headed to LA

it seems like I have had a long goodbye to the bay area. I've been seeing people and saying my good byes for a couple of weeks. I head to LA on friday, and begin getting settled. I start teaching on the 25th, so I'll have plenty to do in the mean time....

Oh, in case you are concerned, the earthquake wasn't a big deal.....all part of life in CA

How cats get what they want....

They are a bit devilish...but I enjoy their creativity, and drive to meet their goals.

New sofa has been ordered

Since Tiger has done some serious damage to my sofa, we decided that I should get a new one for LA. You can see it here.

We decided on leather b/c she doesn't like to scratch it, like she does fabric. So it is part of my I am a grown up new apartment. I am trying to get rid of the IKEA, and move on to more adult things. Let's see how this progresses....I'll keep you updated with new purchases!

I wonder if I could get Tiger to do this?

I am pretty impressed by this cat. I wonder if it is potty trained too! Oh the joys of procrastination.....

NEW PLACE TO LIVE

So, Sir GB and I went down to the valley this week, and we accomplished all of our tasks. We found me an apartment, and we got all of my paperwork done at CSUN, including my new id and email, etc..




We also went on the Warner Brothers tour, which is actually pretty interesting. I got to try on the original sorting hat from Harry Potter, and guess what house I am in...yup something that won't really shock anyone....Slytherin....

Ok...that is all to report....

Dumbledore!!!!!

In case you haven't seen this. Enjoy. I am not sure which one is my favorite....I think it might be naked dumbledore.

I am back!

I am back from my beach adventure, that involved surfing lessons, bike riding and a wild horse safari. Be prepared, there are many, many pictures, links to be uploaded later.

We had an excellent time, both with the Gerbil family and with our colleague at UVA. As you can see, so did littlest gerbil, mom/grammy gerbil....yup..the entire family is a little wacky...in case you didn't already know that.

I worry that this might be tiger cat's fate

So Tiger will transition to being an inside only kitty in August when I move to LA. She most likely will not be happy with it at first. But I hope she will get used to it, I am going to grow her cat grass and cat nip and all sorts of fun things. Plus there will be lots of toys. Mostly because I fear she will become an existential cat like henri. Now, I love Camus and Sartre perhaps more than most people, but I don't need a cat with ennui.

Congrats Man U!

Since Liverpool FC were not in the UEFA Champions League Final I had to cheer for my backup team, Manchester United. Who I love, not only because they are Sir GB's premiership team...but b/c my futbol boyfriend plays there....Cristiano Ronaldo.




They also have a very classy manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. If you know me and Sir GB you see why this is a funny name. But here he is with Ryan Giggs, who is a very classy guy!

YAY!!!!!!!

So I have been working on this grant with KC and CC for almost 3 years now, and finally our first publication got an Revise and Resubmit. The comments were almost all helpful and I didn't feel completely overwhelmed by them. So now, let's do the revisions, and get this puppy out there!

A

bike riding adventures

Well, I am now a fairly decent bike rider. After a nasty crash my first time out, I am doing much better. I am pretty incident free. Most problems are now caused by others not me. In other news...I am about half way through the quarter, and I can't wait to be done. Then we head to the beach for a week, where we are taking surfing lessons, and other assorted activities. Plus we get to hang out with Joss (who thinks Sir GBs name is Fergus).

Ok...that is it from casa de gerbil.

I am the proud owner of a brand new bicycle

I went ahead and bought myself a bicycle today! It is very cute and sparkly blue. I have a matching helmet, given my accident prone nature and necessary investment. We are supposed to have a fabulous weekend (in the 80s) and I hope Sir GB and I will be able to take a nice bike ride.

Gerby on Wheels

Yup...today I did it. With the help of my sidekick Mr Cobb I learned how to ride a bike. Only took me 31 years. Video will be coming shortly.

But for now a photo will have to do...

That Oregon Duck

Who is actually a Donald, it is a long and involved story, but basically one of the only nice things Disney does (they are truly an evil empire).
But back to the point....The Oregon Donald, appears to have a history of fighting, as can be seen in this footage.

In my vast experience with waterfowl, I find that they can be quite pesky and ferocious if taunted. So a word of warning if your run into the Oregon Donald, keep on his good side. It is embarassing to have your ass kicked by a duck.

When Mascots Attack

I do love it when mascots fight. I remember many moons ago when the Oregon Donald and the Utah hawklike thing got in a fantastic brawl...truly spectacular.

But here is a clip from a game last night, featuring one of my least favorite schools Oral Roberts U versus IUPUI, which you have to love because it is a palindrome. While ORU won the game (those bastards), IUPUI won the more important game (MASCOT RUMBLE).

Life with a cat

Simon Tofield creates these awesome cartoons about life with cats. I would probably not appreciate them, except for the delightful Tiger Cat.

She typifies this behavior whenever she wants to go in or out....

Gerbie goes to LA

We had a great time. I am really looking forward to moving there. I think it will be a ton of fun. I even saw my first celebrity. Steve-o from jackass. If you are wondering if he is always that way, the answer appears to be yes, based on his appearance at the burbank airport.

But here are some other celebrities I met, I think Joss approves :)

kitteh's do the darndest thing

Kittens apparently like to play chess, just like the BIL. I wonder if there were any at Dorkfest 2008

I must inquire.....

In other news, Sir GB and I are headed to LA on wednesday to check out my new campus, and check out areas to live....should be interesting.

I also got the best valentines day present ever...a GPS for my car. While I don't need it so much in Mt View, but it will be a godsend when I move to LA.

I continue my quest to get Sir GB and Tiger to move with me, but if that fails, I will get my own kitteh, and maybe it can teach me to play chess....how handy

Getting Ready for Valentines Dayy

It is coming up next week...so you better be prepared or you might have an angry sweetie.... hint, hint....

In Memoriam Syggy "The Bean" Gerbil

She passed away today after coming home from the hospital. She was a benevolent leader and always kind (unless you tried to steal her biscuits). She will be missed, but now she can eat all the biscuits and food, and play ball forever.