…So little time.
Abby and I had a good day on Sunday.
She just couldn’t help but become my photography subject.
Then later she was acting as a character from Tim Burtons The Corpse Bride and her hair was so neatly combed. I had to trip downstairs to try to capture that glance through her hair. This is the best I got.
There are so many things I want to do with this picture.
At Justin’s 6th grade graduation the other day:
Gramma Nana!!! But I thought you were gonna bring Holly? (her dog)
Well no, there are too many people and she’d bark and cause a fuss and get in the way you know.
[thinking…]
Well WE brought Emma!?
Quick. What do you do?
In about half the time it takes to download this picture I had to act.
If you acted like me you might:
mash the brakes (bicycle)
_teeter without gravity over the front wheel, world slowwwing dowwwn
__rewrite your memoirs and contemplate the meaning of the word “is”
___slap the TOP corner of the door with the lobe of your left ear
____bounce back gracefully, time catching up again
_____land “gently” on the sidewalk of Madison and 5th and proclaim
______WHOA!
Neither one of us saw it coming.
Both of us are just fine.
Amelia is learning to smile and, well, if a picture is worth 1000 words I won’t clutter this post with any more.
It has been a long time since I had some time to post any news.
I have a new job in Seattle to which I ride the Sounder Commuter Train. The commute is about an hour longer each day than I had before but despite that I enjoy it. Despite the fact that I don’t have my commuting partner anymore to discuss the current state of affairs I enjoy it. I miss my daily dose of NPR and I still enjoy it.
Started watching the World Cup on Friday night with a replay of the opening game of Germany vs Costa Rica. It wasn’t the best game I have seen so far but we had a good time rooting for the teams and I had my German flag in tow. Now I know what I will do with all of my flags that I collect. Every 4 years I will drag them out for World Cup.
The most entertaining game I have seen so far was the 0-0 draw between Sweden and Trinidad. Trinidad is a NOBODY team and they came in, only had 10 men for the entire second half, and stuck it to the heavy favorite Swedes. The Trinidad goalie did a fantastic job of being in great position when it counted.
All THAT and now Abby has the Chicken Pox. I should have a picture up on that one soon.
Luckily, she was vaccinated against them and so, at least it seems to me, the outbreak is not as bad as it could be. We will see if Emma gets it. Abby started with the rash on Wednesday. I am REALLY sensitive to all of her scratching and am drawing on my years of scratchy expertise to help make it better where possible.
Have you ever sneezed and hiccoughed at the same time?
Have you ever cried out while swallowing a tonsil?
Have you never heard someone do all four feats together while defying the basic laws of gravity AND not pee their pants?
I, The Eater of Breakfast, did hear this today.
Angela, The Innocent Bysitter, was enjoying a late morning snuggle with Miss Amelia Breastsbane while I had repast in the kitchen. It was here that I experienced the unusual auditory trappings described above. It was a two second snippet from the soundtrack of Rabid Raccoon Fiercely Attacks a Three Legged Hyena Guarding it’s Only Kill.
It will never be heard again.
The Innocent reached for her paperback, pressing the pages easily to her chest to settle in for some downtime when The Creature struggled it’s mighty cephalothorax over the spine of the book. It gained a measure of traction on her left hand and cast all caution to the wind in a failed attempt to end it’s own life.
If only it had held still The Innocent may have squashed it flat at a reasonable distance but with an undeniable zeal this suicidal arachnid jumped the gun and lept headlong from the book, off of her hand, and into her lap.
In this location The Magnificent Maneater persisted for a mere microtick as the universal constant of time was abruptly halted. Gravity was defrayed in the wrinkle of space-time and so through sheer force of will and a healthy dose of the aforementioned sound effect The Innocent did relocate The Significant Beast to a new position across the room.
With the wrinkle smoothed out and the time-constant restored The Gigundus Creature scurried for cover and cowered beneath a mighty tower containing clothes. Here it contemplated it’s future, reflected on it’s storied career, praised Araneae for it’s second chance and a new lease on life, and basically resisted arrest.
Twenty mortal minutes later a room was in shambles while The Tremendous Wall Crawler was subdued, transported, and released back into the wild equidistant from four future dens.
The Benevolent Eater of Breakfast warned it against re-entry lest The Innocents still boiling fury be unleashed against it in defense of it’s charge, Miss Amelia Breastsbane.
There are many great turns of phrase in quotedom and I have many favorites so calling this one my “favorite” is a bit of a misnomer, but it holds a special place. It is one that I have always remembered. It had a profundity that I hadn’t encountered in other quotes at the time and I have been casually looking for it again for 20 years.
The internet is great for this type of thing.
If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.
-Emerson M Pugh
Earlier this morning I went golfing with Tony and it was about the third time in two years I have golfed. Maybe more than that but it sure didn’t feel like it. I did well. I shot a 99. Breaking 100 for me is a big deal.
Now, those of you (Heidi) that don’t think golf is worth a hoot, peep this. While golfing I saw the following:
So if anyone cares to go for a four hour nature walk through the lowlands of Redmond don’t forget your clubs.
Today I had my cake and ate it too!
Let’s start with a detail shot. What do you think the story is here?
Mayhaps a toddler scorned?
Maybe she’s just chewing on some particularly sticky candy?
Or rather contemplating the purpose of the Oscar Meyer Weiner song?
I suppose I can’t speak for the latter but I can, with some confidence, say it wasn’t either of the former. Click here to see “the rest of the story”
And I don’t mean her name…
I mean, as many of you know, she is about as detail oriented as they come and she notices everything and lets you know when it is different.
Consistency is huge with children, as everyone knows, and children are entirely too observant and when you are a child like Abigail whose very life seems to depend on honoring the tradition of say…something that happened once…in a movie…during the credits! you tend to make it clear to The Variable (that is me) when any one thing is out of place.
Exhibit A:
About two weeks ago the smoke detector in Abby’s room needed a new battery at 7AM. Boy that chirping was obnoxious. So I got out of bed and removed the offensive little critter…to the KITCHEN.
About 2 hours later when Abby stirred I was anxious to consider the possibility that she may sleep right through till noon. I can dream. Instead she stirred a bit, rolled over slightly and then BOLTED upright in bed. Presently she turned and in a barely quiet “whisper” said
DADDY!
What?
There is something missing!
What?!
There is something missing!
What are you talking about?
Something is always on my ceiling, it is round, and it is right over there. But it’s gone!
This thing is not the only thing on her ceiling and it is at the other end of the room.
She got her smoke detector back that night and I will take the Pepsi challenge with Abby, 10 mattresses, and a pea ANYTIME.
blief 