1. My awesome Web cam.

2. My equally awesome Olympus SP-350 Digital Camera

3. The best Eye drops ever. Visine A with Antihistamine and redness reliever.

4. My Peter Rabbit round tin that holds our half million pens, pencils and scissors.

5. A lighted 5X magnification mirror. Yep, I tweeze my brows at my desk.

6. A can of compressed air. The best invention ever. It also works well as a cat deterrent.

7. A newly arrived post card from New Zealand — my first one from NZ.

8. A self-healing mat, cork board I use for crafts, bone folder, adhesives and an 18″ stainless steel ruler.

9. A yellow, HP, 02 series ink cartridge for Gertie (my printer).

10. A 180 GB external hard drive, named Billy. I use it for weekly backups, as well as extra backup for photos. I cannot tell you how many photos I’ve lost because I didn’t back them up regularly.

11. A 2007 Crossword of the Day Desk Calendar.

12. A Great Smoky Mountains Geocoin that I found the other day in our first Geocache find. (Scroll down if you’d like to see it).

13. Green Tea flavoured Chap stick. I also have a large zip lock bag filled with about a hundred more chap sticks. I can’t get enough of them!

I can admit it: I’m weird. I always have been, and I see no end to the weirdness, much to the dismay of those around me.

Many of these I would like to have, and many I would like to have a more ‘mature’ version of, either way, I like them all. And yes, I am aware that I’m an adult.

1.Beetle Barn

Watch the interesting lifecycle of a mealworm with this easy-to-use insect kit. As their development from larvae to pupae to adult Darkling Beetle progresses, move the mealworms from the barn into the see-through silo in their unique habitat.

I have a Leopard Gecko that decided she no longer wished to eat her meal worms. A while later I had beetles coming out of the woodwork (literally).

2.The World of Germs

Learn about the many different types of micro-organisms and the benefits and dangers they present in our world.

I have a similar kit, the Smart Labs Grow Your Own Bacteria Farm, but this one looks more fun.

3.Ant Farm

Watch ants create a fascinating network of tunnels!

The original! I don’t actually want one. I want about 10 of them; they can be linked together via tubing.

4.Incubator with Four Quail Eggs

This chick egg incubator comes complete with four fertilized quail eggs that will hatch in 17-23 days! The plastic incubator has a clear dome, egg cradle, 110-volt light to produce heat, thermometer, and complete hatching instructions. Incubator capacity is 2 duck eggs, 3 chicken eggs, or 8 quail eggs.

I don’t have any urge to get a real incubator and hatch eggs for fun and profit, but I would like to try it once. The question is, what would I do with the quail?

5.Owl Pellet Dissection

Learn about owls and the animals they eat by doing an owl pellet dissection.

I dissected my first owl pellet in the second grade, and I’m still fascinated by them.

6.Fruit Fly Culture Kit

This media kit contains everything except the flies and anesthetic.

There’s actually a reason for me to get this one: Carnivorous Plants and Poison Dart Frogs. I don’t currently have any frogs, but the habitat is already being built mentally.

7.Worm Vue Wonders

Enjoy learning all about earthworms with this fascinating “worm farm” kit! Not only will your kidsweird self watch the worms move, eat, and dig, but they can also perform a number of experiments to learn about soil types, soil pH, soil composting, worm sensitivity to touch and light, and more!

I would really raise worms, but in a much more sophisticated set up and on a larger scale.

8.Root Vue Farm

Watch roots grow from the time they sprout until they are harvested! See how light, temperature, and other factors affect plant growth rate by performing basic experiments. Kit comes complete with unique clear window viewing box, light shields, built-in watering system, three seed packs (carrot, onion, and radish), soil, and a 16-page activity booklet.

I think it would be neat to take a picture of the growth every day and then put them all in a short video clip.

9.Triops

Embark on a biological adventure with this deluxe “Triassic” Triops kit! The eggs of these small creatures remain dormant for years, but when placed in water they hatch and grow to adulthood in just nine days.

Triops and also, Sea Monkeys, I want to have the weirdest pets.

10.Hikers Plant Press

A larger 5″ x 7″ press for preserving flowers, leaves and other botanical specimens. Includes 14 blotter cards and 6 cardboard cards for drying.

