Surprise Visitors

My building is being recaulked (weird) and I came home today to find two construction dudes outside my second floor kitchen window. Awkward.

DUCKS!!

My friend went mushroom hunting with her husband and they asked me to put the ducks at their farm up for the night. It's pretty much one of my favorite things ever. Makes me want to be a little farmer. Heck yes.
PS- My voice isn't really that high. It just sounds funny for some reason.

Hang on to your seats, folks...

Harry Potter grows up.

Personally, I think the kid is taking a huge chance with his career considering the possible alienation of his entire fan base. This has the potential to work out really well (slight chance) or it could blow up in his face in a massive explosion of backlash. Ha.

On Reserve

Doing homework really is something that I like to do. Especially when it's homework that I like to call "active" homework instead of "passive" homework. I'm taking a class this term called Marine Conservation Biology and it's one of the best classes that I've ever taken. It's a debate class, meaning that each week we learn about an issue in marine conservation and then we debate about it. You don't know if you're going to be pro or con so you really have to know your stuff for both sides.

This week we're talking about the effectiveness of Marine Reserves (complete no-take zones) and whether or not they're a viable management tool. Of course they're a valuable tool, but how much should we rely on reserves? That seems to be the key question. A reserve is really good at taking care of fish in a certain area, but if we know little about the life history of the targeted fish (West Coast rockfish for example) what good is a reserve going to do if we don't know if what we're protecting is a spawning ground or an area where the fish just 'hang out' until they are mature.

Some people in class have referencing the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Australia, a place that I hold near and dear to my heart. Probably the best (and I think the only) example of a long standing marine reserve, the GBRMP now has available the data which is needed to evaluate whether reserves really are accomplishing the goals they were established for.

One area of development that I am particularly interested in is the need for some kind of legislation on either reserves or protected areas in the Bahamas. There's been a lot of movement forward in deciding what needs to be done and which areas should be protected, but really I don't know how effective it'll be if there isn't some kind of community effort to go along with the scientific one. It seems like a bad idea to just tell people they can't do something without having involved them in the decision making process and to not explain to them why they can't do something. What you'll get if you cut out the community is an increased rate of poaching in the reserve and a distanced community that will be highly resistant to any sort of scientific intrusion. And that's a bad situation all around.

Once again, more evidence that community education programs are an essential component of any conservation effort.

New Fun Stuff!

I'll start posting fun things that I see during the day. We'll call it Esther-cam. How's about that?

For our first installment of Esther-cam, here's a shot of what I see over the top of my microscope everyday at work. Good times. I like to call him Sargeant Scope, or my own private motivator.

"What we have here is a dead shark."

I can't say that I'm entirely ok right now. Since breaking up I've entered the 'bitter phase' where I'm pretty much sick of seeing, hearing, and/or reading about people in relationships. A girl I work with was talking about how her and her boyfriend were being "couply" and how they "are in love" and I wanted to punch her. Really, I've never wanted to punch anyone more in my entire
life.

How come she gets to be so happy? What did I ever do to not deserve a good relationship? Wait, scratch that. I DO deserve a fine relationship. I deserve the best relationship out there. What's really bothering is why I don't have that. It doesn't really help when this particular girl spends half her time complaining about her boyfriend and then turns around and talks about how in love they are. Oy.

I don't like being bitter. Honestly, it really gets me down that I feel this way. It's not a good way to feel about the world. But it's one of those steps you go through on the way back from being in a relationship. I'm still angry at times, because who wouldn't be angry at someone who wasn't willing to compromise or take a chance in life on something that could be the most important thing they've ever done? But then again, a wise woman told me that if they had decided to take a chance then it would be out of character. So true.

But come on. Anyone who says that their family drives them crazy and then refuses to live more than three hours from them has some issues they need to at least admit to themselves if not deal with. Geez I promised myself I wouldn't rant but then again here I am, ranting away.

Anyways, here I am, a little woman who at the moment is bitter at the world. At least the couples of the world.

Numero Uno

Since this is my first post, I thought that before I delve into the inner workings of blogging that I would offer up a survey as a quick and easy way to get to know me. So, enjoy!

1. What are your siblings' MIDDLE names?
He doesn't have a middle name. He's got a really loooooooooooong name as it is. Hyphens and all.

2. Where is your dad right now?
At home. I hope his cold is better.

3. What was the last thing you said and to who?
"Do what you want" to Chris. Yeah I guess you could say I'm a little pissed at him but I think it's just the natural progression of dissapointment.

4. What is something you've learned about yourself recently?
That I'm 'impressive'. :)

5. What color is your watch?
green

6. What do you think of when you think of Australia?
Grad school, work site, future home, land of Mr. Right...

7. When was the last time you had to pee?
Actually right now..I'll be right back...

8. Who is the last person you liked?
I'm starting to jones on Joel McHale, that guy who hosts 'The Soup'. That's pretty bad.

9. Are you close with your mom?
Heck yes.

10. Where does your mom work?
She's a penguin wrangler for National Geographic and those documentary guys, and in the off season she's a Vespa tester.

11. Do you like the person who sent this survey?
Well I stole it from a friend who probably lifted it from someone else. Wouldn't it be fun to find out who started it all?

10. What was your favorite show when you were growing up?
Anything on the discovery channel

13. What color are your jeans?
blue.

14. Do you have roommates?
I live with my cat. Two years of bad room mates taught me that I'm better off living on my own. But living with my cat is seriously the coolest thing ever.

15. What color is your bedroom flooring?
wood

16. Do you have a chair in your room
Yes it's a blue recliner type chair

17. What time were you born?
about 2.30 in the afternoon.

18. Do you know anyone who is engaged?
At this point I have no idea. So many people I know are getting engaged and married and NOW THEY'RE HAVING BABIES WHAT THE HELL!!

19. What's your favorite number?
22

20. Do you know anyone named Laurie?
nope

21. What color is your mom's hair?
Brown.

22. Do you have a dog?
My folks do. Yay for Spud!

23. Where did you live in 1997?
Still in Salem.

24. What happened to you in 1992?
2nd grade. I think that was the year I learned what a marine biologist was and thus my fate was sealed.

25. Does your first memory involve your dad?
i remember sitting in the lap of one of my parents in a rocking chair and they're singing to me.

27. When was the last time you went swimming?
Last tide series I had to do the sampling at the beaches and we had to go into the water. It was freezing.

28. Has your luggage ever been lost?
Yes. I was one of those people December 2004 who was stuck in Philadelphia. I hate that city.

29. When was the last time you talked to your siblings?
About a month ago.

30. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
I worked at camp!

31. Do you play an instrument?
not currently

33. Do you like fire?
maybe

34. Where are your best friends from?
Salem and California! I can forgive Ielle for being born in Cali.

35. Are you allergic to anything?
nope!

36. When was the last time you cried?
Last week sometime. I think. Or the week before. If not last week then definitely the week before.

37. What kind of shampoo do you use?
Australian Organics.

38. Have you ever been to a spa?
Nope.

40. Did you take science all four years of high school?
Hahahaha yeah. I'm a science major now.

41. Do you like butterflies?
They're natures tinfoil.

42. What is the last book you read?
Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey

43. Do you like Coke or Pepsi more?
I don't drink soda.

44. What is one thing you miss about your past?
um...no idea. Actually probably the snow of winter of '93. Those were some good times.

45. Did you ever see the school nurse?
nope

46. Have you ever wanted to be a teacher?
I would love to go into community education conservation efforts. I think community education is an essential cornerstone of any conservation.

47. Are you jealous of anyone?
nope

48. When was the last time you were in an elevator?
Last friday on my way to work.