1. It's the 7th anniversary of September 11th...it feels like it happened yesterday.
2. My seminar presentation has been moved from November 21st to early next semester! Yay!
3. I think I might switch from My Food Diary to Spark People. Spark People doesn't charge a monthly fee and does all that which My Food Diary does.
4. The power company started cutting down all of the brush and trees under the powerlines yesterday. One, a house above me that I didn't know was there suddenly appeared. Two, I feel like I'm going against my environmentalist side when I hope that they take down all of the brush in front of my house so that I can get a better view of the river. :oP
5. If all goes well (meaning my "boss" doesn't tell me I still need to do a certain plot) I'm all done with field work. Happy face!
6. My boyfriend bought an iPhone. Whatever.
7. Depending on whether or not my boyfriend can get the time off, we might be going to Jamaica in October for our friend's wedding. Another happy face!
8. Except for touch-up paint, my kitchen is done! Happy face number three!
9. I planted collard greens and cauliflower. Cross your fingers.
10. I needed to think of something else for number 10 (to make this list even) but couldn't.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Kiddie pool?
I have a digging problem. That's the first step, right? Admit you have a problem? Actually, my dogs have the digging, I have the problem. We've had this problem off and on for a while now with them digging up and killing ALL of the rhodos in the yard, but it hasn't gotten on my nerves until recently. Perhaps the problem has gotten bigger than what I'll allow.
I did some searching online to see if there's any kind of repellent for the areas they're (I say they but I'm not sure whether it's both of them or just one) digging up. No luck. The best I found were websites saying it's either their nature, boredom, or they're trying to find a cool spot in which to lay. Basically, it's the owner's fault.
So what do I do? I go and buy treats/toys to reward(?) their bad behavior. Against my better judgement (because my dogs don't play with dog toys--imagine that!) I bought a rope and a squeaky toy. I hate spending money on stupid things my dogs don't even touch. I also bought 5 big rawhide bones. I'm okay with spending money on these since I know Capone loves them. Athena loves them because Capone loves them. As I gave one to each of them I thought, "Wait. Since Athena's going to run and bury hers...this is just going to make it worse!" AAGH!
This situation has been on my mind all day. Believe it or not this is somewhat of a big deal because I live on a semi-steep hill. Since the dogs (or whichever one it is) are digging right where the hill meets the flat part, I'm afraid there's going to be a major landslide with the first major rain we get. Whether this concern is warranted or not, I don't know. At any rate, if this keeps up I feel like I might have to put in a retaining wall. :oP I would get a landscaper (not sure if this is the correct professional to hire) to come in a take a look at it, but after this kitchen renovation, I HAVE NO MONEY!
At any rate, here's my conclusion: judging from where they're digging (under an azalea, under a mimosa tree, and under the picnic table) I think they're looking for a cool spot to lay in. At the same time, one of them (or both?) are eating the roots of the mimosa. Same thing happened with the rhodos. So are they hungry? Am I not feeding them enough? They're eating grass as well. Or is it the water content in the roots? Does their water get too hot to drink? My boyfriend and I have discussed previously how strange it is that they won't drink the water I provide outside and then when I let them in for the night they'll drink and drink and drink the water that's inside. I even changed the bowl I have for them outside just in case it was the problem.
I considered buying a kiddie pool to put out back, but I did that in NM and they ignored it. Also, since it's hilly back there, the only level place I could put it is on the fire-pit patio and there's not much shade there.
Does anyone have any advice??
I did some searching online to see if there's any kind of repellent for the areas they're (I say they but I'm not sure whether it's both of them or just one) digging up. No luck. The best I found were websites saying it's either their nature, boredom, or they're trying to find a cool spot in which to lay. Basically, it's the owner's fault.
So what do I do? I go and buy treats/toys to reward(?) their bad behavior. Against my better judgement (because my dogs don't play with dog toys--imagine that!) I bought a rope and a squeaky toy. I hate spending money on stupid things my dogs don't even touch. I also bought 5 big rawhide bones. I'm okay with spending money on these since I know Capone loves them. Athena loves them because Capone loves them. As I gave one to each of them I thought, "Wait. Since Athena's going to run and bury hers...this is just going to make it worse!" AAGH!
This situation has been on my mind all day. Believe it or not this is somewhat of a big deal because I live on a semi-steep hill. Since the dogs (or whichever one it is) are digging right where the hill meets the flat part, I'm afraid there's going to be a major landslide with the first major rain we get. Whether this concern is warranted or not, I don't know. At any rate, if this keeps up I feel like I might have to put in a retaining wall. :oP I would get a landscaper (not sure if this is the correct professional to hire) to come in a take a look at it, but after this kitchen renovation, I HAVE NO MONEY!
At any rate, here's my conclusion: judging from where they're digging (under an azalea, under a mimosa tree, and under the picnic table) I think they're looking for a cool spot to lay in. At the same time, one of them (or both?) are eating the roots of the mimosa. Same thing happened with the rhodos. So are they hungry? Am I not feeding them enough? They're eating grass as well. Or is it the water content in the roots? Does their water get too hot to drink? My boyfriend and I have discussed previously how strange it is that they won't drink the water I provide outside and then when I let them in for the night they'll drink and drink and drink the water that's inside. I even changed the bowl I have for them outside just in case it was the problem.
