help one another with the areas where there is a deficit. Help each other. Begin to be communal in your nature, for crying out loud.

You will get the chance to compete with everybody else soon enough...try to behave a little more humanely while you have the chance!

I mean it...don't make me turn this bus around!

Much brighter today

Hello day number 2 of 2008!

Looks as though my ball could use a little Snowagra for droopage.

Still somewhat snowed in, and waiting for the plows to do their deed on some of the lesser traveled side streets. Since Clarkston schools are not in session yet (back to school on the 7th), there are no closings to list. So, consequently, not all secondary roads and little sub-streets get plowed as quickly. Somehow, getting stuck in someone's ruts right in front of my own driveway does not appeal to me.

But, that's ok, since we have food and milk, blah blah blah. Oh, and plenty of cats in case the frig goes out and we need fresh...naw, I'm not gonna go there - it's too easy. Relax Cleo and Hobbes!

We have intermittant sun today, and can really see how pretty it is -

although, truth be told...it was awfully lovely yesterday, too.

Well, Happy New Year! Welcome to the Winter Wonderland

How do you like these apples?

Living in the "weather belt" has been fun, but I think it may be time to move completely out of it! We never want for the snow storm experience...or the ice storm aftermath...or the scare of tornado season...and the heavy rains when they happen, and this new year is already no exception to the weather maelstrom.

These photos are cool but dreary, as today is grey and sunless. This was the least amount of snow on the car - 10.5 inches! The covered porch faired somewhat better with only 8".

We had our own version of the New Year's Ball....that is a mound of snow on top of the umbrella finial! That silly little finial isn't an inch across the top, either! Usually, there are sparrows or junkos perched on it - with their tiny feet clutching it as if their lives depended on not letting go.

I know it's mean, but I almost want to put birdseed on top just to see if/what would happen when a little bird lands to eat there.

I never got around to putting away the patio things - as you can plainly see - and the large iron chairs tell the tale.

Don't you just want to plop down in that?! I can just picture the snow floofing in all directions, like a cartoon.

Believe you me...if I had a pair of snow pants I would go sit like a 10-year-old in that seat without even thinking twice - just for the sheer silly-ass fun of it!

Notice the snow on the handrail. The posts at the bottom of the stairs are composite material wrapped around 4" wood posts. So that's 5.5 inches on one side...can you figure out the snow depth on the handrail?

The last photo is of the northeast corner of the pergola, which is slowly but surely filling in with the vines and climbers planted around it. It's been fun being able to watch the birds in the area use it as well - mama and daddy Blue Jays teaching the young jays to fly, a roost for Mourning Doves (hearing their soft cries only feet away from the windows), and an aerial playground for hummingbirds (on those special occasions).

More later, but for the time being, I have to go fix breakfast, and be thankful we haven't lost power! Happy new year, everyone!