I just need to post something

I'm getting really weirded out by seeing pictures of myself when I come to Blogger, so here's a random post.

Via Garden Rant, there's a cool time-lapse video of a Titan Arum blooming here. Also via Garden Rant, I've learned that the scientific name for Titan Arum is Amorphophallus titanum. From the Greek, amorphos, "misshapen" + phallos, "penis", and titan, giant. So it's a giant misshapen penis flower.

I must say, this is an endorsement of the Renegade Gardener's insistence that you should know the proper names of plants.

Fortunately I don't need to covet this plant, because it also apparently reeks like rotting meat when it blooms. It's then pollinated by flesh-eating beetles and flies. Nature is weird and awesome.

Pictures

Here's the haircut. My computer took the picture, so it's not great, but the one Puck took of me was hideous so this will have to do.


Here's me actually using a jackhammer. Puck was right, the sidewalk only took us a weekend (largely thanks to Jaysan, The Sexy Blonde and Suzuri coming by on Sunday and doing my share of the work and then some...).


And here's the new front walk!

R.I.P., Robert Jordan

http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?storyid=23003&ret=Default.aspx

...Okay, I do feel a little bad about all those times I said, "If that bastard dies before he finishes the series...."

The horse is out of the barn

Holy shit my hair seems short! Salon Stella rocks my world. I don't know what I think of the haircut yet. Ask me tomorrow. Or maybe next week.

Wow I'm dumb in the morning

I'm one of those people who sets their alarm clock half an hour ahead. And it works, because even though I've been doing it for years, I still crack my eyes open, see the time, and have that second of "Oh, time to get up" before the higher functions kick in and remind me that I've been setting my clock ahead for over a decade and one might think that even the sleeping brain would have figured it out by now, but no. Anyway, once the higher functions are getting snide, I'm awake enough that I don't need to worry about the sleeping brain turning off the alarm entirely and going back under for another few hours.

Only sometimes the higher functions aren't as higher as they would like to think. Like this morning, when it wasn't until I was out of the shower and sitting in front of my computer that I realized I was half an hour early because the higher functions were totally fooled by the alarm clock trick that's been going on for over a decade!

Thank god for coffee.

Snip!

Since The Sexy Blonde was kind enough to let me know in advance when she cut her hair, I'm doing the same. I have an appointment Wednesday night at a place that serves free wine in the waiting room, and I suspect I'm going to need it.

Edit: Okay, apparently this is not enough information. It won't be short, it'll just be a lot shorter than it is now. Probably about a foot off the back, and there may be layers. Basically I'm looking for something that will let me take less wasteful showers, in terms of both water use and chemicals I'm dumping down the drain with my excessive conditioner habit. And being able to face a windy day without either a sturdy braid or 45 minutes spent untangling my hair will be nice too. I will miss it though, and I'm not promising that I won't just turn around and grow it right back out.

Bridge jumping

Everybody else is doing it! (Though for a couple of these, it would have been easier if Veggie hadn't done it first...)

1. Famous Singer/Band: KMFDM
2. Four letter word: kilt
3. Street: Kennedy
4. Color: Black (according to CMYK)
5. Gifts/Presents: kites
6. Vehicle: kayak
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: kitsch
8. Boy Name: Kevin
9. Girl Name: Kelly
10. Movie Title: Killer Klowns from Outer Space (yeah, thanks Puck)
11. Drink: Kahlua
12. Occupation: kindergarten teacher
13. Celebrity: Katharine Hepburn
14. Magazine: Kashrus (yes, I cheated on that one)
15. U.S. City: Kandiyohi
16. Pro Sports Teams: Kansas City Chiefs
17. Fruit: kidney beans (shut up: Beans, beans, the magical fruit...)
18. Reason for Being Late for Work: knackered
19. Something You Throw Away: knick-knacks (ask Syl)
20. Things You Shout: KRING! (ask The Sexy Blonde)
21. Cartoon Character: Knives (Trigun)

House envy

Wow.

Let me just say that again: WOW.

I got to see Ms. Huis Herself & Mr. Kluges' new house over the weekend. It's even cooler in person than in the pictures. Yes, there's a ton of work to be done pretty much everywhere, from the immediate cleaning and contractor-involved stuff that they've been blogging about to "someday" details like getting the paint off their gorgeous eight-inch-high baseboards upstairs. And I realize it's easy to say "Oh, the work is totally worth it" when you're not the one who will be doing/paying for said work. But still. The work is so totally worth it. It's not just a place to live, it's one of those places that has a feel, that engages your imagination and emotions. And what an amazing place for Pumpkin and Penguin to grow up.

Mr. Kluges was unfortunately at work, but Ms. Huis Herself treated me to a lovely picnic lunch on one of their porches after the tour and even sent me home with garlic-dill goat cheese curds. Yay.