"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." - Ronald Reagan

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Nion? Niger? Nanda?

Sometimes, I have a hard time falling asleep. Other nights, I pass out from exhaustion as soon as all the kids are asleep. On the nights I can't sleep, my mind starts racing in a hundred different directions, thinking of things I need to do tomorrow, didn't do today, did fifteen years ago and still feel like a dork, etc.

After I've beat myself up over embarrassing incidents from my dating years, I try to keep my mind on happier things (like Baby) or I play little games. One of my favorite games is to choose a topic and go through the alphabet. When I was pregnant, it was usually baby names. I've done flowers/plants, TV shows, famous people, and other stuff I can't remember.

So the other night, I can't sleep. After reliving some idiotic things I did in youth group, I decide to name animals, starting with aardvark. Everything is going fine...until I get to the letter N. Can't be are hard as X. It's a common enough letter; surely finding an animal won't be too hard, right?

Wrong.

Can't think of one and it's starting to drive me nuts. I even woke up the Man and asked him to name an animal that begins with the letter N. And just to show me how strong his mental capabilities are, he says one while half asleep and really not interested. His choice? Nightcrawler. Okay, that works. I finish the rest of the alphabet and try to sleep.

But I still can't.

Nightcrawlers aren't really animals...maybe I can think of something better. I try to remember that scene in Phenomenon, where John Travolta undergoes all that intelligence testing and the tester asks him to name animals alphabetically. Can't remember what he chose, though. And then I start thinking about an episode of Dora the Explorer - of all things! - where they help an aardvark track down his animal buddies, all of whom are missing from their respective letters in the alphabet. (I don't want to ruin the ending for anyone who hasn't seen it but they're all hiding in the Z!) That one was a nightingale. Okay, that's a little better. Birds are a better choice than worms.

Finally, I fall asleep.

Just don't tell Dora that her show actually helped me.

Can you think of an animal that begins with the letter N?

**EDIT: I just looked it up on YouTube, that endless font of useless and forgotten knowledge. John Travolta's character named Newfoundland, which is a breed of dog...a very, very large dog.
So even his genius character had problems naming an animal. I don't feel so dimwitted now.

18 comments:

Me (aka Danielle) said...

Nyala (its an African Antelope).

P.S. Your secret is safe with me. I don't talk to Dora or Diego.

Kristina P. said...

I never realized there weren't really any animals that started with N!

Janell said...

I'm a fan of "naked mole rat" myself, but that may be just too much Disney Channel talking.

Tipi said...

what about Naga?

Just SO said...

Narwhal. But I had to Google it.

Jo said...

That is a really hard one. And you have an interesting way of entertaining yourself.
LOVE the new digs!

Kristie said...

I couldn't think of one, but I asked Barth and right away he said, "Um, Newt." He has got a quicker brain than me for sure!! :)

Jessica G. said...

I'm so glad I asked you guys! You people are way smarter than I am! (I still blame Baby for taking half my brain.)

Bobie said...

Wow.... I couldn't think of anything but a nasty bug. he he

Michelle said...

Newt and Nutcracker (a bird)

We had a newt early in our marriage (as a pet), and my husband and I are bird-watchers--thus: nutcracker :)

I'm glad I'm not the only one who does silly things like this!

Melanie Jacobson said...

1. Love the new layout.

2. I totally know what you mean about reliving excruciating moments. I HATE THAT!

Lady of Perpetual Chaos said...

I have the same problem with thinking/sleeping so next time I'll give the alphabet a go. Hmmm...an animal that starts with N without checking google...I got nothin'...

Jillybean said...

NEWT!

As in..........
"She's a witch! Burn her! Burn her!"
"How do you know she's a witch?"
"She turned me into a newt."
"A newt?"
"I got better."

I should have thought of that.

Nat said...

Ha ha ha! I am definitely going t try out some of your games to get to sleep! Newt was also the first thing that popped into my head. I played this in the car with my kids a few weeks ago.

Amber said...

I think playing games like that would keep me awake longer...

Jessica G. said...

Kristie and Jillybean - after reading Kristie's comment, I then subjected my family to a nearly constant reciting of favorite lines from the movie. Now, my preferred response to whiny demands is to say loudly "NI!"

Luv2run said...

I must try something like that the next time I can't sleep.

Daisy said...

I love Jillybeans example of a Newt! Perfect! That would be my N animal. I worked at a nursing home before I had my baby and we played word games all of the time. Every time we got to N for animals, we all had a difficult time. So we looked it up in the dictionary, and that was the best we could find!
Love the new background! Cute little twitters!

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