Simon invited me to the 16 things group and since I stupidly turned down an offer to see a watusi tonight, I might as well... 1) I met Slash at the Field Museum. (I've also met Elvis Costello at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery). 2) I don't know how to ride a bike. 3) I am very uneducated in popular culture, so much so that I've been accused of being a Russian spy. Movies frequently put me to sleep. Mostly, I'd rather read or wander. or sleep. 4) I've traveled across the Russian tundra by tank. I ate reindeer and drank vodka for breakfast. 5) I've spent the better part of the last decade working in a natural history museum. Hence, my fascination with taxidermy. 6) I'm an excellent speller. In fact, the only time I ever spoke in class or in public was during spelling bees. (I was, and arguably am, pathologically shy). I was my middle school's spelling champ. 7) I am a direct relation of Carolus Linneaus. 8) I never wear my seatbelt (unless it's a traffic stop or I've already been pulled over for speeding). 9) One of my earliest childhood memories is the time my dad cut off the tip of his finger with a table saw. I helped my mom look for his finger in the sawdust pile. 10) I grew up on a horse farm. When I was younger I used to compete at the National level. 11) I collect zoomorphic bird objects and ornaments. and owl trivets. (I'd collect trivets of other birds, but they don't appear to be in production, at least they're not in thrift stores). And concert posters, religious kitsch (especially religious cross-stitch), odd cake pans, baby scales, old dental and surgical tools, anatomical models and drawings, maps, globes, museum merchandise (from most all of the museums I've been to, I have at least one of the following: coffee mug, magnet, tote bag, t-shirt or pin). Also, earrings and scarves: when I travel I usually pick up at least a pair of earrings and/or scarf. And I am forgetting: concert posters, bones, weird taxidermy, sheep figurines, squirrels, nuts, seal intestine goods. oh and books and CDs. And found objects! 12) I dropped out of high school when my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. 13) I later graduated with a BA, summa cum laude, in 3 years. 14) I own and live in a 100 plus year old Victorian. And I'm a landlord. 15) I can see a Kirkbride asylum from my front porch. 16) I'm left-handed. I even type mostly left-handed (thus one-handed).

The king of bovine rock and roll was found on the counter of a cafe in Malham, Yorkshire. Not only was there various cow paraphernalia scattered around the place, the food was lovely and it was just a really nice cafe really - and they moved The King down on to the lower counter where he had chance to knock out a tune and a fairly convincing Elvis impersonation. The thing I am NEVER going to forget though, is when we went in there and got to the counter, that thing that looks like a cuckoo clock in the background sprang to life and a little cow came out of the door and moo-d the arrival of 10AM. No more pictures tonight, I'm off clock shopping ;)