Aminals are kool

I took down all the Christmas decor this morning (well, last night and this morning).  It's a new year, same old me (I have no intentions of changing).  One resolution I actually made and intend to keep is going back on the strict gluten-free diet I was not following at all last year, because the insomnia is back to pre-diet levels, and I'm tired of taking something every night just to sleep.

Other than that, the year pretty much holds what I had planned before the magical January 1 number - doing creative stuff, doing research, making cool things, and teaching at Double Wars.

I am excited about that, especially since a last-minute birthday gift from my mother made it financially feasible for Bob to come too (barely; we spent most of it on the down-payment for the new chunk of land we bought, increasing our tiny little wildlife empire).  Speaking of wildlife, the vultures are hanging around the chicken coop regularly, which I've never seen them do before.  Bob finds it amusing that I consider it a compliment to me that they want to stay there, but it does feel like a compliment, just a bit.  Oh, sure, it's a cherry nesting spot and all, but they're willing to have us wandering around, and aren't scared away by our presence, and that feels nice.

I'm a terrible anthropomorphizer when it comes to animals.  I give them personalities, and I attribute long conversations to them in my head (and occasionally in conversation).  I just like doing it, and when you spend a lot of time observing animals, it becomes very clear that they do have distinct personalities, and do have more interaction with the world and each other than simply "food, fear, POOOP! sex".  My vultures all have personalities, and watching the adults teach the juveniles how to fly was an absolute joy.  My friends' pets all have personalities, too.  Right now I am particularly enamoured of Ladybug, pinkleader's dog, because she has started to allow me to do things like sit on her dog bed with her, and she seeks me out for belly rubs (she's not stupid).  Of course, I love all my friends' pets equally, but we found out over New Year's that Ladybug regards me as a "high-value treat", which I find absolutely delightful.  Again, I'm being a bit silly, since Ladybug regards lots of things (and people) as high-value treats, but it makes me feel... special.

Oh, I don't know, I just like animals.  And I'm going gluten-free again.  And I'm teaching at Double Wars.  That's about it.