Mr Hippo has just come inside from rummaging through the Casa Del Hippo Annex, also referred to in the common language as the garage where he was searching high and low through the assorted treasures that constitute the Hippo Family Heirlooms for his Camping Equipment.
While searching, he discovered an amazing array of spiders inhabiting every nook and cranny.
When he picked up his Coleman Stove he saw an especially big black shiny one duck inside. Mr Hippo, who fancies himself a bit of a Arachnophile, immediately thought "Black Widow", and after making sure the spider in question was safely inside his lair and would not even consider a mad dash across the open Annex floor, did what any concerned Hippo husband and father would do.
He ran inside to the kitchen to get a transparent tupperware container to catch the spider to share with his family.
Upon returning to the annex, he oh so carefully opened the lid of the Coleman Stove and found his prey. A bit of gentle coaxing got the spider to a place where Mr Hippo could nudge the spider into the container and pop the lid on.
You can hardly imagine Mr Hippos great disappointment when he turned the tupperware container so that he could see the underside of the spider, and the tell tale red hourglass marking was not there.
Mr Hippo gave a heavy sigh and released the spider to go about his business, which due to the unsuspecting nature of spiders probably did NOT include preparing to meet his maker, because 5 seconds after giving the spider his freedom, Mr Hippo thought better of it and squished the spider flat, resulting in a rather large black spider grease spot right in the middle of the annex floor.
Mr Hippo considers, that on reflection, it is probably better that it wasn't a black widow spider, because he hates to imagine the uproar that would have occurred had Mrs Hippo and their children come home this afternoon to find a spider in a tupperware container, in the middle of the dining room table, sitting on top of a sign in bold red letters saying "Black widow spider inside, do NOT open."
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Mr Hippos Musings
1) Mr Hippo pays a compliment
While Mr Hippo was at work the other day, an African American woman with a shaved head passed by.
While Mr Hippo is a fan of neither shaved heads nor African American women, this woman struck Mr Hippo as a
person of beauty and dignity, almost as if a Nubian Princess had come to life.
The next day Mr Hippo came across her again and she said hello. Rather than mumble a hello in reply and continue on his merry way, he chose to engage the
woman. He said, "I just have to tell you, with your shaved head, you look amazing." And Mr Hippo has to admit again, with her dangling gold earrings she did look exactly like a princess.
The Nubian princess thanked me and added that she had decided to embrace the things happening in her life instead of hiding them.
She confided that she is battling breast cancer and the treatments had been making her hair fall out.
Mr Hippo asked if she had just started working there, and she replied in the negative, and that she used to have tight curls. Mr Hippo admitted that he hadn't noticed her, but then again, he usually doesn't.
Mr Hippo ended the conversation by wishing her all the best in her battle against cancer and affirming yet again the she looked beautiful, that she looked great.
When Mr Hippo related the tale to Mrs Hippo the next day, she replied that Mr Hippo had probably made her day.
Mr Hippo realizes the importance of sharing a positive word with everyone who crosses your path, and encourages the readers to do the same.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2) Mr Hippos dilemma
Mr Hippos boss made him an offer the other day, and Mr Hippo simply cannot decide what to do.
Mr Hippo currently works second shift, 6 days a week from 4 to 11.
The work is easy, but the downside is that the time he gets to spend with his family during the week is extremely limited.
He arises at 5:45 in the morning to help get the kids ready for school, and then drops by the school on the way to
work to spend another half hour with them while Mrs Hippo prepares to head home for the day.
Mr Hippo would fortify himself with a cup of coffee, with the result being that no matter how tired he was, he simply couldn't go back to sleep after his family had left.
Recently, Mr Hippo has started forgoing the coffee, with the result being his is i na fog, but he is able to fall back into bed untill 10 o'clock or so.
Sundays are precious but they are too long in coming, and go by too fast.
So what is Mr Hippos dilemma you ask?
Mr Hippos boss has offered him the chance to work days, Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 5.
The obvious benefits to this are that Mr Hippo will have the entire weekend off to spend with his family,
and he can drive his kids to school every morning, thus allowing them to sleep in a bit later, and have a more leisurely morning routine.
The downside is that cold and flu season is fast approaching, and it seems like a week doesn't go by that one of both of Mr Hippos kids are home sick.
Mr Hippo is pretty sure all the resulting days off will not endear him to his boss.
