Long time no post, I know. I have been surviving that cold icky time that doesn't really need to exist winter. I did get to the insectarium, finally, and was rather disappointed. I really have nothing else to say about it that wouldn't turn into a rant.

I also went to visit my friend Mihan in Mississippi, and was not disappointed - had an awesome time and gained . . I think I can blame 5lbs on her. The other 5lbs I think I need to blame on Christmas cookies. But, anyway, she is an amazing cook and generally an awesome person, and her offspring is adorable. See?

(Well, you can see that the small person she has produced is cute, and possibly discern some inherent coolness on her part, but you probably can't tell about the cooking from a picture - so just trust me, it was good.)

We've had a few warm days up here, wherein I dragged myself out to the nature center and took pictures of what bugs I could find, most of which were not quite so photogenic as the bugs to be found in summertime, but they were still bugs - and a snake, and the one very warm day, also some frogs - and I found them reassuring. Life is still going on about its business (not that I didn't know this, what with the general cyclic nature of the seasons and all, but I like being able to go out and observe it.) Here's a picture of a six-spotted fishing spider, and one of big and little snails in the thawed pond, which I thought were rather cute. (The pictures, in general, sort of sucked, but that's okay. I'll take good pictures in the summer; in the mean time, I'll maintain my sanity by taking bad ones.)


Or, I may get to take some good pictures this weekend, at Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory. I've been there once before, and the place is just awesome. And they have a few other exotic insects besides the butterflies; I want to spend more time trying to get good pictures of them, this time. I'll be up in Massachusetts visiting Heather and Gerbil (Gerbil, are you unilaterally opposed to the use of your real name online in a blog-like setting? I'm erring on the side of caution here), and their highly adorable offspring - lots of adorable little people around, lately.

And on Sunday it will be my birthday - and also Gerbil's. As I recall, I am 17 hours and 57 minutes her elder. I must try to think of some deep elder wisdom to impart in that approximately 3/4 of a day.

I find it kind of cool that my birthday is on the perihelion, and would not want to change that, but sometimes I do wish it fell not quite so close to the new year. It's sort of like being whacked in the head with the fact that time marches on, all at once - and time has not stinted on the marching this past year, in ways both good and bad.

Plans for the new year presently involve visiting as many people as possible as many times as possible, but definitely E over in England and her adorable offspring, aka the honorary nephew. Also taking pictures of many bugs, possibly trying to sell said pictures, keeping on keeping on in the quest for a literary agent, writing that sequel (about 34 pages at present, I haven't checked a word count recently), and putting lots and lots of money in the bank so that hopefully at the beginning of 2010, I can be a home owner (hopefully of a home located somewhere that I won't get shot and/or eaten by a bear coming out my front door; my present budget gives me more or less those two options). Also I should probably promise to do some sit-ups and eat some fruit and wear sunscreen, or something like that, but really, everybody dies sometime - I'm more concerned with having a life while I'm here. So this is what I intend to do in 2009 - live lots, and hopefully not die. Cheers.