Theecarey's Journal

09/14/2009 14:50 #49766

Catching Up Journal Publishing Plan

Ok, here is the deal. I've been slacking on updating this journal for quite some time. I have partially- to fully written journal entries saved for eventual publishing, but they were just in need organized thought and/or of my getting photos off the camera, resizing them and then putting it all together here. The way my mind works is that too much time went by, so I didn't bother- figured it was too late-- and some entries just couldn't be posted without other ones in place, so I just kept putting it off.

A years worth.

Oh damn.

So now it is bugging me that I don't have anything organized, published for reference or amusement. Therefor for the sake of prosperity and the need to have a 'home base' for everything to be in one spot, I am going to work on completing and publishing those entries.

Even besides that, I need to do a photo dump in general, so between the two needs, there will be (hopefully the procrastination is over) several posts on the way as I do not want to stuff them all in one entry.

I haven't decided how I want to organize them, but alas, they are coming. If only for my benefit to look back at in years to come. I hate not having those various things documented here (or anywhere).

I think I will start current and work my way back.

To start the "back posting" off:

1. (9-13-09) Spider web sans spider:
View out the window next to my home desk. Appears to be a bee (yellow jacket?) wrapped and entangled in a spider web, like a burrito.

Missing Image ;(

2. (8-28-09) Mouse in the house:
My cat Joey, who is strictly an indoor cat, is let out into the attached garage to play. He seems to have a lot of fun out there exploring and finding new 'toys' to play with. Sometimes he brings these toys into the apartment- a piece of string, a milk ring from the recycle bin, or a mouse who unwittingly wandered into the garage. This is where I have to step in and save or throw away a mouse.

This one was completely uninjured and rather cute. I scooped him up into a cup* and snapped a few pics before releasing him into the woods, away from the apartment.

see also, mass consumerism.

3. (5-20-09)Just Joe
Vegging out after a long day hunting prey in the tropics of youngstown (garage)

4. (8-31-09) (since I can't leave out his sister) Just Kayla:

Trying to get some work done:

and by work, I mean reading (e:strip):
((e:tinypliny) in this picture!)

5. 8-31-09 (ok, and Emmy) watching me write an email.

5. (9-6-09) Snowing on Labor Day weekend:
Waiting at a light in Niagara Falls,I caught a glimpse inside the Snow Park, Labor Day weekend.

I had wanted to wander around the Falls, but the park was so packed, even the parking lots were filled to capacity. I decided to leave as my heart was set on walking around somewhere yet not necessarily the falls. Instead, I back tracked to Lewiston and headed into Art Park on my own. Just a few pics were taken.

7. (9-6-09) Art Park
looking out over Art park facility and Niagara River

I can't remember the name of this statue on Canadian side as seen from Lewiston.

edit: (e:vincent) commented that, "The monument is named after General Sir Issac Brock a hero in the War of 1812. He is pointing across the river to the U.S. in essence saying "Stay on your side of the river."" Thanks, Mike! awesome!

ah, see.. that statue in the back ground. that's the one I can't remember the name of. at all.

Niagara River, zooming in to activity on Canadian side

simply liked the texture of the grate and grass

rear of house on hill over looking the Niagara River. I would very much like to see what they see at night out their back windows. At the very least they would have a spectacular view of Lewiston, Youngstown, Niagara Falls Ontario, Niagara River, Lake Ontario and Toronto.If this is your house, please invite me over with my camera. Thank you :)

green swampy pond- visually interesting except for the beer can.

I don't know... pointing to my car, maybe?

took a short rest on some fun colorful picnic tables before leaving

on a trail

and that's it for now. All in the past week or so..
and I want to work my way back to last September? oy!

I also aim to break the entries down into 25 pictures or less even if related to the same story.

tinypliny - 09/17/09 15:32
I meant (e:theecarey,49743)

I scrolled down a bit too far because my hand sort of suffered an involuntary shiver looking at those pics again.

tinypliny - 09/17/09 15:30
"It was gone within a day..."

Talk about even more disturbing follow-ups. Nice. Maybe the predators looked similar to the one in (e:theecarey,49392)

theecarey - 09/17/09 15:25
yes, Tiny, I need to focus on the present- as in, post more blogs regularly, than to procrastinate and never do it at all or be in the position to want to back post like crazy. learned my lesson :)

I'm sure I will have many more gross, scary and disturbing pics.. and I don't know why. That bug death pod was gross. It was gone within a day..

theecarey - 09/17/09 15:17
my fave too, Peter!

