4/23/2005 10:08:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|I Have a Disease It's called eBayitis. Does anyone know of a cure? I must be stopped. I am bidding habitually and I have no money. The burning question: Do I really need another pair of khaki/tan shorts? The answer: No. So why am I bidding/buying like three pairs? Because I have a disease. My rationale is that I will be working outdoors in the hot, hot sun all summer and the least I can do for myself is to come prepared with many pairs of khaki/tan shorts. If I work hard enough, I may actually look good in my shorts by the end of the summer! Man am I going to have a lot of credit card bills to pay with my first paycheck! Shucks. I spent nine hours working on my Wildlife Management Plan (for the Iberian lynx) in the library today. I managed to write 13 pages and read about 11 journal articles. My eyes hurt, my back hurts and my brain hurts most of all. The sad thing is that I have to go back tomorrow and do it again. I must complete my management plan this weekend. Next weekend is my field trip and the Bighorn sheep census at Redrock. After starving myself at the library all day, I went out to eat tonight (yes, by myself- I have totally gotten over the stigma of eating alone) and then went to Green Acres "Lake" to do some bird watching. Oh! I'm pretty sure I forgot to mention it, but the replacement binocs came in. Leupold Wind River Pinnacles 10x42. I am in love. These binocs rock my world! Why the hell else would I be out watching birds at night? Any ways, I went out the other night to walk my dog and saw two Black-crowned Night-Herons on the lake. I wanted to see if they were still there and, lo and behold, they were. They were way less tolerant of me tonight than they were on Thursday. They even barked a stern reprimand at me when I came too close to them. At least I was able to get some exercise and stretch my legs. Speaking of stretching....I am in desperate need of stretching out flat on my back. One last thing before I head off to bed- I'm glad A had a good party and is embracing the big 3-0. I'll be there soon enough and it's good to have inspiration. Wish I could have been there to celebrate with ya, kiddo. |W|P|111431569815597429|W|P|Mandi-Moo Home|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com4/22/2005 03:08:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P| Happy Earth Day! Please go outside and hug the nearest tree! When you're done with that, whisper a "Thank you" into the wind for all that this Earth provides to you. Isn't it wonderful, how much the Earth does provide? Think about it for a moment.... Virtually everything in our lives is derived from the Earth in some form. Man-made items have been inspired by nature, no doubt about it. Yet we constantly marvel about how magnificent *we* are. If only everyone could stop and think about how magnificent this planet it. How it has evolved to make suitable conditions for us to live in. How it provides food, shelter and clothing for us. How it allows us to take so much without so much in return. It's a beautiful thing, this Earth. Please take some time today to honor the planet that provides the means for your survival. So, hug a tree, pick up some trash, plant a bush or recycle some cans. Do *something* that shows you care about this great Earth. |W|P|111420473177644508|W|P|Happy Earth Day|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com4/18/2005 07:27:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Kindness of Strangers Thank goodness for that! My car's battery died during my lunch break today. I was freaking out because I thought it was a much more serious problem than it was. A nice gentleman stopped and offered to help me. He correctly diagnosed the problem and jumped my battery. I hope someone out there does something nice for that man. Some days I love karma. |W|P|111387404413932424|W|P|Kindness of Strangers|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com4/17/2005 11:20:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P| Happy Birthday, A!! It's Amanda's 30th Birthday today, so everyone cheer! For 30 years she's been making the world a more interesting place to live. I am lucky to have had her in my life for the past....6 years! She is one hell of a person. Smart, funny, witty, compassionate, understanding, accepting, graceful, you name it. All of that wrapped up into one fantastic bundle! Amanda has seen me through some very ugly times and has been a great shoulder to cry on. I know she's gone through hell and back in her own life and, for that, she deserves a Birthday wish from everyone! Who else could ever get me to eat soy crumbles? Who else would tempt fate by trying to smoke on the picklefork? Who else takes as many pictures of water, dirt and otherwise? Who else could induce me to do impressions of aliens AND pigeons? Who else taught me that White Zinfandel is the Busch beer of the wine world? Who else would let me hook up my breast pump in their car? Who else would understand the need to take your picture wrapped in plastic? Who else can truly understand the train wreck that is Gorilla Boy? Who else but the beautiful, divine, delightful Miss Amanda Yvonne Hicks? No one. Cheers, A! I hope you have the best birthday ever. You are a most wonderful friend and an inspiration. You will ROCK 30! |W|P|111387389428191720|W|P|A's