One Month Down, A Few More to Go

January didn't creep by this once, like every year before. January came, stabbed us in the back and left before our bodies hit the floor.

How dramatic, right? But January has been backdrop to significant changes [in my life, which is what this blog is about anyways, so any glimmer of self-importance is totally justified].

I am a fast believer of the theory that talking about things too much puts a jinx on it. So it should be just enough to say that last Friday was a catalytic day. I gave up the opportunity to have what most people struggle to get on a daily basis, just in order to give myself the chance of completion, of emotional and intellectual fulfillment. Given the immediate choice (incredibly enough, both options were standing face to face in the same instant), I froze, and may Eze forgive me for calling on him to help me feel reassured on my decision, but I did need someone to tell me it was okay to show myself some love too.

I will put it out in the open, as soon as I get the desirable feedback, the one thing that could go wrong (and hopefully won't).

Other than that one thing that redefines 2008 for me, I'm also getting ready for my birthday. March 8th, 2008 I will be turning 30 years old, and I'm happy about it. What could otherwise be a trauma has turned into a celebration of what I didn't become, a personal statement of independence (of sorts, Eze yesterday rained on my parade a little, thank you >-( ... )

I'm just looking forward to turning to a-round-little-number-of-age again. It will be a Saturday, and I still have no clue how to celebrate it. Suggestions are welcome.

Since the start of the month, work rhythm has almost halted to a complete stop. From working through New Year's Day straight into the following weekend, days like to day are starting to crop up again, in which I have barely any duties for me. Ahhhh, the beauty of tranquil days, it makes up for the frenzy of others.


Our 4-months-old pup, Caprica, hasn't halted to a full stop, though. She's kept growing, although not as fast as before. We enrolled her in an obedience class, which is fine and dandy, but the past 2 lessons have been canceled due to rain. We keep trying to follow up, but she's only focused when she wants to be, which is barely ever. She's energetic and incredibly sweet, but also a total rascal. I've lost my good share of underwear and shoes to her already. I trust that time will do its work, and she will eventually turn into a tranquil and affectionate dog as age goes by.

This was supposed to be different

I had this entry written out in my mind some 15 minutes ago, but now it's gone. I was in the passenger's seat of Eze's car fifteen minutes ago. I think I need a small electronic tablet, something to record my thoughts as they happen. If I let it go, I m ight never get it back again. Fickle fickle fickle inspiration.

It was all about how Eze and i see and do things differently in life. He's usually the keen observer, while I remember things more like a collage, or "like a trailer of glimpses and brief moments, spliced with images burned onto the wooden cortex of my mind." (see? that bit I did remeber! yay!) There was much more to say though,but it all seems moot point now. Another article/essay that never came to be. Bad too, because it's been a long while since I've written regularly.

It's the job, really. I like working for the company I work for, but the irregular hours and the stres over the learning process leave me with very little energy to sit down to write in the evenings. If you add the spent energy necessary to keep a clean house with a new puppy (with full run of the house during the daytime), you'll understand why I've been mostly absent from my writing hobby. Not so with my beading hobby, but that is only due to yesterday evening, which I spent at a friend's house. There was a beading demo from a representative for a company that sells Swarovski jewelry. I didn't buy anything (the kits were a bit on the pricey side for my standards) but I put together a couple of pieces, which inspired me to make a piece of my own today.


Caprica did something this morning that totally blew my mind, I've never seen a dog doing anything like it. She started pawing the water out of her bowl onto the floor, and after she had made a small pool of water at the kitchen's entrance, she started running around the dining table and back to the puddle... and as she got to the wet area she'd let herself slide. She apprently likes the waterworks more than she's let on before :D Totally nuts!

Just like a newborn

Being mom to a new puppy that still doesn't know how to go potty on the papers and who hasn't learned bite inhibition is somewhat stressful. More so when she also wakes me up every single day at 6 AM, regardless of whether it's Monday or Sunday. I'm guessing it must be a bit like being mom to a newborn, with the biggest difference being that my plight will be over in two-years' time, whereas a kid's mom will have to deal with her human pup for a minimum of 18 years.

