Little Mime

I call this one - Walking against the window

Here I am trying to learn and practice the tricks of the trade like my great contemporary Marcel Marceau and all Mommy does is look for the Windex!

Blue Spoon Conundrum

We have a couple of corny choices here -

First is my father's favorite:
"Speak softly and carry a blue spoon..."

Or (sung to a Billie Holiday or Cowboy Junkies version of "Blue Moon", not Elvis):
"Blue spoon, you saw me eating alone,
With sticky fruit on my hand,
Just like a dog with a bone..."

O Jo's Wild Ride

Toad Licking

The cane toad or giant toad (Bufo marinus) is an amphibian, native to Central and South America. They have been introduced throughout the world as a biological control for insect pests of agriculture, most notably sugar cane. A consignment of cane toads from Hawaii was released into Queensland cane fields in 1935.

The introduction was surrounded by controversy as to the potential costs and benefits to Australia. It was hoped that the toad would control Frenchi and Greyback beetles, pests of economic importance to the sugar cane industry. By 1941, however, it had become evident that the cane toad was exerting only limited control over its intended prey.

It is thought that their venomous secretions hold hallucinogenic powers. The main component of the white secretion is bufotenine which is more toxic than hallucinogenic (many tribes still use the venom to kill their dinner via blowdarts). Shamanic rituals seem to center more around the smoking of one component 5-MeO-DMT, which is a known hallucinogen.

My own limited studies have suggested that oral ingestion of the Cane Toad's watery secretions when it has taken the form of a bath toy may result in uncontrollable babbling, splashing and giggling.

Many thanks to Her Majesty's Government of Queensland, which unwittingly provided most of my copy for this entry.
If you need help regarding Injured or ‘lost’ frogs, you may contact the following authorities:
Brisbane Forest Park 07 3300 4855
Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland 07 3221 0194
Queensland Museum 07 3840 7555

Birthday Party

The weekend arrived and so did most of my family for a big backyard birthday barbecue bash.


Party crashers

As Dad kept dropping hotdogs and hamburgers on to the bricks (and quickly put them back on the grill when no one was looking), I made my rounds as the dutiful host, talking to each guest in turn. When I had finished catching up with family we tucked in to a most sumptuous American meal of overdone meat and various salads (potato, pasta, fruit, etc.). After the meal came the most important part of the day - gifts for me!! As you can see, I received a lot of help unwrapping the presents. In fact, it went by so fast that mom and I are no longer certain who gave us what.


Can't I open some?

Next came the cake. Mom had spent a lot of time making me a Chicago Cubs birthday cake. At first it was going to be just a bear, but then the uniform and Cubs logo were iced on. Mini-Oreos were used for the eyes, nose and paws.


Cubs Birthday Cake

After the choir made me cry with their lovely (yet discordant) rendition of "Happy Birthday," I went to town on a Baseball cupcake. Under my father's tutelage I had recently mastered the one-handed smash-mouth approach to eating baked goods.


How 'bout a handful of ice cream, too?

Finally, after all the guests had departed, I retired myself to the confines of my castle room so that I might gaze upon all my newly acquired treasure.


The Haul

One Year Old

Can you believe it was only one year ago today that I was born? It seems just like yesterday. I am now 22 lbs 8 ounces and 31" tall. I am standing fairly well by myself and am up to 8 steps without help.

When I go to these checkups, the doctors I visit all seem to think that I have a pretty good demeanor except for that tongue depressor thing - I mean really, why don't you just make me lick a tree! Can't they marinate those sticks in something?

Why don't you, my adoring public, provide feedback to this entry telling me what they should soak tongue depressors in, and my entrepeneurial, hard-charging alter-ego will make it happen. (No votes for castor oil soaking!).

And the marketplace shall move mountains...

My Love for the Lovelorn

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have added a link to my "Fellow Bloggers" section. My mom's good friend transplanted herself to Colorado a while back and is tearing up the dating seen in the beautiful, cold-filtered Rockies. This is her new online journal that will start recording every bad date she goes on. She claims names will be censored to protect the dating-impaired. In any case, for my part I will be taking notes so that in the future I know how to score with the ladies :)