Pretty Sure a Cat is mandatory when you are 30 and single

Yet again I am behind in my writing, so here is a little recap of my recent life changes...

I turned 30. And Befriended a cat. Figures, eh?

My awesome friends threw me a surprise party! I got 30 of all kinds of little things. 30 little plushies, 30+ bubble gum coins, 30+ ring pops, etc. We played on the Wii on the Big Screen, and I got an action figure of Hiro from Heroes who I crush (I'm a nerd, yeah) and SoftLips and yummy cake. Also really yummy food that I could really only suck on due to the pain in my teeth at the time but it was the thought that counted and they were AWESOME.

I got a few MORE root canals and realized I can no longer go to regular dentist for this stuff, even good ones. My problems are too complicated. I hate my teeth.

My fam got me a pass to the Aquarium which rocks since it's very near my Endodontist. So I have been able to use it OFTEN. Those stingrays are gonna start RECOGNIZING me, I tell ya!
I love it. Plus, this now makes it both Living Planet AND the Zoo that I have a pass too. Since I WORK at Thanksgiving Point (though I haven't been able to go in for forever), about the only animals I CAN'T see anytime I want are those at Secret Garden in Vegas. I need a membership THERE now! HA!

Now I am dealing with a craptastic stomach thing. As usual we don't know what it is, except that I had some really bad test results in the ER last awhile ago, which led to a colonoscopy and endoscopy yesterday and a liver biopsy planned for Friday. But right now I am just on lots of meds, and hurting a lot.

I am still living at the parents' and neglecting my OWN apartment (and my turtle and tortoise. :O( Bummer.) where the Roomie is. My best friend at this house is totally that cat, even though I am really a dog person.

And I am totally digging all things Steampunk. A beautiful combination of history and science fiction... and making technichal things look old and weird and lovely.... AND talking all British and saying things like "What what" and "By Jove!".... WHY am I late to this party?!

Feast with the Beasts (AND with the BEST[cousins]!)

Indeed.

This was a GREAT Thanksgiving. Thanks to the awesomeness of my Cousins, Animals, and the letter Y. Okay, not the letter Y.

For the past week I haven't even known for sure WHERE we were having Thanksgiving. It's been all "Oh, in Vegas with [Uncle J and Aunt J]" (Padre's favorite brother) one day then "We'll stay here and invite [Ostlparkwells] over here"(meaning Mom's favorite sister, Aunt Clare & Uncle Lynn/T-La & Les and their 3 adorable boys, Gabe, Caleb, and Elijah/Megs & Jakey/and probably Uncle-who's-not-really-our-Uncle Pat). So even though I kept pressing for REAL PLANS I got none, So I had to plan for either... like trying to get together a hotel workable travel cage for the suggies. And Nani was sick and on twice daily meds. Only weather seemed to be a major factor with Vegas. BUT having just moved to the new house, that seemed a stressful thing if we stayed. I just kept trying to get firm plans so I could KNOW where we were. And I kept trying to get a promise of if we are in Vegas, to go to the Secret Garden again to see the tigers and lions and dolphins and such. And if we DIDN'T go to Vegas to take everyone to the ZOO! Because I have been mounting a campaign to go to the zoo for a WHILE and zoos are more fun with people. Especially little people. But I really didn't know the plans for SURE till the day before and the AWESOME Ostleparkwells had us over THERE and PLUS ALSO I didn't know that it was a SPECIAL zoo day... Feast with the Beasts!

I am sorry to say, we missed some of it (Like the cool stuff on this video :O( )because of my stupidness in waking up. I really hate that about me A LOT. BUT we still got to see a lot of fun things. We saw the elephants squishing little (meaning NORMAL sized) pumpkins and eating them, black bears eating veggies out of turkey pinatas, the tiger completely snubbing a meat-filled pumpkin in true cattitude, etc. It was awesome! And the little boys had LOTS of cute comments. Because, well, they are cute.

We arrived at Hogle Zoo and picked up the schedule of the feeding. We started rushing down to the Black Bears which were being fed right then BUT got distracted by the fact that the elephants were smooshing pumpkins and eating them! It was so cute!

