Chew before you swallow.: May 2010

2010-05-31

flowers in the neighborhood

My neighbor, Trent, owns property next to his house where we, he, and his pseudo-boyfriend share a plot of land for vegetables. There are also flowers that grow; I don't know if they were planned and planted, or if they migrated to that plot. I just "found them" looking spectacularly beautiful.

From omgflowers

TEST PIC

From omgflowers

I hacked about 75% of the growth from this plant last year because approximately that amount was dead or dying. Perhaps that was what this bush needed because she is looking bright and vibrant today.

From omgflowers

Oh, and I'm drunk while making this post. Yeah....

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Pictures find me.

I come from the philosophy that people don't "take" pictures, but rather pictures "find" people. There have been dozens of times there was something that piqued my interest, but alas I couldn't commemorate that scene because I didn't have my digital camera. Today, however, as I was walking out the door, I second-guessed myself into taking my camera. I thought, "Well, there might be something worth commemorating."

From the insane to the mundane, some scenes just capture me. Perhaps I should never leave the house without my camera.

E-85 gas prices from the future!

Pointing up.

Art-y art

New AND improved!

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The Bubble

OMG! The Bubble is a better movie than Brokeback Mountain.

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2010-05-17

My new Nintendo DSi XL

As a present to myself -- along with all the other presents I buy myself throughout the year -- I bought myself a shiny, new Nintendo DSi XL. I had two color choices, one burgundy, and one brass. I chose the brass color. Even though Nintendo actually does offer the buyer a choice in which way he can honor his personality, my personality goes beyond chocolate brown and red. Actually, the brass-as-chocolate brown is quite tasteful, with a matte bottom and glossy top, so I still like the aesthetics, even though I may not be too keen on its color.

I actually got the system on the 14^th of May, but I didn't open it up until late last night. Originally, I wanted to make this journal update an "unboxing" post, but my need to experience my new system drove me past the tipping point: I just had to get my hands on it. So I unboxed it last night.

So far my first impressions are all positive. The system is big, stylish, and it has a ton of cool features. The camera is fun, and it takes very good low-light pictures, too! I would assume the camera is 1.2MP, but it works well for the DSi XL. It even has two pre-installed Brain Age games, but I haven't tried those yet. I haven't tried those games because I bought a new DS game.

Along with the DSi XL, I also bought Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. In fact, I bought my DSi XL because of that game. Since it is an unofficial sequel to the core MegaTen franchise, the game is loaded with complex menus and icons...and I needed a bigger screen to see all the beautiful detail. So yeah.

I can't wait to dive deeper into this system. It seems like it is going to treat me well, just like the old Nintendo DS Lite did.

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2010-05-14

Vireo Belii

Here I am, minding my own business, playing StarCraft at the dining room table when suddenly I hear a thud at the window. Instantly, I knew a bird hit the window, but I was in for a surprise -- the bird that hit the window was stunned on the back porch! Mosttimes they just fly away after hitting the glass, but that did not happen today. The poor little bird must have hit his head especially hard for him to be dazed and confused!

Anyway, I freaked out a little bit. I love birds and my heart would have broken into a million little pieces if the bird died. As I looked at the bird as it lay stunned, I was really hoping this scenario would turn out differently than the Bumblebee post from yesterday.

I carefully picked up the bird and gave him a close examination. I first looked to see if his neck was broken, since the neck is the first thing to break if a bird flies full-force into a hard surface. As I picked up the bird, he looked around in a stunned state, so I knew his neck was intact. The little bird was in the palm of my hand, but I still ran inside to get my digital camera because I wanted to commemorate this moment, even if it turned out tragically. I discovered how difficult it can be to insert a memory card into my camera with only one hand, but at least I know how to do it.

I ran back outside with my camera because I didn't want a little bird flying around inside the house if it recovered while I was trying to get my camera ready. So I'm back outside and the bird was still not out of the woods yet, so to speak. So I began to closely examine it for any other injuries. The bird was breathing really hard and his beak was open so I was concerned his beak was broken. Very carefully I closed his beak to see if it was possible. The bird opened his beak again, and again I would close it. The beak seemed intact -- there were no chips, breaks, or cracks, and alignment seemed right-on -- so I think the bird was just opening his beak to take in more oxygen. The poor little guy!

During this "bird physical," the bird seemed to be collecting himself. He was beginning to look around and close his beak. Eventually he would spread his little wings, but doing so would make him lose his balance. The bird probably spent about five to ten minutes in the palm of my hand coming back to reality. During that time I stroked his little head and body to make him feel more at ease.

Eventually, the bird flew away into a patch of low-lying bushes near the fence between Kevin's house and the duplex. Hopefully, the bird is fully recovered. Ultimately, I am just glad the bird wasn't so severely injured that death was imminent. Anyway, I did some sleuthing, and I am fairly certain this bird is a "Bell's Vireo." I've never heard of that variety, but he sure was a cute avian.

PICTURES!