I got home around 11:30 last night after watching a movie with two of the barn girls. I was disappointed when Roton didn't meet me at the door, and confused when I didn't find him sleeping on my bed. Then I remembered that he had gone outside when I went down to the barn. Right.
I sat down at the kitchen table and had been typing for about 30 seconds when I heard a meow. Roton! I called his name out the screen door. Roton repeatedly responded to my calls, but didn't show up at the door. Wierd.
I stood up and got my headlamp. I continued to call him as I poked my head out the door, but his meows had faded. Was something preventing him from getting to the door? Or was he just distracted by a passing bug or bat or who-knows-what?
I sat back down and began to type. Then I heard something large rustling around upstairs in Meghan's room. Great. My valiant, bat-conquering cat is outside, and there's an animal in the house. Stay calm.
"Meow!" Roton sounded pretty emphatic this time. I jumped up, grabbed my headlamp, and headed out the door.
-"Roton!"
-"Meow!"
-"Roton, where are you?"
-"Meow!!!"
I turned around to find Roton standing on top of the awning above our front door, looking perplexed. "Oh, Roton!" I climbed onto the porch railing and was immediately blinded by the motion sensor light, which turned on in my face. Letting my eyes adjust, I reached up and pulled the scared kitten down to safety.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Suh-wing Batter!
10:00 PM - Laura goes to sleep, setting a record for 2007.
12:59 AM - Laura awakes to the sound of Meghan making a funny noise.
1:00 AM - Meghan again makes the funny noise.
1:02 AM - Laura decides Meghan can't possibly be making that noise, and decides to turn on a light.
1:02 AM - The kitchen comes into focus, with Roton staring intently at the kitchen sink. Trouble.
1:03 AM - Laura cautiously gets out of bed and creeps into the kitchen.
1:04 AM - Roton and Laura hear the noise again. Roton attempts to jump onto the kitchen counter (where he is NOT allowed) but doesn't quite make it, so Laura gives his bum a boost (desperate times).
1:04 AM - Roton disappears behind the curtain covering the kitchen window. All is quiet, then Laura hears the fluttering of a large bug. Relief!
1:05 AM - Laura checks to make sure it's just a bug, only to find a bat (!) in the window sill. The bat attempts an escape, diving towards Laura's head. Laura screams.
1:06 AM - "Meghan!" Silence... "MEGHAN!" "Huh?" "There's a bat in the dome!" "What?" "There's a bat in the dome!" Long pause... "Is it a nuisance?"
1:07 AM - Laura, not sure what to make of Meghan's reply, decides she and Roton are on their own.
1:07 AM - Laura and Roton follow the bat into Laura's room. Yes, Meghan, it is now a nuisance.
1:09 AM - Laura remembers that she has a tennis racket in her closet. She tries not to disturb the bat, now hanging upside-down from a nearby wooden beam lining her ceiling.
1:10 AM - Laura closes the door from her room to the kitchen and opens the back door, revealing a crisp, dark night. She nudges the bat with the racket, prompting another round of terrifying laps around her head.
1:11 AM - Laura wills the bat to leave her room. She pleads aloud "Mr. Bat, please leave." The bat does not budge.
1:12 AM - Laura again nudges the bat, but this time she's ready. As the bat swoops by she swings her racket, in the hope of launching the bat out the door. Instead, it falls to the ground. With Roton in her right hand and the racket in her left, Laura tries to usher the bat out the door.
1:12AM - With a last burst of energy, the bat leaves the floor and flies into the night, with Roton hot on his heals.
1:13AM - Laura shuts the door, wishing both bat and cat a good night.
12:59 AM - Laura awakes to the sound of Meghan making a funny noise.
1:00 AM - Meghan again makes the funny noise.
1:02 AM - Laura decides Meghan can't possibly be making that noise, and decides to turn on a light.
1:02 AM - The kitchen comes into focus, with Roton staring intently at the kitchen sink. Trouble.
1:03 AM - Laura cautiously gets out of bed and creeps into the kitchen.
1:04 AM - Roton and Laura hear the noise again. Roton attempts to jump onto the kitchen counter (where he is NOT allowed) but doesn't quite make it, so Laura gives his bum a boost (desperate times).
1:04 AM - Roton disappears behind the curtain covering the kitchen window. All is quiet, then Laura hears the fluttering of a large bug. Relief!
