Miscellany

Today I bought a toning band and some ankle weights, because, you know, it's not like I have enough exercise equipment or anything. I'd been playing around with the band for a little while, doing thigh abductors and other moves, and I eventually held it like this. All of a sudden I was overcome with the desire to shoot a bow and arrow. I used to go to a month-long summer camp when I was a child, and that's where I was first introduced to archery (how I loved that place...I have to go back there someday and just walk around and take it all in). I fell in love with it and have enjoyed it ever since, when I've had the opportunity to do it. I wonder if there are any places here in the Twin Cities where I could practice archery without the expectation that I'll become all hardcore about it, hunting animals and entering competitions and such?

UPDATE: Here I am in my cabin at Camp DeSoto; this was taken my second summer there. I'll bet I had just left archery class, which explains the grin:

The girls were organized into tribes, and each tribe wore t-shirts in specific colors: green for Chickasaw, blue for Creek, and red for Cherokee. I, obviously, was a Cherokee.

Via Rana comes The Infinite Cat Project. It's too cute. My favorite is Cheesedoodle:

Aaaaawwww!

Yeah, you probably noticed that I made a few changes. I don't know how long I'll keep this design, but I needed a change; I was tired of looking at the old banner image. This new look is Crooked Timber-inspired, as you can likely tell. If I do decide to keep this, I realize it needs a lot of work; I need to figure out that PhotoShop gradient tool to get rid of that seam separating the banner image from the background color. I also need to do a host of other things, but I'm not going to mess with it anymore tonight.

I got the cat image from the new-ish Creative Commons search engine. I searched for cat, specifying image as the format and permission to make derivative works, and I found several cat photographs by Anne Moss at freenaturephotos.com.

I've once again been having especially vivid dreams that stick with me throughout the following day, narrated here for your amusement and interpretation. The first two are from the night before last; the third is from last night:

New Mexico

I'm in a bus. There are people on the bus, but I don't know any of them. It's a little like Nightmare on Elm St. II, Freddy's Revenge, when Freddy is driving the bus, but not as scary. I ask someone, "Where are we?"

The person says, "New Mexico."

I look out the window and see a reddish landscape resembling a freshly plowed field, with small hills and valleys and lots of rocks. Perched atop some of the hills and rocks are ominous-looking Mayan and Aztec statues. There are also some gnarled shrubs, dried up, with no leaves.

"I hate New Mexico!" I declare to no one in particular.

The bus stops and we get out. Someone leads me to where I'll be staying. It's a rundown cabin with swarms of flying insects inside. I'm horrified. All of a sudden, Scott is standing beside me. He says, "Yeah, those flies'll get you."

Yeah, it's just what it sounds like.

Via flea.

I noticed I have a Gmail invitation; email me if you want it! culturecat at gmail dot com.

UPDATE: They gave me five more invitations, yours for the asking. :)

UPDATE 11 September: I'm out of invitations and have closed comments on this post.

Via Palmer.

Last Cigarette: January 1, 2002, but I wish I could say I've never had one at all
Last Car Ride: from the airport, with 2 friends
Last Kiss: long time ago...maybe I could tell you if you hypnotized me.
Last Good Cry: around June 8, 2004, but for the record, I never find cries to be good. I guess catharsis is necessary, but I don't like it.
Last Library Book: big stack I checked out for prelims, lovely offerings such as Survey Research Methods by Floyd Fowler
Last book bought: Charmed Circle: Gertrude Stein and Company, for one dollar, used. It's got the dust jacket and everything -- great photos of Picasso, Alice B. Toklas, Gertrude Stein, Leo Stein, etc.
Last Book Read: See above
Last Movie Seen in Theatres: The Bourne Supremacy
Last Movie Rented: Bride of Chucky, Stir of Echoes, Picture Perfect
Last Cuss Word Uttered:
Last Beverage Drank: Fresca
Last Food Consumed: Almond butter

Just read it. I needed those laughs. Everything this guy writes is funny (oh, and see also his story "Academia").

Via John & Belle.