tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38741082011-10-10T12:13:56.472-05:0032 DegreesIce at the Melting PointKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.comBlogger2871100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-64489297155139795262011-03-13T12:50:00.006-05:002011-03-13T13:04:03.338-05:00I just brought our 4 month old foster kitten, Spitfire, back to the shelter for spay surgery and to go to the adoption floor. We had her for a couple weeks for socialization and while she recovered from an upper respiratory infection. Spitfire came from an overcrowded living situation and while she was used to having her owner around the house, she wasn't handled at all. She was a spitting, Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-85447719157019675312011-02-03T20:51:00.019-06:002011-02-03T21:36:19.591-06:00I've held it in my hands now and it still doesn't seem real! My copies of the book arrived today. It's now available on the Aqueduct Press website: A Brood of Foxes . It is the 29th volume in the Conversation Pieces series and I'm honored to be included with such a wonderful group of writers. If you want a description of the novella, there's a good one at the link above. I have a very time Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-69187554417191741682011-01-16T12:21:00.016-06:002011-01-16T12:47:23.207-06:00I brought two of the four kittens back to the shelter today for spay and neuter surgeries and to the adoption floor. We've had this group for a few weeks and have been through round and now lung worms with them. These two were the healthier and better body conditioned of the two. The bigger female black one, Kerrigan, hit surgery weight last week by a hair and we decided to keep her until the Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-61823078898893293532011-01-09T19:40:00.009-06:002011-01-09T19:52:43.015-06:00I'll have a post about the new book shortly but in the meantime, here are foster kitten pics! We've had this group about 2 weeks now. The solid grey and black kittens are doing pretty good and should be at spay and neuter surgery weight by next week. The two grey tabbies aren't doing so hot and will take a little longer. They've gotten the normal de-wormers and some extra panacur. Partway throughKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-10250832210933497202010-08-31T14:29:00.013-05:002010-08-31T14:44:41.458-05:00So, Ben just went back to the shelter today for neuter surgery and the adoption floor. Last night, he left me with some pictures I had to share. I'll post them in sequence, so you can see the developing fun.I came into the bathroom last night and this is what I found. Someone discovered the toilet paper roll and holder!What's this?Now, like many of my kitten predecessors, I will help you remove Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-76681139907015608932010-08-18T22:22:00.016-05:002010-08-18T23:18:03.905-05:00FOSTER KITTEN (AND CAT) UPDATES:Foster kitten Smoke, who was still sitting at the shelter alone after his sister was adopted, was put on hold yesterday and taken home today. I got to say good-bye to him and meet his adopter.Yahya went back to the shelter on Tuesday for neuter surgery after getting the go ahead from our vet. While I wouldn't say he is nice and plump, he is a slim but healthy Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-39172215195432020672010-08-12T19:50:00.012-05:002010-08-12T21:40:38.720-05:00Yesterday, I brought two kittens back to the shelter for spay and neuter surgery, a full week after their sister, the little fatty, Rosie, was adopted. Ember and Smoke http://tiny.cc/zt96c, as of close time tonight, were both still available and showing up on the website. Ember has some of the most beautiful tortie coloring I've ever seen. Smoke is a huge cuddler and is also very pretty with Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-78358649194326836652010-06-23T13:47:00.009-05:002010-06-23T19:51:50.310-05:00FOSTER PARENTS NEEDED!Three out of the five in the litter of foster kittens reached spay and neuter surgery weight on Monday and went through surgery on Tuesday. Here's a picture of Meg that we didn't use for the shelter website for obvious reasons. I chose to use names of characters from Dickens's novels, probably because I recently finished reading Dan Simmons's book Drood which has Dickens as Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-54106946055353849222010-06-17T18:45:00.006-05:002010-06-17T18:49:23.904-05:00Why it took me four nights to finish the last 20 pages of Ben Parzybok's Couch! (What you aren't seeing is one of the grey kittens attacking the hand holding the book every time I started to read.) Now I'm trying to read Holly Black's The Poison Eaters and finding the kittens are fascinated by the shiny cover.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-87172098568884067402010-06-12T18:06:00.024-05:002010-06-12T18:33:11.023-05:00Here are photos of a new litter of five foster kittens that I brought home for socialization and a little weight gain. We have one buff tabby, one orange tabby, a solid grey spitfire and two other grey ones with white paws and bellies. They were hissing and spitting on Thursday night when I brought them home. I'm keeping them in a large dog kennel to get them used to being handled and being Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-35481235952663730702010-02-08T13:30:00.003-06:002010-02-08T13:39:21.232-06:00I had no idea the Minnesota Puppy Mill Bill was so controversial but because of a group of pretty nasty, anonymous comments on a post from last year's bill, I've had to finally turn on comment moderation. I'm sorry for any inconvenience for nonanonymous posters.And so, because I was going to post it anyway. Here is information