Fun with the fam...

Ever have one of those nights? You know, the nights where you hang with the family, adults and kids and play a little game called "Sally Walker"? Point being to walk in a circle, pick someone, do a dance, then the person you pick has to do the same thing? Yeah, neither did I until now. Video will be coming soon, although I may have to post it on youtube.com at the same time...(assuming I can secure the rights of all parties involved as they WILL be embarassed).

Anyway, that led us to Roll with Saget and then over to youtube.com. There, we played with the Chinese Backstreet Boys and others. Best was still Evolution of Dance.

Picture if you will, 8 people: 6 adults and two older children, huddled around a laptop screen, watching internet video. And they say IPTV won't ever make it...HA!!!

STOP THE PRESSES!!! The eye liner wars have begun...

The eye liner wars have begun: Teenager loses eye liner to pirates prior to head exploding.

Several of the rugrats found the hidden eye liner (the stuff I've been unable to find for months mind you). A couple, behaving as pirates, decided to use this "toy" to great advantage. Others decided to write on each others faces with it as a gag. When the teenager whom the eye liner belongs to discovered this catastrophe, a gasket was blown, lifting the roof off the house about 6 inches and moving it two to the right.

When the laughter finally calmed down, it was with great pleasure that the owner of the eye liner figured out there was a sharpener, while with great regret, the others discovered that it isn't very easy to wash off the stuff.

Enjoy the writing - next time, try writing winner...

Verbiage Lessons at the Dinner table (Vol. 212 and 213)...

Vol. 212

Neice: ...and we were playin' wit our cousins...
Me: Playin' wit? What happened to the "g" and "h"? Did they get lost?
Neice: Huh?
Me: "Playin' wit" is not what I think you meant to say. I think you meant to say "playing with" which has a "g" on the end of playing and an "h" on the end of with...
Neice: Oh.
Me: Wit kind of means funny...
Nephew: I'm a wit...
Oldest: Yeah, you're a nit wit...

Vol. 213

Youngest: ...and we were lickin' fer...
Me: "Lickin' fer"? Do you mean "looking for"?
Youngest: Yeah. Same difference Dad.
Me: Um. No. Not even close. In one instance, you are seeking something - as in: "I was looking for the remote control". In the other instance, you are licking fur. As in, the dog has a spot of food and you licked it off of her. One makes sense, the other is disgusting - especially after the dog has licked her butt. Nope, not the same thing at all...

Ahhh, that last one would be my wife's redneck child emerging.

What was I thinking?

Sis: I was touched by you saying you missed me.
Me: When did I say that? I would never say that nor admit to it if I did...
Sis: It was on your blog. I have it in writing that you miss me...
Me: I didn't write that, it was ghost written and they misinterpretted the notes...
Sis: Uh-huh. It had your id...
Me: Wait. When did you learn to read?

*crickets*

Damn internet. Causing no ends of trouble for unsuspecting gushing little brothers who forget others can read too...

We're baaaaack...

Back from the camping trip and thought I'd share a few little tidbits:

1) 7 kids, 4 adults. 'Nuff said.

2) The dog HATED the neighbors forcing us to put her on a leash after a short while for the entire duration they were there. For those of you who know Minnie, this is a rare occurrence that she would continually go forth and bark at the neighbors. Apparently her instincts are spot on however, since all of the adults had to resist the urge to go and bark ourselves at the neighbors long about 2am when the drunks were still screaming (drunkenly) in the rain. This is still prior to when they started the dance party from their car at 2:15am

3) Rained all weekend. I blamed the neice and nephew which went over well - until it hurt the neice's feelings. Call me Uncle Heel.

4) Kids played all weekend on "Pride Rock" and no one fell the 20 feet to the ground. Simply amazing.

5) The older children came home with red knuckles. (Thanks for kicking my butt at the hand slap game as a kid, sis. Now I understand why you did it...)

6) Who knew that the new tent came not only with air conditioning (a brand spanking hole), but also an indoor pool? Have I mentioned I dislike rain on camping trips?

7) The dog's snack attacked the nephew.

No, seriously. One of the neighbors brought along a puppy pug, who thought Minnie would be great fun. Unfortunately, she HATES other dogs, especially yippie little pugs apparently. So, while the little wiener schnizzle ran up and I corralled my "fiercesome beast" (at least when it comes to animals weighing less than 10 ozs), she started barking. This caused the pug to change direction and "leap" (white man style) at the nephew who proceeded to scream like a little girl "it's attacking me...get it away!!!". I picked up the pug/rat just as soon as the tears subsided, I promise.

8) Several of the brood missed the pug/rat and decided to generate the best quote and tag line of the weekend.

Middle: Mom, we're going to walk over to the other camp site, for no apparent reason, just because we didn't get to see the dog and we want to. Is that OK with you? (This was the money quote).
Mom: So basically, what you are telling me is that you have no reason to go there, but to ogle the neighbors dog, so you are making up a reason?
Middle: Yep, that just about sums it up.
Me: So, you're going to go do a walk by pugging? (This is now officially my new tag line)


All in all, we had lots of fun on the trip. Kids were pretty good, rain stayed mostly at night, and we were able to laugh and enjoy it. I'm sure there will be other good stories coming soon as the house becomes loaded...stay tuned...

Preparing for the masses...

You know what it's like when no one is around and it's all silent? For me, it's terrifying. For better than 13 years, I've had no quiet in my household for more than a few minutes at a time. Last night, with the wife gone to get the kids (with extras), it was just me and the dog and the quiet. In short, it was no fun at all. I ended up hanging with the neighbors, going out for a late dinner and playing some pool. Not a bad time, but damn it, I wanted my family HOME. It has been too long.