B-day|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com4/17/2005 11:05:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Frustration! I can't access my web site from home for some reason and it is really pissing me off! My ftp or browser/email won't connect to it to save my life. Bastards! I can access it from school, and other people can access it, but I can't access it from home! What's the deal, man? Mom thinks I have a virus, but I have ran Norton twice and it found nada. I wonder if Spyware could do this to me? But why is it blocking only my site? This is so strange (and so damned annoying). Oh, well. I don't have time or energy to fix it right now. Just got back from a jog. Hope it doesn't kill me because of this cold virus I'm carrying. Last time I jogged with a cold, I ended up with a hacking cough. I know I am a fool, but I am *desperate* to get into shape. I have finally transcended my plateau and am back on the road to weight loss. It's a damn fine feeling. :-) Also, I am finally getting back into my size 8s. I didn't think that would happen for a long, long time. So you can see why I am so motivated. I think this summer is going to be a fantastic opportunity for me to really get into shape. All those trails to hike... Well, I have spent the majority of the day yapping on the phone, yelling at my kids and exercising. I have got to work on my papers. So I am audi! Have a good work week, y'all. |W|P|111380071215195566|W|P|cPanel X|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com4/14/2005 02:33:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|I'm trying to study for my Botany exam but I am being plagued by thoughts about my Dad. Maybe I should just quit listening to music so much I won't be reminded of him so often. I'm not sure that quitting anything is going to help me stop thinking about him. I just miss him. |W|P|111351090749252421|W|P|Dad|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com4/13/2005 10:24:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Viva Jeff Buckley! How tragic is it that one of the most promising, young singer/songwriters drowned in the Mississippi? (Too much vino?) It's a real Greek tragedy, folks. Jeff Buckley is one of my all-time favorites and I am just bummed that he isn't still out there contributing most beautiful and haunting melodies for us music-philes. *hiroshima-sized sigh* His Dad, musician Tim Buckley, also died at a young age (drug overdose). The more I learn about visionaries, the more I realize that they almost always succumb to an early passing. In honor of the Talented Mr. Buckley, I am posting a couple of my favorite songs of his. Grace (Live) from Songs to No One Lover, You Should Have Come Over from Grace Here's to you, Jeff. I hope that wherever you are, you are still making music. |W|P|111345268631644896|W|P|Jeff B.|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com4/11/2005 05:51:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Music can sooth the Savage Beast A,, thanks for the flowers, sis! You rock, my friend! This song is for you! I am having a fantastic day! Why? Because I got a 91% on my Wildlife Mgmt Exam and a 96% on my Evolution Midterm this morning. I can only hope for the same success in Botany on Friday. Tomorrow I have a test in Music Appreciation, but that's sort of a joke, right? I appreciate this kind of music! That's "Won't be Home" by The Old 97's. Good stuff, y'all. I'm in the process of burning Beck's Mellow Gold for a guy at school and it brings back serious memories, that Mellow Gold. One, of smoking homegrown pot in the apartment on Vassar with the black light on my psychedelic Deadhead posters while reading a Tom Robbins book- Jitterbug Perfume, I'd wager. Two, carving wax phallic symbols in my Granny's basement. (I had a serious wax fetish when I was 16. I loved to melt it, sculpt it and carve it. My fingers were always burned and waxy.) Three, reading up on Kabbalah and the Golden Dawn and considering Wicca as my new religion. Four, I remember one day listening to "Steal my Body Home" over and over again until my Mother's boyfriend asked me to turn that noise off. Thinking back, I am convinced that Dropping out of High School was one of the best decisions I ever made. For one, some of the best memories of my "child hood" were around the time I was about to drop out. Mom (Carl), I am sorry you have to read this! I remember the first time I dropped acid, I was seventeen. I was with JD, Margaret, Carmen, Marie and Christy Marinus. We went and watched Interview with the Vampire at the Paramount. I was tripping pretty hard in the theatre and couldn't shut up. To quote, "Whoaaaaaaaaa. Wooooooowwwwww. Oh my goshhhhhhhhhh. You guys!! Do you see that? Whoaaaaaaa." Yeah, I know, my volcabulary was astounding. I am so suprised that we didn't get kicked out of the theatre. I remember all of my friends freaking out when Antonio Banderas came on screen, "Oh, Armand! You can take me!" I was strictly a Brad Pitt fan, so I couldn't really relate. I remember dropping another time, with the usual suspects, at Christy's house. We were watching The Doors and then all of the sudden we were watching "For the Boys" and all went downhill from there. I remember another time when I was absolutely fascinated by a 4inchx4inch swath of carpet at my boyfriend's house. I must have sat and stared at it for about three hours until this really creepy guy, Troll, came in to my little acid trip world and said, "What are YOU doing?" That freaked me out in a way that I will never be able to explain. All in all I would have to say that I am pretty lucky to have escaped my many acid trips without brain damage. I knew when it was time to stop and that is important, kiddies. I did have this really strange flashback at work one day..... ....but that's for another time. Things are looking up. :-) P.S. I just saw Jon Heder of Napoleon Dynamite fame get punk'd on Mtv. Pretty funny that he's really a Mormon geek!