on the current bill. This bill is really needed--I've worked with someKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-887786608376488042010-01-30T22:41:00.003-06:002010-01-30T23:03:57.282-06:00I'm sitting with the littlest of the foster kittens on my lap with Kachina the dog tucked up next to us. Kachina is fascinated by the foster kittens and is steadily staring at her. The little one has her paw curled over her eyes and has rolled over on her side so I can pet both her back and tummy. We're both worried about her, I think. (I would take a picture but I don't want to disturb either Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-13763117830023505542010-01-27T21:46:00.009-06:002010-01-27T22:01:13.212-06:00Now we have the obligatory foster kitten post...Three kittens suddenly became five the next day as a couple more showed minor upper respiratory infection symptoms. An assortment of sizes and colors--all from the same home with three possible mothers and at least two, likely three, litters. We have three grey ones with an assortment of white paws in a couple cases and one with a stub of a tail (Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-85175497248271360142009-12-11T20:34:00.015-06:002009-12-11T20:51:23.864-06:00New Foster Kitten (Not So Good Photos)We have a new foster kitten. His name is currently up in the air. I wanted to name him Rumble because he's such a purr machine. Alan wanted to name him Chester (which makes me think of old men.) He has an upper respiratory infection and a very runny nose but is otherwise acting like a normal kitten. He wouldn't hold still for the photos I took tonight. We'll Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-22796243946000334002009-12-08T22:09:00.004-06:002009-12-08T22:42:16.773-06:00New Dog UpdateAs of last night, both dogs have now passed from level 1 to level 2 in obedience training. The big question I have is "Why didn't we do this sooner with Gambit?" I know the answer. We weren't allowed to have Gambit around other dogs for the first few months we had him home as a foster because the vet was worried his immune system was compromised by whatever he had been through Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-34366334037038244302009-11-21T13:02:00.020-06:002009-11-22T14:56:00.529-06:00 New Addition to the Household I'm sitting on the couch with the two dogs sleeping next me which is not the normal state of things the last two weeks. We had a pretty wild 1 year old Aussie Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler), Kachina, at work who had been sitting for quite a while despite her cuteness. At a year old, she had too much energy and no training and was a chore to handle despite a basically Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-40889144499769256492009-06-20T00:22:00.004-05:002009-06-20T00:40:56.700-05:00Books to read to foster kittens (and other small beings)#1 The Underneath by Kathi AppeltNo kitten blogging for a while as this was a difficult litter with 2 doing pretty well and 2 not so well even with a foster mom. While we were in California for Liz's wedding, the smallest one died, despite getting great care with fluids given and hand feeding. My poor pet sitter. The other little one, who isKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-87030191837994734562009-05-08T22:38:00.004-05:002009-05-10T22:42:12.253-05:00So I've been getting this hair style for a little while now and just found it is a Samantha Who? hair cut. I need to get my hair styled for Liz's wedding in a couple weeks in Ojai, CA. My stylist said I should tell whoever does it to do it Samantha Who? style and to bring a picture in case she doesn't know what that it is. I said, "Yes, I will do that," and promptly googled Samantha Hu when I gotKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-25838773533593957562009-05-08T16:02:00.002-05:002009-05-08T16:07:10.786-05:00The Small Beer Press Warehouse sale is still going on. There are awesome books for a dollar! You can get Alan's short story collection and Maureen McHugh's and books by Carol Emswhiller and John Crowley and Sean Stewart and other fantastic talents. The editors have excellent taste and you can't go wrong with any of them. They make great gifts!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-81564369509432130112009-05-04T21:46:00.009-05:002009-05-04T21:55:46.653-05:00Another week, more foster pictures: One, Two, ThreeKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-32340025896255328542009-04-28T20:37:00.017-05:002009-04-28T20:59:22.011-05:00New foster pics. They've been with us just over a week and are developing fast. The past two days, they've learned to climb. They love my jeans! They've also gotten messier. I decided to switch from the short sided litter box to a bigger one today after coming home to find the bathroom a poop war zone. Many, many little poop foot prints and lots of "How did that get there?"s. All the bedding is Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-9389778438356298442009-04-23T17:22:00.010-05:002009-04-23T17:50:54.885-05:00Here are photos of the fosters I brought home on Sunday. We can't handle Momma, yet, but do our best as she settles in here. She's terrified of the "dog outside the bathroom door," so I don't have to worry about her bolting out and hiding somewhere in the house but his interest in meeting the fosters makes her even more skittish. She's feral but maybe was originally a stray at some point--it's Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-90799918043983606002009-04-17T21:34:00.001-05:002009-04-17T21:47:31.798-05:00Just in case you are one of those who missed it like me, here is my new addiction (and I'm not really much of a gamer):The GuildKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-28291984378429761722009-04-16T21:27:00.015-05:002009-04-16T21:41:07.014-05:00Friends in Mange Bear came in 4th at a Rock Band competition at The Dive in Maplewood last night. First time I've ever seen the game. Lots of fun to watch. I can see why it's addictive. Here are a couple photos from the KDWB website. You can find more, including the incredibly realistic 2nd runners-up and duct-taped KISS: here. Jenney says I look like I was going to bite her, but was really Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-73969383501405341222009-04-14T20:10:00.004-05:002009-04-14T20:23:29.496-05:00Gambit's reaction last night to news that Coleman will appeal and Minnesota will continue to be without one of its senators for another month or so:Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-54093146771523799442009-04-12T18:49:00.005-05:002009-04-12T22:08:31.449-05:00I'm so disgusted I don't have anything to say except, "Amazon you are so stupid! This is going to backfire on you big time.":Amazon RankKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-21855983750389866652009-04-07T15:25:00.004-05:002009-04-08T19:14:37.417-05:00It just stopped snowing in Youngstown after snowing all morning, but it didn't matter because is there anywhere better to be during spring flurries than in a cafe with a nice hot mocha, a laptop, awesome company, and a martini glass of vanilla bean creme brulee? Alan read last night at Dorian Books which has a fabulous reading space. The reading was followed by a very good open mic line up that Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-44907302972647518992009-03-31T21:40:00.003-05:002009-03-31T21:41:13.864-05:00My new favorite LOLcat!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-65730683897503876512009-03-31T18:09:00.003-05:002009-03-31T18:13:57.253-05:00Sad news on the Minnesota puppy mill bill from the Animal Folks Minnesota website:CURRENT STATUS: Laid on the table. See below. H.F. 253/S.F. 7 did not pass this year (2009) in the Minnesota legislature. We all worked hard, together, to educate our legislators and encourage them to understand the problem of inhumane dog and cat breeding; unfortunately, there are certain Minnesota legislators who Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-33073059002744428142009-03-26T13:39:00.003-05:002009-03-28T18:17:47.632-05:00One more Puppy Mill post:Nightline Special Investigation of Puppy MillsThis Friday night, March 27, ABC's Nightline will be investigating puppy mills. ABC Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi and investigators from Nightline travel the byways and back roads of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania - visiting numerous puppy mills and filming Main Line Animal Rescue's volunteers as they rescue breeding dogs and Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-6801364205355379012009-03-26T13:33:00.002-05:002009-03-26T13:36:09.613-05:00More to do to help get the Puppy Mill bill passed:Urgent action needed before FridayFor months, AHS has been working with 32 Minnesota animal welfare organizations and the National Federation of Humane Societies to enact the Minnesota Puppy and Kitten Mill bill (S.F. 7/H.F. 253). The bill will protect animals by giving the Minnesota Board of Animal Health the authority to license breeders and Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-64994370300732447902009-03-25T12:08:00.001-05:002009-03-25T12:10:44.655-05:00Minnesota Puppy and Kitten Mill Bill Update from the Animal Humane Society and Animal Folks Minnesota:UPDATE AND ACTION More good news! H.F. 253 passed out of the House Civil Justice Committee on Monday without any amendments. Thank you for your calls!Unfortunately, S.F. 7 did not receive a hearing on Tuesday, March 24, in the Senate Agriculture Committee. As you may recall, the bill was laid on Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-74469079139473098462009-03-23T21:52:00.000-05:002009-03-23T21:53:01.393-05:00From Alan with love...Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-82941752290795504892009-03-20T18:20:00.003-05:002009-03-20T18:25:57.190-05:00All right, another pet related post. I can't help it.Can I point out how wonderful mother dogs and cats are? They can have just finished nursing a large litter of their own (we're talking 6-9 babies in some cases) and are sore and thin and tired and deserving of rest, and despite this, will accept another large litter of orphans as their own. I know that there are women out there who have done Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-11120875702674076822009-03-20T12:32:00.003-05:002009-03-20T13:08:59.800-05:00Awesome Fresh Air show yesterday with Dr. Nancy Kay, author of Speaking for Spot, about being a good medical advocate for your pets and making the tough decisions on their health care with so many more options, often expensive, available:http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=4&islist=true&id=13&d=03-19-2009This is a book I'm going to pick up.EDIT: This includes a very Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-40408749216617899072009-03-07T20:02:00.003-06:002009-03-07T20:41:24.967-06:00It seems that just sitting back, reading and learning isn't enough right now.My ideal world would look something like Frogtown in St. Paul, without the trash, possibly somewhere in Canada--Alan says Quebec City or Montreal because of the older buildings and I'll have to take his word for it since I've only been to Edmonton. The real world is diverse and fiction and the writing community and Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-12349161013071641112009-03-07T17:38:00.004-06:002009-03-07T17:52:33.342-06:00Salon has an interesting article on conservative anger surrounding Michelle Obama's recent visit to a homeless shelter and a shelter guest using a cell phone to take her picture. Apparently, there are no other issues to tackle out there and they need to pick on people struggling with housing and poverty. Getting people who were homeless access to voice mail was such a big problem prior to the Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-30023129881714246872009-02-28T19:16:00.000-06:002009-02-28T19:17:36.852-06:00My heart is breaking again. I'm not sure we can continue doing this kitten fostering. It's just too sad sometimes.