Trail Blazing After 40

Rainy morning breakfast

2010-05-02T11:10:00.012-05:00

I know there are those of you who are saying to yourselves after reading this, "D, haven't you had enough of the breakfast foods already?"The answer would be "no".I love breakfast. I love breakfast foods. I love getting up in the morning and cooking. It's all so very throwback to an earlier time before I became an academic and before life was so busy that I felt like I was on a dead run

Dog in motion

2010-04-26T20:46:00.002-05:00

It happens every spring

2010-04-26T20:40:00.001-05:00

It's time to play ball.

Howdy, Scout

2010-04-18T22:22:00.002-05:00

Say hello to the newest member of the D household. Howdy, Scout.

Human behavior and why it baffles the clueless

2010-04-15T00:41:00.002-05:00

So yesterday, someone told me I shouldn't have been offended by their offensive behavior.So after I had to "get over it", I also had to get beyond the idea that someone who knows nothing of me outside of my professional environment honestly believes they can tell me what I am allowed and not allowed to take offense at. Whenever someone tells me that I should or shouldn't feel a certain way, they

An untimely end

2010-04-14T21:04:00.001-05:00

And no, I didn't do it. This was a big pig. I think it probably left a pretty significant dent in the car that did it. There were two of these. The horror of the first pig's untimely demise prevents me from showing you what happened. This guy must have been an afterthought.

Are You a Prairie Chicken?

2010-04-09T23:52:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, I stopped by the Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR. I don't know squat about prairie chickens. I know they gather on leks and compete for mates. Off the top of my head, I'd guess they look a little like a grouse.Hence, I thinking I didn't see a prairie chicken today. Too bad, I couldn't come back tomorrow when they were having their annual hootnanny and were taking people out to the "

Coincidence? You Decide

2010-04-09T23:07:00.006-05:00

Only in Texas do they have to feed the deer to get them to come to your yard.The question rather asks itself, doesn't it?WTF?Is this somehow related to the three signs that preceded it? Disturbing thought.

What a difference a day makes

2010-04-08T09:11:00.007-05:00

Today, I have a lot of things I didn't have yesterday.A farmers tan.Two plants I didn't have for my research.A shower.I want to how you some of the plants I've encountered in Texas. Wildflower season is upon them.

Old Favorites

2010-03-27T11:00:00.006-05:00

This is my all-time favorite picture of Jake.It was taken in my mother's back yard shortly after I joined her and Jake for a year-and-a-half stint of divorce healing, undergraduate work, and getting my life back in order. When I tell you he used to sit in the yard and look proud, this is the look I'm talking about. Interestingly enough, it is also:1) the first picture I ever took of Jake.2)

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

2010-03-26T22:32:00.004-05:00

So tonight was the premiere of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. I really enjoyed the two episodes they put on. My sister called me this evening and reminded me to watch because, apparently, we had a relative interviewed for the program. She called my Gram to find out the person's name that we were related to and the nature of our relation. Turns out, it was the DJ who gives Jamie such a hard

In Search of Good News

2010-03-21T13:29:00.024-05:00

Yesterday was a wash, what with my internet security software attacking the very computer it was supposed to protect. In a nutshell, the folks at BitDefender made me regret my 3-year licensing agreement when they released an untested update that quarantined every single file in the operating system. For every single user of their software. Every. Single. User. After that bit of fun, it

An Empty House

2010-03-19T22:14:00.002-05:00

It's too quiet around here. I try to knock around the house and revel in my newfound freedom and act like all is as it should be, but it's too quiet. I miss Jake. I really do. He was such a good dog except for the thunder fear, but there was little that could be done about that. Other than that one thing (and sure, maybe it wasn't a LITTLE thing), but other than that, he was a GREAT dog.

Making a Splash

2010-03-14T01:59:00.005-06:00

Behold! My new kitchen look.

I'd like you to meet my little friend

2010-03-10T11:13:00.008-06:00

Meet Chance. My sister's dog. Aging cocker spaniel. Severe seizure disorder. On regular meds for it.My sister is in Salt Lake this week. Toole to be precise. Chance is in Illinois. With me.Ok. I'm just going to be frank with you. I have never trusted this dog. And can we talk? My sister has never gone overboard on the discipline thing.Shall we say this dog rules the roost? He behaves

Life is a funny thing

2010-02-28T11:56:00.013-06:00

For the past two days, I've been in mourning. My weekend began with a shock when I came home Thursday evening and found my Jake dead. He was a very sweet dog. I didn't even realize how well known and how well loved he was until people came out of the woodwork to comment on my Facebook notification and I realized, nearly all those people had actually known Jake. He was the kind of dog who made

A Few Lovelies

2010-02-21T23:33:00.006-06:00

Today, D-friend L and I went to the orchid show at Mobot. Lunch at Schlafly's, a little Crate and Barrel and some Trader Joe's and what a day it was!

