Michele & Paul

Sammy & Shannon go to the Zoo...

2011-02-17T01:47:00.000-08:00

Sammy and Shannon went to the zoo earlier this month. See the photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/veto_the_cat/sets/72157625947465347/show/

Don Diego de la Sammy

2011-01-22T09:13:00.001-08:00

Sammy is into Zorro right now. Last night he handed me one of his swords and said "Put it in your pants." (as a sheath). He paused, then said, "But not in your underwear." At which I started to chuckle. In a very, very serious voice he said, "Don't laugh, this is serious business."

Our 2010 Holiday Cheer Video

2010-12-28T17:48:00.000-08:00

Our first annual Christmas/Holiday Season video...with Sammy's Aunt Annie making a guest appearance...

And of course, nothing ever works the first time like you expect it...our out-takes:

Christmas Portraits 2010...

2010-12-28T17:20:00.001-08:00

Sam Hood...

2010-12-18T18:39:00.001-08:00

Here's a link to a slide-show of Sammy's 2010 Halloween photos...

Farewell...

2010-12-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

Right at Halloween our microwave died. We've had it since Paul was in college, back in the late 1980s. It's the one appliance that the appliance gods smiled upon in our house.

Sammy and Santa 2010

2010-12-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

This year Sammy told Santa he wanted (verbatim): "The Playmobil *EVIL* Black Knight."

Samtanic

2010-11-14T19:41:00.001-08:00

Sammy has taken quite an interest in the Titanic....its story, how it sank, why it sank, how many people got on the lifeboats, the role of the Carpathia, etc. He asked for a Titanic toy, but there aren't too many out there, so we bought a small wood model. With careful use of masking tape, Sammy painted all the surfaces and did some of the gluing.

The wood model kit...
...we used materials that far exceeded those of the original...

The highest construction standards were used in constructing this Titanic.
We had no intention of a repeat performance on it's maiden voyage.

Sammy painted all the surfaces and did some gluing...
(with some help)

"Ice glass, right ahead!"

Halloween 2010: The Neigbhor "Treating" Sammy...

2010-11-04T03:02:00.000-07:00

This year, when Trick-or-Treating with Shannon, one of our neighbors gave them a real treat...

Sammy Scissors...

2010-11-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Sammy has been interested in the Titanic for a few weeks now. He pulls out a large photo book we have about it and asks us to read to him about it. Paul was trying to put together a paper model of the Titanic for Sammy one day...and Sammy started cutting out a small photo of the Titanic and surprised us....

Quarry Hill Nature Center Cave Visit...

2010-10-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

This Friday Sammy went to the Quarry Hill Nature Center for a cave exploration. His friend Shannon came as well as Tom, Linda M, Jessica, and Linda R. The staff and volunteers put on a great tour with some dressing up as animals: a great horned owl, a raccoon, a bat, and finally a skunk.

Sammy...

A naturalist with a Screech-owl...

Sammy and Shannon spot something (or someone) in the tree...

The crowd looks up...

A Great Horned Owl perched in a tree...
Told us many things except...
how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop...

Michele & Sammy...

Shannon & Linda...

A hungry raccoon...

Entering the cave...

This cave was dug out of sandstone...
...heck, just read the photo itself...

Inside the cave...

Sammy enters the cave...

It was pretty dark in there...
...the flash on the camera suggests otherwise...
...Sammy with a flashlight...

A silly skunk demonstrates what skunks do...
...but using a water bottle instead...

Michele & Sammy...

Angry taxidermy inside the nature center...scary!!!

And under-fed bat...

Sammy raking the leaves...

2010-10-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

This past week Sammy helped raking the lawn...

Sammy the raker...

OK Sammy, get to work...

Sammy helping the leaves to fall...

Sammy finally raking...

Sammy no longer raking...

The Schwan's guy came by and Sammy helped out...

Corn Cob Portrait of the Month...

2010-10-17T16:30:00.001-07:00

My sisters (Diane is not in the photos...she was busy making paper toys for Sammy) came to visit this weekend and brought Jayd along. Jayd is a lot of fun and was very helpful with Michele's sewing project...Sammy is going to be Robin Hood this year for Halloween.

Sammy working the politicians...

2010-10-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

Today Minnesota Gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer was in town to meet with Sammy. Also in attendance was congressional candidate Randy Demmer (yeah, similar last names). Both worked hard to earn Sammy's support...

Sammy & Tom Emmer...

Sammy & Randy Demmer...

Randy Dammer & Sammy...

Picking Apples With Shannon...

2010-10-03T15:28:00.001-07:00

Today was a perfect autumn day. We went to Mazeppa to pick apples with Shannon and her parents Tom and Linda. A beautiful day. Here's a video and then some photos...

Sammy the Goalkeeper...

2010-09-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today Michele took Sammy to soccer lessons and this is what Michele saw...

Roof Work Part 1: A Crooked Garage Roof

2010-09-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

Big week at our house. Replacing all our roofing with standing seam metal roofing. But first we have to straighten the roof on our garage. Here is what it looked like before work started yesterday (Sammy helped)...

We had a lot of rain in Rochester...

2010-09-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

September 23, 2010: Rochester MN gets in the area of 10" of rain. Here are some photos and videos of the Zumbro River as it passes through town that Paul took.

Fishing with Poppa...

2010-07-10T03:48:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to Sylvan Beach for dinner. Then we went to the dock where Poppa took Sammy fishing...and Sammy caught his first ever fish!

Sammy fishing with Poppa...

Sammy the Ring-Bearer

2010-07-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Sammy traveled to New England to be the ring-bearer in his aunt's wedding. While Michele was tirelessly helping make the wedding a success, Paul got to spend a good amount of time with Sammy. Here are some photos and video clips from the weekend put together...

The 2010 Family 500

2010-06-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

This past week Paul's brother David and his family came to visit. Yesterday, we went Go-Karting for the first Family 500 since 1994. Here are some video clips quickly put together.

National Train Day 2010...

2010-05-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today we went up to St. Paul with Diane & Mike to celebrate "National Train Day." Sammy enjoyed all the trains and later we went to lunch at a place called "Cupcake."

"All aboard!!"

Sammy re-enacts a scene from "North by Northwest"

Mike & Diane in a passenger car...

We suspect this van made the evening news...

...don't mess with trains!

A brand new GE locomotive...

Engineer Sam....

Barreling down the tracks...

Sammy inspects the locomotive's engine...

A hobo's life is not appealing to Sammy...

Cupcakes at a restaurant called "Cupcake"

The kitchen of "Cupcake"

Sammy outside the restaurant...

Sammy wanted to ride a train...

...so we took him on the light rail...

Biking with Shannon...

