Arianna's Blog

Since I am a terrible, terrible blogger, Erika has created a new blog to discuss the interesting part of this boring man's life. Take a look at Arianna's Universe.

You Know You're a Dad in the Smokies When...

We took our first family trip together last month to the Smoky Mountains. Arianna continues to rack up the miles for all the car trips we take her on, and she seems to have that Nelson wanderlust -- If we don't take her out, she gets cranky. She was great on the drive down and back, and through all the crazy mountain gravel road driving in-between.

Those of us Nelsons who enjoyed our Dad's leading us on those trips to the Smokies in the 70's and 80's will appreciate this picture. You know you're a Dad in the Smokies when you take your child to the Bud Ogle farm and follow along on the hiking trail while reading the guide pamphlet out loud to your captivated audience.

Busy Busy Busy

Sorry that I have not written in awhile. Arianna is seven months old now, and she has a third tooth -- her upper left medial incisor. I would like to say that I have been busy with projects at work, and working through two upper-level anthropology courses at NEIU (Anthropology of Islam and Primate Behavior), but the truth is, Rev. Wright caught me. Like all white people, I am busy spreading AIDS to minorities when I am not busy chaining them up and selling them into slavery. I do all of this while not being able to keep up with my rhythmic clapping while marching perfectly erect in a marching band while over pronouncing all my vowels and consonants while speaking.

I just have one question for Rev. Wright -- Since my daughter is half-Hispanic (a minority), am I her father or her owner? Help me out here, man of God.

Squirrels

Erika loves birds, and I love all non-human animals in general, so we feed a growing assortment of birds, squirrels, and rabbits who have made their home in our backyard. I know there a lot of folks who hate pigeons, raccoons, opossums, and squirrels, but I admire how they have survived in an urban environment. I am especially amused by this silly squirrel who makes a six foot leap from our deck to a bird feeder hanging out our kitchen window so he can get something to eat in these cold days in Chicago. Even more funny -- oftentimes the woodpeckers will eat the suet on the sides of the feeder, while the squirrel helps himself to the seed. Ah, seed is cheap, and all animals need to eat. So, here's to you, little flightless bat!

Teeth

A few weeks ago, Arianna decided that ever though she is only four months old, she would like to have some teeth. So, she now has her juvenile LI1's all through the gum line. (Those are the lower center incisors to you non-biological anthropologists out there.) Now, at five months, she feels that those two teeth are lonely, and her LI2's (the outer lower incisors) are starting to reach the gum line. She has quite a cute toothy grin these days.

I'd Like to be on the Moon

Tonight there was the last lunar eclipse that we'll see up here in Chicago in about three years. It's cold outside, but the sky is clear, and I've had a nice view of it from outside my office window. It would be fun to be on the Moon right now, as a Lunar eclipse on Earth causes a Solar eclipse on the Moon. That would be quite a sight.