"Is He Ready?"

Well, if this video is any indication, then heck yeah! Conan O'Brien is about to move from his lousy 12:35 EST time slot to a not-as-lousy 11:35 EST time slot to take over Jay Leno as host of the Tonight Show! And man, not a moment too soon. Leno seems to have run his course and is wise to turn things over to someone whose ideas can only be described as ridiculous to the point of hilarity. You always know when Leno has a say in something on the show when he is cracking up and no one else is. The truth is, I'm not even a hardcore fan of his show, but I thought he made the Simpsons the funniest show around. Who knoew that when I was watching Saturday Night Live back in 1991 when Tom Hanks became a member of the "Five-Timers Club" that a young (and unknown) O'Brien would be Sean, the doorman. It seems to be the stuff he does away from his show that always makes me crack up. I remember when he first came on in 1994 he had David Letterman on and man, talk about being uncomfortable. Dave looked like he would pay someone $1,000 to kidnap him and get him the heck out of there. Heck, I wanted someone to get me out of there too! But he figured out what needed to be changed, what needed to be kept the same, and now look at him.

Cari hasn't felt good this week at all. And, since we share a home, chances are I'll have it before long. The eternal question is...if you could change one thing about the way your body works, what would it be and why? If you were an amputee, the easy answer would be to have your limb(s) back. If you were deaf, your hearing back, blind, your sight back, etc. For me...I would eliminate the need for sleep. Just imagine how productive we would be if we weren't unconscious a third of our lives. I started thinking about this back in 1993 when I was working nights and hated having to come home and sleep while everyone else was out there enjoying the fresh air. Fortunately, being 1/4 Venezuelan kept me somewhat tan even though I rarely saw the light of day. And now...my opinion of this still hasn't changed. I still hate getting tired and waking up tired.

I can't wait to break in our Six Flags passes this year. We had them in 2004 and really got our money's worth and plan to this year too. Each inch that Zach gets taller means more rides he can ride not only with us but by himself as well. He is certainly becoming his own person. He has this knack of saying things that are totally unexpected and cracking the room up. One of the more challenging things of being a dad is trying not to make it seem that the younger one can do whatever they want while the older one gets punished for doing the same thing. I get the feeling Emmy feels that way sometime, even if she won't admit it. I get upset with her more then Zach but that's just because she's older and knows more ways to not be a model kid. But I get upset with the boy too. Why are kids fascinated with their own bodily functions? It is just the funniest thing to them, esp. at the dinner table...(sigh)

So now, Jimmy Fallon takes over Conan's old spot. Personally I think he's funny, even if a lot of people don't. Seriously. Check his IMDB page! People think he's a terrible comedian. But I say nay nay. His Matrix/Sex And The City bit for the VMA's a while back was hilarious. I guess the moral of it all is: Never let people tell you what you can or cannot do. Oh they can try, yes they can. But they cannot succeed. You'd be surprised what a positive outlook on life will bring you into your life.

Here is a closing clip of Conan with one of the all-time greats:

"Four Years Old...And Growing..."

...or something like that. My little site is officially four years old today! I think I was thinking of the Flintstones Vitamin commercial "Ten million strong...and growing..." Great, now that song's going to be stuck in my head all day ha ha. Anyways...there have been a lot of interesting things that have happened since I started keeping track of all the goings-ons in my life. When I featured my 200th post I kind of reminisced about different things that had happened since I started this site, but I wasn't too sure what to do for this occasion. So, I will look back on Memory Lane and feature my favourite posts from years gone by. So, in no particular order, here are snippets from my most memorable posts...

"The Broom And The Rug" (orig. posted on 4-26-07)

Not a lot going on this week, so I thought I would try my hand at a little free-form poetry. Lemme know what you think. Just try to not be so brutal lol:

I am an unstoppable force. Everyone who has tried to defeat me has fallen by my hand. I have preserved many great things and many horrible things. I have accomplished all of this without even trying. All I have to do is exist. I am comprised of a commodity more precious then gold and worth more then anything else in the entire world. I allow people to spend what I have on anything they want. Some will spend wisely, but most will spend poorly. What amuses me is they won't even know how much they have wasted until they are on their deathbed.


