"One Fun Trip To Waxahachie!"

Where!?

Yes, it is a little out of the way town a little south of us, but they have one of our favourite places to eat. Talkin' 'bout the Catfish Plantation where we have come here on Halloween for the last few years in hopes of creating traditions for Zach and Emmy that they will remember forever. Of course they get a little scared still, which kids need sometimes. Here are a few pics:


Tracy(thinking): "Wow, Jay is the best ventriloquist I've ever seen...the way he talks with his hand and I never see his lips move...I can't look away..."
Jay: "And so kids, that is why Mr. Handy says it is so important to stay in school..."
Tracy: "Yea!!! Bravo!!"


Zach: "Hey Dad, who's the scariest person in here?"
Me: "Well, in my opinion, it's the guy in the mirror behind you...or is that a statue? Either way he gives me the creeps!"
Zach: "I think he just needs to use the bathroom."


Emmy: "This witch is superscary Dad!! Why do you insist on making me stand next to it while you get the 'perfect picture'?"
Me: "Because I'm too scared to get next to it! See how useful you are?"
Emmy: "Yeah, I'M USEFUL...you are not!"
Me: "Hey now...watch it before I make you hug that thing."
Emmy: "I'll be good."


Me: "Okay Jack, smile like your life depends on it...and in many ways it does."
Jack: "What?"
Dylan: "Oh wow!! They have chicken strips on the kid's menu!"
Me: "Um, yeah, cuz no kid's menu ever has chicken strips ever."


Ooh, spooky...


So this is where Dracula is buried eh? It seems to me we've tried to kill him in the movies over and over and he keeps resurrecting himself. Maybe this...isn't...where he is actually buried.

Having our bonus party tomorrow!! Finally I can see what my hours of hard work are worth. Okay, hours of work. At least we get to get off the phone at 3:45. I went to one in April and it was pretty fun. But this time, I've been entered in a pie-eating contest. I only agreed to do this because I thought we could use our hands, but now that may not even be. I don't want to just use my face. I embarrass easily ya know. But this check should be about $800 give or take. And then Friday I'm leaving @ 3:30 to officially kick off Halloween weekend. I tell ya, I wish Halloween fell on a Friday every year. Some of my happiest memories were getting together with some friends and walking the neighborhood all by ourselves and doing what amounted to begging for candy. Now I'm a dad and I get to relive all of that with my kids. The first Halloween I can remember I was going to a daycare and they had this party (as all daycares do now I suppose) and my mom wanted me to wear a white sheet around me like a ghost and I didn't want to because I thought I would look like a girl in a dress. How I remember these things is beyond me. I was about 5 I think.

Zach turns three on Friday!! Will have pix from his party next week. We're going to the Parks Mall and having a carousel party! Perfect for kids of all ages...and me lol. Man, this kid cannot turn three fast enough. Terrible twos do not do him justice. What's funny is in the last couple of weeks he seems to have turned a corner and not been such a handful. He's been going to sleep better, sleeping all night better, and since we took him off pull-ups he has hardly had any accidents, even while sleeping at night.

Tonight we are carving our pumpkins! I wanted to do it sooner but the term "better late then never" has become our family motto. So much going on sometimes. But we're at a pretty good place in our lives right now. Emmy just keeps amazing all of us with how well she is doing in school and that she is enjoying going again. One thing ya gotta love about kids is their resiliency. If they only knew how many things could go on with their lives they might freak out ha ha. Fortunately she has parents who can keep her in line and at the same time teach her how to take care of her business.


Zach: "Hey Dad, my head is really stuck in this thing...I think I'm blacking out..."
Me: "I tell ya...part of me wants to go help you and the other part of me wants to get this picture."
Zach: "(sigh) Nevermind, I know which part is going to win there."
Me: "Obi-Wan has taught you well..."

"The Next Al Bundy?"

Well, pretty darn close!! You'll have to trust me that this is a guy thing and has nothing to do with anything other then a comfort thing. Since I can only sleep on my side, that leaves me with an open arm on top and nowhere for it to go, so I will tuck it in and get in a zone. Now granted, this picture will probably come back to haunt him when he runs for president/chancellor/prime minister/shah when he's older but I couldn't resist getting this shot of him. I predict he'll be a night owl for the simple reason for the last three nights he's woken up at 3am for one reason or another. Doesn't he know he is cutting into my beauty sleep?

A while back I issued a challenge to my family where I created a trivia contest about one of our favourite movies, "What's Up Doc?" with Mom being the first place prizewinner. What's funny is I don't remember giving her any kind of actual prize. Ah well. So now, I have issued a new challenge about another one of our fave flicks, "Pee Wee's Big Adventure". It took a while, but I have finally crafted the ultimate trivia contest guaranteed to strain the brain. Here it is:

1. Who did Pee Wee believe was involved in the stealing of his bike?

2. Who were the last two people to arrive at Pee Wee's basement meeting to reconstruct the crime?

3. As close as you can guess, how many bits and pieces of evidence did Pee Wee possess?

*BONUS*

What Was Exhibit A?
What Was Exhibit B?
What Was Exhibit C?
What Was Exhibit Q?

4. What three household objects in Pee Wee's house are oversized?

5. What 80's band is shooting a music video on the movie set while Pee Wee is rescuing his bike?

*BONUS*

How did they get chosen for this movie?

6. What 80's TV star is on the box of cereal that Pee Wee pours all over his
wonderful breakfast?

7. What did Mickey do that landed him in prison?

*BONUS*

What are three things that he enjoyed most about prison life?

8. In the biker bar, what are three of the four horrible things they want to do to him?

9. What two flavours of gum does Pee Wee offer Francis Buxton's dad?

*BONUS* What flavour does he choose?

10. What are two songs that Pee Wee and Hobo Jack sing on the train?

11. According to the tour guide, what staple of Alamo life has 'thousands and thousands' of uses?

12. Verbatim, what reason does Madam Ruby give when Pee Wee asks her while he's here?

13. What number is on Pee Wee's back when he is mistaken for the expert rodeo rider?

*BONUS* What name is mentioned as wearing that number?

14. When Pee Wee weighs himself in the morning, what does the scale have his weight as?

*BONUS* What does his fortune say for that day?

15. What do Buxton's father, his oriental butler, Large Marge, and Hobo Jack all have in common?

16. What three prices are quoted by Madam Ruby?

*BONUS* What do you get with each price?

17. Who is NOT at the premiere of the movie that is finally made of Pee Wee's adventure?
A) Francis Buxton
B) Simone
C) Chuck
D) Dottie

18. What is the name of the biker gang at the bar where Pee Wee is 'trying to use the phone'?

19. What is the name of the bike in the movie that is finally made of Pee Wee's adventure?

20. What did Pee Wee's bike NOT do in the movie?

A) Squirt oil
B) Blow smoke
C) Tread water
D) Defy gravity

Well, there you have it! I know it is lengthy and meticulously specific, but I know you can do it. And yet, it almost seems...too easy. Good luck!

"After Dark In The Park!"

Yes, it was that time of year when the River Legacy Park had its' annual fundraiser of sorts and of course, we were there! The age bracket is 2-10 and with Emmy being 7 and Zach almost 3, it is a perfect time to get some fresh air, make some crafts and enjoy a treat or two. Here's some of what we did:


Clown: "Hey, don't strike me down phantom!! Don't you know if you destroy a clown we will come back to haunt you?"
Phantom: "Aww, that's just an old wives' tale...right?"
Clown: "Beware the laughmakers...for they will inherit the Earth..."


Me: "Okay Zach, is that the pumpkin you want?"
Zach: "Well...I don't know...the one over there seems a lighter shade of orange...but the one way back is a little darker..."
Me: "Wow...did not know you were so particular about pumpkins chief."
Zach: "I am my father's son ya know..."


Zach: "Hey Dad, when I said I was hungry, it wasn't for this!"
Me: "Yeah, well, we made that to feed the birds but it can feed other animals as well..."
Zach: "So...what...are you saying I'm an animal?"
Me: "Well...have you ever seen you eat pudding?"
Zach: "Mmm...'nuff said."


Nothing too funny about this one...just nice to have a picture of us without:

1) Me holding the camera
2) Zach not looking to the left/right/up/down/all around like a bobblehead

Emmy got some kind of butterfly house for her birthday and we finally got the caterpillars in the mail last week! The first couple of days they just kind of sat there, not doing much...maybe husbands evolved from caterpillars, who knows. But then, just like the directions predicted, they made their way to the top of the lid and began creating their little cocoons. Here's where they are so far:



Creepy as heck aint they! Reminds me of the aliens from Alien. And as anyone will tell you about me, I love that movie!! I told Emmy I would keep a photographic journal of their progress. So far, so good!

I (almost) stayed up to watch the Boston Red Sox overcome a 7-0 deficit and beat Tampa Bay 8-7. I was about to go to bed when I flipped to it right after JD Drew's 2-run bomb put them within one. Then another guy got on at 2nd and Coco Crisp came up. And man...ten pitch at-bat resulted with an RBI single. I really admire people who don't let their surroundings dictate how they live their life. People with no arms, no legs, you name it. They always seem to find another way to do things and as a result inspire others around them to not settle for simply the way things are and make new roads that lead to different challenges.

"I've Been Published!!

Yes, one of my wonderful pictires of the Fort Worth Zoo was selected by someone to be featured as part of the photographs! I think they selected maybe 20 or so from people's Flickr account. Pretty neat if you ask me! Here's the link: Ft Worth Zoo.

And now, from the happy to the sad:


Say it ain't so!! One of my favourite comic strips ever is closing the doors forever (assumedly). I posted about Bloom County a while back and actually haven't read the newer stuff since our paper doesn't print it(it sure prints Marmaduke though! Dumbest strip ever) but I hope to collect all of his books via Half Price Books. I LOVE this place! Why didn't I come here sooner? Anyways...Opus, you'll live on forever in my imagination and half price books I bought because I left the originals at the park in 1995.

So check this out. I have this dream Wednesday night where I meet my mom and my sister at this incredible movie theater where "Saw V" is playing and there is seating all around, high and low, and the screen is in the middle. We're all sitting down together when my sister all of a sudden gets up and sits in a higher part of the theather. So, looking puzzled, we follow her and sit down. Well, the movie that comes on is just frightening! I mean, it was just awful! Dismemberment images, people's heads exploding, etc... Woke up with it still very vivid in my mind. So I come to work and bust out the crossword puzzle (as I always do) and I see Six Across. "Recent Horror Film Franchise". Three letters. What are the odds!! I've mentioned before how dreams I have the night before tend to come to light sometime the next day. Doesn't make me want to see any of the Saw movies though ha ha.

Dad turned 56 on 10-7. I left him a message on his cell phone where I sang "Happy Birthday" in my best Robert Goulet voice. Haven't heard back if he appreciated it as much as he better. I got him a present and who knows when I'll ever be able to give it to him.

Halloween is coming closer...closer...I think we're going to go get our pumpkins this weekend. Then we'll carve them at some point around the 28th. This is a tradition we've always done ever since we bought our house. I always try to come up with the most unusual carving but usually make something that never turns out quite right. Last year I did a Batman theme (shocking right) but I made the buildings with little windows and then had the Bat signal coming from the roof. Was pretty great actually. I don't know why I didn't take a picture. I definitely will this year. When it comes to artistic endeavours I always seem to want to do more with what I have. I'm not content to just leave it alone. Always making little adjustments, never being truly satisfied. I see a lot of that in Emmy. Right now she is in that "I hate school" mode of thought. She'd rather be doing anything else, and who can blame her right? Her grades haven't been anything great but ever now and then she gets some good ones. Esp. her spelling tests. Just like her old man ha ha. Problem is, I don't get home until 7 at night so I'm not as involved with her school as I want to be. I tell myself not to get upset with her (or me) for helping her when she needs help. When I was 15 my dad tried to help me with algebra and almost gave himself a stroke. Plus, I felt like I wasn't living up to some kind of mathematical standard of intelligence, so I never asked him for help with that again. Somehow, someway I got through it. I was told by Mom that he was a whiz with anything math and it made me feel a little inferior that I was not. I guess I was more on the creative side then the analytical. I guess Zach and Emmy and I will learn (or re-learn) algebra when the time comes. In the meantime, I bet there are a few websites that feature algebra tutorials that I can bone up on. We all need to know algebra, right? It is so integral to everyone's career, whether you're an algebra teacher, woodcutter, stone mason, brick layer, claims customer service for an insurance company, I could go on all day. Feels like I already have.