1:05 AM - Laura checks to make sure it's just a bug, only to find a bat (!) in the window sill. The bat attempts an escape, diving towards Laura's head. Laura screams.
1:06 AM - "Meghan!" Silence... "MEGHAN!" "Huh?" "There's a bat in the dome!" "What?" "There's a bat in the dome!" Long pause... "Is it a nuisance?"
1:07 AM - Laura, not sure what to make of Meghan's reply, decides she and Roton are on their own.
1:07 AM - Laura and Roton follow the bat into Laura's room. Yes, Meghan, it is now a nuisance.
1:09 AM - Laura remembers that she has a tennis racket in her closet. She tries not to disturb the bat, now hanging upside-down from a nearby wooden beam lining her ceiling.
1:10 AM - Laura closes the door from her room to the kitchen and opens the back door, revealing a crisp, dark night. She nudges the bat with the racket, prompting another round of terrifying laps around her head.
1:11 AM - Laura wills the bat to leave her room. She pleads aloud "Mr. Bat, please leave." The bat does not budge.
1:12 AM - Laura again nudges the bat, but this time she's ready. As the bat swoops by she swings her racket, in the hope of launching the bat out the door. Instead, it falls to the ground. With Roton in her right hand and the racket in her left, Laura tries to usher the bat out the door.
1:12AM - With a last burst of energy, the bat leaves the floor and flies into the night, with Roton hot on his heals.
1:13AM - Laura shuts the door, wishing both bat and cat a good night.
Recycling with the Locals
Our recycling is stored in two large tupperware containers under our sink. We've been meaning to take it to the recycling center for weeks, but I've been out of town or Meghan's been out of town and it just hasn't gotten done. This Saturday Meghan and I decided it was finally time to get serious about the plastic, aluminum, cardboard, and glass containers that were piling up all over and under our kitchen counter.
So at 10AM Saturday morning Meghan and I rolled cautiously into the Norwich Recycling and Transfer Station, feeling very much out of our element. We got out of the car and looked around in awe at the many oversized dumpsters and authoritative signs. Then Meghan, spotting a fellow recycler pulling an armload of plastic containers out of her car, grabbed the Dome's plastic containers and took off after her. This left me standing alone behind my car, feeling green. Finally I sucked it up, collected a pile of collapsed food boxes, and followed an experienced Norwichian carrying some cardboard. When I reached the dumpster I was relieved to find a friendly neighborhood recycling policewoman guarding the door. Surely she would be able to educate me in the Green Mountain ways.
"Uh, does this go in there?"
"NO. This is TRASH. See, if you rip it and it's white on the inside, it's TRASH. This is TRASH, too. Anything from the fridge or freezer is TRASH. You've got all kinds of contaminated things in here. You'll have to go through it and take all that TRASH out. When you're done take the rest to Bin #3."
Well, shoot. Meghan had had a similar experience, and we huddled at the back of my highlander to transfer half our "recyling" to a TRASH sack.
So at 10AM Saturday morning Meghan and I rolled cautiously into the Norwich Recycling and Transfer Station, feeling very much out of our element. We got out of the car and looked around in awe at the many oversized dumpsters and authoritative signs. Then Meghan, spotting a fellow recycler pulling an armload of plastic containers out of her car, grabbed the Dome's plastic containers and took off after her. This left me standing alone behind my car, feeling green. Finally I sucked it up, collected a pile of collapsed food boxes, and followed an experienced Norwichian carrying some cardboard. When I reached the dumpster I was relieved to find a friendly neighborhood recycling policewoman guarding the door. Surely she would be able to educate me in the Green Mountain ways.
"Uh, does this go in there?"
"NO. This is TRASH. See, if you rip it and it's white on the inside, it's TRASH. This is TRASH, too. Anything from the fridge or freezer is TRASH. You've got all kinds of contaminated things in here. You'll have to go through it and take all that TRASH out. When you're done take the rest to Bin #3."
Well, shoot. Meghan had had a similar experience, and we huddled at the back of my highlander to transfer half our "recyling" to a TRASH sack.
Taco Club!
A raving success! But more on that from Meghan in the near future.