(Meggy and I later decided that Pumpkin would be a really great name FOR an elephant. We didn't know they liked them so much! But they seemed to really think they were delicious!)

Anyway, when we got to the Black Bears we realized a few things. First of all, that the "featured" animal being fed meant it was REALLY hard to get close and so it was hard for the kiddlets to see them and second of all, that the bears were NOT being fed turkey. Instead, they were being fed veggies and stuff in a Turkey-shaped pinata! The first part was disappointing, but the second part was funny. (The second part was disappointing to PADRE who kept saying they should feed the carnivores LIVE turkeys. Umm, yeah, like THAT wouldn't traumatize the children for life! YIKES!!! Besides, I think the bears (omnivores) seemed plenty impressed with their carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.)The whole time Caleb kept saying he wanted to see the "crocodiles and alligators." He told me they were his favorite animal. We THOUGHT they were in a certain exhibit that we kept passing so we were very glad to see a couple lazy little crocodiles in the reptile house. However, for all his excitement, apparently, Caleb was really SCARED of them. He kept asking us about the glass and touching it to be sure it was still THERE (thank you, Harry Potter.) He stared at them very bravely, though, for a LONG time. He also whispered, very seriously to me, "I think THAT crocodile is LOOKING AT ME."
"Are you sure, Caleb?"
He nodded, looking a little terrified.
"well, would you like to leave?"
"NO."
"Okay. We can keep watching them."
THEN, one of the crocs (the one NOT looking at him) actually moved. Caleb leaped back towards Megan pretty quickly. He DID go back up though... after checking the glass again since "that one came over closer to us!"

I think he was pretty proud of his bravery. So was I, and well, it was pretty dang cute.

One of our favorite animals was the Tiger. Part of the reason Megs and *I* loved it so much was because of how sad the old "cat house" used to make us when the Tiger would just pace around inside looking miserable and how much happier he looks now. Also he is just a BEAUTIFUL animal. I love that cat!!!!

We was just so... chill. Like, oh, no problem that you are all watching me... I think I will just siddle up to the glass and take a nice COOOOOOL bath. Ahhh.





Awesome awesome awesome.

Aaaand... Rinny randomly started dancing by the carousel while the boys had a potty break. And so did Padre. Scary.


ANYWAY, moving on...

The Ape House was hilarious. The little boys AND the apes were both adorable. There was a Gorilla, I think it was, and he had a blanket over it's head like it was sulking or something. Little Eli goes, "I think he's saying 'I'm in time out.'" We cracked up, but so did random strangers who passed the quote around and just cooed over his cuteness.

And then we watched Acara the UBER DARLING baby orangutan show off like crazy. She stood on a bucket, put hay IN a bucket, did somersaults, made faces... everything RIGHT in front of us, like LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME! I AM SOOOO CUTE! (She is right. She IS.)

*sigh* I SOOO love apes.

I also loved when the drinking fountain didn't work, but still got THIS expectant face.

And when we rode the Zoofari Express and Gabe wore a conductor hat.

And when Eli thought he was Hercules pushing that ball in the water.
The zoo was just a really fun time all around. I already want to go back. BUT by this time we were all really ready for T-La's EXTRORDINARY sweet potatoes. (and, for some reason, Mac&Cheese?) so we left and played the funniest game of "Eye Spy" I have ever heard in my LIFE. Adults included.

"..do YOU know what it is anymore, Caleb?" "Umm... I'll go again."

"..something Goldenrod..."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!

How far will Kipluck drive to Get fried balls of dough? TO THE CAPITAL BUILDING!!!!

Yeah. So this week some major ups and downs. First a silly tidbit. Rinny and I had to be at the UEA Convention for work plugging or Field Trips, trying to get high schoolers into The Fairchild Challenge, networking with groups who might give our kids some events to go to for their "Environmental Immersion day," and collecting an inordinate amount of free pencils and whistles. Woohoo! Anyway, after that I really wanted to splurge and get something yummy. As in hush puppies and fish at Long John Silver's which I was pretty sure there WAS on State Street in the Sandy to Salt Lake area. So I figured I would just drive till I saw one.

