Corbin in Mexico

I'm not the biggest Corbin fan, but a close relative of mine is. I saw this above an internet cafe in Mexico and thought she/he would appreciate it. Is it really him? I can't tell for sure, but it at least looks a lot like him. But not even Corbin could sell me on Microsoft Vista. Stay with XP. My point is that you can't escape Corbin, so just "deal with it."

That's using your head

One of the few things that I don't like about Mexico is the quantity of mosquitos and other small pests. This afternoon I was cooking some rice in the kitchen, and a bold mosquito buzzed right between my eyes. I instinctively smacked myself in the head. For a minute I thought the joke was on me. He made me hit myself in the head. Then I looked in the mirror, and this is what I saw. I got him. Well, really it was a tie, because I smashed him, but he made me hit myself as well. And by Newton's laws of physics, he exerted the same amount of force on my hand as I exerted on him.

Beaver Town

My last visit before I leave the Northwest was to Corvallis, Oregon. There were three primary objectives of this visit: to transport a chair as an errand for my mother, to visit a close relative and her husband, and to see the memorial exhibit of Linus Pauling. Each objective was met, and as proof of the second objective I have posted a couple pictures.

Perhaps the most salient experience of it all was a tour of the nuclear reactor at Oregon State. The reactor is used for research purposes (not for electricity). The tour was impressive. Oregon State also houses a tsunami research center.

Lava Monster

One of my favorite pastimes is playing lavamonster with some of my favorite young friends who I will call Yolanda and Gabriel. Lavamonster is a game of strategy and endurance. The winner is the player who can remain on the couch the longest, without being dragged into the "lava" (carpet) by the "monster" (me). One of the most successful strategies is to hang on to the couch with one hand while pushing the other player off with the other. I have posted an illustration (by "Yolanda") which shows two players sitting on a couch and a lava monster trying to pull one of them off.

Journey to Bellingham

I went up to Bellingham to visit a close relative who I will call Shane. We hiked Sehome Hill, played games and went to dinner with his special friend, Jane. It was an unforgettable experience. I learned I don't like the Nintendo Wii, and that most drag queens are actually men. Here posted are some Bellingham art, and Shane, Jane, and me at a charming restaurant.

Jobless in Seattle

I spent the holidays and a few bonus days in the Seattle area with family. It was great to see lots of family and friends. We played games, went to Christmas parties, and ate lots of junk food. Although I would like to stay here a while, a rolling stone gathers no moss, and you know how easy it is to grow moss in the great northwest. So I'm going several hundred miles southeast to avoid such "moss" gathering.
The accompanying picture is a friendly squirrel who I digitally captured while here near Seattle. Small mammals (i.e. squirrels, opossums, moles, etc) thrive in this environment.