Down Under

So I'm going to Australia.
For real.
I booked the hotel and everything.
I'm scared, and nervous and excited all at the same time.
This is probably the only time I'll ever get to make this trip so I'm all in. I am spending my own (non-existant) money to stay for a couple of extra days, because who wants to pay $3,000 to fly there and not get to have any fun?
It's going to be fantastic.

I have goals.
I want to see the great barrier reaf.
Even more, I want to walk through the rainforest.
I might even attempt to get to the wildlife dome so I can see a dingo. haha

Oh boy! be excited with me. I'm almost 24 anad I'm on my way to travelling the world. Just like I've always wanted (well not *just like*, I would prefer to be with family and friends, but we can't be picky when the plane is paid for...)

Speaking of plane. The flight is Loooong. Like 26 hours or something. I might die. I can't stay in one place that long. I'll have to find a few good books to read. And an extra few to read down there when my supervisor and the other masters student are going bungee jumping and white water rafting like a bunch of freaks. Who pays a ton of money to feel like they are about to die? Please...who does that? During that time, I plan to relax on the beach (about a 10 minute walk from my hotel) and walk through the city, and check out the history.

I'm pumped. The End.

It's going to be amazing :)

My Baby Gots Attitude :)

My dog is adorable. She has been since they day we went and chose her. We were supposed to be looking at puppies. We weren't going to bring one home that day because we weren't really ready to add another dog to the family. But we were considering it, and we set up an appointment to drive up North and go check out the new litter of pups. And they were adorable, BUT this cute little mop dog comes running in the room and jumping up at my leg and being super-adorable. She loved me and I loved her. I couldn't leave her there. She had to come home with me.

So we did the paper work and took her.
She's still just as adorable, and makes me smile daily. But, she's picked up this attitude in the last year or so...she growls and barks if you don't pay attention to her. I'm working at home today cause we had a flood in our building at school and she's sitting right next to me right now. If I move 4 inches so that she doesn't feel my body heat, I swear she'll open her eyes and look at me and think "Mom! rub my belly!! where are you going?!"

She's really learned how to use her voice. I'm sure she'll have lots to say when I take her to the groomers this afternoon too. Silly pup.

Here's some pictures to make you smile too...I told you she's cute :)

Happy Birthday Sister!!

Jen's ancient.

Just thought I'd mention that :)

Haha, just kidding.

Love you sis.

Happy 25th :)

Happy Birthday Little Angel

Remember my little baby Einstein?
How I said she was adorable and the most perfect baby I've ever encountered?
I was serious.
And she had her first birthday party on Saturday.
It was soo cute, and so is she.
I sent mom pictures that I assumed she'd blog, but she hasn't, so I figured I would instead.
Because the whole world should see how cute this baby is.

So....drumroll please....




MMMMmmmm....great cake :)

Happy birthday my baby Einstein ;)

G'day Mate

My supervisor submitted my research information to a conference (The World Sleep Conference!) in Australia in September. I don't find out until May if I actually get to go (because it's competitive in terms of what research gets presented), but I'm nervous just the same.

Check out the website:
http://www.worldsleep07.com/Discover_Cairns.htm

It's absolutly beautiful there.

I would be attending the 5 day conference (plus an extension of holiday time if I can budget it) and presenting my work to sleep researchers from all over the world. There would also be time set aside for me to attend workshops and mingle with other people (ie. try to build a name for myself through networking). It's sooo scary.

But my supervisor thinks I can do it (and I should do it). That's why he's potentially forking over a *HUGE* sum of money for me to go (assuming I get accepted).

Ahh...I didn't think this research thing would ever feel this real...

As Requested

Again, I have had a blog topic requested of me (LOVE when this happens...). But this was a tough one cause I had to do a lot of reading in order to answer. I didn't have an oppinion on this one (even being the most oppinionated person on the planet...)

So, I did the necessary reading (well enough to make me satisfied that I was making a good choice). The question was if I had to be a mythical creature, which would I choose, and which would I want my mate to choose. It was a hard one, like I said, but here's what I came up with.

I would want to be a fairie. From what I understood about fairies, it seems that they are good inside, but often misunderstood. From wikipedia (because I didn't have time to do real research, with the school project etc) I found this explaination, which I liked, and it help me make up my mind. Referring to fairies...

A third belief held that they were a class of "demoted" angels. One popular story held that when the angels revolted, God ordered the gates shut; those still in heaven remained angels, those in hell became devils, and those caught in between became fairies

I thought about it, and thought it fit my personality pretty well. And they are pretty (not that pretty should define my response, but whatever)



If I had to choose a mate that came out of mythology, I think I would probably pick a dragon. Yes, a dragon. It's wierd, But I think it would be exactly the fit for me. I would teach my mate that eating people etc is bad news, and in the meantime...They are associated with wisdom—often said to be wiser than humans—and longevity. They are commonly said to possess some form of magic or other supernormal power, and are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers. In some cultures, they are said to be capable of human speech. They are also said to be able to talk to all animals.

All of these things appeal to me at least to some degree. Of course I dont have that kind of memory (but wish I did), and totally forgot that my 19. So that's my thoughts on that topic. Alot of reading for such a small post, but just wanted to get that off my chest.

Quotes

So I haven't felt like writing lately, because I can't think of topics and nobody is offering their ideas. Blah. Anyways, Gemini suggested I tell the story of Easter at my house. I wont go into detail because you've heard it all before. Ham, scallops, good company, mini chocolate eggs that are delicious etc etc.

But the classic part of the night was after dinner when we were playing this game. I'm not sure what it was called, but the basic idea was like the TV show Family Fued (sp?). Basically you get asked a question and then try to come up with the ten answers printed on the card. But the trick to this game is that the answers are not all the most popular answers.

OK, so we are playing and questions are coming up like "Movies that Bruce Willis has acted in?" of which there are like a gazillion, and we couldn't come up with the ones the game was looking for, but it was funny trying. And then I read out the next question

"Things that are yellow...?"

And Jenny starts by saying "Bannanas!!"
- and it's on the card, good job.

Then Brianne chimes in with "The sun!!"
- and it's on the card too, good job.

Then Robbie (being hilarious as usual) adds....wait for it....
"People with hepititis!!"
- and it's ON THE CARD!!!
Ah hahahahahaha!
I laughed soo hard I couldn't breathe, and then I laughed for about 3 full minutes before I could get that line out when re-telling the story to Gemini. He thought I was a freak because he didn't know what was funny, and I couldn't tell him because I was laughing to hard. So he just laughed at me laughing. And dby the time I could spit it out, I don't think he thought it was that funny, but whatever. I'm laughing a little still while writing this :)

So that brings me to another funny quote....
Gemini's driving me home one night earlier this week, and I suddenly remember that I almost hit a bunny on the way to his house the other night. It just ran out in front of me. I got scared and pulled over for a couple of breaths to relax. Anyways, I'm telling him about this, and I guess I triggered a memory for him as well.
He says something like:

"This one time I was driving and this thing ran right out in front of my car...and it was HUGE!!...no, fully....it was like YOU running across the road!!....!!!"

and so I start to giggle, naturally, because the way he phrased it made it sound like he was calling me huge...and I knew he'd catch himself in a second.

Then he stops, and looks at me with puppy-dog eyes and says "that sounded bad didn't it...?"

"you know I didn't mean it like that right?"

And I laughed more...

So that's all for quotes today...someone think of something interesting for me to write about ***PLEASE*** otherwise I might have to blog about the book I'm reading. It's called the God Delusion, and it's basically a science vs. religion book.
I'm trying hard not to comment on it though, cause I'm not done it yet, and some of the oppinions in it are pretty harsh. The author is proud to be atheist, let's just put it that way.
Don't make me comment on religion
please
topics
please
help me out
My creativity is dead

Animal Conciousness

This blog is thanks to my friend Aron, who requested that I comment on the conciousness of our pets. For example, if your cat would think about how fun it would be to attack a mouse. So here's my thoughts on the subject.

Firstly, I think that animals have concious thought. I don't think they are limited to instinct as some would predict. I also don't think they have the equivalent thoughts that a human might. I don't think they experience things the same way we do, and I don't think that they necessarily have the ability to think as deeply as we might. I'll cover the limitations first.

Animals don't have formal language like we have. They make animal sounds to communicate, but their ability to express themselves is limited to barking or whining or mewing or whatever. Most mammals have paired that with body movements etc. to further express themselves, but it still acts as a limitation because they don't have an oxford dictionary worth of words to use (both spoken, or in their thoughts). So in that sense, I wouldn't put them on the same level of conciousness as humans for example.

But if you think about your pet, or a higher-order mammal (for example, a chimanzee or gorilla), you will notice that they do appear to have thoughts, and desires that are more complex than just "I need to kill and eat to survive" and what not. They play with toys for fun, and they seem to miss you when you leave, or welcome you when you get home. These aren't things (in my oppinion) that they need for survival, so why would they aquire these habbits (if this is the right word for it?). Because they think and feel in a similar way to what we do.

I think pets in particular begin to understand human language over time as well. I'm drawing from experience, in that my dog understands some commands, and English words such as "bath" or "timbits" or "walk". It's simple association, but they understand it. So even though they can't speak the words, I imagine they can think about the sounds of those words and associate them with a feeling of "wanting" or "desiring" those things.

