I'm Sick

I hate being sick. This one took me totally by surprise. I've got a sore throat that feels like it's moving into my ears and I've been achy and tired. I took today off from both jobs and I'm hoping that's going to help, but tomorrow I've got a presentation so I can't really call in sick. I'm also going out to dinner with family and then Wendy, Jeff, and Micah are staying the night here. On Saturday I'll be hanging out with everybody and then we're going out dancing that night. I'm probably just going to get even more sick. This really stinks.

Ok, enough about that. I finally found my camera which had worked its way down into my bag where a binder fit perfectly over it and hid it very well. So now Jake and I have two cameras, which works out well for me, since now we don't have to share. :)

Wendy, Jeff, and Micah stopped by on their way out to see Melissa, David, and Caiden. Here's a picture of me and Micah.

Alan's New Place and Organization

I know it's been awhile, but I haven't found much to talk about. I'll try to keep up a bit more.

This weekend Jake and I spent some time with Alan, who just moved into his own apartment in Anaheim. I think Jake has found his new favorite place to hang out. Alan his computers, internet, video games, robots, and other electric gadgets and gizmos that really don't excite me like it does for them. Today they spent two hours at Fry's Electronics, so I spent that time at Target.

My main goal today was to find some organization for my many, many, almost embarrassingly many shoes. I currently have an enormous mound on the floor of my closet. I figured that five minutes trying to find both shoes probably meant it was time to get organized. My solution based on careful analysis of space, sizing, whether hanger space would be needed and how many shoes could fit in each option, led me to the final solution of three clear, shallow, tubs that are currently in my car. I kind of wish we could go home so that I can organize! But Jake and Alan are currently in heaven with food, alcohol, tv, downloading stuff off the internet, and playing with all the new cables and hookups required in Alan's new place from the Fry's trip today.

We also bought Seven a new dog house/cat house. I woke up this morning and found her food dishes full of rain water. I'm also realizing that she doesn't have anywhere to go at night since we took off her cat door for the garage. It's also getting colder and I want her to have her cat bed again. So we have a nice new house for her that will fit her bed and food dish. I'm kind of excited to see if she'll like it.

Fishing

On Sunday, Jake and I got up at 4:15am to go fishing - it was horrible. I feel like I have jet lag today.

I almost threw up on the boat going out to sea, even though I took a pill to help with sea sickness an hour before that. I felt a bit miserable for a good part of the trip. To top it all off, I ruined my favorite pair of pants. They are black and I didn't think I'd be able to stain them. It turned out that they swabbed the deck with bleach water at the end and my pants were touching the floor. About an inch of my hem is now pink. I was pretty sad last night, but I'm going to see if I can find another pair on e-bay since that's where I found them before. I'm also going to try coloring the pants with permanant marker since they're black to see if maybe it won't be possible to tell from a distance. It might sound silly, but they fit perfectly and matched a lot of shirts that I have.

Jake and I bought a new digital Panasonic camera for $99 at Frys. We figure it'll be good to have until we find our other. The reasons for getting it was that it was cheap, uses an SD card, and has image stabilizer (it's also 5 mega pixels). It didn't work too bad; you can see the pictures below.


I was recovering from being sick in the cabin and came out to find fish everywhere. Jake caught four big ones and there were lots of fish being caught all over the place. I asked to hold the pole and suddenly the fish were gone. I did catch two later in the day, but it was almost like I was the bad luck token at that point. Oh well. Below is Jake's biggest fish.

Wow

On Saturday we saw this beauty parked at the YMCA.

Friday With Alex

Alex and I were going to go on a short hike Friday afternoon, but the road was closed until October 30th. That kind of stunk. When we turned around to leave we saw this deer and fawn crossing the road. Kind of neat.

This is Alex back at home later. Now he's playing video games and loving it. Of course, that was after we stopped at the grocery store to make sure we had ice cream for later that night. And can you believe that Alex forgot to have any.... kids these days, give them a video game and they forget about all the important things in life. :)

The Results Are In

Wendy and I are identical! It's official. After 30 years, we've found that we are not fraternal, but identical twins. I'm kind of excited to finally have my suspicions confirmed. Interesting stuff.

Below I've listed the statistical results from their analysis:

Overall odds in favor of monozygosity is: 25380223 to 1

Note: Monozygosity refers to identical siblings, as opposed to dyzogosity, which refers to fraternal siblings.

Percent Probability of Monozygosity is: 99.9999960599%

Based upon the analyses conducted, the siblings are identical with the probability listed above.

Colleagues

These are two interesting people who I work with.


Gaby works at the front desk in the Computer Science department office at Cal Poly. She's always making jokes and having fun. If I need to unwind and listen to some witty comebacks and crazy stories, all I have to do is go over for a visit.

Gaby also attends my pilates and yoga classes with me on Tuesday and Thursday. She's usually on the verge of falling over and can't seem to do half the poses, but goes anyway on the days that I do - now that's friendship.