New Camera

2010-02-20T18:54:00.006-06:00

Welcome to my new world of Canon EOS Rebel XS. I think I got a pretty good price. I like the guys I bought it from. They are a real camera shop, with real knowledge, and real service. That's hard to find these days. Sure, its not the newest model on the market, but it is a solid perfomer. Today, I took it out in the wilderness to take some shots. It is such a shame there are no flowers up, but

Weekend Culinary Adventures, Daktari-style

2010-02-16T08:00:00.003-06:00

This past weekend, I did some lifestyle rearranging. Starting with my pantry. I had to get the no-no food out of my line of sight so I could actually see what good foods I had to work with. There wasn't much after all was said and done. It appears I've been hoarding an extraordinary amount of jams and jellies, and there was dried fruit in there that I didn't even remember buying. Oh how my

My Five Year Plan

2010-02-15T08:00:00.002-06:00

I realize that I'm going to have to graduate eventually. I assume that I will teach eventually on a collegiate level. With any luck, I'll land a tenure track position somewhere and get busy making undergraduates love science.My five year objectives include:1. Developing a course on evolution that moves beyond a presentation of the scientific evidence. The greatest weakness that I see today in

You Kids Get Off My Lawn: The Remix

2010-02-14T12:04:00.011-06:00

Today, I ordered a hat from Steep and Cheap. It didn't read the description very well until AFTER I had ordered. If I had read it, I never would have ordered the product.Here's the description Steep and Cheap offered for an Outdoor Research brand fleece hat:Outdoor Research Fleecy Hat - Women'sPull on the Outdoor Research Women’s Fleecy Hat for everything from a chilly stroll through town to a

Love is in the Details

2010-02-14T11:10:00.003-06:00

It's Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day celebrates the Feast of St. Valentine on the Catholic calendar (although apparently, it has been removed from the calendar since so little is actually known about St. Valentine). It is not the day St. Valentine died, but rather the day he was buried. One and the same? Who knows? There appears to be no real reason that St. Valentine, whoever he was, was

Yawn

2010-02-13T13:46:00.006-06:00

It is amazing to me how going on a diet and starting to work out has turned me into a total hermit. The problem is two-fold. I understand that I can't be eating out and hanging out at the bar all the time. I might as well walk around with a sugar IV hanging out of my arm if I was going to do that. Secondly, most of my free time seems to be involved in working out or tending to my

That's two

2010-02-12T11:47:00.009-06:00

Yesterday, a second person told me that I looked like I had lost weight. That's two people, folks, which I think is pretty good if you consider I've only lost 11.5 lbs. Oh sure. I still have cellulite on my ass and no one can see the muscles I'm building under that thick layer of winter fat, but I will take my achievements wherever they present themselves.It makes lunge day so much easier to

Why not?

2010-02-06T21:15:00.002-06:00

Sometimes, I just need this.

The Problem with Being Me

2010-01-26T23:28:00.003-06:00

I love food. I love food possibly more than I love adventure. To me, food is an adventure. Where I grew up, food was overcooked, overfatted, oversaturated, and, by God, almost always oversalted.When I think of salt, I think of my maternal grandmother. The woman salted everything. If she ate ham, she salted it first. If you told her you already put salt in the food and maybe she'd want to

My Big Fat Italian Cheat

2010-01-25T21:30:00.005-06:00

Today, I cheated on my diet.Well, if you can schedule a cheat. After all, I decided to cheat last night when I was preparing the dough for today's culinary yumfest.As a little preface, I have set as one of my life's ambitions the ability to make fantastic homemade pizza. Now knowing as we do, that 99% of the pizza quality is in the crust, I have studied on this a bit and I do a fair bit of

I'm Just Saying

2010-01-24T17:01:00.004-06:00

OMG! I hate lunges!!!!!! And I may actually hate this guy. #@(*$!! 20 something, toned-ass show off.Thank you for your attention.Your fitness guru

6.1 lbs. but who's counting?