|W|P|111326347915650949|W|P|Flowers, Tests and Music|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com4/09/2005 11:27:00 AM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Ah, Saturday The day when your first visitors are Jehovah's Witnesses that do not speak English. :-) It's okay because I was able to sleep in and I am drinking a most delicious cup of coffee. It sort of levels the playing field. Last week was okay. It went by rather fast. Lots of driving around, if I can recall. *L* I have had 6 job interview requests in the past two days. The only two I am going to do are Wyoming Game & Fish Dpt. and Montana Fish, Parks and Wildlife. Those are both $10/hr with housing. Montana also has a per diem for travel, which is nice. The reason I am doing these? Because they can get your foot in the door for working with a state agency (which, unless you are planning on Game Wardenry, are very difficult to get hired on by). I am taking three classes online this summer in order to graduate on time. Intro to Soc and Intro to Criminal Justice through CCC and AG: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow through ENMU. Jealous, aren't you? So besides working full time I am going to be doing a LOT of reading and homework. I promise that I will try to have fun somewhere in between all of that. Of course I will bring many books with me, as well, with grand plans of marathon pleasure reading in mind. If you know me at all, you can already see what a pipe dream that one is. I sent the Bushnell's back to Eagle Optics and have requested an exchange for some Leupold Wind River Pinnacles 10x42. If these don't float my boat, I am going with Eagle Optics Ranger Platinums 10x42. Those my professor swears by. I have got to get a good pair of Binocs pronto! I have a lot of studying to do this weekend. I have an Evolution Midterm on Monday and a Botany Exam on Friday. I am wearing shorts today! And I do not care that my legs are the pastiest of all whites! I am feeling very "summery" today and enjoying the hell out of it. Should be 75 degrees today if the weather goes according to plan. Sounds like I'll be studying outside for awhile. I am terribly sore from my tricep workout the other day. I don't think I stretched properly [read: I didn't stretch at all] before starting my routine. Whoops. One of these days I will learn my lesson! Someone sent me flowers but I have been having a hell of a time getting them from the florist. They keep calling me and saying, "Can you pick these up, please?" Well, with my schedule, so far that has been, "No." So, hopefully I'll be able to pick those up on Monday. If you're reading this and you sent me flowers, "Thank you!" I'm sorry that I haven't been able to thank you properly yet. I will, though. You betcha. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. Enjoy the weather. |W|P|111306767597487970|W|P|Witnesses, Jobs, Study, etc.|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com4/06/2005 11:07:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|UG So the Binocs came today. What can I say other than I am totally disappointed with them. I am returning them to Eagle Optics tomorrow. They have a nice, clear picture, they just don't have 350 dollars worth of nice, clear picture. So, I think I'll get either the Alpen Apex or the Audubon Equinox HPs. You win some, you lose some. My friend Kelli is buying her first house! I am so happy for her. She's a great friend and she deserves a great house. :-) I find it amusing that she's moving back to the 'hood. Not the cruddy part of the hood where she and I grew up in; closer to where Jennie grew up. We talked for about three hours tonight. She's such a good person. I am so glad that we have kept our friendship over all of these years. It's amazing how much she has changed from that pious, shy, Mormon girl I met the summer after 6th grade at church camp. I was always amazed that she put up with me and Jennie's antics over the years. Not to mention the antics of the psycho Mormons in her ward. Those dudes were just plain freaks! They made me and Jennie's ward seem like partiers or something. I wish I could go back to Idaho Falls and beat them up for making Kelli feel like a bad Mormon. Well, Kelli's no longer a Mormon and no longer shy or the least bit pious, but she is still her wonderful, sweet self with the most infectious laugh you'll ever hear. So I'm glad she's doing well. I am really tired and I know I have to get up at 5:30 to check traps in the morning. Yuck. Double yuck. Didn't I spend all last summer doing that? Oh, yeah, and don't I have a job this summer doing that? So why do I have to do this?! Oy! It's like torture, people. I am listening to Franz Liszt and deciding whether I will choose one of his pieces to do a listening report on. I don't think so. I really