Here we go...

So, here's my new blog. I got the name from David Sedaris. His book Me Talk Pretty One Day is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good side splitting laugh.

On my fifth trip to France I limited myself to the words and phrases that people actually use. From the dog owners I learned "Lie down," "Shut up," and "Who shit on this carpet?" The couple across the road taught me to ask questions correctly, and the grocer taught me to count. Things began to come together, and I went from speaking like an evil baby to speaking like a hillbilly. "Is thems the thoughts of cows?" I'd ask the butcher, pointing to the calves' brains displayed in the front window. "I want me some lamb chop with handles on 'em."

It seems appropriate. Besides the obvious comparison of my ramblings to bovine musing, it's important for a Lacto-ovo-pesco-vegetarian like myself to know calf brains are even a possibility.

The goal is to take as many pictures of the things I enjoy and share them with anyone interested. That said...


The last few days have been consumed by Zuzu and her mysterious ailment. She's always been a strange dog with bizarre behavior patterns. When she started periodically trembling about a week ago, we thought it was jut a reaction to our being out of town without her for a few days. After all, this is the dog that runs away from me when it's bath time and shivers in the shower before, during, and after the entire process.

The trembling continued for three days, so we took her to the vet for tests. The tests were precautionary. We never expected them to reveal anything significant. The vet believes she is either responding to fear or pain. She is on pain meds and doing a little better. The trembling has decreased and her appetite is coming back. We try to make her feel safe and loved without encouraging bad habits or spoiling her too much. We'll know she's really feeling better once she starts playing with her toys again... which she hasn't done in over a week.