Arrrrrrrgh!

These are for Nutty Buddy. From the Clyde and Seamore show at Sea World.

Bats in the Belfry

Call me She-Ra!

Saturday evening, I was gone at a Bunco game with my friends. Doug and Daniel were having a movie night at home. Doug noticed the cats were very interested in our fireplace. Turns out there was a little bat that had somehow fallen down the chimney. He opened the flue, but kept the outer glass doors shut, in the hopes that it would climb its way back out.

By the next morning, it still hadn't escaped. Doug took Daniel with him on an errand, and I put Nick down for his nap. As I was sitting here at the laptop not 3 feet from the fireplace, I saw the bat clawing his way across the front glass doors. I shoved the cats outside, so they wouldn't get in my way. Then I put on a long sleeved fleece, two oven mitts and a baseball cap, took Daniel's Elefun game net (link to picture) and verrrrrry slowly opened the doors. I trapped it against the fireplace wall, slid one oven mitt between the wall and the net, and proudly carried my angry squeaking trophy outside. After walking halfway across the (large) yard, I basically threw everything and ducked. Whereupon, the furry little stinker promptly flew back up to the chimney!

Here's hoping the bugger doesn't fall again, but if it does, I'm not worried. Me She-Ra, me brave, me take care of measly little bat!

July 4th, 2008

At the hotel pool while we were in Disney World.

Oops!

I got taken! The post below, about brass monkeys, is FALSE according to Snopes. Shame on me! I usually check any of those email stories out, but this one sounded so plausible that I got suckered. Here's the facts:

http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/brass.asp

Brass Monkeys

(Sorry I've been such a slacker about posting lately! Here's a neat one my dad sent me.)

Cannon Balls

It was necessary to keep a good supply of cannon balls near the cannon on old war ships. But how to prevent them from rolling about the deck was the problem. The best storage method devised was to stack them as a square based pyramid with one ball on top resting on four resting on nine which rested on sixteen. Thus a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon.

There was only one problem -- how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding/rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate with 16 round indentations called a Monkey. But if this plate were made of iron the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make Brass Monkeys.

Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently when the temperature dropped too far the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon balls would come right off the monkey. Thus it was quite literally cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. And all this time you thought that was a vulgar expression didn't you? You must send this fabulous bit of historical knowledge to at least a few and unsuspecting friends.

Finished!

Here's the final product. The sea creatures are all wall stickers, I can't take credit for them. We have seahorses and shells coming in the mail still. (In case you were wondering, the A in the corner is his easel.) The headboard of the bed is the back of his old crib. I'm so pleased with how everything came out. I keep going in there and just looking around! (Sorry for the slight fuzziness...the pictures are clear when printed, and on my computer, I just can't seem to get the size right on here to make them clear. If you click on the picture, you can see more detail.)

Finished Walls

I'm very pleased with how the seaweed came out. I don't have a good detail shot, but there are highlights and shadows on the leaves. I did two of them, in roughly opposite corners. I didn't want to overwhelm the room with them, especially as we'll be adding the wall stickers Sunday. I also included a detail shot of the spongework for the water and sand. Water was done with a sponge and colorwashing, sand was straight sponging on.

Doing the Jailhouse Rock

Sorry for the poorer quality on this one, it's linked from Shutterfly instead of my computer directly.

Baby Crash

To be this flexible....

Scrabulous Update

No Copyright for Games

Sand Base

No pictures tonight, because I forgot to do it before Daniel went to bed, but I finished the water and started on the sand. I have the light tan base coat on, and am wondering if I need to do a second coat tomorrow. I hope not, I'd really rather start doing the sponging of the darker tan. We'll see what daylight brings.

Kittyroy Was Here

Watery Waves

I painted a light blue on all the walls yesterday. (Daniel "helped" once by rolling paint onto the wall while I was nursing Nick and Doug was distracted.) Today I started the water. I used 3 different shades of blue, mixed them with glaze, and then used a damp sponge to layer wavy lines. I'll do the rest of the room tomorrow, when Daniel goes to grandpa's house.

Daniel's room

Ever since the time back in, oh, December I think, when I mistakenly said to Daniel we needed to paint his room, he's been begging me to paint it NOW. The time has finally come. I have this next full week off of school, and have already started painting.

We're doing an ocean theme. So far, the walls are light blue. I'm going to do a colorwash tomorrow with other blues. The next day, I'm going to add a sandy bottom by reusing the light tan from Nick's room and sponging the darker tan from our living room over that. Then I'll add some seaweed.

Once that is all dry, I got these awesome wall stickers to put around the room. http://www.create-a-mural.citymax.com/page/page/2827304.htm I'll try to post pics when I can!

Fwd:

Tired of getting email forwards?

http://info.org.il/irrelevant/may02-smilepop-soapbox4.swf

Samurai Sudoku

If you like Sudoku, and feel like frying your gray matter, try this.

http://www.samurai-sudoku.com/

Abbott and Costello in the Computer Age

Are you old enough to remember Abbott and Costello? For those of us who sometimes get flustered by our computers, please read on...

If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous sketch, 'Who's on First?' might have turned out something like this:


COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT : Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?

ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Window's.

COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue 'W'.

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue 'w' if you don't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right What do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT: Click on 'START'

Potter Puppet Pals

This cracked me up!

Potter Puppet Pals

(Although, I'd like to know what happened to Dumbledore's costume halfway through.)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all my bunny lovers out there!
(This means you Lynda and Jac!)

A Guide to the Facial Expressions of Rabbits

Organization Website

I LOVE this website! We're going to be making Daniel's room more of a "big boy" room soon, and I was looking for some way to organize his toys. I found the stuffed animal net at www.organize.com. We want to do an aquarium theme, so I think it will fit in perfectly! I also found a few other great things, like the tub organizer. (Click on the pictures to go right to that webpage.)