It Stopped Snowing

And life is getting back to normal.

Hope you all have a happy holiday!

Still Snowing!

Up to the minute...

you can't see me

It's a Blizzard!

Nice Shepherd...predigesting a kitten...

This ones even better!

Check this out Claire and Jamie people

I love Al.

Deadwood is a brilliant HBO show. Anyone who hasn't already seen it really ought to add it to the top of their netflix. It's painfully smart... You get to that place in your brain where you just wish you could talk like that - and it's just good fun to call someone a crazy cunt.

This is the example!

I'm reminded what an example is supposed to be. It's a sad world we live in when our children emulate a pop star over the clear virtue of what may be the only Xtian Saint (or otta be a saint)I actually have any faith in. Want a hero? Pick her.

Dear Ms Spears...

Please purchase more panties and fewer cocktails.
Please have that rash looked at.
Please turn your children over to DHS.

You are a disgrace.

Ahhhh... he is so fine.

Scroll down- new show of Garden of the Gods

Scroll down already!

Truth!

Why is it that the church thinks it's priests and nuns (mainly the boys though) are more godlike if they don't have sex?

I get that the 'reason' is so that they can channel that energy into their duties and community - but I think that the less worldly the priests are, and the more forbidden the fruit is - it's got to be a bad thing.

And sadly the proof shows up in the papers world wide.

I respect the clergy of the world who have lived in the same world as the rest of us- those who CHOOSE celibacy as a manifestation of their devotion - but those that have it imposed on them.. I can't help but think the church would be better off without that rule.

Garden of the Gods... Stay tuned for blog update..

Eureka! Found the Dog Park!

Logan says we can stay!

We found the dog park - and wouldn't you know - it even has a beach!
Boulder really is cool!

Doudy Draw Trail

This was our first hike with Logan's 'get out of jail free' tag - aka the Boulder voice & sight program. Dog's with manners can be off leash, which means lots of ball playing, sniffing and general cavorting.

This is an out and back hike - 3.8 miles or so.. 3.7 of those miles are uphill... ok - maybe not- but my butt sure feels that way.

Enjoy!

Denver Zoo!

WOW - it's amazing!

The tiger is for Stacy... the lion cubs all mine!




This little kitty was mauling a pine cone -


























And this baby gorilla was hiding...

See the rest on Photobucket -
http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m166/sidhe_13/

Hit the Denver Zoo album or just poke around.

Home Sweet Home

I admit it - I am smitten. Boulder is awesome!

I can't imagine anyplace is prettier (but I'll have some fun trying to find one). The exploration bug is in full swing - I'm tramping all over this amazing state with my co-pilot for one more week (everyone say Hi to my Mom) and our amazing navigator and on-board security officier - Logan.

Pictures today include the cute cozy little house we call home, my morning walk with Logan. Yes folks - I get to see these views every damn day. Poooooor me!

Boulder!

Is AWESOME!

I love it love it love it. Pictures soon - I need to run the set up software :P

G'bye friend

A great conservationist died yesterday. Steve Irwin aka The Crocodile Hunter was killed off the coast of Australia. He got a stingray barb through the heart. Isn't it ironic. The modest blessing is that he died as he lived - full on.

My prayers go out to Teri his wife, Bindi his much beloved daughter who was the apple of her dad's eye for the 8 years they had together, and to baby Bob. Breaks my heart that he won't ever really know his father as a man.

Prayers go out to the other family at the Beerwah zoo, Wes - hang in there- he wouldn't want you to suffer. Let him live in the part of you that loves the sunshine and fresh air.

I like trees...

I like Trees... the bigger the better. This one is at the shrine we visited on Sunday. It was HUGE. The closeup is on the left.









