09/29/06
Someone in my family (think red hair) chided me last night for posting an update that failed to mention the star of the web site (think red hair): "Mommmm, it's my website. It's supposed to be about me."
I'm thinking, "Nine year olds should not be jealous of sharing their web space, especially with their most-beloved dog." I'm just about to move in and take corrective action (something like, "Oh don't be so spoiled, I've used plenty of bits and bytes on you, not to mention pixels."), when I look up and over at her. She winks:
"Gotcha, mom."
I did get a couple of messages after last night's posting asking for a cast of animal characters in the household. So for your entertainment enjoyment:
Luke (named for Luke Skywalker) is a very old (14+ years) yellow lab. He is the most expensive free dog I have ever owned. Most recently he contributed to the family by pulling a paw nail off and bleeding copiously throughout the house, sticking mainly to carpeted surfaces.
Uma (named, not by us, for Uma Thurman) is a 7 year old Welsh corgi (with papers), given to us by the widow of a friend. This woman parlayed our love for her and her husband into an opportunity to escape from the hell of living with a spoiled brat dog, who barks at everything, including all amorous activity among the household's adults. I am quite sure the ghost of Bob is having a great laught at our expense.
Willie (named for William Marsh Rice) is a 10 month old Rhodesian ridgeback, lab, terrier mix. He brings the worst qualities of those three breeds and packages them in a 60 pound puppy body.
Kitty Muffin (who really knows what a cat is named?) is a 3 year old tabby who is Erin's, but who has been banned to the house next door (my mother's house) by Walter who doesn't tolerate the catness of cats very well.
Alexander (who really cares what a fish is named?), the bata, is our only problem free pet. Having said that, I'll probably find him floating when I get home this afternoon.
On the medical front, Erin's counts remained fairly high this week (normal hemoglobin and platelets; satisfactory white counts). We are also trying to train a new classroom of students and her teachers to remain vigilant about hand washing. The best contribution I can make on a daily basis is to keep Erin as healthy as possible. This means washing germs down the drain, eating right, and making sure she gets enough sleep and exercise. These things are all easier in the summer when the weather is warm, and neither Erin nor I are in the classroom. We are trying our hardest, and so far have not encountered any bugs that have laid us low.
Once again, Erin has a busier schedule this weekend than either Walter or me. Her soccer team is playing an exhibition scrimmage during the half time of the Aggie soccer game tonight, and she has a real game tomorrow morning. Her dear friend Katie has invited her to see Peter Pan put on by The Theatre Company tomorrow night, and I am sure there will be begging for sleepover arrangements as well. Sunday, her choir sings at worship. Just to make it interesting, she started practice for UIL oral reading after school yesterday. I am sure glad she can do all these things without having to worry about whether she can keep up with school or not, because it would be really sad to pull the plug on the activities she loves because of bad grade. Just to prove the point, Erin brought home a stellar report card yesterday with excellent marks in all subjects and conduct. Woohoo!
For our close friends who read the website, here is the Davis Report (Required Legal Disclaimer--the following paragraph may contain information that shocks long-time Davis observers. Any and all damage caused because you become light-headed or fall into shocked convulsions from what you read are not my fault, and I will not be held responsible. You have been duly warned):
Davis has adjusted better than any of us thought he would to campus life. He appears to have changed in at least two fundamental ways since we left him on August 20 to fend for himself in undergraduateland: he studies (maybe every day; maybe even for subjects that are not due the next day), and he keeps his dorm straight (and complains that his roommate doesn't). I hear he made a 100 on his first economics exam and (here comes the really scary part) his English writing class is his second favorite class (yes, he is taking more than two classes). One of his papers for English was about the virtues gained from dog ownership, of which patience was prime. He is also playing a variety of intramural sports, and I suspect socializing at least the median amount. He will be home a week from next Wednesday for four days of Fall Break. Given the schedule he has been keeping, I am expecting him to sleep the entire time.
One other note: Thanks to all of you who sent Davis "real mail." He wrote me that since Ryan (his roommate) had so many interesting posters and wall hangings, his own side of the room looked pretty bare. Davis has solved that problem by hanging all of the cards and letters he received on the wall. This includes the one from first grader Adam Tjoelker who wrote HAVE FUN AT RICE, and spelled out Rice by gluing real rice on the page and the three page chronology of a day in the life of Nico Tjoelker. I knew I could count on all of you to help me out of a jam.
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