Dinosaur Discoveries!

[greygirlbeast]

The last few days have been...well...crap. Almost complete and utter.

Today Spooky dragged me out of the house for a fairly wonderful day Outside (which I will describe, with photos, tomorrow). At the end of it all was a package from David Kirkpatrick (corucia), and in that package was a copy of William Stout's new book, Dinosaur Discoveries (2009, Flesk Publications). And that would have been enough, right there. But turns out, it's #420 of a signed limited edition of 500 copies. And as if that still wasn't cool enough, it was inscribed to me, with a mosasaur illustration! Now, if you aren't in the know, me and mosasaurs, we go way, way back. All the way to the Santonian, in fact. Anyway, yes, this is grand, and thank you David and Bill for giving me something to smile about on this day when I very much need something to smile about.

Oh, and Spooky even took two nerdy photos:

Comments

[birgitriddle.livejournal.com]

That book is completely and utterly awesome.

[txtriffidranch.livejournal.com]

Is that your camarasaur skull, or did you stop by a museum or rock shop for a while before going home?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Is that your camarasaur skull

Well...it's my cast of a camarasaur skull, one of I made during a prep seminar way back as an undergrad (almost as long ago as the Santonian).

There's also a Maisaura skull cast on my right (left side of photo) but that one was a gift.

[txtriffidranch.livejournal.com]

I need to learn how to do proper castings of this sort. I have one horticultural project in my head that begs for a Camarasaurus skull in the middle.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I need to learn how to do proper castings of this sort. I have one horticultural project in my head that begs for a Camarasaurus skull in the middle.

I used to love molding and casting, but it's something I haven't done since the early '90s.

In the case of the Camarasaurus, I didn't make the actual mold, just this particular cast (which I then had to paint, etc.).

[sovay]

And as if that still wasn't cool enough, it was inscribed to me, with a mosasaur illustration!

That is very, very cool.

[thimbleofrain.livejournal.com]

I am so jealous.

[serizawa3000.livejournal.com]

I still have my battered copy of The Dinosaurs from way back... somewhere. But I heard tell it had been updated recently.

I seem to remember seeing a picture of you standing in front of the Megalosaurus at the Crystal Palace. :)

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I seem to remember seeing a picture of you standing in front of the Megalosaurus at the Crystal Palace.

Yep. I visited Hawkins' Crystal Palace dinosaurs in Sydenham on Halloween 1997.

[corucia.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear that the book arrived safe and sound, and that you liked it. I thought that you would when I saw how nicely it had turned out. A mosasaur seemed the obvious choice, given your half-dozen publications on them! I knew that Stout was doing a store signing/sketching and arranged for your copy (and one for me, too).

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

It totally and truly rocks, and it was a very thoughtful and generous gift. Thank you!

[girfan.livejournal.com]

What an amazing gift!

Not only new dinosaurs, but new Gorillaz

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

Maybe this'll make you smile, too: the video for the Gorillaz single "Stylo," in which the Gorillaz somehow piss off Bruce Willis (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9vAOzYz-Qs).

This means that finally, FINALLY, that new Gorillaz album (Plastic Beach) is going to drop. And that makes me at least smile.

Don't read the YouTube comments, but you probably know that already.