Mad enough to spit

On Wednesday, the manager of my apartment complex told me that his regional director told him that if no one agreed to live with my service dog, that I HAD to rent the entire two-bedroom BY MYSELF for $895/month rather than one bedroom of the two bedroom for $553/month. He also asked if I'd consider moving to an efficiency which is $860-ish/month with no furniture. I told him I am not moving (mostly out of principle but also because if I can't afford $895, why would I be able to afford $860?) and they cannot force me to rent the entire unit.

Tonight I received this email from the complex manager:

I've shared our conversation and your e-mail with my regional director, [name], and she has discussed your concerns with our corporate office. We must uphold the policy of requiring residents with animals to reserve a private apartment with the option of sharing the unit with an authorized guest. However, because this policy was not enforced when you initially leased with [complex name], we would like to give you the option of renewing your lease for an efficiency apartment at the 07-08 two-bedroom rate of $580/month. A furniture package for the efficiency can be made available as well.

This policy was not in effect last August when I originally signed my lease, and it was not in effect pre-hurricane. As I said before, I am contacting two local ILRCs on Monday to see if they can put me in touch with a lawyer.

So basically, as if I weren't already up to my throat in things to do, I am now about to be up to my eyeballs. You may occasionally want to send a virtual poke to see if I'm still alive.

Dreams and annoyances

Re: dreams. What do you think it means when I have a protracted dream (long and extremely detailed) with an intricate plotline but has just a touch of "what the . . . " at the end to make you go -- well -- what the . . . ? The only details I remember were that I was working with the military in the underground concourse of a public airport (yeah, I know, makes no sense for an airport to be underground) siphoning off gas from a recently discovered under-underground pocket so the airport doesn't go KA-BOOM! There was a main tunnel utilized by the public to get from one terminal to another, then there was a used-only-by-the-military tunnel connecting the same terminals, only more directly, thus we moved from A to B more quickly than John Q. The head military goon was Richard Chaves. He may have appeared because I saw a "MacGyver" clip the other night with him in it.

Aside: I don't know if the photo is from "Predator" or from "War of the Worlds." Not that you probably care, but I had the hugest crush on him in WotW (the late-80s TV series, not that horrid Tom Cruise movie). I doubt the pic is from WotW because he was a lieutenant colonel in the series, and the insignia in the pic is for a major. End geek demonstration.

OK, so now for the weird part of the dream. No, smart alecs, up to now has been not weird. At the end of the dream, Chewbacca was being followed by someone he knew wanted to kill him, so he deliberately burned the palm of one hand on the hot bricks of a building (building not burning, bricks just hot from Sun exposure) so he could flag down a fire engine for help. Two green and white fire engines nearly wrecked into each other stopping to help him. The firemen couldn't understand poor Chewy, but one of them recognized the insignia on Chewy's uniform as matching that of the military guys working at the airport. Richard Chaves showed up at the scene just as the pounding of levee repairs woke me up.

Re: annoyances. Lots of things annoyed me yesterday, not the least of which was having to put off preserving study fish until next week because my advisor had a colloborator in and CLEARLY listening to her talk about her research was more important than me working on mine. Not like he didn't know since Monday I was doing it, not like she dropped in at the last minute unannounced, WAS A LOT LIKE getting an email four hours before I was to meet with my UMEB (undergraduate mentoring in environmental biology) student to preserve fish saying we were listening to colloborator AT THE TIME I WAS SUPPOSED TO PRESERVE FISH. Then after attending a molecular bio job candidate seminar given by a molecular biologist who REEKS of self-importance, I was informed by my apartment complex manager the regional director told him that if they can't find anyone who will agree to live with my service dog when my new lease begins in August that I have to rent the entire two-bedroom BY MYSELF.

I'm looking up independent living resource centers in the area to ask them for names and numbers of ADA lawyers.

I need more rum balls.

Meme a la Jennifer

1. If you could suddenly speak one language fluently (that you don't currently speak) what would it be?

That I don't currently speak -- Gaelic and Italian. I'd love to be fluent in German (which I can muddle through).

2. If you were to suggest a foreign film that you really enjoyed, what one would you suggest?

The Motorcycle Diaries and Rory O'Shea Was Here

3. If you had to call another country home (other than the one you currently live in) what one would you choose?

Scotland, Germany, Italy, Switzerland

4. If you went out to buy an import music CD, what one would you buy?

Anything by Junoon that I don't already own

5. If you were to choose an ethnic dinner, what would it be?

Mediterranean

March book of the month and bonus book

No, you're not crazy -- there was no February book of the month. However, I got in two in about a week this month.

