It is sad to know that Andy Griffith has died. He was a great actor, singer, and storyteller. I always enjoyed watching the re-runs of The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock. What you could tell about him in his shows was that he loved food, singing, and being a little mischevious. I don't mean mischevious in a mean way...the playful way. It's hard to describe unless you are mischevious yourself. You can spot the mischevious people a mile away....but I digress. His shows were good, decent programs that anyone could watch and weren't trashy like many of the programs out there today. His generation of actors and actresses are slowly decreasing (dying) and leaving us with people that don't seem to be as talented or classy. What I mean is that it seems like the actors and actresses that are under a certain age don't seem to care about the way that they are perceived. I understand that times have changed but I think that if a person is genuinely talented that they would want to take care of themselves...staying away from the drugs and alcohol (sp?) and in general, staying out of trouble. Anyway, Andy Griffith is now with Don Knotts and George Lindsey and many other talented actors and actresses that have passed away (Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, etc.).
On a slightly brighter note, Americans are celebrating the 4th of July...Independence Day. I went to a National Forest in the mountains of NC and had a blast. I saw my first American Black Bear (Ursus americanus). I had only been on the trail for 13 minutes. I had stopped to look at some tracks (bobcat & coyote) when I heard a noise. I looked up and saw a nice sized black bear jogging across the trail from one section of Mountain Laurels and Rhododendrons to the other side of the trail (with the same shrubs). I was surprised at the sight and giggled when it dawned on me that had seen my very first black bear. I have grown up going through this national forest and went to (and graduated from) the college that is 5 minutes from the entrance to the forest. In the years that I had been going to the forest, I had never seen a bear. I had seen plenty signs of white tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), bobcats (Lynx rufus), and coyotes (Canis latrans). I did pick up a stick and carry it with me as I continued on the trail. I doubted that I would see another bear but I carried the stick to help make noise (drug it on the ground behind me). I have to say that seeing the bear made my day. On the way home, I did see a rabbit and and Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus). I didn't get a close look at the rabbit but it could have been one of two species (Eastern Cottontail or the Appalachian Cottontail). All in all, it was a good day.
I saw Snowhite and the Huntsman when it first came out. Ok, it wasn't the weekend it came out but I saw it the week or so after. I enjoyed it and would see it again. A friend of mine saw and thought it was, "Just ok." Then again, we have different tastes in some things. That might be why we are friends...but I digress. This was just my random posting to say that I liked it and that I'm looking forward to getting it on dvd.
After being on here for awhile, I have come to realize that there may be some stereotypes of people from different countries. It may not be said but when you read some of the blogs and things in the forum or even things asked in the polls, it seems that there are some misunderstandings about people from other countries.
As an American, I think many people outside of the US assume that ALL Americans are obese, money hungry, lazy, ignorant of the world around them, and that the women are easy. All though this may be true for a certain number of Americans, we are not all like that. This is like saying that the British (and Irish) are nothing but drunks. And that Candians are either hockey players or mounties (how they are perceived).
I think that we all have things to learn about other countries, the way that they live, and to realize that the way a country is perceived in movies (and in other forms of media) may not always be true.
For me, I know that I have a lot to learn about the way people live in other countries. I think that a great way to learn is by traveling to the countries. I think that it's always important to be respectful of the country (and their customs) you are visiting...no matter how you have perceived the people in the country. In terms of visiting other countries, I've been to England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales (all in 1997 when I was 15 and a half) and to Nova Scotia, Canada (in 2010). I enjoyed visiting and learning (whatever I could). I was supposed to go to Brazil this year (in August) but I wasn't able to raise all of the money to go so, I have postponed my trip to Brazil until 2013. I'll be going to Brazil to volunteer on a wildlife project. I do hope to visit other countries as well. I'm hoping to visit Peru, South Africa, Kenya, Madagascar, Australia, France, Italy, and Greece. I also think that it would be nice to go to the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Finland, etc.). I hope that it was (is) appropriate to say Scandinavian countries. I'd also like to go back to Canada. As a grad. student in wildlife biology, I am particularly interested in North American wildlife. I am also interested in the wildlife in other countries. It is fascinating to me to think about seeing wildlife in other countries. There are many differences in species that are present but, in some cases, there are many similarities. My interest in wildlife seems to have taken over my blog (or whatever this is called).
This link is one that I found interesting. I looked through to see if any of my perceptions of other countries were listed. Some were and some weren't. Anyway, I thought I'd share it with you guys.
Even if the link doesn't show up...you can still click on it. I did a preview and it wasn't showing up but when I clicked on it, it brought the website up.
I thought I'd share a few of my pet peeves. I'm not doing this to start an arguement. I just wanted to share my pet peeves.