2010-04-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

Today Shannon came over for a bike ride with Sammy. They rode over to Soldiers Field, looked for bugs with magnifying glasses, and had an overall great time. A serious product defect occurred (Sammy's training wheel unexpectedly came off) but we believe with time and a good tort lawyer, he'll be all right.

Mantorville Theatre with Family, Friends, and One Stranger...

2010-04-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

Last night we went out with family & friends to have dinner, celebrate a few birthdays, and watch a Mantorville Theatre production of Neil Simon's "Fools." Dinner at the Hubbell House Restaurant was tasty as ever.

We occupied the first two rows of the Mantorville Opera House. One seat was already occupied by a curious lady, so we sat around her. Michele sat in the second row with Sammy and Paul sat in front with the mystery lady. At the Mantorville Theatre shows, in particular their melodramas, the audience is supposed to participate by booing at the villain, cheering for the hero, and sighing for the heroine. Last night when the crowd would boo the villain, the mystery lady would cheer for him and then look at Paul. Strange night in that sense.

During the play (which is a light-hearted odd-ball comedy), a character has no fish to sell so she sells flowers claiming they are whitefish. When she tells this to another character, at just the right moment, Sammy blurts out loudly, "That flower is NOT a whitefish!" to which the audience laughed. He made several outbursts like that throughout the night, at just the right time, to add to the laughter of the evening. At the end of the show, the cast stands outside and shakes everyone's hands. When Sammy came out, the cast (no kidding here) broke into loud applause for Sammy. Apparently they were laughing like crazy behind stage at his outbursts. Maybe Sammy will be in a future production there...his timing is uncanny.

Ulysses S. Grant once stayed/ate at the Hubbell House...

The birthday cake...

Amanda, Sean, and Anne...

Sammy runs to Linda and Michele...

The Mantorville Opera House...

Our group filled up the first two rows...

1st Row (l-r): Mark, Bernie, Mystery Woman, Diane, Mike F., Sonny, Barb

2nd Row (l-r): Mike, Georgia, Linda, Michele, Sammy, Amanda, Anne, Sean

Guess where we went today...

2010-04-07T15:55:00.001-07:00

Today we drove up to the Twin Cities to the Michele Bachmann/Sarah Palin rally (for Bachmann's reelection bid). We met up with Paul's sister Anne & Sean. About 10,000 people were there.

We somehow ended up by where a mini-TV studio was set up. Turns out it was the FOX News stage for Hannity. Before the event started, Hannity came out to shake hands and sign books. We just happened to be by the portable metal fences, so he came right past us. Michele shook his hand. Hannity tried to shake Paul's hand--twice--but Paul was not paying attention (off in deep thought or such). Finally, Hannity put his hand on Paul's shoulder, grasped it, and said thanks for coming. One thing we agree on, the TV screen does add like 5lbs to the person.

There was a steady stream of state luminaries who spoke. Various congressmen, Governor Pawlenty, etc. Finally Michele Bachmann and then Sarah Palin. It was a fun event. Pawlenty is a pretty decent public speaker actually.

When we left. we had a minor incident at the parking garage. When we went to exit, the attendant asked for the receipt. The driver of our car had no recollection of having been given one when we paid on entry. A tense standoff ensued with our driver reluctant to pay anything more than we already paid. The supervisor spoke to us over a speaker and said we had to pay a full day fee (on top of the $9 we paid to get in to the garage) absent a receipt. But eventually the supervisor brought up the gate for us to leave. Later at home, we found the receipt. So it goes.

Easter 2010

2010-04-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

Sammy really seemed to enjoy Easter this year. The Easter Bunny brought him a new bike and the Flash action figure he wanted. Later in the day we want over to Dennis' house for a wonderful dinner and time with his family. Sammy enjoys being around Dennis and his children: Benton, Kendra, and Avery.

He wants to ride his bicycle, he wants to ride his bike...

Finally, the Flash figurine that he wanted!

(pardon his hair...he just woke up)

Avery and Sammy compare their results...

...from the Easter Egg hunt provided by Kendra...

Benton capably guides Sammy...

Kendra, Avery, and Dennis marvel at Benton on the parallel bars...

Avery shows Sammy how to climb like SpiderMan...

Sammy the bicyclist...

Benton provided a scientific demonstration...

...of Diet Coke & Menthos...

Breaking away...

...or as Sammy says, "I'm picking up speed Mom!"

The truth is out there...and so is Jesse Ventura...

2010-03-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

Jesse Ventura is peddling a new book on conspiracies and his signing tour came to Rochester. We took Sammy to see former governor Jesse (the Mind) Ventura. Jesse talked, and talked, and talked, and talked...and talked some more. Sammy lost interest after about an hour and a half, so Michele took him home. Paul stayed (being #140 in line) to have Jesse sign a copy of his masterpiece.

While waiting, Paul sat down at the Barnes & Noble cafe and was immediately befriended by a 9/11 "truther" and his son. The Truther had a hernia operation earlier in the week, but had driven down from the Twin Cities. Apparently when Jesse was at the Mall of America more than 5,000 people had shown up, most likely a conspiracy to deprive the Truther of a signed Jesse book.

The Truther then explained to Paul the complex physics of the 9/11 twin towers collapse...and how it had to be an inside job by Dick Cheny and a squad of 15 French ninjas. And about Florine in the water. And about poison in diet soda. And why fast food drive through speaker systems never work. And why 5,000 people showed up at the Mall of America to prevent him from...oh yeah, already mentioned that. The Truther had also brought a stack of DVDs to give to Jesse...saying he was going to offer to work for Jesse as a researcher for free.

The 9/11 Truther and his son...

...giving Jesse DVDs with conspiracy stuff on them...

(former) Gov. Jesse Ventura

He's like a modern day Davey Crockett...

Christmas Eve w/Shannon...

2010-02-17T18:40:00.000-08:00

We've fallen behind in our postings...

Christmas Eve, Sammy's friend Shannon came over for a bit. Here are some photos from that night....

Shannon plays with

what might be the coolest Christmas gift ever...

Sammy takes Shannon for a ride on his wild horse...

Sammy's Fourth Birthday!

2010-02-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

Sammy's fourth birthday came quickly...he keeps growing so fast! Since his birthday was on a weekday and all the other kids at school have parties there, we opted to do the same. Later in the day, we went with friends (Shannon, Linda, & Tom) to Jenpachi Japanese Steakhouse. Sammy got a real kick out of the chef who cooked the meal in an dramatic manner.

Spider-Man, Spider-Man,
Does whatever a spider can...

The birthday boy...

Stories at the party...

Sammy waving...

Group photo...

The Jenpachi guy took Sammy's photo...

The only thing burning brighter than the candle,
is Sammy's future....

Super Memories...

2010-02-07T19:17:00.000-08:00

Watching the Super Bowl tonight brought back memories of...

A strike...from the mound...

Winter Ice...