I considered buying a kiddie pool to put out back, but I did that in NM and they ignored it. Also, since it's hilly back there, the only level place I could put it is on the fire-pit patio and there's not much shade there.
Does anyone have any advice??
Thursday, September 4, 2008
When a spider isn't a spider
I recently posted a picture on Facebook of a daddy-longlegs and mistakenly called it a "spider". Boy was I wrong! (As my friends so quickly pointed out.) Apparently spiders usually have two body sections, eight eyes, and unsegmented abdomens while daddy-longlegs have one body section, two eyes, and segemented abdomens. The Spider Myths Site does a really good job explaining it when they say that daddy-longlegs are arachnids but not spiders in the same way that butterflies are insects but not beetles.
A little bit of trivia for you...now go impress all of your friends.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
What I watch when I'm feeling down...
My brother sent me this a while back and I have yet to grow tired of it.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
...have the capacity to sting when they are rubbed against.
After sampling today I have decided that I'll take sampling in rhodo hell over sampling in wood nettle (Laportea canadensis) any day! If you scream in the woods and no one's around to hear it, do you make a sound?
Monday, September 1, 2008
The world would be a better place if every weekend was a 3-day weekend
SATURDAY
1. Played Mario & Sonic Olympics for Wii.
2. Picked up veggie tray and balloons from Food Lion for cousin's baby shower. Balloons were free since they forgot to blow them up before we got there. (yay)
3. Attended baby shower with lots of people I didn't know.
4. Ate microwave dinners (still don't have sink/countertops) on patio; drank a bottle of wine.
5. Went to friend's house to watch Clemson game.
6. Clemson lost.
7. Burst bloodvessels in my eye when I hit myself (on accident) with my friend's stick.
SUNDAY
8. Played M & S Olympics.
9. Boyfriend sanded address post at top of drive.
10. Picked up dog doo-doo.
11. Mowed
12. Got ice-cream at Dairy Queen.
13. Attended grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary party with (again) lots of people I didn't know.
14. Stopped by other grandparent's house for dinner and to pick up shrimp for boyfriend's bday party. Got hibiscus seeds.
15. Played M & S Olympics.
MONDAY
16. Rode bikes to eat breakfast at Huddle House.
17. Played M & S Olympics.
18. Painted post at top of drive.
19. Took two trips to the Jackson County Transfer Station to dispose of cabinets that have been sitting in my driveway for weeks.
20. Boyfriend switched out old porch light for new one.
21. Weeded, transferred bulbs, cut down overgrowth, planted some hibiscus seeds.
22. Ate at burger joint never been to before but heard great things about that didn't turn out to be true.
23. Watched Clear & Present Danger.
24. Transferred refrigerator from shed to carport closet.
25. Moved brush pile from driveway to rear of dog pen.
26. Hammock fell while sitting in it.
27. Had great idea to use posts we bought for the pergola we're no longer building to put hammock up in the backyard.
28. Levelled the dishwasher.
29. Played M & S Olympics.
30. Created "glass", "plastic", "cans", "trash", "paper" signs for recycle bins.
31. Ate microwave dinners on patio, relaxed, and enjoyed the last few moments of this wonderful three-day weekend.
1. Played Mario & Sonic Olympics for Wii.
2. Picked up veggie tray and balloons from Food Lion for cousin's baby shower. Balloons were free since they forgot to blow them up before we got there. (yay)
3. Attended baby shower with lots of people I didn't know.
4. Ate microwave dinners (still don't have sink/countertops) on patio; drank a bottle of wine.
5. Went to friend's house to watch Clemson game.
6. Clemson lost.
7. Burst bloodvessels in my eye when I hit myself (on accident) with my friend's stick.
SUNDAY
8. Played M & S Olympics.
9. Boyfriend sanded address post at top of drive.
10. Picked up dog doo-doo.
11. Mowed
12. Got ice-cream at Dairy Queen.
13. Attended grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary party with (again) lots of people I didn't know.
14. Stopped by other grandparent's house for dinner and to pick up shrimp for boyfriend's bday party. Got hibiscus seeds.
15. Played M & S Olympics.
MONDAY
16. Rode bikes to eat breakfast at Huddle House.
17. Played M & S Olympics.
18. Painted post at top of drive.
19. Took two trips to the Jackson County Transfer Station to dispose of cabinets that have been sitting in my driveway for weeks.
20. Boyfriend switched out old porch light for new one.
21. Weeded, transferred bulbs, cut down overgrowth, planted some hibiscus seeds.
22. Ate at burger joint never been to before but heard great things about that didn't turn out to be true.
23. Watched Clear & Present Danger.
24. Transferred refrigerator from shed to carport closet.
25. Moved brush pile from driveway to rear of dog pen.
26. Hammock fell while sitting in it.
27. Had great idea to use posts we bought for the pergola we're no longer building to put hammock up in the backyard.
28. Levelled the dishwasher.
29. Played M & S Olympics.
30. Created "glass", "plastic", "cans", "trash", "paper" signs for recycle bins.
31. Ate microwave dinners on patio, relaxed, and enjoyed the last few moments of this wonderful three-day weekend.
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