Cabinet of Curiosities

cyborgsuzy @ 2009-07-06T10:39:00

2009-07-06T17:40:10Z

Gah, for one glorious day I thought my computer was fixed. Then it wasn't. I have some rather excellent photos that I took at the Inavale Horse Trials that are stuck on my backup harddrive because I insist on shooting in RAW format which can only be viewed/edited in photoshop which was only on my computer... blah blah blah.

In other news, I have a request for everyone who utilizes the English language. Please no longer refer to anything you have to say as "not PC". This is simply code for "something I'm about to say is completely douche-baggish" OR "Somebody, somewhere might possibly have a different opinion than I do, and I guess disagreeing with someone isn't, um, nice or something? And someone might be mad at me if I disagree with them?"

I have yet to see the term used correctly. Ever. No really, I mean EVAR. I mean, really, prefacing something totally jerkwad with "tee hee, this is totally not PC, but..."
does not get you off the hook. Also, politically correct has nothing to do with having a different opinion than someone else.

So please, no more using this term. No one seems to know what it means anymore, anyway.

Thank you for your attention.

cyborgsuzy @ 2009-05-29T10:35:00

2009-05-29T17:38:26Z

As I was lying in bed last night, unable to sleep because it was so hot, I counted the days and realized that only eight days ago was the last frost. Dear Oregon weather: please take your lithium. Thank you.

thoughts on Open Paw

2009-05-18T21:55:53Z

This is Sissy. This picture was taken in February while I was volunteering at Heartland Humane Society. She's rambunctious, loves people, and likes to play fetch. Since this picture was taken, she was adopted, then sold on Craigslist*, then, about a week ago, brought back to the shelter a bit of a nervous wreck. She was one of the demo dogs we used this weekend to practice Open Paw training, and hopefully it will help her stop being a ping-pong dog.

Open Paw is a non-profit founded and run by dog trainers. The co-founder and president Kelly Gorman Dunbar flew here for the weekend to kick start the program at Heartland and lead the training exercises for volunteers and staff. (The local paper ran a story on it today).

Essentially it's about integrating basic obedience training to a shelter's every day operations to help improve the animals chances of being adopted and STAYING adopted. Once fully implemented the staff, volunteers, and even the visiting public take part in providing (relatively) consistent basic training for the animals.

My favorite part is the feeding program. It's so simple and intuitive, why didn't anyone think of this before? Instead of being fed two meals a day in their kennels, the dogs' bowls are hung on the outside of their doors and throughout the day, visitors, staff and volunteers hand feed. It means a constant positive association with people, and can be used as reward training for, say, not barking, or not jumping up.

This has already made a difference for two chronic barkers. By the end of the weekend they would stay quiet and wait when they heard people enter the kennel area instead of immediately barking. And they would continue to stay quiet as long as someone stood there and fed him. Not perfect, of course, and as soon as you left the barking could start again, but, after weeks of no change (and maybe even deterioration), it only took two days of this new program for there to be noticeable progress.

Another nice thing: the mental stimulation of even short, simple training sessions tired out the dogs more than hours of walking would have. A good thing to keep in mind since, with this new system, volunteers can't take the dogs out for a walk until they've been trained and tested for that.

It's a bit counter-intuitive. Right now the mentality is that the dogs are cooped up and need exercise, so the goal becomes to get them out on a walk at all costs. Which usually means, of course, letting them jump all over you and pull on the leash and generally cementing negative habits that won't endear them to a potential adopter.

The biggest obstacle will be making sure everyone stays on the same page and doesn't 'revert' back to the old policies.

It might be less satisfying to spend an hour practicing entering and exiting kennels than taking the dogs to the park, but in the long run I really think this will help them find and keep a home.

*I have no idea if her original adopters are jerks or just ignorant.

Dog park characters

2009-05-16T02:12:44Z

Watch out for the double merle.

The large, goofy black dog club.

I DRINKS WIFF MY FEETS!!!

Assume the Pre-BOING position

Your mixed breed dog for the day

2009-05-04T18:35:17Z

Maddy is chow/corgi with a dash of dachshund.

I'm thinking a good name for this new and innovative designer breed is "chorgihund".

Yes.

It was very windy yesterday

2009-05-04T05:34:57Z

cyborgsuzy @ 2009-05-02T09:57:00

2009-05-02T17:34:28Z

Is it just me, or is reptile breeding sort of a pyramid scheme?

