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My New Dive Buddy
My nephew, after completing his first Open Water dive to become a licensed SCUBA diver. Next stop, the Caymans!
Technorati Tags: scuba, diving, open water dive, padi
The Spider Incident
I woke up yesterday morning and took the dogs downstairs and sent them out for their morning constitutional and went to examine the spider web that has been constructed around my door frame. It’’s quite impressive and requires that tall people move out of the way to avoid hitting it.
As we live by a farm, we have a lot of spiders. A lot. So seeing one set up shop doesn”t surprise us and more often then not we leave them be, as we did this one.
But that may change after yesterday.
I noticed the spider was out of his web and crawling on the ground, but when he saw me he sped back up into the web and over top the exact center of the doorway.
To get back inside I now need to walk underneath his current position, so I decide to do so quickly to avoid any confrontation, and no sooner do I move into the doorway area, does the spider leap from the frame of the door and in my direction.
I”m a big guy, but man, I moved fast, and successfully avoided the spider.
But the quick movement caught Scout’’s (my puppy) attention and she came running to the doorway. The spider was now on the ground, but still connected via web line to the door frame.
As Scout ran through the door, the web line hit her shoulder and swung the spider into the air and over her back. Scout saw this and spun around and ran in the direction of the spider, but the spider - still attached to her - spun around behind her and was now being dragged. After about 4 feet the web broke and the spider lay in a curled up ball not moving.
I left the spider alone and took the dogs for a walk and almost 2 hours later the spider was still in its same curled up position, and by me at least, assumed dead.
I felt bad, but the spider involved himself in a battle he wasn”t going to win, so I continued on to work.
I come home that night, and the spider is completely gone from its stunned position, I assume he has been eaten, and the web is empty and in disrepair, and again the next morning - no spider and still an empty web.
And then last night, lo and behold -
He’’s back and as ugly as ever. I think he may have earned himself a reprieve because of his trying few days, but if that web creeps any more into the doorway, we are going to have an issue, and he will be relocated to the trees.
I Need a Good Bag
Does anyone have any suggestions for a good bag? A backpack, a messenger bag or something along those lines.
Something that looks nice and is comfortable and can hold a few things. Most importantly, I”m looking for a bag that will comfortably hold my camera, a Digital Rebel, so that I can carry it with me more often than I do now.
Maybe also a cell phone, wallet, keys and other everyday paraphernalia.
Any ideas?
Alas, No SXSW in 2008
I was excited for SXSW ”08.
The official website relaunched on Aug 1st, and by the end of the next week, the hotel that I wanted to stay at was on the list with a special rate and I was ready to book.
I had a great time last year. The SXSWi was great for me, not so much my wife, but we both had a blast at the Film Festival and I had the added bonus of my movie site flourishing with the early bird coverage I was able to give.
But one of those once in a lifetime trips is popping up next year and it appears that March will be the best month to take it, and this trip and a trip to Austin in the same month just won”t cut it for me financially.
Where is this you ask?
South Africa. A week at a friends house and a week in Kruger National Park, with said friends.
I wish the timing was better, but I”m still very excited. I think I”ll need to purchase a better lens for my Digital Rebel XT, because if I”m going to South Africa to take pictures, then the last thing I want to do is come home with pictures of nothing. Or animal butts as they run away from the camera.
More info will come as the planning begins.
Technorati Tags: SXSW, Africa, South Africa, Kruger National Park, Austin, Travel, Vacation