Archive | December, 2011

The continuing saga of pestilence

by Mir on December 30, 2011 in Health is overrated, Offspring: ecstasy and agony

Thank you all for the well-wishes for my mother-in-law. She had surgery and they were able to insert a rod into the bone to repair it, and it is around about this point in the story when Monkey puts his hands over his ears and says “YOU CAN STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS NOW” because it weirds him out to think about operations and people being fitted with rods. Because we are excellent parents, we assured him that Grammy is just fine, and we will all love her just as much now that she’s a cyborg as we did before.

In the meantime, my poor brother-in-law Nearly Nickless wasn’t feeling so hot, and the LAST time we were at their house, you know, he got a stomach bug which I ended up getting (which landed me in the ER), so I immediately started spritzing myself with hand sanitizer and giving him an extremely wide berth.

It turned out that he had strep throat. Because of course he did! As the excellent house guests we are, we clucked sympathetically, asked him if we could get him anything, and then promptly packed up all of our stuff and left. (more…)

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I guess now it’s Christmas

by Mir on December 28, 2011 in Health is overrated, Ottomatic For the People

The thing is, there are lots of things to love about Georgia, but it’s really far away from our families, which is kind of a drag. I mean, it’s not as bad as when I lived in California—we’re all in the same time zone, at least—but it still means that visiting is kind of A Production, and there are times when that’s difficult.

So when we first moved down here, we said hey, we’ll come back for Christmas every year. The first year we had a good trip, though I did end up getting an ear infection and calling my doctor back in Georgia to beg for meds and sending Otto out looking for an open pharmacy on Christmas Eve. (Deck the Halls with Zithromaxes, fa la la la laaaaa….)

The second year, well, Nearly Nickless shared his stomach bug with me, and we spent Christmas Eve in the ER.

After all of that big fun, the third year we decided to just stay home. We promised to alternate years, and return the next year. (more…)

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Happy post-Christmas

by Mir on December 27, 2011 in It's not a regret, it's an "experience"

I’m over at Off Our Chests today, decompressing from Christmas.

(Still not dead, Dad.)

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Dear Dad: I’m still alive

by Mir on December 26, 2011 in Oh look! Something furry!!

My father sent me an interesting email this evening, on account of I apparently haven’t blogged for three days and he’s concerned that I may have died. I didn’t, of course. I have merely been sucked into a maelstrom of holiday frivolity, which basically means I have been overseeing cousin relations in-between eating everything that isn’t nailed down.

Also, my nephews got an Xbox Kinect. So, um, I have been busy smoking Chickadee at Just Dance. HA!

Anyway, we continue to be impressed with how well the dog is adjusting to the various craziness—different house, extra kids, people coming and going. I kind of expected her to just lose her mind, but she’s done remarkably well. I’m sure it’s only partially because she’s figured out that both my sis-in-law and my nephews are only too happy to feed her.

Of course, I do have some bad news to relay. (more…)

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Hurry, Monkey!

by Mir on December 23, 2011 in It's not a regret, it's an "experience", What do I do all day?

When we last left off, poor Licorice was trying to adjust to being used as a chew toy by Zoey. Truly, the dogs had very nearly reached an amicable understanding—and here by “amicable” we mean that Zoey learned to knock it off whenever Licorice snarled at her—so of course we packed everything up and moved on to the in-laws. Zoey is now a distant memory, so far as Licorice is concerned. (She’s in for a rude awakening next week when we head back to my parents’ house. Ha!)

The good news is that here at Nearly Nickless’ house there is no exuberant puppy trying to eat Licorice’s head. The bad news is that my nephews are MIGHTILY DISPLEASED that we showed up without our kids.

Specifically, they would like Monkey here RIGHT NOW PLEASE. (Sorry, Chickie.) We are not sure whether to look forward to this or be very afraid. (more…)

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I totally want a second dog now

by Mir on December 21, 2011 in Oh look! Something furry!!, What do I do all day?

So the first day we were here, Zoey peed ALL THE TIME. Talk to her nicely? Pee. Speak to her sternly? Pee. Ignore her? PEE! And along with the incessant piddling, we had her leaping atop Licorice at every possible opportunity, and Licorice spending a lot of time making adorable little cranky-snarly sounds to try to tell Zoey to back off.

The second day, I guess my dad found a little cork and Zoey stopped peeing everywhere. She only spent half the day pouncing all over Licorice, and much time was spent with both dogs lazing in front of the stove, roasting their tender underbellies. Eventually there was some running around and bouncing of balls and the dogs were VERY NEARLY playing together, and then Licorice apparently tried to kill Zoey’s Most Favoritist Toy—a very flat raccoon—and ZOEY snarled at LICORICE. Most surprising. And hilarious.

This morning, Zoey was put outside while Licorice at her breakfast. And then Licorice went and laid down by the door to wait for Zoey to come back in. I suspect we’ve reached a truce. So I made Otto get out the camera. (more…)

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I can’t get it out of my head

by Mir on December 20, 2011 in It's not a regret, it's an "experience"

Honestly, I feel like that one single viewing of “The Virgin Diaries” has scarred me forever. I cannot get the awkward images out of my head. I just feel so sorry for those people.

So what do I do when I can’t stop thinking about something? I write about it some more! But don’t worry—fewer cringe-worthy moments in my Off Our Chest post, as today I’m really just thinking about first kisses, and I promise that my first kiss was WAY less horrifying than the one they showed on TLC.

Come on over and join the discussion, won’t you?

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One big (leaky) party

by Mir on December 19, 2011 in It's not a regret, it's an "experience", Oh look! Something furry!!

So the kids went off on their adventure and then Otto and I loaded up the car while Licorice nervously paced my office. By the time we scooped up Her Furriness to put her in the travel crate, she was so relieved to not be left behind that she seemed to totally forget that she hates riding in the car.

We drove and drove and drove and drove, and we listened to a lot of “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me” and ate a lot of snacks, and when we pulled up at my folks’ house the next day, Licorice was all, “I LOVE ROAD TRIPS!” I am certain this had nothing to do with the potato chips I kept poking into the crate, by the way.

In truth, the drive was pleasant, if somewhat repetitive (where are we? still in Virginia? STILL??), though it was a relief to finally arrive and stop moving.

But, uh, did I mention that my parents got a new puppy? (more…)

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Guess who is my favorite right now?

by Mir on December 17, 2011 in Offspring: ecstasy and agony, Oh look! Something furry!!

Without compromising the privacy of the underlings in my household, I can tell you that the three little ones ’round here have VERY different reactions to impending travel.

It’s funny, really, to watch them all exhibit such different behavior. An interesting anthropological study, you might say. Because there’s that whole nature/nurture thing, plus two of the three share DNA, yet they could not be more striking in the various reactions they have.

And I, of course, just have to deal with it all. With a smile. When I can manage it. So, yes: The kids head off for vacation with their dad, today, and here is what my morning wrought: (more…)

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It’s… educational!

by Mir on December 15, 2011 in Haven't been hit by lightning yet!, I'm dating the television, Offspring: ecstasy and agony

You guys. I… I can’t even. Because words fail.

A couple of weeks ago someone posted this on Facebook, and I watched it with a mix of horror and delight. Because LOOK:

And I made Otto watch it, too. And Otto said, “No. YOU ARE NOT WATCHING THAT WHEN IT COMES ON TV.” And I argued, and he kept saying no, and then last night I was channel-surfing and it was on and he was upstairs, so I watched it. With Chickadee. (more…)

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