Hooray for Sensai Abez for the stealthiest, monkiest, prettiest layout ever! It's not an easy task to combine deadly warrior images with delicate designs, but ye did it! Many thanks for the fast and fresh look.

And for the rest of ye, a quick update on my goings on:

• Walking to the Metro to get to work when the snow and ice imprisoned Cressie was not as bad as I imagined it to be.
• TP's Spanish Tortilla is still mouth-watering.
• ZP is in the 75th to 9th percentile for height but in the 3rd to 5th for weight (based on his height) or in the 10th to 25th for weight (based on his age). Either way, he is one long string bean!
• I got a professional haircut for the first time in over a year this weekend.
• When a clerk is rude or inattentive, the only revenge I allow myself is deliberately not saying "thank you" to them as they hand me the receipt.
• A Model World and Other Stories by Michael Chabon is not nearly as spectacular as The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay but that hasn't quelled my hope for The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel
• I spent the better half of today trying to get my computer to recognize my camcorder. I get the USB alert boop-de-boop noise, but it doesn't show up anywhere. BAH! Meanwhile, I'm in the market for a new digicam. This is a good contender but any suggestions or warnings are welcome.
• ZP slept from 9 pm to 12:30 am and then woke up. I tried to resist picking him up and bringing him to the bed for half an hour while he fussed and fumed. At 1:00 am, I picked him up for three minutes, put him back down again, and then went back to my own bed where I tossed and turned for the better part of the night and into the morning when he didn't make another sound until 7 am. Ah me.
• Feeding a baby a tiny fingertip's worth of snow = acceptable. Feeding a baby a third helping of a larger chunk of snow = vomitrocious.
• I don't think I've gotten my eyes check or my contact lenses renewed in over a year. I should probably put that on my list of things to do along with preparing a will/trust/guardian (which I started this weekend), checking up on the college fund, switching from Dish to Comcast, finding out if Verizon will give me a new, free phone since the current one dies after a few calls, figuring out why my portable hard drive isn't recognized on every computer, clean the basement, organize my closets, dust, mop, hang up photos, wish HBiddy a happy birthday, and going to bed a decent hour so I can get up before dawn to walk through 4 inches of snow to get to work.
  

Greetings all. This is Abez, who is in the process of redesigning Baji's blog as well as shaking an angry fist in the new blogger's direction. They're making it messy for me, and we's having technical probs, so I apologize to Baji for the cookie-cutter template, and will replace it with original Bajitude as soon as possible.

away!

Welcome to nine months old, ZP! As feared, this month was fraught with marrow-freezing temperatures, stinging ice and snow storms, and brittle weather that makes us all weep crystallized tears. Thank goodness for fleece.

Your razor-sharp bottom teeth have come in quite nicely and your two big slabs of teeth at the top have half-emerged. All the better for treating random bits of my body as boti and gnawing at me when I'm not looking. Your motor skills are fantastic and you can cram not only Cheerios but thin grains of basmati rice with your little fingers and into your mouth. You despise lying down unless a paci is near at hand. You much prefer sitting, crawling, and standing/dancing. You are equally enamoured by Baby Einstein and This Old House. Many apologies for my failed attempt at being your barber but if you give me another chance and hold still for a nanosecond, I think I can do better.

You have taken quite nicely to your nanny and playmate despite the harried and hurried routine we have to put you through to get you there. Wake up at 4 am to be carried to the big bed. Re-wake up at 6 am for some milk. Say adieu to me as I hit the metro and the morning rush to get to work by 7:30 while you and TP return home for breakfast and the first nap of the day. Get dropped off at your work by 8:30, play, eat, sleep, play, eat, sleep, and greet me at 5 pm when I race from work to pick you up. Last nap of the day around 5:30 and then when TP comes home around 6 pm, play, eat, bath, book, bottle, and sleep by 9 pm.
zzzzz.