Plus there is the consideration of the work required evenings vs days.
Mr Hippo is the first to admit he has a fairly easy routine now, and wonders if he might be required to work harder during the day.
Either way, the job pays little, with no benefits, so Mr Hippo has assured his boss that no matter what,
Mr Hippo will be jumping ship just as soon as a more suitable position for Mr Hippos talents opens up.
Mr Hippo has a couple of days to make up his mind, but he suspects he might just stay where he is.
His children are used to the routine, and even Mrs Hippo has accepted being a single parent during the evenings that Mr Hippo toils to earn his pittance.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) Mr Hippos Favorite Time of the Year
While Mr Hippo wishes to say that Mr Hippo thinks that every single day and every single season is special,
he's always had a secret affection for this time of the year in particular.
The heat of summer is largely a thing of the past, and the cold days of winter, while looming ahead, are far enough away to not be overly concerned about.
There is a freshness in the air, and the knowledge that like life itself, it will not last forever.
This was especially true when mr Hippo lived in the far frozen north, when the number of such days could be counted on one hand.
But where Mr Hippo currently resides, one is guaranteed a couple of months of this divine weather.
The AC has been more or less permanently turned off, and the windows are open day and night to allow the maximum
amount of fresh air to permeate Casa Del Hippo, not like the spring months where the open windows allow the entry of
copious amounts of pollen, which causes Mrs Hippo to have to endure couging, wheezing, a runny nose and and causes Mr Hippo to have to endure a less than perfect disposition.
Mr Hippo opines that oak pollen is the worst, the pollen and accompanying stamen drop from
the large willow oak in his back yard can be measured in inches and covers everything in a thick yellow blanket.
However, in the fall, the sun, the breezes, even the rain arrives in perfect combination and Mr Hippo is greatly content.
In fact, if Mr Hippo didn't need to leave for work in an hour, one might find him lolling on the front porch for the rest of the afternoon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) A Milestone Passed
Tomorrow is Mr Hippos Birthday. Mrs Hippo and their children honored his special day on Sunday, on account of Mr Hippo having to work, and everyone agreed that just 30 minutes in the morning is simply not sufficient time to celebrate his special day.
Birthdays are always special at Casa Del Hippo, and while Mr Hippo told Mrs Hippo not to bother with decorating and such, he was secretly happy to see that Mrs Hippo ignored his request and festooned the dining room with balloons and streamers.
A pleasant day was had by all, and Mr Hippo is forced to admit that he had not 1, not 2, but 3 pieces of birthday cake.
But this birthday has a Serious Side.
This is the birthday that Mr Hippo outlives his mother.
Mr Hippos mom died just one week shy of her 54th birthday, after a long battle with colon cancer.
It was 25 years ago, but Mr Hippo still thinks about her, and misses her.
He is sad that his mom never got to see his beautiful children, and that they never were able to know her, and her kind and gentle ways.
Mr Hippo is grateful to have had not 1 but 2 wonderful parents, and can only hope to repay then by passing on to his own children what he received from them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While Mr Hippo was at work the other day, an African American woman with a shaved head passed by.
While Mr Hippo is a fan of neither shaved heads nor African American women, this woman struck Mr Hippo as a
person of beauty and dignity, almost as if a Nubian Princess had come to life.
The next day Mr Hippo came across her again and she said hello. Rather than mumble a hello in reply and continue on his merry way, he chose to engage the
woman. He said, "I just have to tell you, with your shaved head, you look amazing." And Mr Hippo has to admit again, with her dangling gold earrings she did look exactly like a princess.
The Nubian princess thanked me and added that she had decided to embrace the things happening in her life instead of hiding them.
She confided that she is battling breast cancer and the treatments had been making her hair fall out.
Mr Hippo asked if she had just started working there, and she replied in the negative, and that she used to have tight curls. Mr Hippo admitted that he hadn't noticed her, but then again, he usually doesn't.
Mr Hippo ended the conversation by wishing her all the best in her battle against cancer and affirming yet again the she looked beautiful, that she looked great.
When Mr Hippo related the tale to Mrs Hippo the next day, she replied that Mr Hippo had probably made her day.
Mr Hippo realizes the importance of sharing a positive word with everyone who crosses your path, and encourages the readers to do the same.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2) Mr Hippos dilemma
Mr Hippos boss made him an offer the other day, and Mr Hippo simply cannot decide what to do.
