The Zoo over Ambuscade Street

I stumbled on this a while go, but never posted it. It is strange and beautiful, proof that there is beauty in all things if you care enough to look for it.

Today's random entry brought to you by this CD, which has one song in particular that I adore. How can you not love a song that starts with the line "You're obsessed with finding a new brain?"

Hell, this isn't much of a blog if I don't post lyrics every now and again, so...

You're obsessed with finding a new brain
But what you need is a new body
It feels your brain has lived a thousand lives before

And the skin you call your home
Holds a heart that quits and knees that buckle in
And lungs that can't breathe when they're alone

And the days come to you like sailors
You watch them as they drift away
They meet the sunrise out at the horizon

And it's neither sink nor swim
At least the water's beneath your chin.

There's blood spilled on the floor
Everyone's staring at you, what for?
Until you realize the blood is probably yours

You feel you've lost something, you want it back
You lie emotionless on your back
And your legs aren't taking anymore requests

Those disobedient wrecks
How you cared for them as they carried you
From class to class and coast to coast

When you owned land and when you were broke
Through recessions and addictions

( the rest )

This is quite possibly the most overwhelmingly stupid thing I've seen in a long, long time. Did nobody, anywhere, notice that something was Badly Wrong, before you get to the realm of layoffs etc? I mean, duh.

Whoa...FedEx claims they found my house, in only two days! I don't think I believe them, but we'll see. UPS is also claiming that the package that shipped yesterday from Amazon is going to be delivered today. I'm not entirely sure I believe them, either, but UPS Man is awesome, so he might be able to pull it off.

In the meantime, a package shipped over a week ago via USPS Priority Mail, is MIA.

Will UPS manage to defend their title, or will FedEx go for the gold in a shocking upset? Can the post office find its collective ass with one or more hands? Or will DHL dive in with something Completely Unexpected? And is it cheating if there's no tracking? Stay tuned for more!

Amusing anecdote - I need little plastic bags to put loose tea in for some tea swaps I need to ship out by Monday. Erik is running to town, so I ask him to pick up said bags for me. He refuses, because he doesn't want to have them on, I quote, "his person." Why? They're "paraphernalia." FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, THEY'RE PLASTIC BAGS!!! I WANT TO PUT TEA IN THEM! THIS IS NOT A CRIMINAL ACT!

Suddenly the computer and I both got the hang of it and there the van was, floating about two feet off the garage floor. It sort of hovered while several of the step motors moved back and forth to counterbalance the hole thing.

It took a moment to sink in: It worked!

Before dashing out, I was a little cautious and placed the other computer into the van. It would be my backup to control the step motors if computer one failed. (Number one assured me it wouldn't, but who ever trusted a computer? So number two went in and number one whispered all its secrets into its little electronic ear.)

I loaded up more tools than I could ever possibly need in case I would had to make some repairs "on the road," and then I hopped into the van. This time I fastened my seat belt very tightly.

I stayed close to the ground until I got the hang of it. Though the computers normally work with spoken commands, I was afraid that wouldn't be fast enough so I had connected the regular controls into the system: the steering wheel controlled directions, the brakes and accelerator pedal regulated the speed, the turn signal became the upward/downward control. (And in case you're wondering, the computer too the brake lights and turn signals off line when the flying mode was engaged.)

Later that night, a blue van-shaped UFO moved across the sky and barely set down to become a van again just before three World Military fighters came screaming through the area looking for the UFO that must have appeared on radar. They darted to and fro like angry dragonflies on their flex winds; they hovered a moment, searching in vein for their prey, then wheeled on a silent command and streaked out of sight.

Ow.

[EDIT] Aieee, it doesn't stop! "'Woe, there. You must be kidding.'" Woe.

[EDIT2] "I suspect we'll steal be on someone's hit parade." Possibly a grammar nazi's.

Woohoo! This is the product of my last hour of work. It's not very clear, because for some reason my camera sucks tonight, but I'm pretty damn happy with my first attempt at blackwork. It's *so* not double running stitch - more the mutant combination of straight stitch and backstitch, but as long as you don't want to reverse it, it's fine.

The really neat part of it is that not only is it on embroidery linen (the cheaper stuff, not the $15/quarter yard stuff), but the black thread? Embroidery linen. Which is an adventure to work with, but more authentic (and authentic looking) than regular embroidery floss, which has more of a gloss to it. Did I mention that it's a bitch to work with? Challenges are fun.

Erik is now consenting (with enthusiasm, even!) to a shirt with a blackwork collar and cuffs, to go with his doublet with elaborate gold and multicolored trim. I am in Bizzaro World.