THANK YOU, Mike.I guess I never knew what it was called, as even that name doesn't sound familiar. Well after looking at it more times than I can count, I finally know what it is. Again, thank you :)

(and yes, being in a funk makes it hard to write anything.. guess that is why I have a years worth to catch up on. yikes! Hope your funk recedes soon.)

tinypliny - 09/17/09 15:17
Hehehe.. you know, I had these very thoughts some days back and I was all excited about building this website to serve as a central personal reference of my ENTIRE presence on the web (quite crazy and varied and under a variety of pseudonyms, btw). But then I realized it was too much work and what's google for anyway?

I think the best thing to do in such cases is to let go. Let go of the guilt and the past and enjoy the present. :)

OMG, the mouse is so cute. Although, you probably single handedly boosted the population of its species by releasing it.

And why do you have this tendency to post somewhat disturbing pictures... Your spider meal pics remind me of all those creepy egg thingies hanging off the ceiling in some movie whose name I can't remember now. I think the actors go into a hall and there are rows and rows of things hanging off the ceiling waiting to hatch or something. Almost like the 1st X-file Alien pods but worse - because things FLY out when they hatch. UGH.

vincent - 09/15/09 01:02
The monument is named after General Sir Issac Brock a hero in the War of 1812. He is pointing across the river to the U.S. in essence saying "Stay on your side of the river."

Yea, I know it's tough to keep up. I've been in some kind of funk lately and haven't really posted anywhere for the last couple of weeks...

metalpeter - 09/14/09 18:10
Keeping up on line is tough for me as well, between (e:strip), Facebook and Myspace it is tough. (e:strip) is of course my favorite.

07/24/2009 01:13 #49366

Asian experimentation- ideas, please!

as part of a date, we will be hitting up some Asian markets and finding ingredients to experiment with for dinner. I'm not sure what he may have in mind, but I would like to go with a few ideas in my head as well. My mind is seriously drawing a blank.
Any meal/recipe suggestions- that aren't insanely complicated or time exhaustive? We both have an open-minded palette, if that helps.

and yeh, we'll have delivery menus on hand just in case.. haha

theecarey - 07/25/09 23:03
mmmm those summer rolls sound fantastic which I definitely intend to make sometime. I printed out both of your awesome ideas, (e:jbeatty) and (e:janelle). However, we went with a pork entree. Nothing 'fancy' as we pretty much winged it when we headed out to a couple of markets to check things out. I love scouring those markets on occasion, and it had been awhile. We constantly got so side tracked looking at everything (ever see those expensive boxes of bird nests ranging in price from $189.00-$429.00) and talking, that at some point we decided on quickly grabbing some veggies and spices and lychees. Pork strips, scallions, garlic, red pepper, onion, and several spices and a few oils that made for something very tasty. All this over rice. As a shortcut, we steamed a package of leek dumplings. Next time, we will have a tighter plan for what to make, but it was yummy and lots of fun nonetheless :)

janelle - 07/25/09 09:14
So??????????? What did you make?

hodown - 07/24/09 17:25
Summer rolls are SO good- but super labor intensive- I make them a few times a year. I'd suggest leaving out the pork and just boiling the shrimp and cutting them in half- it works better that way.

jbeatty - 07/24/09 10:56
Goi Cuon-(Vietnamese Summer Rolls) would be a fun dish to make together. It looks really impressive and tastes great. You can put whatever you want in these but here is what I use.

Shopping list:

Circular rice wrappers (banh trang)
Rice vermicelli
Raw Shrimp(deveined and peeled)
Pork(any cut but tenderloin is cheap, cut into small pieces)
Mint
Thai basil
Lettuce (any kind)
Carrots(julienned)
Garlic
Chives
Rice Vinegar
Fish sauce (nuoc mam)
Hoisin Sauce
Sriracha
Peanuts

Take some water and a couple splashes of rice vinegar and boil. Add shrimp till cooked. remove liquid, but save it. Use the same pan heat it add some chopped garlic, stir fry for a minute, add pork and sear it. Add fish sauce and a little bit of the reverved liquid. Cook until pork is done. Cool the shrimp and pork.

Cook the rice noodles till they are tender, shock them in ice water.

For the rice paper I just soak paper towels and alternate wet towel and rice paper. It only takes 1 or two minutes before they will be flimsy enough to roll.

Take pork, shrimp, noodles, mint, thai basil, carrots, lettuce, chives and roll together like an egg roll.

For dipping sauce: 3/4 hoisin, 1/4 sriracha with some crushed peanuts on top.

For simplicity you cook cook the pork and shrimp any way you like, or you could subtract pork altogether.

janelle - 07/24/09 10:07
Get canned rambutan as a side dish. It's a type of fruit and you can find it canned in stores that sell Vietnamese food.

