Revenge of the Trees

OK, so I'm a little late. Better late than never. The New Year has come and gone. Where do they go? Can I get them back? Is there an "undelete" key I can press? No?

I spent New Year's Eve and New Year's Day hanging out with friends, a very low-key way to ring in the new year and my favorite way to do it. Then, I got up early - early! - on Jan. 2 to go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium with more friends. They have the most amazing things there. (No live pictures, sorry. Forgot camera. Did I mention I got up early?) There is a whole room filled with jellyfish. They are incredible, just sort of pulsing along, doing their thing, whatever that is. We got there in time for sea otter feeding time. After they were fed, the trainers gave them ice toys to play with. These toys consist of clear plastic tubes full of ice with pureed fish inside. Otters eat shellfish in the wild, and they bang their food against rocks to crack it open. Well, they bang plastic ice tubes against rocks, too. And windows. Imagine four sea otters all banging plastic tubes against the windows at the same time. It's a racket.



The Monterey Aquarium is also the home of the Mola Mola, or Ocean Sunfish. This is, of course, not a real sunfish but a stuffed one I bought at the aquarium. The real one is roughly the size and shape of a king-sized mattress. This one makes a lovely couch pillow.




So, my next adventure will be a trip to Washington DC for the inauguration of our new President. I am excited. The first president I have supported in a long time actually won! Don't let us down, dude! I will be staying with my aunt and uncle in Rockville, MD. Since the birth of my nephew, I have been busily turning out baby hats. I made two for Riley (the nephew) and I just finished one for Stephen, my cousin's baby. I think that makes him my second cousin?



Purple, naturally. It is made from Lamb's Pride 100% Superwash Wool from Brown Sheep, for those who are interested. I will deliver it when I arrive in January. These are the ones I made for Riley:
















Another thing I accomplished this weekend was the de-Christmas-ing of the house. Yesterday, I experienced the nightmare that haunts all those who bring an evergreen tree into their home from outside.

My tree tried to kill me.

The thing stood there quietly for almost three weeks, unmoving, non-threatening, lying in wait in my living room. Then, yesterday morning, while I was stripping it of its ornaments, preparing it for the giant bin in the parking lot...(Did it know? Is this the reason? I'm not the one who stalked it in the woods, cut it down and brought it in. That wasn't me!!!)...it tipped over, lights, ornaments and all, aimed straight at my head. I managed to prop it up long enough to finish removing the GLASS ornaments and GLASS lights. Revenge of the Trees. Sounds like a B movie. Probably made by George A. Romero. Now that's it's out, I feel safe. I don't think they can climb stairs. Can they?



In closing, I offer a picture of my hamster, Illya, doing a little housecleaning of his own. (I know it's blurry. He's always moving, he's very hard to photograph.)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!