Sea World: This would be the Nealanator. Interesting shot this. I was standing infront od the glass looking into the dolphin tank. I think it was so bright because the sunshine was coming through the water. That and Phoenix expertly touched it up, made it B+W and removed all my warts. 

Sea World: Flowers are so easy to take pictures of... they stand still! 

Sea World: Barracuda! 

Sea World: Feed me you bastards!!! 

Unexpected Weekend

Well, this weekend did not at all go as expected. But at least it was fun.

Well, the original plan was to go to TMT for a day trip, then go to Sea World on Sunday. Well, that didnÂ’t happen at all. Phoenix and I decided that it would be more important to go to the Orlando Bird Show on Sat.Andd maybe get a breeding pair of Sun Conures to start our Bird Breeding Project (subsidiary of our Bird Empire Inc.). Well we get to the fair grounds to find that the fair is Sunday only, and its really too late to go to TMT. Well. Not being the kind of folks to go home and pout, we decided to go to Sea World instead.
We got there and decided, instead of buying the Florida Resident fun pass for unlimited entry for the rest of the year for $60, we went ahead and got a couple of silver passes that last till next June for $80. After the day was done, I think it was well worth it. After doing both Epcot and Sea World, I do like the World Showcase at Epcot, but I think I like Sea World as a total experience better. The food prices are amazingly high, but the animals are a lot of fun to take pictures of. I am very proud of Phoenix. After much cajoling and arguing (not to mention calling me some very choice names), Phoenix went with me on the Kracken! I think she screamed the entire time, managed to leave her fingers imprinted on safety bars (thank God it wasnt my leg) and looked like she was about to die (well it looked like that in the picture), but afterward, she said it wasn’t so bad and would like to go again! Woo hoot! She is such a trooper!
Well, Sunday we hit the bird show, and wow! It was huge. We found some Sun Conure babies for $130 a piece, but we ended up getting our new little baby grey instead. It was expensive, but the look on Phoenixs face was certainly worth every penny! I love to see her smile. Well, got more pictures coming in (Phoenix is at home photo-shopping them) so I will cut this short.

And introducing! TAA DAA! Our new baby Timnah African Grey! She (we think) doesnt have a name yet, but we are working on one...  

Adonis: How could you not love this face? 

Sea World: The dolphin tank! Woo hoo! 

Sea World: Dolphins! I would have gotten more pictures of the dolphin show, but as luck would have it, the camera's battery died... 

Sea World: It could be a tropical scene, or it could be a fake set up... this is Orlando, what do you think? :) 

Sea World: In the "Penguin Encounter" Here was a cute little puffin. Trying to get good shots of these guys was hard. They just kept moving too fast. 

Sea World: As we entered the Sea Lion and Seal section, we got this cute scene of a mother feeding her baby...  

This little beauty is a King Cobra. It is a lot bigger then it looks in the picture.  

Ok, this one was a LOT bigger then the last gator pic I took... but much farther away... what a monster this one was! Crikey! 

Follow-up on the draft

Here is a good article following up the draft scare going on... It kinda says not to worry... but believe you me I don't trust anything that Bush could use if he is elected again...

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/draft.asp

The carport is clean and organized!

The carport is clean and organized!

Woo hoo!

I know it’s not something that is amazing as far as world events are concerned, but hey, now we can fit the jeep completely under it. Tonight’s goal is to clean out the workroom…
This weekend should be more exciting (I hope). There is the Trimarian Memorial Tournament on Sat. which I am really trying hard to get excited about, but for some reason I really can’t. I want to fight, but I think I’d rather just go fishing, or perhaps taking a walk in the woods taking pictures, or something. I am beginning to look back at my SCA experience as a big waste of time. I do not regret the friends I have made there, or the things I have achieved, but I wonder if I put all the effort into say, making a living at something I like to do, if I would be a more complete person now. Well, no regrets… If I never did SCA, I likely would not have met Phoenix. That and in a month I’ll be all gung ho about it again. So it’s all good.
The other thing this weekend that I am much more excited about is going to Sea World! I know it must seem odd for an adult to get all excited about it, but, I do have a good time when I go there.
God I wish I had something more meaningful to say today, but I don’t…

But I do have a cool link for you: http://www.bloglines.com/
It seems that Blogs are becoming “the thing” and this keeps track of not only people’s blogs (including mine) but also news sites, etc…

The Draft???

Rant alert!!!

Well, there is a terrifying bill going through congress… Set to activate after elections… It’s a re-institution of the draft. Not draft registration… THE DRAFT… See the article:

Click on the link in the title to see the article.

"to provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons [age 18--26] in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes."

This bill is set to activate after the elections, so it doesn’t affect the current establishment’s election bid.

If you never have written your congressman… write now…

I am not effected by this, but we do not need to return to this method of military service when we are doing what we are doing in Iraq. It also provides power to the president to get more troops to invade more countries. Stop this now.