Nonetheless, I'm happy with Caprica. She's a handful, and I'm expecting that, as she grows, this set of problems will give way to new ones.

Her mange is finally clearing up, but the vet found she's also got a case of skin fungus. I now have to apply a spray lotion that apparently feels as foul as it smells, 'cuz she squirms like crazy every time I treat her (twice daily). But I trust she will be fine, she's growing pretty fast (or maybe I'm imagining it, but she definitely looks healthier than the day I picked her up).

She loves playing with empty toilet paper rolls, she mistakes the potty pad for a plaything (or a sleeping area), she loves jumping and running circles around us whenever she's pumped for play, and she's already got a taste for sleeping in bed with us (otherwise she'll jump and whine until she gets a lift).

However, strangely enough, not a single bark yet, not really, not since ... weeks ago! I mean, this is the most silent dog I've ever known. Not quiet, just silent. Heh heh! She's gonna be a cutie!!! ^_^

Until you came into my life (finally!)

I got a call last Friday night, 2 puppies found near a school, abandoned, motherless, hungry, and impossibly tiny. My friend knew I was looking to adopt soon, so she thought I might be interested, and I was, but more than that, I was skeptical. Abandoned street puppies tend to have more than a few diseases, without mentioning skin and stomach parasites. More trouble than I thought I was willing to bargain for.

So I set out for Caguas on a Saturday afternoon to see what the puppy was like (the little boy was taken right away, only the female was left). I was expecting the worst, and I had my mind almost totally set on limiting myself to help take the puppy somewhere where she'd be well taken care of.

I wish I could say that I fell in love as soon as I set my eyes on her, but that was not the case. The creature was too small, too young, she still smelled strongly of mother milk and that was not a good sign. I was convinced this puppy was going to need bottle feedings every few hours and a lot of attention: things I cannot give because I have a full time job. The skin on her tail was heavily scabbed, and her fur was dull and dirty. All in all, she wasn't in so much a bad state as I expected, but she was far from top shape.

I set out for Humacao right away: I had heard of this place called El Faro de los Animales, a no-kill care center for abandoned animals. I had never gone there before, so all I knew was that it was in Humacao, and the approximate area it could be found.

To sum it up: I spent 2 hours driving, and I never found the place, much less a single local soul that new what I was talking about. I stopped at a few gas stations and supermarkets on the way, no one knew anything. I'm not very surprised.

Thing is, during those two hours, the puppy was such a great sport! She slept all the time I spent driving, and it was only whenever I stopped that she opened her eyes and lifted her head (as if saying "Are we there yet?"). The one time in which, as I started to step out of the car to go into yet another gas station, she energetically expressed her impatience with a series of barks and whines (all the while keeping to her small box and looking at me like "Heyyy! What's with the delay?! I'm hungry!") ... well, that's when my heart got hooked. After that, I didn't look for the place so hard anymore and started devising a plan to be able to care for her (at least for a little while).

So I took her to my mom's for a pit stop, left her there so I could go buy a few bare necessities for her care (including tick & flea shampoo, a small comb, puppy formula, etc), but we left her with a tiny plate with some mashed moist dog food. When I gt back, I was suprised to see she had eaten it all up. No bottle feedings for this lady!

Meet Caprica. She's still in her baby phase, just learning how to move and walk. Stubbornly silent, except for the occasional bout of barks sparked by things we haven't figured out yet (she has only barked once at home, I guess she got excited over the soundtrack to Battlestar Galactica too!). Misses the paper half of the time, but I'm confident she will get better at it, she's still just a baby, no bladder control yet. Her first visit to the vet revealed she's got intestinal parasites (normal in most puppies) and sarcoptic mange (not so normal, contagious even to humans, and potentially fatal if not treated). She spends most of the days in our tiny bathroom, but we let her out while we're in the house. We will eventually move her to the kitchen and laundry, as soon as I am sure she won't fit under the fridge or behind the washing machine.

