And It Will Be My Solemn Vow...

Solemn.  What a weird word.  And the title bar doesn't give me the spell-check red squiggly line, so I totally had to go out on a limb there and be really brave and just type it in.  I threw caution to the wind!  And then I started the actual post with the same word, just to make sure.  But for one additional word and two or three very tense seconds, I didn't know if I had misspelled MY TITLE.

Title is another word I have a small issue with.  You see, pronounced, "title" sounds just file.  Tie-Tuhl.  No problems there.  But written, that word always jumps off the page and into my brain and intermingles with the word "tittie".  Which is a word I genuinely and legitimately hate.  And I would think that just about everyone would hate that word, but it seems that lots and lots of people actually like it.  And they don't just passively like it, they like it enough to NAME THINGS AFTER THE WORD.  Like these sandals.  And my sister-in-law's cat.

However (and as you may have guessed), I am off topic.  My topic today is that I am vowing (solemnly!) to start posting more frequently and...well, that's really it.  Just more frequently.  And the only reason I am making this an announcement (in true narcissistic blogger fashion) is because I feel that if I put it out here and publish it, it will be better than when I just tell MYSELF that I will post more.  When it's all in my head, these grand plans to be more productive, I go a few days without writing and inevitably tell myself that it is okay that I didn't post today, or this week, or even last week.  I'm busy after all!  Who has the time for all this blogging?  Certainly not me!  And then I look at lolcats some more and pat myself on the back.  But now, with this announcement published ON THE INTERNET, I will no longer be able to sit smugly in my blog abandonment.  I will have to sit GUILTILY in my abandonment!  Yes!  And if I know anything, it's that guilt is a GREAT motivator.  And that I make healthy lifestyle choices.

Now, for a couple of unrelated things!

I was at the zoo yesterday with my friend Jenn and her three year-old daughter, Maddie.  It was an absolutely beautiful day, about 68 degrees and not a cloud in the sky, and since everyone else was in school, we had the zoo almost to ourselves.  About an hour in, we found ourselves at the penguin exhibit and as we walked around, we saw a sign telling us that a penguin feeding would be going on in about 20 minutes.  So we decided to wait.  In the meantime, we looked at a bunch of fish and turtles and birds, all inhabitants of this same exhibit.  Between explaining to Maddie why she couldn't get in the fish tank and swim, even if she REALLY REALLY wanted to (this was her last and most persuasive argument for why she should be allowed), we realized that there was a separate cubby where only two penguins sat, looking lonely.  Jenn went over to the penguin cubby to get a closer look, and came back with the observation that the two penguins inside seemed to be molting.  Neither of us had ever heard of penguins molting (well, maybe Jenn had because she is a teacher and knows things like this) but I had no idea.  So I read the penguin sign and sure enough, they molt.  I, being inexperienced not only in the shedding and renewal of feathers in water-birds, decided to ask Maddie if she wanted to go look at the penguins who were molting.  She jumped back from me like I had asked her whether or not she wanted to watch someone put Princess Jasmine on the guillotine.

Maddie, wide eyed and terrified: Does it...is it SCARY?

Me:  No!  Scary?  No!  Not at all.  It's just like a...haircut.

Maddie:  .....

Me:  It's just what all the penguins do, they lose their feathers and grow brand new ones.

Maddie, looking like she might cry for the plight of the penguin:  But does it....hurt them?  Are they hurt?

Me: No, they are fine!  They like it!  Penguins LOVE molting!

Needless to say, we didn't go look at the molting penguins.  And as soon as we left that exhibit, Maddie wanted to go see all the snakes and spiders and wasn't scared of any of them, even when I nearly had a heart attack after the Brown Recluse spider (which is WAY smaller than I imagined) crawled right up the branch at the front of the cage with my face about a centimeter away (I couldn't see it! I thought it would be big!).  So, in conclusion: Poisonous spiders and snakes = fun.  Molting penguins = scary.

Now, look at the print Cody and I bought last weekend at the Tyler Art Fair.

Isn't that great?  You know you want one.

Comments

[Angela]

"She jumped back from me like I had asked her whether or not she wanted to watch someone put Princess Jasmine on the guillotine."

Hilarious!!!

[-R-]

Good luck with your vow, and excellent job on the spelling of solemn.

[Cassie]

1. I hate the word "tittie" too.
2. Just the WORDS "brown," "recluse," and "spider" strung together make me shiver.
3. I didn't know penguins molted either.
4. That print is great!
and finally 5. I'm glad you've vowed to post more! Your posts always crack me up, and that is something I sorely need in my life.

[Noelle]

I didn't know brown recluses were so small. That is really scary. Thankfully their shyness is documented right there in the name. I think I'd take molting penguins any day, however.

[Laurel]

Hooray for the lifestyle choice. I am trying to get back in gear with my posting, too. It is tough! My brain is fried these days.

[tiff]

posting regularly on all or nothing? a reader could get used to this!

aren't kids the best. no fear of like, SCARY things, but total fear of total normal body functions of webbed creatures. Gotta love it.

I want to go to the zoo slash BE OUTSIDE AND NOT FREEZE TO DEATH. I solemnly swear to start looking for a job outside of Michigan.

[tiff]

ewwww no tiddie sandals! thongs are bad enough!

[nancypearlwannabe]

That little bulldog with a martini is awesome. Love it!

[kyle]

1. all this talk about molting genuinely made me crave a mAlt. i must be hungry.

2. we once did an event where the youth minister - the YOUTH MINISTER i said! - was wearing a hat sporting the tiddies logo. we were in awe and disgusted at his gall at the same time. the place? you guessed it. oklahoma.