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Norah's Birthday


It's great to be back.  More on the trip to Northlandia later.  I know you are all dying in anticipation of all the things explored, consumed, or observed.  I have lots, but first let's celebrate Norah's 7th birthday.  She was born on the day Obama's Navy SEALs plugged Obama bin Laden.  This was the last day I was here in Kitschland until I hopped a plane to the Quad Cities.

Birthday parties haven't changed much since I was a kid.  This was one of those surprise ones Kenzie dreamed up.  After an astonished kid, and having invited friends, open gifts, gush with pleasure at all the hoopla, eat cake, then finish it all off with a piñata bashing.  But wait! That's not all!  A sleepover!      



It was a nice time, and Norah was pleasantly surprised and quite happy being the center of all the attention.    






Alfred couldn't resist grabbing handfuls of compressed sugar from the piñata.








Seven is a tough birthday.  Too young yet to get treated like an adult, too old really to be a kid kid.  All I know is I babysat her from age 6 months to 4 years old.  We have a bond.  It's there now, it always will be.  

 I thought it would be nice to ease back into blogging after a nice 2 week layoff with a little family stuff.  Easing back ...into...it.  OK, here we go.  Can't let Danny down.  As for Northlandia, like all things, it had its ups and downs.  Nice to see family and friends, truck broke down leaving me emotionally , if not virtually, wheel- less.  Didn't see any night sky until the last morning, then sped about like a dervish.  Even the local cop wanted to know what I was doing.  Good food, lots of drink, funny people everywhere, had breakfast with the girls and had my Whitey's shake.  Speaking of shake, I couldn't shake the old adage that guests start smelling like fish after three days.  Anyway, my hosts were as gracious as ever and any thoughts of fish are my own and not radiating from others. More on the trip as we progress.       

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