Mock---ing---bird, now…

Everybody have you heard?

Yesterday morning, I pulled into my parking space at work, dragging my tired butt out of the car - typical for a Monday morning. As I’m walking towards the door, I notice a bird hovering slightly behind me, over my left shoulder. I was thinking to myself, ‘please don’t poop on me’. The next thing I know, it dive bombs into my head. I immediately recalled the Seinfeld episode where a bird flew into Elaine’s head and she became paranoid that she had a big lollipop head. Of course, I freaked out, hoping it wasn’t trying to peck my eyes out and ran into the building in a fright. Being pooped on, it turns out, was the least of my worries.

I made it inside, set my stuff down, trying to calm down. A few minutes later, my boss came in and I noticed he looked a little disheveled. He stopped in front of my office door and I said, “Did you get attacked by a bird?” He said “Yes” and laughed. I admitted that I too, had been the target of this little creature and wondered if there was a nest nearby.

Our co-worker soon joined the conversation and pointed out that the bush directly in front of my parking space is the home of 3 newly hatched chicks. They are so cute! I managed to get one photo of the nest before I got dive bombed again. I got several great shots of Mama Mockingbird using a 300mm lens. I never appreciated magnification so much until then.

This is the look I got right before the second attack.
From what I’ve read on the internet, it seems that I may need to wear a helmet to work for the next several days.

Running with Scissors

Started two blog posts over the weekend: one on aging and another about a Seinfeld episode that reminded me of my father. They shall remain in posting purgatory until I can make them funnier. I know, Seinfeld is already funny, so what's the problem? It's complicated, trust me; anything involving my dad is never easy unless humor is injected. Sometimes the funny is hard to find where he's concerned. The aging post was about how I innocently purchased something online, which resulted in a flurry of senior citizen retailers badgering me via email.

Yesterday, I came to the conclusion that I am thoroughly sick of TV. I am not equipped with the male mentality of clicking the remote indefinitely or watching mindless drivel. There must be something worthwhile that’s funny, educational, or animal-related, or I have no interest in watching. Meandering into the study, I decided to ponder how I spend my free time. Snuggling with Sparky and a blanket, I settled into the cozy leather recliner to look out the window and think. Of course Izzy soon became jealous, so it ended up being the 3 of us, which caused some quarreling until everyone found their place.

I came to the realization that my mind is constantly being fed through TV and internet, rendering me practically incapable of having my own creative thoughts or allowing me to express myself. This revelation was disconcerting. Maybe that’s why I’ve sought out photography, instinctively realizing that I need to create, produce, DO. Idleness is not my friend.

Double D came in and sat down at the computer across from me to research the laptop he wants for his birthday. He was moving at a snail's pace along the internet superhighway (remember that term?), so I instructed him on how to perform rudimentary searches and showed him how useful “tabs” are on our browser. This allowed us some time for brief snippets of conversation. With the idiot box on, simply talking and engaging with each other is not required, so this was a nice change.

During a lull in conversation my eyes scoured the bookcase and landed on “Running with Scissors” by Augusten Burroughs. Purchased several months ago, I had attempted to read it and only lasted one chapter due to trouble focusing. Started the book around 2:00 in the afternoon, left to run a few errands, picked up where I left off on my return, and at 3:00 the next morning I finished the last page. 304 pages y'all!! Disturbing, funny, compelling, gross, wicked and shocking are some of the descriptions that come immediately to mind.

It gave me enormous satisfaction to finish the book. The last time I read a book all the way through in one day, I was probably a pre-teen devouring “Gone With the Wind” or “The Yearling” – my two favorite books as a child. About 5 years ago or so I read “Memoirs of a Geisha” in a matter of days. Oh, and David Sedaris’ “Me Talk Pretty One Day” was a fun, funny, quick read. There are so few books I find worthy of my time anymore.

Two weeks ago my doctor upped my thyroid medication. Known problems with an underactive thyroid gland are the inability to focus and depression. Since starting the new medication, I feel more alert and energetic than I have in years. I detest western medicine and that I must take this chemical, but if it makes me feel better, I will get over it. I have a new hobby, books to read and places to go! Is it the medication or is it Memorex? To be continued....

Head Bobbing Kitties

I Miss The Fruitcake Lady

Did you know that Edna Marie Faulk was the aunt of Truman Capote? She died in 2006 at the age of 95. Her "Ask The Fruitcake Lady" segments are hysterical.

Obsession

ob·ses·sion
–noun 1. the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.
2. the idea, image, desire, feeling, etc., itself.
3. the state of being obsessed.
4. the act of obsessing.
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My eyes have turned into camera lenses. Weird. I can no longer watch a movie or view the outside world normally. This may very well qualify me as "obsessed".

A wonderful time was had yesterday at Heard's Natural Science Museum with Double D, Autumn, and her friend, Jay. Although I didn't see many birds, we still managed to get some great shots of squirrels, butterflies and trees. We also saw a snake, and a frog that was chillin' in the water.

I shot mostly on Av mode (aperture priority), which means that I selected the aperture and the camera decided which shutter speed to use. Yes, I am finally getting it! On my next outing I will do the opposite where I choose the shutter speed and let the camera select the correct aperure. Afterwards, it's interesting to look at certain shots and see what the camera chose for that particular setting. Eventually, I hope to get to the point where manual mode is less daunting. Oh, joy. I'm so happy with my new hobby. I only wish Texas was more scenic.