2010-01-23T12:09:00.004-06:00

Today starts the beginning of week 4 of my training and things are really starting to come together now on my weight loss/toning up program. So as not to become the boring weight loss guru-wannabe, I'll keep this one brief.I signed up for the FitDay web site. I like it. I actually bought their software to download on my computer. It makes it a lot easier to get around and there are no server

Snow Boots Revisited or Why I Like High-Quality Customer Service

2010-01-23T11:31:00.004-06:00

Remember these? I was just bragging on them a few weeks ago. OK, I went to find the link for the entire blog entry I had written about these boots and it was never published. So sorry, I'll recap. These are my favorite snow boots. They have rubber uppers to keep the feet dry, vibram soles that don't slip on ice, leather uppers for a comfortable ankle, thinsulate insulation for warm tootsies, and

Weight Loss: What's Working

2010-01-16T13:08:00.006-06:00

I have a notoriously bad memory. I can't remember ever craving Krispie Kreme donuts until they are on my "don't" list. But after 14 days of dieting, I am proud to say that I have lost my first 3 lbs. I have actually paid attention to what I am eating, changed my eating habits, and even paid attention to my cravings, weaknesses, slip ups, and willpower. Thank you Marty, even if you aren't that

The Love I Lost

2010-01-16T11:53:00.002-06:00

When I was a kid, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes were a staple on the radio. I remember listening to those cool, smooth sounds at the Southside swimming pool, the only public swimming pool my home town. To say that 70s R&B shaped me is an understatement. I listen to those tunes to this day.I think my favorite Teddy song was "Come Go With Me", which interestingly enough (I think) is that it

Lighthearted Fridays

2010-01-15T09:02:00.002-06:00

For all of you, like me, who still haven't taken down the artificial tree....he's a little tip for recycling next year's live tree.

New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-02T14:26:00.002-06:00

Wow. Another year is here already. Every year, I make some resolutions and before I set new goals for the coming year, let's review on last year's progress. 1. Make significant and meaningful progress toward finishing my phylogeny and my breeding system studies.Ok, so I got funding for my project, went out west, did some wicked collecting, and have started to work on my phylogeny, but haven't

Happy Birthday to Me

2009-12-13T17:33:00.008-06:00

So a few weeks ago, I got this idea. And I had to get some things in order before I could start making my idea a reality.First, I had to get this.Cause really. You haven't lived until you've used Gorilla glue.And I tried to borrow one of these. Honest, I did. But something was calling me and I had to have one for my very own. BUT....it was the only tool I purchased for this project and it

You Kids Get Off My Lawn

2009-12-09T19:34:00.004-06:00

This is the content of an email sent to me today by my major advisor.Lab Peeps:Abstracts for the Association of Southeastern Biologists meeting in Asheville NC in April are due Jan 10.http://www.asb.appstate.edu/meeting.phpAm I the only one who finds this wholly inappropriate? Would it be acceptable for me to write a professional email and address it to the"Lab Bitches", or maybe "dudettes" or "

What I did with my Saturday

2009-12-06T02:12:00.004-06:00

Today, I'm throwing Beckie a party. So yesterday, I had to get the food ready for 30 guests. I wasn't really planning on 30 guests when I put the menu together, but suddenly, it seemed that people from school were interested in going, and then in-laws, step siblings, half sibs, and someone who might or might not have gone to high school with Beckie was on the guest list.But I had already

Giving Thanks

2009-11-28T11:47:00.018-06:00

Thanksgiving is a time to consider all those things for which we are thankful. I've got a lot to be thankful for this year.I am thankful for the 14 years I shared with Nevada, who died on this day last year.I am thankful for a sound mind, reasonably good health, and great friends like these two.And these two.And these two, who are cooking another two.And these two, too!And this one, though I

Bird' Eye View

2009-11-23T01:21:00.003-06:00

Up on the roof for a little Sunday afternoon repair. The work stinks. The angle is ridiculous. But the view is pretty neat.

So I got this idea....

2009-11-15T22:22:00.012-06:00

I bought some fabric to make some pillowcases. And the more I got to looking at it, I got an idea for a project.A bigger project.I think this fabric would look awesome as my new padded headboard.Mind you, I don't have any of the tools needed for this project, but I can dream.And borrow.Here's my inspiration.And here's my vision.So I need a bigger piece of fabric, a large piece of plywood, a lot

I see a pattern here....

