hooray for Ani

For those who haven't figured it out, I'm a huge Ani DiFranco fan. Well, I'm such an Ani nerd that on Oct 3 when I was home waiting for the vet for the new cria exam, I saw that the intern that runs her myspace site announced a contest requesting artwork. I freaked out and made a little photo collage and sent it off. I'm no artist, so I figured I wouldn't win, but thought I might be one of the first people to respond since I was actually home in the middle of the day.

I got an email today that I was one of the first 20 respondents, and I've won a free CD with Righteous Babe Artists...pretty cool, eh? Sometimes it pays to be a nerd. I guess it will give me something to switch out with my Reprieve CD in the car.

In other news, I have been so lucky this week. I am sitting in on a class at the university I work at, and the students all do 45 minute presentations on the major transitions in their lives. I got to witness the first two on Tuesday, and I'm so completely blown away by the beautiful, amazing people that I get to watch through their graduate school journey. I am really looking forward to the next few weeks when I'll get to see more of these presentations, and eventually present my own story. I'm sad that I will only be able to witness 6 of 18...and I once again get frustrated that I have to keep good boundaries with these people...the bulk of them are in my peer age group, but because I'm in a power/authority position and they are just in their first semester (of a 3-year program) I can't get too close.

sigh. time to change the laundry and get to sleep. 5 eggs today.

2:30 AM and 100th blog

According to my stats, this is my 100th blog. woo hoo. where are the balloons?

It is later than 2:30am, and I'm awake. Michael is out in the wilderness camping, and I'm awake. sucky home alone in the middle of nowhere.

I rented some flix tonight and finally got to see Transamerica. I highly recommend it.

i kept thinking I had so much to write about, but now that I'm here and it is nearly 3am, all those amazing thoughts seem to have evaporated into the ether. so I guess I'll try to go to bed.

hello Mr. Studly

The snow and cold yesterday was a true killing frost. The garden looks like a disaster, but we knew it was coming. Until yesterday, the grapevine was still green, the tomato plants still upright and producing, the pumpkin vines even had a little life in them still. Today...everything was brown and wilted and crunchy. The snow was pretty while it lasted, but it pretty much melted off. Ah, fall in Colorado

Today Pokie's new boyfriend came for a visit...I basically waited around all day for a booty call that wasn't for me. Since I had some time on my hands and I had a limited amount of work I could do from home (since I hadn't brought stuff home since I didn't know I'd be home) I baked bread. I've got a lovely loaf of cranberry nut bread now that I'll take to work tomorrow. yo ho! yo ho! a farmer's life for me...

First Snow and Practice Day

Today, October 17, 2006 we got the first snow! It's been snowing pretty steadily for the last several hours, but has only in the last half hour started to stick to the grass...no sticking to the other surfaces yet.

Today was also Fall Community Practice Day at Naropa (where I work). All classes were cancelled and offices closed. I took myself to breakfast in Boulder this morning and then sat (meditation) with the first year students from 9-10:30. I had to come home after that because Pokie's boyfriend was scheduled to come up for an afternoon visit, but because of the weather that got cancelled. I considered going back down to Boulder to do more sitting because I really wanted to, but I got stuck at the house...it is SO hard to leave a cozy home to drive 30+ minutes back to Boulder in crappy weather. This at least gave me the kick in the butt I needed to get myself on the cushion again.

I'd been pretty down on the coming winter, but seeing the snow...well, it is just so pretty :)

We picked another 2 cups of raspberries last night. The chickens have only been laying 3 eggs a day...this cold weather is hard on them!

First Snow and Practice Day

Today, October 17, 2006 we got the first snow! It's been snowing pretty steadily for the last several hours, but has only in the last half hour started to stick to the grass...no sticking to the other surfaces yet.

Today was also Fall Community Practice Day at Naropa (where I work). All classes were cancelled and offices closed. I took myself to breakfast in Boulder this morning and then sat (meditation) with the first year students from 9-10:30. I had to come home after that because Pokie's boyfriend was scheduled to come up for an afternoon visit, but because of the weather that got cancelled. I considered going back down to Boulder to do more sitting because I really wanted to, but I got stuck at the house...it is SO hard to leave a cozy home to drive 30+ minutes back to Boulder in crappy weather. This at least gave me the kick in the butt I needed to get myself on the cushion again.

I'd been pretty down on the coming winter, but seeing the snow...well, it is just so pretty :)

We picked another 2 cups of raspberries last night. The chickens have only been laying 3 eggs a day...this cold weather is hard on them!

pumpkins and urgent care

So they say things happen in "3s". Yesterday was one of those days. First, the truck died while Michael drove it down the street to take a check to one of our neighbors. Then in the afternoon while Michael was in Boulder playing soccer, I sliced my finger pretty badly while cutting up a pumpkin for a recipe I was making. Since the truck was dead, I had to call on a co-worker that lives nearby to take me to urgent care. When Michael did come home, he had gotten injured at his soccer game (soccer ball to the groin, pulled hamstring, and sore back).

My finger is slowly healing...but typing is hard.

hello out there

So until a few minutes ago, I hadn't even logged in since Tuesday. For those who left me messages, I do apologize.

This week has been an alpacapalooza week...a lot of farm chores and alpaca business stuff happened all week, and looks like it will be continuing this coming week. Don't get me wrong, hauling 50-pound bags of llama chow, giving enemas to the constipated baby alpaca, and attending a multi-hour alpaca association meeting where we spent way too long arguing about how to revise the committee structure were all exciting adventures!

This week I'll spend part of Tuesday watching Pokie getting knocked up. sometimes farm life is weird, eh?

well, maybe not so weird compared to my very nerdy alter ego, past life as a physicist. I am not embarrassed to admit that I LOVE the new song and video "white and nerdy". Can anyone else identify the equation in the background?

busy week

hello kind readers. I have been a very busy lady this past week. Here's the week in review:

Sunday: the new baby was born. We've decided to name her Amiya (a-ME-ah)

Monday: long day at work since I missed a lot of work the week before.

Tuesday: missed more work due to post-natal vet exam in the middle of the day...sigh, behind again!

Wednesday: after work went to visit my friend with cancer. She's doing great. I'll have more info to come.

Thursday: had my friends Brooks and Lisa to the house for dinner...we had invited them up after they got engaged (in July), and this was the earliest we could arrange it!

Friday: another long day at work followed by crashing out early

Saturday: had some work people up to the house to visit

Sunday (today): spent 3 hours (9-12) working with the herd (worming and toenail trimming); after lunch spending another 3 hours outside picking tomatoes. Then went to Boulder to our CSA's annual end-of-season celebration. When we came home we set up our construction work light and picked raspberries. Today Michael and I picked 5 gallons of tiny tomatoes and several cups of raspberries. (And 5 eggs today). We should have a frost tonight, so we wanted to make sure to get as much as we can. There are still TONS of tomatoes out there...we'll see what survives!

If anyone is interested in tomatoes (they are large pea-sized), please let us know!

I'm hoping for a calmer week this week and a chance to reconnect with friends I haven't seen in ages and ages (PB this means you!)

It's A GIRL

This morning Pokie had her baby, and it's a girl! Our little girl is 16 pounds, 7 ounces, and is light brown. She's got a little bit of white under her chin and behind her right front knee. She's very active and seems to be quite healthy.

This little girl is super feisty...she was standing within 30 minutes of being born and escaped twice from the pen we put her and mom in!

Any name suggestions are welcome!