Keith works as a part-time counselor with me at West Los Angeles College. My days are definitely brighter if I walk in and find that we are working at the same time. His sense of humor is absolutely hysterical and I love slow days when we have time to talk/gossip. In a perfect world, I'd have more time to hang out with people outside of work and we'd be closer friends.

One really neat thing about Keith is that I can tell he cares about students. He was a History teacher for years and then moved into a counseling position. He's always been a student advocate and speaks his mind when he sees things going on that aren't right.

Definitely two very awesome people.

Out On the Town - San Francisco

We went out Saturday night in San Francisco. We started at a nice French restaurant and then went to the Bubble Lounge which you can see in the pictures below. We even danced for a couple of songs to the eighties music playing downstairs.

Afterward, we stayed at the Omni Hotel which is where Xavier and Ted work. It was a beautiful room, which Xavi reserved special for us since it's bit larger than some of the other rooms. What a fun time!

Pam, Ted, Jake, Cameron, and Debbie

Cameron and Jake


Matt, Debbie, and Jake


Cameron, me, Jake, and Xavier


Cameron and Karen

The Twin Test

Wendy and I had fun swabbing for the the twin test.

First we laid out all the materials, then we rinsed our mouths out with warm water, then we swabbed our cheeks. I should have the results back in a week or two.

Me and Micah

Me and Micah got to hang out a bit, but I wish we'd had more time. At least I get to see him again in a few weeks.

Fall Quarter and a Short Vacation

Yesterday was our first day of classes for the Fall quarter. I'm exhausted from the constant stream of students.

On Saturday we are flying North where we will see friends and family. We're then coming back on Monday morning and driving straight to work. It's too bad that I can't find my camera. :( I'll have to see if I get any good pics with my phone.

I'm also going to bring my twin test with me, so I'll have Wendy photograph the process for fun.

I saw my step mother (Susan) yesterday and she is taking a college course that she was talking about. They said that being able to roll your tongue is a dominant gene that you get from one of your parents. Now here's what I'm wondering... Wendy can roll her tongue and I can't. Does this answer the question for us? Or maybe I'm just slow?

Oh well. Although I thought it would be fun if we turned out to be identical, at least if we aren't I'll have an excused for weighing 10 pounds more than Wendy - I'll say it's genetic. :)

I'll keep everyone posted. It should take 1-2 weeks to get the results.

The Final Straw For the Mail Box

On Friday night we were sitting in the living room and heard a crunching noise, which turned out to be splintering wood and a falling mailbox.

The young son of our neighbor from across the street was being pulled over by the cops and was so nervous that he hit our mailbox with his car mirror as he pulled to the side of the road. The poor kid looked scared to death.

Jake and I went out to look and the cops were checking him out and told him that he had cut them off.

Now I have multiple feelings about this. On the one hand, with the "Backus Street Gang" and other problems we have on the street we live, I'm glad that the police are patroling the area and trying to keep us safe.

On the other hand, I think they pulled him over because he's a young hispanic kid. If it had been me, I doubt I would have been harrassed.

That night however, I felt protective of Andy and went outside to boldly stand next to his older brother who had also come out of their house to see what was going on. We stood watching them to make sure they didn't harrass him too badly.

They even got him out of the car and put his hands behind him at one point. I loudly asked his brother what was going on and admit that I probably oozed irritation, but I couldn't help being a bit upset that they were treating him so badly. I know his family, mother, and father and they are really good people.

Anyway, the mailbox was already falling off, so it's not such a big deal, but we'll need to put it back up soon so that we get our mail. :)

Tagging/Graffiti

On Saturday I saw that the "Backus Street Gang" had once again decided to write an enormous "BST" down the side of our beautiful old tree on the side of our house. And of course they used dark blue to make sure it was quite visible to all who might be driving by to view the house we are trying to sell.

Last time this happened, I bought a solution called Graffiti Off or something like that. It didn't work very well and took a long time to get off. This time Jake bought a different brand and it worked really well. The paint is completely gone which we were both quite happy about.

I absolutely HATE it when people tag or destroy other people's property. Actually, I'm so mad that if I knew who they were I'd probably go over a spray paint "BST" on the side of their house and see how they like having graffiti all over their things. OK, OK, maybe I wouldn't go that far, but I am pretty upset about these idiot little wanna be gangsters.

While we were working on the graffiti removal we also saw a Praying Mantis at our house. This is the second one I've seen at home, which is really strange since I'd never seen them before in California. Has anyone else noticed the increase in bugs, grasshoppers, spiders? It's kind of strange.


This reminds me. My camera seems to be missing. I'm hoping it will turn up soon since I haven't seen it in about a month. I really hope I don't end up having to buy a new one. Luckily I've got my camera phone as a back up for now.

Bike Riding Adventures #1

Yesterday we went on a bike ride in Fullerton. There's a really fun 12 mile loop that's pretty easy, but challenging enough to make it fun. It's been about 5 years since I've ridden there so I only remembered the trail vaguely.

About 5-10 minutes into our two hour ride, I went down what looked to be a small hill (and turned out to be a three foot verticle drop) and ate it. What I mean is, I fell REALLY hard. My tire hit the ground, bounced up, and my body kept going even though the bike had stopped.