1) Skinny jeans - no one looks good in skinny jeans on matter how good looking or thin you are.
2) People who feel the need to hug you every time you see them - If it's a cultural thing, then it is ok. Where I'm from, it's not cultural. I have a couple of friends that would hug me whenever I see them, but I have known them for over 10 years. I don't like having random people hug me or even for people that I do know to hug me. My family isn't the huggy type. I have actually told people not to touch me when they started to give me a hug.
3) Those shoes that look like ballet slippers but aren't ballet slippers - I don't know what they are called but they look like ballet slippers. It's bad enough that people where flip flops when they aren't very supportive of the feet, but these ballet looking shoes don't support the feet either. They may be comfortable but don't look like the kind of thing you should be wearing on a regular basis.
4) When people wear jeans and high heels - Wearing high heels with jeans doesn't make you more dressed up.
5) Wearing pajama bottoms in public - Unless your place of residence burned down in the middle of the night and burned all of your clothes, then there is no reason to wear pajama bottoms in public. If you want to be comfortable in public but don't want to wear normal clothes (jeans, pants/slacks, dress, suit) then wear sweat pants.
6) Jeans that show off the boxers/undies - It's just tacky. Enough said.
7) People who talk loudly while they are on the phone - I realize that there are some people who are just loud and they can't help it. My brother tends to talk loud, but not because he is seeking attention or hard of hearing. He has always been like that. What I am talking about are those people who walk in to a room talking on the phone and talk so loud that people in the other room can hear you.
8) When people wear too much perfume/cologne - It makes me sick to my stomach, especially the perfume that is floral scented. It is suffocating. Thankfully, I don't have problems with astma. If I did, it would be unbearable.
9) People assuming that every woman wants kids - I can't tell you how many times people, especially women, have told me that I will change my mind about having kids when I meet the right man or that having a baby is the best gift I can give a man. It makes me want to poke their eyes out. Having kids is a huge responsbility. Some may say that it is selfish to not want kids. But the first thing is that having kids is a huge financial responsibility. It's also emotionally, physically, and mentally draining. It can also put a damper on your relationship with your spouse. I realize that as I get older the chances of having a healthy baby decreases. I tell people that I am perfectly happy with being a cat mom. If a guy really wants to have kids, then I'm not the person for him. I mean, it's one thing to be with (date/marry) a guy that already has kids but if he wants more then I'm not the woman. Realistically, how many guys in there early to mid 30s are ok with not having kids. Besides, if they want kids, they'd probably want to get involved with someone in their early to mid 20s. I don't care why you chose to have kids. It's not my problem if your kids are terrible. You should discipline them. If you want to talk non-stop about what cute thing(s) your kid did or is doing, then be prepared to hear me talk about the cute thing(s) that my cat has done or is doing. My cat is my baby. She is treated better than most people treat their children. And my cat is better behaved than most children too. I'll stop writing about this particular pet peeve because it is my biggest pet peeve of all.
I'm sure I have others but I think I have listed enough. Feel free to share some of you pet peeves.
Sometime back, I wrote about the two weeks I spent in Nova Scotia volunteering on a small mammal project through an organization called Earthwatch (international non-profit org.). Anyway, I'm planning on traveling to Brazil this coming August to volunteer on a wildlife project that is looking at how several species (jaguar, giant piraíba catfish, Amazon River dolphin, and black caiman) use a corridor (the Araguaia River).
I'm going through the process of getting any vaccinations and immunizations that I need or ones that are required (i.e., yellow fever). The difficulties that I am currently facing is that I am running out of ideas in how to raise the money to go. Before I say any more, I want to make it clear that I am not asking anyone one for money. I am in grad school and I am looking for some part time work. Finding a part time job that works with my availability is difficult, but I'm still looking. I do some babysitting for a couple of families at my church and I also do some odd jobs as I can find them (things like yard work, house cleaning, pet sitting). Last year, I attempted to do some educational programs for kids and adults. I had it set so that I would go to different places in the area. The distance from where I live ranged from 30 minutes to about an hour and a half. For those that were interested, we'd go to one of the locations (already pre set by me) and we'd hike at a nice pace (not too fast and not too slow). I'd point out different plants, tell them the name, and give them some random information. I'd also look for signs of wildlife. I'd look for things like tracks and scat. I don't know my birds all that well so I would stay away from that. I am better with mammal identification. Anyway, I tried to keep it inexpensive...$12.50 (US dollars) per person. I only asked for $12.50 per person because I thought it would be a good thing for parents and their kids. Ok, let me clarify a little. If a family of 4 went, then it was $50. You may think that is a lot but if you think about how much it costs for a family of 4 to go to the movies then it isn't really that bad, especially if they get snacks and go out to eat. My other thought was that a mother could send her husband out with the kids. So, if the dad went with one kid it would be at least $25. Either way, they'd still be able to get a tax deduction if they wanted one. I had a form that was already filled out with my information. The form and money would be sent in and the money would be applied to my expedition fund. I'm thinking that even though times are tough, that $25 shouldn't be that difficult to part with when it's going for a good cause.