2009-11-15T18:34:00.006-06:00

It's Sunday and I spent another one doing jobs around the house. This time, I am trying to be proactive rather than reactive. I bought and installed heat tape on the cold water line to the kitchen sink, which, as I learned sits directly against the back foundation of the house.Here we go....I had a bit of a quandry when I started this project. The water pipe feeding the cold water in the

I'm speechless

2009-11-15T17:45:00.001-06:00

This is the funniest thing I have seen in months. Hands down. Go Shane. Go Shane. Go Shane.

It happens every fall....

2009-11-14T15:38:00.011-06:00

Every fall, I get the urge to make savory comfort food. And yes, it does distract me, albeit momentarily, from my never-ending quest for the perfect homemade pizza. But this year this moment of seasonal zen is particularly fun because I found an awesome heavy aluminum dutch oven at an antique store in Benton. I think it's from the 60s. The pan. Not the store.Isn't she lovely?And such a fine

Sunday, Muddy Sunday

2009-11-09T09:29:00.007-06:00

I spent three hours digging trenches under my house and repairing my sump pump to get rid of the water once and for all. These were the results.

Another Great Adventure Underway

2009-11-09T01:43:00.006-06:00

I'm not a big fan of marriage, but weddings are fun.Saturday, I watched these two beautiful people get married. I wish them well. I thank them for a wonderful day. I will remember this wedding when others are long forgotten.Not in small part to Liv who, in addition to PhD candidate, can now add ordained minister to her CV.She gave an excellent introduction to the couple. It was a

TKOd by my Mom

2009-10-21T23:40:00.004-05:00

Ok, so tell me if this has ever happened to you.I was sleeping the other night and started having a weird dream. I was kneeling near the edge of the couch where my mother was sitting and suddenly, out of nowhere, she punches me in the head.I look at her for a minute and then ask incredulously, "Did you just hit me in the head?"To which she responds by pinching me repeatedly on the forearm. And

Did my man earn the prize?

2009-10-09T19:55:00.003-05:00

Barack Obama today was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.Huh?Did he earn the prize? Ummm. No.If someone can tell me exactly what peace he achieved, perhaps my mind will be swayed. Until then, the value of a Nobel Prize has gone done a few notches in my mind.

I Suck

2009-10-08T22:03:00.003-05:00

This is a night-blooming cereus. AKA Star of Bethlehem. It's in my house. It's on my plant. This is a spectaclar flower that blooms on an otherwise ugly plant. Seriously ugly plant. The only reason anyone keeps one of these plants in their house is that the flower, no matter how infrequent the blooms may come, is spectacular to behold.Imagine my joy at learning that I had a bloom on my plant

Jake at 13 14

2009-10-05T21:37:00.001-05:00

My dog. 13 years old. Still got the puppy attitude.

Sometimes I feel sorry for you

2009-10-03T20:19:00.005-05:00

AKA Parmesan polenta stuffed fire-roasted poblano peppers with a black bean mole accompanied by jasmine rice and a roasted finger chili salsa.Yes, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, D, why didn't you just save yourself the trouble and make a black bean ragout? Call it whimsy. And why Parmesan? (Because I can't have soft cheeses, they don't agree with me.) Rice and polenta? Yes, I

The world's longest learning curve

2009-09-14T23:50:00.005-05:00

This has been an interesting year. Usually when someone tells me they've had an interesting year, it is usually always positive. In many ways my interesting year has been positive.I got a fellowship that will pay for my research. (FINALLY!!!)I got a raise with said fellowship.I got the data I need to make meaningful progress on my research.I had a couple of dates.I got to travel again all over

A year to remember

2009-08-30T22:11:00.010-05:00

After the Lep course, I headed east in search of another one of my elusive plants. Spoiler alert: I didn't find it. I did manage to find lots of my outgroups. With any luck, they will amplify this time. But I did do something I have never done before. I spent the night in the desert in the open air.It was one of the most remarkable nights of my life. I simply cannot explain everything that I

Hello Muddah.....

2009-08-25T00:15:00.006-05:00

Been having great fun at nerd camp. Took some picture postcard photos today. Stepped on this moth. Yup. It's a gift.OK, everyone here said I was crazy, but I think this one has a design on it's body that looks like a tiki torch, so I dubbed it Manduca tiki. You see it don't you?

