Zoo Photos

Big Cat attack

Perhaps some of you have heard about the San Francisco zookeeper who was attacked on Friday afternoon last week. I've been out of internet/news range and did not learn of it until today, but when I did, Phil and I rushed to town so I could put these videos up. This is a film of her feeding the cats the day before she was attacked. And another one of a playful lion.
Click here to see zookeeper feeding lions

Click here to see playful 3 1/2 year old lion

Crazy lady....

Apparently this woman is a Montessori school teacher. And when it really comes down to it, what's more important? The shitzu, or the infant??? Damn. You just gotta read this. Link

New Job (again)

So, I know it seems as though I am always starting new jobs and ending old jobs (which never have enough time to actually get old), but working in the Physics dept. this term was planned to be only a term long position. On Friday I had an interview with the OSU Plant Clinic, which you can explore on this website
I'm VERY excited to be back in a lab with an opportunity to be doing molecular work again. I'll begin my training tomorrow and be getting more of an idea what my role will be. Can't wait!

We're on winter break now from school, and the final grades are slowly rolling in as my professors get everything graded. I had a very successful term and am looking forward to another crazy load for the winter term!

Wrapping up the Term

I have not posted in such a long time! I don't really have anything new to report, but needed to say hello to everyone, and let you all know I am still hanging in there. We're in week 8 at school now, and the final schedule isn't going to be that horrible for me. For some reason, the way the Oregon State calendar worked out this year, we're getting a full month off of school for the winter break. Wa hoo! I'm going to probably pick up some temp work somewhere, so I don't go completely broke over the break.

I've been volunteering a lot. I started with an organization named VAIN and runs out of Corvallis. VAIN is a 24 hour/7 day a week hotline for people to get information regarding AIDS, HIV, Hep B and STD's. I've also been very very busy training with an organization called CARDV, which is the Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence. CARDV runs a hotline and also several support groups, hospital calls, shelters, and numerous other services. Both organizations are non-profits which have been in Corvallis for a very long time.

For my birthday a few weeks ago, Phil came to town for a week and took a brief hop over to the east coast to gather up another investor for his company, Unimedia. It was a great week, which we mostly spent eating out and sleeping in late! We usually only see each other at the end of each term, so it was a wonderful birthday gift to have him here in the middle of the term.

Alexander is doing very well. He's growing up and fluffing up since it's so cold here now. He looks double the size he was when I got him! A couple weeks ago he had a UTI, but after a round of antibiotics he's feeling much better. Meow meow!

Helper

Alex is always at my computer with me when I'm working. I swear he must sleep 20 hours a day! Here's a shot of our favorite spot these days... 

Flickr Famous

I want to be Flickr famous. I don't have much to say today. I'm soooooo tired and running in all directions at once, none of which are really all that exciting to you... Honestly! But, I did take some amazing pictures the other morning while I was washing my dishes at 6:30 in the morning... Click on this link to see them, and please leave comments! Photo of the Month

Plastic Bags Anyone?

Is is bad that Alex loves to play is plastic bags? Or is it worse that I actually let him? 

Portola Hills

The last two days, Phil and I hung out in an amazing old redwood stand uniquely suspended in time, away from the bustling city life which appeared to be a million miles below. His great aunt, Marge, loaned us the key to her cabin, which is carefully situated among dozens of gentle giants and after reading by the woodstove and filling our bellies with fine wine (thanks Barry and Carol!) and cheeses, we headed out in search of the "Grandfather Tree", a giant redwood well known to the family. After making about a six mile roundtrip walk through the most amazing, undisturbed redwoods I have ever seen in my life, we found ourselves back at Marge's cabin, to enjoy another evening of solitude, without even the slightest sounds of traffic or neighbors.

Canopy view in Marge's backyard.
Backyard firering.

Fun times in California

Here are some pictures of what Phil and I have been up to. We saw this fountian the other night in Mountain View. Today I made french onion soup from scratch! Baked it in the oven with cheese and bread on top and all! Yum yum yum!

 

PK

Look at those hands fly! Phil working at his place in California. 

Meow meow!

Alex has a new tower! Now I'm officially a creepy cat lady. He loves it though :) Perhaps it will make up for me being gone this week. I'm visiting Phil in the Bay area and Alex is being watched by my friends Megan and Josh. I hope he still loves me when I come home!

Handsome fella

Hot Tamale

Ever wonder what 13 pounds of meat looks like? I'm taking on a tamale recipe this weekend that is proving to be QUITE the challenge! I started with a 4 pound chicken and and 9 pound pork roast at 1 p.m. today, and at 7p.m. this is what I had come up with. Whew! The actual tamale production doesn't even happen yet. Too much work for one day. If any of you would try to do this yourself, here is the link where I found the recipe! It is sort of a recipe I'm making in honor of Ariel. Oh yeah, and I used her crock pot to cook the chicken!

Flowers

Wow. Outside my work these are growing in a huge bush about four feet over my head. Soooo gorgeous. And by the way... I just harvested a bunch of my soy beans. YUM! I picked about 5 cups to go into a vegetarian risotto I'm making tonight. The sugar snap peas were supossed to go in too, but I ate them all right off the plants.
 

