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Inspirational Reads

Many Happy Returns

July 5, 2007

Well, I'm back from vacation, such as it was.

I'll give a quick recap. We went up to Indiana to reclaim my children. They had been with my mother-in-law for about three weeks, lest we forget the near drowning incident. Nothing so ghastly took place over the small break. I did get my eyes checked out and found I need new glasses. I could put it off last year, but not this year. We also celebrated my wife and daughter's birthdays. It was the big 06 for my daughter, which means it was the year for pierced ears.

If you see her, she'll sweep her hair back behind her ears and flash them at you. She's very proud. I won't even tell you that she freaked out pretty bad when the earrings were going in her ears. Oh, crap...

Also spent the day at the zoo in Fort Wayne. It's a fine, fine zoo, one of the best I've ever been to. Of course, that would be all of three zoos. But, seriously, the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo is awesome. One of the tigers was up pacing around. I had never seen it up and walking around before. Normally it's hidden in the foliage of the tiger pen. That was great. My only complaint about the zoo is that there is a definite lack of bears. They need a North American exhibit with bears and buffalo and elk and such. Just because I've never seen them is all. And some ibex, which I know are European, but are pretty damned cool nonetheless.

Anyway, Sunday was spent with my friend Jason and his family, which was nice because his son was born last year on the day we left Indiana. So, it was our first introduction to little Porter. Oh, by the way, Jason's a homebrewer. Heh.

Monday was the trip home. Like I said, it was a strategic, surgical strike. And we're all here, none the worse for ware, and very happy to be home. I lazed about for another two days before returning to work. Sure, one of those days was a national holiday, but still, I lazed.

Not much else to report, other than US Route 35 in Southern Ohio is a very lonely stretch of road. Very pretty, but not heavily trafficked. I guess I should also report that I have managed to not get a speeding ticket yet again. Go me.

I'll return us to regularly scheduled programming within a few hours.

7 comments:

Ψ*Ψ said...

I doubt it will ever matter to your daughter, but I wish I'd had my ears pierced by needle rather than dinky little gun. I gauged up many years later and was disappointed to learn that the holes are crooked.
In other news, if she has metal allergies, um, there is always Pyrex for the ears. Can't get it smaller than a 10 or 12, though.

Also, you should post more often, so I can have a place to leave my irrelevant comments.

the iNDefatigable mjenks said...

Well, we got the gun. The lady did take a lot of time to make sure they were even. And, despite her worries on the second one, she held her head pretty still.

So far no metal allergies or anything. We've been good at keeping them clean and turning them. So, she's pretty happy with them.

I'll try to do that. I had no internet access while in Indiana, so thus the lack of postly postings.

Chemgeek said...

With 3 daughters, I will be reliving this experience often I am sure. The 2 and 3 year old are already at the fingernail polish stage.

Of all of the zoos (4 or 5) I have been to, the zoo in Omaha is the best. It is exceptional. The Minnesota Zoo is lousy.

If you want to see North American Wildlife, visit Yellowstone and Glacier National park. With a bit of diligence you can see everything. The only problem being the grizzlies and bison will kill you.

the iNDefatigable mjenks said...

I was less-than-pleased with our zoo in North Carolina. It did, however, have some bears. In fact, the polar bear and the grizzly bear were the only animals that moved that day.

And seeing the weapons-grade claws on the grizzly bear made me not want to see one in the wild.

What? Bison and bears teaming up to kill me? Preposterous! Whoever heard of animals banding together and attacking humans! Why, the notion is so absolutely ludicrous that, well, it'd have to only happen in a fantasy novel.

Will Shannon said...

Good to hear vacation went well.

My holiday weekend was grand...beer, daquiris, scaring people out of a pool with my hulking mass, grilling sausages of many nations, first time I ever took a cab home with my cooler on the seat next to me.

Madison has a great small zoo (Henry Vilas) that is pretty cool and free. Oh, and if you are a fan, it is rather monkey-heavy.

Ooh-ooh, ahh-ahh indeed.

Chemgeek said...

Como zoo in St. Paul is probably one of the best free zoos in the Midwest (or Country?). Lots of monkeys, bears, aquatic animals, seals, giraffe, zebra, lions, tiger, wolves....

It is spectacular and free.

the iNDefatigable mjenks said...

See, now that's something. I've never seen wolves.

And, it's absolutely necessary that a zoo have monkeys. Otherwise, I'll demand my money back. And if I don't get my money back...well, then, I think we all know what I'll be flinging at the girl at the front gate.