Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Special Guest Pterodactyl

This week, my guest is Dddragon. Dddragon was asked to define the åword Harried, after I explained the official meaning and usage.

HARRIED, adj. See pestered, vexed, annoyed and/or overworked. Life of parents of children still living at home, esp. children aged 18 years and younger: driving kids to school, band, Girl Scouts, piano lessons, trombone and trumpet lessons, football games and tournament of band competitions (not to mention championships), the grocery store, my part-time "real" job and my part-time art teaching job, avoiding cleaning the house, volunteering for Band Boosters, church committees, adult Girl Scout committees and functions, thinking up meals and maybe cooking them, making sure that my kids are doing what they're supposed to be doing (yes, I still do that ...), helping one of them earn her 50 hours of practice driving, trying to get the other to at least OPEN the driver's manual, hydrating one cat , fending off the other cat, and yes, getting in some blogging, too. Another form of "harried" is expected when my mother reads this and calls to give me some advice.

About Dddragon: My first ever big sister, Dddragon is the kind of warm and giving person you just can't help but ask to do you a favor. Yes, I actually requested original artwork although I was kind of hoping for a bronze. "3D" is a gifted artist and trained animator, a telephone operator for a catalog sales and crisis hotline, a deputy veterinarian, space zoologist, photogeneologist, art teacher, camp counselor, minivan caravan ferryman and marshmallow fan, friend to the friendless and the popular, mother and daughter to the wry, commentator, educator and a purveyor of girlscout cookies, camp fudge and whatever the school band is selling this year, a karaoke vixen and leading lady about town. Most notably, Dddragon is able to cook an egg in the shell on an open grill. Now that her daughters are international do-gooders, please leave your suggestions for a hobby with which Dddragon can fill the void. There are many truly extraordinary things about Dddragon, her warmth and wit, talent and gifts but the most stunning is that she is the mother of twins instead of triplets. I'd have lost that bet. First born of the Pez girls, Dddragon is married to Nod Donald Duck Pez (check behind the couch.)

Dddragon writes Is Anything Truly Random? which excerpts her diary and serves as the contact point for her many blogging friendships. Presumably she has a hand, or at least an opposable thumb in the blogs authored by her two cats, Chatham and Salem. If there's anything that needs fetching for her daughters' blogs, The Booknook and Chevron 2 I'm guessing she's the fetcher. Dddragon turned down a contract as the No-Doz spokesmodel citing scheduling difficulties. She was previously a guest here last August, going well above and beyond the call with some terrific original artwork, and inspired this story, posted here this past March.

Thanks to Dddragon for agreeing to do a second Guest post (I have no idea how I'm going to explain this to St. Peter,) for doing a terrific job of it, and for being a first-rate big blogsister.

How to be a future guest on this site: Just send an email to dpascover at mac dot com. On a future Wednesday, after posting that week's guest, I'll send you an email with a word to define. You'll be expected to return your definition along with a graphic representing either your definition or yourself by the following Saturday. The only rules are no profanity and no novels, please. And whatever I make up at the last minute.

I will be contacting previous guests who regularly comment here to repeat in no particular order. Previous guests who haven't been much heard from since their guest post should recontact if they would like to repeat.

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

all i can say after a harried read through, is... i'm exhausted!

3D, you are an even more FABULOUS guest/human being than i ever imagined! Dang... i'm impressed!! (not that i wasn't before) thank you, Doug, for letting me get my post out of the way *last* week 'cuz THIS would/will be a tough act to follow!

oh, and...i'm teh first! (for what good that's gonna do me and/or your favorite Penguin today!!)

Anonymous said...

I had to look this up. Did you know it also means "ravage"? I like this word.

It's true: right here in my dictionary: "to raid and ravage and rob". There be pirates! Aaaarrr. Or Vikings. Or Frat Boys.

TLP said...

3D is truly amazing. Very, very talented.

But, as her daughters are perfect, perfect I say, they do not add to her being harried.

3D was born busy. When she was a little kid, and we had been to the beach for the day and everyone was tired, tired, tired, she was in the back seat planning out loud what she was going to do when we got home.

Lila said...

I'm not too harried to comment on my own sister's guest appearance!

Great job with the definition, dddragon, and great job with the description, Doug! Yes, dddragon is a woman of many talents, and a woman who gets things done. Must come from TLP. Wish I'd gotten more of it.

Lila said...

Oh, and I love the picture, dddragon!

Anonymous said...

Great definition DDDragon...although after reading your post I found myself winded and desparately in need of a time out.

Harried: How I feel when I awaken to find that I've somehow managed to turn off my alarm clock and fall back asleep for a half-hour thus disrupting my very tight schedule...like this morning, for example.

Anonymous said...

so, since harried means "perplexed, vexed, ravaged, harrassed, badgered, tormented, wasted, teased, etc.", it actually *is* another word for "mom". who knew?

Sar said...