As we entered the area - we noticed a vendor roasting nuts.. well anyone who's been by my desk will have noticed that I usually have a can or two of some kind of nut. So Ken bought us some to try. Evidently the word 'nut' is similar to 'is going to taste alot like a lima bean'. It looked like an almond on the outside - shellwise... cracked open after roasting it was a weird sort of slick/slimey looking lima bean tasting object. I didn't hate it - but I didn't have a second one. Those nuts actually grew on that tree! Was pretty cool in a hippy tree hugging way (yes... I am 'that' girl.).

City City everywhere

Tokyo - Random City Pictures

I'm back in the States now - the next few posts will just be wrap up pictures with a bit of commentary.

Here are more scenes looking out my hotel window.

I've really tried to keep an open mind...but.....

I really have tried to keep an open mind. Food that looks different, tastes strange (but not bad)...being patient while trying to observe rather than fully understand a conversation...

But today I've reached my breaking point. I can stand it no more.

These are NOT scrambled eggs. I don't care what sign you put next to them. I don't even care that you put ketchup out with them. That mess of god knows what is NOT based on anything that a chicken had anything to do with. Scrambled eggs are light, they don't pour like chunky pudding. They aren't heavy... like if you picked up some lead... All the salt and pepper in this world cannot fix what is broken here.

Dogs!

It's funny to see all the dogs around here. I honestly didn't expect it. Everything is so crowded - the thought of pets focused on little ones... but nope.

No shepherds yet - but the trusty Golden has been spotted.

Adventures in the Grocery Store...

So - The adventure today was the grocery store.

I was starving!

I walked in - spent 30 mins - and ended up with bananna's and water.

The food is colorful, but I couldn't tell what it was. I stuck with the familiar.

The food has been AWESOME - but thankfully I've had alot of help with ordering.
I need no help with Saki :P

Boggle

This place nearly made me cry. Once I figure why it moved me I'll try to put some words to it.

So I read the sign and thought Oh that's cool and sweet. Then you turned this corner...

Bang there he is.. And for me.. I just kind of stood there.

There is incense burning...but it's not cloying like (sometimes) in a church. People are talking but only the kids are yelling and rushing around.

This Buddha (called Amita-Buddha, Daibutsu or Great Buddha) was cast in 1252 a.d. by two sculptors. Ok I can't even cook without a microwave and these two guys build a giant buddha out of bronze... just makes me wonder if we are really all that modern.. Anyway .. back to Buddha... In 1495 a tidal wave swept away the great temple of the Buddha leaving only it's foundation... but didn't hurt the Buddha. Other calamities hit the shrine..but not one of them ever hurt the Buddha.

Big Shrines Little Shrines...

Kamakura has lots of shrines. From what I gather...the bells or gongs are rung to get the attention of the particular diety that the shrine is for. The arches are gateways (or runway lights) so that the god has no trouble finding his/her shrine. You wash your hands and gargle with the spring water so that you are clean before you seek the company of this god.
The picture above on the left is of one of the springs. and to the right a smaller shrine guarded by foxes. If you look real close the foxes at the entrace are in good shape - but the little ones close to the shrine have lost their heads.. well not really ... but over time their heads have been warn down due to the number of people who rub or pat them for luck.

Sunday in Kamakura

Hi all-

The pictures to follow are from a place called Kamakura. It's about an hour from Tokyo...but all things travel related are estimates..nah...they are guesses cause the traffic here is insane. The driving to Kamakura is alot like Hurricane Mtn Road on crack...but longer. For you non NH folks who don't get the reference.. *mock* you really ought to visit NH.
^^ That's Ken. One of our ever so patient host's. His kindess knows no bounds... but I think Cheri and I may have come close to it with our 'I wanna take a quick look in this shop' rinsed and repeated throughout the day. Just how many ways can you dress up a hello kitty? Billions. Thats me and Cheri standing by the steps below one of the shrines in Kamakura.
'

So Kamakura is a less frequented tourist spot. It's a combo of OOB (old orchard beach minus Lisa's Pizza), a sacred shrine space and the Fryburg Fair.

