Thursday, December 23, 2004
Finished
FinishedI have finally completed the seventh and final novel in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Done. No more Roland, Eddie, Susanna, Jake and Oy. No more search for the Dark Tower along the path of the Beam. No more Crimson King. 7 Novels. Done in less than 4 months.
It's strange to think that for the last few months I have been living half in my world and half in the world King created. It is weird how sayings from his novel began to slip into my speech. I even found myself saying to someone, "There will be water if God wills it." When that happened last month I knew that I needed to finish the series quickly before it over-ran my life completely.
I love Stephen King. I love his writing. Not so much the scary stuff when he first started writing, I can do without Cujo and Carrie. The later writing, however, has taught me things about myself I didn't know I didn't know. It sounds strange, but I learned about my true belief in a higher power in a King novel. It was a hard lesson to learn and I think I learned it again though this series. Not as strongly as in some of his other works, but it was still there for me.
Now I am faced with harsh reality. Now I have to pull myself from the cocoon of King's writing. I have other novels to read, but there is something wrong with picking up another novel once you have finished an epic series. It feels almost sacrilegious. I guess for me it kind of is.
I've done it again, though. I have conquered another challenge set forth by Stephen King. Not only did I re-read the first four in the series, but I finished the entire thing. There is one thing I really know for sure, I am going to have to do it again someday. The last novel makes you want to pick up the first one and start from the beginning, just to see what you missed.
Were You Naughty or Nice This Year?
| You Were Mostly Nice This Year! |
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Goofing off is fun!
Goofing off is fun!Tuesday, before and after the snake converstaion, D & L & I had a great converstaion about The Swan. It's a show on FOX, in case you aren't aware, where they take "normal" people and make them over. It's close to extreme makeover only they just do it to women and at the end the women compete in a beauty pagent. I'm not exactly sure what they are competing for... but it doesn't really matter.
We were commenting on how all of these women look the same. They all come out with long hair, evening gowns, gloves and the same shaped eyes. Then D, out of no where, says they all look like Miss Piggy. He then told me to hold up the Miss Piggy finger puppet I recieved from Starbucks last year for Halloween. We were laughing hysterically.
Later, D was obviously suffering from sugar overload, D sat down at my desk and proceeded to make Miss Piggy a crown and sash. Here are the results of D's handy work:
We then decided to add Beaker as an adoring fan:
Just shows what kind of fun you can have in the office when there is swine involved!
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Boredom leads to bad things…
Boredom leads to bad things...I was standing at a co-worker's desk (L) as another co-worker (D) noticed a picture on L's cube wall. This picture happens to be of L and her sister the night before L's wedding. They have a giant snake wrapped around them. L informed us that she was VERY intoxicated that night. L also told us that she told her sister that her sister was holding onto the snake's penis right before the picture was taken. A short conversation on the mating habits of snakes ensued. As none of us knew how snakes really mated L told me to look it up. So I did.
This is what I found (warning - this is, um, graphic?):
http://www.szgdocent.org/cc/c-love.htm
Male snakes have two penis (called hemipenes or half penis in the mistaken belief that they were pressed together to form one penis). Some snakes alternate between the two for separate matings, some just use which ever is closest to the female. The hemipenes inflates when it is inserted into the female and some hemipenes may be forked or spined, probably to ensure it stays inside the female during what can be a long mating.
Some males prevent the female from mating with other males by prolonging mating (remaining connected for up to 6 hours). Other simply hang around for a few days, keeping other males off. Some plug her up with secretions. Some are even sneakier: Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) hibernate in large communal groups. In spring, the males emerge first and wait for the females to emerge. When a female sleepily stumbles out, tons of males form frenzied mating balls around her. Some males produce female pheromones which confuse other males and give them a chance to fertilise the real female. Once a male gets to her, the others scatter because he releases a pheromone than causes temporary impotence in other males.
Some female snakes can store sperm for several years and fertilise several clutches of eggs from this store. The Brahminy Blindsnake (Ramphotyphlops braminus) can reproduce without males (parthenogenic). Her eggs are self-fertilising and produces only females.
Now you know...
Coffee…
Coffee...People take their coffee very seriously in Seattle. And I do mean VERY SERIOUSLY.
This morning there was a rather long line at Starbucks. I happened to be at the beginning of the line as I got there just before everyone else showed up. Normally they would have the full crew there by 7am. This morning there were just two ladies working. The line quickly grew.
As I was getting my coffee and walking over to the cream and sugar I received some of the nastiest looks ever.
These people really needed their coffee, and quick!
As you wake in the morning
What do you feel?
Does a rush of happiness
wash over you when,
Suddenly, you realize you are alive?
