Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Nashville, Tennesee

Another trip for work; this time I am in Nashville. What a strange town. The airport is nice and I got a sweet upgraded rental car. Some sort of Ford called an Edge. It is baked bean colored. I really like driving it.

We discovered Vanderbilt University on our way to the restaurant. It is a plain looking campus wedged into a dirty but kind of trendy city strip.

We ate at a P.F.Chang’s. I had wok seared lamb served with spiced stir-fried green beans and brown rice. It was delicious.

We then drove to the hotel and I met my roommate and now I am sitting on my bed in my PJs, thinking about how full my belly is.

Tomorrow is a big day. We teach a class totally off the cuff being that we haven’t written it yet. Should be interesting.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Belle, the ferret: 2004-2007

Sometime today, while we were all at work and school Belle, the ferret, died. When I got home she was curled up peacefully on a towel in the tub (we had been keeping her there since she got sick).

Belle came into our lives at a time when I was never going to get another ferret. Sebastian, my healthy and huge male ferret was getting old and after he was gone I was sure I was never going to get another one. A lady a work sent out an email requesting that someone help out her daughter and rescue her baby ferret as her landlord had suddenly sprung on her that there were “No pets allowed.” I contemplated the adoption after I sent the email saying, of course I would help out and rescue the little one. Dan and I met up after work and drove out to the girl’s house and picked up Belle. She was so little. I think she was only 6 months old.

I brought her home and Sebastian and she bonded immediately. They were never apart until Sebastian died back in 2005.

Belle had a little bell around her neck that would jingle as she hippity hopped around the house. She is by far the feistiest ferret I ever had. For the longest time we called her “The Nibbler” as she would attack any feet that were within reach. I saw her leap off the couch once just to get at some delicious feet nibbling.

She is the last of the four ferrets I have had in my life, going back to 1998. Taggert, Luna, Sebastian, and Belle; all adorable, irritating, cuddly and thoroughly ridiculous animals. We’ll miss you Belle.

We buried her in the back yard next to Crookshanks.

Friday, April 13, 2007

Squirmy Wormies!

Everyone needs to go to Dan's blog and check out the ever-so-clever yet squirmy new addition to his Sudoku-stylings repertoire. And they are fun to solve too!