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-53233208470904945652009-02-27T17:49:00.003-06:002009-02-27T18:00:03.478-06:00Congratulations Dave!The Nebula ballot was announced and amongst many good writers and friends, St. Paul's own Dave Schwartz was nominated for his first novel, Superpowers. Many times, a book doesn't get the attention it deserves and I'm hoping that the publicity around the award nomination will result in more notice for Dave. It's a wondferul book and will appeal to many people who don't Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-51896523860924225202009-02-27T16:54:00.003-06:002009-02-27T17:42:30.993-06:00There's No Other Way That iTunes meme via Gwenda via Holly. I'm fairly new to iTunes and just got a phone I can listen to music on. (Thanks Alan for the great Valentine's gift!) The rules are: My Life in ItunesRULES1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-91902888864942986782009-02-23T17:28:00.002-06:002009-02-23T17:30:22.601-06:00From the Animal Humane Society:UPDATE on the Minnesota Puppy and Kitten Mill BillThe Minnesota Puppy and Kitten Mill Bill, H.F. 253 (authored by Representative Tom Tillberry), will be heard in the House Public Safety Policy and Oversight Committee soon. We will be sending a call-to-action alert as soon as the bill is granted a hearing and the date is confirmed.Also, as you know, the Senate Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-8741355988718523172009-02-21T21:32:00.000-06:002009-02-21T21:35:03.280-06:00My hero--of course she had to have red hair! http://www.cpbintegrated.com/theherofactory/Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-78158299018666809402009-02-20T10:37:00.002-06:002009-02-20T10:43:42.599-06:00I had to give 2 puppies a lime/sulfur wash for ringworm yesterday. Despite wearing gloves and a smock, I got a good coating of it myself and ruined a fairly new uniform shirt (must have been the lime). When I took a shower after getting home, I realized I had a ton of it in my hair as well as on my hands. Puppies! Despite several good washings, I continue to be haunted by the smell of rotten eggsKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-85426305924503667892009-02-15T18:59:00.003-06:002009-02-15T19:25:44.698-06:00A dear friend had a stroke earlier this week. She is younger than me and (while we expect a full recovery for her) it was a good reminder that things can change unexpectedly. I tend to get caught up with work and volunteering and other stuff and sometimes forget to slow down and enjoy the here and now. She's been delighting in her new iPod the past few months and recently attended a New Kids on Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-67501953918046896702009-02-15T17:45:00.004-06:002009-02-15T17:53:55.701-06:00Three more sick foster kittens came home with me this week: two orange tabby males, Mango (a little brighter with white boots) and Jack, and a black and white female, Tilly. They're healthier than the last few we've had. They're still in the sneezing stage but they are eating like little piggies and getting into all kinds of trouble. They love the bathtub and the sink and Jack even steps right Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-53289139645527892832009-02-14T16:08:00.003-06:002009-02-14T16:16:11.896-06:00Can I just say how cool bats are? I've had a big fascination with them ever since I did a report on them in 6th grade. My favorites are the little brown Myotis bats who are native to a lot of the United States. It got warm enough for a few to come out of hibernation to hunt this past week and it was so nice to see them circling the street lamp on our corner again. They'd been on my mind after Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-29454177829215355292009-01-31T19:24:00.003-06:002009-01-31T19:32:31.561-06:00Sundance was adopted on Wednesday and the other two, Cassidy and Huck, were adopted on Thursday. So, we're kitten free and the house seems a little empty. The classic edition cats (as Alan calls them) are all getting more attention than they have in while even if it is unwelcome attention at times.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-42718753160945892232009-01-25T21:13:00.005-06:002009-01-26T19:12:46.775-06:00Tonight is our last night with the current three foster kittens. The girls had the run of the house with Alan while I was at work today and now the boy has some outside the bathroom time. I've really enjoyed having lap cats for the past month. Because they're older, it's a pretty good bet they'll continue to be cuddly. Lucky adopters! The highlight of the day today was an e-mail with pictures Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-84608011688162492792009-01-25T08:39:00.002-06:002009-01-25T08:43:55.718-06:00If you live in Minnesota, please take the time to make a call or two supporting puppy mill legislation making its way through the state house. There is more information below and on the Animal Humane Society's website at:http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/node/388.Good afternoon,Animal Humane Society is working with 32 Minnesota animal welfare organizations, the Humane Society of the United Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-86224874667846186232009-01-24T11:38:00.000-06:002009-01-24T11:39:00.548-06:00Okay, it's more like trilling cats rather than yowling.