I was going through some photos of an exotic pet expo I went to a couple years ago.

Are people really paying $1300 for a pet when they could get the same animal with wild-type/normal coloration (which is quite exotic-looking in the first place) for half to a third of that price? I don't think so, not unless they want it for breeding. Most of the time I think you have breeders breeding exotic morphs for other breeders. What makes a rare color morph more expensive, anyway? It's worth more for breeding purposes!

cyborgsuzy @ 2009-05-01T11:49:00

2009-05-01T21:52:51Z

This morning I got up early and went for a run. I came back, showered, fed the dog some elk for breakfast, and made myself scrambled eggs from local, free-range chicken eggs and fresh parsley from my garden. The house was sparkling clean from yesterday pre-guest cleaning, and I actually sat at the kitchen table to eat.

It felt so... civilized...

it never fails

2009-04-28T19:49:10Z

I know how to call the rain.

It's simple: I leave the house with neither hat nor coat nor umbrella, and plans to have a long walk outside from bus stop to bus stop.

Drought-ridden lands, fear no more. I will come visit you sans practical water-resistant accoutrements, and all shall be well once more.

How to turn a $700 Filing Cabinet into a $70 pet rat cage

2009-04-25T05:17:07Z

Step one: receive as a gift a broken 4 drawer "oak" filing cabinet from a relative who had paid way too much money for it a few years earlier. (Oak is in quotes because I discovered that,
except for the drawer fronts, and the bracing, it's all oak veneer over particle board. Do your homework before dropping gobs of money on furniture, people.)

Step two: try to use this filing cabinet for it's intended use for about a year, get really frustrated that the drawers don't roll on their tracks anymore, take it mostly apart and discover it's beyond repair.

Step three: Take it apart the rest of the way. Remove all hardware, kick out the back (essentially veneered cardboard. TIP: wear shoes for this). Turn it upside down. Peel off the plastic things they stick on the bottom to keep from scuffing the floor. Remove the drawers to the garage where they will eventually be taken apart for scrap wood.

It was cheaply made, but amazingly still fairly sturdy. I put in a few extra nails here and there, but otherwise left it.

Step four: Obtain materials. I had quite a few useful things lying around in the garage, but I admit, I went straight to Home Depot for everything else. Did not pass go, did not bargain shop at all. In fact, I splurged on a few things like coated wire, pretty brass hinges, and decorative molding. This could have been a cheaper project had I not been lazy.

8 Corner braces: $11.16
4 hinges + screws: $5.88
4 wheels: $13.92
3 rolls of coated hardware cloth: $29.94
15' of molding: $13.50
24"x24" piece of plywood: $5.47

Building the doors took the most time. I built a frame from pieces of plywood ("built" = putting a few staples on each corner) and then stapled wire to it and glued the decorative molding on top. I then put in a few finishing nails on the front and corner brackets on the back.

Screwed in some chunks of wood to the cabinet body to act as shelf brackets. I decided to have three shelves that matched up to the already existing dividers where the drawers used to be. It worked out perfectly. (Funny story: these were scraps of some kind of hardwood came from inside a couch I took apart last year - yet another over-priced piece of furniture that was cheaply made.)

Stapled more wire on the entire backside and top. (I staple guns, btw). This lets in more light and air and provides a way to hang hammocks and toys.

Attached the doors and then the latches (two for each door for added security). And put the wheels on the bottom (I am so glad I added these wheels. being able to easily move this thing around has already been wonderful - I move it into the office so I can decorate it or make hammocks and toys while me and Tom watch movies and I have a feeling in the summer I'll be wheeling it in and out of the bedroom a lot so they can have AC during the hot months).

Then it was just a matter of cutting the shelves and customizing them. I had a bunch of laminated particle board from an old desk and it wasn't too much of a mess to cut it with the saw. I sealed the rough edges with duct tape. I love that the shelves are infinitely customizable. For now, I just cut them a little short so the rats can use the back of the cage as a ladder to travel between levels and drilled a few holes to hang hammocks from, but in the future I can foresee more elaborate ladders and holes and tubs and I envision incorporating tree branches to use as ladders... all kinds of fun.

Ta dah!

