An Ikea Birthday...

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

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...

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...

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

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?

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

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNIE!!!!

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

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

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...

(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)...

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?

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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

House of Bounce...

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...

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...

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.