Nerd Camp

2009-08-23T19:46:00.005-05:00

If you had any foolish thoughts that D might be something other than pure nerd, lay those thoughts aside as folly. I just realized today that I'm at moth camp. Any pretense I had of containing even an ounce of cool has evaporated.Let me introduce you to the fastest tongue in the west. Hyles lineata. The white-lined sphinx moth.Hey, it's not all moths. Here's a pretty awesome beetle.A praying

Trip Prep

2009-08-20T10:42:00.003-05:00

Hold your breath. I'm going on another trip. This one for a lepidopteran course in southeast Arizona. I'll be doing a little collecting after it's over. Which reminds me that I need to get in the herbarium today and do a little investigative work on site locations.But today I am preparing for the trip. I started by cleaning out the fridge. You would think, having been gone the better part

What I did with my Saturday

2009-08-09T01:11:00.004-05:00

Click here to view this photo book largerWell, after the farmer's market and a few errands in town. Took me about 7 hours to put it all together. It's a birthday present for D-nephew Lee. These are all pictures that he took on our trip. I think he's really got an eye for photography. However, I did notice that he deletes anything but perfect photos. Makes the decision right there in the

Advice for 30 year olds

2009-08-07T11:54:00.009-05:00

If I had one bit of advice for 30-year-old men, it would be this: step away from the bottle.D-friend Bek is 40 years old. She's expecting. Gutsy move, yes. Foolish? Hardly. But there is one part of her situation that does make her condition more difficult. She has a husband who drinks. And when I say "drinks", I don't mean 6 beers on the weekend. I mean he takes time off work to work on

Empathy for an old man

2009-08-05T23:58:00.005-05:00

This evening, I have been watching the second disc of Michael Palin's Himalayas. I'm pretty sure it's a BBC production. In the first disc, he travels through the Khyber Pass. All I can say is rent this video series (available on Netflix). I watched disc 1 on the eve of traveling out west. It was my inspiration for tackling the Golden Trout Wilderness. If a 60-something comedic actor can

How I wrecked my kitchen

2009-08-04T21:23:00.004-05:00

I found this blog. You see, I had 10 poblano peppers to deal with. I got a deal at the farmer's market last weekend. They had to be dealt with. So I went internet hopping and found a recipe that looked interesting.I had just about everything needed except the hot peppers and red wine vinegar (which wasn't a deal breaker--though the peppers probably were). So I did a bit of quick shopping and

Out with the old.....

2009-08-04T19:12:00.005-05:00

Remember these? Oh, so do I. Fondly.My 6-year-old hiking boots. They went a lot of places with me. Over most of the western US. Over a good portion of southern Illinois. Served double-duty during snow storms.Alas, all good things must come to an end.And so today, I opened up the closet and got down the box that has held my "spare pair". Spare no more, they've been promoted.Just take a look

On why this is my favorite travel pic

2009-07-29T02:08:00.003-05:00

and this is not.The difference in these two pics is the presence of my breasts. I think I look like a normal, healthy person in the first pic, but a grotesque caricature in the latter. Bug loving mama, a very dear female scientist who happens to be pregnant as I write this, wrote an insightful post on what it means to be a woman and a professional in this day and age. Her post has caused me to

Extra wide load

2009-07-28T23:32:00.004-05:00

Tioga Pass, CAValley of the Gods, UTAngel Peak, NMGrand Prismatic Spring, WYUnknown valley, UT/CO border

There's no place like home

2009-07-28T22:15:00.006-05:00

I finally pulled into my driveway today with no where to go and no plans to get there.Wow. What a summer I've had so far.A short list of the places I've been isn't so short. Trip 1: Amarillo, Palmdale, Palm Springs, Los Angeles County, Morro Bay, Mojave (CA), Mesquite (NV), Hanksville (UT). Trip 2: Amarillo, San Ysidro (NM), Bluff (UT), Kanab (UT), Minersville (UT), Ely (NV), Cisco (UT), Mack (

One for the "Yeah, Right" category

2009-07-23T09:47:00.009-05:00

Seems like all we've done is stand by water. Here's a few of the god-forsaken places we've had to stand and sometimes catch moths.Life is hard on the road and research is a bitch.(Mono Lake)(Jenny Lake)(Grand Prismatic Spring)(San Francisco Bay)(Alpine lake on Tioga Pass)(Lake Mary)(One of the Mammoth Lakes -- name now forgotten until looked up)Feeling sorry for me yet?