"One Fun Picnic!"

Yes, it was the time of year when the robes came off, the beer flowed like wine, and the good times rolled. Our church had its' annual Picnic to raise money for the kids. What kids need money for is beyond me, but I was told it was necessary...you know...for the kids. So, we bought some tickets, had some snacks and I even got a shirt out of it. Here are a few pics of our day:


Zach: "Hey Dad, this sheep is pretty neat-looking."
Me: "Um, that's not a sheep son. That's a giant earthworm larvae!"
Zach: "Eewww!!! Why is this even in a petting zoo in the first place?"
Me: (shrug)


Ethan: "Uncle Mike...I think this monkey on my head whizzed all over my shirt!"
Me: "Aww...that's terrible! On the bright side, you still have your snow cone."
Ethan: "This cup was empty!"
Me: "Ugh...um...yeah...good luck with that whole thing there..."


Zach and Emmy: "Hey Dad, do you want to hear our snow cone commercial we made up?"
Me: "Um...sure..."

Emmy: "As a girl on the go, I need a snack with substance. That's why I eat church picnic snow cones. They taste great and give me the energy I need! Right Zach?"
Zach: "Yeah."
Emmy: "Plus, they come in these biodegradeable paper cups that won't harm the planet. Now that's good for the environment. Right Zach?"
Zach: "Yeah."
Emmy: "So the next time you're at a Catholic church picnic, be sure to pick up a snow cone in one of four great flavours. You'll be glad you did. Right Zach?"
Zach: "Hey, how come all I'm saying is 'Yeah'?"
Emmy: "Because! You're not a member of the Screen Actor's Guild! Silly goose!"
Zach: "Hmm...I'll have to take your word for that."

I just realized that it has been one year exactly since they closed our department at Pharmacare. I guess the last year has been kind of a blur of a new job, a lost job, another new job, and about 4 months of training thrown in. So get this. We have this meeting at work on Thursday and although we're short handed, we're overbudget. I tell ya, I really like this company, but lately we all feel like oxen being worked to death. We need 20-30 more people and we're getting like seven. And that's assuming more people don't quit. Ah well. I know, I'm glad I have a job lol.

You ever come across someone and just know from the get go that you will never, ever like them? Just something about them gives off a bad vibe and the last thing you want is to be stuck spending time with them on any level? Well, thinking back to Pharmacare brought up such a memory. His name was Steven Thomasson, and he looks (hand to God) like a penguin. He had these glasses, bald on top, and looked at you with this stare that just creeped-you-out. So I try to stay out of his way, and Cari doesn't understand why I would say these things about him...until one day...when she was in the breakroom and he just shows up out of nowhere right behind her and scared her almost to death. Ever since that day, she undersood exactly where I was coming from. Sometimes I think people feel that way about me. Like "Does he ever just shut up?" I tend to get chatty with people I just met lol. In my mind I tell myself "Don't bombard the chap!"


Band: "Helllloooooo St Vincent!!! We're the "Holy Rollers" and we know every song out there! Any requests?"
Parishoner #1: "Can I hear 'Glory Of Love' by Peter Cetera?"
Band: "Nah, I ain't singin' that...anyone else?"
Parishoner #2: "Can I hear 'Funkytown'?"
Band: "Nah, I ain't singin' that either...here's one you may know...Babe...I got you babe...I got you babe...all together now..."
Everyone: "I GOT.....YOU.....BABE....Woooooo Hoooooooooo!!!!"

A special welcome to Shelby of ToyRiffic as my one (of hopefully many) followers on my toy site! He's got some mad stuff too.