She loves playing as most puppies do, and it is sometimes intimidating to know that I am somewhat expected to substitute a bouncy, energetic peer as her playmate. But Eze has been a gigantic help, and it's not so overwhelming with him around. He's fallen into the daddy role so well and so fast, it is scary (in a charming way, of course!). And I found myself for the first time foregoing my own meals and necessities in favor of helping out a tiny helpless creature. Unexpected from myself... and I feel changed. I guess that's a pale version of what mothers go through when they give birth.

I'll stick to dogs, though. Caprica will be more than a handful in a few weeks. ^_^ I'm looking forward to that!
(... I finally got the puppy from my heart! I'm SO happy!)

In Absentia

Eze's been away for 4 days now. It's not much, but it feels like eternity. You know it feels like eternity when you start getting used to being by your own in the evenings and mornings. But you're not so used that you forget that there is someone who usually comforts you when you wake up in the middle of a stormy night, ridden with nightmares about shape-shifting trees that murder people. It's the void in the pillow next to you that hurts the most... but you've gone numb.

Nonetheless, I've kept myself mostly busy:

On Saturday I went shopping with my mother: one of the most productive shopping sessions I've had in my life (and I hate shopping). In the evening, I tended to the usual in Frecuencias Alternas.

On Sunday I received a visit by Alysha and Tattiana. We cooked ground meat for taquitos and I made a batch of polvorones. In the meanwhile we watched Andres López's Pelota de Letras (a Colombian comedian and his 3-hours-long stand-up routine, very funny, but exhausting!).

Monday and Tuesday have obviously been work-days, but I've managed to spend the evenings in something other than moping. I've already finished watching season 3 of Doctor Who (which was not as tragic as the ending of season 2, but just as enjoyable). I've also come across a few interesting contacts, namely Rasputina's manager (I contacted him regarding a rumored recital to be held here in Puerto Rico in November, and as he confirmed so kindly, I took the liberty of asking about the possibility of interviewing them over the phone for Frecuencias Alternas - he hasn't answered yet, but the exchange was interesting enough for me).


I also found out about a private animal shelter (No-Kill) in Humacao: El Faro de los Animales. They're a non-profit organization (with no funding by the government) that's dedicated to the care of homeless animals and the search of loving homes for them. They have a series of different programs to allow the public to participate and help as much as they can with this mission. I'm seriously considering spending at least 2 days a month in this place and help out with my time (every other saturday or some similar arrangement).

Oh ... yeah, and the reason for this last discovery: I'm looking for puppy. :-) I finally feel ready to adopt a little bundle of canine love. Let's see how soon it turns out to be.

Our Visit to the San Diego Zoo

I can commune with a Kitschy Bear too!, originally uploaded by dhevi_anais.

I am no militant animal rights activist, but I feel pretty passionately about the subject, specially when it comes to issues such as animal cruelty, most predominantly in circuses and puppy mills.

I understand that the idea of keeping a wild animal in captivity is not quite right, it's not fair at all to the animal's inherent right to freedom and domain of his own territory and life. However, we've already fucked up the planet enough that sometimes an animal's territory and free life are not what's best for its survival and well-being. That's why I'm not 100% against zoos. During my visit, the San Diego Zoo convinced me that they too feel that way in the most part, and the animals they keep, even if their space is much more limited than what a free range would be, are healthy and well cared for.

Besides, and this is the selfish, Elmyra-like part of me talking: I like seeing animals up-close, specially those I haven't seen before. It gives me a rush to the head like few other things do.

