the good, the bad, and the kitty

This is me.

While I do not frequently dress like a Bandito, I do stick my tongue out a lot.  I also swear, belch, and make a damn fine vegan lasagna.

Some of my interests include:
Animals. Photography. Books. Horror films. Riding my sweet-ass bike. Hiking. Wildlife rehabilitation and rescue. Feeding dead rodents to permanently disabled birds of prey. Owls. Caves and caving. Stickers. Food: eating, cooking, and nutrition. Making things. 19th century insane asylums and medicine. Zombies. Asian cuisine. Coast to Coast AM with George Noory. Peacocks. Physics. Vegan recipes. Hello Kitty. Beer and wine. Holland. The Pacific Northwest. Christmas lights as year-round decor. Old cemeteries. Coloring books and crayons. Ghost hunting. Dutch pastries. Music with banjos in it. Hillbillies. Circus folk. Bamboo bed sheets. The Amish. Being barefoot. Military surplus stores. The woods. Cryptozoology. Tomatoes and mushrooms. Wearing hats.

I live in Iowa City and work for the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics.  I have a bachelor’s degree in English from the U of IA.  I live in a suicide house I bought in July of 2008 with my most excellent boyfriend Ryan and three kick-ass cats.  Here we all are.  We get along smashingly.

(Me and Ryan / Oliver, Clementine, and Sunshine)

I intensely dislike my day job but adore my volunteer work, which is feeding disabled raptors at the Macbride Raptor Project at Lake Macbride.  I work on Thursday nights and feed the owls – and the two hours I spend each week with my feathered friends mean more to me than the 40 hours I actually get paid for.  One of my goals has been to one day become a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, and care for injured, orhpaned, or sick wildlife.  In May of 2008, I began my training as a wildlife rehabilitator with the MRP, and have worked mainly with red-tail hawks.

In addition to wildlife rehabilitation, I am interested in one day running an animal shelter or sanctuary.  There is a lot wrong in the world of animal sheltering, and I want to be part of the group who makes things right.  Animals have always been the most important part of my life, ever since I made my first friend – Kizzie cat.  They are my family, my friends, and my furry children.  They are my reason for living.

What about photography, then?  Well, I like it.  I like it a lot, and I’m pretty sure I always have.  I like it for several different reasons, from the shallow (I think I’m pretty good at it, most of the time) to the deep (photography enables you to freeze time and capture one moment for an eternity).  I have done some freelance photography work, including weddings, senior portraits, and sporting events, but I have never been a “professional” photographer.  I do enjoy photographing animals, and think a pet portrait service would be a lot of fun.  I also like shooting people in their natural environments or at least doing things they enjoy in a foreign one, rather than posed, bland, studio shots.  I love candid photos and lurking and taking photos nobody realizes I’m taking.  I am a ninja with my camera.

I guess that’s it.  Or, at least, all you need to know.  If you want to know anything else, ask.  If you want to stay up late, stay up late.  If you want to eat more cake, eat it.   If you want to be happy, then do it.