A simple Vietnamese side dish is to get corn and grill it. Parboil it first and then grill it. Near the end of grilling it, brush scallion oil on it and then sprinkle with salt. Scallion oil is made by chopping up three to four scallions into small pieces. Heat one cup of oil in a pan on the stove. When hot, throw in the scallions, stir for 10 seconds, then take off the heat.

Pick up coconut milk in a can. Sautee lemon grass, chicken, ginger, then add coconut milk and curry seasoning for a Southeast Asian curry chicken. Add red pepper flakes to give it a kick. Or try making a soup using coconut milk, chicken stock, chicken or scallops, and add seasonings.

Have fun!!!!

09/11/2009 12:23 #49743

Which Item Doesn't Belong? For Tinypliny

oh, you know the story..
(e:theecarey,45899)
(e:theecarey,35925)

and now for the exciting season premier of

Itsy Bitsy Monster part 3!!

That's right folks, we have another monster sighting.

Laundry. I actually like doing laundry. I have a laundry shoot in my bathroom which leads to my finished basement that is rather cozy. It could only get better if I had a dumb waiter to hoist the clean laundry back up the stairs!

So why do my most traumatic scream inducing moments have to revolve around doing laundry? This also reinforces that basements of any kind (even clean ones with humidifiers) are scary. I hate dishes. So it would be much more appropriate to have traumatizing events paired to a sink full of dirty dishes.

And so, the story of last nights episode begins with my running down stairs at 11pm to throw in a load of whites. I usually do my laundry at night, which does not help the creepiness factor at all.

I was picking stuff up off the floor and cramming it in the washer while it is filling with water. As I proceed to stuff the last item in, I notice movement.

ugh.

I do a double take and immediately realize what it is.

It is the star of the show!

(scream #1)

"It" is trying to get away from the water! I quickly turn the water off and watch it attempt to climb the washer basin. It is grabbing onto the little holes in the washer to pull itself up. I think I saw it pull out some rope and carabiner all the while swearing at itself as it slide back down to the dampened laundry.

I was frozen in my moment of being grossed out and freaked out, but then I thought of (e:tinypliny) and her concern over not having any real updates on the monster in quite some time (almost a year!). So I ran back up the stairs and grabbed my camera.

and a dried up mop that hangs in my stair case.

(I need protection)

How would I get it out? I did not want to try to wash it to his death. As:
1. That thing is so huge, I do not want soggy spider bits strewn throughout my laundry.
2. I would actually feel bad. No, I really would.
3. We all know it wouldn't die. It would enjoy the water ride and then get fluffed and de-static in the drier. Maybe a mani-pedi afterwards?

So how to proceed?

If my neighbor (who I share the building with) was home, I'd have called him to help me. Seriously. He is a Sheriff/Seargent and *should* have something in his arsenal to take down a mutant spider, right?! It was too late to lure anyone over to help me. Alas, I was alone.

(well, not really...)

Not sure how to get "him" out, I thought I would "encourage" him to come out on his own. We seemed to have one thing in agreement: he didn't want to be in there and I didn't want him in there.

I made a towel bridge. Took a towel and dangled it down into the washer and offered him a ramp to climb up and out of the washer (no, I had not thought yet about what to do once he got to the top). He seemed receptive to this.

Once he got partway up the towel, he maneuvered along the back of it so I couldn't see where he was going. Silly me poked my head in for a closer look.

These bastards JUMP.

and so do I.
(scream #2)

(Next time I wanted to see where he went, I used my camera to take shots into the washer to see if I can find him without having to shove my face in for a closer look. This worked! I shall write a hand book.)

Although he got the idea of the ramp, he didn't follow through to getting himself out, so I knew at this point I needed to lend a helping hand (separated by the distance of a mop, that is).

The handle of the mop has a hole for use in hanging the mop on a hook. This hole (as with most everything else in existence) is smaller than the spider. If I could get him to sit his fat ass down on the handle, then I could swoop him up and out of the washer.

Now some people would have just squished the hairy freak with the handle, but (OMG) I didn't want to be sprayed with spider guts.I had prodded him a bit, and it felt like I was pressing into an animal. This thing has substance. I'd need a bow and arrow rather than a mop handle to do any real damage.

So I proceed with this rescue lift attempt.

Again, he seems receptive to this.

A few attempts and some 40 minutes later, we've got it. I scoop him out of the washer and before I can think of what to do next, he hops off the broom and gallops across the basement into the darkest corner under the staircase.

Turned the washer back on, added some bleach and got out of the basement.

