Save Mary

I have not been feeling very much inclined to blog about anything lately. Not sure why.

So I’ll just write about our Atari.

I never had an Atari as a child, so I had to find one for my children. My offspring are of course not horribly impressed (but do enjoy it on occasion) and I of course love it.

Lately I have been playing the game “Save Mary”. We are not sure why, exactly, we have to save Mary- she keeps getting stuck in this chasm that is rapidly filling with water. The idea is to carefully drop concrete blocks in a neat stack so she can climb out (think about this in early 80’s Atari graphics, please. Lots of large square shapes.) But Mary doesn’t make it easy to save her; she is the stereotypical helpless female, crying ‘Help!’ and then getting in the way when you try to do something for her. And she can’t stand still, but must frolic about the quick trick block stack while you try to build it higher and consequently crush her beneath the concrete. We all wonder we bother to save Mary- honestly I kill her several dozen times each time I play- when clearly she is not worth saving.

The theological implications are overwhelming.

The Teacher

So, I’m reading the book of Ecclesiastes (in the bible) and I keep thinking, man, this guy needed Prozac!

No, seriously, it is a very convicting book, despite its rather depressed tone. Solomon was probably the author, and like most people who have everything their heart desires, he was very unhappy by the end of his life. It probably didn’t help that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines…that would be enough to drive any man to suicide…can you imagine the nagging??? Plus I can’t believe he actually had close relationships with any one of them or his children. It was a recipe for disaster.

But enough about Solomon’s interpersonal relationship issues. The basic premise of the book is that stuff can’t make you happy. All our stress and over-worked-ness gets us precisely nowhere; we all just need to chill and enjoy life. Vanity, vanity- all is vanity.

It avoids nihilism by the repeated emphasis that though materialism is meaningless, there is much that is above and beyond our short lives - and my favorite verse from the entire book is about that: ‘He has set eternity in the hearts of man, but they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.’

Other notable quotes:

“The sun also rises”

“Nothing new under the sun”

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth”

…and perhaps most famous of all….

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:” turn, turn, turn…

Names

We settled on names for our newest family members, the emergency rations in case of complete economic disaster- that is, the guinea pigs. Bear in mind these are technically Anastasia's pets (she is doing a good job caring for them, btw) so she had ultimate authority over name choices. Too, despite our many clever ideas (Smith and Wesson, Whiskey and Rye) they are guinea pigs- cute, fuzzy, squeaky, and not too witty.
So- drum roll please- they are now Gurgle and Plaid.
Plaid is a big bully (but cute and active). He steals lettuce from his littler brother, Gurgle, who is shiny and adorable and shy. When Plaid hears us walk in the room he lifts up on his hind legs and 'wheaks' sweetly, gazing at us with desperation, mouth slightly open, begging for lettuce.
Their lettuce-loving just cracks me up. Addictions are inexplicable.
More coffee, please.

The Lettuce-Eaters

Oh, little guineas
Who love their food
Who eat much more than we

Cel’ry and pellets
Clover and hay
And dandelions, yum, yummee

But there is yet
One food, so great,
The sight makes you twitch with glee-

What is this stuff,
This mortal stuff,
Curly and green, its leaves-

You lift your nose
You stretch your toes
You nuzzle our hand to see-

Oh there it is!
That glorious food!
Munch munch, it goes quickly

Romaine! Romaine!
Oh, give us more!
They squeak, they moan, they plea

An opiate to them-
They waste away-
Longing for its iron and vitamin C!

This Little Piggie...

Last night we bought our first cuddly pets. (I originally just said first pet but David told me our fish and lizard and millipedes would be insulted by that statement. Cuddly, however, is an indubitable adjective in this case).

We have two adorable, squeaky, calico male guinea pigs. They were cheap- just ten bucks a piece. But the cheapness ends there. Bedding, hay, food, fresh produce- these ‘pets’ are going to live better than my kids!

They are technically Anastasia’s birthday gifts, and she will be the ‘primary caregiver’ (that’s for tax purposes J ) But everyone loves them and will continue to help care for them, even after the novelty/excitement wears off.

I have to say, I’m much more smitten that I expected I would be. I’m not a cutesywootsy kind of person, but these little guys, with their huge, trusting black eyes, wiggly little snouts, and lovely habit of using everything as a toilet are just irresistible!

Oh, yea, names! We have a short list of appropriate names and will wait a week to observe their personalities before choosing.

Some initial thoughts:

Benjamin and Flopsy (Peter Rabbit’s family members)

Feo and Guapo (Ugly and handsome, in Spanish)

Othello and Hamlet

Ira and George (Gershwin)

The Hairstyle of Her Future

“Look, mommy, I’m emo,” India said to me last week. Charlotte had brushed India’s long bangs into her face, swooping them just slightly to the side so she looked like one of those over-emotional, self-centered teenage-types known as ‘emo’.

India, of course, had no idea what she was talking about it, but only mimicked what Charlotte had told her to say- which made it all the more hilarious. It is possible this is a prophetic vision of things to come… if indeed there is a subculture known as ‘emo’ in ten years, India’s high-strung and demanding personality may morph enough into a melancholy personality (as she begins to realize that indeed, the world does not revolve around her) for her to blend in beautifully with that crowd.