Birthday plus one

Yesterday was my birthday and it was a great one. Thanks to all who sent wishes, cards, e-cards and comments my way.
There were sausage and biscuits and ribs and cake and fried pickles and good beer. OK, the cake wasn't served with the pickles and beer, that came at a different time, but I enjoyed every bite and swallow of it all.
I spent time with both family and friends and missed all those who weren't able to visit with me on my big day.
At the rib place, Newscoma and I saw an elderly lady wearing a wig and sparkly red shoes that would make Dorothy from Kansas quite jealous. We could hardly contain our glee. At another table a woman with huge hair in a pink windsuit ate her entire meal while wearing dark wraparound sunglasses.
I talked about spirits and spectres and reincarnation while sharing spirits with another Stephanie.
Wish you all could have been there.
THANKS AGAIN and let's all make a date to hang out Jan. 25, 2008.

Pebbled panes Snap Day 10 Jan. 10, 2007

Now that I've caught you up on yesterday's pic, for Project 365, it's time to turn our attention to today's effort.
It's a bathroom window in an old building in downtown Martin, Tennessee.
Late afternoon sunlight muted by the pebbled glass.
Day 10 is completed.

Hot Diggity Snap Day 9 Jan. 9, 2007

I posted this in my Flickr group yesterday to update my Project 365 set for Day 9 but didn't take time to add it here to my blog.
So, I'm catching up tonight.
Doesn't it look tasty? A frank available and fetched mere feet from sweaty teenage boys. Dining ala gym.
Love the artistic splash of condiment, errr, I mean, color.
Become hypnotized by the disco ball effect created by the aluminum foil wrapper.
See the glistening dog in all its glory.
Hallelujah ... Hot dog.

Cat scat fever

Not being a connoisseur of coffee, I still find it a little hard to believe that this particular blend is popular. A shop in Minnesota is selling a style of coffee, Kopi Luwak, that is created from beans that are eaten by Civet cats. Thanks to fark for pulling this one out of their butt.
Let's think about how those beans, some of the most expensive anywhere, are recovered. Yup, they have to be pooped out before they're ground into the delectable cup of joe (not to be confused with Cup of Joe Powell) which is so coveted it costs $10 per cup. Although, if I had to dig through poop to pull out some beans so some whacked-in-the-head java jonesers could sip on it to stay warm in the winter in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, I'd sure as Civet cat s**t charge an arm and a leg.
Here are some of the words and phrases used to describe this java jive (a great tune by the Ink Spots, natch) - "thick with a hint of chocolate", "incredibly full bodied", "lingers on the tongue", "very rich and soft". Mmmm, tasty.
Boingboing has another article on this caca coffee.
Apparently, the Japanese are the biggest buyers of this bm bean, which doesn't surprise me. These are also the same kamikaze diners who risk death to eat the poisonous blowfish.
I think I'll stick with celery and water today.

Elvis is everywhere Snap 8 Jan.8, 2007

In honor of the King's birthday today, I've opted to share a little peak into my office.
It's my Day 8 addition to Project 365, a picture a day.
On my mini magnetic bulletin board, I've got two homages to the Hound Dog himself.
First a magnet of Big Elvis I purchased after seeing this huge impersonator perform in Vegas. The Chunk of Burning Love can sing (what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, baby) and he does sound like Elvis. He might actually have looked like Elvis if the dude from Tupelo had lived another 15 years or so with each and every day including 4 to 6 heaping helpings of fried food.
Also on the board is a postcard with Red Grooms' depiction of the swivel-hipped one. It was a promotional mailing for a Grooms exhibit in Memphis last summer.
Unfortunately, my temporary tattoo of El Vez that I bought after his concert in Memphis about 8 years ago was on my fridge and not at work.
I don't actually own any real Elvis stuff, but the junk surrounding him is pretty fun.
Happy Birthday to the King.

Fallen Frankenstein Snap Day 7 Jan. 7, 2007

I had several options for my addition to my Project 365 group. There were raindrops and puddles and pictures of my niece, but then as we waded in a neighbor's flowing ditch, I came across my contribution, a fallen Frankenstein fingerpuppet abandoned on the side of the street. Just two months after wiggling on a delighted child's digits, Frankie was now relegated to roadside trash status. After documenting its residency in the roadside gravel and grass, niece and I decided to see if Frankie would float. Alas, the green guy didn't (but, then, neither do witches, eh), but the flow of the water did send him into a hole underneath the culvert out of reach. It was reminiscent of the raft going over the waterfall in the opening credits of "Land of the Lost."

