Entry #43

Entry #43

Wednesday, February 15

8:00 a.m. I’ve heard plenty of Obama bashing here, so I wasn’t all that fazed until this morning, when I turned on the radio to hear the local hosts likening Obama to Hitler. “Oh yes, about every 60 to 70 years it pops up,” said one host casually, referring to a rise in anti-semitism.

Growing up as a child of a Holocaust survivor has weighed heavily on me throughout my life, and hearing the area’s most popular radio personalities joking about Obama’s alleged anti-semitism and likeness to Hitler was very disturbing. They began their conversation alluding to the anti-Israel lecture of a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, who, interestingly, is Jewish. She was supposedly forcing her students to side with her anti-Zionist leanings.

9:30 a.m. Because the weather is so dreary, I figured I’d just take Izzie for a walk around the neighborhood, walk to the forthcoming Trader Joe’s and see how soon it will be opening (60 to 90 days, according to the contractor today). Along the way, a woman looked at Izzie and said, “She could’ve entered the Westminster Dog Show!” I asked her if they'd determined the winner yet. "Yes," she said, “a Pekingese—a squeaky little furball.” She wasn’t pleased.

Here’s a photo of the fluffy winner, along with some other well-coiffed participants:

Thursday, February 16

1:00 p.m. I was reminded of the similarities between dogs and their owners while taking Izzie to Village Vet for her annual shots today. “Your dog has a very slow heart rate,” said the vet. “Is that bad?” I asked. “No, it’s more commmon among athletic dogs. Does she run a lot?” “I take her for hikes every day, but not really,” I said.

I told the vet that I also have a slow heart rate—it’s a genetic thing. When I was in the hospital after having Aidan, the nurse asked me if I was a swimmer or a basketball player because my resting heart rate is so slow. Izzie also has a propensity for gaining weight, another shared similarity, poor girl. I’ve already been told to put my puppy on a diet.

While Izzie was getting a basic health check by the vet tech,  I found out he has a background in herpetology and plans to start giving eco-tours. I actually wouldn’t mind going on a hike in search of snakes, but there are a lot of people around here who are averse to (i.e., petrified of) slithering, poisonous reptiles. I think the vet tech might need to keep his day job for awhile.

5:00 p.m. Noah’s been in need of a new pair of running shoes, so we went to a place called Luke’s Locker with hopes of finding something. The man who assisted us turned out to be as entertaining as he was helpful. He told us he was from South Africa and that he loved living in Texas. “It’s just like Johanessburg!” he exclaimed. He also told us that his son, Alistair Cragg, will be competing in the Summer Olympics in long-distance running.

I’m pretty gullible, but I wondered if the guy was trying to pull the wool over our eyes, so I Googled his son’s name, and yes, he is indeed a bona fide long-distance runner. In fact, he holds a variety of records for his alma mater, University of Arkansas. Google also validates that our shoes salesman was indeed his son’s running coach, obviously an effective one.

After having Noah standing up straight, then jog briefly on the treadmill, our salesman told Noah that he’s slightly bow-legged and pigeon-toed. Despite these less-than-complimentary observations, he really seemed to understand anatomy and brought Noah exactly what he needed—shoes with substantial arch supports.

Noah left with a great pair of running shoes and was eager to try them out, so Aidan and Noah raced down the sidewalk. “He really smoked his brother,” said David, watching Noah run past Aidan. Guess Aidan might need some “fast shoes” soon, too. Being a foot taller than your younger sibling does have its advantages.

Friday, February 17

9:00 a.m. David was browsing the Woodlands Villager over breakfast and spotted this unusual article: “Teens devour thousands of nuggets for youth ministry event:”

Finally given the green light, hundreds of teenagers shoveled in thousands of nuggets and hundreds of chicken strips and French fries..during the second annual “Eat the Menu” challenge...”Our message is just that God’s fun...We say it’s a sin to bore kids with the gospel...” “I’m sure I ate about 70 chicken nuggest tonight,” [one student] said, “We feel pretty awful.”

I don’t want to bore you or anything, but isn’t gluttony among the Seven Deadly Sins? I wonder how many chickens were sacrificed for this religious event.

4:00 p.m. The day after Valentine’s Day, storefronts and displays were magically transformed. It’s now time for Easter! A clerk at Hubbell & Hudson was stooped over the entry display area, arranging literally hundreds of chocolate bunnies, chicks, and other Easter confections. (Valentine's Day candies were piled in a shopping cart with a sign: 75% off!)

I must say it is a colorful holiday. It’s just that it’s only mid-February and Easter isn’t until April. That means that those poor store clerks are going to be inundated with bright pastels for a long, long while.