I’ve already packed what I can. I’m so keyed-up abount being in Arizona that I’m starting to try and pack what I can’t. Like the cat. No, not really… but like the pajamas. If I pack them, I can’t wear them to bed, duh. All the camera batteries are already charged, all of the memory cards emptied. The maps are found, directions printed, hotels called. I’m so ready to be gone already! I find myself looking around and going “Next week at this time, we’ll be doing ________.”
I’ve been talking on and off with Sheri Williamson, a co-founder of Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory. I was hoping to catch a Hummingbird Banding session, but it turns out that she has workshops to do the entire time we’re out there, so we won’t get to see her at all. That’s a shame, really. I’d wanted to meet at least someone I’d been chatting with out there. None of my Hummingbird Forum people are going when I’ll be there (not for lack of trying on my part). It’ll be pretty much John and I, plus anyone we happen to meet out there.
Stephen just informed me that he’s been unable to comment here for a while. I was unaware if this issue, but it’s fixed now. Sorry about that!
To add to pack:
Gas Pills
Pain Pills
Sunglasses
Bug Spray
Graphic Novel
To take with us:
- Camera & parts
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- Both cameras (s400 and Rebel XT)
- USB cables, chargers and cords
- Both lenses (50mm and 70-300mm) and small lens hood
- All memory cards and extra batteries
- Mini tripod
- Clothes
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- 7 pairs pants/shorts each
- 10 pairs socks each
- 10 tops each
- shoes (sandals and tennies)
- underwear (plural)
- hair-ties
- Sweatshirts (because deserts get cold at night)
- Bathroom supplies
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- Shampoo and Conditioners
- Contact solution
- 1 pair extra contacts each
- Brushes, combs
- No-Baby Pills
- No-Stink sticks (ie: deodorant)
- Toothbrushs + toothpastes
- Razors
- Sunblock, SPF of 80+ (because John makes like a lobster)
- Books
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- A Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America
- Various novels for both of us
- Extras
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- Candy
- Thermos w/ straps for water
- Plane tickets and trip details
- Plastic baggies
- Cell phones (and cords to charge them)
- Binoculars?
- Laptop
I’m totally wishing I had an iPod, because they’re just so awesome. Music in the rental car would be great, plus photo storage and such.
I just walked to CVS and bought 4 bags of 50% off Hersey’s Eggs. I don’t know why they’re so much better than the Kisses, but they are. I’m always upset when I don’t have any left.
In other news: Kitty (the last surviving mouse) died over the weekend. She’s now buried out back with her sisters. We’ll never ever have mice again. Ever. I do, however, miss bird sounds sooo much. I want a handfed baby parakeet (blue and yellow), since I’m so allergic to cockatiels now. I’d really love to have a Green-cheeked Conure, but they can get pretty loud at times and John would kill me.
Graphic novel:
35 Typed pages (79 Handwritten)
1179 Lines
19,904 Words
108,080 Characters
This week’s Day in the Life is just too damn cute for my own good. I wasn’t going to put borders or anything on them, but they were just so adorable I couldn’t leave them alone. Go see!
Aloria. This is my main character in a graphic novel (/web comic) I’ve been in and out of writing for 10 years. Whe I first began, Aloria’s name was Etoh, and she looked like a normal enough person except with dragon wings. Later, her name became Evera, and she looked like this , then she got a makeover and looked more like this for a while. Then she changed again, to this for a bit. After that, she became a cat person for a year, but eventually lost the ears but kept the now-trademark face markings and picked up her new name of Aloria. The story has changed so many times that it’s not really even the same world, much less the same book.
I read other web comics online, most notably Inverloch and Earthsong. Each new page both of these talented ladies publish makes me compare my novel to thiers, yet again. I find most often that I begin to feel like my novel sucks hardcore when compared to the art or the story or the whatever.. Yesterday, I stumbled upon Alpha Shade, which is another really well done one. I liked the art, the story is intruiging… but for the first time I compared my novel and I thought “No.. it’s good, but I like mine better.” So I thought it might finally be time to write about something that’s taken up so much of my time as of late. Of course, I’m not going to blurt out the whole story (because I want you all to read the darn thing once it gets going). I’ve also had artwork of mine stolen before, so I don’t really think it’s a good idea to put up the story the characters go in. There’s no real way to privatize an idea once it’s on the web, but I will give you all a little background and the first part of the script. I will send the whole (currently unfinished) script to trusted people should they want a copy. I have no name for this novel/comic so far, so suggest some.
Background: Earth, 2007 (may change) AD. People worldwide have begun to change into other creatures. It’s the result of magic coming back into the world. (You gamers may recognize this bit from Shadowrun). The remaining normal humans are shitting themselves in fear. Some get angry and violent, some preform illegal experiments on the changed.. etc. The government has no official stand on the new creatures.
———-Begin script———–
-Begin with a view of a cute girl with wings, flying through the clouds. She has a smile on her face, just enjoying the wind. She passes over a small house and hears a ringing sound. As she gets closer,… cut to inside shot of the same girl, cuddled sweetly in a mass of big blankets. The alarm is ringing, and then switches to the radio.
Radio “__eaking news out of downtown today. Another riot has broken out in front of Bailey’s Coffee House. For the second time this week, protestors against equal right for (non-humans) have gathered in front of the only store left in town still owned by a (non-human). Several dozen people threw rocks through the windows before police arrived.
Lori Turns over, grumbles and levers herself off the pillow to check the time. 8:02 *flick* 8:03. She sighs, pushes her hair out of her face and sits up.
Radio “Mr. Bailey told us that ‘a buncha human supremacists ain’t gonna run me outa town.’ The rise of (non-humans) hate crimes seems to be the result of higher tensions all over the world as more and more (non-humans) appear. Numbers of adults and children turning into (non-humans) are on the rise, but still no (non-humans) babies have been born.”
Lori Rubs her eyes and flicks off the radio.
“Great. It’s not enough to quarantine them illegally and subject them to torturous tests, now we have to stone them out of what little they have left? I’m ashamed to call myself human these days.”
Gets up, gets dressed, gets some candy and turns on the news.
TV Cut to shot of TV screen with numbers of reported (non-humans):
August 7, 2006 = 1
October 2006 = 300
December 2006 = 4000
February 2007 = 10000
April 2007 = 20000
May 26, 2007 = 35,021
“Numbers of (non-humans) being reported are on the rise, but due to continued backlash toward (non-humans) appearances, there are assumed to be more in hiding.”
Lori “Damn right there are. I wouldn’t want to get beaten for coming out in public.” ::sigh::
Pretty damn accurate, actually.
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Heather took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test!
“Her need to feel more causative and to have a wide…” Click here to read the rest of the results. |
This week’s Day in the Life was fun to do. I was surprised at how quickly everyone guessed the right things. There’s only one left unguessed. This week’s theme was hard. I always try to have a theme to do on my DITL. I’ve had a Macro DITL, a Colorful DITL, a Productive DITL, a Slow DITL, and a Teacher DITL. I don’t like the same normal boring days, so I try to theme them. This week’s theme was SO hard because I had to pick things that were everywhere, all over the world. As is, I got one already that isn’t. New Zelanders don’t have manholes. I think next week’s theme will be a Day in the Life of the Stumpy.