Here are some of the other snaps from the day that I thought worthy of sharing.

These are my and my nieces red rain boots. I got a pair in the fall and she was so enamored with them that we bought her a pair for Christmas. I believe this is their first trip out ito the wet.



This is a giant oak reflected in a puddle in the yard. The puddle was created when rainwater collected in a hole that resulted when another giant oak in our yard had to be cut down. The giant stump made a thump and a trench when it fell.



Here's a raindrop clinging to the branch and a seed pod on a bush in the yard. The blue in the background and in the raindrop is a refleciton of a lawn chair.

scary squirrel

Since a computer crash a while back cost me all my squirrel pics, I was spending this morning searching for good snaps of squirrels to use now that I've got photoshop again (woohoo).
That's when I found this creepy plastic squirrel with crazy red hypno eyes.
According to the Web site, it's available for purchase for $4. What a bargain.
Here's part of how they descibe this terrible trifle, "Our realistic-looking red-bellied tree squirrel is made of hollow plastic and measures 5 1/8 inches from nose to tail and 3 inches high to the tips of the ears. The body is moulded with a fur-like pattern and details that almost make it seem real."

Oddly enough, there's no mention of the zombie eyes which has already compelled me to order 5,283 of these little creatures.

NFL web Snap Day 6 Jan. 6, 2007

I got caught in the web of the NFL yesterday.
After running and running for the past month, I had no where to be Saturday except on my couch. YAY!
I took full advantage of laying around like a bag of rocks.
By Saturday night, I'd set aside my Rogue Dead Guy ale (thanks Squeegee Monkey) and settled on water in my big ol Halloween tumbler.
With John Madden in the background and everything within easy reach on the nearby table, I reclined like a hibernating bear.

I must admit I fell asleep before the fabulous Seahawks/Cowboys finale, but saw most of the first half. Hurray Seahawks. (Yes, I'm a Cowboy hater.) I did get to see Peyton and his newfound defense stop the listless Chiefs (except for Ty Law.)

I'm ready for another day of football. Hut, Hut.

In the foreground of the photo you'll note a set of clickers. Keep your friends close and your tv remotes closer (that's my adage). Especially when you live with a chronic surfer who'll filter through every channel and then leave the grid up dominating 85 percent of the screen without ever selecting a new program.
I took some pics of my dogs and my pantry (see earlier post), but they didn't seem to capture the day.
So here it is - my Project 365 pic (Day 6) for Saturday.
I'm thinking of joining the Photo Hunters with Kerry Woo. Might be another adventure for me.

Amen to Ramen

College students and former collegians everywhere are mourning today as the inventor of the Ramen noodle has been strained through the big colander of life and passed on to the other side.
At age 96 Momofuku Ando has suddenly passed away.
Yes, drunken, hungry students owe a great debt to the man who created this cheap confection.
For those of us who have subsisted for long periods of time on his delightful concoction, we say sayonara and travel peacefully.
The salty bit of broth and bland noodles are still a comfort food for the Squirrel Queen and, as the photo of my pantry professes, are on hand at all times. Nothing beats a big bowl paired with a grilled cheese (stomach suddenly rumbles with desire).
Maybe that's what I'll ingest as a late lunch in honor of Mr. Momofuku.
Sayonara from the Squirrel Queen.

In or Out Snap Day 5 Jan. 5, 2006

Are you in or out?
What I saw today was the split created by the door between the knobs at the entrance to my bunker at work.
Please note the loving care and attention to detail by the painters. Spreading not just the blue but some white on the right knob. True craftsmen, I tell you.
It's my rendition for Day 5 of Project 365, posting a photo a day on the web.
It was just too rainy and messy to get out and about today, so I reverted to my office. Lazy me.
(If you go to the link for KNOBS you'll see a pic of a squirrel with a bunch of antique door knobs on the site for knob collectors. That was pure karma on my part to find that one.)

Down went the rain Snap Day 4

Rainy afternoon, a red wall, running water = picture of the day.
I took some from a profile/side angle but the shots looking into the mouth of the beast seemed to be the most compelling.
Love the red wall as a background.
Drip, drip, drop I can't stop.
It's a bit off-center, but maybe that adds to its charms.

