Tag: a
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Double Digit Boy
Ten years ago, on December 1st, I ambled into the hospital toward midnight, having begun labor at 7:30 pm. This is what I looked like on the way out of our place. A neighbor thought to grab a camera and memorialize the moment. This is what emerged from me on December 2nd, towards midnight. H.o.p.’s…
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Ants Meditating On the Futility of Their Endeavors, Day 32
Been a while since I’ve done a not-quite-in-focus ant update. The critters have shown slightly more industry over the past 12 days, but, as they say, it’s not much to write home about. I did send Uncle Milton (from whom I’d purchased the ants) my last photo update, because they’d said to keep them apprized…
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IT'S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE
H.o.p.: “Mothers are so embarrassing.” CORRECTION: H.o.p. pleads that he instead said, “Mothers are so enchanting!” Yup.
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AN ASSESSMENT
H.o.p.: Ancient history is brutal. Me: So’s modern history.
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DAY 20: IN WHICH OUR ANTS TAKE UP SCULPTURE IN LIEU OF TUNNELING
Susan of French Road Connections was inquiring how our ants were doing so I thought I’d update. There they are. Day 20. There’s a wee bit of tunneling down the side of the habitat, just a little more than evidenced on day 10. The three perforations towards the center of the gel are the ones…
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Let 'em drink Dasani
The rumors have started. Unidentified acquaintance of acquaintance: “FEMA has a plan for mandatory evacuation of Atlanta when the water runs out in February.” Where? To New Orleans?
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NOT THE ENCYCLOPEDIA
A cousin H.o.p.’s age is now, after being a reluctant reader, making his way through the encyclopedia. If H.o.p. was making his way through the encyclopedia, I’d be proud of him too. He’s not. H.o.p. has instead discovered the joys of the comics and graphic novels alley of the second hand bookstore. I mentioned comics…
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IN WHICH WE ARE TOLD THAT WE DO INDEED HAVE EXCEPTIONAL ANTS, IN AS MUCH AS THEY ARE "MEDIOCRE"
We’re scarce around here, aren’t we? H.o.p. couldn’t care less that Marty and I have come down with bad colds (I went for three months without one and believe me I’m at least grateful for that) and has just popped on Mozart’s Requiem. “Guess what I’m listening to?” he sings out. I’ve decided the music…
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What a difference a day makes
The sixth day (or day five, whichever, we’re flexible). The ants are no longer congregated in the center of their aquarium. They’ve either had a disagreement or reached some kind of consensus and have split into two groups. One faction is on the left and another is on the right. No one is playing centrist…
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THE WORKER ANTS THAT WOULDN'T WORK
You get the idea. Day four and still no tunnels. Maybe they’re same-lineage ants who have lost the ability to work. Or there is one amongst them preaching, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!” I did a brief search on the internet for others having this experience, and expected to come up with a fair…
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WORKER HARVESTER ANTS WORKING AGAINST TYPE
We got them Monday evening. It’s Thursday and there are still no tunnels. They stand around all day, perhaps philosophizing on the meaning of life without their queen.
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"You take us away from our queen, our industry becomes futile, we do not work…"
“You take us away from our queen, our industry becomes futile, we do not work,” is what our supposedly worker harvester ants seem to be saying.