Pavlovian Wiggle Dance

As we all know, Pavlov was right with his dogs and all. But it also holds true for babies. Sirs Guy and Miles have begun a strange ritual wherein they do a special dance whenever the serviette (our hotsy-totsy word for a burp-cloth) is placed on their chest in advance of their bottle. It can only be described as a kind of undulating break dance move (I know, because I could do something similar back in 1984) with their mouths open in urgent expectation like this:



So, this is a representation of the mind of a six-and-a-half-month-old around feeding time:

1) [*vague urge begins*] Wasn't their something called a bottle? Didn't I like it? I wonder when it will come to me again. Hmmmmmzzzzzzzz.......

2) [*urge becomes more urgent*] Okay, I wasn't kidding around. I kinda would like to have that bottle-thing again. Hello? Are you listening to me? Fine, I'll crap in my pants to get your attention...

3) [*urge become obsession*] bottlebottlebottlebottlebottlebottlebottlebottlebottlebottlebottlebottlebottlebottlebottlebottlebottle.......

4) [*obsession leads to fury*] Where the f_ck is my BOTTLE!!!!!!!!!

5) [*fury leads to utter despair*] There will never be another bottle. All is lost. I'll just curl up here in the corner of my bed, like a farty little croissant, and try to suck on my fingers for a little nourishment. My minutes are numbered...

6) [*magic serviette is placed upon them*] JOY! THE BOTTLE COMETH AFTER ALL!

7) [*cue the Pavlovian Wiggle Dance*]

By the way, I'm eating nachos for breakfast.

Still here...random fluff

My god, it's been a while. Are people still even checking to see if I blog anymore? I wouldn't blame you...

Things here have been GREAT, just BUSY AS SHIT! And shit is bu-sy (pronounced "bi-zzay").

Here's all I'm capable of at the moment (must prep for classes tomorrow):

1) We survived a week-long Spring Break to the Real Dutchmanlandia - 7-8 hour flights were okay - Sirs Guy and Miles did extremely well all said. Sir Guy is teething and, thus, being a bit of a jerk. I'm glad to be home.

2) And speaking of home, we're moving in less than 2 weeks! And Medieval Mom is moving here in 4 days! Gah!!! But, the windows in our new place are installed, rooms painted, shelves built in closet, appliances to be delivered on Saturday. All overseen by yours truly. It looks so beautiful, it makes me want to cry. Will post pics when all is arranged.

3) Book is in editing stage - estimated to come out in October. Joy! Also, will contribute another article to a special issue of a journal and am going to contribute a new piece to another edited collection. Fortunately, deadlines aren't looming.

4) But one deadline is looming and that's a talk I'm giving on new material in early April - it's a short talk, but still - needs to be written!

5) Sigh. I have to have chest surgery in late April to remove a cyst that's next to my heart and that's getting too big (it's the size of a baseball now). It's fairly straightforward and asymptomatic at the moment, but it's annoying and it needs to come out. I'll be in the hospital for a couple of days and it's a 10-14 day total recovery, so it's not that big a deal - similar to a gall bladder. It's not cancerous and apparently I've had it since birth, it's just getting too big and we found it when they did the scan when my gall bladder turned in its notice. But, I'm still not looking forward to it.

6) What I do look forward to is June. My talk, our move, my surgery, my summer class, everything will be over by June. And then I'll be able to take it easy. I'll also officially be on research leave until January! So, come hither, June....