I always come here on Wednesdays curious who Doug's guest will be (that is when I actually get my days straight and it's not Tuesday). So this was my reaction today - AAAAAAAAH it's my Pez Pal 3D! Okay so maybe I actually shouted her real name because she is a dear friend. Have I mentioned lately I met her? *gloats*

She is a gifted artist (love the foot dragons!) and pretty damn skilled with photoshop. You know, a few months back she did a post with her Cal State student ID scanned in. In a total panic I contacted her and said please tell me you did not just post your s/s #! She laughed and said look again. She had photoshopped in a phony series of numbers so skillfully I had no idea they weren't the original. And upon closer look, I realized she had changed it to a series of 47's. She said she did it for me. Is she not the best harried dragon friend a stiletto gal could have?!

{{{{3D}}}

drszmz - Our Dragon running around silly, zipping, moving and zooming! (see harried)

Unknown said...

we just lllove dddragon!

jpbyr: just passing by, rrroarrr!

mireille said...

I admire Dddragon. She is the epitome of American womanhood and reminds me of my mother ... who I'll never equal. ♥ xoxo

Anonymous said...

Oh how I could relate to the post. Great job DDDragon! :) I do lead a harried life.

dddragon said...

Puppybrose: at least you MENTIONED the penguin, eh?

Jenna: Yup, I knew about that other definition, decided to stay on course, however.

TLP: well, at least now I know that there's no going back.

AP3: oh, like you don't get stuff done, too!

Brian: and that's not all, how about "Justice, equity and compassion in human relations".

Joel: I almost did that this morning, too!

{{{Sar}}}: aw, shucks. thx girlfriend!

anomie: And that's not the complete list ... boy, am I ever nuts ....

Karma! great to "see" you!

Mirielle: I feel the same way about my mom.

CJ: I had a feeling that many would feel that way with this definition.

Ariel the Thief said...

I am now better educated than was 5 mintes ago, I now know the word "harried". thank you, Dddragon! I like you write your name like that, it's like someone's stuttering with fear as trying to say "dragon". (last August Doug said you'd dressed his site up nice, reminded me of that old saying that undressing a site is easy, the art is to dress it up. and it's true, and you're an artist.)

Jamie Dawn said...

DDD gets the prize for Harried Mom.
The sketch is terrific!! Well done, DDD.

harried: someone who doesn't shave

Hello, Doug. Happy Day to you!!!

The Violent Vixen said...

Hey now, I'm one of those "18 and under" living at home and my mom isn't harried, ok so maybe some of the time, but I've still got 4 years of school to go and I'm staying right here at home...
This "18 and under" crowd can be "harried" too, with our parents noses always in places they shouldn't be.


Hey Doug!

The Village Idiot said...

First of all, after finishing off the entries from yesterday...Puppybrose, were you channeling Madeline Kahn..because if you were, just remember what they say...

Its Twue...Its Twue!

Now on with the Definition

Harried: The Opposite of Bald

The amoeba said...

One more brainwave, brian ...

HARRIED, prop. n. The daytime soap opera recounting the endless days of the lives of Harry and Harriet, two lonely people ... What? You never heard of it? Pilot must never have gotten past the pun police.

How Falstaff felt, bringing up Prince Harry. Bring me a cup of sack!

What's this, 3D? You don't sell popcorn in the stands at halftime?

And a trumpet player, not driving? How can this be? All trumpet players drive! Where did you think all these crazy people came from?!?

:)

Anonymous said...

VI: yes! (it's twue alright...and thank you for noticing!) i can't be sure, but i think the reference sailed over dougwass' head (i hear the air is kinda thin in Oregon) of course, since he's attending a conference, perhaps he was simply too harried to catch it!

O'C: don't you mean Harried, with Children?

Mistress Anna said...

Harried=State of Motherhood

G said...

Like that Harried with Children...

DDDragon: My kids are blog lurkers over my shoulder and my son loves your DDDragon Pez!

I am too harried to give your post its proper due, but just wanted to weigh in and say nice to see you here up in lights and your artwork is great - really something! Now how does that work out - are the catalog sales and crisis intervention intertwined? Do you counsel harried overspenders?

Great job and always nice getting to know the Pezes.

Mutha said...

Harried: The kind of day I have had, so be warned -- Mutha is on her last nerve.
(This has been a reproduction of the message delivered to Mutha's children when picked up at camp today.)
Oy!
Thanks Triple-D. Always great to learn more about a woman who is talented in so many ways!

Doug The Una said...

Puppybrose, Dddragon's impressive, isn't she?

Jenna, or Pezes?

TLP, that's funny. I had a feeling this wasn't something that just happened. I mean, is anything truly random?

Aral how many jobs/internships are you holding down right now? And sports? And art? And blogs?

Good point, Brian. Better talk fast.

Sorry to hear it, Joel. The nice thing about a weeklong conference is my schedule stays blown.

