Rowan's Birthday

A highlight of my winter break was going to Idaho for the weekend to attend my niece Rowan's 1st birthday. Below are some great pictures from the weekend, she's such a cutie. 

Me and the birthday girl. She got the snazzy vest for her birthday.

Rowan styling Gma Campbell's huge sunglasses. 

The birthday girl taking advantage of her birthday wishes, using one to play in the kitchen sink.

 

Amazing applespice birthday cake made by Chenoa (Rowan's mom).

Rowan wearing my hat and scarf, with Chenoa and Chester in the background.

One Upping is Hereditary

Before last weekend I thought that one upping was just something en vogue because of SNL's Penelope skit, but I realized it may be hereditary. Last Friday night I was kicking it at G & G Campbell's house (Gma Campbell is pictured below but don't tell her I took this picture or she would disown me- she hates pictures). As usual I was trying to secure my position as favorite grandchild and win grandma's affection. My current strategy was offering her an orange that I had brought her all the way from Utah. What do you think grandma did when I showed it to her but say something about it's small size and runs to get an orange twice the size of the one I was offering. That was a clear one-upper.

I am quite sure that my grandma has never seen SNL. As such I think that one one upping habits are not merely the miming of a popular TV show but a hereditary trait passed down from my grandma to my mom to me.

Doesn't grandma look happy. My favorite part is the bright orange shoelace she has used as a head band.

Oranges: mine is pictured on the left, grandma's on the right. In case you couldn't tell which was bigger.

P.S. The day this life changing story happened I was on a computer fast so I couldn't type the entry. Instead, like a true writer I wrote it on a napkin. My evidence in pictured above.

All good things come to an end

A little over a year ago I started bragging about how long it has been since I was sick. I mean actually sick. We all know that I have chronic health problems, from which I suffer silently, such as chronic congestion disorder, degenerative hip disease and periodic insanity, but today I am sick with a virus. While I am think it's some sort of rhinovirus I can't be sure because Web MD does not do very good job at diagnosing the cold/flu. 

The point to this rant-other than the much anticipated comments along the lines of "get well soon"- is that is has been more than 2 1/2 years since I have been sick like this.  A pretty significant feat when you consider that in that time I was substitute teacher in Cheyenne, and I lived in a bastion of disease last year with one of my room mates being sick pretty much all of the time. The last time I had a cold/flu was right after I got the Cambodia in May 2006 for an internship. Sadly, my long reign of health is over and the bragging rights that came along with it. 

I am just glad that my disease weakened fingers found enough strength to type this blog entry and wish everyone good health and a Merry Christmas.

A picture of me in healthier times.  Although doing things like kissing the glass of an aquarium in a sketchy Chinese restaurant probably only heightens my chances of becoming ill.