like Chopin.... Liszt has been called the best pianist *ever*. In fact, he wrote such difficult pieces of music, that most people don't even want to play them. I need to start studying for my Evolution test and I have a Botany assignment due Friday. *sigh* I also have to register for classes this summer and fall. I may be taking 22 credits this fall if I can get away with it.... Night! |W|P|111285047418944813|W|P|Crap Binocs, Kelli and Traps|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com4/03/2005 11:39:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|So Much for the Day of Rest After hours of reading reviews and price comparisons, I have chosen the Bushnell Discoverer 7x42. It definitely wasn't an easy decision. I had veered off course and *almost* got the Alpen Apex 8x42s. They were both getting great reviews for being in the mid-price range of quality Binocs. It was the reputation that Bushnell has for repairing crap that's your fault that won me out in the end. I blew my budget and maxed out my credit card, but, what the hell! It's an investment. Plus, Eagle Optics (the online retailer I purchased from) has a 30 day return policy. If I don't like them, I can go for the Alpens.... I am doing practice Life Tables for my Wildlife Exam tomorrow. It's sickening how much material will be on this test. Sex Ratios Mortality Life Tables Meta Populations Sources and Sinks Ecological Traps Island Biogeography Island Biogeography of Preserves Values of Single Large or Several Small preserves Habitat Quality Genetic Considerations Genetically Effective Population Size Inbreeding Depression Outbreeding Depression And there is a ton of info for each of those headings. Jeez. Looks like I'll be burning the Midnight Oil. 'Course, it being the day time changes, I'll attempt to burn the Midnight Oil and it will skip to 1AM. I don't know what you burn at 1AM....incense? |W|P|111259318623660833|W|P|Binocs Life Tables|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com4/02/2005 10:40:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Welcome to "Tao of Coffee Talk," where we talk about Blogs, Jobs and Binocs. I don't quite know how to feel at the moment. That's because I recently discovered that my Mom has shared my blog with the Mormon Bishop at work. Even though I have left the Mormon religion, I feel somewhat uncomfortable knowing that one of the "good guys," so to speak, has read my not so good words. I'll get over it, I'm sure. (Besides, Mom assured me that he's cool.) I've got good news. No, your favorite gum is not going to come back in style (you should try Orbit's Bubblemint and you'll quit waiting for your gum to come back in style). I have found summer employment. Hooray! I'll be working for Oregon State University in Cooperation with the Forest Service in the Deschutes National Forest. I'm pretty thrilled about it, y'all! Not only do I get to spend the summer in some of the most beautiful wilderness this country has to offer- I get paid for it!! No more cheesy food stipends, actual hourly compensation. I am being very serious about this pay thing because I honestly figured that I would be working for Ramen noodles and Sam's Choice water for the summer. This is really good news (I'll be living off of Hamburger Helper and Dasani now). What this also means is that I will be living in housing that is not being described as "primitive." To be more specific I will not be living in a camper on the dusty prairie, having to haul my water in from the creek for "Ma" to warm up on the wood stove for my sponge baths. One of the best features of the job is the fact that it is 8 days on and 6 days off. That means that I (possibly) have the opportunity to explore the Oregon coast, the Cascades, Portland, visit home in Idaho and persuade Amanda to come camping with me. I am feeling like my Summer is filled with exciting possibilities. On a completely unrelated note, I have spent today doing four things: 1. Visiting Serafin in Littlefield, TX 2. Mowing my lawn 3. Studying Wildlife Mgmt. with Holly 4. Looking for a good pair of mid-price Binoculars On the Binocular front, I am wavering between a few possibilities: 1. Audubon Equinox HP 8x42 2. Bushnell Legend 8x42 3. Bausch & Lomb Discoverer 7x42 They are all in the 200-300 price range and will, of course, be put on ye ol' credit card. Like the GPS, these Binocs are an investment for my career, so I am taking the decision pretty seriously. I have three pairs of Binocs and they all SUCK. I went out to do waterfowl surveys and I couldn't tell a Cinnamon teal from a Ruddy duck. That's not muy bueno. Since I have a field trip coming up at the end of the month doing waterfowl surveys for a grade, it is absolutely imperative that I make a good Binoc decision by then. I feel like praying on it. I am nervous about spending that kind of money when I am a poor, starving college student, but with the prospect of summer wages.... ....I know I will be able to pay my credit card off. I am not going to make any hasty decisions, to make a long story short. I have started learning the art of internet compare shopping/reviewing. It takes a lot of time, but it gives you piece of mind when you know you have bought, at the lowest price, a product that is worth buying. I'm tired. Good night, all. |W|P|111250684490649608|W|P|Jobs, Binocs|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com