Deathstar Trench

Driving along the I-35 Hillsboro construction is like navigating the Deathstar Trench. Only when you are next to a wind-blown trailer, it is much harder than shooting womp rats back home.

Stuffing vs Dressing

Edwin, the cafateria waiter, asked if we needed anything. I asked for dressing and he gave me an odd look.

"like for the turkey?"

"Yeah, the cornbread dressing..."

After he delivers this bowl of gravy, she says "he meant stuffing."

Edwin must be a Yankee exchange student and probably thinks dressing is just for salads.

Eyes bigger than stomach

The Taiwanese TV won't fit into the Korean car.

Delivery Man at Trailsend

This is how much Trails' End Scout Popcorn is left in my car.

Can't get people to be home during the random times I am in the neighborhood. Can't convince other people to drive my boys around the corner and let them run popcorn up people's driveways.

Smart dumb fun

We went to Pocket Sandwich Theater the other night. The show was Sweeny Todd, one of their melodrama productions.

Anyway, after a while Kathryn looks around the room and says "I bet at least half these people have Master's Degrees. Wow, so this is where smart people go to be stupid."

Of course three days later, she aid we should host a Jack Black a Thon at our house.

A place to call (2nd) home

The scout troop is camping on some private land -- two hours out of DFW with a cabin, land, room enough for field sports, a decent tank...

And a COWGATOR!

Statefair 2009

there's a whole state fair out there and the boys actually want to spend the next hour right here...

Technology

We really don't realize how much we incorporate technology into our lives, do we?

Me (8:11 pm): nice rainbow in the SE ... go outside
The Monkees LaB (8:13 pm): Which way is southeast? i think theses too many trees :/
The Monkees LaB (8:14 pm): nvm we found it =] thanks

Proof

I'm in the middle-of-nowhere on I-45 (Fairfield?) and I have just received
confirmation of the existence of THAFD.

I bought a Lainey-special 4.5-Layer Burito* and tried to fill my drink cup with an utter lack of diet-brown. The taco twirp could not use the drive-thru fountain because "the central pipe was broken."

The manager claims the Pepsico Repairman had been called. But of course we know the TRUTH. The problem is a breakdown in the Taco Hell Arterial Food Distribution System (THAFD). Clearly, one of the tubes leading the the worldwide central repository of all Taco Bell products is clogged or kinked.

*(7-Layer Burito minus sour cream & cheese plus extra guac)

More rockets

I want one these for home. PVC, compressed air, and rockets made of printer paper, index cards and duct tape.

Nuttin' to blog about

If pralines & cream ice cream could be made into a cream chesse: Gourmonaise - processed pasturized cheese spread... With Nuts!

Digestive biscuit

Yumm, but digestive biscuits really do hit the spot.

HOB Rockstar

"The Firm" hosted a party at House of Blues that include Rockstar Karaoke (rskdfw.com).

Wow. That made for a fun evening!

It ain't over yet... But Lainey is babysitting for one of the people in the pics.

Vowels

I saw an A being delivered today. Word.

Abduction

Boy versus robot. Film at eleven.

Today's Fashion Tip

Your ICE CREAM GOATEE should always match your shirt.

Living Breathing Mallow

"Look! It's alive!" exclaimed Tiger, Wolf and Bear.

Bubbling and gurgling sweet magma.
Oozing and pulsing with apparant life.
Regretfully dreaming of the smore that will never be.

Cubs Scouts like to burn things. This group is trained well enough to not throw trash on the fire (much). And with carcoal, the temptation to feed the fire more sticks is lessened. But there is a big loophole in the roasting of marshmallows.

Route 66

We drove "the mother road today" and even stopped at Cadilac Ranch."

After a detour down Palo Duro Canyon, we finally arrived home some 1600+ miles later.

Never Ski Santa Fe (during Spring Break)

Never ski Santa Fe during Spring Break, or at least don't plan on skiing Santa Fe for Spring Break unless you either own your own equipment or plan to get there at 7:30 AM (lifts open at 9:30).

After waiting in line for 3 hours to get equipment, we were told ski school was sold out. Of the 15 people surrounding me in line, only 3 were not from Texas. That is not technically true. There was a couple from Vermont. But the local guy had just moved from Ft. Worth a couple of months ago, so even he was from Texas.

