The Hits Just Keep On Coming.

A special moment, among many, between mama and baby.

Baby Learns New Trick

While mama is away...



... Mmm. Front paw doesn't taste too bad.

Bath Time... Again!

Disclaimer

A kind commenter complimented me on "my" pictures of the baby panda bear.

I cannot honestly say they are "my" pictures; I am only grabbing screen-captures of adorable baby moments on the San Diego Zoo's live pandacam, and sharing them with the rest of you.

I have no connection whatsoever with the San Diego Zoo; in fact, to the best of my recollection, I have not actually been there, on their premises, since somewhere in the mid 1960s. That, of course, was LONG before any giant pandas came to live there.

And just for the fun of it... here is what baby is doing right now, cradled in mama's big front paw:

Yawning, Or Yelling For Mama?

She came back into the den about half a minute after this screen capture was taken.



And then the poor little guy had to endure yet another mama-bear spit-bath!

I Surrender!

Just after mama bear gave the baby a bath....

See How He's Growing

Screen caps blatantly snatched from the San Diego Zoo's latest panda blog video. Yes, he does have all of his toes.



The lil' guy's eyes aren't even open yet.



The information from the zoo's latest entries tells us that the black coloring is actually skin pigmentation; what little fur the lil' guy has is still all white.

It's A Boy.

Who's a boy? Why, he whose baby pictures I have been posting incessantly, making this blog all bears, all the time.... He also weighs nearly 3 pounds at age 4 weeks, and is nearly 15 inches long. Big growth spurt there, from the size of a stick of butter when he was hatched 4 weeks ago....

In other news, I'm home, I'm fried, I'm going straight to sleep. Concerts were both fabulous. There may or may not be pictures later. Don't hold your breath.

Those Bears... Again

Planes, Trains, Automobiles

Not in that order, though.

Got up yesterday at 4 a.m. Took a taxi, took a plane, took another plane, took a bus, took another bus, took a train, took another train--and here I am at the Westin Hotel in downtown Dallas. This is the place with an ice rink in the atrium. It's hot and muggy here. I wonder if they'd let me go roll around on the ice....

(Actually, I'm at the Corner Bakery where they have spotty-but-free wi-fi, as opposed to the not-so-spotty-but-pricey hotel wi-fi.)

Tonight the Moody Blues play the first show of a double-header with the Dallas Symphony. Bob arranged a fan gathering in the restaurant at the symphony center before tomorrow night's show; we're expecting at least 50 people there, from all over the country and maybe folks from other places as well.

Did I mention we have front row seats? I have some great friends.... :)

Thought For The Day

You can lead a horse to water.

Dealing with the other end of the horse can be a bit more problematic, not to mention messy.

And if the horseshoe fits, you know what to do.

Best Crash Pad In The World.

I think it's about time for my nap, too.

Working The Early Shift Has Its Advantages.

If I weren't up and working at oh-dark-hundred, I wouldn't see this out my window.



Zoom lenses are your friend. Here's the view without the zoom:



I didn't even have to get out of my chair for this.

"Go Kiss Your Lizard. Pffft!"

Now that's what I call an honest and open debating tactic.

Somebody just said that to me on a public (allegedly) professional bulletin board when I challenged their premise.

Way to make your point, o nameless one.

Speaking of lizards... Geico has gone back to live with Jennifer, his original mommy, as of yesterday. I shall miss the lil' rotter. Somewhat. He actually bit me yesterday before he left, after a long dry spell of many months. What's up with that?

So long, my boneheaded buddy.

Scary, If I Were The Larcenous Type...

Several years ago I started getting e-mailed jokes from someone I didn't know. The jokes were actually pretty good, compared to the dreck that usually makes the rounds of the in-boxes.

I finally e-mailed the joker back--and it turned out she thought she was e-mailing a co-worker. The co-worker must have an e-mail address very close to mine. (But I am the one, the only original CrankyBeach. Never forget that.)

Not too long after that, I got an e-mail that contained some pretty privileged information. It had to do with that lady's cell phone account.

I called her provider, told them they were e-mailing the wrong person, and never heard anything again.

Earlier this evening I was telling this story to some friends. So imagine my surprise when I got home, to find a confirmation of my DirecTV order. Addressed to the other lady, at my e-mail address.

So I called DirecTV to tell them they had the wrong person--and the very nice phone rep told me their computer system is undergoing maintenance until 6 a.m. eastern time, so I'll have to call back in the morning.

Do you know what I could DO with the information I've collected over the years on this lady, were I the larcenous type?? (No, I haven't saved any of it, and don't intend to, and I'll be deleting the DirecTV message just as soon as I straighten them out. And no, I don't have her correct e-mail address, or I'd just straighten her out myself.)

Let this be a lesson to you. Be very, very careful when giving your e-mail address to companies you do business with, that you have them read it back to you and make sure they have it exactly right.

Yes, Size Matters.

When you're about the size of an athletic shoe, anyway....

Betcha Thought I'd Forgotten.

No such luck. Still watching the bears.



That baby gets cuter (and fatter) every day. I wish the zoo would post some updates on how much s/he has grown....

Finally!

A concert reviewer who gets it.

For those who don't feel like clicking on the link, or in case the link is broken by the time you read this... it's Dan Aquilante of the New York Post, reviewing last week's sold-out Moody Blues show at Radio City Music Hall. The money quote:

... why hasn't the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted the Moody Blues? It doesn't make sense given the band's contribution to rock and its continuing performance excellence. On second thought, forget the feeble Hall of Fame; the Moody Blues are still a rock band -- not a museum piece.

Emphasis mine. He is so right.

Wish It Was Time For MY Nap!

And The Hits Just Keep On Coming.

Baby was all alone for a few minutes while Mama left the den on business of her own.



Lots and lots of squirming, but no real crawling yet.

Then Mama came back and scooped up the lil' rascal.