Well, after awhile even though I pretty much knew there was no way there was a Long John Silver's on that street, it was like playing Chicken with myself. I WAS going to drive the whole street. And so, yeah, ended up at the Capitol Building to take pictures. hee hee!

I love the Lions. And the other statues. And the funky angles (I just adore architecture anyway)! And the random Spanish lady asking me if the Brigham Young in the capitol was the same as the prophet. (Si.).

So, that was Friday and some silliness. Earlier in the week was a bit more emotional.

First, there was Josie. The very first person who called ended up being the PERFECT person for her. A young Grandma who wanted her as a cherished pet. She will live with kids and grandkids to play with (which is much better than goats and sheep who she never really liked and with whom, well, she was the lowest on the totem pole. See how she ate?
This was how she ate EVERY DAY. UNDER the trough, picking at crumbs. MY PRINCESS should NOT have to grovel for food!) Josie is a PEOPLE Goat. She thought she WAS a human kid and liked playing with the neighbor girls (my mom's surrogate grandchildren). Also, Josie HATED the cold and wet and would have been miserable in the snow and yuckiness, especially with less people to visit her... and now she will have attention everyday with a warm goat house (and a lady who admitted she will probably end up inside the house more often than not this winter!) and her fluffy dog bed again. And all this farm stuff is moot anyway since they were going to sell her and who knows who'd buy her! But probably not someone THIS AWESOME.

Even with those scriptures about sheep and goats that now make me purse my lips a bit Heavenly Father surely answers prayers for little goats. I know he did. My mom and I were praying so hard and then this lady... and she hugged me 3 times when she met Josie and told me how beautiful and perfect she was (and she IS but I am glad SHE knew!) and told me all about her missionary son and hugged me again and talked so sweet to Josie and she was just... PERFECT. She is EXACTLY an answer to prayer. Pretty much the only way God could have topped this was to make this better was to magically give ME my own farm to keep Josie on.

But He's not Santa Claus or the Genie... He's Heavenly Father. And He obviously loves his GOATS as much as His SHEEP after all.

(Which totally reminds me of a story I am putting in the other blog. YES. A church story about Goats. Kinda. Hee hee!)

But I sure will miss her.

Then I went to my house (because sometimes I try to visit my OWN house and take care of things (even though my awesome roomie is caring for everyone) to make ME feel better.) after a trip to the Pet Store. I was missing Josie and decided to just poor that into my other pets. So I decided my little gerbil Boo needed some spoiling and hadn't got a new chewing treat in awhile. So I bought it and went home to her... to find her dead.

She had JUST died. The Roomie had seen her acting just fine just the night before. I had to pet her to even be sure she WAS dead because she looked just asleep, but not responding to my voice. I started crying so hard. There were some of those tears in there for missing Josie. But truly, Boo was the BEST Gerbil.

Most gerbils hide when people tap on the glass. BooBonic came out of hiding when you tapped. She would come to the top level to visit you. She would often follow the dogs in her ball. The Roomie works with the disabled, and her main client, J, loved Boo. She never once bit him or anyone else, not in her whole life with me. He loved to help care for her and it was part of his routine. Boo actually became the smallest animal in their Pet Therapy Program! She was so patient with children and the disabled. She was active to the end. She never slowed down or was arthritic. She got a few grey hairs, but other than that, she was very healthy as an old gerbil. I know she likely died of old age... she looked just like she was sleeping. When I burried her, she looked like she was sleeping still. I marked her grave with a stone painted like a pumpkin for one of Rinny's TV spots, then labeled with her name and dates.

She was sweet and funny and a WONDERFUL gerb. I will miss her terribly.

Fringe on the Farm

I miss the Fringe! It was so funny to see Parker and Risa! Like I think I even talked to Risa as much as Parker! Yay for Fringe-in-Law and yup, Mini-Fringe. HellBaby is now a little girl not a baby who whines a lot and apparently only likes things that are girls. LITERALLY "Don't worry, Helen! It's a GIRL pony." "No, Helen, it's not scary, these are GIRL goats." She still whined a lot. On the other hand, the baby, Tommy, is really smart and talks quite a bit for a 1 year old. And WASN'T whining the whole time. Boys are cooler.