2010-01-19T17:29:00.001-08:00

This morning, we awoke to a world of frosted ice. I'm not sure what the meteorological cause is (fog that froze to the ground?), but this afternoon I grabbed the camera and tried to take some photos. A good deal of the frosty ice on the trees had disappeared by then, but enough remained to take some photos around town. It was kind of a foggy, overcast day. Not much color at all. The following photos are in color, though on a couple I played with increasing the saturation.

This observation tower is behind our house on the hill...

...part of the Plummer House...

Another view of the "sniper-tower" as some call it...

A line of trees...

The IBM employees park...

A line of frosted trees...

Where I work...

Assisi Heights...

More Assisi heights...

Trees frozen in place at Assisi Heights...

The sky was not blue...

...I cranked up the saturation so you could see some contrast...

...notice the cellular tower at Assisi Heights...

How Sammy's Santa Photo Became His Mug Shot...

2010-01-17T12:24:00.000-08:00

While doing some cleaning today while Sammy is napping, I came across this photo we had misplaced from this past Christmas.

Minutes after this photo was taken last December at the mall, our son Sammy made an escape attempt. When attention was momentarily diverted, he dashed into the crowd. Mall security was called in and shop attendants from all stores manned their entrances. When asked for a recent photo of Sammy, guess what security was given?

The fugitive was eventually found a couple of football-field lengths away at one of the exits/entrances in about 10 very tense minutes.

People who approached Sammy said his reply to where are your parents: "Visiting with Santa." Sammy eventually told us that the reason he stopped at the door is because he's not supposed to go outside without one of us holding his hand. Apparently, we had neglected to tell him that he was not to dash away on us at the mall immediately after having his photo taken with Santa.

The suspect was released to the custody of his parents, convicted, and sentenced to an appropriate punishment. He is now on probation.

Note: Check this link to see blog entries with Sammy's Santa photos through the years. It's always been the same Santa guy.

Sammy D

aka

Sammy the Fugitive

Halloween Friends and Family...

2009-11-05T19:35:00.000-08:00

Mike, Mayo Brother #1, Mayo Brother #2, and Mark...

...we took them on a tour of the Mayo...

...Mike text-messaged his manager back East...

...his manager asked what he was doing at the Mayo...

...Mike replied, interviewing...

Mike and Mark with the obligatory corn cob portrait...

Pocahontas bailed on us and didn't go trick-or-treating...

Anne figures out Cathy's costume...

Diane's secret ingredient...

Sammy, Shannon, and good eats...

...and a ghost that only appeared in the photo...

Princess of the Night (Brianna),

The Dark Knight -- up way past his bed time,

and Tigger (Becca)...

Smile Diane, you're on Candid Camera!

Halloween Treats

2009-11-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

Michele planned a ghoulish gallery of gastric grub for Halloween. We had over family and friends from as far away as Philadelphia (sadly, they aren't Yankees fans!). Michele put a lot of planning into it--and it showed. Diane helped quite a bit as well.

NutterButter cookies covered in vanilla candy with chocolate-chip eyes...

Bones made from Pillsbury bread stick dough...

Spider cupcakes with marshmallow scleras and M&M pupils...

Ghoulish brownies...

Olive monster eyes on mozzarella scleras and tomato slices...

Tomato soup, mozzarella/olive eyeballs, and bat croûtons...

Trick and Treat w/Shannon

2009-11-01T18:19:00.000-08:00

The same as last year, this year Sammy went trick or treating with Shannon. Batman and Tuck the Turtle (crafted by Tom himself) braved the cold winds and hit the houses in our neighborhood.

Superheroes were rewarded for protecting the city...

A giant bumblebee gave gifts to our heroine and hero...

Support your local superhero...

Tom, Linda and Shannon...

...and Tom's Halloween costumery...

Sammy's Day Care Halloween Parade

2009-11-01T12:54:00.001-08:00

This year, our Sammy was...

The Dark Knight

Anyone remember H.R. Pufnstuf?

The *Brave* Man in the Yellow Hat...

Stories...

Front row from left to right:
GI Joe, Fireman, SpiderGirl, Fairy, Dark Knight, Harry Potter, Raven Girl
Second row:
Barb, Monkey, Pam, Grandma Sherry, Kathy

Krauthammer and Choices...

2009-10-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

"Among these crosscurrents, my thesis is simple: The question of whether America is in decline cannot be answered yes or no. There is no yes or no. Both answers are wrong, because the assumption that somehow there exists some predetermined inevitable trajectory, the result of uncontrollable external forces, is wrong. Nothing is inevitable. Nothing is written. For America today, decline is not a condition. Decline is a choice. Two decades into the unipolar world that came about with the fall of the Soviet Union, America is in the position of deciding whether to abdicate or retain its dominance. Decline--or continued ascendancy--is in our hands."
-- Charles Krauthammer

Pumpkin Hunting 2009...

2009-10-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

Today we went hunting for pumpkins. Sammy is still in his "super-hero" stage, so he wore his red rain boots, Superman shirt, and cape to pick out pumpkins.

Faster than a speeding bullet...

more powerful than a locomotive...

and able to choose a pumpkin in 30 minutes...

Sam prepares to take flight...

Sam selects one of the final candidates...

He's Perpetual Motion Man...

Swimmin' Sammy...

2009-09-19T17:23:00.001-07:00

Sammy keeps growing and growing. Each day he learns something new. He's started swimming classes now. Here are some photos of him at the pool this week....

Dožínky Festival at Sonny's...

2009-09-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to Sonny's house in New Prague. He and his wife Barb kindly invited us and Paul's sisters to come over for the Dožínky Festival (25th Annual Czech Harvest Festival). Sonny made some tasty Czech food and we went over to watch the classic cars parade which Sammy thoroughly enjoyed.

New Prague is a great town...

Barb attending to guests as Sonny works his kitchen magic...

Like going back in time...

Sammy recognizes a VW coming along...

It's Herbie!

Marty McFly: Doc, we better back up. We don't have enough road to get up to 88.
Dr. Emmett Brown: Roads? Where we're going we don't need roads.

A Buick Skylark...

...similar to the 4-door sedan Paul's grandfather had...

Sonny making candy...

Time to dust off our copy...

2009-09-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

It seems Saul Alynski's book "Rules for Radicals" continues to gain popularity in the past year. Here is a good article to read. Looks like it is time to dust off our copy that we bought a while ago (first edition from 1971) and start reading it.

From the dedication of the book:

"Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgement to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins -- or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom -- Lucifer"

Granted there are far more admirable activists than Alynski and Lucifer (Mother Theresa comes to mind...even Jesus)...but it behooves one who wants to make a positive impact in the world today to understand how the left operates.

We have our copy...

...do you have yours?

March on Washington 2009: How Many Were There?