Said the Spider to the Crack Dealer

"Will you walk into my parlor?" said the spider to the fly;" begins the old poem by Mary Howitt.
I found a video on YouTube that is a cautionary tale of another type.

But, dang it, I can't get this hysterical video embedded but I'm still jonesing to share it with you.

Nancy Reagan and I both DARE you to watch.

Found it courtesy of Fark.
It needs to be seen by everyone.

Snap Day 3 God and Country

Here's the Day 3 version of my Project 365. I had computer problems at work today, so I had no time to scout for shots around the office. I thought I would find something when I got home tonight.
Instead, on my drive back to the house, I caught sight of this monument in a small cemetery on the outskirts of Martin, Tennessee. The flag was lowered to half staff to honor President Ford's passing. I turned around and went back to to take some shots.
When I first arrived, there was no breeze, so the flag was hanging limply next to the pole. I snapped some shots and walked back to my truck. When I turned around to open the door, I noticed the wind had begun to unfurl behind the monument.
So, I headed back with the camera and caught this one before the breeze died down again.
I'm not usually sentimental about such settings, but this was one iconic moment I couldn't pass up.
When I started this, I figured I'd end up with lots of goofy pics of my desk or my dogs, so far after 1/122 of the project I haven't had to revert to that.
We'll see how long that lasts.

Snap Day 2 - Avian Car Wreck?

It's Day 2 of my rendition of Project 365.
I took some pics at a car wreck this morning for work, but I certainly hoped something more appealing would come into my viewfinder before the day was through.
On a quest late this afternoon, I carried the camera out the back door of the office and noticed this feather caught in a small decorative evergreen in a planter outside the office next door.
Snap!
Maybe this is the debris of a car wreck of another sort. See, there's this hawk that flies around downtown and occasionally picks off pigeons. He had one trapped in the middle of the street early one recent morning, but an oncoming car forced him to release his prey, which lifted up and out of sight to safety.

It's not too late to begin Project 365. Grab a camera and jump on board this bandwagon.

Project Pic-a-day a.k.a. SNAP

Project Pic-a-day should not be confused with Project Runway.
There's no supermodel Heidi Klum to host my Project Pic-a-day, just the Squirrel Queen here to share her New Year's Day choice for a time eater for 2007.
Thanks to Newscoma, I learned about an idea for taking and posting a snapshot a day for 365 consecutive days.
I've joined a group on flickr called Project 365 and the tree at left is my first contribution. I took it about 8:45 this morning on a farm just outside Martin, Tennessee.
If you're interested in joining in, you don't have to start on New Year's Day. Lots of people in the group began their personal projects within the last three months. It's not about when you start, but about plugging and snapping along for 365 days.
I think this will be fun and also challenging. I know there will be days when I'll be pressed to come up with something visually interesting and I know there will be other days when I use something I snapped for work. I don't consider that to be cheating if it's the best thing I took a photo of that day. It's still a pic that I shot.
Right now I plan on posting my pics here as well as on my flickr site.
So, here we go.
SNAP!

Happy Anniversary Baby

Today is my first blogging anniversary and the Squirrel Queen wants to take this time to say thanks to all the great people who've paid a visit to this little knot hole in cyber space.
I spent New Year's Day a year ago setting up this blog, picking out templates, creating my global squirrel moniker and writing my first post.
This blog has brought me many gifts - an outlet to rant and rave, a chance to work on my mad photoshop skeelz and lots of new friends and through those fellow bloggers new experiences.
I've been neglectful of this little outpost in recent months, but I'm planning on more diligence and activity here.
As expressed in my last post yesterday, 2006 took me for a ride in many different directions, literally to some grand mountain tops (thanks Smiley) and to some not so great valleys. From mortality to computer freakouts to the Mother Ship, it's all just fodder for future flashbacks and I'm no different than any other living, breathing squirrel on this big, blue marble.
I still don't have photoshop on this PC yet, so I'm stuck with linking to images, blah. Hopefully, I'm taking care of that problem this week, so soon it will be more squirrels in more extravagant settings and situations. (Fingers crossed).
So during this autobiographical pause, I'd like to say thanks to all you carpal-tunnel suffering surfers who've popped into this site and from there into my life. You've made an impact and made changes for the better.
Thanks so much.