After all is said and done, I would have invested more money into then someone that has made a $25 tax-deductible donation. I have the vaccines to cover, the cost of the air fare, baggage fees, visa, and a few other things. My parents would help out by giving me money to spend during the time that we wouldn't be doing research. There is one day where no research is done and there is a possibility to do the touristy thing. Of course, I'll have a little time before and after the volunteering opportunity is over to do some shopping. I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to come home in mid-August and have all your Christmas shopping done?
I have less than $2,300 (US dollars) to raise by early May. I'm sure that if I have most of it by that time then it would be ok if I had a few hundred dollars to go to cover the contribution (called contribution since it is a non-profit org). I guess I could change which expedition (volunteer opportunity I go on). Instead of going to Brazil, I could go to one in Greece (dolphins) or France (marmots). The contribution is less than the one for the expedition in Brazil.
I guess I am wondering if anyone has any ideas of what I could do to raise the money to go to Brazil. No, I don't plan on getting a pimp or a sugardaddy. Thanks in advance.
I'm looking forward to 27 January 2012. Why? Because One for the Money will be out in the theatre. This was a book that has been turned into a movie. The books are hilarious. If you have never read any of them then I suggest that you do. It would be best to start with One for the Money and then read through the series in order but it doesn't really matter. Here is a preview/trailer for the movie. I'm sure that you could find more on you tube. Pay attention to the grandma with the gun and Lula.
I wouldn't consider a chick flick. It probably isn't suitable for children under the age of 13 though....maybe 16 depending on their maturity level.
I enjoyed spending time with my family for Christmas and New Years day. I tihnk that one of the interesting things that happened on Christmas was that my cat, Peanut, ended up getting two of the same thing. Well, it was the exact same item but they both served the same purpose. It was one of those circulating pet waterers. I think that it is self explanatory. The picture below is the one that I got for her. My parents had gotten one for her as well. If my house was bigger then I would've kept both and set them up in different places in the house. Anyway, I exchanged it and got her the little cat tree that is in the picture at the bottom. I would love to get one that is taller but I don't have the space for it right now due to my living arrangements. But she seems to like it...it will take some time for her to get used to it though. Peanut seems to like it the most when the sun is shining on it.
Circulating water fountain thing:
The small cat tree:
Side note: I can't seem to figure out how to get the pictures to show up. So if you are seeing an x inside of a box, you can click on it and see the pic. Sorry...I wish I knew how to do it the right way.
I was cleaning out some of the folder on my computer and came across something interesting (see below). Several months ago, I found these descriptions of how some people described physical appearance. I know that it may seem as though I'm hung up on what I look like or what other look like but I remember when I was looking at these descriptions (combined from a three or four sites), that I was just wondering. I mean, you always hear about people saying, "Look at him/her. He/she is a 10" or "I can't believe he/she is wearing that outfit. I mean, they act like they are a 10 when he/she is a 4." Although looks are subjective, I had been curious to see if there was any kind of consensus on what people thought. It looks like the only consensus is that 10 is super hot, 5 and 6 is where most people fall (within the average range), and 1 repulsive. I just thought that this was interesting and wanted to share it...let me know what you guys think.
10 - almost flawless, absolutely smoking, one of the hottest girls/guys you've ever seen
9 - best in show, very good looking, very hot
8 - hot (just not jawdropping), very good looking, extremely attractive
7 - very attractive, pretty cute, pretty/cute (hot at times)
6 - attractive, slightly above average, majority of world's population, easy on the eyes to cute, cute/nice-looking
5 - average, starting to be attractive or unattractive
4 - unattractive, little less than average, little below average but not disgusting
3 - ugly, starting to look pretty bad
2 - induces a gag reflex, bad, unfortunate looking
1 - run for the hills, sucks to be you
Today, I took my cat, Peanut, to the library to have her picture taken with Santa. Yes, I know, I'm crazy...but I love my furbaby. She so well behaved and I took several pictures of her. Now, that we are at home, she is exhausted and is napping next to me while I type.