2009-09-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

It's tough to tell, but it's more than the 70,000 that some anonymous source in the fire department allegedly told ABC News (how many "estimates" did ABC get?...did they take the lowest one somebody was anonymously willing to give them? Was that one estimate biased?). The organizers should have put more effort in photographing the march to get accurate sizing estimates, but oh well...next time.

Here is an authentic photograph of the protest. Take a look at this...then take a look at the diagram from here to get an idea of the size...it looks to me that there was easily six figures at the March on Washington. Note that there were more people who actually marched but did not stay for the speeches. Zoom in on it...can you see Paul? He's wearing a white Wilson T-Shirt (no, not Joe Wilson).

Click here to see the full size image (blogger makes the images uploaded smaller).

The crowd at some point after the march started...

...photo was taken from Capital Building...

...sometime after the march finished and speeches were given...

March on Washington 2009: Meetup of Friends

2009-09-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

Paul had a great time at the 2009 March on Washington. One of the highlights was getting to see his brother David, sister-in-law Jacci, cousin Pete, college colleague Dave, Dave's wife Jacque, and his son Max. (Yes we had two "Daves" and two "Jackies"...with slightly different spelling)

An added plus was meeting up with co-worker Chris who Paul only knew over the phone and by email. Chris brought along a co-worker friend of his named Sean. Sean, Pete, Paul, and Chris all work for the same company...the four went for a walk to the Washington Monument then the White House...

Co-workers and co-marchers...

Sean, Pete, Paul, & Chris...

representing Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Minnesota

Duelin' Cousins...

2009-09-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went up to Sammy's Aunt Annie's. She surprised Sammy with some water pistols. Sammy's cousin Chris challenged Sammy to a duel and for quite a while the two of them were all over the place laughing and getting wet. It seems just an eye-blink ago that Chris was Sammy's age.

We also got to meet Jim finally...and went into the wee hours of the morning conversing with him. A nice guy.

At the Savoy...

2009-09-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

Paul's father just emailed him this photograph. It was taken a few weeks ago when his parents were back in Rome, NY for his mother's [redacted]th high school reunion. The photo was taken at the Savoy Restaurant.

From left to right: Paul's father Sam, mother Carmy, Michele's mother Evelyn, Michele's father Paul, Clark Mollenhaur, and Leola Mollenhaur.

GreekFest 2009 - Day 2...Part 2!

2009-08-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of the Greek Dancers of Minnesota dancing today.

GreekFest 2009 - Day 2!

2009-08-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

Today Sammy said he wanted Greek food again! So for lunch we went over to the GreekFest for some tasty souvlaki. We then watched some more dancing by the Greek Dancers of Minnesota.

Conga-man was again pouring glasses of Ouzo for everyone!

The talented baloon man made Sammy a lion...

The Greek Dancers of Minnesota...

...asked to have their photo taken with Sammy...

GreekFest 2009

2009-08-29T21:18:00.001-07:00

The last time we went to GreekFest was two years ago. This year it was a bit on the cool side, but it was still a blast to go to. Friendly people, good eats, and music. While there we bumped into a number of nice people that we know. A favorite part of the day was seeing the "conga-man" in action!

A funny part was when the vocalist was singing in Greek and slipped in: "GreekLaLaLa GreekLaLaLa GreekLaLaLa...The American Legion bus will be leaving in five minutes...GreekLaLaLa GreekLaLaLa."

A woman very similar to Andrea Martin's Aunt Voula character was dancing...

...pretty well we should mention...

Fancy outfits...

...great dancing!

A Greek "chorus line"...

A single man "chorus line"...

...is that Ouzo on his shirt?

We called him the "conga-man"

A Greek conga line...

...with "conga-man"...

Michele and Sammy...

Viroqua Wild West Days 2009

2009-08-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

Last year we went to the Viroqua Wild West Days. This year we went again, staying at a cabin at our favorite restaurant DiSciascios (the best Italian-American restaurant in the midwest). Sammy ditched wearing cowboy duds for his Superman outfit. We spent a good amount of time at the hog-wrestling event.

The "Dorks of Pork"...unofortunately they lost...

The thrill of victory, the agony of the pig's feet...

Sammy on a covered wagon...

Sammy in another wagon...

What does Super Man need a tractor for?

We're not in Kansas anymore...

2009-08-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday night, we went down to the Mayo Civic center to watch a free concert with the band Kansas. Sammy's Aunt Diane and Mike came down to watch it with us. The weather was great, the crowd was (very) large, and the music was great.

Diane & Mike...

Michele & Sammy...

Paul & Sammy...

His future is so bright...

Our Superman...

City at night...

The Great Outdoors -- With Dennis & Family

2009-08-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went camping with Dennis, Dana, Kendra, and Avery at Chester Woods Park. We had a fantastic time -- Sammy really enjoyed roughing it. The weather was perfect...low humidity, cool. Conversation around the campfire was a delight. Dennis has a wonderful family (we wish Benton could have made it).

Sammy (inside) shows Kendra and Avery his Eureka! Timberline-4 tent

Dennis wowed us with his outdoors cooking prowess...

Good eats!

Dennis playing the uke...

Paul Goes to Mankato...

2009-08-22T05:42:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday night, Paul paid $10 to ride a bus with a group of people to Congressman Tim Walz's town hall in Mankato. Waltz is from Mankato so he was probably hoping for a friendly crowd. It was a fun event, the crowd was respectful but did express their opposition to their elected leader's support for Obamacare.

Here is the most exciting (and perhaps revealing) exchange of the evening:

Sam is our Superman®

2009-08-16T20:10:00.001-07:00

Ever wonder how Mr. and Mrs. Kent felt about Clark? Just ask us.

North Shore 2009: Days 3 and 4

2009-08-09T20:31:00.001-07:00

Tragedy befell us when Paul slipped on the rocks and his beloved Nikon D50 camera fell in a puddle of water. As a result, we don't have many photos for the last two days (we're hoping we can get some from everyone else). Lake Superior: 1 Paul: 0

Bernie and Mark came up to go fishing with us. Sammy really got a kick out of it.

We had occasional rain during the vacation...

...but also had a good amount of sunshine too...

Heading out to fish...

Bernie swaps fishing stories with Sammy...

Bernie and Mark...

Gooseberry Falls State Park...

Morning view from our deck to the shore...

Mike, Diane, Anne, Sammy, Michele, Bernie, and Mark...

North Shore 2009: Tour of Soudan Mine Video

2009-08-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

It's a bit lengthy (about 8:52) but it has the excellent description provided by the tour guide and if you look really close you can see a bat!

North Shore 2009: Day 2

2009-08-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

On our second day of vacation on the North Shore we went to the Split Rock lighthouse and then the Soudan Underground Mine.