My throat hurt from screaming (I'm not much of a screamer) and my heart felt like it was in my throat for awhile.

He is still down there.. somewhere.. eating children and puppies.

Until next time, friend*..

I actually thought to take a video sometime during that whole episode (I'll work on uploading it).

The star:

Ok, at this point, He/She needs a name. Go for it!

The Towel Ramp

Dirty socks

The underside of the towel ramp

pyrcedgrrl - 09/14/09 18:22
Wow. Now I get the full effect of this story. That bugger looks like he could have bitten off a limb.

theecarey - 09/12/09 23:40
and (e:tinypliny)? you have me suspicious of all your concern and insight. I think you are an arachnid hybrid...and an axe murderer. :)

Your comments terrified me and made me choke with laughter. Well done, hahhaahhaha

I have more laundry to do tomorrow...

theecarey - 09/12/09 23:35
(e:uncutsaniflush) Thanks for the information. I spent some time earlier this morning reading through the PDF link. I'm not pleased with the knowledge that this creature has eight eyes, but it is nice to confirm the name and some other tidbits of information, on this spider and a few of the other classifications.

paul - 09/11/09 20:12
That is one scary ass spider.

uncutsaniflush - 09/11/09 20:03
Based on your photos, it's probably a wolf spider see :::link::: and :::link::: for pix.
Wolf spiders are native in Western New York and are extant in most of the U.S. They have a unique configuration of "eyes" according to experts that makes it easier to identify. You also might find this pdfpublication of NYS DEC helpful :::link:::

metalpeter - 09/11/09 20:00
I'm wondering who would scream louder you or your cats if they saw it. Maybe if you have a cat carrier you should just use that to capture that thing.....

libertad - 09/11/09 18:15
I don't understand how a spider like that could be a native species? I'm really not sure how I would capture that thing...you should probably think of something for your next sighting. Maybe if you knew what type of spider it is you can figure out a way of removing it from your home.

I'm not sure what scares me more, looking at the photos, or (e:tinypliny)'s hysterical comments. You can name it Thee's Terror?

tinypliny - 09/11/09 15:26
I am in total shock and awe that you are still alive.

Anyone who knows about the internal workings and politics of celluloid eight leggies also knows that they have big brains and memories. These creatures from the beyond seldom leave their molester (in case you had any doubts, that is YOU!) unpunished. Why, you don't even hear them sneaking around spinning your doom-web while you are sitting here at the computer and singing tralala!

I say, the time has come around for you to check obsessively for small cracks and chinks leading UP from the basement. Check your toilets 10 times before using them. Apparently these things can also swim fearlessly and deathlessly UNDER toilet water. I think for best security, you should also check shower faucets and ANYTHING that is remotely connected in any part to any connection in the basement.

Tea? TEA?? This calls for blood. Black obscene eight-legged monster family blood.

Did you know they never forget a feud? Whoever said Elephants can Rememeber was completely stoned. It is SPIDER_MONSTERS that have memory cells as big as Lake Erie and 1000 times as Eutrophic. Things can grow in them - and so can algae, webs and evil thoughts.

(e:theecarey), my thoughts are ONLY with you in this webby times. Really, I can't think of anything else.

Maybe you should give wild animal control a call - or one of those soldiers, you know, those who sit around chewing their nails till an emergency like this hits the roofs of people in their area?

theecarey - 09/11/09 14:48
yes, exactly, (e:jenks)! It is bizarre to actually 'scream like a girl' and to realize how involuntary it is. I'd have a heart attack if anything came swooping down on me. I remember your bat episode. Oy!

(e:tinypliny), for the sake of my sanity, lets pretend that there is only ONE spider of enormous size living in my basement and it is the same one I keep documenting here. That is what I have been telling myself for the past couple of years, and it is working for me. DO NOT burst my sanity bubble :P

There was nothing calm or casual about getting those pictures. Holy crap I felt like I was on a major dare to capture each one. However, I shall be Warrior Princess. Carey Warrior Princess? Thee Warrior Princess? bah, needs some work. Anyways, the pics came out of necessity. Previously when I have written about it, the story really didn't do any justice. Sounded like I was going batty over a little "eek, there's a spider".

98% of the laundry in the wash were cleaning rags and a couple of outdoor working clothes, so between bleach and two wash cycles, I think the monster cooties are gone.

Maybe.

want to come over and check?
bring your hacksaw?
have a lovely cup of tea?

(e:mrmike)- you have a spare cage over at that zoo?

jenks - 09/11/09 13:32
Oh
My
God.

I am not scared of spiders, but....
JFC if I saw that thing in my laundry, I would scream too.