The San Diego zoo is huge like none I've previously visited. I haven't seen all that many zoos. To be honest, I've only visited the Zoológico de Mayagüez (the main Puerto Rican zoo), the zoo inside the Science Park in Bayamón (terribly depressing, I'm amazed they haven't been shut down), the Matecaña Zoo in Pereira and the Miami Metro Zoo (a free-range zoo, most probably bigger than the San Diego Zoo, but I was way too young when I visited, so I don't remember too well). Thing is, I wasn't quite ready for the vastness of the zoo. More than half a day wasn't enough to see everything there was to see. We missed the big cats and the monkeys, for example. However, they have set tourist traps outside every main attraction. I think that's a way of not only selling every plushie, keychain, resin figurine and t-shirt imaginable, but it's also a way to guarantee that no one will get to see the whole zoo in a single day, so they'll buy a 2-day or 3-day pass for the next time.


Our main goal for the day was to NOT get lost inside the zoo, and at least that we achieved. We got on the tour trolley as soon as we got inside, just to get a gist of how the zoo was laid out. In spite of our best common sense, we sat on the top tier of the bus. I got a nice sunburn on my arms as a result, but we got to see some of the exhibits from a nice vantage point. No big cats nor monkeys, though. They like the dark, apparently, so their exhibits are not as easily accessible or viewable.

I tried to take as many pictures as possible from the vantage point the top tier offered, but the point came fast enough in which I was so amazed by everything that I didn't know where to look, much less where to point the camera lens. So Eze took the camera from my hands and took some pictures himself.

Yay for a smiling and confused Diana!

After the trolley, we got on the Skyfari (an aerial tram), which would have been totally fun, but instead was totally hilarious, as I realized Eze is pretty nervous about unsecured heights. I laughed all the way to the other side of the zoo. Yes, I'm evil that way.

We then visited the polar bear exhibit: a huge tank with some rocks and overhangs to provide shade for the bears. The special part is that the tank has an observation room that allows the public to view a side section of the water as well, so we could enjoy what was going on underwater just the same as what was going on at the top. At that hour, the little Coca-Cola pals were having some nap time, however. I was amazed at how much they look like dogs, not ferocious at all. I guess I'd be of a different mind if I were stranded in the Arctic pole (or on the island of Lost).


After that we ambled around a bit, ate some cheap-ass churros (after tasting some decent copies in here, having imitation churros at a zoo park is a lukewarm experience at best). Caught some four-legged, hooved friends, including the ever-so-hailed zebra - which is just like a donkey glorified by very funky stripes.

One of the biggest highlights of the trip to the zoo was seeing the pandas. Pandas are said to be on the verge of extinction, mainly because of their refusal to have sex (therefore procreate), plus they insist on eating only bamboo, which is a very frail plant that gets wiped out with incredible regularity. It seems to be a species bent on self destruction, just like us humans. I guess that's why we:
1) insist on meddling in their affairs and keep them in captivity, every once in a while goading them to fuck, utilizing increasingly weird methods of encouragement, and
2) get all teary-eyed, sympathetic and soft-hearted at the sight of one of these distant cousins to the raccoons. However, when we see a raccoon, we can't help but thing of garbage, go figure!


However stupidly suicidal as this species seems to be, having them so close was almost magical... and I couldn't stop thinking of my sister all the while.

There was also the issue of the kiwi. I really wanted to see one of them, SO much, principally to take a few pictures to show my brother (he has been nicknamed "Kiwi" since he was 14 years old). We deviated from the fastest route and took the most up-hill trekk to be able to see these birds. I was SO curious, I had never seen one of these up-close. I arrived to the exhibit only to be greeted by a slab of metal, a note on kiwis, saying that these are nocturnal birds and that the exhibit had been set up with a lighting scheme similar to moonlight, to increase to probability of the kiwis showing during open hours. GODDAMMIT! The exhibit was fucking dark as hell, and worse yet, no kiwis showed! >-( Goddamned antisocial animals!


Yep! That's a very frustrated Diana, trying to be contented with having a picture taken with a fucking board...