Soudan mine is known as Minnesota's oldest, deepest, and richest iron ore mine. It was closed in 1962 but is now open as a state park. Visitors can today travel 2,341 feet below the surface on an 80-year old electric hoist through shaft #8. The ride is fairly scary. Underneath visitors ride 1/2 mile to view some mining chambers.

Aunt Annie told Sammy that we were going to see the Joker in the BatCave (currently, Batman and Superman are all that matters to Sammy). When we went to get into the rickety 80-year old electric hoist, Sammy was afraid to go, until our tour guide told him that she had already taken care of the Joker. We'll post some video at a later time.

Oh, and there were bats down there too!

Split Rock lighthouse...

A view from Split Rock lighthouse...

Lighthouse-keeper residences...

Sammy with lighthouse-keeper dude...

Diane & Mike...

Group shot at Split Rock...
Anne, Diane, Mike, Michele, Sammy, & Paul...

Soudan mine...
...we barely got there in time for the last tour of the day!

Part of an electric hoist...

The miners would mine from one level up to the next...
...throwing the junk rock mined to the level below them...
...and work their way up...

The scariest ride in the world!!
It will rattle your fillings loose!

Sammy in the BatCave...

Michele & Sammy...

Miles and miles of tunnels...

Anne, Paul, Sammy, Michele, Mike, & Diane...

North Shore 2009: Day 1

2009-08-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

Sammy's Batman & Robin take a rest from crime fighting on the north shore...

Last weekend we went to Lake Superior along the North Shore of Minnesota. We rented a lakeside cabin in Tofte, MN (this is the cabin). We drove out Thursday night to stay at a hotel in Superior, Wisconsin. At the hotel we met up with Paul's sister Diane and Mike. In the morning, Sammy and Paul went for a swim in the pool, then we went to Canal Park in Duluth, then Bettie's Pies, and finally our lakeside cabin. We were lulled to sleep by the sound of waves crashing on the rocks.

Sammy bravely enters the pool...

Paul is not moving fast enough in the water for Sammy...

Diane and Mike play air hockey...

Mike and Diane...

Michele and Sammy...

With a steady hand, Sammy navigates stormy waters...

Sammy explains to us the geology of the Great Lakes...

Winter in July at the Byron Good Neighbor Days...

2009-07-18T06:40:00.001-07:00

This year Dennis and Dana invited us to the Byron Good Neighbor days again. There was a spectacular parade and fireworks. Global warming took the day off as temperatures were in the high 50s (in July...thought this is Minnesota). Dana, Benton, and Kendra were in their church's "kitchen band" which won first place in the parade. We bundled up later at night for the fireworks. Byron is a nice place, full of friendly people.

Waiting for the parade to start...

Dennis and Avery...

Dana, Benton, and Kendra all took part in the kitchen band...

...which won first place...

Kendra waves as she and Dana pass by...

A RCTC representative tries to recruit Avery and Sammy...

Despite what this photos suggests,

Boy Scouts are NOT a paramilitary organization...

The helmet-less Shriners...

Should Dana and Dennis use this for their Christmas card photo?

This was taken right before it started to snow...

Mastersingers USA....

2009-07-04T12:58:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, the Matersingers USA performed at the Basilica of Saint Mary up in Minneapolis. We went with Sammy's Aunts Diane & Anne. It was some pretty neat singing in a beautiful setting. This is the first basilica established in the US. Sammy enjoyed the performance.

"Mastersingers USA is a group of men who have some connection with Prof. Bruce McInnes, who retired in 2001 after leading singing groups at Yale University, Amherst College, and University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, among other institutions."

A beautiful church...

Does your church's basement look like this?

Looking upward...

A Minneapolis muster of many Mastersingers singing masterfully....

Fantastic ceiling...

Sammy reflects on the performance...

It looks like this is a happening Basilica...

Uncle Doug Swoops In...

2009-07-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Sammy's uncle Doug flew into town. He's a jet setting private corporate pilot and one of his clients needed get to the Mayo quick. So Doug gave a call (since he couldn't leave the plane) and Michele and Sammy went over to Rochester International Airport (Paul was tied up at work). Sammy enjoyed the opportunity to exchange pilot stories with his Uncle Doug. He also mentioned that he was indeed able to see the famed Rochester Corn Cob Water Tower.

Current Requirements for Bathroom Remodel..

2009-07-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

Paul has reformatted his "requirements" document (click here to see it) for the bathroom remodel we hope to do this year (before inflation kicks in). Please feel free to pass on to us suggestions such as for tile, fixtures, etc. We want to stay consistent with the era of the house and the other bathrooms.

It's not pink, it's salmon!

A Whale of a Good Time...

2009-06-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

Earlier to day Sammy went with Ashylnn and Logan to "Underwater Adventures" underneath the Mall of America. Sammy had a whale of a time seeing all sorts of fish, sharks, and other sea life.

Amazing fact...

Crowded waters...

Ashlynn, Logan, and Sammy...

Sammy reflecting on the sealife...

Face to face...

Sammy of the Sea...

Bigger than others combined...

2009-06-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

Michele and Paul grew up in the Mohawk Valley, "sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains." Often times when you think of New York State all you think of is the Big Apple. But there is so much more to the state where we grew up.

An interesting and impressive set of facts:

"The Adirondack Park sprawls across six million acres in upstate New York. Bigger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier and Grand Canyon National Park combined, it is by far the largest park in the lower 48 states. Yet it is the only one on the continent in which large human populations live and whose land is divided almost evenly between protected wilderness and privately owned tracts. This patchwork pattern of land ownership has created an utterly unique place."

End of trip...

2009-06-12T18:16:00.001-07:00

Our visit back east went by fast. We were accompanied to the airport for our return flight by Grandma R, Grandpa R, Aunt Diane, and Uncle Andy. While we were at the Syracuse Airport, Sammy decided to take everyone for a flight...

Pilot Sammy shares his knowledge of aerodynamics...

Sammy and Grandma R taxi along...

Grandpa R, Grandma R, Uncle Andy, Aunt Diane, and Sammy...

Grandpa R, Grandma R, Michele, and Sammy...

Sisters...

2009-06-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

Some photos of sisters from our spring 2009 trip back east...

Aunt Susie & Grandma R...

Jamie, Sharon, Michele...
...along with Noah and Ana...

The Birthday Girl...

2009-06-12T17:49:00.001-07:00

One reason for the timing of our trip back east was to celebrate Sammy's Grandma R's birthday. Michele took some artistic portrait photos of the birthday girl.

Seeing double...
...Jaime and Grandma R...

Dinner at Eddie's

2009-06-12T17:26:00.000-07:00

While visiting back east, a group of family (including Grandma R, Grandpa R, Aunt Diane, Uncle Andie, Uncle Paulie) went to dinner at Eddie's Restaurant in Sylvan Beach, NY. Eddie's Restaurant is a local favorite and has been for 75 years.

