GreatDarkness's Xanga

Friday, December 18, 2009

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:29:29 GMT

Working in the burn unit makes me remember that I will never smoke while wearing oxygen or pour flammable liquids on fires. Also, I will NEVER make ramen within 100 feet of a child.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:21:32 GMT

My mentor in med school said the most important thing he could teach me was a good two-handed surgeons knot. He was right--Those plants would have been very VERY hard to tie to the driftwood any other way.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:59:28 GMT

I have a hard time telling if anything is growing in there. I know some of it is--I mean, the little plant on front had no leaves two days ago and now has leaves an inch long. It seems like some things were greener before.

The critters are doing quite well--11, no--15 fish, soon to be a million as I got two breeding pair of live bearers. Three shrimp (still!, no sushi yet) and a clean-up crew of algae eaters, one of which loves to tease the dog. I didn't know fish were capable of such activities, but the it clearly taunts Bode whenever he's around.

Now, it's time to go find some drift wood or rocks or rotting tires to toss in the bottom to make the whole thing look more natural.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:58:21 GMT

This might be the coolest thing I've ever done. I have pet SHRIMP.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:58:48 GMT

I love a hobby that includes 4 orange buckets and a hose in the house. Eventually this will look more like this.

Sunday, August 02, 2009

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 00:25:26 GMT

It swims! That dog sank like a rock the first time I took her swimming, despite all her fat. Now, she swims like a fish, much to bode's dismay. She's also not afraid to play mean if it means getting to the stick first. Her paws are approximately the size of bode's head and easily push him straight under the water when he's in the way of the prize.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:37:03 GMT

The Desert Winds Adventure Race, beginners edition, was actually ridiculous. It took 13 hours to finish the 6 required checkpoints, plus one bonus check point. I have no idea how ANYONE could finish the full length course. Actually, I don't think anyone actually DID finish the full length course.

We started off kayaking, proving our ability to capsize and rescue, kayaking some more, searching for under water checkpoints, then looking for a particular 2 inch tree in a patch of the densest underbrush I've ever experienced. Then the sun went down.

Orienteering (using map and compass to find certain checkpoints) is fun during the day when you can use the landscape to help determine your location. The highest peak on the horizon is usually the highest peak on the map. At night, the highest peak on the map is no where to be seen... We spent alot of time hoping we were walking in the right direction and wandering around trying to figure out exactly where we were.

Occasionally we gave up the map and just went for it--"I know the lake is that way. I don't know how far the lake is that way, and I don't know what is in between me and the lake that way, but it's the way to go" That statement is how we ended up bushwhacking through 200m or 2km or 2 miles worth of the second densest patch of greenery of the night. It worked, though.... We found the lake and got ready for our morning swim.

Then the sun came up.

Team Rhino (anyone have a suggestion for a better team name?) finished first in the beginner category, being the only beginning team to finish the race. I can't wait until the next race (scheduled for September) where we will be doing the full length course and navigating during the day light.

Go Team Rhino!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:52:27 GMT

41.9

Friday, July 17, 2009

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:15:39 GMT

This may look like an ordinary picture of two dogs sitting in a dead field, but no--it's actually quite the accomplishment. Both dogs are sitting near each other, off leash, being obedient, and paying attention to me--mostly.

Bode was once well trained. Beika too, rumor has it. But for the last few months, I've been lucky to get either one of them to even SIT on command. I don't know what language Beika was trained in and Bode seems to have forgotten that he learned English. After a little bit of work, however, both dogs are heeling, sitting, downing, staying, and coming (like freight trains) in english and german. It's fun training an ultra-reactive spazmotron and a slug at the same time. I have to whisper excitedly to Beika when she does well, while bode gets the most subdued "yes" I can muster.

I might join the schutzhund club with Beika in the fall. If I could manage to sneak Bode into a german shepherd dog costume, I think I'd have the perfect dog.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:07:20 GMT