-N

Another day at work, another day I wish I was at home…

Well, last night I managed to get my new shield done. Now if I can only paint it, make my scale armor and pad out my helmet, I might be happy with my armor this weekend. I might make some progress on the scale tonight, or I might not. I would like to try to get that back room clean again and maybe clean out the car port… Cleaning out the car port sounds especially good…

Well, my lovely Phoenix has started selling bird supplies on e-bay… the beginning of our great bird empire has begun! All part of the great move to Hawaii 5 year plan.

Plans for this weekend… Well, we are planning to day trip coronation and actually bring Adonis to the festivities, then Sunday go to Sea World and see if we can get those cheap year passes if they are still selling them. More picture opportunities!!! That and I really need a Dolphin fix. It makes me sad to watch them sometimes, but looking in the birthing tank always makes me feel calm.
I miss my Phoenix. I have been thinking of her all day. I can’t wait to go home and see her.

A big flower butterfly at Epcot, with a much prettier bird underneath. 

Pretty Hibiscus bloom at Epcot 

At Epcot again.. trying to take a picture in the 5 million gallon fishtank... 

The best picture of the lot... Phoenix took this one... what an awsome shot! 

Lizard checking out the babes... 

Then I got mine... They are the Konji for Fire and Water if you couldn't figure it out... 

First Phoenix got her tattoo... I like her's best.. 

They had elephants at the zoo... cool elephants... 

Pheonix at the Zoo… I love to see her in that hat  

What a great weekend!

What a wonderful weekend! I think that it made up for the horrid week that preceded it.
But now I am bleary eyed and tired, sitting at work suffering, wishing I was home…

Saturday morning we went out to the Sanford Zoo, and despite what other people have told me on how horrid it is, I actually thought it was pretty cool. It’s a low budget operation, but they had a lot of raised wooden trails through the zoo, with a lot of local wildlife as well as the caged denizens. We ended up getting a year membership because it also gives us free admission or discount admission to a bunch of other zoos too. Very cool. Lots of good pictures.

After the zoo, we headed over to the Sanford Flea market, then to Coco beach and got the Tattoo’s we have been wanting (I will post the pictures), then stopped by Martin’s on the way home to wish Heather a happy birthday.

Sunday, we got up and went to Epcot for their flower festival with Martin, Elizabeth and family, then ran over to Port Canaveral and did some fishing (we caught about 12 catfish) and collected shells, ate dinner and came home and took a nice long shower. I must say it was one of the best weekends I’ve had on file… sooo much fun!

However I see already this week is going to be fubar… *Sigh* Well, coronation is next weekend, maybe I wont fight like a goob and have some fun.

If I can just make it to the end of the day!

This week has to end... the sooner the better!

It has been so bad its comical.

It started with some of our schools starting their summer session this last Monday. This means all sorts of students call in because the schools make errors of one sort or another on their accounts... After the day was done, I was so exhausted that all I wanted to do was sit and vegetate that night, having to skip going to Martin’s. Tuesday, one of our campuses networks goes down… IE repeat Monday… Wed… Salt lake has messed up their enrollments, more students get freaked out that they can’t get into their course. Thursday… ahhh… Thursday… That’s the day I was told I am not getting a bonus I earned due to a paperwork technicality, then on the way home I filled my trucks gas tank with diesel… Got Phoenix to come get me, we went off to get a siphon, and proceeded to lock the keys in the car. About 2 hours later, after ingesting diesel, getting it all over my clothing, and finally getting it all out of my tank, we go to Outback to reward Phoenix’s patience and love for me.
So now its Friday… I am waiting for today’s shoe to drop… God I hope it all ends today so I can have an enjoyable weekend with my woman. Well at least the mornings have been good. Did I mention I forgot my lunch today?

Another day closer to Friday!

Its almost Friday... So bleeding close.

The wonderful thing about using your computer as an alarm clock in the morning, is that you can choose what music to wake up to. After a restful 8 hours of sleep last night (two nights in a row for that... Big change from normal... Something to do with being too exhausted after work to do the things I should be doing, like fighter practice and such) dreaming of parrots and macaws, I woke pleasantly to the lofty strains of "yearning of the sword" from the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon soundtrack. Looking to my right is the most beautiful girl in the world, we embrace, and for a good 45 minutes, life is very good. So good in fact, I skip breakfast. Then the realization that I have to go to work creeps in and I'm all depressed. Soon the weekend will be here, and all will be good :). I hope we get some more good pictures in. We may even get our tattoos done this weekend.

Well enough of this stream of consciousness for now...

Another bird pic. They all seemed very non-plussed by people coming by... 

Turtle in the mud...He looked almost stuck, but figuring We almost got stuck in the mud ourselves we decided that he could manage on his own. 

Bird Bird Bird, Bird is the word!