Eddie's Restaurant...

Aunt Diane took a gamble and told the waitress to "surprise her"...

Uncle Paulie and Sammy sharing a laugh...

Eddie's usually has a long line...
...so while we waited we walked over to the water...
...and watched this fellow reel in a massive sturgeon...

View Larger Map

2009-06-12T16:51:00.001-07:00

Back in April we went back home to visit Michele's family. While we were there, Sammy's Grandpa R (Poppa) took Sammy on his first fishing expedition. Along with Paul, they went to the Lake Moraine. It was a beautiful day.

Sammy was surprised to find out that New York State has "...plentiful water in 70,000 miles of rivers and streams, some 4,000 lakes and ponds, 2.4 million acres of wetlands, and over 210 billion gallons of groundwater used annually..."

We thought Sammy would last about 20 minutes, but he sat focused on fishing for over an hour and a half with his Poppa. Sammy can't wait to fish with his grandfather again. He didn't catch any fish, but he caught a whale of a good time.

Poppa and Sammy...

Hooking the worm...

Grandfather and grandson fishing...

This fellow caught a large fish...
...we think he may have used one of his earrings...
...to hook it...

The Lake Moraine Watershed...

A google satellite map of Lake Moraine, NY....

View Larger Map

Our Ash is Trash...

2009-06-08T20:06:00.001-07:00

Our Ash is trash.

In our front yard, we have an ash tree between the sidewalk and street. Recently Paul noticed a bad crack in the trunk. He called an arborist to look at it. The arborist said that although he could attempt to save the tree, he would not recommend it since the dreaded emerald ash borer is rapidly boring in in Rochester (see link). Minnesota has something like 900 million (that's right, see this second link) ash trees and it looks like it's going to be a slaughter. Supposedly Rochester has 80,000 ash trees. The arborist felt it was not worth the risk/effort to try and save the tree (only later to have the city condemn all ash trees in a given area) and unfortunately we agreed. Paul contacted the city forester who came by and officially condemned the tree today.

Conversations with Sammy...

2009-06-08T20:04:00.001-07:00

Tonight Sammy had the following conversation with Paul:

SAMMY: Daddy, come close I want to whisper a secret in your ear.
PAUL: OK. (leans close)
SAMMY: (whispering in ear) I want some cold chocolate milk.

The Commissioned Artwork...

2009-05-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

Michele's cousin Mary is a very talented artist. We thought it would be nice if we would ask her to make a piece of artwork to hang on Sammy's wall. Michele figured something with a cowboy theme (since Sammy likes cowboys so much...though right now Batman is the thing). So Paul got the notion that maybe if we had Sammy as the cowboy....now Mary will be making a set of two pieces of artwork. The works are, still in progress, but here is where things are now (we're very excited):

Mary's original concept...

Sammy's 3rd-year birthday portrait...

Paul's idea he sent to Mary..."Sammy with that kind of look
where he's both a boy, yet seems older than he is (and then again
doesn't). -- I figure Sammy will not always like
cowboys, but Michele and I will always like Sammy)."

And the concept Paul made from the original photo:

Mary sent us a progress photo...

Fleas...

2009-05-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

Paul recently got his new ukulele...a Flea Ukulele. He got just the basic model. It's an interesting musical instrument (see this review). The side/back is made of plastic/fiber glass. For its price, it's a nice uke to use on a daily basis for playing.

"The FLEA uke offers easy playability, great sound and plenty of personality. The FLEA is offered in both soprano and concert scale (15 frets). A solid maple neck and Australian pine top are combined with a molded body and fretboard creating a surprisingly big, bright tone, unmatched at this price. Available in cool colors and designs with a how-to-play booklet. Rosewood fretboard and pickup options are available on all models. Proudly made in the USA." - Flea website

Anyway, we found this on youtube...a tour of the Flea factory (the "Fluke" is another model they make):

What could be better?

2009-05-08T11:15:00.001-07:00

What could be better than playing the ukulele? Only one thing...playing the newspaper (just watch to see)...now if we can just get Michele to learn to play the upright bass....

Samming in the Rain...

2009-03-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Michele bought Sammy a pair of rain boots and an umbrella. The umbrella has a "pirate" theme. Since it was a rainy day, Sam wanted to try out his new rain-wear.

Sam looked for every puddle he could find...

His pants were wet, but his feet were dry...

Sammy with his pirate umbrella unfurled...

A cooperative Sam posing for the camera...

Samming in the rain...

Sibling of the Year Award...

2009-03-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Sibling of the Year Award goes to our sister Diane. Over the last twelve months she has helped take care of Sammy's great-Grandma D, his Grandma D's back operation in Rochester...and her subsequent recovery from shoulder surgery in Texas. All the siblings have chipped in in one way or the other...but Diane has gone far and beyond the call of duty. And for that we award her the 2009 Sibling of the Year Award. Thank you Diane.

A rare photo of David, Anne, Paul, and future award-winning Diane...

...circa 1970...

It's Spring! (almost)

2009-03-15T11:21:00.001-07:00

Today is not yet officially spring, but it sure felt like it outside. We took Sammy out for his first time on his bike this year.

Sammy picks up speed on his bike...

Sammy is all smailes this (almost) spring...

Puttin' on the RITZ (Box)...

2009-03-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago, Sammy decided he felt like Puttin' on the Ritz...literally. With the aid of a super-size RITZ Crackers box (from Sam's Club) and a pair of scissors, Sammy was partying the night away (until bed-time).

Sammy verifying the eye opening will be just right...

Puttin' on the RITZ (Box)!

Rome Revisited...

2009-03-08T20:43:00.000-07:00

Growing up in Rome, NY seems so long ago for Michele and Paul. A show called "Mohawk Valley Living" recently did a road trip to Rome. Watching the show (on YouTube) brought back a few memories:

going to Stan's Seafood every friday with Paul's grandfather to buy fish fry for dinner.
the Capital Theater's pipe organ. Back when Paul's high school presented "Guys & Dolls," he and a few friends found the key to the organ during a rehearsal. They managed to get 15 boys on the organ and the motor which lifted it up and down easily handled them (admittedly a stupid thing to do).

Part One...

Part 2...

An Ikea Birthday...

2009-02-26T19:41:00.001-08:00

This past Sunday we went up to the Twin Cities to celebrate Diane's birthday. We met at Ikea and then went to Molly & Chris' place to celebrate. Grant made the chocolate cake of all chocolate cakes. Anne took a few photos and passed them on to us (below).

Sammy the executive...
...at home at Ikea...

A man was making balloons for the kids at Ikea...
...Sammy of course asked for a white horse...
...unfortunately the balloon popped...
...all that was left was the head...
...so we left the horse's head on a bed display at Ikea...