Puppybrose, we harriers knew.

Sar, that's an awfully sweet comment from a lady who posted an old man trysting with a PC on her site today.

Anomie, isn't it funny? I can read a war novel and feel well-rested.

We do, Kkkarma.

Mireille, your peerless your own self.

CJ, I'm not surprised the definition sounds familiar to some. May your kids turn out like Dddragon's.

Dddragon, I think the consensus is you did a great job and thanks for moderating with me.

Ariel, are you sure that old saying referred to websites?

Happy day to you, too, Jamie Dawn. Thank you very much.

Solace, well done. I'll make sure Dddragon's daughters see your comment. And it's great to see you again.

V.I., are you saying Puppybrose is the Lily Von Stupp of this site?

O Ceallaigh, I think we maybe shouldn't be pressuring the Bookworm to start driving. Maine isn't that far from Pennsylvania.

Puppy, see my comment to VI above.

Mistress Anna, I'll take your word for it. Pharmacies are everywhere.

Brian, can I commission you to write Harriet Harry to the tune of Eleanor Rigby?

G, can you believe she drew that herself? You should see her painted cows.

Doug The Una said...

Ooops, and Mutha, at least you haven't skipped a comment today. (whispered)

The Village Idiot said...

Doug,

I believe I am saying exactly that!

Anonymous said...

well... i *am* vewy tiowed. not to mention haowied (what with all those womantic wed woses being tossed at me all the time). oh, and that's Von Shtupp to you, bub!

Mutha said...

No Doug! I will not be denied my comment!
And if anyone in my household knows whats what, a big cookie icecream sandwich will be served to me very soon. Leading me to a little known fact:

Big cookie icecream sandwiches cure harriedness, but must be eaten with no one talking to you and NO ONE asking for a bite.

Anonymous said...

I'm with everyone else that definitinon says it all.

Unknown said...

Douglas, you should have put up a family tree of this deeply respected First Family of Waking Ambrose so we understand who's who and how they're connected.

i am still confused because they are so many, they have multiple names, and their pets blog as well. harried I am, i tell ya!

saddepb: Johnny Depp is sad

Doug The Una said...

That'll do, Brian. Well done. Dou mean Michael Jackson? You're a little old for him.

Thanks, Actonbell. The Pez clan is an impressive tribe.

Scandalous, Idiot!

Lily, I stand cowected.

Mutha, may the ice cream be just starting to melt.

Hey, Cooper. Nice article today.

Karma, I think that's a great idea. Maybe Dddragon can do the family tree back to the 1700s and post it here. All with Pez names.

Sar said...

If you weren't such an old fart, you'd appreciate just how hilarious that cartoon is, Doug.

Saur♥Kraut said...

I love Dddragon's definition, but I adore her biography! More, more!

Kyahgirl said...

What an amazing ptereodactyl you are Dddragon! I enjoyed reading about you both today and on the previous guest post. :-)

Nice job Doug.

Anonymous said...

I came home, late, after a long day at the office, checked out my kid's blog and what did I find? He has an older sister - who knew- who is brilliant and just encapsulated my last several weeks. well done. [by the way, if dddragon is my son's older sister, does that mean I am related to that great Pez dynasty? That would be nice]

Anonymous said...

familizing brings children new siblings and parents, and brings parents new children and spouses. one has to be good with names.

Ariel the Thief said...

that was me.

Miz BoheMia said...

Harried... me, from reading this post, 3D's endless activities and...

Harried... me, as I slowly realize that I SUCK!

3D, you rule m'lady and this bohemian humbly bows before you! BOWS I SAY!

Hey dad! Nice of you to say hi to your daughter and you know about them letters and phone calls and the like you said were never made? They were, you just never call back! *sniff*

Dougy Dawg, hola hermano! I finally made it back away from the DSL goblins, which is finally up and running smoothly! Top form fo sho!

TLP said...

Steve! You don't remember me? Gasp! Pain, misery and despair,...oh, wait! Now I remember, we adopted the dawg-boy. He's so cute, and smart, and all that sh*t. We saw him at the pound, and we could not resist. Thanks for potty training him for us.

Doug The Una said...

Sar, it just hits a little close to home. That's all.

Sauerkraut, welcome! Any friend of the Pezes is a friend of mine.

Thanks, Kyahgirl.

Pops, your drinking years offer a lot for you still to discover. I found the Pez adoption procedures to be very easy and the standards low.

Ariel, I'm good with "anonymous."

¡Miz B, mi hermana no chupa! ¿Claro?

OK, guys, after two hours of trying to post, Blogger is vexing me so for now, here's today's post:

FATIGUE, n. The condition of a philosopher after having considered human wisdom and virtue.

2006 Update: The substance of things intended, the evidence of things undone.

Anonymous said...

Fatigue: inability to punt.

since you've managed to find a way to post *without* posting (not that you needed it, as it turns out) clearly this word does not apply to you.