Tag Archives: Fun

Wednesday Five

Fun, Thoughts,

I got this meme from Evil Twin’s Wife. I think it’s supposed to be a Friday thing, but she bucked the system and did it on Monday. I asked to play along and I’m going to also be a rebel and post it on Wednesday!  You see, I am eccentric and weird (I’m bald, right…I must be eccentric!)

The way this works is that she gives me five words, upon which I am supposed to ponder and delight you with my expositions on the meaning to life as related to said words…
If you want to play along, leave a comment and I’ll flip thru a dictionary and send you five words. Of course, you can leave a comment even if you don’t want to play…

Salt –  We have our garden in Malden, WV which used to be especially famous for its salt mines.  It is still known by some as Kanawha Salines after the most important mine in the area.  The other cool thing about the area is that Booker T Washington spent several years of his early life in the area (which was, of course, popular because of its mines).

Ballad – I can’t improve on the words of my favorite ballad (which is PG by the way):

Football – by football, I think you must be thinking of “real” football like they play in Europe.  My high school didn’t have that barbaric sport that is so popular in the United States.  Anyhow, I played real football in high  school.  I don’t know that I was ever great at soccer but I had a lot of fun smashing into other people.  My kids both play soccer now and I coach my son’s team…it’s a huge part of our life now.

Tube – I guess you can say I got my start in a tube, but we’ll leave my mother’s anatomy out of this.  Probably more interesting is the fact that we don’t have cable tv in our house so we spend very little time watching the tube, though we do have a pretty big tv.  When we were first married, we couldn’t afford cable.  We had to come up with other things to do with our time…you know, like talk.  Of course, that has gotten old, but we have found other hobbies to occupy our time.  So…not much tube in our house

Escape – Escape is one of those funny words that I always chuckle when I hear.  There is a part in Finding Nemo when Dory reads the word “escape” on a submarine hatch…but she reads it “es-skap-eh”.  So now, every time I see a Ford Escape, I feel compelled to say out loud, “Es-skap-eh” in my best Dory voice.  I couldn’t find that clip but I like this one too so you’ll have to cope:


Now I am experienced

Family, Fun,

Last night was my first time.  I had held out, saving myself I suppose.  Everyone said it would be special.  I wanted it to be magical…something I would never forget.  I had never been to Chuck E. Cheese.  They just didn’t exist anywhere near where I grew up so that wasn’t an option.  Once we had kids, I was busy…every single time somone had a birthday party there.  Last night, Emily’s school had a fund raiser there and she committed me before I had a chance to make other plans.  So, I got protection (hand sanitizer) and headed inside the place.

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At first, I was pretty overwhelmed by the smell of kids and the number of germ-hiding locations.  In fact, the germs were so bold that they didn’t even try to hide.  They seemed to be flying through the air before my eyes in fact.  Anyhow, we ordered some…uh…I guess you’d call it food.  We ate and then started to play.  Now folks, I never have really grown up…or at least I never grew up right.  We played skee-ball and rode on the rides.  Isaac showed me his expertise at a reaction time game and Abigail pedaled herself into the air on a magic bike.

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I tried to ride the rides but I didn’t fit too well.  The manager finally came over and asked me if I wanted a job as Chuck himself.  “I’ll pass I think…I am part elephant and am afraid of mice.”  She just shook her head and walked away.  Don’t grown-ups understand?  I am playing!

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(I wanted to see if the bucket full of tokens we got were gold)

All in all, it was a pretty good time.  A lot of kids from Emily’s school were there and I am sure they raised money.  I had a pretty good time too.  In fact, I wasn’t really ready to leave.  I did need to take 2 showers and I did a dance with a scrub brush and a bucket full of Mr. Clean!

