If you’re interested, cnet.com has 2009’s webware 100 to vote on voted by users. 10 categories to vote in.  Winner announced May 19th.  Voting ends this week!

http://www.cnet.com/html/ww/100/2009/categories.html?tag=mncol

The 14th Annual Piedmont Farm Tour is this Saturday and Sunday April 25th and 26th 2009 from 1:00pm to 6:00pm.

For a car full of people, it’s $25 in advance or $30 at the first farm you visit, and I think you get a ‘support local farms’ button.  You get to choose from 40 farms.  Fruits, vegetables, herbs, diary, eggs, cattle, etc.

A friend of mine sent this to me, and we are going on Sunday to some of the farms in her area.  Out of 40 farms to choose from, their map covers areas close to Mebane, Efland, Hillsborough, Hurdle Mills, Caldwell, Durham, Carborro, Chapel Hill, Pittsboro, to name a few.

Check it out: http://www.carrboro.com/htmls/farmtour.html

The List of Farms and Info can be found (also on the website under ‘get the map’) : http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/docs/09PFTmap.pdf

I hadn’t been playing any games for a while and all of a sudden wanted to play something.  So we tried City of Heroes/Villains.  It was really fun for a while, but then got tedious with just mission based things to do.  I played a hero and a villain.  I was able to fly with my hero, and my villain had some cool robots that fought alongside.  I took screenshots of my two characters before my account expired . . . and now we’re back into World of Warcraft.

I got this e-mail tonight.  So I would prefer that animals didn’t have to be exterminated at all, but if they did, I would want it to be the most humane way for the animal as possible.  Take action, Tuesday, April 21st 2009

And all the animals in North Carolina!

Your voice is needed on Tuesday, April 21 for the NC Gas Chamber Ban Call-In day.
The animals need you to pick up the phone and make a call on their behalf. It will take only a few minutes and after you’re done you can know that this simple act will help make a difference.

The House Bill 6 / Senate Bill 199 (Davie’s Law) that bans gas chambers is in danger of not passing. We need you to call in and thank Governor Beverly Perdue for her past support of the ban on gas chambers in North Carolina and ask her to make HER voice heard now and keep her campaign promise to end gas chambers in North Carolina.

Sept. 29, 2008 Perdue Statement on Animal Treatment
“As governor, Bev will work to ensure that animal shelters across the state use injection as the only method of euthanasia and will support legislation requiring its use and prohibiting other methods. It is the only way to guarantee that animals and shelter workers are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

Ask Governor Perdue to call on NC legislators to pass House Bill 6 / Senate Bill 199 (Davie’s Law) that bans gas chambers and allows only injection for euthanasia. This law ensures that:

• Shelter animals will have a more humane, peaceful death.
• Shelter workers will be protected from the harmful exposure to carbon monoxide.
• Taxpayers will save money as gas chambers are more costly to operate and maintain.

How to Contact Governor Bev Perdue:
Go to http://www.governor.state.nc.us/ and click on contact us. Complete the form, asking the Governor to support House Bill 6 / Senate Bill 199.

• Raleigh Office and Tollfree number: (800) 662-7952 or (919) 733-2391
• Eastern Office in New Bern: (252) 514-4825
• Western Office in Asheville: (828) 251-6160
• Piedmont Office in Charlotte: (704) 330-5290

On Tuesday, April 21, let’s flood the Governor’s office with calls and e-mails with the message to end gas chambers in our animal shelters! Don’t forget to say “thank you” for her support!

Want more information on all the bills effecting animals that YOU can weigh in on with your elected officials? Exercise your voice! Check out the comprehensive information on the North Carolina Voters for Animal Welfare Website >

Want more information on how to become a voice for the animals?
Visit the SPCA’s Watchdog and Citizen Advocate Center>

On behalf of the animals, thank you for calling in to Gov. Perdue’s office on Tuesday, April 21.

NC Coalition for Humane Euthanasia · American Humane Association · Animal Law Coalition · Wake Coalition for Animals · SPCA of Wake County

Yesterday, Gary and I spent the day cleaning up a small section of our driveway.  I didn’t take a “before” picture because we just dove in, but I did take an “after” picture.  For those of you who don’t know what it looked like – picture 3-5 years of growth and yard stuff.

piles of yard waste, tree branches, clippings from bushes, etc. – large pile of gravel left over from a truckload that we spread aroud – large pile of dirt – tree sproutings – tree branches hanging down too low – ripped out some grass, weeds etc.

It looks nicer in person than you can tell from the photo, but it looks great and we are now able to park the cars at the top of the driveway -woo 🙂

A friend sent me this video that is SO adorable of a teacup piggy, I just HAD to share it.  I rarely open up attachments to e-mails but she opened it first (haha)

Beware:  it will make you go eeeeee!  (or something similar)

You should also check out this video, it made me laugh each time I watched it!

Over the weekend, when Gary and I were at his parents house, I saw a few squirrels laying out in the sun, which was pretty adorable.  Or maybe it was the same one that came back a few times -haha

Anyway, the first time I saw it laying out in the sun and I went to get my point and shoot, and he left!

The second time I saw him, I was able to snap this shot, but it wasnt as cute as the first one, because the first time he was SO sprawled out with his front paws stretched out (True sun bathing luxury) . . .

and speaking of squirrels!

Gary and I had been hearing noises above us in the bedroom.  We also heard noises to the left of us in the bedroom.  Those noises are from the crepe myrtle scraping against the house that need to be trimmed back when we do some of the outside work on the house.  The noises above us sounded more like scratching and romping from something bigger than say, a mouse.

We had Orkin come out today and investigate.  Turns out we had a little squirrel up there that came in through a hole from where a piece of siding had come off, which explains why we didn’t hear it all the time.  Evidently he had made a little nest up in our attic (awww!)  and they saw his little head poke out of the hole and then he left.  So we have a temporary mesh wire piece covering the hole, and this weekend we will get a piece of wood and I’ll patch the hole for now.

I have a second microwave!

I’ve been needing one for a while, and last night we picked one out and brought it home.

I’m always cooking in stages, heating up just enough for the two of us, etc.  and I like everything to be done at the same time.  There have been so many times I have said “I could really use a second microwave”.

So problem solved.

We also needed a microwave for when we are renovating the kitchen, and don’t have access to the main one which lives over the stove (though that will be replaced with a newer model when we get to that part of our projects)  yay 😀

I was going to post this yesterday, but my couple hour nap turned into going to bed for 14 hours -haha

Anyway, hope everyone had a great Easter weekend.  Gary and I had brunch at his parents house (with easter m&m’s as pictured to the right), then swung by the Hibernian to see some friends for an hour and then had linner at my parents’ with easter baskets of jelly beans, mini chocolate Easter bunnies, and some plant seeds that we will be planting next weekend 🙂

note: brunch = breakfast and lunch, and linner = lunch and dinner 😉

My friend Adrienne gave me this cute spoon rest and a matching mug that is all cow spots when she was in Raleigh back in January that I use every day for coffee and water, and I just snapped a quick pic to share since I get to see them every day 🙂