11.25.05
The Deer Call
When we built our house, we picked a lot that backs up not to another road, but to 40-acres of privately owned farm land and 310-acres of publicly owned and maintained reservation. The farmer recently plowed all of his corn, leaving us a view of the whole field and all the deer that graze in it.
theWife told me that there was one this week who got closer than any deer before her has. She also told me that it was theDaughter who called her in using theBoys’ deer call. As you can see in the pictures below, theDeer got right up to the property line between our houses and the farmer’s property:
theWife then had to call theBoys, who are in Iowa with their Dad for Thanksgiving week, and tell them what had happened. Of course, theElderSon did what theBoys both always do, asked for more details that we do not know. Everytime I say I saw a deer they ask me what kind it is, so theWife was expecting that. She got something else though:
theElderSon: Which call did she use?
Hmm, let me think about that for a second. Not being a hunter, and knowing that theDaughter is only 7 and would not know either, I would have to say the one in which she put the call to her lips and blew air into it.
11.24.05
Overheard in the Hallway
Thanksgiving. A day to give thanks. Thanks to families. Thanks to friends. Thanks to life and health. But especially thanks to higher education and uncommonly senseless people who are put on this earth to entertain the rest of us.
I passed two girls in the hallway at work the other day, and I couldn’t help but to overhear their conversation. It actually wasn’t much of a conversation because only one of the girls were talking, but I overheard it just the same:
So anyway, like croutons are like the coolest. They’re just like bread….but crunchy
Before you ask, yes…these are college kids.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving all.
11.23.05
…And Everything is Right with the World
Somtimes, not all the time but sometimes, there’s no better feeling in the world than being a Cleveland sports fan. Sure, we’ve had our share of disappointment to deal with, more than our share if you ask me, but I know that I, for one, have learned to be happy for small victories.
After the Cavs won on Friday and then there were two amazing come from behind wins, one from the Cavs and one from the Buckeyes, on Saturday, theMom asked me if I knew what that meant. When I said the I didn’t, she informed me very simply that the Browns would win because the Cavs and Bucks both did. If that doesn’t make sense to any who read this, then you are obviously not a Cleveland Sports fan.
By the way, the Browns did win, pulling off the Cleveland sports trifecta….and everything is right with the world.
11.22.05
Candy Land
Sunday, we decided to take theDaughter to a place we saw on the news Saturday night. Penitentiary Glen Reservation on the East side of Cleveland has a life size Candy Land display, in which the people walking on the game board are the pieces. Just like the board game, theDaughter had to draw colored cards and move to the corresponding spots on the board. theWife and I walked along with her and I snapped the pictures I would have played against her, but theDaughter usually ends up beating me at Candy Land and I wouldn’t have been able to handle the defeat. 
Check out the gallery or the slideshow, but here’s a little preview:
11.21.05
What Did That Bowl Ever Do To You
With so much going on around the house, I do not know where to begin. I’ve got pictures to share from our day trip on Sunday. I have video to share of theDog and I have good news about this site to share with all of you. Let’s start with some video…
theDog, or as we have so affectionately dubbed him, P-Doggy, is a growing boy. He’s tripled, or maybe quadrupled, in size since we brought him home just a few short months ago. He is also a hungry boy. When he eats, he eats, most of the time without even chewing his food. This causes him to be done with his dinner much faster than he would like to be. I took this video of theDog and what happens when he finishes his dinner. Do you think he’s trying to tell us something?
11.18.05
Ready or Not, It’s Here
It’s been twelve years. Twelve years since I could look out my window at home or at work and see snow. Twelve years since I’ve had to drive home from work in snow. Twelve years since I’ve had a White Christmas. And if you think that’s a long time, theWife and other members of theFamily have never had these experiences. Until now.
On Tuesday night our house was assaulted by heavy winds, but the temperature outside was a comfortable 70 degrees. I was beginning to wonder if our first snowfall would ever come. Wednesday morning, however, mother nature heard my request and dropped the temperature into the 40’s by the time I left for work. Then she did one better by dropping it into the 30’s by the time I left work and into the upper 20’s Wednesday night.
Snow flakes started to lightly fall out of the sky, but the snow would get no heavier than that. Yesterday, however, while I was at work, again, the snow decided to pay me a visit and remind me just what Cleveland winter is all about. Mother Nature’s way of saying welcome home.