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Well, it is after 4:00

Family, Fun, WV, ,

We took a trip to PA this weekend to visit with family and help with some home winterizing projects.  I used to dread the trip from WV to PA (and even worse when we lived in TN) but as the kids have aged, we have found that a few movies, books and video games save lives.  The kids travel very well and it’s become a non-issue for them to pack up and go.  Emily and I count on a bunch of caffeine though as we always drive at night after we get out of work.  It’s a 6.5 hour drive so that usually puts us in pretty late (especially when you consider that it follows a long work-day).

caffeine moleculeequalsIt's good!

Anyhow, we count on caffeine and the groovy tunes to keep us going and it usually works very well.  We headed up I-79 and drove until we got hungry.  Subway usually agrees with our tummies so we pulled into one and ordered the usual.  Emily ordered an un-sweet tea (she isn’t truly a Southern girl apparently).  The feller at the counter said, “We don’t serve sweet tea after 4:00.”  Emily said, “that’s nice, but I want UN-sweet tea.”  They went back and forth several times saying the exact same thing.  We were still in WV so one would think that we spoke the same language, but it was pretty clear that communication failed early on.  Finally, the guy told her that they don’t serve ANY tea after 4pm.


(We got this one stuck in our heads!)

A lot of places in WV and elsewhere still have blue laws.  I am familiar with them and couldn’t really care less as they don’t affect me.  My wife without caffeine on a trip, however, does endanger my life.  Green (tea) laws in WV must be overturned!  We were in prime dinner time hours so I can’t imagine that they wouldn’t have sold their tea.  And heck, they waste tons of food at Subway (as in all restaurants) so I can’t imagine that throwing out a bit of tea at the end of the day would have caused them much distress.  No, no, I think there must be some moral reason why tea is banned after 4pm!  If anyone can enlighten me on the issue, please feel free.  My life may depend on it!

Hats off!

Fun, Thoughts,

I was browsing through the old pictures and I found a few from our beach visit this summer.  First of all, I have this thing for licking bells.  I am not proud of it, but it’s my vice.  I am slowly dragging my family into my addiction as well.  The kids will occasionally join me in the…uh…culinary experience.  Add more ketchup and Isaac will lick anything.

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Anyhow, we went to the beach at Tybee Island, GA this summer and we always visit the Tybee Island light house.  As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, I spotted my new friend!

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Part of what makes this so fun for me is the opportunity to embarrass Emily.  Well, that day, I had the opportunity.  You see, there was a troop of Girl Scouts who had just unloaded ahead of our arrival.  I walked right up and planted a big one on the bell, right in front of them.  I undoubtedly gave the leaders a topic for discussion around the evening campfire so it was a pretty good day in my book!

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On the way back from the lighthouse, we spotted this sign which struck us as really funny…I am not sure that folks want to think of their congregation as “the slow church” in most cases, but one church, at least, was proud of it!

I say hats off to people who do whatever it is that suits them, be it licking a bell or going to slow church!

Ever hula-hoop on a hillside?

Family, Fun, WV, ,

We went to a family reunion this weekend.  It started a few years ago as a pig roast but after Aunt Margaret got into the liquor cabinet and decided the pig needed a drink too, we have toned it down some and now have burgers and similar picnic food.  We always have a great time but it’s never really a reunion until Emily’s cousin and I blow something up or do something stupid.

This year, we opted for stupid…we started off by hula-hooping on a hillside.  See, in WV, there is very little flat land.  Any land that is flat is a flood plain and lately, that land is pretty soggy with all the rain.  So, we decided to hula-hoop on the hillside.  Isaac was the only smart one.  He started off wearing a helmet.

The kid is a genius with a hula-hoop!  He can walk around spinning it.  He can walk and talk and probably could bake a cake while hula-hooping.  It turns out, his sister is similarly gifted.  Me, on the other hand…I am not so blessed.  I got the rhythm and lubricated joints, but I just cannot hula…and especially not on a hillside.

Cousin “D” and I discussed it and we decided hula-hooping on a hillside was no where near stupid enough.  The kids brought their razor scooters.  We stood at the top of the hill and a dim light lit above my head.  A-ha!  I know stupid when I see it.  Both my Mom and wife said at the same time, “He won’t be happy until he hurts himself or someone else.”  Oh how I wish all of you could be known that well by somone.

