Eventful Week

This week I have seen oral arguments before the Alabama Supreme Court once and been to prison twice. Prison! Yesterday I went to Staton Correctional Facility (medium security) with a lawyer (and Tulane buddy of Dan's) to talk to a client (a prison official, not an inmate). Today I went to Kilby Correctional Facility (maximum security) for the regular law clerk tour that every group of clerks gets. It was something. Imagine all that you've seen in prison movies plus overcrowding plus no AC plus summer in central Alabama. NB: try to avoid becoming a prisoner.

Here are pictures from the cellphone cam:


Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes arguing before the Court.


Matt Beam and I at Staton.


Inmates working near Kilby. Just out of view is the big guard with a shotgun.


The front gate at Kilby.

In other news, I finally scanned 90 or so last-couple-of-months photos tonight, mostly of Scratch and Scout. So those will be trickling onto the blog soon.

Laid Back

About a week ago, I was driving along in the Explorer and suddenly, the seat broke! Specifically, the latch-thingee down on the side which controls the angle of the back of the seat. It seems that the teeth on the thing have worn down, so the seat won't stay up; it just moves freely. For a few days it was leaning back, but not all the way down. I was able to drive around like a pimp. Then a few days ago I was showing someone the phenomenon when the thing went ahead and broke all the way. Now the seatback is flat, resting firmly on the backseat. So now I have to drive around hunched over the steering wheel, like a large, blond, male old lady. The fun part is at stoplights, where I can just completely lay back, and can just see over the dash enough to see the red lights. So I lay down, and to cars around me, there is no driver. Then the light goes green and I pop up and hit the gas! That's entertainment!

Today I finally got a pillow to provide a little support to my back, but it really doesn't do much. It really just makes it more comfortable to lay back. One result of all this is that I have learned that the broken lever is not called a "latch thingie" but a "recliner," and I should have a new one put in this week, after calling numerous junkyards and parts people in Montgomery and Mobile and locating the part. More news on this as it happens. In the meantime, enjoy these action shots:


Wanna go for a ride?


Who needs a seatback?!


Starting to lose it.


Oh, daddy.

Bolivian Wrasslin'

Doesn't this look fun?!



For more, see NYT: "In This Corner, in the Flouncy Skirt and Bowler Hat..."

I got a bitchin' new car battery today. Now the Explorer starts with a vengance.

Montgomery is Damn Hot! No coastal breeze = sweaty duress.

Man Dies After Sex with an Arabian Stallion!

Did you see this?!?! I missed it last week but thankfully Stephanie just told me about it so I was able to look it up. It seems that, until recently, out in Washington there was a popular livestock whorehouse.

MSNBC (from Reuters): "Seattle man dies after sex with horse"
KOMO TV (Seattle): "Man Dies in Bizarre Case of Beastiality"
News24 (Cape Town): "Man dies after sex with horse"

Did you notice the good news that it was FILMED?

I hope no chickens were harmed in these activities.

Discovery

I stumbled upon this today:

Have you ever hit the F11 key while in your browser?
Do it. See what happens.

Radical.

---------------------------------------------
Edit, 11:48pm:

I just realized, I think the phenomenon mentioned above is probably Windows only, 'cause I know F11 does different things on a Mac. I guess all I know for sure is that it works in Firefox and IE.

For those who are unable to enjoy the effect that I'm talking about, when you hit F11 it makes your browser fill up the whole screen. I don't mean just maximise it; it actually takes away the status bars, toolbars, everything. You're left with only the window of content (if you have multiple tabs open in Firefox you see those too).

Kinda neat!

John Roberts

So the nominee has been announced. As I'll be working for the Judiciary Committee in the fall, please promptly submit all questions you'd like asked of Judge Roberts.

International Recognition

My keen eye and skills with a camera and with chicken stewardship have earned me a warm mention on The Ferocious Reader, the blog of Anna-Lisa, our favorite Southern Californian-turned-Edinburgher. She happens to be a skilled wordsmith, and her dad is a hell of a dancer.

Drinking

As Scratch helps herself to a sip of my water, Scout looks a bit leery of the idea.


"Should I drink that?"
"What's wrong with you? Of course you should."


"Ah, what the hell."

Work and Chickens

Two days of work at the Attorney General's office, Civil Division, and it's been good so far. Nice lawyers, nice fellow clerks, interesting work (although sometimes it makes me a little sleepy). Yesterday, my first day, I walked in and had been there literally 5 minutes before I was off to court with a lawyer and two clerks to watch a hearing. Neat.

Yesterday morning I called Bob to ask how Scratch and Scout were doing. He said my babies were doing very well! They've been personable and chatty, and it seems that Scratch has made a little next in the nest-box in the corner! I can't wait to go back and see them.

More photos coming up.

Last Days

Well Dannis came and went, with a stiff breeze and lot of rain, but otherwise not much punch by the time he got up here. Mobile and Orange Beach were spared too. And tonight I head down to Montgomery to start work tomorrow.

So, after the Florida trip, final exams, and Dennis, I am finally able to resume the chronology of my life with chickens. Here are some excellent photos of the fun we had during the last few days before the trip back to the farm.



