SPARKS Rule - 30 AUG 2008

Today Tinky Winky became a Sparks Fan!

TW got very excited, but I think was mostly about the team colors.

Tinky Winky immediately bounded with “Sparky” the team mascot because he was willing to give him the shirt off his back. 

Although the megaphone was fun…

 TW found a better use for it.

The diversity of the audience gave TW a warm fuzzy feeling…or maybe it was the monkey hair. 

I wasn’t too sure why someone would bring TWO rubber chickens to a basketball game but TW said it was so one wouldn’t get lonely sitting home all alone.

Why did the rubber chicken cross the road?

To get to the Sparks game.

Religious Hair Explained - 15 AUG 2008

We were watching the Ellen DeGeneres show and she was talking to Southern Cook, Paula Deen. I finally got a good definition for the “religious hair” comment I overheard in NC. (See blog entry Big Hair – February 07, 2008.) 

Ellen: “The South is known for hair, the bigger the better.” (And she pulls out an old picture they found of Paula).

Paula: “Back in the 60’s we had wiglets…you pined it in your hair and you could get it to stand up this high (extends her arm above her head). The closer to Jesus the better we like it.”

Holy Union - 8 AUG 2008

Tonight we photographed a Holy Union for some friends.

I caught Tinky Winky playing in the floral arch before the guests arrived. 

A Holy Union is a commitment ceremony (like a wedding) usually between same sex couples who are denied the right to legal marriage. Although California currently allows legal same-sex marriages, there are many places which do not. Same-sex marriages are legal in Belgium, Canada, Norway, South Africa, Spain and Massachusetts. TW doesn’t understand why some people reject love that is different, yet similar to their own. But then Teletubbyland doesn’t divide its’ inhabitants into male and female. Where Tinky Winky comes from, they have everything they need and love each other very much, which is why they are always ready to share a Big Hug! TW sends Hugs and Kisses to Caron and Kathy.

Los Angeles Zoo Summer Slumber - 26-27 JUL 2008

We took some friends and spent the night at the Los Angeles Zoo.

We had activities and learned how to identify animals from their skulls. We learned to measure the skull and multiple by five to estimate the body length. Based on the location of the eyes we learn it was a predator if they are located forward and a prey if located to the sides. Based on the type of teeth, we learn it eats meats if they are pointy and sharp or it eats plants if they are flat like molars. 

We learn to identify hearing nodes in the skull that indicated a keen sense of sound. And the placement of the spine can indicate if it has two legs when the spin goes straight down, four legs if at an angle and no legs (or swimmer) if the spin goes straight out. (Tinky Winky tried to point out that no spin could mean it's a Teletubby, Beanie Baby or one of those critters found in gift shops.) Armed with all this new knowledge we tried to identify five skulls. Our first one was easy, as it still had it’s archeology markings on the bottom, identifying it as a dolphin.

Then there was a bird that looked like a hawk but we missed the large eye sockets that should have told us it has good eye sight and might be an Owl. The Beaver skull was very unique with it’s large flat sharp font teeth. But the hippo skull threw us off because we didn’t know that hippos have ivory tusks as well as teeth. 

And lastly we identified a predator as a member of the cat family but had no idea it was a lion as the head looked so small without the muscle and fur. 

After dark we got a private night tour of some of the animals but mostly found many (over a dozen) skunks. They are the zoo maintenance crew as they eat all the dropped popcorn, cotton candy and food stuff left by the visitors.

The next day they brought in some ambassadors for us to touch. 

We also got to visit a few animals in the morning before they went to sleep through the hot day.

It was a wonderful adventure!

Aquarium Critters - 24 JUL 2008

We went to the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific for an evening surf party.

Tinky Winky tried to take a shark ride but only got a wet behind.

To add insult to injury...this was their dryer:

Playing with the Puffin was lots of fun.

And then before leaving, there was the trip to visit like minded critters in the gift shop.