Anyhow, I jumped on the scooter and headed down the hill.  The first few rides were fine but I quickly discovered that the front wheel bore too much of my weight on the wet ground.  Finally, just like my Mom and wife said, I was able to finally be happy.  I sunk the front wheel in deep and the scooter stopped.  I was not so lucky.  I went head over heels and did a very dramatic roll down the hill.  Now that’s stupid!

(click for a video)


I want you to notice the whole row of adults watching the geniuses ride down the hill. Just like a car wreck, they had to watch!

The Stop Sign Artist of Charleston, WV

Fun, WV,

I like art.  Most of the time, I like pretty mainstream stuff, but can appreciate all sorts of things (I am flexible like that!).  Last July, someone in Charleston expressed their creativity on some stop signs in my neighborhood.  In my neighborhood, graffiti is almost unheard of so you can imagine the excitement I felt when I saw it.

No doubt, some of the more uppity folks were offended.  Our city is really great about cleaning off any graffiti that might show up.  I only captured one of the art pieces before they had cleaned everything up.  I was sort of sad.  Not in a “they’re defacing the Mona Lisa” sort of way, but I like clever stuff.

Now, I hate the idea of what traditional graffiti means…”We own this area” and the like.  That sort of thing makes me mad.  The seniors (and sometimes juniors) at the local highschool typically go around and paint their graduation year all over everything.  That makes me mad too because they are thoughtless and careless and their work is sloppy.  I really dislike that mindless defacement.  Anyhow, the stop sign graffiti was pretty clever though so I was sad that I didn’t get to enjoy it a little longer (and didn’t get to take pictures of it all).

Lo and behold, a week or so ago, the artist struck again!  With all of the rain (it’s pouring again today), I think the city is a bit slower to clean things up so I got pictures!  I don’t have anything particularly thoughtful to say other than, “Thanks, Stop Sign Artist of Charleston, WV.  I appreciate your work!”

But Stop Sign Artist, I do not think I am ready for this…I barely know you!

Tionesta Indian Festival 2009

Family, Fun,

(well…there are some indians)

Every year for the past thousand or so years, my home town has hosted the Indian Festival (feather not a dot) in celebration of the original inhabitants of the area.  Anyone who has ever driven through NW PA has seen the names of rivers and creeks and, no doubt, pondered how on Earth to pronounce them.  I know this isn’t exclusive to PA, but it is definitely a part of the area’s Native American history.

(don’t ask…)

In the past few years, sadly, it has become less about Native Americans and more about…ummm…something else.  Still, it is the town event from my childhood that brings me home every year.  This year, we watched the parade and the fire trucks and cars and twirling teams.  I ate the awesome hot sausage that they sell at the Methodist church and I had a great chance to visit with some folks with whom I went to high school (I’ll probably say more about that another day).

(sausagey goodness!)

(pre-heartburn)

It’s weird I guess how things stick with me, but I love to go back and see the town.  There are so many faces that I am sure I knew 20 years ago.  People who were my age then are now retiring and life is generally moving on..but I see glimmers of my growing up there and it makes me smile a bit on the inside.

(Abigail and Aunt Laura)

(Abigail loved climbing that growth on the huge tree!)

So, Indian Festival isn’t what it once was, but then, I am not sure anything ever is. Still, with a little work and imagination, there are some awesome memories of times long gone…and even better, there are lots of new adventures for my kids!

They got high

Adventure, Fun,

We went back to my hometown this weekend to visit my family, have a high school reunion and give my kids a chance to get high.  Yup, you heard it…my kids got high with my Mom and my cousin!

(The flight crew)

(The flight crew)

My cousin Bob has been a private pilot for 30+ (?) years, flying both airplanes and helicopters.  He and my Mom fly pretty often and it’s become a tradition for Isaac (and now Abigail starting this year) to fly with them in August.

(This is fun, right?)

(yup…must be fun!)

(Another thumbs up on the fun!)