With the wheels it's almost 5 feet high with with 11.5 square feet of room inside for the ratties to run around. The internet tells me a comparably-sized new cage would be well over $100, so I feel that I still came out on top, even with my lame non-bargain shopping. I also
feel it's reasonably attractive for a cage (and much more attractive than my last home-made cage). I'm quite happy with it.

impudent kitty is impudent

2009-04-11T16:56:14Z

Kaida loves napping on the snake's aquarium lid. I guess because it's warm and springy like a firm mattress. She knows it's not allowed - I have emptied many a squirt bottle for this behavior. She's already broken one lid. I thought the problem was solved by placing the aquarium high up on a shelf with little room for cats to crawl on top. I was wrong. She will always find a way.

cyborgsuzy @ 2009-04-06T14:17:00

2009-04-06T21:45:13Z

The weekend was one for firsts-of-the-year.

The first turkey vulture sighting, first 70 + degree day, first of the garden plants in the ground, the years first sun-induced coma:

I had to work Saturday, so I've had all day today to garden, and I feel quite productive. Yesterday I went to the parents' and got three large buckets of well-aged horse-poo. I found a really good spot in the manure pile this year - it's black, crumbly, and full of worms. Beautiful.

From Poe's butt to my dinner table. Mmmm...

Most of the work today was preparation for planting next month. Still too early for a lot of planting. Pulled the grass that grew up in the bark mulch around the raised beds. Squished many a slug between my fingers in the process. Plowed up the beds and mixed in the manure and ta da:

We've got the greens bed with two rows of salad mix and one row of spinach (with Bonus! anti-cat chicken wire protective covering) and the tomato bed, ready for transplants... next month.

I also sowed some basil in the container outside, catnip in a pot inside (on a high shelf - there were a few crumbling, dried leaves still in the pot from last year, and even that was enough to have both cats follow me all over the house for 20 minutes after I touched it). I have parsley and chives volunteering from last year, and wee little cilantro sprouts in the other outdoor container. I sowed a few fresh seeds in there, just in case the volunteers are spotty.

I've also been eyeing this cute patch of wild flowers that sprang up under the bench. I like them, and shall spare them from the weed wacker and may even water them occasionally.

The front yard still needs a lot of work, but that's where the peas and squashes are going, so it can wait a while.

cyborgsuzy @ 2009-03-23T10:46:00

2009-03-23T17:53:37Z

Expected budget shortfall for my state the next two years: $4.7 billion. That's a four and a seven, followed by eight zeros. Dollars.

Allow me to quote from an email we just got from the university's government relations office:

"How big could the cuts to higher education be? In a word, severe. For a point of reference, last week the Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO) asked all state agencies, including the University System to indicate how they would implement a 30% budget reduction. These reports are due to LFO next week."

Ouchy.

I am a small person, and right now I don't care

2009-03-22T20:10:42Z

I normally wouldn't do this, but this is just hilarious. It's essentially a Livejournal community drama that I'd like to share with my friends who read this and aren't in that community. "Livejournal drama" is short for "exciting exploration of human nature" as far as I'm concerned.

Take a young male, a self-proclaimed horse trainer/expert. Stick him in a large online community of horse people (who are mostly female). Have him give un-asked for advice*, add in a strong feeling of privilege, with a generous dash of condescending tone and this is what you get:

http://community.livejournal.com/equestrian/5529913.html

Man, I hope they don't delete it.

*yes, horse people ALWAYS give un-asked for advice; I am not judging on that fact alone.

cyborgsuzy @ 2009-02-24T08:26:00

2009-02-24T16:34:10Z

I made a mental note last night to (for once) get up after the first alarm. I was so thoughtful I even got all my stuff ready, clothes laid out, everything.

When the alarm goes off this morning, I bolt out of bed from a dead sleep and stagger to the bathroom for a shower. I'm groggy and still half dreaming. But I'm being efficient, dammit! I'm UP and READY and getting things DONE...

... and I'm washing my hair with shaving gel...

Perhaps, in the future, I will give myself a liiiitle more time to wake up before trying to do anything complicated like stand up or operate personal hygiene products.

cyborgsuzy @ 2009-02-22T10:46:00

2009-02-22T18:47:49Z

Oh look. A hangover.

Haven't had one of them since Wales.

Yay, bachelorette parties!

