jr conlin's ink stained banana

In a somewhat humorous note, it was presented with a grainy image that made me believe that triangular images were the actual currency. But i thought better about it when i realized that making change probably would involve us mooning them.

Valette notes that "Alaskans are not built for 85° humidity".

i'd note that growing up in D.C. meant three months of 100+°F in 100% humidity beneath an angry sun that hovers far too long and too directly overhead. Towels stop working, and afternoon thunderstorms only mean that the humidity is going to be slightly above 100% for a while. It's not going to get cooler.

Happy Fun pass-times often included:

• watching cars sink into the asphalt
• seeing birds catch fire in mid-air
• swimming out to the car
• lying prone

and my personal favorite

• leaving for California, where it's a scorching 74°F and the dewpoint is at a muggy 47°F.

Oh, that cackling you hear in the distance? It's me.

Having paid my dues, baby!

Anne Marie and i like to keep a window open while we sleep because we both believe that the room gets stuffy otherwise. i'd note that we've done this pretty much everywhere we've lived, and in nearly every form of weather.

Lately though, we're beginning to reconsider that habit.The reason being that the birds in our neighborhood have recently started taking round the clock shifts at keeping us awake.

And, i'd note that these aren't the gentle songs of nightengales that are unwantedly serenading us at the wee hours of the morning, these are Catbirds and Scrub-Jays that need to switch to decaff.

The biggest problem is the damn Catbirds since they mimic other bird calls. The problem is that the ones in San Jose they're now mimicking car-alarms and cell-phones. (i swear i heard one singing "Helan går" a few nights ago.) And thanks to nice high power mercury streetlamps i'm pretty sure that the birds are too stupid to figure out that the big yellow glowy thing dangling above them is not, infact the sun.

i'm betting that the local wildlife commission would probably get upset with me if i started sprinkling birdseed laced with barbituates every evening at around 7pm or so, but i'm also guessing that's probably not a good idea either.

Last thing i need is a backyard full of bird junkies.