But we were able to salvage a partial day. By the time we had our equipment sorted out, we only had to buy half-day lift tickets. But we still had to figure out how to teach the kids to ski. I was afraid I'd frustrate them completely out of wanting to ski. After ensuring they could move around on flat (icy) land and get up from a fall, we chanced the lift. But we only had two experienced skiers and three newbies. Lainey bowed out, rather than try to lift. Patrick and Paul made it up and down the beginner slope with the expected amount of falls. Paul went up one more time and improved a bunch. For a kid with no ski school, he practically looked like a natural.

And that was it. Game over. Lifts closed. No more runs. Lesson Learned: SHOW UP AT 7 AM.

The ice thing commeth

Unbeknownst to our brave artic research scientist, danger is near.

Danger in the form of the Ice Beast (scientific name: Lainus Grrrrgus) angered by the radio interference of the comminication array. Danger looking for a strong Internet signal.

Ice cream

To: "GO Blogger" <go@blogger.com>;

We caught Uncle Bubba at lunchtime. So the boys had ice cream. No, Patrick doesn't really like mint chocalate chip.

Thunder and Lighting

Stopped in at Gardenswartz today and Cousin Matt asked the boys if they wanted a shirt. Soon eveyone was wearing a GTS hat and was busy working the decal iron.

Thunder and Lighting and Cobras, yeah! & I have shiny Isotopes shirt.

The Way

It must be one of the truly great gifts of prayer and reflection available to Christians, especially R. Catholics: The Way or Stations of the Cross follows the passion of Jesus's cruxifixion.

Not a pagent. Not The Greatest Story Ever Told with C. Heston as John the Baptist.

And to me even deeper than the Palm Sunday Passion with the Gospel focus on the actions of disciples, the Romans and the Jews (basically in my view, OUR faults and reasons we NEED Jesus' sacrifice and gift of salvation).

However, what I get from The Stations is a chance to really focus on Christ's sacrifice and trials. I find myself especially touched by His falls and stumbles. If Christ can fall and still be Christ, then any of us can acheive grace and forgiveness, no matter how hard the fall.

Dust storm in Estancia

I just saw a tumbleweed shoot across Route 66/I-40. Big winds and dust in the Estancoa Valley.

Minden from above

I saw Minden today... While flying Delta from Atlanta to Dallas, I spotted first the Ouachita and I-20 and then Arcadia. I could only recognize Arcadia by the interstate exit and the outlet mall.

The pilot confirmed that we had just passed over Monroe, birthplace of Delta. But we were usally right above or just north of the interstate, so I missed LA Tech.

I almost missed Minden as well. It is so tiny. But I definately made out the upper and lower Caney Lakes. That means I was looking right over my house. Too bad the angle did now allow me to use my camera phone.

Common clouds

Clouds appear common
When commuting through the sky
I should take notice

Boy vs Carrot

Who will win?

Tune in next week when The Carrot says: "Gee, that boy was delicious!"

Rockets

(I made this mobile blog, just as a way to remind myself about the brand name of the rocket kit. They want $140 for the "AquaPort" so you'd probably better off making your own. I think I spent less than $30 when Paul made Water Rockets for his science fair project.)

www.Pitsco.com makes a water rocket that even adults can enjoy. The R2K!

Teleportation

Now I am finishing a meal at Abuelos. The waitress has brought mints.

Look! This one is from The Melting Pot.

Clearly this evidence of teleportation or quantum entanglement or something.

Time Travel

Today some one brought in left over Christmas candy...

Actually that one popcorn ball is covered with bats and spiders. But I'm digging for a fire ball anyway.

And look, a Dum Dum, a Dum Dum with a curious wrapper.

The wrapper sports a fancy banner proclaiming "100th Anniversary" and under that, the year 1953.

This means the sucker is from 2053, FORTY-FIVE years in The FUTURE!

Hey Lainey, here's proof that at least candy will survive the end of the Mayan calendar!

New years restitution

Time to pay the holiday bills.

I feel overdrawn in funds, metabolism, sleep and creativity.

For the new year, I should be balancing my diet and checkbook. I should do sit-ups and lift weights and run. I should have goals.

And of course I should write.

We will see.