Maker of chocolate cake of all chocolate cakes...
...Grant puts finishing touches on the cake...

The birthday girl and her cake...

Conversations with Sammy

2009-02-26T19:06:00.000-08:00

Occasionally we post conversations with Sammy. We try to be as accurate as possible to what he said. What follows really happened...today.

Sammy found a replacement button which came with some new clothing Michele had purchased. He approached his father asking him to take the button out of the plastic bag so he could play with it.

PAUL: I'm not so sure I should take this out of the bag.
SAMMY: I want it.
PAUL: Uh, well, go bring it to your mother.
(Sammy exits with the button in the plastic bag...then returns with the button sans the bag)
SAMMY: See Daddy?
PAUL: Huh.
SAMMY: Daddy says no. Mommy says yes.
(Sammy smiles at Paul then walks away and starts playing with the button)

This really happened...today. Sammy just turned three. God help us.

Uke-aposition...

2009-02-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

What happens when you juxtapose a soprano ukulele with a bass saxophone in a duet?

At first we were scratching our heads until the sax joined in...

Sammy's Virus...

2009-02-24T20:09:00.001-08:00

Sammy came down with a virus of some sort early Monday morning. Michele too. While Sammy recovers, the house is pretty quiet...and that's when we start to notice Sammy's little touches...

Sammy stationed a valiant sentry by his mother's bedside
-- wielding a lethal paper clip --
presumably to guard her skin lotion...

Sammy's 3rd Birthday Party - More Pics

2009-02-07T17:25:00.001-08:00

Later in the day, we had cake and started to open Sammy's presents. Much later, an old family friend named Yukon Jack stopped by, but that's another story.

Sammy admiring his cake...

He then asks for assistance...

Sammy blowing out his candles with help from cowgirls Avery, Kendara, and Michele...

Benton amazed us with his track laying abilities...
...in mere moments he had a complex layout that we could never create...

Demure Diane forsook Gaucho Grant for Cletus the 3-headed cactus...

Jilted by Diane the Demure...
...a sad Gaucho Grant faded away into the sunset...

Guess who's birthday is coming up?

2009-02-07T16:55:00.001-08:00

Make sure you tell Annie Happy Birthday this week coming up!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNIE!!!!

Sammy's 3rd Birthday Party - Cowboys, Banditos, and Mustaches

2009-02-07T09:37:00.001-08:00

What would a cowboy birthday be without real(istic) cowboys? For Sammy's birthday we had a whole herd of rip-snortin, darned-blasted cowboys (and cowgirls). Here are a few shots of some of the various hombres at his party earlier in the day.

Gaucho Grant and Demure Diane...
...check the paper for any "Wanted" listings about them...

Groucho Grant, Demure Diane,
Abeline Annie, Frito Bandito,
Juniper Jessica, and Johanna Bandanna pose for a photo...

....only to find out it's lawman Sammy who is the photographer...

All day long Sammy was putting wayward cowpokes in the clink...

This isn't PhotoShopped...
...Veto the Cat actually sporting a mustache...

Gaucho Grant went straight and became a lawman...
(see badge on his shirt)

The good guy always gets the girl...
...at least in Southwest Rochester...

Frito Bandito (sans the mustache) plucking the ukulele...
...he was later apprehended and convicted on being woefully out of tune..

Sammy's 3rd Birthday Party - Preparations

2009-02-07T08:43:00.001-08:00

Preparations for Sammy's 3rd Birthday cowboy took more work than a Texas-sized roundup. We corralled his Aunt Diane into working some of her magic with the food. And Grant figured out how to inflate Cletus the cactus (after Paul and Anne scratched their heads for 30 minutes). Thanks Diane & Grant!

The carrot cake from Daube's Bakery was wonderful. We had purchased western-themed napkins and plates with a cowboy on them. When Michele took the napkin to the bakery, they said they'd do the same on the cake. Cowboy Sam was pleased with how the cake turned out.

Mice eggs...

More vittles by Diane...

Cletus the 3-headed inflatable cactus...

All ready for the festivities...

One of the napkins we had purchased..

Sammy approving of the cake...

The cake...
..keep in mind they were working with icing...
...not fresco/plaster like in the Sistine Chapel..

A Super Superbowl...

2009-02-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

(photo attribution)

“I think it’s meaningful for everybody, for America in general,” said Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. “You don’t have to be a big-market team. You don’t have to be a big-market player. We don’t have any superstars on our team that require attention. To do it with the humility and the unselfishness that this team has done it with sets a good example for teams to follow.”
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/28973195/

We have been Steelers fans going back to the 1970s. Paul's father grew up in Western Pennsylvannia, so our family always loved the Steelers. Three years ago Paul watched Super Bowl XL with his father. It was the first time in over 25 years that together they got to watch the Steelers win a Super Bowl. While they watched the game, newborn Sammy rested at the hospital with his generous mother Michele (who let Paul slip out to be with his Dad).

This year Paul's father could not be with him but Sammy could. So the father/son tradition of watching the Steelers win a Super Bowl was continued. Paul becomes uncharacteristically (very) animated when watching the Steelers -- and Sammy picked up on that right away. When Steeler Harrison ran back an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, Sammy started running around the house shouting, "Go Steelers!"

It was moving to watch the Steelers this season. They had the hardest schedule in the NFL, playing the toughest teams. Their offensive line was porous. Their trademark running game non-existent. While they had the best defense in the NFL, in the end the miracles had to come from the arm of Ben Roethlisberger. Ben executed 5 come from behind victories during the 2008 regular season. But the most moving part was the fact that they played as team...when one person or unit faltered, another stepped up and carried the team.

Super Bowl XLIII was exciting. Although we would have preferred the Steelers to win by a high margin, in some ways it seemed more fitting they came from behind at the very end. Roethlisberger's two minute drill was something to see as he repeatedly lumbered between defensive players long enough for a receiver to break open. Watch this link here to relive it. Six come from behind victories this season were exciting...though hard on Paul's cardiac system.

If you get a chance, take a look again at the video of Harrison's touchdown return interception. There are like six Steeler defensive players involved in providing him blocks for his 100 yard run. Also, notice at the 25yard line how Cardinal Fitzgerald -- who eventually tackles him (but not in time)-- actually runs into a Cardinal on the sideline who is not a player on the field. A good analysis of the play can be read here.

Oh, and for a moment Paul mistook Bruce Springstein for Tony Bennett.

GO STEELERS!!

In Old Southwest (Rochester)...

2009-02-01T06:07:00.001-08:00

In Old Southwest Rochester, we had a rip-roarin', root-tootin' celebration of Sammy's third birthday. We'll post some photos later, but here's a teaser photograph.