So, my short answer is yes. I think your pets can think. I also believe that other animals in the wild can think. Beyond natural selection type things, like grooming or protecting, animals still play and behave in other ways that presumably have no other survival reasons. If this behavior weren't attached to some sort of concious thought, then I don't know why they would do it.

Thanks again to Aron for the topic. If anyone else wants to pick my brain, please feel free.

X-woman

I had a dream that I had a super power. I could blow things up using my mind. I went around blowing out windows and stuff while flying around this random building. I almost never have dreams like this, but I was napping. And napping is essentially "extra" sleep, so my body uses the time to have dream sleep. And my napping dreams are always bizzare.

So I'm sitting here thinking about blogging topics, because my blogs are boring lately. All I do is work, and go to the gym, and hang out with the family, or Gemini. And not to say that any of those things are boring to me, but they make for realatively repetitive blogs. For example, work is demanding, the gym is tough but good for me, my family is amazing, and Gemini is perfect. So now that we've caught up...I need blogging topics!! I have oppinions about *everything*, but I just can't come up with topics...so help me out PLEASE (begging like a little kid).

But my point was, I was thinking about blogging, and about what super-power I would choose if I had only one. I decided that although it would be cool to blow things up with my mind, I probably never would, so it would be a wasted power. Instead, I would like to be a mind reader. Like you know the guy in X-men that reads minds all crazy-like? That's what I would be like. And so nobody could lie to me, cause I'd know.

Wouldn't that be super-awsome? Except maybe for when you're with a guy who suddenly thinks "wow, her ass looks fat in those pants!" or something. That part would suck. But I imagine I'd get used to it. The truth is always easier than lies.

Oh, and it would allow me to read the minds of commuters since I already pretend to do that anyways. I wonder how many people would mind that I make up lives for them. And my supervisor at school...that would be fun.

So yeah, a mindreader...that's what I'd be.

The End

Baby Einstein?

I am not maternal. I decided at a relatively young age (around the time I started babysitting) that I wasn't going to have kids. I get frustrated easily with them. It's like being in a country where you can't speak the language, and people start yelling at you and waving their hands, but you don't know what they are trying to tell you. Babies and young children want something and they start screaming and crying, and you check their diper and try feeding them and oogling at them, and giving them every possible combination of things a youngster might possibly desire. But nothing works. All the kid wanted was to get down off your lap, and yet the crying and screaming causes you to want to hold onto them tighter, and hug them, and you can never figure out what's wrong.

And then something happens. Classical conditioning. This happens with animals too, and "lower forms of life". It's easy. If you do something, and eventually get what you want, you learn quickley to repeat that behavior when necessary to produce the same result. So, when babies are young, they learn that crying and screaming gets them more breast milk, or formula, or bum changes, or attention. They hold onto this behavior when they get older to get you to give them more baby food, or let them down, or whatever. Then as they hit toddler age, even though they have words, and can speak, their previous behavir patterns hold. They cry and scream to get more candy, or a new toy, or get their room painted. And this turns into hissy fits as pre-teens to get more money for the mall, or pizza lunch at school...you get my point. Kids suck because they form bad habbits before they can talk.

BUT, last night mama dukes has a birthday thing for one of her friends. They bring their little girl, who is 11 months old. She can't talk much yet. Just the cute little words like dada. So she's at screaming child age, and I quickley notice that she doesn't scream. Why you ask? Because this little girl has the smartest parents I've encountered. They taught her sign language before she could talk. So, when we're eating, and she wants more green beans, she makes the sign for "more". And when she wants down off someones lap, she signs "down" and when she gets sleepy and wants a bottle, she signs "bottle". Amazing.

She didn't scream. She didn't cry. She was the absolute cutest little thing ever. I played with her, and read her stories, and stayed in the same room with a dipered child for longer then 10 minutes. I was pround of myself, and impressed with her. I *almost* considered having children one day, because now I know about this way of breaking the bad habbit that every kid forms. It's miraculous really. Why didn't anyone else think of it?

And then she did the cutest thing ever. Dad is asking her "what sound does a kitty make" and she makes a sound resembling "mew". Then what sound does a ____ make? And on and on. The monkey was super-cute "ooo ooo", but then he asks her, "what sound does an elephant make?" And I'm puzzled. I'm almost 24, and I've been in university fofr 5 years, and I'm thinking "wait a second...what sound does an elephant make??!!" And then their little bundle of joy puts her lips together and blows and lifts her little arm up by her face to make the trunk. Oh my GOD!! it was soo cute!!

So, if someone asks if I'm having kids, I might be tempted to say "I dunno, we'll see" instead of "hell no...!". Mama dukes can thank them if she gets grandbabies out of me.