But Hell WAS obsessed with SUE, a particular dinosaur at the Chicago Field Museum. (You may have heard of her. Sue is FAMOUS. I knew about her, anyway.) And so we had to relate all of the dinosaurs to her. "This is Sue's friend..." But then when she realized it was a DIFFERENT T-Rex at OUR museum she started to cry and got really homesick. This is their first family trip. *rolls eyes* ANyway, had to give her SOME props for being into dinosaurs. hee hee!

Anyway... PICTURES.

Yes, that is MommyDearest, PARKER'S mom with us. DON'T ASK.

Well, if there WERE Dinosaur Doctors maybe they wouldn't have HAD such a high mortality rate

Okay, so first of all, let me get this out of the way: Turns out Fresno was actually NOT receiving my messages as he was with J-and-Y and the fam camping and there was no reception. So he isn't a big jerk... maybe just a little one for not TELLING me he would BE in said woods awhile. I told HIM I would be. But whatever. As we have mentioned, many many times, boys are stupid heads. COOTIES. (and I *heart* this photo.)Anyway, like I said, *I* can go to the mountains and out of range TOO, you know. And we did, for the family reunion yesterday!

Our family. Woods. River. Pasta Salads. Kids. Dirt. Wild Animals. HILARITY ENSUES.

It really WAS cool. The few family members I DO like end up making up for the ones that don't. (Oh, and Bobbie, just FYI... my names really don't fool anyone. I am pretty sure if anyone came on the site they would know who they were and be more than a little pissed off and it would start a whole NEW feud. The Kip's Blog Incident would never be forgiven and we would be even less invited than we are to stuff. Luckily 1. I don't much CARE. 2. none of my family is all that net-savvy.) Mom, though, would DIE if she knew what I wrote. Like be mortified. Luckily she hasn't the patience to find out.) At first Squall and her kiddlets didn't come and as Rinny wasn't there (she had filming for her movie) and I am REALLY missing BoyKid right now, I was feeling REALLY bummed. I took some pictures of cute kiddlets of various cousins...

played in the river...

but was ready to go home within an hour.

But then my little cousin Scotty (little brother of Leslie and Cynthia... my 3 youngest 1st cousins) says "Hey, I found a moose! Wanna see?"

I think, hey, cool! A moose in the river, I want a shot of that and he runs down the path and I follow, cheered up until he turns a corner and see him almost TOUCHING a HUGE bull moose standing in the road. He is chattering away, and runs back to me not TEN FEET from the animal, "see?!"

I grabbed his shoulders and start pulling him backwards as I see some more little cousin's kids running toward the moose on the other side and I start waving them to freeze and go the other way. FINALLY I feel the situation is safe enough I tell Scotty that the moose is BEAUTIFUL but they can be VERY dangerous and never to go that close again. Then I started talking pictures, wishing I had brought my nicer fancy camera, which I considered but thought there was no way I would risk in the dirt, water, etc. So the pictures are not good and will NOT do it justice.
But STILL... SIGH! <3

I followed that animal for hours.... closer than I should have, but he was in velvet, and so with his antlers all soft like that he wasn't aggressive and besides he seemed really used to people of the camp. So I felt okay, Still, probably dumb, but I felt entranced. I took pictures. I talked to him. I wrote him poetry. I walked MILES just to stay near enough to watch. He was AMAZING. An absolutely gorgeous creature. SIGH. Like something magical.

He looked young but infinitely old at the same time, if that makes sense. It was the same way I felt when I saw the sea turtle in the wild. I never wanted to leave him. What is it about animals like that that do that to me? It's like when I look into the eyes of my gliders. They become the most important thing in the world to me. Like they know more about the world, God, and life than I ever could. But it is a different thing with a truly WILD thing, like the moose... like the turtle... there is just this... magic they have. Like I never want to go home, like I CAN'T go home. Not until THEY leave. I wouldn't have left him first, I couldn't. So I took pictures. All the same shot, basically, too, so most I deleted. Filled a 512 MB SD card with the moose when the day was over, trying to capture something I COULDN'T... a memory. A feeling or experience. Not just an image. I don't know.

I wish I could explain that.