I'm not all bad though. There are some redeeming aspects to me. I will allow you to do something humiliating and just sit there and laugh, but afterwards I will remove all traces from everyone's mind so that they never knew what had happened. I can also make people forgive you for something you have done that was wrong. Just don't expect it in one day.


I am the broom and the rug. I sweep away the past to make way for the future.

I am omnipotent.
I am never-ending.
I am time.

Not bad eh? Maybe I can get that published somewhere.

This is one entry I really spent some time on to make sure it was perfect. Not often that inspiration strikes so I had to strike while the iron is hot. That's a blacksmith term for you laypersons.

"Here's Zach!" (orig. posted 11-7-05)

Born on Halloween at 9:51am, Zachary Clark Overall weighed in at 7 lbs. 2 oz. and was 20 inches long. He already is getting a good head of hair which is kind of a relief 'cuz hey, no one likes a bald kid, ya know? His hobbies include pretending to be asleep until I go back to bed and then letting me know he ISN'T and being very demanding when he's hungry.



"Um, no pictures please. His Highness is resting."



"You talkin' to me?"



Here he is with his big sister Emily.



"Yawwwwn..."

I wish I had had this back in 2001 when Emmy was born. Would have done some cool things then too. But I was very happy to have some great pictures of him on his first day in the world.

"Labour Day BBQ!" Orig. posted 9-8-07

Yes, it was that time of year when the Overalls and various family members related to us Overalls gathered at Grandpa's house to enjoy a little lunch, a lot of tea, and some stories. One thing I learned was that Uncle Dean collects guns. A LOT of them. I know he's a police officer and everything, but he's not exactly disproving the myth that all cops are obsessed with guns. Will be sure to be on my best behaviour when I go to his house lol. Here are a few pics:



Me: "Hey Uncle Dean, the burgers look great!"
Dean: "Thanks! It's not everyday you hit an animal with your car plus provide lunch for everyone!"
Me: "You...hit a cow with your car...?"
Dean: "Who said anything about a cow?"
Me: "Um...maybe I'll just have a salad..."



Dad: "Let's see, no Grey Poupon, no fancy plates, and only store brand hot dog buns!? No no no, this simply will not do!"
Me: "Who are you, Martha Stewart?"
Dad: "Yes...yes I am..."
Me: "Oh my...now I'm worried."



Dad: "Wow...could we possibly look any cooler?"
Grandpa: "YES!"
Zach: "I think I'm getting a seperated shoulder."
Dean: "Must...keep...smiling..."
Me: "I think Dean's trying to pick my pocket. If he needs $3.00 that bad, it's all his."

As anyone who reads this site knows, I try to add a little witty banter between the people in the picture. I've always thought this was some of my finest "work".

"Long Time No See!" Orig. posted 4-13-08

My dad built me some shelves:








My dad made me some shelves for my garage and man, they fit exactly in the space I cleared out for them. I don't normlly brag about...well, anything...but in this case I shall make an exception. It is so nice to have a system out there where I have space to organize little things, big things, etc. Here is how it looks after I spent my Sunday pulling everything out.

This was one of my favourite days. A man's garage is his castle. I've arranged and re-arranged things so many times I've lost count. Actually, as of recently, I've made a lot of room in our house by bringing a lot of the clutter out and (neatly) organizing it. This will be the end-all be-all of things Dad has given me. Honestly, I could use about three more ha ha.

One more? Sure!

"The Log Cabin Village In Fort Worth!" Orig. posted 10-17-05 on The Spirit Of Texas



Welcome, welcome to the Log Cabin Village!! This excursion was especially fruitful because it was more then just a trip; it was a trip back in time, complete with blacksmith and ye olde musicians, plus the steep admission fee waived (we saved $6!).



Musicians: "Are you ready to rock!!"
Us: "Um, yeah, I guess..."
Musicians: "I can't hear you!! I said...ARE YOU READY TO ROCK!!"
Us: "Yes! We already said that!"
Musicians: "Ah, you're a beautiful crowd..."



Girl: "Who wants to jump through the hoop? Anyone? Do it or I'll whip ya with my stick!"
Us: "Hmm...this is not as much fun as I had anticipated."