Choir Party - 20 JUL 2008

We attended the Choir Kokomo Pool Party.

Tinky Winky stayed away from the pool, as playing in water is not a concept known in Teletubbyland…however, TW did enjoy visiting with tall, dark and handsome Lewis.

A June bug landed on Judy and I said, “Hold still, I want to get a shot.” But Judy reacted like a game of hot potato, jumping and screaming. Then the June bug landed on Jeannie, who was such a sport...she held perfectly still, giving me time to get several shots.

Jeannie said, “It felt hot.” We decided wearing a live scarab on you third eye, must generate heat.

It was unusual to see a June bug in mid-day as they are nocturnal. Did you know the June bug is full of edible fats and proteins? It can be a rich source of food, an appetite stimulating medicine when prepared correctly.

Biker Show - 12 JUL 2008

The Los Angeles Calendar Motorcycle Show was at the Queen Mary this weekend. This is where you spend money to walk around in the heat looking at things to buy for your motorcycle.

Tinky Winky is still enamored with store display critters. But I would not let TW play with this doll fearing a repeat of what happen the last time rough charters were encountered. (See blog entry Feb 26th.) Cycle art themes are skulls, guns and babes…yet some of the art work was really pretty in a Goth sort way.
A few non-motorcycle items were on display such as this car that always drives forward with a steering wheel on both ends and a hot tub in the middle.

There was some fun entertainment for the $25 admission price. We saw a dance group call The Purrfect Angels. On their website they are defined as “a stunning group of dancers, singers, fire twirlers, aerial artists and acrobats."
And there was the all girl AC/DC tribute band, Whole Lotta Rosies.

People watching was also entertaining…I think the lady on the right strayed too far from the Queen Mary.
One can see something new every day if you just observe…this was the first time I ever saw a Dolly Parton endowed mannequin.

Glass Blowing - 14 JUN 2008

We took a glass blowing workshop at a local Jr. College. Tinky Winky was too flammable to actually heat the glass but found playing with my globes was a lot fun.

Just making simple globes was quite the challenge, sort of like blowing bubble gum, rubbing your stomach, patting your head and walking down the street all at the same time. None of the items difficult but remembering to do them all with equal concentration, takes some practice. The breakage to success ratio about 1:1. At first they were too small, then they looked like elephant man mutants and finally a large, somewhat even globe and the glass was too thin to survive trimming. This is really a craft where it’s much more difficult than it looks!

Fairy Play - 8 JUN 2008

We visited Forest Lawn Memorial Park for a mosaic class and Tinky Winky was attracted to this whimsical sculpture...TW loves Fairies!Although most of their art work represents some type of Biblical story, I found some that did not. This must be the female equivalent of the 'Thinker'. This horn blower is sitting on top of a mermaid. I was finding a lot of beauty in the dead Magnolia leaves.

Los Angeles Zoo Critters - 2 JUN 2008

This week-end Tinky Winky and I took a Botanical tour of the Los Angeles Zoo.
First Big Bear and now L. A., TW is really getting into visiting with stuffed critters.

This is an Alexandria Cycad. Cycads were a dominate plant, 200 million years ago. I always thought cockroaches would out live us all, maybe it will be cycads.

It can be hard to take artistic plant shots with TW helping.

Guess we'll have to return to see the cactus in bloom.

Big Bear Zoo Critters - 26 MAY 2008

This week-end was spent at the cabin in Sugarloaf and Tinky Winky was excited to visit the Moonridge Animal Park.

This is the best zoo of life because it really is an animal rescue and rehabilitation facility. All their animals fit into three categories: 1) they were injured and couldn’t be released back into the wild, 2) they were imprinted and can’t survive on their own, 3) they are part of the “Species Survival Plan” to re-populate endangered species. BigBearZoo.org

You could never get this close to skunks in the wild…and these guys still have the ability to spray! TW insisted on taking this picture so people could keep the dogs in order.