One new favorite animal after this trip? The meerkats! I was very surprised by these fellas. I was under the impression that these animals were as big as a small dog, but when I saw these bite-sized bundles of playfulness, I was hooked. They're small, they're cute, they're playful and they're carefree. For the time we were there, three or four meerkats were playing around under the sun, tumbling and running onto each other and flopping belly-up to bask in the sunlight. They made a fan out of me in a couple of minutes!

Finally we stopped by the elephant pen: two Asian elephants and an African one share a relatively small territory. I don't know how they pull it off, and it seems as if the reduced space has kept the elephants from growing into their full-fledged glory. Or maybe as an adult I've grown to expect things as majestic as elephants to be as huge to my eyes as they were to my 8-year-old self.

We wrapped it up by visiting the koala exhibit. Funny thing is, while the koalas held behind acrylic sheets were stuffing their faces, the ones sitting in their trees outside were all curled up in their sleep in an exactly identical fashion. These little critters seemed fragile to me, not in a baby-cute way, but in an old-geezer-who-needs-your-elbow-to-stand-up sort of way. It's like getting a grandpa wrapped up in extra-fuzz.

We left the zoo with lighter wallets, but we at least got the idea that next time we should dedicate more time to the visit, and maybe even give more attention to the Wild Animal Park.

BTW: You can visit my Flickr set of our visit to the San Diego Zoo and get the whole gist of the paseo: I took tons of pictures and included more than a few comments. So feel free to drop by, look around and leave comments ;-)

Teaser for Memoirs on San Diego Comic Con 2007

I'm back on track, back at work, back to same ol' same ol'... after a week of travel, of discovering what it's like on the west side.

We attended the Comic Con on a year in which attendance was estimated to be a little over 123,000 individuals. It felt like it alright. Crowds were mind-bogglingly large, lines were overlong, and after 5 days of experiencing the warmth of a small town squeezed into an auditorium, I definitely needed to decompress.

I finally got to see a live panda and more than a few koalas curled up in their sleep. I learned a few things about a certain Australian bird and hugged a metal bear. I met a man that changed my life as a child, and without meaning to, I made his day. I saw an absurd amount of movie trailers and previews, some of which turned my eyes into starry orbs with wonderment, but of which I only remember the names of very few.

We (Eze, Pepe, Mari and I) shared our funds for food and other supplies, shared cheap sandwiches and bad pizza, shared a lot of time together, had good times, had arguments, but all in all we had a blast.

Later on, I will be posting pictures and a full recount (up to what my memory will allow) very soon.

Animal Extravaganza

Yesterday someone posted a horrid video @ a forum I visit regularly. The video showed a live cow being fed to a group of tigers. Apart from the condescending nature of this activity, what offended me most was the obnoxious voices of gringos who were appalled at the fact that tigers (being the carnivores that they are) actually ate the cow. They were apparently rooting for the cow. Funny, though, that at the end of the snippet, a tourist trolley comes barging into the scene. I'm not aware whether the sides of the trolley are protected by acrylic sheets or if it's an open vehicle, but in the video (and with a little help of my overactive and morbid imagination) it almost seems like they're bringing in a bucket of fried chicken to the tigers.

The video reminded me, though of a video I had seen the day before:



The tables of nature are turned by sheer force of organization and team work. Watch the whole video, if you can. The end is very worth it.
EDIT: I hadn't noticed that I had blogged this video on my last post. If you saw the video on Tuesday's post, don't bother, it's the same one. Unless you're like me and want to watch it again! :-D

After that, I was hooked for the rest of the afternoon and the evening, and went through an animal video spree. These were the highlights (my favorites):


Sometimes we don't even amount to the other other white meat ...



Elephants are said to have a good memory. Big cats have attitude enough for an immediate response, for lack of an elephantine memory.

And talking of elephants...


All work and no play makes Dumbo a square peg in a round hole. Even elephants have their fun.



