Say Hello to My Little Friend...

Remember the Praying Mantis I caught last summer? She laid eggs while we had her, and I was fortunate enough to catch them hatching and fed them before they starved to death. Of the hundreds that emerged, only about 10 or so managed to survive (due to cannabalism, underfeeding, etc).

Here's the second largest one:



Hopefully I can keep her around long enough to do some high speed photography of her catching and eating a blowfly, because it's something I think everybody should see.

Goodbye...

Tonight, after months of teetering on the edge and trying to make things work, Bethany and I decided to end it after almost 15 months together.

It's funny how everything on the radio reminds you of someone more after you've lost them than when you had them in your life. I don't think I've actually cried in years, but the whole half hour drive back home, I just couldn't hold back. I found myself vacillating between periods of amazement at the depth of emotion (a depth I rarely enjoy with my current suite of mental coping devices) and extreme sorrow that I had to let something wonderful go because of those very devices.

Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever stop being enough of who I am to really be who I a REALLY am...

Just Started Talking, and McKinzie's Already Coming Out of Her Shell

It's amazing how much time flies, and nothing illustrates this more than the photographic development of little children. I have seen my niece but twice since her birth last June and she's already so huge!

I have written into my (soon to be complete) Goals-To-Be-Met-by-December list to make more time for people in my life, since this year flew by way too fast...

The Latest Buzz

I believe that for those of you who have asked in the past about my job as a beekeeper, you are aware that due to the marvelous invention that is the bee suit, and the timing at which I became gainfully employed here at UC Davis, that I have been stung a dozen times, at best.

What made my job so fantastic was that, unlike most individuals, I rarely experience swelling and tenderness following being stung. However, last Sunday, as I was working a particularly temperamental colony of bees in the city of Winters, one lone bee managed to deliver an uncharacteristically painful dose of venom in my left index finger. Continuing on the subject of unusual, this time my finger enlarged to the point of being unflexible, and deformed half my hand with it!

All this would have been fine, as was the time the next day when some bee stung my on the scalp and my ears felt slightly cramped, but it was the attack on my collarbone last Wednesday that really put the nail in the coffin:


Within 15 minutes of being stung a single time, I had a full body itch, and a really attractive rash up and down my arms, which culminated in labored breathing and an alterned heartbeat several minutes later!

Currently, I am working through the process of getting my HMO to send me to a specialist, so I can verify this wasn't a fluke, but for now, I offer you the chance to enjoy the full irony that has become characteristic of my life:

I, the beekeeper, am becoming dangerously allergic to honeybee venom!

Things are Picking Up...

I apologize for the long delay in my blogging. You may be wondering what I've been up to these past two months, or more likely, you haven not. For those in the first group I submit a brief synopsis, and a renewed pledge to update more often.

First and foremost, I am still clipping away at both full time jobs. While this has had an unsurprising toll on my body and energy stores, I am proud to say that I have met my original goal of paying off two maxed out credit cards, leaving them free to use in case of any emergencies. Secondly, as my more sharp readers may have noted, this marked increase in credit and financial stability allowed me to finally buy a new car- a 2003 Chevy Silverado.

Although it still smells like dealership detailer solvent, I took my new toy up into the tortuous and wet roads of Mount Diablo State Park to once again assume the role of Scoutmaster for our troop. Despite the looming threat of torrental downpour hung over us all weekend, the trip was fun, and we stayed pretty dry. If I have some time, I'll post some photos some other people took of the weekend.

Currently, I'm in the process of drafting a set of life goals, so that I can assess which of my two jobs, if either, I really want to stick with, so I can quit the other one and start enjoying my life a little bit. Hopefully I'll get it done soon, so that you, my friends, can help keep me on track...

Much more to post, but it will have to come later. I need a shower and some cold beer!

I am now nieghbors with...

The Governator. Ok, we live in the same town, but his mansion is only a few miles away from my new place.

Tomorrow, pictures. But for now...rest.

May As Well "Kiff" My Free Time Good Bye...

I witnessed the rebirth of my eighty hour work week as I walked through the door of my new job this morning. I wish I could say that it hurt, that somehow the realization of long days and the rehashing of my tamed caffeine addiction dampened my spirits slightly, but, man, I really like the atmosphere of this company.

Now that I've spent eight hours in one-on-one meetings, reading scores of standard operating procedures, watching powerpoint presentations, and conversating with half a dozen management personnel, I am now able to tell you what Kiff actually does!

Essentially, we specialize in determining levels of diesel and gasoline residues in soil, water and air samples. This information is used by engineering and consulting firms to determine fault, financial responsibility and mitigation protocols for underground fuel tank leaks at gas station sites, and other similar civil suit issues. Not quite the "forensic toxicology" job I originally set out for, but hey, it's a good place to start.

Now, don't be jealous, but tomorrow, I get to read standard operating procedures for... EIGHT FRIGGIN' HOURS. Vision plan had better be included in my health insurance!