I seriously want this one.

11.Dino Dig Triceratops

Let your children weird self experience paleontology as they excavate and assemble a triceratops skeleton from “fossilized” rock.

I love this type of excavation kit.

12.Rock Tumbler

This classic Smithsonian rock tumbler kit polishes rough rocks to produce attractive gem-like stones, perfect for making your own jewelry.

I’ve always wanted a rock tumbler, but think I’d rather have a nice one.

13.Sheep Pluck Dissection

This sheep pluck includes the heart, lungs, and fully attached trachea.

Dinner anyone? I had to see if you were still paying attention.

I’ve got the blogging blahs, so I’m hoping that getting back into Thursday Thirteen will renew my interest.

Thirteen Kitty Quotes Courtesy of my Desk Calendar 1. “A kitten is in the animal world what a rosebud is in the garden.” –Robert Southey 2. “A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays.” –English Proverb 3. “Cats do not need to be shown how to have a good time, for they are unfailingly ingenious in that respect.” –James Mason 4. “No tame animal has lost less of its dignity or maintained more of its ancient reserve. The domestic cat might rebel tomorrow.” –William Conway 5. “Prowling his own quiet backyard or asleep by the fire, he is still only a whisker away from the wilds.” –Jean Burden 6. “How do you spell mousetrap with only three letters?” –Anonymous 7. “The phrase ‘domestic cat’ is an oxymoron.” –George F. Will 8. “Cats know how to obtain food without labour, shelter without confinement, and love without penalties” –W.L. George 9. “It is as easy to hold quicksilver between your finger and your thumb as to keep a cat who means to escape.” –Andrew Lang 10. “Never hold a dust buster and a cat at the same time.” –Kyoya, 9, Advice from Kids 11. “With the qualities of cleanliness, discretion, affection, patience, dignity and courage that cats have, how many of us, I ask you, would be capable of being cats?” –Fernand Mery 12. “I would never wound a cat’s feelings, no matter how downright aggressive I might be to humans.” –A.L. Rowse 13. “Who would believe such pleasure from a wee ball o’ fur?” –Irish Saying

These are the songs that I can listen to over and over again, and never get sick of. Many may seem a little out of character for me, but techno/industrial isn’t what I always listen to. Just mostly.

1. Für Elise — Beethoven or the Electric Hellfire Club techno version

2. The First Cut is the Deepest — Cat Stevens (Sheryl Crow butchered it, but I do like the Rod Stewart cover of it.)

3. Hallelujah — Jeff Buckley (Written by Leonard Cohen, the original version leaves much to be desired, and the Rufus Wainwright version is absolutely horrid!)

4. Little Wing — Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn or Concrete Blonde (This song translates well between ‘genres’.)

5. In a Big Country — Big Country

6. Cornflake Girl — Tori Amos (In high school I loved Tori Amos, not so much anymore, but I still love this song.)

7. Send me on my Way — Rusted Root (A lot of people would say this is the most out of character for me since I don’t attend Rainbow Gatherings or dance naked in the mud, but they’re fantastic musicians with a world music vibe.)

8. Take a Picture — Filter (I love filter and this is an excellent song. Another of their songs, Hey Man Nice Shot, is, in my opinion, the best driving song ever.)

9. Connected — Stereo MCs

10. Bullet the Blue Sky — U2 (Not many people know this, but Bono was my first love.)

11. Holding Back the Years — Simply Red (Mick Hucknall is a little skeezy, but he sure has a pretty voice.)

12. Rock the Cradle of Love — Billy Idol

13. Money — KMFDM

Thirteen Things: One True, One False — Can you Guess Which is Which? 1. I have a birthmark on my bum -or- I don’t have any birthmarks? 2. Philosophy is the most boring subject ever -or- I love Philosophy? 3. I enjoy a good single-malt, highland whisky -or- I prefer Irish whisky? 4. I love Porsches -or- I prefer only American built cars? 5. I can’t live without Hostess cupcakes -or- I hate them? 6. I have six cats -or- I have five cats? 7. Monet is my favourite painter -or- Van Gogh is? 8. Harper’s is my favourite magazine -or- I only read Chick Mags? 9. I hate world music -or- I love world music? 10. I have traveled the world -or- I haven’t started traveling yet? 11. Mustard is my favourite condiment -or- Mayo is? 12. I fully support my country -or- I am a dissenter? 13. My dog stinks -or- she is freshly bathed? And NO, I don’t actually expect anyone to guess these.