A taste of today

2009-07-17T02:32:00.003-05:00

Today we went from June Lake, to Mono Lake (pronounced Moan-o, not like the teenage malady), to Tioga Pass to Yosemite to San Francisco. It was quite a day and exceedingly hard to capture in a concise blog post.So thoroughly would I fail to do so, I will leave you with this little taste of our day.Bridalveil Falls.Simply spectacular.

Camping hazards

2009-07-17T01:30:00.004-05:00

Here's a little tip from your friend D. Leave the damn marmots alone.

A fond farewell to a trustworthy friend

2009-07-14T12:19:00.005-05:00

Hikers understand the value of great boots. They are the most important piece of equipment you have. My fondness for my hiking boots is well documented. I love my boots so much that I went out and bought a spare pair for when the first one's wore out.I bought those first ones in 2003 before my first trip to Yellowstone. They will have to be retired after this trip. This is why.And that little

A challenge to remember

2009-07-14T03:57:00.011-05:00

Today, my nephew and I hiked 10 miles. Might not sound like much but it was no ordinary ten miles. It was ten miles out of the Golden Trout Wilderness. From the Ramshaw Meadow to the Trail Pass Hiker Trailhead. It was a reversal of our trip in a mere four days earlier.Pfffft, I hear you say. 10 miles doesn't sound like much.What I did today was the single most challenging hike of my life.

1136 miles and counting

2009-07-08T01:52:00.002-05:00

So we were a little late leaving town. Like nearly a full day late. Ok, I chalk this up to having to put my car in the shop after having gotten rear-ended over the weekend, and the fact that the ONLY thing I asked anyone at school to do to help me prepare for this trip did not get done and I had to spend 2 hours when I was ready to leave town to do it. And I just have to mention that this

When Travel Plans Fall Apart

2009-07-01T21:00:00.004-05:00

Today at 6:44 pm, I got a call from someone associated with my upcoming trip up Mt. Whitney. Those of you who know me know how I have looked forward to this part of my field work. I've spent months dreaming about the opportunity, and weeks planning the details, getting the permits, and learning as much as I can about the equipment I'd need. I have purchased:a $250 custom backpacka $300 down

More Panty Twisters

2009-06-26T22:47:00.005-05:00

Life is linear. You learn as you go. The past two weeks were a treasure trove of life lessons. Here are a few that caught my attention. There appear to be two types of people: doers and worriers. I am a doer. I get things done. Worriers get nothing done and chap my ass.Compromise is a foreign concept to most people, who seem to think that conflict resolution occurs when the other guy gives

Group Work

2009-06-22T22:02:00.004-05:00

Ask anyone. I hate group work. I had a showdown with a fellow graduate student in one of my classes over the subject of group work. For a while, that interaction was the stuff of legend. People loved to relive their favorite lines from said disagreement. (Although the list of people who were present for said discussion is getting shorter the longer I remain here.) I admit it. I don't like

Tempest Tossed

2009-06-18T21:10:00.006-05:00

While Liv was out on her very own Wild West Adventure, we had a little hiccup in southern Illinois. May 8, 2009. Liv-fav D-ennis, Paul, and Mike Hanson were graduating and I decided to attend. When I left Do Well, it was bright and sunny. Midway through the graduation, I heard something. I ignored it at first. Then I heard it again. Thunder. Thunder you can hear inside an arena is bad.

Baby Butt Wipes

2009-06-17T21:54:00.004-05:00

When I was a kid, there was a fast food restaurant in our town called the BBF. Their "spokespersons" were two cartoon characters named Burger Chef and Jeff. I haven't thought of that in years. But I was reminded by the acronym BBW, which was my saving grace out in the field this time.BBW stands for Baby Butt Wipes.I don't know why I haven't discovered these things before. Maybe because I'm

5353 Miles in 12 Days

2009-06-15T18:29:00.006-05:00

Folks, that's an average of 446 miles per day. Every day. For 12 days. That's about the distance from New York City to Cleveland. Every trip is a learning experience. Here's some things I learned.When you find a population of your study organism, sample it. Do not go 5 miles down the road. Do not eat a sandwich first. Stop the car. Get out. Sample the population. Failure to do so will

Adventure in unlikely places

2009-06-14T21:45:00.004-05:00

I realize I have a pretty weird idea of fun. And I love food. And one of my favorite things is to find adventure that tastes good. So while on the road, imagine my delight at finding this place. I mean, if a place doesn't just SCREAM adventure, I don't know what else does.In case you somehow missed that, it's a tortilla FACTORY. Meaning they manufacture tortilla. And they let me see how they did