Abigail has flown on commercial planes before but it was when she was much younger so she remembers none of it.  In her mind, this was effectively her first time to ever fly.  She’s a little timid lately about “stuff”.  It is not always predictable what will upset her so we weren’t sure about flying.  Although she tried to be scared, my Mom said they had an absolutely wonderful time.  Abigail was amazed at all of the tiny little cars and houses and buildings.  Without time to be afraid, she quickly got over her trepidations and had fun.

(The co-pilot)

Like last year, Isaac was the co-pilot and was able to steer the plane some, much to the dismay of his sister (did I mention she was a perceptive child?).  Isaac is an old pro and wants to take lessons to fly just as soon as he is able.  I have no doubt that he will love it (time to get a job kid)!

(Exhausted!)

After flying and seeing the sights, they did several touch-and-goes and then called it a night.  Abigail was exhausted and fell asleep on the ride back to Grandma and Grandpa’s house.  I am sure there will be more stories to hear about their adventure this morning!

My girl, the future builder

Family, Fun,

We seem to go to Home Depot about every weekend to get materials for some project or another.  You see, we have an old house on which we are doing all sorts of repairs.  Repairs may be a mild way of putting it.  We are sort of doing a central nervous system replacement on the old girl.  Anyhow, since I am not a professional and do not have one of those nifty trucks that just seems to have one extra of every part  or nut or bolt that I need, I need to make many trips to the home repair place.

(Reading directions?  What?  Huh?)

A few months ago, we just happened to be in the store when Home Depot was offering one of their “let your kids build something on our dime” classes.  For some reason, Isaac was not with us, but Abigail was very interested in the project so we participated in the class.  It turns out that HD offers a kids’ class in the morning on the first Saturday of every month.  We went back again this month and Abigail built a message board for her room.  On this trip, Isaac was with us but had slightly less than no interest in building the project.  Isaac is the sort of kid who likes to do things his own way and his own way never involves reading directions or sitting still.  Anyhow, he had no interest so Emily and Abigail decided to tackle the project.

Luckily for Abigail, her mother is willing to humble herself and actually read directions.  They did a marvelous job of nailing nails and screwing in screws and gluing that which needed gluing.  I knew they were underway as I could hear the hammer strikes as Isaac and I were elsewhere in the store looking at wood and block and other guy stuff.

(Thumbs up!  That’s my girl!)

Abigail does the bulk of the work on these projects and really enjoys getting to do her own work and seeing the finished project.  We are doing a new project at the house on which she and her brother are the main builders.  I surely hope her practice is going to pay off or else my fingers and thumbs will suffer under her hammer swings!

The birds and the bees

Family, Fun,

We were riding in the man-van the other day and, out of the blue, Isaac asked me for the definition of sex.  Well, I knew it was coming but I wasn’t sure when it would present itself.  I am not timid about telling him what I know (which may not take too long) but I didn’t want to tell him anything that was not age-appropriate.

I started by asking where he heard the word.  He said, “I think I heard it at summer camp from some of my friends.”  Dang, I wanted my kid to be the one to share stuff with friends so that they had to talk with their parents.  “Well, Isaac, sex can mean boy or girl.”  He replied, “Yeah Dad, I know that one.”

He has started to hear boys talk about girls being cute or hot so I tried that route, “Sometimes, when people get older, they say that someone who is cute is sexy.”  Of course, he was familiar with that one too.  I guess now is the time to spill my guts.

“Isaac, sex can also mean when a mom and a dad get together and make a baby.”  We went into a number of age-appropriate details and he seemed genuinely interested.  At the end however, he said, “That’s interesting Dad, but that’s not the definition I needed either.  I guess I’ll just go look it up in the dictionary.”  I tried my very hardest not to laugh out loud but that’s good stuff!

It turns out that we were listening to a station on xm radio, our satellite radio provider.  For some reason, one of the DJs said something like, “…and next on sex-m radio…” Isaac heard that and thought there must be another definition for sex.  And I signed up for xm originally because there were no DJs…