Globetrotters

We took our sons to see the Globetrotters this weekend, and it was just as fun as I remember it being as a kid. Of course, we were way up in the nosebleed section, but the antics were entertaining nonetheless. Some of the routines are EXACTLY as I remember them from when I'm growing up (like the bucket of water that really contains glitter), and some of the routines are updated to fit the times. My 2-year old had a great time, and actually didn't even fidget throughout the game (it could have had something to do with the sno-cone and the giant pretzel too, but I think he was entertained too).

My favorite Globetrotter growing up was Curly, he was AWESOME. He could dribble like nobody's business, and he always seemed so little to me, although he was probably at least 6 feet tall, it's just that the other guys were all HUGE. I also remember that the Globetrotters were occasional guests on Scooby Doo. There was one, who's name I can't remember, had a HUGE afro on Scooby Doo, and he would often pull random things out of his 'fro. It was hysterical. I think they also made a movie.

The modern Globetrotters actually have some of the same character names (for example, there is a Curly in this permutation of the Globetrotters). It's amazing that they are entertaining my children as they entertained me throughout my childhood. I give many kudos to the creator of this industry that began all the way back in 1927 and continues today with wholesome and fun family entertainment.

New Job!

Finally, I have landed a job! It only took me what, 14 months? How sad is that?

I start March 13th, it's a brand new start-up company, I'm among the first five employees there. It's going to be an immense challenge but I think it will be a rewarding endeavor. I like the atmosphere of start-ups. The camraderie and the sense of purpose that comes with the need to ultimately meet a goal before the money runs out is quite compelling.

Wish me luck! Woo-Hoo!

Gives New Meaning to "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow"

Hat tip to my friend Rob who pulled out this recent news clip:

Yellow snow falls in Omsk Region (Russia)

On January 31, snow colored from light yellow to orange and with oily slicks and musty smell fell in five districts of Omsk Region (Russia). Under preliminary reports, the territory covered by the colored snow is about 1,500 square kilometers. 1,200 households are located in the territory, where about 28,000 people live, REGNUM was informed at the information department of the Russian emergence ministry.

Emergency specialists of Omsk Region informed the people on precaution measures. In particular, they are advised not to use snow in housekeeping, and abstain from taking livestock to the territory and visiting the area by humans. There have been no complains about health problems from local residents. Experts of the emergency ministry and sanitary inspection took samples of the snow for tests, results of which are expected soon.

All I can say is *YIKES*

Sayonara January...and Good Riddance

January was a month from hell, and hopefully it does not represent what is to come for the rest of the year. But, all I can say is that I'm glad it's over, and every other month of 2007 has to be better than this one!

The most benign reason for my disappointment in the month of January was that we got essentially NO snow. This has been an incredibly mild winter, and although most people think that this is a good thing, I think it's absolutely awful. I am a snow person and I would love FEET and FEET of snow. I don't even mind shoveling, it's good exercise and very therapeutic! Sledding, skiing, snowmen, it's all good for me. To top it off, not only was there no snow, but there were extreme fluctuations in temperature, from the mid-sixties to five below.

I believe the fluctuation in temperatures caused the next major headache for January, and that was that we could not stay healthy or keep our kids healthy. The whole family has been sick for at least four weeks. We're finally getting better, but our kids are still sick. This week it's RSV, that put the little one on a nebulizer every four hours; and four, count 'em, FOUR ear infections. We've tried every antibiotic so far this month. All I can say is thank God for insurance, because we've had a ton of doctor's visits and a ton of prescriptions.

The warm weather was also an underlying cause for the saddest event in January, the death of our little dog. My husband and I got her before we were married and while we were in graduate school. She was a lonely pound pup and by far the cutest one there. She never really lost her puppy looks, and had SUCH a personality. On one of the sixty-degree days in January she was feeling her oats and jumped over the fence in our back yard and got hit by a car. I took her to the ER and they did emergency surgery to stop some internal bleeding, and then I took her to Tufts Veterinary School because they had a better equipped critical care unit. Unfortunately, she must have had a blood clot somewhere that let go and caused her to go into arrest two days later. It broke my heart. She was truly my first child and she was so good with the kids...we have proof:We'll never forget what a great pup she was, and she'll always be in our hearts.

So, heartbroken, we leave January behind and head into February hoping that things look up for us. We can't get our cute little critter back, but the other things we're doing our damnedest to take care of so that we can put the month from hell behind us.