(EDIT: ) The Answers (highlight to read):
1. I’ve got tons of birthmarks, my booty included!
2. I love it!
3. This is almost a trick question, since I like both, but I’ll take the scotch.
4. I’m a porsche girl!
5. Hostess cupcakes are a vile confection.
6. Yipes! Six of them!
7. My heart belongs to Van Gogh.
8. Harper’s. Yeah. Definatley Harper’s.
9. Love it!
10. I haven’t started yet, but travel I will!
11. I like mayo, but mustard rules.
12. Sorry. Dissenter. EDIT: Let me clarify one thing, I am so not referring to dissention a la Jane Fonda.
13. My poor dog, everyone thinks she stinks! Nope, she was bathed today.

1. Veterinarian

2. Fighter Pilot

3. Curator of the British Museum

4. Egyptologist - (Zahi Hawass be damned!)

5. Paleoanthropologist

6. Ichthyologist - (Fish Geek!)

7. Biblical Scholar

8. Clarice Starling

9. The Nail in Richard Dawkins’ Coffin

10. Entomologist - (Not Etymologist… I like bugs)

11. Surgeon

12. Parapsychologist

13. President of the World

Thirteen Firefox Add-Ons I have Installed (and mostly use!) 1. Answers — I love this! I used to keep a tab open to Dictionary.com to look up words I was unfamiliar with. Now I just hold the Alt key and click on the word. An innocuous bubble pops up and I have my answer. 2. Bookmark Duplicate Detector — I haven’t had the problems that some have had, but then, I haven’t had any duplicates yet. 3. Broadband Speed Test and Diagnostics — I use this occasionally, but I’m not sure if I find it particularly handy. 4. Colorful Tabs — I don’t really have trouble sorting through my tabs, but it’s nice to have them be a different colour to distinguish them a little more quickly. 5. ColorZilla — This is one of my favourites. I would occasionally try to use the PSP colour picker to try to determine colours on websites. That doesn’t work too well, but ColorZilla does. 6. Download Statusbar — This one is probably my most favourite! It’s fair to say that I download a lot of stuff: fonts, clipart, you name it! I hate the download box, so this extension removes the download status pop-up, and moves download info quite handily to the status bar. 7. FoxClocks — I love this one! I can see what time it is around the world. The default settings are a little obnoxious, but I now have mine set to a small globe in my status bar, and all I have to do is hover over it to see what time it is in Beijing, Ireland, Paris, etc. There are many countries and cities to choose from to add to your own FoxClock! 8. FoxyTunes — Controls to media players are located at the bottom of my Firefox window. No need to minimize Firefox to skip to another song, pause the music or repeat my favourite song. 9. Google Toolbar — I can’t find the link for this one. I usually hate toolbars, but google’s has a PageRank display. When Google has blacklisted a site (say for putting text in the same colour as the background to get more hits), the PageRank display shows the site as blacklisted. Why is this important? Because if you link to a blacklisted site, yours could be blacklisted, too. (I know someone is bound to ask me where I read this: I will post the link when I find it!) 10. Tab Mix Plus — Customize the options for your tabs. Lots of options, many quite handy. 11. Talkback — Another I can’t find the link for. I guess this sends information about program crashes to Mozilla. 12. Web Developer — This was recommended by Bruce. I haven’t been working on templates lately, so I haven’t had a chance to really use it. 13. And because I don’t have a thirteenth extension, the themes I have installed are: AzureFox, Red Cats (green flavor) and Tinseltown. Tinseltown is currently in use. Is there an extension that you can’t live without? Or are you aware of better alternative to one I have listed? Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

By the way, I have gone blogger beta, so all comment types are enabled: Blogger, Other (which I recommend because you get a direct link that appears on my front page! Always good!), and Anonymous.