Catching the Worm

This monstrosity of a bird just flew into the window behind my desk.  Consider my pants scared off.

Update 11:30am: Bird is injured and bleeding and still on ledge.  The veterinarian's here keep coming by to look at it and debate what to do.

Update 11:47am: They are saying his wing is broken and that they can see some bone sticking out.  Asking if we have a net to snag it with.  I am considering going to hide in the bathroom.

Update 11:54am: It is apparently a Red-Tailed Hawk.  Discussion switched to getting a sack, as it might escape from the neck.  The scuttlebutt is that a blood-feather could be broken (?)

Update 11:57am:  Best quote so far - "Monkey gloves won't work."

Update 12:02pm: Animal Rescue League is on it's way.  Apparently they are bringing a net.  I'm torn between equal desires to witness this and run far away from an injured wild hawk.

Update 12:06pm: "It's pupils look OK, I don't think it has a concussion."  Who knew birds could get concussions?

Update 12:14pm: Bert's suggestions for the situation - "Suggest they knock it down gently with a beanbag gun, then catch it with a stretched out blanket.  Or better yet, google "hawk cooking recipes" and leave the window open on your computer screen for all to see."

Update 12:40pm: A fight almost broke out between two veterinarians who couldn't agree if the bird was a Red-Tailed Hawk or a Peregrine Falcon.  Popular opinion is holding at hawk.  Which reminds me that dinosaurs supposedly tasted like hawk.  Maybe Bert was onto something.

Update 12:59pm: Animal Rescue people just showed up...bird immediately flew away.  Whereabouts unknown.  Only blood splotches on the ledge remain.  A bit of a letdown, I was looking forward to see the much discussed nets in action.

January Book Review

I  have been getting a lot more reading in already this year as I have been taking the T more due to the snow and that allows me a good 2 hours with my book a day.  I have set up a second page on the blog so you can see what I've recently read as well as what I am currently working on.  And I'd love to hear if you have read anything great lately - I can even have a guest blogger book review!

These are the two books I finished in January:

Assassination Vacation

Assassination Vacation, Sarah Vowell - This book is enthralling, I cannot put it down, which is odd for me and non-fiction books.  The book discusses the author's research of the first three presidential assassinations - Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley - and goes on a pilgrimage of sorts to see the artifacts of these assassinations.  It is kind of a bizarre topic, but gosh, she knows her history and I have learned so much.  She draws connections between the politics of those days of yore to modern times and now I really want to go around to see all of the historical places she talks about.  The author has a very quirky sense of humor and is very engaging.  This is not at all a dry history retelling, but is sprinkled with anecdotes and observations and I just could not put it down.

Peony in Love: A Novel

Peony in Love, Lisa See - I have read a number of books by Lisa See including Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and, more recently, Shanghai Girls.  I loved both of these books and really enjoyed reading about such a different culture.  These books talk about different times in Chinese history and give a lot of insight into the lives of women during those times.  Peony in Love was not my favorite.  The main character dies about a quarter of the way through the book, which then goes on to discuss her life as a spirit and the interactions she has with the human world.  I don't mind fantastical elements in my literature, but I never felt like this book decided what it wanted to be and it did not resonate with me.  But if you're a fan of Lisa See's work, it's a quick read and certain aspects were very interesting.

Snow Day Fail

It's really the worst having to get ready for work while your husband sinks back into slumber, happily returning to his dreams after receiving news that his office is closed for the day.  Due to snow that we didn't get.

I'm super cranky.  And this day is just not ending.

Winter's the Worst

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday, Goat!

To celebrate the birth of this individual, we are going skiing in New Hampshire for the weekend.  Well, others are going skiing.  I have a wide variety of books with me, as well as crocheting, and possibly a few nips of Bailey's to keep me company while the others are outside freezing and pretending to have fun.  I look forward to having much to report on once we return, hopefully with all limbs intact.

Amazing People

Today my blog post is dedicated to the Heart of my Heart, my dear friend, Meris.  Today Meris is starting an exciting new adventure and leaving for South Africa to work for the Peace Corps.

I think Peace Corps Volunteers are amazing and I really admire them for going off to help in some of the toughest areas in the world.  Mer is now going to be doing HIV Outreach in South Africa, which just blows my mind and makes me feel pretty darn lazy.

I can't wait to hear all about her experiences, and if you're interested you can check in with her blog: http://meristhatswhatshesaid.blogspot.com/.  And one thing that Meris and I share a love of is sending and receiving mail, so that's how I'm going to help her get through these 2 years away.  Even if you don't know her, I'm sure she'd love to see postcards or something reminding her of the good ole' U S of A, so if you'd like to send her a hello, let me know!  And you can help me out, at some point I'd like to send her a package with things she may not be able to get in Africa.  What are some things you'd like to receive from home if you were living in a foreign country without a lot of luxuries?

Good luck, Mer!  I think you're really incredible and I heart you muchly.

Christmas Desserts

For Christmas at my parent's house, I ended up making two desserts.  One, the Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache Tart that was already featured, and the second a Cranberry-Pear Crisp.  I thought this sounded rather festive and more seasonal than the other fruit based desserts I was considering.  My sister-in-law made an apple pie for our feast, so for the 6 of us, there was a dessert for every two people.  I like that kind of ratio.  I liked the Crisp a lot and would definitely make it again.

Courtesy of Martha Stewart.com

Cranberry Pear Crisp
Serves 6 - Hands-On Time: 20 minutes - Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Images of a Snow Day

Woke up early - couch time to catch up on my magazines.

Our street at about 9am.

Yeah, buffalo plaid snowboots!

I really like snow days.  Especially when Beet makes short ribs in the crockpot.  And I get to watch a marathon of 'Top Chef.'  It's just too bad I hate snow so much.

Did you get a snow day recently?  How did you spend it?