Anyway. Yeah. I saw a moose. Tried to avoid letting my cousins be trampled by said moose. Good times? hee hee! (oh and just as an aside, I know I picked a very silly Slide theme (8 mm) but it just made me feel a bit like a Big Foot tracker. So I picked it. hee hee hee hee hee hee! I am a dork, I know.)

And then, finally, Squall DID come and we had fun hanging out and laughing at her kiddlets. JanBrady told me she wanted to be a Play-lientologist or a veterinarian. (Squall told me she USED to say she wanted to be a "Dinosaur Doctor" till they explained to her that the dinosaurs WERE dead.)

"What are you doing with the rocks?"
"They aren't rocks. They are Raptor bones. I am working on the head and she has the belly."

(Incidentally, Stewie, JanBrady reminds me a ton of someone Munchkin would TOTALLY click with. We should have some sort of party with kids invited.)

Mini-Squall can totally WINK. Like on COMMAND. How cool is that for an 18 month kid?
So we had fun. But it got late and while Padre was one of those staying, Squall, JanBrady, and Mini-Squall were not and neither were Mom and I and we were carpooling.

We finally got home, late, and I finally had net (YAY.) and was online but should have been in bed when my Mom called me. She was sick. Like, maybe hospital sick. So I fed the babies and spent the night there. It was pretty scary. She is okay. But yeah. I have been with her all day till recently. Tomorrow, though I have Day Camp again.

But, well, Thursday I have my MRI and such. So... yeah. A bit nervous. SIGH. UGH. I hate Doctors.

So that is about it (isn't that ENOUGH!?). Family Reunions... SHEESH. But it was a good one after all.

Just another Manic Monday...

Today started very dumb but then got good and then ended, well, bittersweet. Such is the Roller Coaster of my world.

First I went to the hospital to turn in my PEE... and Dr. Princess had messed up the lab order and so I had to wait 45 minutes just for a fax to get REGISTERED to turn IN said pee. Me and MOM had an argument while there. We both cried. It was way stupid. And while waiting, Dr. Princess's office called... not about the fact that it was taking 10 years to get the fax right now, but rather about the results of the blood work/ultrasound. There is something out of wack ("Wiggedy Wack?" "No, just the regular type.") with my pituitary... and they are back to checking for Tumors. Another MRI. SIGH.

Dumb dumb dumb.

I was not really focused at the pool, either, after the hospital because I was worried about the MRI... and Marco... and issues with Mom... so my work out was pretty lame. I just felt BLEH and distracted and sad and scared.

Work was better. It was a little hectic, but I LIKE working. I like the kids and I LOVE the critters. That new pony, Lucky, really IS darling. OH! So, his story!

So, ponies usually have their foals in the middle of the night or very early morning (according to the farm girls). But Missy randomly dropped hers a couple days ago, late afternoon (as my class was ending and we were cleaning up) and 2 weeks early so she was not in a pen by herself, but in the middle of the field. So we are cleaning and suddenly we hear the farm girls screaming for EVERYONE to get out there. We see the pony give birth and AS he is hitting the ground ONE OF THE MALE PONIES RUNS OVER AND TRIES TO TRAMPLE HIM TO DEATH!!! We ALL had to spring into action! Farm Girl Becky grabs the still bloody colt in her arms and runs! Another farm girl grabs Mama Missy and pulls her out. The male is now trying to kill the pony AND BECKY! So me, Rerun, and LRG are out in the field trying to scare the OTHER ponies away from the gate and open it.

Finally Missy WAS able to clean her baby. He was JUST fine, regardless! YAY! That's why he's named Lucky... for SURVIVING that! He was beautiful! He has a huge head, though... looks like a mule. hee hee!

Here are pictures RIGHT after... and a few hours later...

Working at a Farm is never EVER boring!
(and I am becoming a slide show JUNKY.)

But anyway, it was a GOOD work day... but HARD. I was in charge of Family Night at the Farm (Tonight it was all about Daisy (our Milk Cow) and Milk) and it was a busy evening.

But then guess what? CC and TheBoy came to take pictures of flowers! That was fun. (Even though me tagging along on a little psuedo-date probably was NOT what they were planning. *blush*) OH, but while in the garden (not the real Garden or the Children's Garden, just the "backyard garden" behind the Emporium) guess what I found?


