The response was overwhelming for red with blonde streaks, so here you go folks! Red! With blond streaks!

:-)

Poll #1215496 Tell me what hair color to choose!
This poll is closed.
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

Tomorrow I'm getting my hair colored. What color should I go with?

WOW.

This band was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. SO much energy. So... PRIMAL. Drums and bagpipes, and shouting. OOoooh wow.

Not to mention, they're a bunch of really hot Scottsmen with lots of muscles and tattoos. Really, really can't go wrong with that.

*gonna go drool some more now*

--- learn more about them here at their website (and buy their stuff! they've got digital downloads of their music - faster than waiting for a CD in the post!

It's about Christmas... but I just really like these particular lyrics...

(It's from the song "White Wine In The Sun")

...

I don't go for ancient wisdom
I dont believe just 'cause ideas are tenacious
It means that they're worthy

I get freaked out by churches
Some of the hymns that they sing have nice chords
Though the lyrics are dodgy

And yes I have all of the usual objections to miseducation
Of children forced into a cult institution and taught to externalise blame
And to feel ashamed and to judge things as plain right or wrong

But I quite like the songs

...

:-D

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com

The vet called... Drizz was prepped and suddenly fluid came out of his mouth, and he died. 

They did a post-mortem - something was wrong with his gall bladder and bile duct - which caused his kidneys and liver to fail.  He had no explanation why - just "one of those strange things".  A physical problem Drizz must have had all his life, or been developing for some time... just, oddly, never really showed any symptoms of until very recently.

My only comfort is that it was quick (more my comfort than his) and that he seemed to not be in pain at all until a couple of days ago.  There is the pain of long, drawn-out death, like Kaylee, where every time I saw her, held her, petted her, I knew might be the last because her end was knowingly soon.

And then there's this kind of loss, where you go in with hope (and a little fear) and then blammo, it's over.  Shocking, still painful, still heart-wrenching.  My Drizz is gone.  I will never hear him talk to me again.  He'll never crawl under my blanket and purr so loudly that he gags himself.  He had a way of sitting up on his kitty shelf or on top of the stairs, with his legs straight out in front of him.  He loved having his back scratched near his tail.  Sometimes he'd get so into his joyful (sometimes demanding food) meows that he'd throw his head back as he shouted.  He was regal, and noble, and beautiful.  He was my first kitty, and I shall miss him so, so much.

Goodbye my Drizzet.  You and Kaylee keep each other company, wherever you are.

 

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com

Vet called - Drizz hasn't gone into surgery yet due to a dog coming in as an emergency (heart failure, the vet said) so his surgery has been moved to 2pm. 

ARGH, more waiting!  Pleaseohpleaseohplease just let it go quickly and easily so he can come home and be healthy again!

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com

... so good thoughts for him, please!

The vet is pretty convinced he feels a "foreign body" in Drizz's intestines.  He's never really been a kitty to try and eat something that isn't food, but it's certainly possible.  And it would explain why he's been having trouble eating...

Now I only hope he makes it through the surgery okay.  I hope they find whatever it is, get it out, sew him up and he's all better.  HAPPY KITTY.  I want my happy kitty back home.

I'm all fretty and worried and distracted though until I receive the call that tells me he made it through okay.

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com

So - my kitty Drizz hasn't been eating.  For a little while it was a spotty thing - he'd eat sometimes, but not other times.  He's always been a bit wonky about his tummy so I've been letting it slide... only now recently been all lethargic and appears to not even be TRYING to eat anymore. 

This morning he had a trip to the vet - and he's still there for the day.  The Dr. couldn't find anything outwardly wrong - his teeth look fine (a toothache would have been the easiest reason he hasn't been eating... yank the bad tooth and ta-da, happy kitty) but he also doesn't have a fever or anything (so, not SICK...)  They took an x-ray of his belly and the only evident thing is that he's got lots of poo stored up.  His liver looks all right, and as far as the Dr. could tell, there wasn't anything blocking his intestines (some kitties like to eat stuff they shouldn't... I've got two cats who do that, but Drizz never really has). 

