Friday, 16 April, 2004

A brief aside A momentary break from a diet of headlines. I emptied out the contents of my camera into my computer the other day. Couldn't help noticing that I had taken comparatively few of them. Most were taken by this person: (who took even this one). This is my niece Nicole, or as she is generally known - the ringleader. This is after I showed her the self-portrait setting on my little Olympus. The rest of these are hers also. Here is her brother Lucas. Lucas had a story for me the other week. I was over at their house. There were some new neighbors down the street who were having an open house, so Lou and his dad thought they'd go and drop in to say hello. About a half hour 40 minutes latter Lou comes back, and says the new neighbors were nice people - no kids his age though. Then he adds, knowing I like to write, that the father was a writer. I say "oh, what's his name, what does he write?" Lou says "I can't remember, but I can show you". He leans back grabs the Sunday Washington Post off the counter behind him looks at the front page, examines the headline carefully, then places his finger on the by-line and says "this is the guy right here Dana Milbank." I seemed suitably impressed, which impressed lou. He mused as to why they bought a house on his street, a famous star reporter like should have bought a mansion with a swimming pool. My brother in law, Al, comes by and injects "lawyers make as much as reporters, you know." He's on the hook for a pool now. Meanwhile Nicole is out at soccer practice with 'coach Paul' who writes for the Toronto Globe and Mail. "Lou", I said, "you and Nicky, you're living the life." I should point out only Lou is allowed to call Nicole 'Nicky', this is forbidden to all others. These next two are her cousins, my sister Susan's kids. Grant who is six, and Raine who having been born while they lived in Vancouver, is technically Canadian. Grant finds Spongebob square pants funny, but has the sense to wonder why any adult would. Currently spy gear rules his world (he's been to the Spy Museum in DC). Raine has just discovered that his household's cats are alive, and are possibly related to Thomas the Tank engine. With their father formerly of Aberdeen, and only later Chicago, the highlands are with them both. I am somewhat taken aback that Nicole seems to take better pictures than I do. These are all quite credible portrait photos, especially for a sixth grader. I did take this last picture, had to go through all my pictures to last summer to find one . 8:38:45 AM    comment [];trackback [];

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. 2004 Paul Bushmiller. Last update: 5/05/04; 10:04:40.