(and I hear you on the racing heart... I'm usually not much of a screamer, but when I had the bat in my apt and it kept swooping at me... wow... I was screaming like a girl and throwing myself on the floor, lol. It's like it was an involuntary reaction. I never thought I was even capable of something like that, but, yeah. wow.)

tinypliny - 09/11/09 13:11
Where do you live, again?? I AM SO NOT coming close to your street, or may be your constituency or town..

OMG. Are you sure this thing is not a tropical-buffalo hybrid of a genetic mutant human-killing tarantula??

You have to be like Xena Warrior Princess or something to be able to casually TAKE pictures of this monstrosity! Or completely under the evil influence of the villain. I say get an exorcist! They are listed under X in the yellow pages - so only desperate people can find them. I call this pretty desperate.

mrmike - 09/11/09 13:10
Quite the highwire act in your laundry room

tinypliny - 09/11/09 13:05
OH MY LORD!!! BURN your clothes, burn that washer!! Burn that basement down!! EEKS EEEEKKS SUPER-EEEEKKS, you have a mutant family of eight leggies in YOUR HOME! How can you remain calm at a time like this!!??

Can it be possible that the mutant has hypnotized you in some way that you are artificially being kept calm - you know, UNDER the influence of spider vomit or something! (e:theecarey)!! Get out while its not too late. How CAN you possibly wear those socks now and use those clothes, they will get eight leggie murderous COOTIES all over you!

OMG. OMG. OMG.

MUST. TAKE. DEEP. BREATHS.

SAY, WHERE IS MY HACKSAW!??

07/27/2009 01:40 #49392

Buffalo Infringement Festival '09

eh, I haven't fully looked at what is going on yet, but the current(?) Artvoice caught my attention. So I am just taking a look now (online- as I left my paper copy on friends coffee table) to see what events I'd like to check out. I am sure there is something!

Anyone have plans to go to/have gone to any of the many many many Infringement activities?

Buffalo Infringement Festival '09
Thursday, July 23-Sunday, August 2, 2009

Over 500 events! Over 240 plays, bands, art installations, films, parties, etcetera! Over 40 venues (and non-venues) in and around the Allentown neighborhood of Buffalo, NY!
ART UNDER THE RADAR

Every summer, the streets of the Allentown neighborhood of Buffalo, NY come alive with scores of events by local and visiting theatre and dance companies, puppeteers, media artists, poets, comics, musicians, cabaret acts, digital designers, and miscellaneous insurrectionists. The annual Buffalo Infringement Festival provides artists and audiences of all backgrounds the chance to come together, take chances, push boundaries, and explore uncharted territory because exciting art can happen anywhere, anytime, without a blockbuster budget. (Or any budget at all, for that matter.)

mrmike - 07/27/09 07:18
went to a porch concert last night :)

07/19/2009 13:00 #49331

fluffysimo, cannoli & one special prize

I was at the Italian fest for a little while yesterday with great company, a friend from I haven't seen since highschool/early college- it was entertaining to catch up with him. Good stuff! We enjoyed a giant slice of pizza and a cup of lemonade while playing a few games.

I was given the fish won (from tossing ping pong balls successfully into little glass bowls).

Meet: "Fluffysimo" (originally "fluffy" for all of two seconds then I was interrupted with, "Fluffy?!?! we're at the Italian fest, Carey- they need names in honor of the festival" so I proceeded with naming them, Fluffysimo) and "Cannoli".

I don't imagine they will live long, I have yet to see one stick around for more than a couple of days.

Please live little gold feeder fish. Please kitties don't eat them. That is not a bowl of fish soup.

As well as having the honor in selecting a large stuffed animal after getting the dart into the approved section of the board. I didn't even try the game, as my dart skills are more likely to injure someone than actually win anything. Alas, the giant, flat, pillow-like (and super soft) stuffed pug brought me quite a bit of humor (it is by far bigger than any real pug could ever hope to be).

But even more so, the real reason behind this post, was the humor in what I spotted among all the stuffed animals and other trinkets I saw spread out for prizes....

This is a sweet picture. The man behind the counter, collecting money, a partial display of stuffed animals.. and one more thing..

take a look--(edit)back ~~row~~ counter, which item does not belong?

is that one of the prize options? ;)

that was one huge bottle of pills- just out in the open.. crazy!

theecarey - 07/19/09 23:40
mmm yeh, the bottle of pills is it. A giant bottle of pills, actually. that was back row, but maybe worded wrong now that I look again at the picture- front row was cut off more than I thought.

metalpeter - 07/19/09 14:01
Glad you had a good time. I see in the front row a bottle of pills but what is in the back row?