PINGU

MAMA AND FRITH MADE A NEW FRIEND WHEN WE WENT SHOPPING YESTERDAY.

HE FOLLOWED US HOME, I SWEAR.

ONE OF THE NAMES UP ON THE DRAWING BOARD IS PERCIVAL. HOWEVER, MAMA IS OF THE OPINION THAT ALL PENGUINS ARE NAMED PINGU.

A man drives to a gas station and has his tank filled up. While doing this the clerk spots two penguins sitting on the back seat of the car. He asks the driver, "What's up with the penguins in the back seat?"
The man in the car says, "I found them. I asked myself what to do with them but, I haven't a clue."
The clerk ponders a bit then says, "You should take them to the zoo."
"Yeah, that's a good idea," says the man in the car and drives away.
The next day the man with the car is back at the same gas station. The clerk sees the penguins are still in the back seat of the car.
"Hey, they're still here! I thought you were going to take them to the zoo!"
"Oh, I did," says the driver, "and we had a great time. Today I'm taking them to the beach."

FRITHZILLA

THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE BATH MENAGERIE IS HMS CRAPPYBOAT.

FRITHZILLA SEES IT, FRITHZILLA SINKS IT.

THE HMS CRAPPYBOAT IS THOROUGHLY UNPLEASANT. BITS FALL OFF IT CONSTANTLY, LEAVING A TRAIL OF DETRITUS IN ITS WAKE - AND IT TAKES ON WATER AND SINKS IN UNDER THIRTY SECONDS. PLUS, THERE IS A STUPID SMALL ORANGE PLASTIC BANJO STICKING OUT OF THE TOP IT FOR NO CONCEIVABLE REASON (SAID BANJO ALSO FALLS OFF WITHIN MOMENTS OF LAUNCH).

ANYONE WHO CAN PROVIDE THE FRITH-FAMILY WITH HMS NONCRAPPYBOAT WILL BE WELL COMPENSATED IN FRITH-HUGS. BONUS POINTS IF THE NEW BOAT COMES SANS BANJO.

NEWS

THE CAMERA HAS BEEN EVERYWHERE FRITH HASN'T BEEN THIS WEEK. HOWEVER, THERE THERE ARE STILL STORIES TO BE TOLD. LAST NIGHT FRITH AND MAMA AND OMI WENT TO THE DECK PATIO OF THE NEWLY RENOVATED COLLINS HOTEL FOR A GLASS OF RED WINE (FOR MAMA AND OMI) AND SOME PRUNES (FOR THE FRITH, WHO HADN'T POOPED ALL DAY). WHILE WE TALKED, FRITH HUNG OUT ON THE DECK UNDER MAMA'S CHAIR AND PLAYED WITH MAMA'S WALLET AND LEFT SHOE. OCCASIONALLY WE FED HER CROUTONS FROM OMI'S CAESAR SALAD. UNTIL NOW ALL VEGETABLES HAVE MADE FRITH VERY ANGRY, SO I SUPPOSE WE CAN CONSIDER GARLIC A FRUIT. EARLIER FRITH ALSO ATE SOME OF OMI'S SPECTACULAR ZUCCHINI-TOFU SOUP, AND SHE'S BEEN GETTING A SPOONFUL OF CARROTS BEFORE EVERY MEAL. OUR LITTLE FRUIT BAT IS GROWING UP.

I ALMOST FORGOT !

GUESS WHO SPROUTED A THIRD TOOTH ? (FOR LACK OF A PHOTO OF SAID TOOTH, I DECIDED TO USE THIS SPACE TO TEACH US ALL A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT TEETH)

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD

THIS IS FRITH'S NEW FAVOURITE TOY, THE PEN-ON-A-STRING.

ALONG WITH BEING FUN TO PLAY WITH, IT IS ALSO APPARENTLY QUITE DELICIOUS.

I'M NOT SURE HOW FRITH FELT ABOUT HAVING HER FACE COVERED IN BLUE INK, BUT MAMA THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY DAMNED FUNNY. PARTICULARLY WHEN PARTNERED WITH THIS FACIAL EXPRESSION.

SAY AH

THIS ONE IS FROM LAST WEEKEND WHEN GRANDMA PAT AND GRAMPA KEN WERE VISITING, AND FRITH AND HER GAMMY GOT INTO A STICK-OUT-YOUR-TONGUE CONTEST.. WE'RE STILL NOT SURE WHO WON - BUT AS A SPECTATOR SPORT, THIS COULD BE THE NEXT BIG THING.

SOME ANIMATED CRAWLING ACTION

FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH AN INTEREST IN SUCH THINGS (AND WITH FLASH ON YOUR COMPUTER - AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE FLASH GO GET IT FOR PETE'S SAKE) WE HAVE SOME FOOTAGE OF THE FRITH CRAWLING HERE (A SHORT AND CUTE ONE) AND ALSO HERE (A SLIGHTLY LONGER, BUT SORT OF DARK ONE - AND I MEAN DARK IN THE ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION SENSE, NOT IN THE DOOMY FOREBODING SENSE)

CRAWL CRAWL CRAWL

SINCE SHE LEARNED TO CRAWL, FRITH HAS STARTED TO TURN UP IN THE WEIRDEST PLACES.

HERE SHE IS HEADING FOR THE BATHROOM (BABIES SEEM TO HAVE BUILT-IN RADAR FOR THE YUCKY-FACTOR.)

RUNNING AN OBSTACLE COURSE IN THE LIVING ROOM.

STOPPING TO READ A BOOK AS THE NEW LOOKS ON FROM BELOW.

AND FINALLY, GETTING A DRINK OF WATER. AGAIN, THE NEW IS WATCHING SUSPICIOUSLY. HE IS ABOUT AS FAR FROM HAPPY AS IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A CAT TO BE ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE LOUD LITTLE PINK THING IS NOW CAPABLE OF FOLLOWING HIM.

FRITHA LEIBOWITZ

MAMA AND THE FRITH DECIDED TO DINE AL FRESCO THIS EVENING.

THE CAMERA LOOKED FAR MORE DELICIOUS THAN THE CARROTS MAMA WAS OFFERING. THIS IS FRITH'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT PHOTOGRAPHY.

AND HER SECOND. YES, THAT IS CARROT ON HER FACE. MAMAS DON'T GIVE UP SO EASILY. WE'RE LIKE PITBULLS THAT WAY.

FRITHSQUATCH

HERE IS AN IMPRINT TAKEN OF THE FRITH'S FEET WHEN SHE WAS A COUPLE OF WEEKS OLD. MAMA THOUGHT SHE'D COMPARE THOSE TO THE SKIS FRITH IS CURRENTLY SPORTING AT THE ENDS OF HER LEGS.

SHE SQUIRMED QUITE A BIT, MAKING THIS PRETTY WELL IMPOSSIBLE. THIS WAS THE BEST SHOT MAMA COULD GET - YOU'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO TRUST ME. HER FEET HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED IN SIZE SINCE SHE WAS BORN. A FRITHA-YETI. A FRITHSQUATCH. THE ABOMINABLE FRITH.