Now, where's my orange juice?

cyborgsuzy @ 2009-02-19T20:48:00

2009-02-20T04:52:36Z

Nori would like to let everyone know that it's not all Zelda, all the time around here.

Although, sometimes, he does have to turn up the 'cute + fuzzy' dial to get some attention.

It works.

cyborgsuzy @ 2009-02-17T07:02:00

2009-02-17T15:26:01Z

There is a certain breed of pesticide manufacturer who is in denial that they manufacture pesticides. They are the type that call us and act, frankly, snooty. They are are soooo much better than those soulless CHEMICAL pesticide manufacturers who sell products with scary, unfamiliar names like glyphosate. Oh no, their ALL NATURAL product is safe. It's made from acetic acid. That's practically just like the vinegar you use in cooking! The normal (expensive) pesticide laws shouldn't apply to THEM. Everyone should just trust them that they're selling a SAFE product and there shouldn't be any sort of oversight for them.

Right. Never mind the fact that their 'vinegar', or essential oil, or 'orange peel' product ... none of them are risk free. There are plenty of essential oils that are quite toxic, (did I ever tell you the time I used lavender hand lotion as paint stripper for a coffee table?) and acetic acid is corrosive. CORROSIVE, people! Glyphosate, even though it's unfamiliar and has a scary chemical name, and comes in a scary package that says 'herbicide' on it, at least it won't BURN YOUR EYES OUT OF YOUR SKULL. Glyphosate, and other scary-sounding chemicals, manufactured by those soulless chemical manufacturers, is actually lower risk than a lot of these so-called 'natural' products.

You don't get a free pass from the labeling laws and required health testing just because you extracted your chemical from a plant instead of making it in a lab.

Natural does not mean 'safe'.

Happy (belated) Darwin Day

2009-02-13T17:41:25Z

I had planned to make a cake for the occasion and decorate it in some creative way, maybe with a frosting landscape for my favorite feathered dinosaurs. Maybe even visit a natural history museum.

Instead, I spent the day contemplating my body's efficient, overwhelming, (and sometimes counterproductive) immune response to the insidious virus that invaded it. We evolve together, and the human body knows how to deal with a virus, but goddam, how did people survived the flu before Dayquil was invented?

I'm on the road to recovery today. I might even *gasp* go outside and play with the dog!

blegh

2009-02-10T19:39:08Z

Yesterday around lunch time I started getting that funny feeling at the base of my throat that either means I've been screaming too much or a cold is coming on. My job is not stressful enough to require screaming and I haven't been to any concerts recently. My anti-virus was obviously woefully out of date and I've been invaded.

Geh. By bed time last night it was bad enough to take Nyquil (this from the girl who avoids even aspirin except under extreme circumstances) and today I've got the kind of fever (100.2 if our thermometer is correct) that makes my whole body ache and my skin hurt. It hurts to lie down, it hurts to sit, it hurts to wear clothes, the pressure of water coming out of the shower hurt. Top it off with a tiny bit of a painful, dry cough and clear sinuses and I can't wait until Tom gets home with the Dayquil.

In other words, it would appear I have the flu. :P

Dammit. I hate going to the doctor. We'll see what it's like tomorrow.

So much for a busy and productive week at work. :P

Throw the damn frisbee!

2009-02-04T19:42:00Z

cyborgsuzy @ 2009-01-31T08:49:00

2009-01-31T16:57:09Z

Eerie. The Internets have found me a Zelda doppelganger.

The short hair, the black patch over one eye, and white eyelashes and black eyeliner on the other... not to mention the same angry face and zero tolerance for annoying puppies at the dog park.

I wonder if this dog, Kate, does Weaselface, as well?

cyborgsuzy @ 2009-01-19T13:37:00

2009-01-19T21:37:55Z

cyborgsuzy @ 2009-01-14T12:50:00

2009-01-14T20:51:41Z

Today's Suzanne-experiences-it-so-you-don't-have-to tip: DO NOT get Burt's Bees lip balm in your eye. It is indeed "soothing, cooling, refreshing" for you lips. Not so much on the eyeballs.

cyborgsuzy @ 2009-01-10T10:01:00

2009-01-10T18:08:21Z

Confirmed via Google this morning: I continue to be the only Cyborgsuzy (including various combinations thereof) on the internet. Pretty cool. Makes it a lot easier to check up on myself than if I googled my real name.