anonymitetens frihet...

I decided to change back to not have my blogger connected to my google+. Not that I’m writing about any state secrets, but for some reason it’s so much easier to write as Lunicrax than as myself. Anyone who reads this likely knows me anyway and who I am. 

While waiting for my diary to arrive in the mail (I ordered an amazing one from amazon) for the new year, I decided to revive this place a bit. As I mentioned in one of the two entries from last year, I don’t lack things to write about. I just never do it. 

Tidbits:

- My PR card renewal arrived today! Normal processing time: 3 months. My processing time: 8 months. Not because of my dubious background or anything like that, but because the first card got lost in the mail. Following protocal, I had to sign a “solemn declaration” of not having received it, and wait for another 3 months until my solemn declaration wormed its way from the bottom of the pile to the top. Previous wait notwithstanding. Sigh. But today, finally, I’m free to return to this country if I go abroad again. Rumour (friends with contacts at border crossings) has it I would have been let in eventually anyway, but likely not in a short time. 

- The sand I spread out on our massively iced over parking at the side of the house mysteriously disappeared, and I slipped and fell for the 2nd day in a row. Impressive feat, considering I was already very carefully crawling along on all four. Getting tired of the ice. But, happy as long as there is no snow. Meanwhile in sweden, I saw some extremely happy words from someone inland who saw snow flakes for the first time this (and last) year. They are enjoying an incredibly warm, wet and dark winter. Not sure what I prefer. Probably this. 

If anyone still has this in their feed, please kick on me to get some photos ready. 

Almost August...

...and I'm starting to be a bit less tired after the 3 weeks of intense astronomizing (conference in Holland, summer school at Arecibo (!!!)) and somewhat exhausting return trips to Canada. I have soooo many photos to publish in albums. Coming soon. This, I think, is my first evening alone, feeling calm, for a very long time, and it's great. Plus I got some excellent errands done (soon D's 30th b-day!).

And on Friday we get the keys to our new HOUSE, if all goes well. Photos to be posted as soon as that happens. Summer in Brockville is magical btw. I don't know why we don't have more visitors. To be remedied in 9 days (in-laws + BiL to be visiting).

While waiting for more photos, here is a photo I took during my time of contemplation of whether I would be able to go on the cat walk onto the receiver platform hanging 150 m above the 305 m dish of the Arecibo observatory. I did what Pierce Brosnan did... (i.e. not what 007 did)

"Hartstikke bird!"

At the peak of the temperature today, 7 degrees, I did go out for a jog. And it was nice! I guess the cold made me go fast enough to stay warm. Finally getting around to buy a swimsuit last night gave me all the motivation I needed for that (the trying-on-part, obviously...)

The rest of the day - Good Friday, I've spent reading, editing little movies in iMovie, editing RAW photos in LR, while every now and then chatting with family back home and David who's on duty in Montreal. Altogether very very nice. Under normal circumstances, I have no wish whatsoever to work on fun stuff on the computer after a whole day's work in front of a monitor..

A small update.

I've been writing blog entries in my head for months, and just never taken the time to actually enter them here! How annoying. About politics, science, anything, instead of just writing like I used to (and still bring in all those topics, but without the self-imposed demand that the texts be utterly awesome and amazing). So, time for a change (I hope).

As a little treat, here's a movie of Pinda talking! Well, if you've ever tried to film a budgie who talks, when he's talking, you'll know how impossible that is. In other words, the 30 s I got after 20 minutes of filming, don't include any easily understandable words. But it's definitely no chirping! And there is a "Pinda" there towards the end. Otherwise it sounds like he's saying "Hartstikke" every now and then. I did try to teach him to say "Hartstikke leuk" (heartwarmingly awesome or something like that in Dutch) a few months ago, but never heard him mimic it. Is he saying "Hartstikke bird"?

Things he does say when the camera is off include "Hey Birdy", "Gose-gose-gose" (sweet way of saying "cuddly" in Swedish, kinda), "Pinda-bird", "Pinda", "Wokkels" "Georgie" (although we've never said that, it¨s probably just some sound he invented himself that sounds like Georgie). Both Pinda and Wokkels (Pinda's beautiful turquoise friend) sound like a phone (possibly from the breeder's house), and Pinda also mimics an outside bird (which I have yet to identify), and purrs like a cat (taught by David). But I can't prove any of that. Yet.

Advent, flying by...

Ho hum. I likely have sinusitis. And will  be flying to Sweden in a few days. I got sick exactly a week ago with some cold-flu and it never disappears. But I really don't have a cause to complain. And I don't, really, I just wish I felt better (be gone, fever!) so I could work better. And so I could have my since long planned, and now majorly postponed (until Friday? until Thirteenth day's eve?) Swedish Christmas/Lucia/Advent celebration. If nothing else so we can eat all the acquired food before it goes bad. So yeah, nothing majorly problematic here I guess.

How amazingly awesome it is to have Pinda and Wokkels around when home sick though! And David of course, but right now he's away on a 3-day pairing. Which makes the birdies' company even more wonderful.

I acquired a Christmas gift to myself last week, a wonderful new camera. So I expect magical photos to be the result. But meanwhile however, I'd like to finish off all the photos from my old camera! And I certainly have a few! I need a new system for backing up though! Ideas?

I'll start from the end: Part II of the Italy trip!

Italia

In other news… I got offered another year for my postdoc! This is excellent news, which means I don't have to start applying for a new one until next year, and we get to stay in Brockville until September 2014! This gives me time to stay around for all the science that will come out of the project, not just to do the reductions…

It's November

...And it is a very nice November! I'm still not used to that. Novembers should be dark, dreary, wet and depressive. This one is bright, sunny, above zero, no rain, beautiful mornings, and the lack of leaves on the trees gives us an amazing view of the St Lawrence. Incredible!!

Life is being enjoyed reducing data, getting acquainted with galaxies, playing with birdies (who are currently fighting my fingers for space on this keyboard) and trying to upload the multitude of photos I've accumulated over the year. Here is a sample, the trip we made in October to Italy and eastern mediterranean. The first exploration vacation I've made in quite a while (I don't count trips to the homeland). Except for Florida last year perhaps.

And here are the photos. All 272 of them. But if you're interested in the resting place of Santa, amazing ruins, or just me and my family being silly, it might be fun to take a look. Perhaps. Let's see if this html works first...

Venezia and cruise, part 1