What is the world coming to???

Today one of my students seriously disturbed me. Seriously. Here's our conversation (as usual, names have been changed to protect the seriously disturbed):

Dani: Look, Esmerelda, I have some Disney stickers. Do you want one??
Esmerelda: Ooooh, yes!
Dani: I got these at the dollar section in Target. Do you like Disney?
Esmerelda: Yes, I do! I love Mickey.
Dani: I'm a huge Donald Fan.
Esmerelda: I don't like Donald.
Dani: (look of utter shock) Well, Mickey is boring! So there. And, you're fired. Take that!

Okay, so I didn't say that fired part. But I thought it.
But really...how do you NOT like Donald?? How do you ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever think Mickey is better than Donald?

Okay, I've met some people who are brainwashed by Mickey's trance-inducing high-pitched voice and boring mannerisms. But most of those people like Donald. They just think they like Mickey better. Today might actually be the first time I have ever been awakened to the reality that some people might not like Donald. And I tell ya...my view of the world is seriously changed. damaged, even.

Please, everyone...if you are a fellow disturbed person, and like poor little Esmerelda, you don't like feathered, cranky, mischevious, feisty, adorable, plucky, singing Donald....Please don't tell me. It might push me right over the edge, and I might withdraw to my room and eat double stuf oreos for three straight days.

Now...I have to go seriously re-evaluate my roster of students for next Spring.

Happy Feet

I've got those Happy Feet!
Give them a Donald Duck Sock,
And they begin daaaanncing.......

Oh boy, oh boy...do I have a treat for you!!!!

Today, you are in for a real treat. A treat so wonderful, I nearly died.

Look what Adam's boss found on campus today:

Adam promptly took me to see/adore the find. And, like any good critter lover, I was ready to take it home. Never mind that our apartment does not allow pets. I would be willing to face eviction over this little one. No worries, though...little Quacken is on his way to a birdie sanctuary in the Boulder foothills. They were smart to confiscate him before my lunch break, or there may have been an emotional scene at the duck shed...

The treasure that is my walk home!

It's been too rainy to walk home as of late. That is, until today. So, I quite jubilantly started off on my walk. It's amazing: with every step I take, I feel a little more of the week and all its cares crumbling off and falling to the ground. That makes my walk home very cheap therapy! It also makes me wonder what a world of good a similar walk would have done me in Indiana, but alas, I digress...

I know I have often written about my walk home on my myspace blog. Well, today I brought our new little point-and-shoot. I needed practice learning all the tricks on this camera. I also thought I'd photodocument my journey. Probably just this once, though, because usually I like to actually EXPERIENCE my walk, rather than experience it through a lens. Oh, and p.s.-my walk usually takes 20-25 minutes. Today, with all these wonderful diversions, it took an hour!yay!

Okay, here goes:

First and foremost, the only duckie I saw on my walk. I had to zoom in as far as my teeny camera will allow. The creek is really high right now, so I think ducks might not be as eager to dig for grubs.

This is a bridge I sat by for a while. I get to cross four bridges on my walk home. Each one has wooden planks that shift a little, especially when a bike whizzes by.

I like to get close to the water:

Here is the Boulder Creek Observatory. There are three viewing windows like this:

If you get closer you can see this guy:

Here is the view of the observatory from the bridge. You can see that I was down there, and but for that cement wall, I would have been whisked away by water:

Here is a mushroom that is growing by the creek:

And finally, to top it all off, the CU greenhouse is right by my married student housing complex, so I am often treated to their wonderful display of xeric flowers~! See why I love my walk home??

What's in a name??

In case you were wondering why my blog name and url contain references to ducks, let me explain:

I like ducks.

I LOVE ducks!

One in particular: