I toad you so.

June 25, 2007

#1 son is going through a practical joking phase, aided and abetted by some guys he met at camp, last year.

This is how, when I was at a writing conference a couple of weeks ago, I was shocked to find that the wallpaper on my new cellphone had been changed to a picture of #1’s buddy, Matt.

For a minute there, I had no idea whose phone I was holding. If it was mine, I was expecting to see a cane toad.

If you are reading this in Australia, I don’t have to explain the cane toad, other than how it happened to be on my phone.

But for everyone else:

The cane toad happens to be one of the world’s top invasive species (!!!!!!!!!) and a lot more interesting to me then the invasion of zebra muscles we have in Lake Michigan. The toads are huge, ugly, poisonous, and hopping all over Australia, eating anything they can get, and generally freeloading their way around Oz.

And they happen to be the subject of one of the world’s great documentaries Cane Toads: An Unnatural History. This show played on New Year’s Eve several years in a row, when my kids were in the baby/toddler stage. At this point in life, I was convinced I was never going to leave the house on New Year’s again, and sat at home, drinking, and watching bad TV.

After a couple of bottles of $3 champagne, the toads and I bonded.

This spring, when I took my Destination Imagination team up to the state competition in Stevens Point, we visited the annual herpetological exhibit (afternoon time waster for tired coaches with packs of hyperactive boys).

And thank you Jesus! They had a cane toad.

Knowing my love for the toads, my sons yelled for me to come see. And I got out my new camera phone, tipped the toad (He had a tip jar. This should give you an idea of how pushy invasive species can be.) And I snapped some pictures.

The herp student behind the toad, you know, there’s a movie.

I said, “I LOVE the movie!”

He said, “All herpetologists love this movie.”

I said, “I’m a romance novelist.” (beat) “Its kind of the same thing.”

8 responses to “I toad you so.”

  1. Anonymous says:

    ROTFLM … well, you get the idea.

  2. Anonymous says:

    ROTFLM … well, you get the idea.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Cane toads… and chickens

    I bought the cane toad video (hey, it’s been out since before dvds!) and The Natural History of the Chicken at the same time from Amazon years ago. They had a special.

    Seriously, you would LOVE The Natural History of the Chicken.

    Cherry pi

    • admin says:

      Re: Cane toads… and chickens

      I just checked NetFlix. I can get the Chicken documentary as an instant download and watch it, as soon as the book is done. (50 pages left on draft 2).

      Holy Moly, break out the popcorn.

      I can also get the Cane Toad movie. But as a rental, not a download.

      Why are these two not available in the same way?

      Do the good people at Netflix not understand the importance of a double feature?

      • Anonymous says:

        Re: Cane toads… and chickens

        I didn’t know you could INSTANT PLAY movied on Netflix! But before I got too excited, instant play is not supported on Macs. How short sighted of them!

        Cherry pi

  4. Anonymous says:

    Cane toads… and chickens

    I bought the cane toad video (hey, it’s been out since before dvds!) and The Natural History of the Chicken at the same time from Amazon years ago. They had a special.

    Seriously, you would LOVE The Natural History of the Chicken.

    Cherry pi

    • admin says:

      Re: Cane toads… and chickens

      I just checked NetFlix. I can get the Chicken documentary as an instant download and watch it, as soon as the book is done. (50 pages left on draft 2).

      Holy Moly, break out the popcorn.

      I can also get the Cane Toad movie. But as a rental, not a download.

      Why are these two not available in the same way?

      Do the good people at Netflix not understand the importance of a double feature?

      • Anonymous says:

        Re: Cane toads… and chickens

        I didn’t know you could INSTANT PLAY movied on Netflix! But before I got too excited, instant play is not supported on Macs. How short sighted of them!

        Cherry pi

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