Normally, this wouldn't have been a big deal. I could have put my foot out to catch myself. But I was wearing clip in shoes and my leg got tangled into my bike... and it hurt! My bike ended up with the chain off, the brakes bent out of whack, my wheel slightly bent, and one of my spokes was broken off. I'm definitely going to need a tune up now.

The picture of my leg is rather disappointing. It's not as impressive as I thought it might be, but pictures are usually more fun and add to the story so here it is.


Not to worry, we finished the ride and had a good time. :)

DVD Player at the Gym

I recently came across a fantastic discovery. If I take my DVD player to the gym, exercise is not nearly as horrible as it has been in the past. I can spend an hour on the elliptical machine and not even notice the time go by. I'm in the process of acquiring more movies since I've almost exhausted my current supply.

If anyone often goes to the machines at the gym, bringing a DVD player would be a definite recommendation.

Puffer Fish

So much for me thinking that the puffer fish we visit is lonely and likes people to visit. After Wendy's comment I looked for some characteristics of puffers online and this is what I found.

Temperament - "In general almost all freshwater puffers are aggressive towards each other and - in the majority of cases - other tank mates. This can be seen in the nipping of fins and in more savage attacks. A puffer bite is easy to recognise as it will be a circular incision. This aggressive nature though may not be initially obvious as when young, puffers are a fairly docile species and only get nastier as they get older.

Due to their nature it is recommended that puffers are kept in a species tank, and even then only one puffer should be kept in the tank."

And then I found this story...

Mad Puffer Fish Attacks Diver

Jupiter, FL

Diving the Hole in the Wall off Jupiter is always an unusual dive. The depth and proximity to the Gulfstream attracts many large pelagic visitors. This day turned stranger when a porcupine puffer fish launched out of a hole and bit my little finger off. (Don't click on this Picture unless your on an empty stomach!) Yes, I said puffer fish. Those cute, cuddly, doe–eyed denizens of the deep apparently have quite a temper and a vicious set of teeth.

After leading a group through the cavern called the hole in the wall, we traveled down the wall at a depth of 130’. In my peripheral, I saw an 18” long puffer fish neatly tucked into a lobster looking hole. I stopped the group so everyone could ooh and aah over the pretty fish. I first touched the fish on the head to get him to come out of the hole. Since the area is known to be a regular hangout for Bull sharks, this guy was not budging. Sharks like to eat blowfish. Persistently, I waggled my hand in front of his face acting like food (Ed. note: Don't pretend to be food). My hope was to entice him to come out and play. That is when he launched forward and got hold of my pinkie. Playtime over! Man that hurt. This cute little fish has teeth like a parrotfish and the ability to crush shells if necessary. He bit my kevlar gloved hand like a piranha on a dining mission. When he was ready, he let go. I was in pain, but relieved that my glove wasn’t cut. When I took my glove off, I realized half of my finger was still in the glove. The stump that extended from my hand was clouding the water with green smoke. It was so thick I couldn’t see my hand. I grabbed the base of my finger to attempt to stop the blood cloud and was shocked to see the damage inflicted.

The guffaws at the emergency room were endless. “A puffer fish?” everyone asked. They were unable to reattach the digit due to the crushing effect of the teeth on the glove. I will go to a plastic surgeon next week to get a skin graft or” flap over” as they called it. I am considering having a small Captain Hook style attachment but decided I would probably poke my eye out before I got used to it. With a generous supply of painkillers, I am restricted to shop duties. I am however humiliated by the weak reputation of the attacker.

The other comment I got from divers was” I never knew puffers could bite. I didn’t even think they had teeth. “ Yes they can and do. Please be officially advised: Do not mess with the animals; they will defend themselves.

In my thirty years of diving, I am sorry to say I have touched the fishes. I have even captured a puffer to let it blow up for the crowd. I realized several years ago it is not nice to blow up the puffers and all the wildlife should be left to it’s natural self. In my time I have swam with sharks on numerous occasions and had Green morays swim into my BC looking for a treat. Just last week I had a Goliath Grouper fight me over a cobia I speared too close to his territory. I never imagined I would have to tell my grandchildren I lost my finger to a puffer. Instead I will tell them I discovered a new species of deep-water puffer fishes. Just like their porcupine cousins, they are cuddly but have teeth half the length of their torso and can bite through a shark in a single lunge. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

High School Students

Today I was responsible for escorting 19 high acheiving high school students around to some of our Science programs.


The greenhouse area.


In the picture above you can see our aligator and turtle.


Above is a picture in the outside area where native California plants are on display.


This blowfish is in the aquatic area. I've been on the tour four times now. Every time people stop by, the fish hangs out next to the glass and seems excited to see people. It will follow anyone who is near the glass. Poor thing seems kind of lonely and very social.

Fun Treadmill Video

Make sure you have the sound on for this one.

Funny Cats

I thought these video clips were quite funny.

BBQ

On Sunday we went to a BBQ at our friends' house (Nick & Becky).