This whole place is a mishmash of clashing things. Old building right next door to a glass monstrosity. Rickshaws and crotchrockets. Forks and chopsticks. (more on that later...and please make a note to add chopsticks to the 'other things that wendy just can't comprehend list).

From my window

The city is huge! As far as my eye can see - buildings. But it's oddly quiet too. Maybe 20 stories up muffles the sound.. but no honking horns or thundering booms from someone with more bass in their car stereo than any human should have.

The Hotel

I'm on the 20th floor of this place...
The shower is hot, the bed is comfie. It's approx 11 hours later here than the east coast... but don't trust me..look it up.. cause you know all this 'time' stuff kicks my butt.
(http://www.tokyo.century.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp)

For example:

Yesterday (Saturday in Tokyo) but Friday in Boston... *boggle...oh look...more brain cells are dead* I maybe logged 6 hours of sleeping on the ass killing flight. So I arrive in Tokyo at around 4pm ... arrive hotel at 6ish...

Out to eat with Cheri - (more details on that later..can I just say HEAVEN! Best food ever)! Back at hotel around 10pm... sleep!

Eyes pop open at 5am local time.
WTF!
I just can't shake the morning person curse.



Incidentally.. traffic here makes 128 at rush hour on a BAD day look like a scenic drive in the Nevada desert. I'll never bitch about boston traffic again.. well at least not for a couple days.

Pictures to be posted later...

Hello from Japan!

I've made it!

Let me tell you the human ass was not meant to be sat on for 12 hours...unless there was a Buffy marathon on TV. Even then - you'd get up and go to the fridge...

So the saga thus far...

Friday (Boston)
4am - wakie wakie...
4:15 am - repeat - wakie wakie
4:20am - REALLY.. now ... wake up!

Sleepy head showers wishes she'd listened to her intuition and taken her packed suitcase out to the car the night before. D'oh! It's much more fun to bang around the hall at 5am and wake the roomies.

5:30ish- the sacred bean juice is now in hand - blessed be Mc'D's.

Arrive Logan airport - 2 hours early cause you know...TSA needs to screen me.
20 mins later - screening all done! Damn.. hurry up and wait.

Foggy and raining... flight to Balitmore cancelled.. half expecting to hear my flight to Chicago is going to be cancelled too... but no - it's just going to be a bit late.

Late?

Don't you know who I am? I'm going to Japan today... I have a connecting flight that I cannot miss! *grumble* *indignation* I have no time to lose! Look I've only got an hour before my connection takes off ... I can't possibly miss it...it's cutting it too close....

Ms. Gallant?
>> Yah?
Um.. you'll be fine. See here on your itinerary .. see that's already more than an hour between your connections... and well... Chicago is on central time.. so you really have 2 hours of leeway between your connections...
>>Blast.. cover blown. Busted by my longstanding inability to understand timezones. Just who is the boss of that? And where does that hour come from?

Oprah sends her hello's from Chicago.. I make it and get on my next flight no troubles.
UNTIL I get on the plane. Below is a diagram.

0 = some dude X=me

Seating chart
00 00000 00
00 00000 00
00 00000 00
00 00X00 00
00 00000 00

So - neither aisle or window. I'm trapped.
Reference sentence one above... and you get the drift.

Netflix - going on my Best Things Ever!

I would like to thank whoever was the mind behind Netflix.

I love your service, I use your service and I recommend it.

What a good idea!

I've got Insurance!

My Sister said it best - that is the battle cry of the lower middle class.

It means you stand the chance of making it to the middle middle class.

Still means that the dollar menu and Mc'D's is a viable meal a couple nights a week.

I have health insurance. Have had to use it a lot. I think I'm allergic to Massachusetts.

I don't think I can even spell it right.

Safe Journey Ramona Bell

Although we never met, your voice and the voice of your beloved filled many hours of my time with happy thoughts.

You two made me smarter, a thinker, and less of a sheep.

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/shows/2006/01/05.html#r

Here it is -

A brand new world - the blogverse.

Can't stop the signal my friends....

More to come.