He'll get some bloodwork done (please don't let it be a liver thing... that's how my mom's cat died), and an enema (poor kitty) and then another x-ray.  And beyond that... the Dr. said we might have to open him up to physically see if we can find anything wrong.

:(

Someone tell my kitties that they're not allowed to be sick or have problems so soon after having to say goodbye to one.  I really don't want to have to deal with all this stress again.

(There is the thought that Drizz is just *depressed*, since this has happened in the 2 weeks or so that it's been since Kaylee's death.  But... honest, Drizz and Kaylee were never what I'd call "close".  At best, he was the one kitty of the household who didn't seem to mind her presence.  Mostly though, they just stayed out of each other's way.  BUT, I suppose, who knows how a kitty's mind works?  Maybe it's just the simple fact that a member of the household is missing that has him all thrown off.  I wish there were kitty psychologists who could tell me what he's thinking, before we resort to potentially dangerous surgery needlessly.)

 

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com

1)  Play music really loud all evening.  (Tim Minchin, of course.)

2)  Watch a movie while eating dinner at the living room table - and fall asleep afterward.

3)  Have sushi for dinner.

4)  Exercise with the door open (normally I don't let him watch me work out.)

5)  Go to sleep really, really early.

 

Okay, so since I've done all these things tonight (well, #5 is coming up very soon) I'm all done living the "crazy single life".  Now I'll be missing my husband until he gets home from his trip on Thursday.  ^_^

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com

It's been a little while since I've posted anything, and I'm waiting for my computer (I'm at work) to process some cataloging so I figured there's no time like the present. :)

So, the more people who tell me that I shouldn't go to Cardiff (Wales) to see my favorite comedian (Tim Minchin!) perform, the more I kinda want to go just to prove them wrong.  And there are enough people who ARE urging me to go that I just might.  We'll see.  I have a computer to sell, and probably some books, and if I can save up enough $$ to make it possible, I probably will.  It's been a while since I've had myself an adventure.  ^_^

My husband is currently on his own adventure today - he's riding his motorcycle down to Arkansas to meet up with other sport touring motorcyclists.  He'll be gone for the whole week - I hope it doesn't rain on him the entire time.

I'm still struggling my way through the new Dean Koontz book (Odd Hours).  It's really not very good.  Very disappointed.

I'm also working my way through some more nonfiction that I've been wanting to read forever though - my personal "summer reading" plan is to read at least 4 non-fiction books by September.  I read non-fiction at a sludge pace for some reason, so this will actually be pushing it for me.  Right now it's The End of Faith by Sam Harris (who also wrote Letter to a Christian Nation).  Good stuff! 

So since I can't shut up about him, I've had people (exasperatingly) ask me where they can find out more about this guy.

Because I'm an organized sort of person (ha! that's such a lie) I've created this quick list of places where you can see him perform his stuff, in an order which I believe will charm and enthrall you to the point where whenever I burst into song or interject "TIM MINCHIN" tourette's-like into conversation, you will nod sagely and understand from whence comes my undying devotion.

Step the first: The YouTubes:

Inflatable You
 
Angry (feet)

Rock and Roll Nerd

Peace Anthem and Canvas Bags (this is where you will realize that he's also SEXY as hell)

Not Perfect

Step the second:  Now that you've SEEN him, and you're intrigued, head on over to his website, peruse his News area and the photos.

Step the third:  You can also find out more about him at his Myspace page.  He'll even friend you if you friend him.  He might even respond to you if you post something in the comments.

Step the fourth:  Now, finally, you've succumbed and you are as obsessed with him as I am.  Well, at the very least, you can't get that damned song "Canvas Bags" out of your head.  From here, you can join the forum of his crazy-addicted fans at Angry(Feet) .  You will realize very quickly that Tim attracts a very intelligent, funny, and extremely good-looking crowd of fans.