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. The main character, Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson is a car mechanic and a Shifter -- she can shift into a coyote at will. She works on a VW bus for a vampire, her old boss is a gremlin (metal-working fae), and her trailer's property backs up to the local werewolf Alpha's mansion. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Mercy is not one of those do-anything-totally-invincible heroines that authors of this genre like to write. She's fallible, she's funny, and she's furry (occasionally). At the end, she has two dominant weres vying for her, to which I say, "Who says you have to choose?" ::grin:: It's not as cheesy as it sounds, and the book isn't loaded with tons of sex or even sexual tension. The latter is there, but the plot dominates. I've ILLed the next book in the series.

The Morrigan by Annette Maxberry. This book had a lot of potential to explore the reincarnations of the Morrigan, Bedb, and Macha through time, but it fell so flat. Over and over and over. I kept reading it, hoping it would get better. ::blows raspberry at book:: Don't waste your time.

Next on my list -- Eragon by Christopher Paolini. Saw the movie when I was home with Jonikka and Eric, thought I should see what all the fuss is about with the book.

After ordering and having to cancel because there weren't enough and searching for a new source and getting fussed at by my advisor and talking to some people about where I could get some and reordering --

MY FISH ARE FINALLY HERE!!!

This is a Net pic (not a pic of MY fish), but I will try to post some pics of my setup soon.

And I JUST (as I was typing this) found out that some of my designated research money that I thought was taken away at fiscal year's end MAY have actually rolled over, meaning I have more money to buy tank heaters and egg rearing solution and egg rearing vials and petri dishes and brine shrimp and stuff.

I'm so happy I could wet myself.

Well, that's good to know

I love reading The Gimp Parade. Not only does she have thought-provoking entries, but also info that is good for a PWD to know such as this.

Always good to know. Whew!

::laughing::

From Blue over at The Gimp Parade -- a letter to her father. I'm worried he's out-numbered.

I laugh because I've seen many of those tricks through my folks' front window. Especially entertaining was a squirrel balancing on the hook upside down, spinning the bird feeder round and round. Those aren't feet on the ends of their legs -- they're suction cups. How else can they climb the rebar pole?

AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!!

Yesterday, I ordered my fish breeding stock. Today, the supplier called to inform me that they do not have the number of females I need and do not know when they will get more. I only need 75 girls. Why is that so freaking difficult? That also means that they do not have enough to fill my number needed for preservation and character assessment that I was going to order in a week or so.

And then every time I turn around, the annoying officemate wants to print something. She never wants to print when the comp is free -- only when someone else is using it.

She's just gonna have to wait.

Yeah, I have my hick moments

Little known fact about me: I grew up watching rodeo with my dad, especially the bull riding. While I don't religiously follow the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) (a lot of times I don't watch it unless I'm at the folks'), I will watch it -- excitedly -- if I come across it on TV. I have a favorite rider (Adriano Moraes). I can pretty much tell a good ride from an excellent ride, and I can tell you when a fellow is going to get a reride option.

A couple of weekends ago, I saw an advert for a PBR event here in NOLA. My jaw dropped. The PBR in NOLA?? Finally, last weekend I broke down and investigated how much the tickets were, and I reserved one for championship Sunday -- today.

I'm glad I splurged. It was worth the money. It was worth getting razzed by my pals. I had a blast. The bulls were having a fabulous day, the cowboys not so much. Even my Adriano -- three time PBR World Champion -- was bucked in 2.5 seconds (out of 8, for those who don't know). But there were no major injuries, and that's a beautiful thing for everyone.

If I have the chance to ever go again, I will take it. I'm a born-and-raised farm girl.


Well, it's bulls and blood
It's dust and mud
It's the roar of a Sunday crowd
It's the white in his knuckles
The gold in the buckle
He'll win the next go 'round
It's boots and chaps
It's cowboy hats
It's spurs and latigo
It's the ropes and the reins
And the joy and the pain
And they call the thing rodeo

Things that make D squee

Finding out I can actually get into the environmental rooms that will house my breeding colony and experiments. I don't know what my advisor was snorting when he said I couldn't.

Finding my favorite pre-Katrina CDs (which I was told were stored in a Louisiana attic -- much heat exposure) in the rescued belongings, and having every one tested so far play. Already tested -- U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Had a skip in a couple of songs, but I think that's due more to a scratch than to heat damage. Currently playing -- Junoon's Dewaar. ::tries not to crank up "Pappu Yaar" too much out of respect for next door neighbor:: Next in the testing queue -- Red Thunder's Makoce Wakan.

::boogies to "Pappu Yaar", turns red when flist stares:: Sorry. I like this song!

::dances out of scene::

Well, it's been sent

I just emailed my review to my dissertation committee.

::starts nervous fidgeting::