Sorry, I got a bit distracted from all this blogging. But with the new year, I’m back and might find some time to spew out more of my drivel.
Before I start anything new, I should clean up from last year. It’s not just that the blog has got a bit dusty, but there’s cat hair everywhere. If you’re allergic, it might be best not to wander below the fold for a couple of hours, until the remaining dust has settled.
My blogging slowed down and stopped because of my real world activities. There have been a few big changes in my life. A couple of years ago I had decided that it was time for me to move on from Helsinki: I had been there for over 11 years and it was time for a new challenge. After a pile of applications, I ended up being offered a job in Frankfurt, at a new research institute called BiK-F. The institute was set up to do research on biodiversity and climate change, looking at all sorts of aspects of it. My job will be to drink the coffee.
Frankfurt doing its best to look pretty
Over the summer, I also got married to Grrlscientist. This was not really planned, but was the easiest way of getting residency for her in Germany. We celebrated by watching the latest Harry Potter film (HP and the Haploid Prints, IIRC) in 3D. I’m never going to try riding a broom again.
Grrlscientist has now joined me here in Frankfurt, which means that life is more interesting. Especially as she brought her parrots with her, so on the first day of this Christmas we had a parrot in a fig tree.
A parrot in a fig tree. Not yesterday.
Of course, you all really want to know about The Beast. He took the trip over from Helsinki remarkably well, and settled into living in Frankfurt OK, although he did develop a worrying affinity for Twin Peaks.
What were you saying about an evil spirit called Bob?
This changed when the parrots arrived. Not to put too fine a point on it, he was shit scared of them. A few weeks on and he’s settled down, but is still remarkably flat when he scuttles past their door.
I really wish you hadn’t brought those birds
I plan to be more productive with my blogging now, as long as I can get away from domestic responsibilities, looking after the flora and fauna. We’ve gone a bit mad on buying plants, including an alien from Ikea, and also now have a small aquarium, which presently hosts some plants and an unknown number of snails. We had bought 3, but there seem to be at least 5 large snails and lots of little ones running around very slowly. The intention is to add a few shrimps to run around and provide entertainment.
A deliberate introduction – sorry about the foreground
¿You married with a Parrot, Bob?
No, the parrots are just a front.
And why not put a photo of you two?. To know them.
How did you adjust to living in Germany? I always find it funny how many of the small things can be different from one country to the next. And I’m not talking about the language or weather. Karneval in Mainz could be your next big culture shock. And please give me a shout if you two want to explore the northern parts of Germany.
I’m sorry, who are you?
Grrl has just discovered that we’re more closely related to birds than to other mammals, which might explain something. We would put up a photo, but we don’t want to scare anyone.
Martin – thanks for the invitation. We’ll try to get organised enough to take you up on it. You’re right, there are lots of small things that we’re having to get used to (like having to buy a new kitchen for our rented flat). But the glühwein provided popular.
Cath – I’m the one you removed 59 votes from in your recent poll. Remember?
Parrots+cat. A very brave combination methinks. Nice to hear you’re in the same place though.
The fig tree pic amused me – one of our budgies used to love clambering about in a Ficus benjamina, to the point of turfing the other budgie out of it. Perfect plant for parrot photo-ops, although I suspect it won’t hold up well to that -can-opener- beak.
hey, where’s scientia pro publica?
cracks whip
Dude. Not my doing. If you failed to mount an effective voting campaign, that’s not my fault…
(I thought your comment was one of the funniest, BTW)
Pttttttt. To both of you.
Ahh.. leaving Finland for Germany. Still have the sourdough bread handy though envious Congrats on the marriage!
And of all the things, I would never ever think that The Beast would be scared of the parrots. I thought it would be more into the “hunt, catch, devour” 😉 Happy that didn’t happen though!
I give up. I don’t understand why NN does that to my comments… this time I didn’t even preview.
Yeah – I’m trying to find my Danish bread book which has a couple of stunning recipes in it (I bought it cheap from the supermarket in Roskilde).
And The Beast is basically a coward.
Best, hamburger!
Åsa – I understand you. You should not surrender.
But, I can’t imagine at you as a picture red background, but her mind is beautiful. Best 2010!
Bob: Am i reading something like “smörrebröd”? 🙂 It’s a fantastic idea. And good tasting.
No Beast would ever be a coward. He might be a bit over whealmed about the flying part??? I mean, they look both slightly be big AND flying? ah well, it might be all for the best that there will be a stalemate and no attacks…
Dast Hamburger.
Congrats on the Precedings, Bob. You might be in with a shot of winning the competition.
This changed when the parrots arrived. Not to put too fine a point on it, he was shit scared of them
Poor Jack. He should get a few lessons from Naughtypants (Not His Real Name), who is afraid of nothing and is an expert at climbing houseplants, Christmas trees, etc.
Where’d that parrot go?
Lari, Larai…da..da..da, tooo, tooo, prrrr..prrr…Fi-fiu-fiu…(sput!). Hmmm the music is appropriate.That we have here:
The cat eats the parrot, but before the parrot bites the cat’s eyes.
The monkey eats the cat
The monkey kills Jack and twists the neck. Finally, the Monkey is the suprem in the top of the chain.
And they wonder where the parrot?
Then he extinguish for that
becausethere is not food.And we return to the same question: ¿who pulling the first-trigger?
A) The Parrot
B) The Monkey
C) The Cat
D) Jack
E) All
F) A and B
G) The sodium channel (Na+) opening of a motoneuron and shoot a great potential of action.
H) Nothing
I) A, B and C
J) G and A
K) Das Humbugger
“Chronicles of the modern evolution”.
“Once upon a time and commun day in the earth, one cat eats the parrot, but before the parrot bites the cat’s eyes”.
Ohh!- said Jack the ripper the parrot is my gold friend. Jack kills the cat with a great knife.
While in other part of the city.
One monkey escaped from its cage in the Zoo in London.
The monkey that is no silly, obeserved that Jack killed the cat with a knife.
The monkey takes the knife and cuts Jack’s neck.
– The cat was not my true friend. Said the monkey sadly.
Then, the monkey remove the cat stomach and parrot rescue. In order to recover your real girl friend and married.
The End