So apparently the taco club post is a week late, but fear not, for here it is. We managed to gather nearly 20 friends in the dome for an official meeting of The Taco Club. For most of them it was their first visit to the dome, so that was pretty exciting. For me this was the first time in my life that I was able to give a full home tour by standing in one place (ahem, the center of the dome) and rotating. The dome, by popular vote, was a hit. Roton (no vote necessary) was a bigger hit.
Here are some photos of friends enjoying tacos:
Thanks to everyone who could make it, and thanks especially for your generosity. We look forward to the next meeting!
So apparently the taco club post is a week late, but fear not, for here it is. We managed to gather nearly 20 friends in the dome for an official meeting of The Taco Club. For most of them it was their first visit to the dome, so that was pretty exciting. For me this was the first time in my life that I was able to give a full home tour by standing in one place (ahem, the center of the dome) and rotating. The dome, by popular vote, was a hit. Roton (no vote necessary) was a bigger hit.
Here are some photos of friends enjoying tacos:
Thanks to everyone who could make it, and thanks especially for your generosity. We look forward to the next meeting!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
The Dome's New Friend
The cockroach!
11:15 - Meghan opens bathroom door, only to discover a cockroach(!) acting as a blockade through the door.
11:16 - We trap the cockroach under a container while we formulate our plan of action.
11:20 - Meghan stands with shoe in hand, ready to squash the cockroach after she quickly lifts the container.
11:26 - Meghan still stands with shoe in hand, unable to make herself lift the container to smash the cockroach.
11:28 - The dome girls formulate a new plan.
11:30 - We successfully slide cardboard between the floor and the container, trapping the cockroach inside, allowing us to flip the container and shut the lid on. (This process was much easier to describe in writing than to actually carry out.)
11:33 - The lid of the container is ducktaped on.
11:35 - What do we do with a cockroach sealed in a container?!?
11:37 - Laura's mom suggests setting him sail in the open waters.
11:45 - The cockroach gets carried off in a strangly strong eastward wind.
11:15 - Meghan opens bathroom door, only to discover a cockroach(!) acting as a blockade through the door.
11:16 - We trap the cockroach under a container while we formulate our plan of action.
11:20 - Meghan stands with shoe in hand, ready to squash the cockroach after she quickly lifts the container.
11:26 - Meghan still stands with shoe in hand, unable to make herself lift the container to smash the cockroach.
11:28 - The dome girls formulate a new plan.
11:30 - We successfully slide cardboard between the floor and the container, trapping the cockroach inside, allowing us to flip the container and shut the lid on. (This process was much easier to describe in writing than to actually carry out.)
11:33 - The lid of the container is ducktaped on.
11:35 - What do we do with a cockroach sealed in a container?!?
11:37 - Laura's mom suggests setting him sail in the open waters.
11:45 - The cockroach gets carried off in a strangly strong eastward wind.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Dome Again!
Howdy!
After 9 days in the southwest, I'm back in the dome. Woohoo! The most noticable differences are a) the temperature and b) the wireless finternet (wi-fi)!!! First, the temperature. It's HOT! This afternoon Meghan and I were sitting on the couch snacking on a hard-boiled egg, when I looked over and noticed that Roton was yawning. I looked again and saw that his mouth was still open. Huh? "Meghan, is he PANTING?" Meghan looked at Roton. "I think so."
As for the finternet, we are SO excited to be connected. For all of you who don't have internet at home, please feel free to come to the dome to use ours. We think you'll really like it.
Laura
After 9 days in the southwest, I'm back in the dome. Woohoo! The most noticable differences are a) the temperature and b) the wireless finternet (wi-fi)!!! First, the temperature. It's HOT! This afternoon Meghan and I were sitting on the couch snacking on a hard-boiled egg, when I looked over and noticed that Roton was yawning. I looked again and saw that his mouth was still open. Huh? "Meghan, is he PANTING?" Meghan looked at Roton. "I think so."
As for the finternet, we are SO excited to be connected. For all of you who don't have internet at home, please feel free to come to the dome to use ours. We think you'll really like it.
Laura
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Dome Update from the Dome!
That is right, we now have internet at the dome! Funny story actually. Originally they were going to come out to set it up wednesday morning. Wednesday morning came and went with no internet, so I called and they said they were running behind. So we picked a new time: thursday evening, sometime after 5. You could imagine my surprise when TJ showed up shortly after 9 as I was getting ready to head out the door. Ta Da, internet!
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