So, today, while waiting for the family to come home, the dog and I did some chores and anything else we could think of to pass the time. Finally, in the early afternoon, the family + 2 were home. The dog was so excited, she threw up - TWICE. I was so excited, I couldn't stop hugging them all. Within a few minutes, the house was awash with sound, giggling and sweet family NOISE. Little louder than I remember, but fun all the same.

Now, our family of 5 is currently a family of 7 with the addition of our neice and nephew whom I've missed so very much. In roughly a week and a half, the home will be filled to capacity with ELEVEN people. I'm looking forward to it, but it will be a LOT of work preparing for the masses. No matter what happens though, it is good to be home with FAMILY. I've missed the little rug rats, their noise and the joy they bring to things. I've also missed my sister and brother in law, who, once they get over the noise deprivation, will be coming to get their noise makers as part of the eleven.

Bring on the noise of a happy, healthy home full!

Going, going...

<Begin Rant>
This tears it. *Note: I have not verified the linked story separately*. I am absolutely fed up with the federal government feeling the American people should have no rights. Between phone taps and online taps and other electronic surveillance, I am completely fed up.

Honestly, how many people feel safer now than before 9/11? All of you that raised your hands (one, two, three) - is this because there hasn't been an attack, or because you feel the government changed something to make things safer? Personally, I see no major difference now than pre-9/11 and the changes I do see tend to be more red tape and hassle than truly safeguards. Travelling is just as dangerous or more so. Government reaction to catastrophies has declined (Katrina anyone?). How many people are still being held at Gitmo without trials and due process? How many people are being scooped up under the flag of terrorists, but without any proof? Kids, those guys in Miami - yeah, they weren't even armed, nor dangerous to anyone beyond themselves.

Frankly, enough is enough. Americans have a choice. We can stand up for our right to privacy, or we can meekly submit that maybe Big Brother knows best. Personally, I think Orson Wells may have been off by about 20 years, but the reports coming out are very similar to "1985". Not only that, but assuming this is how the government feels the fight on terrorism at home should be fought, why aren't these things going through proper channels? Why not get a federally approved wiretap as opposed to setting up an operation without juris prudence?

You know what? I may not have much to say or many people to say it to, but, I have the right to say whatever it is I want whenever, and to whoever I want to say it. If the government fears my freedom of speech, let them go through the proper channels to set up these taps and the like. Backdoors in equipment? Bad idea. Illegal wiretaps? Bad idea. Open email text? Bad idea. You know, I have enough trouble securing my equipment without the government creating new and exciting ways for bad people to monitor and steal from me. Not only that, but these changes would grant anyone with limited ability to beat whatever encryption I use for off network traffic - meaning nothing would be safe. So, it may come to a point where all of my communication, both on and off network, will need to be encrypted - including voice - just so I can talk to my mother without worrying how what I say may be taken.

Americans, stop worrying about prayer in schools, not a government sanctioned right, and start worrying about the rights you do have, that our soldiers have and are dying for, which are being taken away. If my kids want to pray in school, they can - no one can or will stop them - however, Bobby down the street doesn't have to. If my kids want to call me and complain about their teacher, they should be able to without Dubya getting the call unbeknownst to ANYONE.

Your rights are going, going and almost gone. Along with that will go your (data) security if we aren't careful.
<End Rant>

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

We're number 1...

On a yahoo search. Imagine that, search for "Price Crew" brought this site up first. Like 99 million other blogs can't replicate that little gem...hehe

Germany wins....

Well, I am inebriated before 5pm.....We went to see the world cup game between the white and red team aka.....Germany and Portugal. Of course I didn't know this and had to be schooled. I am a hockey fan. But must say soccer is quite fun to watch, especailly after 4 pints. Germany won!!! I guess that is who is we wanted to won considering we were with someone from England and apparently they hate Portuagal.....whatever.....just give me another pint along with some yummy fried onionrings. YUM!!!! It is quite amazing the things you see at a bar....especially when you don't tend to frequent them....I love the coin slots, ass crack on 40ish fat men, and the 60ish yr. old men who don't lock the restroom doors and then they tell you it's ok, like you were sorry you walked in on them shaking.....no dumby.....you should apologize, because I never really needed to see something like that!!! Anyways, it was still quite fun, however, it is quite difficult to type being inebriated and all. I love the delete button. Hubby is now kissing my ear...gotta go. No kids till.......Saturday.

Now they've done it...

Franklin and Fronda are happy parents. Mom and baby are fine and all three are looking forward to 18 years of mutual torment.

Congratulations guys!!! Hope you've rested up, since you won't get that kind of stuff for a long while...

Let the noise begin...

We've discovered since the children away, that the parents are too old to play. Not only that, but the dog and I are both afflicted with the "it just ain't right" disease. Neither one of us appears to be able to handle the quiet, with me wanting to be away from the house to avoid it and the dog just whining to be outside so she can wait for her kids to come home...

Needless to say, the wife has had enough of both of us. ;)

Just can't wait for the noise to begin - the countdown is still going too slow. Two more weeks...

Goodbye Captain...

The old stomping ground has lost another hero. An icon from the word go, whether or not you paid any attention to the sport or not. Steve Yzerman has determined it was time to retire from the sport which gave him so much, and which he returned 10 fold. The Captain has given so many of us such wonderful memories during his illustrious career and we, the fans, will miss him dearly. Never in my memory has a player truly played with such heart and determination as Stevie Y consistently did year in and year out. He sacrificed personal goals for team success and it paid off in 3 cup triumphs.

It's been a great run Captain. Thank you so much for the memories. We'll miss you, but I'm sure we'll see you in the front office or in the booth. Good luck!