hemipene

hemipene, originally uploaded by skippy haha.

what do you do when you're at a herpetologist's house for a ladies' potluck?

make her explain snake sex!

(hemipene - pronounced like hemi-peen - The bi-lobed male reproductive organs in most reptiles, kept inverted in the tail until needed.)

no worries

no worries, originally uploaded by skippy haha.

holden & nacho went for their yearly checkup and vaccines this week.

their report cards say:
holden is 10.5 years old, weighs 71.3 lbs, heartrate 110, very good range of motion in hips, he is doing very well for his age, call him mr. velvet ears

nacho is 5.5. years old, weighs 53.5 lbs, heartrate 100, bright, alert, responsive, good body condition, tortilla chip ears

crank

things take twice as long when i'm impatient

my general crankiness boils down to things being out of my control

i wish i could control weather

i wish i could click my heels and be in NY

i wish i could control the behavior of others

i wish i could control the irritability of others

i wish i could live in a cave full of labrador retrievers

"I DON'T EXPECT A THING"

holden, originally uploaded by skippy haha.

Holidays and birthdays, I don't expect a thing,
Everyone has a good birthday and all the holidays filled
with toys, gifts and joy. For me, whatever I get my heart is
overjoyed, I don't expect a thing.

The seasons come and go, sometimes I get real nice stuff,
Sometimes it's just so-so, you will never hear me complain and
I'm never disappointed, because I never expect a thing.

Someone said to me, "Why don't you expect some things
for holidays and special occasions?"
I have all that I need so it really does not matter, as long as
my folks are in good health, have food to eat, and money to
spend, I know my gifts will come in time my friend.

I don't expect a thing, so I always get surprised and no
matter what the gift, what really matters is what's inside.

I don't expect a thing and my life is quite all right.

I don't expect a thing and I always get treated real nice.

from Poetry of a Father Lover & Friend by William O. Johnson

don't be denied

don't be denied, originally uploaded by skippy haha.

having a good time...here today

panicsgiving is almost over & it's been grand seeing everybody and listening to everything

i got some squishy earplugs that take off the top part of what i can hear but what a difference today, no ringing. highly recommend.

leaf collectors beware

leaf collectors beware, originally uploaded by skippy haha.

i think this is a very kind and thoughtful and conscientious sign to hang - warning leaf collectors and passers-by that there is a black widow in the leaves. i am sure there are black widows in ALL asheville's leaf piles, but i applaud the neighborly effort here.

just ask an indian

just ask an indian, originally uploaded by skippy haha.

sure you can trust the government...just ask an indian

blinds

blinds, originally uploaded by skippy haha.

safe travels and chewing to all this holiday weekend

pilgrims killing indians aside, there's always something to be thankful for

get him

get him, originally uploaded by skippy haha.

early morning dog hopping, fun for the whole family

holden is back to prime form.

skewing a poll

please vote for your favorite vintage t-shirt seller on ebay:

Vintage Aficionado poll

hint: the best one is
VINTAGE VANTAGE!

stuck behind the eyeball

do all the eyelashes that get in your eye come out the sides? do any go behind your eyeball and disintegrate there? it seems like many more eyelashes would fall in my eye than i remember coming out the sides. same goes for gnats.

tangles

tangles, originally uploaded by skippy haha.

for the past few years i've attached an extra long elastic camera strap on my digital camera so i hang it around my neck and it will never fall on the floor.

nacho's tail caught that strap yesterday and wagged the camera off the edge of the desk and the camera is no longer with us.

i was pretty furious and sour about it for a while. i dug out my box of cast-off appliances and found a camera from 3 years ago that works okay. the screen is dim and it's slow to click and some photos have spots, but it's better than nothing.

my friend just had intense knee surgery last week & a couple girls went to her house yesterday to nurse her while her husband was at work. we had a ball. strawberry rhubarb pie, kettle corn, the science of sleep, and lots of laughs. her leg is numb but in a machine that is constantly bending and straightening up and down all day and all night, it's pretty wild. and gael garcia bernal is extremely cute.