A few things on a Monday morning

1. My headphones broke, darnit. I ordered a new pair on Friday, which means they should get here tomorrow. Just in time for the end of my work week. Suboptimal! That said, they do function in one ear. So I can sort of listen to things.

2. I recently discovered the music of E.S. Posthumous. This is like the melodramatic orchestral-rock soundtrack to every science fiction show ever. It’s like Bear McCreary’s Battlestar Galactica scores spliced with Manheim Steamroller with a splash of John Williams, all turned up to FULL DRAMA. Since I like my music completely unsubtle, I am very happy indeed.

3. I, and most of my household, have slept very poorly the last few nights due to heat, humidity, and thunderstorms/tornado sirens.

4. This week has some fun things coming, about which I am pleased. Tonight I have to get my league rounds of trap shooting in, because tomorrow the whole family is going to see a local production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Wednesday K starts her summer gymnastics class. Thursday afternoon I’m getting my next tattoo. All good things!

Millipede tattoo; or, Arthropods

This is a twitpic of my new tattoo! It is of a Giant African Millipede, so, you know, click on the link if you want!

So, why, Sigrid, did you get a realistic tattoo of a giant arthropod on your body?

The first and simplest answer is, because we raise them. My family, specifically my partner Tern, keeps a tank of giant millipedes in the office. They are sweet little creatures. They eat rotting fruit and vegetables, so cleaning out the fridge is easier. They cuddle with each other in little millipede balls. They pet each other with their antennae, and they have a LOT of sex. They are not fast-moving, nor do they lurk unexpectedly. They are really rather nice pets. You can hold them, and they walk around on your hand inquisitively.

But that only begs the question, why do you have millipedes as pets? You’d have to ask Tern that — it was her idea. But I do know why I am ideologically in favor of arthropods, why I support our millipedes and roaches and tarantulas and caterpillars.

Because the charismatic megafauna could vanish off this planet, and the planet would get along without us all. But remove the invertebrates and the planet dies in six to twelve months.

From an ecological standpoint, we humans contribute just about nothing, and cause immeasurable damage. But the invertebrates, my friend —

Without the invertebrates we lose everything.

I see all this footage of the BP oil spill and what it’s doing to the wildlife, and I am saddened and angered by the footage, sure. But dolphins are not what I am worried about. I’m worried about bacteria, and plankton, and krill, and diatoms. I’m worried about every little crustacean that eats feces and decaying organic matter.

It’s the same on land, too. You may be grossed out by the thought of the many species of mite that live on your body, sure. But be GLAD of mites — they eat all the organic material you slough off during your day. Without mites you’d be drowning in waste human skin cells.

Invertebrates fertilize most of the plants. Most of the plants we eat, and the plants that clean the air so we can breath it again. Invertebrates dispose of our waste — ponder how much waste you produce in a day, hmm? Invertebrates are utterly indispensable We cannot live without them. Not for long.

So I have a millipede tattooed on my shoulder. A friendly, peeking millipede, its little antennae questing out for a nice bit of soggy cucumber. (Cucumber not tattooed!) It’s a reminder to myself, and to anyone who asks, that It’s Not About Me. That life is far more complex, interesting, and interdependent than I bother to see on a day-to-day basis. A reminder to not squish the spider (who is eating mosquitoes,) not bat the bee (who is pollinating the plants in my yard,) not swat the centipede (who is eating ants that come into my house.) A reminder that they can ALL live just fine without me, but I’d be dead without them.

Staycation

With my family out of town since six o’clock yesterday evening, I am enjoying a lovely stay-at-home vacation. After saying my goodbyes to them at Circus Juventas, I headed over to Uptown.

I stopped by Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore on a whim. A whim, I tell you! I found a couple used books I’d been meaning to re-acquire, after having gotten rid of them years ago. And I chatted with Elizabeth for a bit, mostly about the perennial geek problem of Not Enough Shelves.

Oh, speaking of shelves! The new LEGO shelf arrived yesterday! Cavorter assembled it before he left, so when the gang return from Brickworld, well, we’ll have somewhere to put the LEGOs.

I then stopped by Saint Sabrina’s, the piercing and tattoo parlor to which I give my business. I found out that Bleach is the artist who does the photo-realistic stuff, and that he doesn’t work Wednesday or Thursday. Sadness! But I can stop by Sunday after work and chat with him about the millipede tattoo I want.

I then stopped by Jimmy John’s to pick up dinner — again, on whim — and headed home. The evening was spent watching My-Otome, which is a delight.

I slept in this morning, but only managed to stay in bed until 7:15. This is what “sleeping in” means to me these days, I guess. Then dishes, running a couple errands, walking the dogs, checking the caterpillars, and getting a chai latte for breakfast.

Now, more My-Otome.