Monday, October 30, 2006

Time to plant...the pumpkins?

The children carved their pumpkins this weekend and all of you parents know how much fun that is (it does get better with age). Anyway, the wife told the youngest to dump the guts out in the woods. A little while later, the youngest informs me that the guts have been planted leading to the following:

Youngest: Dad!! I planted pumpkin seeds!
Me: Cool. Where?
Youngest: Out back. You know, where you're trying to grow grass? (me, nodding worriedly) Yeah, right there...

So now, we pause to inform those who don't see it coming - I thought it would go without saying these seeds would, could and should be "planted" on the edge of the lawn.

Nope, these seeds have been planted right outside the back door, below the deck, where the bermuda grass is having trouble keeping root due to lack of enough sunshine. Needless to say, the seeds were dumped (not planted mind you, dumped), roughly in the middle of the back yard.

When I asked the wife? She laughed and stated she told the child to put them in the woods to grow "wild" (at least before we round-up the hill for growth control).

Gotta love kids...cause you just can't kill 'em once you've registered them for school...

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Shnuber-Shnooze...

The youngest has been very proud of what the wife terms as 6-pack abs - due primarily to laughing as they only occur when laughing. At dinner, making a play on this new phrase in our household, I began picking on myself and my "keg". This was followed by the wife stating it wasn't a keg, but a "Rick starter kit" in honor of our neighbors from when we were in Michigan. From here though, the oldest says: "I thought it was twins..." to which the entire family began roaring with laughter.

Unfortunately, the youngest, eating a healthy dinner of Lucky Charms (no, I don't know why), was in the middle of drinking the milk from the bowl. The child, overcome with laughter, leaned over and began pouring milk out the mouth and nose in equal amounts. The kid was laughing so hard, I swore milk was going to come out the eyeballs.

In Uncle Scott's phrasing, this is called a classic Snuber-Shnooze - which made us all laugh even harder...someday, we might (or he might) even fill the rest of you in on what exactly a Shnuber-Shnooze really is (oh, the famous origins of the Shnuber-Shnooze)...

Happy Halloween...

It is that time of year again. The time, when even the regular spiders don't bother the wife so much...

This year, we were told about a wonderful hay ride which goes on near here. Last night we went and had a wonderful time. There is the hay ride, with wonderfully spooky sights from ghosts to goblins, but they also had several people dressed all in black startling everyone in the wagons. Top that off with scarecrows shouting to leave and blacksmiths chasing you with literally red hot metal. In the middle, you stop for stories and then warm cider. From there, it is back on the path to be spooked and startled. By the end, we were giggling and laughing, just the way life should be. So, I'll leave you with visions of bats and spiders, ghosts and goblins, and the very warmest Halloween wishes we can this year (even if they are early)!!!

Friday, October 27, 2006

Travel Sucks...

I had a very annoying set of travels this week. Started by going to Dallas, then on to St. Louis and finally back to Dallas on short notice. The common thread? Horrible service from the airlines to the restarants. Even grading down on the fact that most of the restaurants were airport doesn't account for it. I have routinely tipped well, but thi trip is causing me to rethink. Someday I'll make it home...

Monday, October 16, 2006

300 Million Born...

CNN is reporting that the US will surpass 300 million people as of 7:46am tomorrow. Amazing - 100 million more Americans have come to life in the last 40 years.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Weekend...

Returned home for a relative's wedding. Beatiful wedding, wonderful reception. All in all, well done. Nice to see relatives, visit and to enjoy the experience. Now, to the important thing:

Congratulations!!!! Good luck. Enjoy embarking on your new life together. It's not always easy, but it is worth it.