Lost Tales

We need to get caught up on the last month. It's time to fake a photo blog (flog?)...

In mid-August, my company organized a fire/evacuation conference in Baltimore.

My conference-going colleagues didn't bat an eye when I took a picture of my lunch.

I didn't present anything, but I felt that I compensated with lots of schmoozing. On the "lunch included" day, the Marriott provided (at great expense) the spread shown above. The only part I remember was the sandwich, which was disappointing. It was some sort of limp turkey with a bit of iceberg lettuce. However, through this sandwich, I met a fellow sandwich enthusiast. Evidently, there were rumors of a rare vegetarian-option sandwich floating around and it was thought to be outstanding. I never found one.

The next day, I went for a run with my friend Robyn. We saw (and ran through) a bunch of people shooting a Carmax commercial. A commercial which I have not subsequently been able to find on youtube. Look for bricks.

The blue arrow indicates my hotel and nearby memorial fountain. If your name starts with the letter "R" you have to follow the link and learn about the fountain ;-)

To get to that run, I walked down thirty flights of stairs. At 6:00 in the morning, all the elevators were out of service. It was the first time I ever used one of those old-timey phones you see in the elevator lobby to talk to the front desk. They said the lifts would be back in service in a jiffy, but they still weren't on when I got the the bottom.

Following my return to Manhattan, about all that went on was baby classes and a 10k race. The race was neat because (8 months pregnant) Julie is finally so handicapped that she wants to run races with me! Here's the only race picture I could find with any of us shown.

From left to right: Charlie's doughy shoulder, Amy's left arm, Julie in an orange hat.

We hit both of Julie's goals: (1) finish in under an hour, and (2) complete the race without using the bathroom during. Julie did get frustrated with my luxurious overuse of the aid stations.

A few days ago, we went to K-State's fall pep rally - Purple Power Play on Poyntz.

Stretching for three blocks, Purple Power Play is the largest purple-themed, two-night, September event in Manhattan. Mimes attend.


Like all pep rallies, Purple Power Play provided my niece and nephew an opportunity to meet a gigantic snake.

Yay, the band!

At the finale, I was surprised to discover that I was most excited about the band. I have a lot of contact with the marching band. They practice in the stadium on Thursdays while I run stairs. Last Thursday, when it was 108 and felt like a hair dryer, they were right there with me. When the band stopped and the speeches started, we left.

The next day, we took Daisy to Petco!

Puppy's first in-store experience.

I think Daisy's licking is starting to get a little out of hand and I'm worried that it's becoming more of a habit or stress relief than just grooming. To fix this, my brilliant idea was to get her a mentally stimulating Kong toy.

Daisy carefully considers her options.

Unfortunately, when all you've got is a hammer, everything looks like something you should lick.

Daisy carefully considers her next lick.

I even tried to teach her that if you bang it and toss it, sometimes treats fall out. Unfortunately, she still just wants to lick it. Only now, she doesn't want me anywhere near it because I'm mean to her toys.

Speaking of toys, today Julie decided we needed to figure out how her Moby Wrap (hippie blanket version of a Baby Bjorn) worked.

It starts out harmless enough.

Select one of these simple 8-step knot tying adventures to begin.

Initially, it's very intimidating. The wrap is about 83 ft long and the instructions look complicated. The instructions are also wide-ranging. They include recommendations on baby nutrition, yoga, breastfeeding, and baby massage.

Julie showcases her tenacity and skillful wrappitude.

After watching Julie work it out, I wanted to show off my knot-tying prowess. Back in my scouting days, I was something of a knot master...

The incorrect way to wear a Moby.

It's not easy to blog with my hands tied up like that.

Comments

Daniel Landis said…
Very funny Charlie good to see you are all doing well

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