check it out...fun

check it out!! what fun, and not much of a time waster... : )

i turned out to be a "happy dabbler"

(copy and paste the following into your browser--i haven't figured out the web-link stuff yet).

http://youniverse.com/statement/module/ArtModule/Creative_youniverse

my trip to new oreleans

what fun...new orleans. i went with some people from school for the meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society. there were 11 of us, 10 students and one spouse (and parents, but we didn't meet them). We had a good time.

we went all over the french quarter


becky, chad and garry near Decatur.


water meter cover--neat art for general public--art on the street

the buildings are way neat, with nice iron work and neat hurricane doors, etc.



We stayed at a really ritzy hotel, the Royal Sonista right on Bourbon Street and complete with a doorman (in top-hat and cape) and concierge and over 500 rooms.



then on the second day, we went to the garden district by trolley and had fun...found 3 cats--one in a cemetery (below), and two in yards


neat tomb--they cannot bury people below ground because the water table is too high, so they have large cemeteries with tombs...some begin really old and some are more new or just with newer dates.



i even saw one with a bench for contemplation...then there are many really neat, pretty houses also with neat hurricane shutters, full door shutters, etc.



THEN on the third day, we went to the aquarium of the americas and i got to pet a penguin!!



how neat is that???

well, then we went to the meeting, which actually started on thursday--we had some people attend the meetings that we needed to and on friday we didn't win the student subunit award, like we thought we should have. NC state won. again. we have no idea what they did to earn the award, but they won. sigh. we did spend some time socializing with some other fish girls and boys.



finally, we got to meet pete the cat (petethecat.com) and becky got her picture taken with him...



Ok, that is probably enough for now...i do not think i have ever made such a large entry...we had a good time, but it is always nice to be home again!

Happy New Year!

happy new year!

i can't believe that things start again next week, friday. the 10th banquet and the start of the new spring semester. i have a poster that i need to do and then also to take it to NO, LA. then at the end of the month is a seminar for school. i have finished my guts, and data entry and now the stats need to be run and then analysed and understood...it never ends, does it?

i also told my sister(-in-law) today that there was a reason that i was not responsive on thanksgiving...the fact that i went to mom's house for 15+ years for thanksgiving and cooked there, etc. that was always fun and we had the misfits over for the meal and some fun...i miss that. i told fonda that once we are more settled in a place, i would like to start that again...invite those who have no other options or just don't want to have other options for thanksgiving.

now, christmas, we truly succeeded in surprising fonda's mom for christmas! i was so happy that she didn't know that we were coming! i am glad we went, but it was hard to do the drive. we drove back to NC on christmas day, and there was next to nothing open for meals...what a pain. we ended up eating at a gas station, it was good food, but it just was not what we wanted, the choices were very limited. but we got home and all is well. the kitties missed us, though jen was watching them, they didn't have a lap to sit on and people to bother/be bothered by. we missed them too.

ok, good new year to all of you out there. hope all is well with you and yours...peace.