My dog is very cute.
Lucy got her last round of shots yesterday, so (in a week) watch out world!
She’s also started doing this:
Ruh-roh…
Yes, it’s true…
Author: carmenyount
Technology IS FUN
This is my mantra today, as I work on group work (I get why it’s important, and I like all the people in my group, and it’s fun to meet and figure things out, but I still don’t care for group work… IYKYK) with a database platform that does not allow you to build a submission form using currency values… even though you can build a *data table* with fields that use the data type “currency.”
Thanks to date night on the couch with my husband and a couple of laptops (sexy!), I got something to work — for the purpose of demonstration only. I had to find some javascript, and figure out how to plug it in, in order to use it… it feels kludgy, but it provides some validation that wouldn’t exist otherwise.
(Note to self: learn javascript.)
I’m sure there’s a reason for this, but whatever it is is likely over my head and above my pay grade.
It (mostly) feels good to flex my (not all that impressive, but existing) data muscles again, even if it’s for a class about designing information retrieval systems.
Testing, testing, 1-2-3
We wanted a puppy so the dog would learn to leave the bird alone. As it turns out, the dog is a reasonably quick study. The bird, however, seems determined to put herself in the puppy’s way.
Never a dull moment.
Well, that’s a thing.
LuLu the wonder mutt is a mystery no more! We have always known she is at least part Lab; in profile, she looks like a lab… and she likes to spend some time every day playing ball, no matter the weather conditions.
We suspected there might be some border collie, given her white accents. I thought that she might have some terrier going on there because of her appearance head on (also, in this region, it is unusual for a pound puppy of unknown origins to not be at least part pit bull).
We got her Embark DNA test results yesterday…
Yes, lots of retriever (both Labrador and a smidge of Golden). No, no border collie. Yes, some pit bull and Staffordshire terrier.
The little bit of Malamute and Siberian Husky… that was a surprise, although maybe not when you consider she doesn’t mind the cold.
Never would have guessed Boxer, but sure, why not?
Fingers crossed that their estimate for her adult weight (52lbs) ends up being close…
Craft Project
And sometimes, I spend part of the afternoon making jesses…
Stan broke one of his jesses this morning (they’re leather, so they eventually get brittle, and he’s been wearing his current pair for more than a year), so I made these this afternoon and will install them tomorrow.
We use kangaroo leather. These might be a little bit too heavy duty, but it’s the leather I had, so…
March Mammal Madness
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
March Mammal Madness Player Resources, at ASU Library Guides
Like spring brackets but disappointed by your alma mater’s season? Are you a kid of any age who wonders, who would win if a Bengal Tiger got into a scrape with a Blue Whale? (Even though we all know that these species have no logical or practical reason to interact with one another?)
Try March Mammal Madness! There’s a bracket. There’s science. There’s amazing art! There’s sh%^posting on Twitter, and cute rodent puppet YouTube videos!
The battles are simulated, and hypothetical (no actual carnage occurs anywhere), and evidence-based, AND they’re narrated by scientists. The tournament has even expanded in the last few years to include a few non-mammal combatants.
To my mind, that’s something for everyone.
I love this. I’m terrible at it (and I will never be able to unsee wild card match featuring the praying mantis eating a hummingbird’s brains… ugh), but it’s fun, and interesting, and I learn something new (at least one thing) every year.
This year I’m looking to do a not-very-ambitious 100-day drawing project, and I think March Mammal Madness may feature prominently… though I haven’t decided exactly how… something to consider.
Brackets are available now. Wild card match is March 13th! (Calendar is here: https://libguides.asu.edu/MarchMammalMadness/HowToPlay)
Welcome Lucy!
Sometime in November, puppy Lucy and her littermates were abandoned in a laundry basket in Post Falls, ID. After a stint at the Spokane Humane Society, she came to live with us.
She’s part lab, part border collie, part… ? Totally adorable.
She loves to play catch, except that she carries a ball in her mouth at all times, so when you throw a ball, she runs after it and then waits for you to come pick it up and then throw it again so she can chase it… while carrying her own ball. (She’ll get it.)