COOL, HUH? No, I didn't touch it, just reveled in it's perfection. Cute, isn't it?! Nature ROCKS. Except, you know, for when bears attack. *shudder*

Anyway, that was just a fun diversion. THEN, I went to the Padre's to play with the kitten (she has been having such FUN having a whole ROOM to play in, well, I have been letting her stay and just bringing her food and visiting to play daily.), who, of course, was hilarious. She is so cute. She EVEN in a rare cuddly moment, curled against me and nuzzled... it was so sweet.

But my best... bittersweet... news is about her. ONE day online and already we have a very likely possibility Mommy for her. We are talking and hopefully she will come meet her. But yeah. I am happy. But crying... I AM attached, even though I CAN'T be, you know?

Anyway, I will finish this tomorrow... errr... later today after I sleep. It's too late. TTYL... Tuesday... in the hours of NORMAL people.

I'm back. Anyway, also fun I got a good little email from Fresno (with more pictures from our trip) and it made me simultaneously happy (because I SOOO like him) and sad (because I miss him. And want him to move HERE.).

Then I watched Dodgeball (because, well, I needed some silliness) with the kitty and called it a day. THE END!

"My parents don't like anything ostentatious. And they really don't like fire. "

So, it sort of sounds like there is a stampede outside the office. Not that I have HEARD a stampede, but what I imagine one sounds like. And, being as we are technically on a farm, I guess that IS possible. But it would just be Daisy, Oreo, the Jersey twins (Jake and T-Bone) and the Holstein twins... can 6 cattle really BE a stampede? But either way, the reason for the tumult is actually a wicked sounding DUST STORM! And any minute Rinny and I are going OUT in it to get ready for the insect class "What's Bugging You?" Yay?

I have to say one thing about working at Thanksgiving Point... it is rarely BORING. Guess what is going on in the barn? (where our office is) MISS SENIOR UTAH (as in the running for THIS? (and also, maybe Mrs. United States?) That is right, Grandmas are in there wearing CROWNS. And if you know ANYTHING about my little sister you know that crowns and princess (of ANY age, apparently) are big to her. So when she SAW this lady walking around near the water tower with, yes, a tiara, looking lost my starstruck little sister raced to her aid.

And the princess yelled at her!

"Where the hell is the red barn?!" and went on and on. IT WAS AWESOME. It was pretty much like Snow White or Cinderella screaming at her, because that is how Rinny saw her. She seriously looked crestfallen. I am evil, but it is was SO FREAKING FUNNY.

Anyway, I will write later. I am off to teach butterflies with macaroni.

SO, several pasta and pimp hats later, the bug class is over. *grins*

I once was asked by a student "Why are you big?" Assuming, naturally,l that they meant FAT, but in a better mood than the time when the kid asked me if I had a baby in my tummy and I told her not unless I ate it *guilt* I started to cheerfully say that some people were bigger than others and blah blah blah when he stopped me and said "no, how come you are big and you are COLORING?"

Yeah. Sometimes I take liberties with my right to make "examples" during class because dang it all, I WANT TO PLAY, TOO. The kids are not quite sure if I am really a teacher or just a really weird classmate. ANYWAY, I say that because this was so one of those days. The Roomie better have room on the fridge because *we* colored.
AND made squirt-paint-on-one-side-and-fold-in-half-butterflies. Very Rorschach, no? Hee hee!

We talked about bees, mostly, though, because we have a hive in the classroom (never could find the queen though.). I LOVE that classroom, though. I wish we were at the Children's discovery Garden more often instead of the Farm. I mean, hello, look at those clouds with jewel rain that I must someday use to decorate my ceiling at home?! Plus, I discovered a box of dress ups. NOT bug related (especially as, to ME, they appear to all be PIMP hats, but STILL, it meant time to take a few photos of myself for your entertainment! Ha!)*Maybe I'm my own Silver Living?*

Anyway, back to the actual CLASS (because I did all that goofing around BEFORE class) when we were bug-hunting I found the coolest thing! Granted the kids were looking in the grass, but I admit I was drawn to the pond... and found the weirdest little underwater critter and I still don't know what he is. I took it home and would love to learn more.