Nathaniel’s been on “solid” food for a few months now and is ready for some more substantial chewing action. “Great,” I figured, “time to start stocking up on zwieback.”
Except I’m too late.
The Nabisco (division of Kraft) product of this name has been discontinued (July 2008)
Bummer.
Scene: evening bath, where a napless Sabrina is getting a little chill time before going to bed. Dad is likewise stealing a few minutes to read a book while she splashes around and colors on the tub with bathtub crayons.
S: “Daddy, I just stuck a crayon in my nose.”
D: (absentmindedly) “Great, dear!”
S: “Daddy, I’ve got a crayon in my nose.”
D: (absentmindedly) “Great, dear!”
S: “Daddy, I can’t get it out.”
D: !!!
Turns out the tip of the crayon got lodged in her nose and she’d pushed it further in trying to get it out. We couldn’t get it out with a snotsucker or tweezers or having her blow it out, so it was off to the local emergency room. A few hours of reading books and watching the game (Go Phillies!) in various waiting rooms and then they did some poking and prodding; the crayon bit was gone. I’m guessing it came out during the drive over, since she got pretty hysterical at the prospect of the hospital, though she calmed down by the time we got to go. (She got so comfortable that she didn’t want to leave. After an evening of not wanting to be anywhere but in my arms, she climbs up on the bed and declares, “Daddy, I’m going to stay here and you go find me a snack, ok?”)
Being a parent means doing what you must, even though every fiber of you is screaming out for sleep.
My brother points out an article over at Bloomberg that gets to the bottom of the arrow thing.
Oct. 1 (Bloomberg) — Rose City Archery Inc., an Oregon company that makes arrows used by children, hit a bull’s-eye with Senate legislation that would rescue Wall Street banks.
From page 300 of the senate draft of the “EMERGENCY ECONOMIC STABILIZATION ACT OF 2008“:
SEC. 503. EXEMPTION FROM EXCISE TAX FOR CERTAIN
WOODEN ARROWS DESIGNED FOR USE BY CHILDREN.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (2) of section 4161(b)
is amended by redesignating subparagraph (B) as sub-
paragraph (C) and by inserting after subparagraph (A)
the following new subparagraph:
‘‘(B) EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN WOODEN
ARROW SHAFTS.—Subparagraph (A) shall not
apply to any shaft consisting of all natural
wood with no laminations or artificial means of
enhancing the spine of such shaft (whether sold
separately or incorporated as part of a finished
or unfinished product) of a type used in the
manufacture of any arrow which after its as-
sembly—
(i) measures 5/16 of an inch or less in
diameter, and
(ii) is not suitable for use with a bow
described in paragraph (1)(A).’’.
Yep. Rome is burning and someone thought it a good time to help out the toy arrow manufacturer in his district. It’s selfish stunts like that that got us into this mess in the first place. I really, really wish there were a requirement for every line in an act to have a sponsor. It’d be nice to see who’s being such a bastard…
And people think I’m a cynic for no reason.