Step the fifth:  From his website, go to "Stuff" and purchase the CDs "Darkside" and "So Rock".  They're recordings of a couple of his live shows and they're very hilarious.  You'll get to hear his between-song commentaries, which is where you really realize just how intelligent and great Tim is.

Step the sixth:  If you have a DVD-playing computer, order his DVD, 'So Live'.  It's PAL format (which is what the Aussies use) so it probably won't play in your DVD player, but our computers don't seem to mind what format it's in.  It's really outstanding to see Tim perform all the way through his show.  Those talented piano-playing hands!!

And finally, now that you're completely indoctrinated and can't get enough... spread the word!  The more people in the U.S. (and everywhere) the better for him!  'Cause he'll make more money and have the motivation to write more songs and hey, if we're lucky, he'll even come back to the U.S. so we can all see him IN PERSON.  That would just rock my world so hard.

Ta da, congratulations, you're a Tim Minchin fan!  
 

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com

I'm watching two big fat yellowjackets building a nest under the gutter of the garage.

It's really, really pretty outside and I should probably go out there and plant my herbs so I can get the grow light off my kitchen counter.

Last night Amber came over and I showed her Tim Minchin lovliness, and she liked him, so YAY! She also brought over TimTams, an Aussie nummy treat which happens to also be named similarly to my current obsession, so that was very sweet of her. They were indeed quite nummers.

I love this song that Tim does - it's very funny and at the same time very sweet. I love how his eyes tear up. Ah yeah, that guy has depth.

You know, when I get an obsession, it's actually kind of annoying. 

I mean, I know why I'm suddenly so focused on Tim Minchin.  In looks alone, it's like he plucked out all the aspects about a guy that I squee over and rolled them all into one character.  And top that with really smart humor, wicked-awesome piano playing, a beautiful voice (Australian accent!!) then you've completely lost me. 

 

 

The obsession is annoying because all I really want to do now is listen to his music and watch the DVD I got from Australia (yay for my computer not caring whether it's PAL or region 1 or what!)  I don't wanna work, I wanna sing along with "Inflatable you" and "Canvas bags".  I'd much rather be watching him perform "Angry (Feet)" or explaining why f**k means "fuck" more than "fuck" means "fuck" anymore.  ("It's like the pedophile who wears the big brown aviator glasses to the pool... if anything, it makes him look more like a pedophile.")

And finally, this new uber-interest of mine is annoying because, at least for the forseable future, Mr. Minchin won't be coming around to America.  He has a show going on now in England, and this fall he'll be going all around the UK playing shows.  I can't go see them.  I'm stuck over here in the stupid U.S. which doesn't have any Tim Minchin goodness in it, and is full of people who don't even know who he is. 

What kind of fun is that??

I shall just have to placate myself with my CDs (thanks Sean!) and my DVD (thanks eBay!) and involvement in the online forum www.angry-feet.com which is full of Aussies and Brits who put up with my clueless American flailings with amused grace.

Finally, I blame all of this on my other obsession, Neil Gaiman.  It's his fault because he posted the video of Tim performing Inflatable You on his blog.  See what you started, Neil??  My friends will never forgive you.

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com

My husband and I said goodbye to our cat Kaylee this morning.

She was diagnosed with cancer about three months ago.  The remaining time we've had with her has been a gift, and we've loved and cherished very single moment of her life with us.  We'd thought we'd have just a "little more time" but yesterday, she took a turn for the worse and we decided it was time to let her go.

We were able to be with her right up until the very end.  I had her head and front paws in my hands, and I felt her relax as she slipped away.  It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do - but I'm so, so glad we were there for her, every single moment.

We'll miss her terribly. 