You know, I'm not sure what to think. When it comes to women and body type/shape. Very few women have the desired hourglass figure while it seems that the majority of women have the banana (aka rectangular) body type/shape. This is where the waist measurement is less than 9 inches smaller than the hips or bust. I have often wondered if a person who is overweight, like me, loses the weight, if their body type would change. So far, it doesn't seem likely and is probably unlikely. I've lost 19 lbs so far this year (the majority of it since August) and I'm still considered to have the banana shape. I have 23 lbs to go to be within normal weight range (according to the BMI) and to reach my goal weight, it is 31 lbs. I mention this because I remember what I looked like when I was within the normal weight range and I can honestly say that I have never been nor will I ever have the hourglass figure. Personally, of the all the body shapes (hourglass, pear, apple, and banana), I think that the banana shape works for me. Of course, it is all that I have ever had and the only thing to work with. I think the only difficulty is trying to find jeans or pants that fit comfortably because they tend to be too big in the hips. Oh well. I still have curves even if they are temporarily hidden underneath some fat. Again...it does feel great knowing that I have lost 19 lbs. and that the Thanksgiving meal didn't set me back.
That's it for my random tangent.
In July 2010, I spent two weeks in Nova Scotia. One of the amazing things about this expedition is that it gave me an opportunity to see parts of Nova Scotia that most tourists would never get to see or experience. Chris & Christina had two houses that the volunteers used as living quarters in a little village called Cherry Hill. The research was done at Cook’s Lake, which is about 45 minutes away from where we stayed. During the first week, we set up 100 traps in a cleared (50 traps) & forested habitat (50 traps). The mammals that we trapped included red back voles, chipmunks, & red squirrels. Red squirrels were released because they are easily stressed & could become so stressed that they give themselves a heart attack. The traps could also trap shrews but they are able to get out through a hole in the back or side of the trap. Toward the end of the week, I had the opportunity to hold a red back vole. It was amazing. I was nervous at first because I didn’t want to hurt the vole. We also did deer surveys, where we looked for white tailed deer scat. While we looked for deer scat, we also noted the presence of snowshoe hare & porcupine scat. Toward the end of the first week, we set up camera traps to see what we kind find. At the end of the first week, we had one research-free day. We went into Lunenburg for the day. It is a nice little touristy town. Most of the group went on a whale watching tour. I didn’t go because I didn’t think that it was going to be a good day to see any whales. I spent most of the day going in & out of the Fisheries Museum. You pay the $10 (Canadian $) & you get a blue wrist thing. That gives you access to the museum for the full day. I walked around in the museum for a while, and chatted with some of the workers, decided to tell me about the coyote problem. After awhile I had lunch, which was interesting. I actually ate fish (haddock) for the first time since 1997. The fish was excellent and cooked the way that fish should be cooked…fried. When I finished lunch, I walked around & visited some of the shops. I got all of my Christmas shopping done too. I went back to the Fisheries Museum & went to the exhibit where I held a starfish. That was neat. The starfish felt weird but was still neat. I was going to pick up a crab but a group of children came up so I decided to move on. I spent the last hour or so before supper in the movie theatre in the Fisheries Museum. I watched several videos about the importance & history of fisheries in Nova Scotia. I met up with the rest of the group at 6:30 pm at a pub where the locals frequented (The Knot Pub). I had the best grilled cheese sandwich ever. The second week of trapping was done in a shrub environment and a meadow environment. We didn’t capture anything at all in the meadow environment. In the shrub environment, we trapped a lot of meadow jumping mice and chipmunks. Christina and Chris were expecting to find at least a few deer mice in the shrub environment but this was the first group of volunteers where no deer mice were found. When we asked about the why this might be, there were some thoughts. One thought was that the snakes in the area were eating the deer mice since they may be easier to catch (versus trying to catch jumping mice). Another thought was that jumping mice hibernated and deer mice didn’t hibernate and that the decrease in deer mice numbers could be due to the food availability. Of course, they also said that the decrease in deer mice population would need more attention (to determine the cause). Toward the end of the week, we took down the camera’s that we had put up the week before. On the last day (the day before we left), we spent the morning talking about the data that we had collected and the potential impact of the results. That afternoon we went to a provincial park and tested our skills in field identification.
I don't know if any of you have ever heard of Simon's cat or not but it always brings a smile to my face. Let me explain, Simon's cat is about, well, Simon's cat. If you own or have ever owned a cat then the videos would make sense to you. These little clips show how cats can drive you crazy but still make you love them all the same. Whenever I watch one, it makes me smile and shake my head because I can just imagine the cat(s) in my life doing the exact same thing.
Hopefully, you guys will enjoy the video as much as I do. The one that I have posted is just one of a few that are available.
Simon's cat - Double Trouble
fieldworking Blog (20)