Jim Henson

I've been thinking a lot about Jim Henson lately. Babes and I have recently started watching The Muppet Show on a semi regular basis and I can't help but think back to my own child hood days watching Kermit, Ms. Piggy, and Fozzie. The magic surrounding these characters is so strong that even though I know that they are muppets, when I'm watching I think of them as real. While watching with my daughter I often try to imagine the muppeteers behind the scenes, and figure out what they must be doing, but I can't. I have occasionally watched the behind the scenes footage of the muppet movies, or the muppet show, and it seems somehow incongruous to me that these characters are not animate.
I have picked up and watched several of Jim Henson's movies since I graduated college, and most of them are even more interesting to me now as an adult than they were when I was a child. The sheer magic of his worlds and the size of the worlds is amazing. How much imagination did this man have? Even just watching The Muppet Show you have to admit the man had some imagination. How did he think of all of those muppets? I would never have thought to put some eyes in the middle of a slinky and dance it around to music on television. But it works, and it holds the attention of my dog and one year old daughter. On top of that it can be pretty funny.
I can't help but wonder where his imagination would have led him if he had lived. What new worlds lay untapped in the depths of his mind that will never be discovered. People always say that they remember exactly where they were when they heard the news that John Lenin was dead. I was thinking about it today and I realized that I can remember exactly what I was doing when someone told me that Jim Henson died. I think I can even tell you who told me. Funny how someone that you never knew can make such a big impression on your life. But to be honest, before I fell in love with Harrison Ford, or Christopher Reeve, I loved Kermit the Frog.

Music soothes the savage beast... or baby

Today Babes has had such an issue falling asleep and staying asleep. All day today (and yesterday too) she has been going down for her naps like usual, and then five minutes later up and screaming. If she sleeps at all it's for maybe 20 minutes and then up and screaming. I've been resisting her desire to go back to the quickie naps... I just can't go back. Having tasted the delicious freedom of the 2 hour nap I refuse to be relegated back to the days where I have time to run to the bathroom, eat, or check my email, but not more than one of those. The two hour nap was so peaceful. I could make a sandwich, go to the bathroom, AND watch a minute or two of television before Babes would wake up. Oh blessed peace! Why have you forsaken me!
Tonight she tried the I'm waking up after five minutes, and then wouldn't lay back down in her crib. So I brought out the big guns. First I tried the glo-worm but she was sitting back up every 30 seconds or so to make it play more music. Then I brought out our Creative Zen! I popped some batteries in it, put on some instrumental music, and there she is, out like a light. I only hope this continues once the batteries die....

Getting tired

You know I think I hit a point, maybe two weeks ago, where I no longer want to be overseas. Yesterday, was just another fine example of why it's sometimes irritating to be overseas... I was walking Brick (the dog we are dog sitting) and it seemed like every idiot in a car had to drive by, honk, and say something. Of course, most people were speaking Azeri (which I don't speak at all), some people were speaking Russian (which I sometimes understand) but no one was speaking English (which is understandable why would they). At first, I was amused, ha ha blow your horn at the pedestrian. Then after like the third or fourth car I got worried. What if they were trying to tell me something. I checked Brick, who seemed fine, then I looked at Babes (who was on my back in her Ergo carrier) in several car windows, and she seemed fine, and I checked out myself and the surroundings, and I didn't see any obvious dangers, what was it, I wondered. Then two cars in a row passed by honking their horns and barking, and I realized it was just what happens when there are too many guys running around without women to make them grow up. These weren't teenagers passing me, they were grown men. I mean seriously guys. You're supposed to outgrow this by the time you are 25 or so.
Yes, in the US you still have these things, but at least there, I will usually understand what they are saying, and if I feel like it, I can shout a few choice phrases back. I really wish that I had succeeded in teaching Honey to bark on command because I would love to send her amongst a group of boys, who are barking at her, barking wildly and running at full speed. It's hilarious to watch the then macho acting boys run for their mommies. *SIGH* Oh well, perhaps it's for the best.