The Tooth Biscuit Gang had struck again! This time they had absconded with the tooth of a fair maiden named Avery. Cowboy Sam was soon on the trail of those felonius theiving incisor rustlers. He tracked them down and got the drop on them. The Tooth Biscuit Gang never had a chance and thus a shot was never fired.

Sammy posing with the captured Tooth Biscuit Gang...

Why?

2009-01-28T18:41:00.001-08:00

Sammy has really embraced the "Why" question. No matter what you answer his usual rejoinder after that is, "Why." It is a literal assault of "Why's." Unfortunately, Paul quickly finds himself at the limits of his knowledge, usually in 5 questions or less.

PAUL: Sammy, don't touch that pan!
SAMMY: Why?
PAUL: Because it is hot and it will burn you.
SAMMY: Why?
PAUL: Why is it hot?
SAMMY: Yes.
PAUL: Um, well, the stove made it hot.
SAMMY: Why?
PAUL: Uh, I guess the heat transfer from contact on the stovetop excited molecules or something which made it hot.
SAMMY: Why?
PAUL: Uh...

Reading for Sammy...

2009-01-28T18:31:00.000-08:00

This time it was Linda's turn to read to Sammy. Last week she came over for dinner and Sammy requested she read him a book...then another...and another...and another...

The Self Preservation Society...

2009-01-25T07:21:00.001-08:00

Sometimes a remake of a movie is better than the original. Not in the case of the "Italian Job." The original was great. If you haven't seen it, make sure you do (the original)...and watch the extras on the DVD.

Anyway, the cliffhanger has been solved...40 years later...

...but don't watch this clip if you haven't seen the movie yet!

Dubya...

2009-01-21T17:45:00.001-08:00

While we sincerely wish our new president the best in being the kind of president this country needs, we take a brief moment to say thank you to President George W. Bush.

Consequential times and presidencies are often bitterly contested, partly because so much is at stake. A recent news article put it this way, "Few presidents had as many challenges arise during their eight years, had as many tough calls to make in such a partisan-charged environment, or had to act in the face of such hostile media and elite opinion"

Although there were legitimate policy alternatives to President Bush's responses to the 9/11 attacks, unfortunately the loudest voices of dissent (personal attacks) drowned them out from public discourse. President Bush--for better or worse--did what he thought was best. History as seen through the lens of several decades will be the ultimate judge. We think most people can agree that he did not follow opinion polls when making decisions.

Perhaps former President Bill Clinton said it best when he was making a speech on June 3, 2004 to promote his memoir (the whole speech is worth listening to --he's a fascinating speaker-- or you can just skip ahead to the part we quote below):

"If you don't support president Bush--if you go back and read what he said in the campaign--he's just doing what he said he would do--and you've got to give him credit for that. You don't have to say he's a bad person if you don't support him. You should say, "I think he's wrong and here's why" and if you do support him, you should say not those of us who don't are bad people, but you think we're wrong and why. Because this is a great enterprise and no one has the whole truth. We're struggling to create a new reality."

Thank you President Bush for acting out of belief and principles instead of political expediency. In many ways we believe history will judge you kindly.

Totally useless...

2009-01-16T19:13:00.000-08:00

When confronted with a crisis, people behave differently. Some people rise to the occasion, some run away, and some run upstairs to videotape it.

With the extreme cold we've been having, nothing on the pavement is melting...even with the salt. So the recent snow on the streets is getting packed down into ice. Cars are starting to slip and slide all over the place.

We live on a parkway (a street with a middle divider). When driving home today, Paul saw a woman who had turned to sharply and landed in the snowbank of of the middle divider. Paul was debating whether or not he should go out to help her and then a few cars pulled over to help. So Paul figured he might as well just go upstairs (for a better angle) instead and videotape it.

So here is the perfectly useless video that Paul took.

Veto the (ill) Cat...

2009-01-15T17:46:00.000-08:00

Veto had not been feeling well this week. So we took him to the veterinarian today. The diagnosis: diabetes. Our pleasingly plump cat now needs 2 daily shots of insulin...and a diet.

Brrr....

2009-01-15T05:18:00.001-08:00

This morning... -24F and -51F wind chill?

House of Bounce...

2009-01-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

Gymnastics night was canceled this week, so Shannon invited Sammy to go to the Rochester House of Bounce with her tonight. After signing waivers, Shanon and Sammy were bouncing off the walls...literally.

A world of bounce...

Shannon sliding...

Sammy having a soft landing...

Shannon and Meep the Sheep...

Sammy is ready for more...

Sammy races the train to the crossing...

Michele on the slide...

A harbinger of things to come?
Sammy notices the concession stand...

Without a peep, Meep the sheep deep asleep...

Mahalo Texicana Christmas...

2009-01-11T07:00:00.001-08:00

As part of our "ukulele Christmas" theme, we sent painted Mahalo ukuleles to Austin Tx to David & Jacci's kids (nephews/nieces Russ, Dominic, Tricia, Andrew, Celine).

Tricia, Russ, Celine, Andrew, & Dominic...

Rush showing Dominic some chords...

Here is a video of them opening the presents...

For what it is worth...

2009-01-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

We've given a number of ukulele's as gifts this year...most of them inexpensive painted Mahalo's. The Mahalo ukuleles come with pretty lousy strings (something we realized too late before gift-giving came). Even after you've tuned them numerous times and they start to stay in tune, they still sound pretty bad. We tried putting on a number of strings (we ended up getting green and purple Mahalo ukuleles for ourselves...it's a uke thing). We found that we really like the way the Worth Brown Fluoro-carbon medium (BM) strings sound on the Mahalo ukuleles. The strings are somewhat pricey, but they give you enough length to do two ukuleles with one package.

So for what it is worth, we recommend the Worth Brown Fluoro-carbon medium (BM) soprano strings for the cheapie-er-moderately priced Mahalo ukuleles. You can purchase them at Elderly Instruments (a cool shop with a decent ukulele selection).

Yes, these are basically fishing lines.

Bursting with pride and vomit...

2009-01-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

Sammy had a tough day yesterday. He was to put it lightly, very non-cooperative. This morning we found out why. At 5:30 am he threw up. We cleaned up the bed (and him)...and he quickly went back to sleep.

After 7:30 or so, he woke up again and asked to go to the bathroom. Then (unprompted) he asked for the blue basin because he had to "throw up." We figured he must have an upset stomach. A few moments after we gave him the basin, sure enough he threw up into it. We couldn't help but feel prideful of our son--as he spewed out his guts--who is not even 3 years old but has the presence of mind to request a basin to vomit in (contrast this with Paul's college drinking days...best left unsaid).

Sammy seems to be doing better now, he's still vomiting occasionally (each time he requests the basin). After a bath he seemed to perk up more.

Still not 100%...

...but resting comfortably...

...with his blue basin...

Samnastics...

2009-01-08T20:04:00.001-08:00