Flashback: In which Kidder aids in the taking of a college final...

Sometimes, in college, final exam time comes around and you're baffled. Not because you are a bad student. No, you have a 4.0 and you're baffled. The end of the semester arrives and you cannot figure out what you learned, or how the parts you remember apply to the course which you thought you were taking (typically literature courses teach...literature. But no, not always. Sometimes they just...teach...whatever).

There is only one remedy to this situation. His name is Kidder Matthews, love otter extraordinaire and excellent test taking companion.

American Literature II: Final Exam, May 2012.

Proof: final grade? 98.

In which Kidder sits around SeaTac Airport for a good long while...

It is very lonely when one's husband has to deploy and one -a newlywed wife- has to keep entertained (and not crying) at an airport for many hours before her plane comes in. In my experience, I recommend bringing a love yotter. Also, a 430 page book to read is helpful.

Kidder Matthews at SeaTac International Airport, Washington. June 4th, 2012.

Once Upon a Time There Was a Kidder Matthews...

Indeed. Once upon a time their was a Kidder Matthews. And he was a love otter.

I bet that makes little or no sense to anyone but my husband and I, so let me explain.

Once, back in July of 2011, I was called a baby sea otter by 3 very strange young men. It was about 11:30 pm and we were swimming in a very cold and dark pool. I didn't last long. Somehow getting out a shivery mess earned me the name of Baby Sea Otter, and insults such as "why don't you go eat some clams on your belly!" were hurled at me. Somehow the nickname stuck and one of those 3 weirdos continues to call me it.

February of 2012 myself and my now mother-in-law and 2 sisters-in-law went to visit our JoJo. Our JoJo is in the Air Force and he lives all the way in Washington state while the rest of us dwell on the east coast. (JoJo is also the weirdo who continued to call me Baby Sea Otter, after that fateful late night fourth of July party in his pool before the Air Force dragged him away.)

On Monday, February 20th that very same JoJo proposed and made me his fiancee. But this is but a minor detail in the big story of what exactly is a love otter. Later on in the same week the 5 of us to a trip to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington. There we spent the majority of our visit being entertained by a delightful group of sea otters- the comedians of the sea- who were, of course, eating clams. On their bellies. Typical.

Before leaving JoJo sisters had us make a stop at the gift shop. All of a sudden JoJo pulls something of the shelf and thrusts it towards me with the words of "I AM BUYING THIS FOR YOU."

It was a stuffed baby sea otter. He became mine. And so began the life of Kidder Matthews, our love otter. And such a love otter (sometimes pronounced yotter) he is.

Still make no sense? Probably. Let me confuse you more by saying that I named my love otter after a successful real estate business company that has incredibly orange signs all over the state of Washington.

 

Since the beginning of his times with us, Kidder has been quite the wander. He has made several trips back and forth from Washington state; he's great on planes. He has driven all over CT. Sometimes he accompanies me places in my purse or camera bag, but his main hobby is being available for cuddling when my husband (oh, minor detail, JoJo and I got married May 26th!) is not around (currently he is deployed in Qatar for 6 months).

Kidder will never pass up an adventure. So we take him on all of ours. And now we share all of that ...specialness...with you. Welcome.

Kidder (and Bella&JoJo) go to Seattle, June 2nd 2012

View of downtown from Kerry Park