Kitty Bed

I wanted Alexander to have a fancier bed than the old towel that came home with him from the Humane Society (even though he loves it), so I set out to utilize the old sewing box Grandma and Grandad gave me when I was ten. This weekend there was a huge sale at the fabric store, so I got this sweet flowery pattern that's totally adorable (and masculine) for a boy kitty. After a few hours of hand sewing this is what I came up with... I haven't figured out how to work the sewing machine yet, otherwise it probably would have taken five minutes... But oh well. He doesn't really like it yet. While I was taking this picture he was just running away.

 

Pepper Mania!

So, this is a night time photo of my peppers. I just realized there are A LOT of them and got real excited. Maybe I'll have to put tomato cages around my pepper plants. They are about up to my belly now, and there are peppers squeezing into each other they're so plentiful! The really exciting thing happened today though, the bell peppers started to look like bell peppers! Whoa! 

Alex in the Kitchen

Mom's Visit

Me with some of my basil.

Me at work!

Catnap

Alex in his favorite spot on top of the couch! He's sleeping off his cold ... He's been sneezing and wheezing all over the house. It's really gross.

Changes

I've attempted to make some custom changes to my webpage... Although they may look slight to the naked eye, there was a lot more happening behind the scenes to make the adjustments. A much more simple version of one of the things that Phil is doing every day, but it gave me a better perspective on how detailed and time consuming his work is! And creatively challenging... Hope you enjoy!

Alexander the Greatest

Alex is posing in the window! 

My Garden

With the recent multitude of heatwaves combined with rainshowers, my garden has exploded! I'll soon have dozens of peppers and sugar peas. Meanwhile I'm eating fresh, homegrown lettuce every day. Here is my first salad I made! More pictures to come :) 

Molly's New Cottage

Super cute new cottage!











I even have a fireplace.















And, you guessed it... My kitchen is super cute too.










The wall hanging is a burlap coffee sack from Ecuador. It's a free trade, organic bean sack. 

My New House

I've been enjoying tearing up the dirst and planting yummy things to eat for the summertime!









So far I've planted peppers (hot and sweet), one tomato plant (to make friends with the neighbors, I still don't like them!), lots of lettuce, and today I added soybeans! Oh and there's a whole bunch of sugar snap peas too, they're my favorite.


My adorable bathroom. 

End of the Term

Well, the term is winding up, and papers are due, and flowers are in bloom. I am going to be moving very soon. Maybe next week. I'll keep you all updated of course. Then, hopefully I will stay put for quite some time. I've had a lazy weekend of hanging out in Corvallis, and went to Portland to get my hair cut yesterday and cruise the Portland Saturday Market. Yes, they hold a Saturday Market on Sunday. Weird, I know.

Phil's parents just returned from China and brought some gorgeous fabrics back with them. I will post pictures of the ones they gave me once I have them hung up in my new place.

My girlfriends are all moving away soon, so we've been making cookies and beer, and cheese, and lots of other wonderful things. Our lives revolve around school/work and the kitchen. Here are some wonderful pictures to remember all our fun by...

Left:
Desiree decides to paint her face while we are preparing for Easter Beer Hunt by painting PBR cans instead of eggs.





Below:
Paco, Me and Desiree wearing our "Fermentation Bitch" t-shirts that we designed and sold at the Oregon Homebrew Festival on May 20th. The profits will all be going to Benton County Food Bank.
Below: Me with mom's oatmeal cookie recipe in full working order.

New Flickr Account

I've finally taken the plunge into free web based photosharing. The easiest, cleanest looking, most widely used photo tool on the web (it's free) is Flickr.com. I've created an account where many of my photos from my blog will be duplicated, but it is photos only. I've added a link in the sidebar ------->
But you may click here.
And would encourage those of you with blogs, who take amazing pics (Josh, Keith, Mel...) to do the same! Not many up yet, but will keep growing.

Happy rainy weekend all!

Grandma and Grandad will be home soon (yippy!) and will hopefully be bringing the sunshine back with them... I'm furiously knitting hats, but will probably have to put them away until next winter. Hopefully Grandma can refine my skills by then too!

Durango Mountain Resort - Closes For the Season

Photo: Molly Elliott

Location: Durango Mountain Resort - Snowball Fight

Spring has sprung, and on a warm afternoon I found myself with another sprained ankle amidst a crazy end of the season snowball fight, and two young (eh, hem....) lovers???

Josh came to visit Phil and I with his buddy, Adam down in Durango, where I spent my spring break. Phil and I had a great time doing nothing at all, watching movies, climbing, and oh, the most important part, I beat him at Scrabble. The grand finale to my time here, I could not ski on closing day because I stupidly fell in the street, spraining my rediculous ankle once again. Instead, there was an all you could drink beer tent to celebrate locals, the first spring weather, and those who could make pie-wedges down the front run....

Photo: Molly Elliott
Location: Durano Mountain Resort - Snowball Fight 2006

Chaos broke loose at the end of the last run. The loud speakers announced a suggestion that "everyone should just go home. The beer has run out!"

Photo: Molly Elliott
Location: Durango Mountain Resort - Turkey Frying Contest

I have no idea who's dog this is, but there was a turkey frying contest and all the puppies were eating the bones off the ground.... I hope they made it home safely!!!

Josh and Phil, solving the world's problems.
Photo: Molly Elliott
Location: Blue House, Durango, Colorado

Really cool rock formation!