The real reason research takes so long

2009-06-14T21:45:00.003-05:00

Just a quick hello

2009-06-09T08:17:00.006-05:00

The problem with trying to do field research alone on a study system that demands you search for it during the day and work on it until well after dark is...that often doesn't leave time for the realities of living: where are you going to sleep? After finding A. nana (finally!!!) about 8:00 p.m. last night, collecting my DNA, running my scent samples then processing them, it was about 10:30. I

June is Trip month

2009-06-07T01:04:00.005-05:00

I have found a lot of T. in bloom. In NM. In AZ. And now in Utah. It's a pretty cool plant.It has really cool seed heads.And I hope you are seeing this, but that is a bee-mimic fly working those flowers. I caught that sweet little photo at the AP location. Tonight, I found a hawkmoth working the group I found in Utah. Leave it to the Utah working group to employ a highly skilled, massively

Angel's Peak, NM

2009-06-07T00:29:00.006-05:00

I tried to drive from Albuquerque, NM to Farmington, NM in one day. I started very late. Very late. I have an excuse. I was trying (unsuccessfully) to find one of my plants. I looked high and low. I looked until it got dark. And then I tried to drive to Farmington.Huge mistake.It was only about 100 miles. But it was 100 miles through the Navajo Nation.Folks, the Navajo apparently don't

The Road is my Middle Name

2009-06-06T10:07:00.009-05:00

I love to travel. I like to take long car trips. I know. It's totally anti-envirochick. But it is a not-so-secret pleasure.Jake is not as hip on the traveling, but he is digging the extra wide ride he's got going on this trip.He does enjoy the pit stops.Ahhh, the open road. Here are some reasons why I love it so much.In the past three days I have seen:1. An emu2. A llama3. 4 bearded billy

and they're off

2009-06-02T09:19:00.003-05:00

...just as soon as I wash Jake. Head to school. Pick up maps, traps, insect pins and chemicals. Oh, and make a few scent collection bags. I can't seem to find mine.See you when I return. Or when I can't take it and need a shower and spring for a hotel room.Adios. Wait. I was told not to take that bitching ride into Mexico. So, ta-ta for now!OK, so Jake didn't get a bath. He's just going

Crack for 40 Year Olds

2009-05-29T22:43:00.004-05:00

OMG.It's tasty like whoa.Key Lime.Bars.I have found my new favorite summertime dessert. Trust me, this is a whole lot easier than the Lime Chiffon Cake that takes about 4 hours to prepare from scratch. Homemade smoemade. This took a grand total of half an hour with 26 minutes of that in the oven.So is 4 bars in one sitting too much for dessert?Not that I did. I'm just asking.

Houston, we have a problem.

2009-05-26T11:27:00.007-05:00

Aphids.I think these speak for themselves.Can you say malathion?Oh, and those damn ants are tending the aphids.

Speechless

2009-05-22T23:43:00.005-05:00

Patagonia Women's Capilene Hipster Briefs $20.00Superbly styled for warm weather running and fashionable summer casual wear, Patagonia's Capilene® Hipster has a stylish low rise and features a new blend of new soft and stretchy Capilene® fabric. Mini rib fabric throughout the crotch gives you better breathable comfort than traditional base layers.

Age isn't subtle

2009-05-19T23:20:00.003-05:00

Today, I made an appointment at the optometrist and they had an opening later in the afternoon. So I go. They make me hold a paddle over one eye and read the last line on the chart. Then over the other. Puff air in my face and then put me in front of the eye machine. The optometrist stands up and informs me I have 20/20 vision with my glasses on. All is well in Daktariland right up until

This time last year

2009-05-15T02:18:00.004-05:00

Liv's wonderful past reflections reminded me (albeit, I'm a day late posting this) that last year this time, I was making a drive from Grosvenor Arch to Beaver Dam, with a stop along the way at a veterinarian, who supplied us with this....Jake was a champ about the splint, but it was his own fault, after all. He was the one who decided to roundhouse Jack. Silly rabbit.