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com

I finished reading The Host by Stephanie Meyer.  I was not impressed.  I didn't much like her vampire series either, so

this is not much of a surprise.  At least in the vampire series, I did really like the tension between Edward and that twit of a main-character girl.  This book had another twit of a girl, and two men who wanted her (hmmm, pattern much?) but there was no tension and it d-r-a-g-g-e-d on forever and just sucked.  You should read it.  :)

I read the book on my Kindle though, and THAT was fun.  :-)

Right now I'm back to reading an old-fashioned, made-of-paper book.  I'm re-reading the Blood books by Tanya Huff.  I have to keep the mindset that these stories were set in the 1980's - it's like watching Breakfast Club or something.  And I remembered these books being better than they are so far... but maybe I'll get into them yet.

However, tomorrow, the new Odd Thomas book by Dean Koontz comes out. 

If I can get it for my Kindle (I'm sure I can - all his other books are available through it) I might set these books aside again and dive right in.  I loves me some Odd.

Kaylee continues to be "okay".  She seems to have some days that are better than others.  On Saturday, she was very cuddly, and even played a very tiny bit.  She batted around a ball that I threw for her, and she rolled over to "wrestle" with my hand.  Still very cuddly, still the sweetest living thing in the entire universe.  Only three weeks until that dreadful day when I have to say goodbye.  Every time I think about it, I feel my stomach drop and I feel so cold.  It's like a nightmare that you know is going to come true.  I know I should be trying to think of it more as something good we're doing for her.  We're going to make it stop before it gets too bad.  We're going to be there, holding her.  We're going to give her the best few weeks of her life, and make sure she's a happy, happy kitty.

The only thing she won't understand is why her humans' hearts are breaking.

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com

So, I caught my husband's cold.  Spent yesterday afternoon and today home from work, in some kind of small attempt to not spread the germs around to my coworkers (and the cold medicine was making it hard to really concentrate on anything, anyway.)  But as this is one of those colds that lingers, I'm going to go back into work tomorrow, despite still coughing and sneezing and having a voice like a frog.  I can't stay home forever, nice as that would be.

Our library's online system has been completely down for, what, 4 days now?  It's pretty bad.  We can't do anything - and even I'm at the point where I'm wishing it was like the old days when everything was done by writing down on cards.  At least we'd be able to get some work done.  I'm really a huge advocate for technology, but it also really needs the support and knowledge behind it to make it work, which our library system does NOT have.  This switch to the new database system (which is totally wrong for us and is overloaded, which is why it "broke") is probably the worst thing they've ever done, and now they're totally paying for it. 

And finally the sad news - we've decided to go ahead and set a date for saying goodbye to our sweetest kitty, Kaylee.  Our vet has agreed to come to our house (so we don't have to put her through the terror of a car ride to the clinic) on June 6.  Three weeks... it's not enough time, of course.  And I'm also hoping it's not too much time, for her.  She's definitely feeling some pain, although we are also giving her some kitty painkillers every couple of days.  If she makes a turn for the worse then we'll just have to take her to the vet ourselves.  I hope her last few weeks with us are at the very least like they've been - she's still eating and drinking water fine, and she still cuddles us and seeks us out for attention.  She doesn't play anymore, and there are times she'll retreat upstairs to be away from everyone for a while.  But, she's still our Kaylee, at least for the time being.  It will be very hard to say goodbye.

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com

(And, thank you very much Neil Gaiman for turning me on to yet another obsession... really, thanks a lot.)

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com

Went for a first ride on Sunday (finally, the weather co-operated) on my Suzuki SV650 (aka "Hiro"). 

We look good together, dontcha think?

(That bike in the background is my husband's big fat purple grape of a sport touring bike.)

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com

Wow.  So blown away.  I mean, I was expecting greatness, after having seen the previews and all at last year's Comic Com in San Diego, and have been waiting since then with great anticipation, but WOW.  It's even better than they've been saying. 

GO SEE IT.  You will not be disappointed!! OH!! And make sure you stay until the very end of the credits. There's a clip at the end you must see!! 

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com

Just sitting here, with a purring kitty in my lap, enjoying these moments because all too soon, they'll be gone.

Originally posted on slytherinlibrarian.vox.com