I had never seen or heard a bird such as this. And the fact that it can even imitate a power tool is awesome and heart-breaking at the same time.

WARNING! High Ick Factor Ahead:


As far as carpets go, I don't want one like the Deer Cave carpet. Thanks.

1 Buffalo, 2 Buffalo, 3 Buffalo

Nature will sometimes surprise us through organized action. Makes you think that perhaps, regardless of how civilized, and hence special, we think ourselves to be as a species, we're not so unique after all.



Empathy is, after all, another variation of "survival of the strongest".

Coming Full Circle is a Coin with Two Sides

June 2nd, 2003
The bad news: My home burned down. I was left pretty much homeless, peniless, with only the clothes on my back and a brand new car to pay for. My four dogs died in that fire, probably burned, most likely asphyxiated by the smoke. I was left desolate, depressed, feeling lonely, and mourning my dogs like a crazy woman.
But the good news was I was alive, I had survived, and my family was there to support me, if not financially, at least emotionally (which is the priceless side of things). I literally rose from the ashes, and come 4 years, I had arrived full circle.

June 2, 2007
The good news: Eze and I have just acquired our first owned home. This has been the definitive step in our relationship, making our commitment concrete as a house. This is one step in life my parents haven´t taken yet, one step toward security, our roots finally taking hold somewhere. Curiously enough, the day chosen to sign the contract is the 4th anniversary of my total loss. I arrived full circle. But full circle is a coin with two sides.
When I arrived home to pick my car up and go to my family to celebrate my brother´s birthday, the bad news were awaiting lying on the pedals of my car. Pucho had stealthily sneaked into my car last night as I arrived home. I didn´t notice. No one missed him. No one found out until I opened that car door at 4PM. The unvented heat in that car at midday must have been unsustainable. He died a heat death, he died an asphyxiated death. Just like my dogs 4 years ago. In the same car that had been the sole survivor property of that fire.

I don´t know how to pay homage to Pucho. I am well aware of the differences inside our household that stemmed from the habits around caring for him. I am well aware that after a while, at least for me, Pucho had become a nuisance more than a pet. But I never wished ill on him, much less death. And as irritated as I allowed myself to become by him at times, I could not speak ill of an animal that was just that: an animal, with needs and perks like any other.

And more than an animal, Pucho was a very affective pet. He had enough love to show around the whole neighborhood, and that is something that cannot be erased or obliterated by simple circumstantial situations. Pucho was not only cute because he was a beautiful kitty. He was cute because he was a devoted kitty. He will be remembered and mourned, much more so by his rightful owners than by me, but it doesn´t mean I don´t feel sorrowful too by his death. My deep condolences to his two equally devoted owners (you know who you are). I share the sting of the broken heart his departure leaves.

Coming full circle can be sweet, but it can be sour as well.

Mid-weekend Burp

I'm not feeling very hot right now (the allergies attack whenever they see I haven't been as dilligent as usual in taking my daily Ioratadine), I've had a pretty long day and another such one awaits me tomorrow.

Today was productive. I -
1) Bought the yearly marbete for my car (yeah, May's the painful month) @ approximately 9:30AM

2) Had breakfast @ the nearest McDonald's @ 10AM

3) Picked my sister up. That took the longest. Getting the kid to dress up to go out is like pushing an elephant up a staircase (which should be as difficult as pushing a cow down the same staircase, I guess)

4) Loaded my car's trunk with plastic bags full of old clothes and plush toys to be given away to the Salvation Army.

5) Drove to the Salvation Army I thought to be open, only to find it was closed. We took advantage of a discarded leather couch that was sitting in front to leave the two humongous plush animals that were dusting up (more!) my car inside. It was a bit sad, seeing the Sad Sam and big teddy bear sitting there, waiting for some lucky chance to be picked up, perhaps be taken to be loved anew all over again.

6) Went back to my house to pick up Luna's medical record, then went back to my Mom's to pick Luna up.

