There are redshouldered hawks bitching the hell out of the ravens in the ravine. It's amazingly loud.

There was a small hawk (I don't know what kind) hanging out on the fence next to my parking pad last week. I both love to see and am totally in awe of and terrified of the raptors.

Aries (March 21-April 19). Freaky, unexpected events unfold at work.

Well, the scale wasn't at work, but I did use it on my lunch break--does that count? Definitely an unexpected event!

I think the swimming is really making a huge difference.

Between that and the treadmill, I must be burning up the calories (four times last week, and twice so far this one--I've got the sweats in the car for my evening treadmill workout on the way home). But, the dieting gets the most credit for the initial weight loss--I know I weighed more than 460 pounds when I started on January 8th (I thought it was about 70 pounds more), and am now at 408.6, so I've lost at least 50 pounds since then (I thought I'd only lost 30)! I've only been working out at the center and pool since last Tuesday, so it's gotta be the diet so far. Exercise is the key from here on out though, so I'm sticking with it!

Slow jams #1 forever, obviously. But that's me.

I am excited now, thinking about my future all-cheese diet!!

I am excited now, thinking about my future all-cheese diet!!

Yeah, but how do you feel about having your ear flicked by a prehensile tail?

The flood guy came back. Noisy fans gone, carpet back in place, fresh round of fungicide sprayed all around. This time, he told us about how many murders illegal immigrants commit. I won't miss him.

Meanwhile, I've lost two days of working time and I need a serial number to install something and I can't FIND it and it should be RIGHT HERE and now I am STRESSED OUT.

Slow jams #1 forever, obviously.

I had the thought that if Jesse didn't put this at number one, I wouldn't know what was real anymore. I mean, monkeys and cats are already sleeping together!

I'm being nibbled to death by ducks, and I have a headache.

There's a pair or two that nest in the ravine off and on. I can remember at least twice them raising a chick where you could see the nest from the lobby with binoculars. When they start hanging around, facilities often puts tassles on the windows because while the hawks have never injured themselves, it's really really freaky when one hits.

Oh! One year? The female took to hunting by dropping off the roof. So you'd be looking out the window and this missile would hurtle pass. It was awesome.

These guys don't look that big from a distance (they aren't golden sized or anything, maybe a foot and a half) but when one of them is at the top of the stairs with its wings spread over a squirrel? Freaking HUGE.

Yeah, but how do you feel about having your ear flicked by a prehensile tail?

Less excited.

I had the thought that if Jesse didn't put this at number one, I wouldn't know what was real anymore. I mean, monkeys and cats are already sleeping together!

Aw. Now I miss the Quiet Storm on Power 99FM in Washington DC, from about 10 years ago. That was some good times.

Birds of prey know they're cool.

That was one of my most favorite Far Sides.

We get red tails almost every day over the lab, and sometimes hanging out on the freeway lightpoles looking for lunch or dinner in the landscaping.

Caught a little bit of a raptor Nature the other night - they rigged up a wee camera on the back of a redtail, and then on a peregrine falcon. So cool.