F is for Fauna, and also for Frustration

This evening I was in my kitchen, putting some rice into the steamer (as I was planning to enjoy steamed rice -- duh -- with Paneer Darbari) and talking on the telephone when I looked out my back door and noticed that there was a visitor in the neighbourhood. Yes, just beyond my driveway was a lovely deer. Yes, a deer in the middle of the city. It wandered around, not terribly interested in the mini-park that exists in the centre of the cul-de-sac back there. A moment later, the neighbours started appearing, cameras in hand ... I didn't have one handy ... and the deer wandered around and into a back yard where it was followed by the budding amateur paparazzi. I know not what happened to it from that point on, but it was an encounter both lovely and disturbing. Lovely because, hey, having a deer in ones backyard is a nice thing to observe, but disturbing because it's a testament to the continuing encroachment of humans on natural habitats. I won't preach beyond that.

Years ago, I almost hit a rather large deer driving downtown here. It jumped over the hood of my car and disappeared down a hill.

Then, later tonight, I was working on paperwork for work tomorrow (I'm away at a meeting) and, upon preparing to e-mail the paperwork in, discovered that my internet was being uncooperative. An hour later, after a lengthy conversation with Customer Service -- yes, the problem appears to have been with my computer -- I'm back online, though not wireless at the moment. Thanks to the lengthy problem-solving session, I now do not have all of my work prepared for the meeting. Too bad, I say, I really need to go to bed. I'll try to whip up some last-minute things before going to the meeting and, beyond that, I'll just have to send things in later, as needed. Heck. It's not my fault. Really!