7) Took Luna to the Humane Society clinic for her yearly rabies shot and reinforcements. While I was there, I made the same mistake I always do: I went to the back room, where the animals that are up for adoption live. And I fell in love, like I always do, with every single one of them (of course with ones a bit more than with others). It's always a bit heartbreaking (since I can't have a dog of my own just yet), and always a bit encouraging (the world isn't running out of adorable dogs just yet).

8) Returned Luna to Mom's and headed back out to Caguas (not before watching an episode of Shear Genius, which was pretty entertaining, in the way of "reality TV talent shows").

9) Went to a place I know to wash my car (inside and out, it was in dire need!!! Plopped down $24 for the full treatment. Not sorry at all. At last I can see the color of my dashboard.

10) Met up with a friend of my sister's to help her out with the purchase of a set of makeup brushes. Turns out there was a really good set on sale @ Costco (and her cosmetology teacher recommended they get that one before next class). I have a Costco membership, so I gladly put in the name so she could get the benefit of the price. Got treated to Costco pizza afterwards (not bad at all!) and what was apparently an undercooked churro.

11) ... and then everyone headed off each way: my sister with her friend, me back to home, alone.

... feeling a bit lonely, a bit sad, a bit nervous. Hoping for a better week. Hoping for some much-needed changes soon.

Sea Bullies

I've been trying to keep up with Discovery Channel's/BBC's Planet Earth at a friend's house. He happens to have High Definition Cable TV (with an HD monitor), so his first invitation to enjoy these new goodies was specifically to view Planet Earth. The documentary series was filmed in high-definition format over the course of 5 years, hence producing crystal clear, sharp images never before seen through television.

This following scene in particular was the one that hit me the strongest. Scary as shit, imposing ... it demands newfound respect for the Great White...

Cute Videos Part 1

I hope not to be doing this too often in here. I have the habit of bookmarking everything. I may not be your regular storer or "trinkets-saver": this would be the kind of person that saves everything he/she comes across, down to the last newspaper, which would be somewhere among the pile of yellowed papers from 1968 right by the fridge. I don't do that. However, I do the equivalent in cyberspace: bookmark pages I like, pages I deem relevant, pages I think I might want to keep up with, pages which at some point might prove useful, someday ... That's why I love del.icio.us so much.

I also bookmark in places I have a profile like Youtube.com or Bettycrocker.com. And some days, when I'm bored, I like coming back to those bookmarks, while away a bit of time.

Well, today is one of those "dead-day-at-work" days, so I'm gonna come forward a bit and share some of the "cute" videos in here (kind of as if the CuteOverload gods had taken over me)

#1 - Dog Tickles Baby

The amount of controversy this video has aroused is absurd. Some people (roughly a half, maybe more) think that it's dangerous to let such a big dog play with a baby. Others think dogs are lovable, tender creatures when treated well and taken care of, hence it would be very improbable for a dog in a situation like the video shows to turn on his owner's baby and attack. I agree with the latter half. With some exceptions, specially some races of dog that are typically more aggressive than the others (like the chow-chows), most big dogs are of a gentle temperament, and will take care to be gentle around smaller creatures, specially if they can "smell" they are babies. Next video proves the point.


#2 - Siberian Husky & Kitten

This is just plain fucking cute! No more explanation needed!

#3 - Kawaii

This little girl would floor everyone at talent shows like American Idol by force of charisma alone.


#4 - Bengal Kitten (23)

This video has become part of the family lore. "Twenty-three" is something I say fairly often as a response to "Really?" ... It's silly, and my boyfriend finds it annoying. But the memory of this kitten chattering away at the window always brings me a smile.

#5 - El Metro

It may not be cute 'per-se', but it's incredibly touching. That's the kind of hang-out I find romantic and wins me over. No flowers and candlelight over bubbly champagne could compensate for an adventure-ridden night in the subway system!