Blacksmith: "Ya see this gun I made here? Ya see it? I just made this seconds ago!"
Us: "Um, excuse me, but isn't it still hot?"
Blacksmith: "It's extremely hot!"

(awkward silence)

Blacksmith: "Any other questions?"
Us: "How old are you exactly?"
Blacksmith: "Um...I'm not sure...alright, that's it! No more questions!"

Moving on...



Teacher: "This is a genuine schoolhouse from the 1800's. Any questions?"
Me: "Yes, where did they-"
Teacher: "Ehh!! Raise your hand if you wish to speak!! Yes, little girl?"
Girl: "Where did they go to the bathroom?"
Teacher: "Everyone see out the window?"

(everyone looks out the window)

Us: "All we see is the open ground."
Teacher: "Yup!"
Us: "Eeewwww..."

Sorry we asked...



Here's where they milled...grist...I guess they used grist back then...I dunno.



Ya can't read the sign but it says "Cathouse". I'm assuming this was for cats to sleep in and not for really tiny hookers.



Kid: "Okay, this is like the least fun ride EVER."



From the rollin' hills...



...to the rollin' papers.



Unfortunately, there were no meats that were being smoked...(sigh)...some brisket sure sounded good that day too.

The rest of these are some shots of the cabins themselves.










Well, there ya have it! 200 years of history conveniently located in a single block! Who's ready for a treat?



Mmm, nothing says yum like root beer and cobbler!! See ya next time!!

This was one of the last excursions that we did before Zach was born.

Hey, that was fun! Lots of good memories in there, so it was hard to select a few special ones. Hey, there's always next year right? I'll have to throw some toy posts in there from my other site too. I often wonder what I'll be like when I'm 80 or so. Just sitting around, maybe. Maybe I'll be in good enough shape to want to take walks and babysit my great-grandchildren. It really is a shame we all have to pass away at some point. So much to look forward to and so little time.

"Garden State"

Yes, the wonderful movie from 2004 has come to a Roller Coaster Tycoon megapark near you! If you have the game I mean. I've made a lot of these parks in my day but this is the one that actually has me stumped if i ever wanted to make another one. I call it "Garden State" because a big part of my vision was to integrate some of the rides into the actual scenery itself so the walking trails would be a little more exciting. So join me on a tour of in my opinion is one of the better parks out there:


Here is where you enter the park. The Log Ride is the first thing you see so it gets the most "first-rides". You can walk right over the ride along the hedge-lines bridges.


If you stay in the garden-themed side of the park and take a left, it will take you to a ride I made called "Treetops", after the popular Four-Square move. It gives you a great view of the gardens plus it's a darn fun ride.


Ahh, now we've made it out of the gardens and onto one of the ride islands! I've always been a big fan of the Roaring Rapids Six Flags used to have, so I created this behemoth featuring waterfalls, whirlpools, and tunnels.


Here is my winter wonderland island. Take the bridge (one of only two that lead you away from the gardens) over the six-train subway system I added to get you from one end of the park to the next as it is monstrous. Basically it features two go-kart tracks interspersed with each other as that ups the excitement rating on things like this.


This is my psychadelic masterpiece! One side is called "Skittles" and the other is called "Starburst". Any reason to explain that? Didn't think so. Starts you off with a 90 degree drop and never lets up!


Here is my tribute to one of my favourite attractions of Ft Worth, The Japanese Gardens. My favourite part of this ride is the red loop-de-loops that you have no choice but to fly through at 50 MPH and possibly almost collide with another train.


This is one of the spookier islands I created. Four individual coasters (named after horror characters i.e. Wolfman, Mummy, etc.) come out of their 'cocoon' docking station and race against each other forwards, then backwards. Got that idea from a fellow RCT'er Tim Fort. He had a whole city built on top of it, was really impressive. Also, you may have noticed a chair lift weaving in and out of the loops to add a little blood-curdling action as well.


Ahh, a Connecticut in King Arthur's Court! Not sure what that means, but this is my medieval island contribution. Two coasters wind and weave their way through a somewhat expansive castle including towers. A food court sits at the base and there is also a ferris wheel if this ride is a bit too much for you.


