Well, as far as entertainment goes, I have been enjoying watching lectures at semi-random from MIT. (super happy yayness for FREE movies about aeronautics and other happy topics :) They are posted here: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/courses/av/index.htm
And for the other part of entertainment… the ever-in-the-same-location Biology Trail! :D So now I am pleased to announce a short story…
…Once upon a time, as in the other day, in a land hot and humid, there was a multitude of greenery in a select location. A certain Longhaired Girl and a certain Bright Green "Rabbit" went for a hike. [This is a good time to mention that Rabbit’s current occupation is resident parrot at said girl’s home.] The Longhaired Girl was thoroughly enjoying the hike while taking in the fresh air and listening to the birds singing in the trees. Meanwhile, the Bright Green Rabbit clung to her shoulder feeling annoyed and bewildered at said wild and singing birds. He was upset to experience the great outdoors beyond the comfort of their house.
As the hike progressed, the Longhaired Girl soaked up the enriching experience that only the woods can give. However, she noticed that the longer she trolicked down the path, the more flustered the Rabbit was becoming. The poor Rabbit was forced to endure the sounds of mosquitoes and the lack of air conditioning. Furthermore, to his great disgruntlement, his "perch" wouldn't keep still, but insisted on continuing farther into the woods! All this made for a disconcerted Rabbit who leaned forward just as much as possible to show his anticipation to return to the little white car that would transport him to their little white house where he would be free of the ‘discomforts’ of the wild outside world.
Well, despite what Rabbit was thinking, the Longhaired Girl was enjoying the hike. So much so, in fact, that she decided to run along the beautiful trail. To care for her dear Rabbit, she promptly transferred him off of her shoulder and onto her hand so he would have a smoother ride. Once the Rabbit was properly installed, she joyfully took off at a sprint.
Things were going great for the Longhaired Girl who loved to exercise. However, the Bright Green Rabbit was not sure what to make of the situation. At first, he thought that they might be trying to escape from some unknown something. Nevertheless, there was a lack of something chasing them and the girl kept on running. So, he ruled that explanation out. Next, he decided that the Longhaired Girl finally got the hint that Rabbits were not made to experience the great outdoors. With hope, he thought that perhaps she was rushing to escort him back to the safety of A/C and an enclosed environment void of mosquitoes and feathered flying things that sing from trees.
With determination, he clung tightly to her hand, leaning as they dashed around curves and hopped over logs. Then the Longhaired Girl had a brilliant idea- she could hold Rabbit out so he could flap his wings while they ran. It had worked on short sprints before, so surely a run would be just as good! Promptly, she encouraged him to flap his wings so he could enjoy the momentum in a more bird-like fashion. He hated it. Him? Fly? Like a bird? What in the world was she thinking?!?
Needless to say, it wasn’t long before she gave up on that idea and went back to just holding him as she ran along. Sooner than the Longhaired Girl wanted and much later then the Rabbit demanded, and they were back at the little white car where their hike had begun.
As soon as they were in the car with the A/C on and driving back to the little white house, Rabbit was happy once more. And the longhaired girl anticipated the next day when she would go for a much longer run, while the Rabbit would wait for her return in their little white air conditioned house.
The End