She poops at 6:30a… every morning. And then who knows what her poop schedule will be. She gets three meals a day, fed at roughly the same time every day, and poops 4-5 times a day (puppyhood, man) at seemingly random times.
Her teeth are needles. She chews on nouns… all of them. When she runs outside, the first thing she does is pick up an emotional support pinecone (which she brings inside and leaves all over the house).
Her fur is so, so soft. She wants to be near someone at all times.
We’re working on crate training. She’s pretty good at sitting, laying down, and offering a paw. She’s on her vaccine schedule and starts puppy kindergarten on March 4th.
We adore her.
It’s HOMEWORK.
I went to the main branch of our public library today, for the first time in a few years. It was under construction AND there was a global pandemic, so…
I’m taking advantage of the digital options, and I’m pleasantly surprised by the quality of the offerings. But it was fun to actually spend time in the building, and to check out some actual books.
But wait, there’s more!
Seeing the theme?
I’m taking a children’s book illustration class this semester called “Thinking in Pictures.” This week we’re looking at how authors and illustrators reimagine classic stories. Some of these books are not really picture books (lots of text), but they all feature beautiful illustrations.
Bonus! I found some books to check out next time that I just… liked, and am looking forward to “reading.”
Now for the practical part of the assignment:
P.S. There’s going to be some overlap with this and my SJSU classes. It could get a little bit messy, but that’s OK. I’m looking forward to the juggling, because I have been looking forward to this.
And so it begins…
I finished my first “course” for grad school over the weekend…
It wasn’t really a course. It was a Welcome to Grad School orientation. Lots of good information, though not all of it applied to me, which is fine. I’m not the sun everything revolves around… sadly (kidding).
One of the good things about having been so intensely online over the last several years: familiarity with Canvas, Zoom, WordPress, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. (Also, the ability to make coffee I like, find ways to do yoga without a studio…)
Today the first course starts, and very soon, it will be time to become a time management ninja. Sometimes I’m pretty good at it; sometimes I’m not. Now would be a good time to stay on top of things. I don’t like rushing, or panicking, so it’s time to lean into deliberation.
Moving on…
Last year I had a resolution to cook a bunch of new-to-me recipes. I didn’t make it to 52, but I did a lot more cooking than I would have otherwise, so I’m calling it a success. (Resolution lesson: swing for the fences; even if you don’t complete it perfectly, starting and going partway can be just as valuable.)
This year I think I’ll be spending some time on a treadmill, in addition to my outdoor walks. I’m on the hook for 400 miles this year, which shouldn’t be too difficult, given my morning walks and summer hikes. This time of year, though, it can be a little bit dicey to spend time outside, even with extra traction (traction –> objectively awesome). We’re having a bit of a melt at the moment, which means we’re thawing and re-freezing, which is… not ideal.
The treadmill is… how can I say this gently… boring AF. But it’s easier to walk at a consistent pace for a goal distance or set time, and that is better for my back and hips than trying to navigate patches of ice and melting snow. (It’s also a better option during fire season — easier on the lungs than being outside.) The treadmill = consistent movement, and even if it’s boring, consistent movement is a good thing.
In Search of My Project
Part Two
Gently disentangling myself from a project I love that isn’t mine is a good first step, I think. I can enjoy working with the birds at the Outdoor Learning Center, and not be so up in my feelings about other stuff.
Figuring out things to pursue that *are* mine is going to take a little bit more work.
I loved graphic design, but I did not enjoy working with clients. I loved editing newsletters for the Audubon Society, but I burned out on it after five years. I love drawing and illustration, but I have no desire to try to earn a living from it (see client work, above). I love working with birds, but I don’t want to do it 24/7 (which means that I won’t be building a mew on my property anytime soon).
I love nature journaling, and the work of master naturalists. I will continue on that path with more journaling, more education, and more volunteering.
And I’m going back to school — that will definitely be my project for the next couple of years, at least.
I’m hoping that, out of this work and out of these things, something will rise to the top.
We’ll see.
Carmen Yount 