This is my International Space Station island. Two side-by-side coasters fly at the speed of light (or 60 MPH, whichever's slower), and there is also a water recovery bumper boat team close by in case someone should fly off the ship. Hasn't happened yet, but we're all very excited.

Someday I may create another park. Unfortunately the theme options are somewhat limited in RCT One. I have RCT Two; however, I cannot find the right program to manipulate the game to give me all of the new attractions. Later I found out that you can't do it because of the way the game is programmed. However, I will still try to make another park that features some of the new things. Hope you enjoyed the Garden State Tour! E-mail me if you want a copy of it for your own RCT game. Only $35! Kidding.

"My Little Cuz is 2!"

How many 34 year olds can say they have a first cousin that is 2 anyways? Well, I know I can. We made the trek out to Eustace to wish Canyon a happy birthday. Here are a few pics:


Canyon: "Hey, how come there is only one candle on this cake? I thought I was two."
Scott: "Mmm, not in the budget I'm afraid."
Zach: "Why are we discussing candles!? Slice it up already!"


Dean: "You know Rusty, we've had some good times together..."
Roxy: "The name's Roxy chief."
Dean: "Yeah Rusty, I remember when this was all open spaces, far as the eye could see. Hey, look at us! We could be on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post!"
Roxy: "Help."


I call this one: "Perfection In Pastels."

Moving on...

Here are some fun facts about the best part of the birthday party...the cake!:

If the cake fell while baking it was considered to be a bad omen and signified bad luck for the person in the coming year.

In earlier times, Birthday cakes were mostly round in shape. Scholars associate religious beliefs and technical compulsions for the same. Greeks offered round shape cake to the Goddess of Moon - Artemis as it signified moon. They even placed candles on the cake to make the cake glow like the moon.

In medieval times people of England used to place symbolic objects like coins, rings and thimbles in the batter of the cake. It was believed that those who found coins in the cake would be wealthy while the unlucky finder of the thimble would never marry.

Wow. We learn something new everyday right?

"Holiday In The Park!"

Yes, good ol' Healthmarkets was nice enough to give us all free tickets to Six Flags' annual Christmas celebration. What's cool is they either bring in or make actual snow and create a sledding hill for kids (and a few adults) to slide down. Cari took Zach down twice and while he loved it, she was holding on for dear life ha ha. Afterwards we enjoyed a funnel cake and some hot chocolate plus we upgraded our tickets to 2009 season passes so now we can go as much as we want next year. I honestly do not see how this place can lose money when they charge $65 for a pass plus $11 for pizza and burgers. I guess Daniel Snyder can't run a football team or an amusement park chain. Here are a few pics:






My Christmas vacation is coming to a close :(

I have only worked four days since the 19th of December due to some shrewd scheduling of days off plus work giving us the day after Christmas off. It was sweet sleeping in so much. Plus, we stayed up till 2am New Years' Day and the kids slept until 10:30. That deserved a hallelujah. We had a great time ringing in the new year. Emmy even joined in by roughhousing in her room with her friend and chipping her front tooth! I don't think that was planned though. Fortunately, it was a clean break and the dentist will be able to either cap it (more $$$) or do some bonding (less $$$). Plus, she had to get glasses too! She is becoming a medical marvel on many levels. But hey, if glasses gets her better grades in school, then I'm all for it. I hope she can take care of them better then other things.

Sometimes it's hard to remember that Emily is only seven and a half. I want her to succeed in life and at times I feel I expect too much from her. So this shall be my new years' resolution: To let my kids be kids and to let them discover their strengths at their own pace. I still want them to be accountable for their errors and be able to rebound from mistakes to become stronger as kids and eventually adults. Emily loses things sometimes, which all kids do. Every year our family would go to Six Flags and I would always leave my wallet (with money in it) at the arcade and then not realizing it until I got home and my mom would ask if I had my wallet. But once I got my driver's license I never lost a wallet again. Oh sure, I misplaced it hundreds of times ha ha. But I never had to replace it. Same with my keys. I used to lose my house key on a weekly basis until I got a car. In fact, i still have the car key from my first car. Funny how a car can make you more responsible right?