How Do Potatoes Lose Weight?

I went gluten-free 6 days ago.  That has nothing to do with the rest of my entry, other than if I had NOT turned gluten-free I would not have been having a baked potato tonight. I would have had a sandwich, like I really wanted.

Obviously I forgot how long to have it in the microwave. Oops. The house still stinks, my plate is ruined, and by the time daughter Beth and I had everything under control and I "baked" another potato, I could have baked it in the oven. The potato now weighs 16 grams. A hatchling box turtle weighs between 7 and 9 grams. The original weight of the potato was 192 grams. Please do not ask me how I now all these things.


On a good note, she managed to teach me how to purchase and download mp3 albums from Amazon. I am listening to old-timey fiddle/mandolin music right now!


Update on 12-20-10: I found this little tune on a website a few days ago and thought it would be appropriate to include here. It is called "Little Burnt Potato", no, really, it really is!

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I tend to play with a lighter touch than a lot of folks, so I used my loudest pick and sat in my little back foyer area that leads to the garage and outside. It isn't carpeted and closeness of the walls make the tune seem a little louder. I vided it over and over trying to play it faster. but because of my little finger reach on the top string I always messed up. I must exercise that finger! I must! Even slowed down I can hear the chopiness between notes. I am either fretting the little finger or thinking about fretting it, and it keeps me nervous. After 532 attempts, I decided to keep this one. I found a different version where there is no reaching with the little finger, but it just doesn't sound as good as this one.

The Tail of the Diving Duck

The last time I bought groceries I took a short-cut down the pet aisle, I'm sure to avoid those nasties who stand with their carts in the middle of the aisle, you know, "owning" the aisle? The pet aisle happened to be the nearest, empty aisle, so I took it. As I was scurrying along I glanced to the right and noticed the toys, had to stop, and a little skinny orange duck caught my eye. After handling it and picturing Ed enjoying it, I tossed it in my cart.

Once home, I introduced the duck to Ed, who cautiously took it then dropped it. After I convinced him it was his he was ready to go out and play. Its weight is light enough, and it is soft enough that Ed can easily catch it when I throw it high for him. He loved playing with it. While retrieving it one time, he (and I) discovered it had a little squeaker in it. 

Eddie hasn't had a squeak toy for a long time and was very intrigued by it. In fact, he was so pleased with it that I went back to the store right then and bought...

another diving duck! But since I have a habit of buying several of items I Iike, including shoes and clothing, I didn't buy just one diving duck...

I bought all the little diving ducks they had! If there had been 7, I would have bought all 7, because when you find a good thing and want more later, you usually can't find them.


Later in the evening Ed was carrying around his duck, squeaking it now and then. Eventually I got busy and the next time I noticed the duck, a wad of its stuffing was sitting by my foot and the duck had a gaping whole in its stomach. The squeaker was gone. After searching, I finally gave up and again became busy. Soon enough I heard "squeaky-sqeak-squeak" and saw Ed with his head under an upholstered chair that forms a little enclosed cave underneath.


I called, "Ed, come" and he backed out of the chair, turned his back to me, and responded "squeaky-squeak-squeak-squeakity-squeaky-squeak". I said, "Ed, bring it here" and heard "squeaky...     squeak...      squeak?" Again I said, "ED" then step-by-step he reluctantly brought it to me and dropped it. I promptly put it up high. Why didn't I throw it away? Maybe because I'm trying to become a hoarder so I can star in my own show!

Two days ago I restuffed the duck and stitched its tummy back up:

I let him play with it a little more, but only with supervision, per the instructions:

Last night Beth was spending time with Ed while I was in class. When I arrived home I found this:

Even though the tag clearly states:

Although I haven't done it yet, I've decided to stitch up the duck's hole without the rugged rope tail.


I graciously submit the following as proof of my multiple-buying:

About 3 years ago I bought a little Scooby-Doo ball for Eddie at the Hell Hole (Wal-mart Super Center.) He loved it, and over the course of a week I went to 4 Hell Holes, ending up with 52 balls. Some were Barbie and Spiderman, and a few where shaped like footballs. We play ball every single day it is not raining, sometimes 4 or 5 times a day. We are now down to fewer than a dozen balls, and each time I have entered a Hell Hole I have looked for more but have never found them again.

Ed, enjoying his current Scooby-Doo ball

When I found the frisbees for 94 cents each, I bought a couple of dozen.

Ed loves all his toys