Disillusioned.
Am I still so naive?
Why do I feel betrayed when I'm not even the one suffering from the consequences of having selfish friends?
How could someone not come to the aid of a friend involved in a car accident because she had a prior hair appointment?
Why am I so shocked and confused when I hear of other people severely lacking altruistic inclinations?
Is looking out for number one at the exclusion of everyone else the norm and I just haven't gotten the memo yet?

*phone rings*
*looks at clock and determines that we've already spoken to LB and Cybermom so who could be calling at this time?*

"Hello?"
"Hi, this is Will Robinson. Someone called my cellphone?"
"Ummm."
*thinks back to when ZP was messing around with the phone and how we were laughing that he would call Australia and pose as the International Drainage Commission*
"OH! Sorry, I think our baby may have called you accidentally."
"How old is he?"
"He's almost nine months old."
"Heh, wait until he turns sixteen and gets his license."

Awww, baby's first prank phone call.

via FB:

OBSERVATIONS ON HIJAB
Author: Unknown
It has been my personal observation that some Muslim girls and women do not realize the significance of hijab. Hijab is arabic for protection and cover. Some people put a lot effort into their hijab, yet it serves no purpose. I am referring to the pointless hijab that some girls wear.

The first pointless hijab is referred to as the headband hijab. It is a band of fabric approximately 4 inches wide. It covers the back of the head and allows all the hair to be exposed. It doesn't serve much in terms of modesty, but at least it comes in handy in case of an unexpected tennis match.

The second pointless hijab is the dupetta, also known as the Saran wrap hijab. It covers all the hair, but it is totally transparent. Again it doesn't serve much in terms of modesty, but it keeps the hair nice and fresh.

The third type of hijab is known as the Mickey Mouse Hijab. It is when a girl wears a black scarf and tucks it behind her ear, so that her ears stick out.

We now move to my favorites:

The yo-yo hijabs. The first yo-yo hijab, also known as the Benazir Bhutto hijab, is the scarf that keeps falling down and needs to be constantly pulled back up....up, down, up, down, just like a yo-yo.

The second yo-yo hijab is also referred to as the convertible hijab. This type of hijab is predominant at any type of social event, i.e. an Aqeeqah, Bismillah party, Ameen party, wedding, etc. This is when an Imam or Qari comes up to the microphone and starts to recite Qur'an. At this point, all the convertible hijabs come up...until he says "Sadaqallahul atheem". I'm not sure, but apparently in some cultures that translates to "ok sisters, you may now take off your scarves".

I'm sure this may seem odd, but what's even funnier is when people do not anticipate the recitation of Qur'an at a social event, and are forced to be creative and use accessories such as a purse to cover one's hair. I was surprised to see a women hold her purse over her head as "hijab"..as if the multitudes of men surrounding her are not a good enough reason to wear hijab, but some guy reciting du'a compels her to hold a purse over her head. Her friends were more creative...one friend used her dinner napkin.

I was also laughing when I saw the communal hijab -- two or more girls draped under one dinner napkin during the recitation of Qur'an. Her other friend was still more creative. She used her coffee saucer on the back of her head. I wasn't sure if it was hijab or a Yamaka. I didn't know if she was a Muslim or a Jew. I felt like going up to her and saying "Shalom alaikum, sister".

And, people should remember that hijab is not just a protection from guys, but from a girl's nafs (ego) as well. It should prevent girls from having to spend hours in front of the mirror doing her hair. But, unfortunately, you see girls in front of the mirror for hours doing their hijab as they would do their hair, with all sorts of elaborate braids and the like. I wanted to go up to a sister and say "Is your hijab naturally curly?" I also felt compelled to go up to another girl and say "pardon me, but is your hijab naturally that color, or did you dye it?".

Well, the point to remember is that some people make an effort to wear hijab, but it is futile, because it is not fulfilling it's purpose. It's like using an umbrella with holes in it. Hijab is used for protection from guys as well as from the girl herself, and should not be used as an accessory or for beautifying one's self.

Anyway, that's it. If anyone disagrees with me or is offended, then you are disagreeing with the teachings of Allah subhanahu wa Ta'ala.

Have you guys see the clips called "God, Inc."? The newest episode is particularly funny.