Susan Boyle's makeover

From what I've read, half the world is up in arms over Susan Boyle's recent makeover. Detractors say she is losing her "ugly duckling appeal," and risks becoming too polished. I say she looks fantastic, and more power to her! All she did was cut and dye her hair, trim her brows, and get a new outfit. It's not like she got lipo and a fake tan, people. She still looks like a "normal" person. Just a bit more fashionable. Trust me, if you've seen any interviews with her, you know--stylish locks will not strip away her somewhat awkward, down to earth personality.

Lately

• I am set to end the week having answered the most tech support calls in the department. Go me!
• Comet was up at 3:30 hurling...but not just his usual one time. There was nothing for him to bring up. Poor baby. I think he might be working on a hairball. I hadn't been sleeping well anyway so I just got up and went online. Yay for buying memory cards on New Egg at 4 in the morning!
• I am not bringing my laptop to Australia so I want to make sure I don't run out of space on my camera. I should be set for 5,000 photos with 2 8GB cards. The one I bought this morning was actually a micro SD and included an adapter AND a USB reader for about 20 bucks. This is in stark contrast to the memory stick duo I was forced to purchase in Florence, Italy in 2004...128 MB for over $100. We have come so far.
• I have been listening to the audio book In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson on my drive to and from work lately. It is so enlightening and funny! I am beside myself with anticipation and excitement for my upcoming trip. It is going to be too fabulous for words. That I get to spend a few days in L.A. before and after is serious icing on the cake. I cannot wait for the Dario's buffet brunch...here I come, cheese enchiladas! And that I will have 3 solid weeks with my BFF Nicole is like a giant scoop of ice cream on top of that piece of iced cake!
• On Wednesday, I went to a "mixer" for the newly formed UCSD alumni chapter of the Triangle. We all unanimously agreed that there is NO good Mexican food to be found here.
• It is going to be in the 90's here this weekend. Yikes. I'm hoping to see the new Disney movie Earth. It should be quite the spectacle.
• At work, my manager is making having us read Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. I find the book to be, for the most part, repugnant. It is an easy read and has many illustrative anecdotes, but it is basically a user manual for manipulating people. The author is always reinforcing that you must be genuine about this or that. If you genuinely cared about other people, you would not need a book to tell you how to get friends. And you certainly would not actively be seeking to influence them. My rancor towards this book has brought out a negative tone in me that I don't like. I've tried to just stay mum but now I am in charge of leading the (online) discussion. Hmph.
• Oh, I never did write about Easter, did I? I was originally going to be in Washington, DC but that fell through, so I ended up picking up Cassidy and having her Thursday and Friday night. Friday we went to Pullen Park here in Raleigh and she had so much fun riding the train, the boats, and the carousel.

Friday evening we decorated Easter eggs.


Sunday was the Easter egg hunt...of the plastic, candy-filled variety, not the chicken embryo variety. I still get a rush when I see an egg peeking out from its hiding spot, even though I helped fill and hide them. That girl ended up with enough candy for 20 kids. We helped her eat it though. :)

More old pics

This is the best old pic I've come across. I love Matthew's expression, my dad would probably still buy that t-shirt today, and the backdrop is beautiful (no idea where it was shot though--some western national park no doubt). My hair is hideous, but I was in junior high...who looks good in junior high??

Then there's this one...those are some stylin' shades! Much improved hair. And my legs are actually not a blinding shade of white!

Time capsule

I scanned in a handful of old pics this evening and hope to do more in the days ahead. Here's a little taste of what's in the mix:


When I taught 7th grade world history, for the Middle Ages unit we did a Medieval Faire. This is the year I dressed in costume like the kids! I think it was 2001 or 2002. I remember the night before going over to my parents' house and asking my mom to sew the cape for me. Because she's such a good mommy, she did.

Wall-E Computer

This is the craziest, most tricked-out computer case ever. The Russian guy who did it put a ton of work into it. Pix of the "wow you really liked that movie, huh?" process here.

Lost & Hopefully Found

This morning a dog that looks just like this one was waiting for me outside my garage. He (?) was so friendly and cute. No owner anywhere to be seen. He followed me down to the mailbox, and then wanted to jump in the car with me. I spent a couple minutes petting him and talking to him ("Where's your mommy? Do you know how to get home? I bet your mommy is missing you.") I finally had to leave, but he did not move along. I had to back out the driveway an inch at a time, keeping my eyes glued to all my mirrors, and then when I closed the garage door, make sure he didn't run inside. He was wearing a collar with a tag, but it did not have a local phone number on it. I hope that he found his way home.

Dog show

So this was a few weekends ago, but I wanted to post about it because it was so much fun. I went to the Raleigh Kennel Club dog show. I'd seen dog shows on TV, of course, but never in person. And this one is a small local show so it wasn't anything fancy, but I was just there for the dogs! They were everywhere in large numbers and it was spectacular. They are (almost) all just so adorable. My two new favorite breeds were the Shiba Inu (looks like a fox!):

And the vizsla:

I think what's so striking about the vizsla is its sleek reddish coat, and the fact that its nose and lips are pink, rather than being black.

I've always liked weimaraners. Their coat is such an unusual greyish brown color, and their blue eyes are beautiful. I think I may have overcompensated on the red eye removal, but here's the weimaraner I saw:


Here are some more pictures from the show:

I love great danes! They are sweet, gentle giants.

A collie all fluffed up for the judges!

I wanted a beagle for a long time. They are the perfect size, I think. But I heard they have a strong natural odor, and the last thing I need is a house that smells like dog!

A ginormous Irish Wolfhound...I'm not a fan of the shaggy hair though.

All the basset hounds looked like grandmas with their ear protectors on.

Here's a basset in all his (or her!) beauty.

Wow, those are some hairy, hairy paws! And again with the ear protectors. Not sure what kind of dog this is.

I love how whippets are so sleek looking. They are very similar in appearance to Greyhounds (which are bigger) and Italian Greyhounds (which are smaller).

Must be named Fifi. That, or she escaped from the Yearning For Zion compound. That part down the middle, it's meticulous! Owners of these dogs must have never gotten over their My Little Pony phase.

The whole reason I even knew about the dog show was because my friend has two purebred Sharpeis and she was showing them. This is the male, Marker.

A poufy Keeshond.

Here's a shot of all the pugs in a row. I wish it was of their faces rather than their behinds, but no matter what side of the ring I was on, it always seemed to be the wrong side.

How does he even see?

We saw lots more dogs, but my photos of them are mediocre: Chihuahuas, dalmatians, bulldogs, pit bulls, boxers, minpins, Dachsunds, spaniels, corgis, Chinese cresteds, sheepdogs, labs, terriers, and German shepherds.

If you have a chance to check out a local dog show, I highly recommend it. It's a great way to spend a morning or an afternoon. You just need to make sure you get a schedule of what breeds will be in what rings and what times, if you care about seeing a certain kind of dog. But you can also just wander around aimlessly, or pick a chair and camp out and watch the dogs pass by you. Most owners were happy to let me take a picture of their dogs. But there were signs in the grooming area that said no photos or videos allowed. That was a bummer since that's when the dogs were up high and holding still!

Time for a new look!

I chose the photo above because I think it looks like the countryside in New Zealand. I hope the new look of everything is pleasing to everyone. I'm not sure how I feel about the super narrow columns on the right, but it's something different I thought I'd try. Oh, and I fixed my Comments...they weren't working...but now they do!

Bye bye, old template. You served me well.

Cute video!!