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-28384416269002058132009-01-24T11:11:00.002-06:002009-01-24T11:19:15.121-06:00Come Out and PlayArggh. I'm regretting my decision to keep the kittens another week. They were still sneezing ocassionally so I thought an extra week would be good for them. Our spay/neuter surgery list was really long and although they'd have priority as foster returns, they'd bump some other animals further down the line. I figured kittens waiting in a foster home was better than cats sitting Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-83034577406624687502009-01-23T14:23:00.002-06:002009-01-23T14:44:27.770-06:00It was a very long week but much less stressful than it would have been a few weeks ago. My job has now been officially divided into two different positions and half of my duties, the customer service side of things has been passed on to Jenney, CS Supervisor extraordinaire. I'll be able to focus on the Animal Care side of things. Yay!The toughest part of the week was that we lost another little Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-28563673418560844992009-01-02T21:58:00.002-06:002009-01-02T22:03:13.847-06:00Was it worth it to sit through two nights of the 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs on VH1? I don't know but it definitely fit my mental speed after a few long days at work. Allowed me to hot compress the sick kitten. Could have done without all the Bret Michaels, though. Never was one for hair bands... except for maybe Def Leppard. Were they a hair band?Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-43759661045183297082009-01-02T14:05:00.002-06:002009-01-02T14:29:10.729-06:00Happy New Year!After losing most of New Year's Eve to an emergency clinic visit with one of the foster kittens, Alan and I finally celebrated by going to see a matinee of Slumdog Millionaire. Great movie with beautiful cinematography! I love the way the story was told in flashbacks with 3 different actors portraying the kids as they grew up. It was sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes funny, and Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-57952872261387182992008-12-24T14:54:00.005-06:002008-12-24T15:40:43.205-06:00Happy Holidays!Kitten season is winding down but we do still have some stragglers in the shelter. On Monday, I picked up another litter of 3 short-haired kittens to foster: two girls, Marion (tortie) and Pickford (brown tabby) and one slightly larger boy, Chaplin (brown tabby with white belly and paws). These guys are older (and bigger) than any of the others we've fostered, probably about 4-5 Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-39011966287019659282008-12-23T14:23:00.002-06:002008-12-23T14:26:46.648-06:00The Children's Defense Fund just released its annual report the State of America's Children 2008.From their website:CDF's State of America's Children 2008 report, a compilation of the most recent and reliable national and state-by-state data on poverty, health, child welfare, youth at risk, early childhood development, education, nutrition and housing. The report provides a a statistical Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-23464184550056715122008-12-21T15:52:00.003-06:002008-12-21T16:25:08.885-06:00Ah, these kittens are going to tbe the death of me. You might not want to read the third paragraph, if sad kitten stories will ruin your day.Sidney, our last foster, was adopted on Friday within five minutes of her making it to the adoption floor. She had surgery on Thursday and we didn't have space on the floor for her. I had just cleaned a recently vacanted cage and was carrying her out to the Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-17224518596715067262008-12-14T18:23:00.002-06:002008-12-14T18:28:40.522-06:00Some of you may have heard about George who found his way home 13 years after disappearing when someone traced his microchip. (Everyone who has a dog, cat, rabbit or ferret should have them microchipped even if they are house only pets. I can't tell you how happy we are at the shelter when we have a stray come in who is microchipped. You need to keep the contact information updated, too--many areKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-84178864966242405882008-12-12T16:21:00.002-06:002008-12-12T16:56:30.722-06:00Happy TailLarge, strong breed dogs like pits, labs and hounds sometimes get "happy tail" while staying at the shelter. They wag their tails so hard against the walls of the kennel, the tips develop sores which can quickly develop into larger problems. In the past when adoption rates were slow, "happy tail" could lead to amputation but with our higher adoption rates, we haven't had to do that in aKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-76190119482681093292008-12-08T23:55:00.001-06:002008-12-08T23:55:52.828-06:00Oh, the Mall of America... What more can I say?Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-10077837207771703302008-12-07T18:20:00.002-06:002008-12-07T18:44:59.686-06:00Both Noni and Lodi were adopted within a few days of going to the adoption floor. I was there for Lodi's adoption and it was nice to tell her adoptive mom everything that she had been through. We have little black Sidney still and she has a ways to go. She climbed onto the bed to visit me for the first time today which was a very big step. If we caught her on the bed, sometimes she'd stay and Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-43081898659773583192008-12-04T16:13:00.003-06:002008-12-04T16:34:50.862-06:00The blog lately has been mostly about kittens and this post is not going to stop the trend. (Things are pretty good right now; we've been working on the house and through episodes of The Wire on Netflix, I've been working on a story revision, and we have new gutters to go with the new roof, just in time for snow. On a sad/happy note, we are not going to be at Wiscon next year because Alan's Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-87435062123986565962008-11-24T22:06:00.004-06:002008-11-24T23:03:37.194-06:00My big accomplishment today was replacing the wiring in a stained glass floor lamp that the puppy (now 3 years old) chewed up in his first six months. I had always known it was easy to do but kept forgetting to buy the kit. The hardest part was feeding the wire through the base and stem. I have a love/hate relationship with wire hangers. I try my best to keep them out of our closets but I'm Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-58078433413629406302008-11-23T21:04:00.004-06:002008-11-23T21:30:40.570-06:00Very long weekend this week. Our dog, Gambit, stopped eating and drinking sometime during the day Friday and then starting vomiting late that night. When blood started appearing in the vomit, I decided it was time to visit our local emergency clinic. He's had a bad stomach and not eaten with a little vomiting a couple times before which he got over on his own but it was never this extreme. An Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-9649385056556891802008-11-23T21:04:00.001-06:002008-11-23T21:04:04.573-06:00Speak Up For WildlifeKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-73900416675353472502008-11-06T13:32:00.000-06:002008-11-06T13:33:04.906-06:00Yay! Evey was just adopted! Our first successful foster complete!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-49873034629986273442008-11-04T20:56:00.001-06:002008-11-04T20:59:57.682-06:00Kittens make politics better. I will no longer face the final day(s) of election coverage without a cuddly kitten on my lap. (A dog curled up on the couch next to you doesn't hurt either.)Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-23231152893152514832008-11-03T21:10:00.013-06:002008-11-04T20:52:43.708-06:00I dropped Evey the foster kitten off at the shelter today to get her exam and be ready for the surgery truck tomorrow. She'll have spay surgery tomorrow and go to the adoption floor right after. She'll be available to go home on Wednesday. We ended up having her with us for a whole month because she developed the sniffles and it took a while to get over them without resorting to drugs. We'd Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-70033221848785057272008-10-15T21:06:00.002-05:002008-10-15T21:08:17.536-05:00Criminy... Alan waits until halfway through the debate to suggest a drinking game using Joe the plumber.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-18822718544538073412008-10-05T11:09:00.002-05:002008-10-05T11:40:50.268-05:00Letting go...We had to say goodbye to the little foster kitten yesterday. His urinary tract blocked up again and this time we couldn't get it unblocked. He was going to die horribly without an expensive surgery that probably wouldn't solve the long-term problem. Because of his very young age and his health history, both the shelter vets and an outside vet advised putting him to sleep. It was Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-54833875720946821172008-09-22T14:55:00.003-05:002008-09-22T15:09:37.989-05:00Foster Kitten Part 2I'm sitting on the couch with my notebook in my lap and a purring kitten on my shoulder. The foster kitten's stay has been extended since he had a few weeks to go before he gets up to neuter surgery weight. It's amazing how fast they change. He's recovering from first worms, then an upper respiratory infection and now a urinary tract infection very quickly. He is now Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-62036288254036290512008-09-14T12:43:00.003-05:002008-09-14T12:58:50.470-05:00Alan and I are celebrating our 5th anniversary this weekend. It was actually yesterday but I work Saturdays, so we met for dinner at a nearby Japanese restaurant, Sushi Tango. We'd been meaning to try it for while as it's in the same little Woodbury strip mall as our favorite Indian restaurant, India Palace, and conveniently located about halfway between our house and my work. It's a little noisyKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-74088549901443380122008-09-01T16:46:00.004-05:002008-09-01T16:51:17.395-05:00We have a house guest over Labor Day and maybe a little later as he/she's a little young to be on his/her own. He/she's a little high maintenance but we are happy to accommodate.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-84841273629612545022008-08-19T22:30:00.002-05:002008-08-19T22:44:16.396-05:00WantedTall, dark and handsome Akita is looking for a life and running partner. Likes: long runs/walks on the beach or anywhere, exploring, leaning on a friend, car rides and back scratches. Dislikes: kennels and locks. References available upon request.[P.S. No more wearing sandals until Kaden is adopted.]Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-89818371832981756422008-08-18T23:23:00.003-05:002008-08-19T00:05:32.816-05:00I have got a crazy job. I knew this going in but didn't really understand the true extent of the craziness until recently. My normal duties are managing staff and the flow of animals through the shelter and can include things like helping out with a customer who is surrendering their animals because of foreclosure and setting up a cage for a pair of ferrets. This past week, I also chased an Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-86282768273287511592008-06-11T22:22:00.002-05:002008-06-11T22:57:11.418-05:00I haven't posted in ages. Once you are late, it's very hard to start up again. So instead of making a big deal here's a quick catch-up.All late winter into spring, balancing two jobs with too many hours--crazy!May:My birthday and the Walk for Animals - set-up (rain, cold, cold, rain) walk day (rain? no, no rain! lots of wonderful dogs, other critters, people, volunteers)Last day at Rain Taxi (Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-67904492031276225562008-04-03T14:44:00.002-05:002008-04-03T14:47:19.415-05:00Minnesota Pet Lovers-we need your voice for animals!Please call your legislators in the next few days.The “dangerous dog” bills are on the Minnesota House and Senate floors and need your action right away. Please contact your State Representative AND your State Senator and ask them to vote YES on the bills below.S.F. 2876 authored by Senator Ellen AndersonH.F. 2906 authored by Representative Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-41396110940747469252008-02-06T20:31:00.000-06:002008-02-06T20:44:40.338-06:00Annual Humane Society Book SaleThe shelter in Woodbury where I work is filled with books as well as animals for the annual Animal Humane Society Book Sale. We're having it at two locations, Woodbury and Golden Valley. The hours are slightly different between the two sales because we had different hours back when they were setting it up. Thursday night is $5 at the door but the rest of the weekendKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-13203427041884420862008-01-19T19:49:00.000-06:002008-01-19T21:49:34.116-06:00I'm coming out of my winter cocooning to say that we saw Cloverfield today and really liked it. No spoilers here. We usually wait until someone we know sees a movie or a lot more reviews appear but this time we didn't. Coming out of the theater into the frigid winter evening was not so much fun.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-81065675370008457002007-11-27T22:14:00.000-06:002007-11-27T22:38:12.282-06:00Things that make me feel old: the twentieth anniversary of Joshua Tree. This album accompanied me to Japan for my semester abroad and was my jogging music. At that point in time, in that neighborhood, a white woman jogging attracted a lot of attention. I only saw one other person--a very athletic looking Japanese young man--jogging the whole time I was there. (I needed to jog or I'd have to give Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-24753554144510194272007-08-28T20:53:00.000-05:002007-08-28T21:35:12.555-05:00Christopher Barzak DayToday is the release date for Chris's book One for Sorrow! I first met Chris at the 1998 Clarion writing workshop in East Lansing. I very quickly fell in love with his writing--probably from the first thing of his I read. It didn't matter what story he was telling, I just wanted to sit in my inner tube and float down the river of his prose. But Chris's writing is more than Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-49982137013458044262007-08-06T17:35:00.001-05:002007-08-06T18:19:17.112-05:00Happy birthday to my one and only, Alan!And a belated one to Mr. Barzak!We had a really lovely weekend at Diversicon with Dave Schwartz, Mark Rich, Martha Borchardt, and all. Got to see Mark and Martha play as Keg Salad again-they need a MySpace page! Listened to two chapters of guest of honor Andrea Hairston's awesome new hoodoo (vodou?) novel which needs a publisher. Chatted with wonderful Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-64136756543546457682007-07-12T20:58:00.001-05:002007-07-12T21:00:28.541-05:00Happy birthday, Ms. Bond! Many fabulous returns!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-16588891489413513112007-06-08T15:32:00.000-05:002007-06-08T15:40:27.635-05:00What I learned over the last two days. 1. The smell of puppy poop is very difficult to remove from your skin when you can't take a shower and use your beloved scrubber until later that night. 2. A squirmy puppy will get its poopy self all over you including your forehead and the back of your neck behind your hair. 3. Six poopy puppies... well, we're not even going to go there. 4. There's nothing Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-4030919784878747462007-05-29T23:38:00.000-05:002007-05-29T23:41:10.161-05:00Tired. Sick. Need to go to bed.Can't stop watching Gambit charge and retreat from the June bug on the living room floor.June bugs! Summer must be here.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-14169958908414743542007-05-03T16:39:00.000-05:002007-05-03T17:01:10.035-05:00I am the big 4-0 today. Except for the fact that it is a multiple of 10 and so invites some looking at life milestones, it doesn't really have a huge amount of significance for me. Life is very good and the only thing I can complain about is lack of time to do everything I want to do. One thing I am thinking about is getting a tattoo to celebrate. In my twenties, I held off because I didn't know Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-23617900054545199542007-04-29T20:50:00.000-05:002007-04-29T20:56:35.847-05:00OMG! Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed's dog, Snippy, looks just like our dog, Gambit.Snippyhttp://www.aetv.com/genesimmonsfamilyjewels/gsfj_meet.jspGambithttp://www.goblinmercantileexchange.com/index.php?s=Gambit&submit=SearchKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-21935063917098892762007-04-28T20:44:00.000-05:002007-04-28T20:45:49.041-05:00How could I resist? Doesn't everyone want a Daemon?Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-39115570226241458602007-04-18T21:42:00.000-05:002007-04-18T22:16:13.104-05:00Baby squirrels! Last week, one of the vets, Jim, brought in a box with holes drilled in the top and told everyone he was fostering four Peruvian lynx cubs. They were actually baby squirrels found after he'd livetrapped and released the mother out of his attic. It brought back memories of the time when I was 11 years old and tried to raise a baby squirrel who had been kicked out of the nest in Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-6496497123548797442007-03-25T11:51:00.000-05:002007-03-25T16:55:43.959-05:00Amazing, beautiful, open all the windows weather. I'm actually sitting here in a t-shirt! In Minnesota, in March! Our first thunderstorm was late last night and I was awake to hear it because of a ill-considered, evening mocha. We are supposed to pay for the weather later today with more thunderstorms and the possibility of hail and tornados. Despite that, we are headed to a nearby theater for Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-17186344018050164372007-03-20T21:04:00.000-05:002007-03-20T21:05:42.508-05:00If you have a dog or cat and missed the news of the food recall, you should check out my post at One Tough Puppy right away.Here's a link:http://1toughpuppy.blogspot.com/2007/03/pet-food-recall.htmlKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-1170993985286090212007-02-08T21:06:00.000-06:002007-02-08T22:06:25.303-06:00So two whole months have passed without a post. I wish I could say it was because I was so busy but, while I was immensely busy (juggling two jobs, travel to Erie to visit Alan's family, frozen and leaky pipes, lots of reading deadlines, city citations and levies,) I was also struggling with some writer's block. It didn't seem right to be spending time on the blog and not doing other writing I Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-1164347500168224262006-11-23T23:35:00.000-06:002006-11-23T23:53:31.800-06:00Thanksgiving Evening in Front of the Vast Waste of TV Land"You know what movie this is?""Yes, it's Conan the Destroyer. I saw it when you had the info on.""But do you know which one it is?""Is it the annoying one with the girl and the island?""I don't know why everyone disses this movie. It has Grace Jones in it.""Grace Jones is the best part of this movie."A short discussion ensues about the Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-1164169474964361392006-11-21T21:30:00.000-06:002006-11-21T22:42:10.866-06:00For the past five weeks, I've been obsessively plowing through Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe books. I first encountered Sharpe through our local PBS station's airing of the Briitish series of TV movies which also inspired a long-term crush on Sean Bean. I'm a voracious reader but I don't think I've ever been so obsessed with a series of books and certainly not sustained an obsession through this manyKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-1163093246417418582006-11-09T11:04:00.000-06:002006-11-21T21:29:01.810-06:00I was supposed to be working from home this morning but the website I need is temporarily down, so I thought I'd take some time to do a quick post-WFC rundown.This is what we brought home:A cold - despite getting plenty of sleep and no drinkingA burned mouth from hot cheese in excellent Austin Tex Mex food that has turned into a killer toothacheTwo awesome freebie bags. We could actually check Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-1160020200479765722006-10-04T22:39:00.000-05:002006-10-04T22:53:46.086-05:00Much more busyness so no posting lately. A couple of things making me insanely angry. The last straw was this interview of ignorant homophobe Paul Weyrich from the Free Congress Foundation by Michele Norris on NPR this afternoon. I almost slammed on the breaks in the middle of traffic, it made me so angry. It happens right away so you don't have to listen to the whole thing.Conservative Groups Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-1158211161248123742006-09-14T00:07:00.000-05:002006-09-14T00:19:32.143-05:00Busy, busy week. I feel like I'm juggling about a million things right now. I posted at One Tough Puppy about the new job a little bit and the money-pit but lovable dog. The job is going well. I love working around animals and the people who volunteer are great. I spend a lot of my time on the phone since we're starting our annual phonathon. It is probably the hardest thing to recruit people to Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-1156454631902656972006-08-24T15:46:00.000-05:002006-08-27T23:39:17.670-05:00Last weekend, we headed up to my parent's cabin in northwestern Minnesota for Friday night. The next day, while my parent's took care of the dog, we headed up to Duluth to the Northern Lights bookstore for Alan's book signing. The drive is beautiful with lakes and mixed pine and deciduous forest. We found the bookstore right on Canal Street in the peak downtown tourist area near the lift bridge Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-1155782809945674312006-08-16T21:35:00.000-05:002006-08-16T22:54:45.546-05:00Very busy, very social couple of weeks passed.We had a last minute weekend with the families of Haddayr and Karen. Wonderful people. Great discussions. Nice relaxation. Some birthday, ice cream cake goodness for Alan. What more can I say?Alan got Netflicks from my parents for his birthday. Yay!! Now instead of checking the mail for rejection letters we look for movies. So far we've seen:Irma Vep Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874108.post-1154137822054662702006-07-28T20:31:00.000-05:002006-07-28T20:50:22.106-05:00Discussing musical taste, that is whether someone has good musical taste or not, led to a slight disagreement this evening. I would tend to be more inclusive in defining someone's musical taste. For instance, in addition to such obvious things such as music purchased, music played and music shared with friends, I believe that songs one chooses to sing at home, out of the view of the public but inKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06129261691148239743noreply@blogger.com0