11.17.05
A Real Life Reverend Henry Kane
As my regular readers and those close to me outside of this blog will attest, I am very rarely serious. Especially on here. I have to be serious enough in my offline life that I’ve always wanted to keep things loose and entertaining here.
That changed as I watched Fox 8 news on Tuesday night.
They aired a piece that they kept promoing throughout their newscast. A story about a pastor and his congregation rejoicing in the deaths of American Soldiers. Fred Phelps and the WBC are protesting at their funerals with signs that proclaim the dead soldiers were “burning in hell” and that “God hates America”. Literally spitting on the American flag and in the faces of the families of the deceased, claiming that the American Army is a “fag army” and only in death do soldiers get “what they deserve”. Having done my part and served my country, even though it wasn’t during a time of war, you can understand how enraged I was watching this story unfold.
I had to do more research. This story stayed in the back of my mind all night and into the next day. I turned to wikipedia for more information and found this picture of Fred:
I found my reprieve. I was able to find a little more humour in Fred’s plight because, look at him. Doesn’t he look just like that creepy bad guy from Poltergeist? Is he going to take his followers to California and then hide in a cave to live through the end of the world that never happens? I mean c’mon…they could’ve been seperated at birth. Then I read the article further:
Four of his children, his sister, former congregants of his church, enemies, acquaintances, and other pastors who have worked with Phelps claim that he abuses both his children and wife, and his two estranged sons claim that Phelps may have been instrumental in the death of his 17-year-old daughter-in-law Debbie Valgos (the first wife of his son Fred Phelps Jr.), who was not supportive of Phelps’ teachings.
How come it always seems like this type of holier-than-thou ignorite (yes I just made up my own word) always seem to be complete scumballs in their own lives. Running around pointing a finger at every one and everything except themselves. I just have one thing to say to you Fred Phelps…If I burn in hell for not adopting your teachings the way you say I will, at least I’ll be able to beat the living snot out of you every chance I get, for all eternity.
11.16.05
Classic Gaming Systems
Which gaming system did you own as a kid? No, I mean before Nintendo. These classic ads may take you back and jog your memory. I had the Intellivision. Little did I know that George Plimpton Digs Intellivision
George Plimpton says Intellivision is far superior to Atari. Just look at those super-sophisticated graphics. Why, you can practically see the beads of sweat on that baseball pitcher’s forehead.
You read that right, it says “Super-sophisticate graphics”.I was given the system as a Christmas present. It was the best present I had ever received and I played it for years. That system lasted for at least five years. They sure don’t make them like they used to.
11.15.05
Zen iPod Docks
These Zen iPod Docks, as seen on Gizmodo make me long for an iPod even more. I get all crazy when I see cool iPod accessories, when I don’t even have an iPod. Why must accessory designers torture me this way. Why….Why?!!!
“A monk saw a turtle in the garden of Daizui’s monastery and asked the teacher, “All iPod docking stations cover their bones with plastic made of white. Why does this being cover its flesh and skin with stones?” Master Daizui took off one of his sandals and covered the i-Stones Wabi with it.”
11.12.05
Now That’s an Alarm
Until I have my morning coffee, I am incapable of intelligent thought. People claim this all the time, but I am not making some empty claim. I really am not capable of anything even remotely intelligent until I induce my bloodstream with my caffeine habit. The most recent example of my morning stupidity has a few ingredients. theDog, our security alarm, theFamily, and a few signs posted on the doors, but notthing seemed to break through my sleep-induced haze.
The first time theDog normally wakes up is very early as he is still too young to hold it all night long. So normally, I stumble out of bed, let theDog out of his area, head downstairs and let him out the back door to do his business. The other night, as I forgot during my stumbling, I set the alarm that we have not been setting because of theDog going out multiple times throughout the night. Now that he has reduced that to only once before I am ready to wakeup, we went back to setting the alarm. I remembered as I opened the back door and my brain was jolted awake by the loudest alarm my ears have ever heard.
The next day, theFamily had their fun with it. As we were going to bed they decided to post reminders to me about the alarm, so I would not repeat the events of that morning, which I admit almost gave me a heart attack. So while they were having their fun, they were also trying to help me with these:
Unfortunately, two mornings later, with my head in a thick fog and my eyes closed up pretty tight, I opened the door. Once again I remembered the alarm was set only after my ears were assaulted by this alarm of ours. I need a caffeine solution that will allow me to ingest my fix before my feet hit the floor, no matter what time it is.