#6 - We Will Rock You (Water)

Imagine Queen's classic hit "We Will Rock You" performed by a 7-year-old water-balloon-kid ... cute!

#7 - Otters holding hands

This video traveled 'round the globe quite recently. The end is the part that makes it worth it. Heart melting!

The ghosts of dogs

(click to view bigger version)

Strips like this one always pull at my heartstrings. It's a pretty well known fact that I love dogs to the point of tears, specially now that, after a lifetime of having at least one as a companion, I can't own any (for a variety of reasons). Hopefully that will change soon ...

The comic strip above is part of an ongoing series named Mutts, by Patrick McDonnell. McDonnell is part of a few organizations and funds for animals (and against animal cruelty), and it shows in his strips. The ongoing theme is the animals' relationships with their caregivers, with themselves and with each other.

To be truly honest, sometimes the punchlines fall a little bit on the flat side, but the strip seems to be made with a heartful of love. Plus I share McDonnell's motives and interests in relation to animals, so I've come to respect his work for what it really is: a call to conscience in favor of animals, specially in favor of loving the animals that already accompany us day by day.

Turtles rock!

... and cats suck!

Or so it appears nature is pointing at that fact through these two videos:





Found through the mightily therapeutic CuteOverload blog. (If you're feeling blue on any given morning, just pop into this blog, I can guarantee an instant smile).

Other cute blogs to brighten up your days (from my del.icio.us collection):
The Daily Puppy
The Daily Kitten
I Can Has Cheezburger?

En la pata de vaca a la izquierda

Hay cierta calidad de surrealismo en el hecho de que el camino hacia mi oficina está pavimentado con partes putrefactas de animales. La nueva dirección física para llegar a mi oficina es "en la #1, en la pata de vaca, a la izquierda". Un aroma orgánico del proceso de descomposición en su plenitud es lo que le da ambiente al estacionamiento frente a este edificio. Me cuentan mis compañeros que viajan hacia más allá sobre la #1 que "más abajo hay una cabeza".

No quiero imaginarme si en lugar de estar rodeados de partes de vaca, fueran partes humanas: sería una imagen de pesadillas. Hace dos días llegué tarde a mi trabajo por lo que provocó esta situación: en la madrugada entre el martes 8 y el miércoles 9 de mayo, un camionero (probablemente medio dormido o naturalmente despistado, como yo) se fue por toda la #1 con su cargamento de desperdicios animales, y aparentemente quiso compartir de su riqueza y permitió que la portezuela de atrás se abriera, así repartiendo cabezas, patas, estómagos, orejas, tripas (y su usual contenido), etc por todo el pavimento.

Claro, sabiendo que la Ley de Murphy la tiene agarrada conmigo, estas cosas pasan en la temporada en que tengo el aire acondicionado del carro jodido (y en pleno inicio de verano, para acabar de joder!). Cuando pasé por ahi el primer día, lo q predominaba era un olor q supe reconocer aunq rara vez pasa por mi nariz: el olor a muerte, a sangre animal, a masacre. No era descomposición, eso vino luego, por la tarde, al día siguiente. El primer día era olor a recién muerto ... y a mierda, obviamente, confirmado por la tripamenta aplastada (y vaciada a punta de tráfico pasándole por encima) un poco antes de la luz al lado de mi trabajo. Ese olor se me quedó pegado en la nariz el resto de la mañana.

Ya hoy la peste no es tanta, pero la pata de vaca sigue ahi. Me pregunto si los gusanos ya la habrán agarrado, si dispondrán de la piel (y el pelaje), dejando la figura al hueso ... o si el sol estará disecando esa pieza solitaria poco a poco, para dejarla como marcador semi-permanente de la dirección física de mi trabajo.

La vaca era marrón.



UPDATE (13:05PM): Ya retiraron la pata de vaca de la carretera. :-( Ya no hay pata de vaca para que la gente llegue aqui. So many lost people...