One afternoon Scout decided to give the dining room light a try...



...but it was steep and slippery, so that experiment didn't last long.

Dennis Lashes Key West

What are the chickens going to do?!?!

In other news, I finally finished by summer school exams today. Yes! Now, no law school until January!

I spoke to the AG's office yesterday; due to Hurricane Dennis, I won't be starting work down there until Tuesday at the earliest. Speaking of Dennis, hopefully he won't destroy our home or our condo, which only recently became fixed and reusable after Ivan's destruction last year.

Lastly, back to the topic of "stay tuned," today I picked up the photos from Scratch and Scout's return to the farm, as well as those from the Florida trip, so soon I will post stories and photos from said events. That is, if Dennis doesn't knock out my power.

Back in T-Town

I'm back in Tuscaloosa; my bag is not. Yes, more trouble with Delta. We got separated from our luggage both flying down last week and flying back last night. Delta sucks.

Other fun: Stephanie and I got to town today at 12:30, I was at school taking a final by 1:30, and now I have two more to finish by tomorrow afternoon. Then move to Montgomery. Fun weekend!

Stay tuned for report and photos from Scratch and Scout's return to the farm and from the trip.

Also, Congratulations to John and Molly Sanders on the arrival of Kate!

And condolences to my beloved London for the attacks on the Tube today.

Until next time, enjoy The Chicken Store.

Key West & Ft. Lauderdale

As some of you may know, there are LOTS of CHICKENS in Key West! It was great! And we went to The Chicken Store!

Not so many chickens in Fort Lauderdale, where I currently sit.

In depth report to follow.

Marathon

Reporting live from Marathon, FL.

Trip (Mom, Dad, me & Stephanie) has been a bit bumpy so far...luggage delayed, nearly had hotel reservations yanked out from under us, I've had to do schoolwork...but overall we're in South Florida so it's hard to complain. I'll take palm trees and blue water over pine trees and bland land anytime.

The only real problem: we don't have any chickens with us! Luckily, Key West has them running amok, so hopefully I'll get some good chicken time down there.

Hopefully Scratch and Scout are adjusting well to the farm. I'll have to call and check on them soon.

Hasta luego.

Home Alone

I'm back from the farm, sans chickens. I'll give more of a report later, but for now I'll mention that Scratch and Scout have a nice little setup in a horse stall, and LOTS of company of all types of creatures.

They were very well behaved in the car, and let me carry them around for awhile at the farm without ever getting restless. They're so good. It was sad to leave them, but by far the hardest part was coming home to an empty house. I opened the door and expected to hear clucking and crowing and say, "Hello! What are you doing?" and see my happy chickens. But instead, all I found was the sad silence of an empty home.

The Long Goodbye

We had a lovely last night, and a fun day outside today.

And now, here we go, off to the farm.

Not a trip I'm happy about taking.

But at least the farmer says he's got a nice little apartment set up for them, and that he told his son, "don't be surprised if they wind up in the basement." So I know they'll be well taken care of.

I'm just going to miss them, and I'm worried that they'll miss me; they're so used to sitting around with me.

But I want them to be happy. Hopefully they'll be excited to see other chickens and animals and just have a great time in the country.

Okay, off we go...

A Shocking Lack of Interest in Ribs

This is something I meant to mention last week.

I got a slab of ribs from Archibald's, polished most of them off, and gave the chickens a couple of bones to peck at. They took a sniff, and a peck, and shockingly, WALKED AWAY! What?! My chickens don't like RIBS?!?! I don't know what the problem is, but it's certainly strange. I wish I had time to teach them the ways of the rib.

But they do like raisins. In fact I'm giving them a raisin snack right at this moment. Wait a sec.... Scratch now has a fuzzy string stuck on her beak, from pecking the carpet, and she can't get it off. She's not happy about it. Hold on...

Come here, girl.

Okay...I got it off for her.

Speaking of eating, it's odd; whenever I'm feeding them snacks, Sratch is always the more voracious chicken. She takes the biggest bites, and goes for every one, whereas Scout is more hesitant, not as aggressive. You would think the boy be more voracious, but no...it's the pullet. Maybe she knows she'll be laying soon and is compelled to eat for two. Or three. Or several hundred over her lifetime.

One Last Night

So this is my last night with the chickens. Sad. They are currently helping me with my research project. Scratch is sitting on my left arm and I'm petting her. She's so soft.

The farmer called today after looking at this blog for the first time. He said that I should mention that in going to the farm for the summer, the chickens are going to learn how to be chickens (after living an apparently non-regular chicken life with me).

Barbershop

I just got my second haircut at the Northport Barber Shop. Topics of conversation included chickens, the Great Smoky Mountains, and the Richard Scrushy trial.

Memorable line: "Somebody said 'You can't outrun a bear.' I said, 'I don't gotta outrun a bear. I just gotta outrun somebody.'"

Summer Days

Warm summer afternoons bring happy chickens playing outside!


Keeping me company while I read about ribs.


Scratch looking pretty in the afternoon sun.


Who doesn't love a good dirt bath?