Home Repair 101

2009-05-07T17:27:00.005-05:00

It's been a banner week for home repair in the good down of Do-well.First, I discovered that the sump pump had issues. Actually because the hose clamp failed and the hose had become disconnected causing the water in the crawl space to spurt up like a fountain and circulated continuously, I was damn lucky that the sump pump didn't burn out. But, I got a new hose clamp and it seems to be working

Visions of Summer

2009-05-06T19:10:00.004-05:00

Today I bought some roses. And I know people may laugh since I probably won't live in this house long enough to enjoy them in all their splendor, but I believe in leaving a garden behind no matter where I go. These were my choices.New Dawn. A climber. I will plant this one with a Clematis jackmanii, a dark purple clematis. This will look spectacular, in case you wondered.Eglantyne. A shrub

Phoenix

2009-05-04T22:09:00.005-05:00

Ok, I realize that less than 24 hours ago I shunned all blogging activity here forever. But did you ever have something that hung over you, maybe something you were supposed to do, and that no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't motivate yourself to do it? I'm there. I've been there a while. I've decided to do something about it.The thing about this blog that has tortured me so is that it

A Tradition Few Understand

2009-05-02T17:59:00.006-05:00

When you are a Kentucky native, today is a special day.It's the high holidays.The first Saturday in May is the Run for the Roses. If one lives in Kentucky, the week is marked by parades, by a great deal of Kentucky pride, a tradition of really bad hats that never see the light of day the other 364 days of the year, and planning for a day-long party with friends and family. Parties include mint

Homeowners Log, 12:20 am

2009-05-02T00:25:00.005-05:00

So I was in the bathroom before bed and I heard something. Something faint. The sound of running water.That is never a good sound. Unless, of course, you are actually standing in the shower.So it sounds like it's coming from the laundry room. Nope. Nothing wrong in there, but from there is sounds like it is coming from under the house.Oh shit.Broken water pipe? How long has that been running

My feeling exactly

2009-04-28T00:21:00.002-05:00

I think there are those around me who know the professional difficulties that people in Texas have caused me. So I can certainly give a big thumbs up to this video. h/t Dancing with Myself.

Technology Bekons

2009-04-26T16:16:00.008-05:00

Things are going to loosen up financially for me in a few months. I am already eyeballing some much needed technology. First is a new computer. Now I have a bit of experience with PCs and I have to say that I'm a fan. However, I am not a fan of the PC industry and my particular bone of contention has to do with technical service. I have owned two Dell computers. A desktop and a laptop. In

A new favorite place

2009-04-25T08:54:00.006-05:00

Sand Canyon. California. In the vicinity of Mojave, CA. Or maybe it's more Monolith, CA. In addition to a vast wealth of partridges, wildlife highlights also include a donkey rescue ranch. Did I mention that I think donkeys are the cutest things ever? If I ever had a farm of my own, I'd have a few donkeys. I'm just saying. OK, that last one isn't in Sand Canyon. But it is still one of my

Lessons from the Road

2009-04-20T09:02:00.004-05:00

I believe on each trip you learn something about yourself. Here's a quick run down of somethings I've learned about me.1. I CAN find plants without Liv or Jack.2. Not only that, I can find plants on the side of the road while going 65 miles an hour after dusk.3. I am not cut out for California driving.4. I am content to travel alone.5. I am not a camp cook. I try to care about food on the

The Drive By Rockies

2009-04-19T23:35:00.011-05:00

Although I know how you people live for my pictures of roadside research photos, there is more to life than great smelling, fantastically happy, moth-laden research systems such as these. While my plants may grow in the ugliest of places, if you just turn around, you are usually rewarded with one of the world's most spectacular vistas. Such is the life of these little gems. The habit of a

Jake likes snow

2009-04-19T08:56:00.004-05:00

Since there is no way for me to put things up in order, I'll just offer this nice video of Jake at 9600 feet or so and this fine photo of me. =]

Sick, Tired, and Windblown

2009-04-15T23:03:00.009-05:00

I guess it was bound to happen. I'm sick. And not just sick of driving...although I am. And not just sick of grad school....although I am. I'm honest to goodness sick. I don't know if it is a mild case of food poisoning, or really, really bad indigestion, or a serious case of stress, but Whoa doggies! In any event, I've become adept at finding the <$40 hotel rooms in California. Thank god for

Some dreams die hard...very hard

2009-04-15T10:15:00.006-05:00

After my ex tried to kill me for the second time, I figured it was time for a change. After my boss had fucked me over for the umpteenth time, I knew it was time. I decided I wanted to become a professor. Oh, how naive I was in thinking it was just a matter of a few years in school.As I sit in a hotel room chasing research that I am funding with my own money, I realize that I am paying a