Mr Hippo currently works second shift, 6 days a week from 4 to 11.
The work is easy, but the downside is that the time he gets to spend with his family during the week is extremely limited.
He arises at 5:45 in the morning to help get the kids ready for school, and then drops by the school on the way to
work to spend another half hour with them while Mrs Hippo prepares to head home for the day.
Mr Hippo would fortify himself with a cup of coffee, with the result being that no matter how tired he was, he simply couldn't go back to sleep after his family had left.
Recently, Mr Hippo has started forgoing the coffee, with the result being his is i na fog, but he is able to fall back into bed untill 10 o'clock or so.
Sundays are precious but they are too long in coming, and go by too fast.
So what is Mr Hippos dilemma you ask?
Mr Hippos boss has offered him the chance to work days, Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 5.
The obvious benefits to this are that Mr Hippo will have the entire weekend off to spend with his family,
and he can drive his kids to school every morning, thus allowing them to sleep in a bit later, and have a more leisurely morning routine.
The downside is that cold and flu season is fast approaching, and it seems like a week doesn't go by that one of both of Mr Hippos kids are home sick.
Mr Hippo is pretty sure all the resulting days off will not endear him to his boss.
Plus there is the consideration of the work required evenings vs days.
Mr Hippo is the first to admit he has a fairly easy routine now, and wonders if he might be required to work harder during the day.
Either way, the job pays little, with no benefits, so Mr Hippo has assured his boss that no matter what,
Mr Hippo will be jumping ship just as soon as a more suitable position for Mr Hippos talents opens up.
Mr Hippo has a couple of days to make up his mind, but he suspects he might just stay where he is.
His children are used to the routine, and even Mrs Hippo has accepted being a single parent during the evenings that Mr Hippo toils to earn his pittance.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) Mr Hippos Favorite Time of the Year
While Mr Hippo wishes to say that Mr Hippo thinks that every single day and every single season is special,
he's always had a secret affection for this time of the year in particular.
The heat of summer is largely a thing of the past, and the cold days of winter, while looming ahead, are far enough away to not be overly concerned about.
There is a freshness in the air, and the knowledge that like life itself, it will not last forever.
This was especially true when mr Hippo lived in the far frozen north, when the number of such days could be counted on one hand.
But where Mr Hippo currently resides, one is guaranteed a couple of months of this divine weather.
The AC has been more or less permanently turned off, and the windows are open day and night to allow the maximum
amount of fresh air to permeate Casa Del Hippo, not like the spring months where the open windows allow the entry of
copious amounts of pollen, which causes Mrs Hippo to have to endure couging, wheezing, a runny nose and and causes Mr Hippo to have to endure a less than perfect disposition.
Mr Hippo opines that oak pollen is the worst, the pollen and accompanying stamen drop from
the large willow oak in his back yard can be measured in inches and covers everything in a thick yellow blanket.
However, in the fall, the sun, the breezes, even the rain arrives in perfect combination and Mr Hippo is greatly content.
In fact, if Mr Hippo didn't need to leave for work in an hour, one might find him lolling on the front porch for the rest of the afternoon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) A Milestone Passed
Tomorrow is Mr Hippos Birthday. Mrs Hippo and their children honored his special day on Sunday, on account of Mr Hippo having to work, and everyone agreed that just 30 minutes in the morning is simply not sufficient time to celebrate his special day.
Birthdays are always special at Casa Del Hippo, and while Mr Hippo told Mrs Hippo not to bother with decorating and such, he was secretly happy to see that Mrs Hippo ignored his request and festooned the dining room with balloons and streamers.
A pleasant day was had by all, and Mr Hippo is forced to admit that he had not 1, not 2, but 3 pieces of birthday cake.
But this birthday has a Serious Side.
This is the birthday that Mr Hippo outlives his mother.
Mr Hippos mom died just one week shy of her 54th birthday, after a long battle with colon cancer.
It was 25 years ago, but Mr Hippo still thinks about her, and misses her.
He is sad that his mom never got to see his beautiful children, and that they never were able to know her, and her kind and gentle ways.
Mr Hippo is grateful to have had not 1 but 2 wonderful parents, and can only hope to repay then by passing on to his own children what he received from them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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