i got the details on bat risk. It's not dangerous to touch a dead bat, but you shouldn't do it. If you see a bat in the daytime, and it's crawling on the ground, something's wrong. It probably has rabies so don't mess with it, it may bite you and then you're in trouble. You can get rabies if bat saliva gets in your eyes, nose, mouth or a wound. In other words, don't make out with the bat.

The source for this info is here, in case you're interested. i also learned that many young bats are unable to fly during summer. So it's possible that i simply saw a lost, but undiseased, young bat.

Here's the proper way to capture a bat:

What you will need:

• leatherwork gloves (put them on)


• small box or coffee can


• piece of cardboard


• tape

When the bat lands, approach it slowly, while wearing the gloves, and place the box or coffee can over it. Slide the cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside. Tape the cardboard to the container securely, and punch small holes in the cardboard, allowing the bat to breathe. Contact your health department or animal-control authority to make arrangements for rabies testing.

If you see a bat in your home and you are sure no human or pet exposure has occurred, confine the bat to a room by closing all doors and windows leading out of the room except those to the outside. The bat will probably leave soon. If not, it can be caught, as described and released outdoors away from people and pets.

Posted by: annika at 01:26 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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i just saw the weirdest thing. A bat. It was right outside the building crawling along the sidewalk on all fours, right where i saw that huge dragonfly a few weeks ago. The bat was gray, about three inches long, and moving very slowly, about the speed of a large beetle. i didn't know what it was at first and i jumped and let out a loud scream, 'cause it was right by my foot when i first saw it. Poor thing was lost, it should have been hanging upside down in a cave somewhere. i thought about picking it up and bringing it into the office to show everybody. Then i thought about rabies and left it alone. Some car is probably going to run over it, over but there's nothing i can do about that. It's getting to be like a menagerie outside my building. i really should bring a digital camera with me when i take my smoke breaks.

Posted by: annika at 10:07 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Besides my family, my best friend and my former-boyfriend, things i miss include: morning runs on San Vicente Boulevard, Bill Handel's radio show, The Hollywood Bowl, and it may sound trite but yes, i miss sunset at the beach. Oh yah, and deli food. You can always find good deli food there. And, of course, convenient parking most of the time.

Things to not miss include: traffic jams due to road construction on every single street everywhere at all times, all tailgaters, and stupid Mercedes-Benz drivers who don't think they have to stop at four way stop signs because they're oh-so-much-more-important than everyone else. These drivers are probably the same pretentious a-holes who sit in Starbuck's and make it a point to talk about their latest "project" as loud as possible.

Posted by: annika at 06:38 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 Hey Annika, have you tried the 33rd Street Bistro at 33rd and Folsom east of Business 80? Yummy, yummy, but cheap food

Posted by: Chris at July 14, 2004 08:20 PM (Tatcr)

2 Know the similarity between hemmoroids and Mercedes Benzes? Sooner or later, every asshole in West Los Angeles has one or two.

Posted by: shelly s. at July 15, 2004 12:44 PM (AaBEz)

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i'm back up north again. Mom is doing great. She's tired but the doctors say if she changes her diet and takes her medication she should be okay. She's never had any heart problems before, that was always Dad's thing, so this was a shock to us all. Anyways, i just got into town and i'm going to have a few beers and go to sleep early. It's terribly hot tonight. This post is intended as a buffer since the last post was such a downer and it's been up all weekend and i just want to put the whole thing behind me right now. It was a very trying weekend, with lots of family shit to sort out, but that's another story.

Posted by: annika at 09:08 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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