tickle, tickle- haha!

Yule Get Yours a Little Late

2007-12-22T21:15:00.000-08:00

I was late getting the Christmas cards out as they just got dropped in the blue box today. I hope that most people get theirs by the 12th day of Christmas. I was delayed in part by not feeling the urge to do a letter. ( I didn't do one last year either, but DD came up with the quiz idea and we knocked it out quick.) It's easy to write an interesting letter when you have one of the BIG events happen during the year, I'm not counting turning 40 as a BIG event, but not so much when life is just rolling along. (I'm not complaining, I know many people would love to be "just rolling along.") So, this year we decided to save a tree and go sans letter. We'll see if any one notices.

May you have safe travels and a very Merry Christmas. May we all have Peace and Joy in the New Year.

M (aka WGD)

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T23:01:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Thanksgiving Eve and I'm thankful that I don't have to travel this weekend. If I'm lucky, I won't have to see a freeway or airport all weekend. Sometimes it is good to be me. (Until next week, when I travel for work.)

Although, I don't get out of everything because my brother's family is staying over tomorrow night. Thanksgiving morning we get to clean the house, and I have to change out the leaky valve in the Boy's bathroom toilet. We don't want people to think that we live in a house with clutter and running toilets, do we?

Have a wonderful holiday.

P.S. My response to D-Doll's post about the house going up across the street-- we just found out that they are making an elevated RV parking pad up to the property line. So what view the monster house itself does not block, a f'ing RV will block for 51 weeks of the year. I'd say I'm not bitter, but I am. I hope their toilets run.

Name Game (or where have Billy & Mary gone?)

2007-11-12T22:57:00.000-08:00

D-Doll and I snuck away yesterday while the Boy was glued to his Grandma's laptop and went to the mall to do some pre-holiday scouting. While there, we went into the Hallmark to get some cards. Since both of us have somewhat uncommon names, we will often look at the displays of pre-personalized coffee mugs or key chains to lament our plight. (We really know how to have a good time, don't we?) Well, at the store, there was a rack of name mugs for kids. Two spellings for Katlynn, but no Mary. Aiden, but no Bill or Billy. Doesn't anybody name their kid Joe or Jenny anymore?

I thought we were being unique by give the Boy a unique (& family) name. I guess everyone else is unique too.

PS. Happy #8 to my #1! (By "#1" I mean only. There is no #2, so stop looking at me like that.)

Where's the Content?

2007-10-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in the last couple of months. I have been writing, just not here. I thought I'd give DDoll something a little different for her birthday, so I wrote a screen play for her. I bought a couple resource books, and have been working on it for the last 5 weeks. (She got the rough draft before her birthday. I also gave her a maple tree.) I don't know if it's any good, but I do know it's almost done. It's been a fun project and I'm already thinking about my next story.

Single Parents are Crazy (Or will be soon.)

2007-08-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Boy and I are flying solo this week as DDoll is at alt ed conference in the Portland area. All and all we've made it through the day and a half without needing to call CPS in more than normal. But feeling the full and unrelenting focus of a young child (with a running stream of consciousness commentary) while still trying to get work and household chores done makes me think that people raise kids alone should be sainted and/or institutionalized. I have not resorted the electric babysitter yet, though I might hold the chance of a special TV night on Thursday as a bribe for good behavior. (I'm not sure if the good behavior needs to be from me or him.)

Still, if I didn't know that come Friday evening I'll again have the ability to say "Tag, you're it!" I'd be a sad camper.

I should go as my desk is filling up with Lego cars.

PS. I also miss DDoll greatly, but that's a different topic.

Harry Potter guesses

2007-07-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

I like the ones that say Harry gets it from the guy in the Members Only jacket. Could happen. Here are my predictions if anybody cares;

Ron- I've been thinking that he dies, but now I think he makes it. Saddly, I'm guessing his twin brothers get dead.

Hermine (I've read her name for 6 books and still don't know how to spell it.)- Lives, they can't kill Herminniey.

Neville- He dies a hero.

Draco- Repents and dies.

Snape- Is really good and gets really dead.

Dumbledore- He's still dead, but makes a "Use the Force" statement from beyond the grave.

Harry- He lives and saves the day, but losses the ablity to do magic in the process. He lives happily ever after as a teacher at Hogwarts.

Are Carrots Still Healthy Food

2007-07-16T23:02:00.001-07:00

If you use them to spoon up home-made blue cheese dip?
I'm only asking because D-Doll made some and it's pretty good.

2007-07-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Did you miss me? I was going to post, but I held off as a protest while Paris was in lock-up. Although, if Harry Potter gets killed I might have to stop again.

Anyway...

I bought some stamps the other day and they asked me if I wanted the Start Wars sheet. I don't know if I look like the type guy who's on the prowl for SciFi postage, but I said sure. I was expecting the stamps to be in the little 20 stamp book with the 4 different images that repeat and are all the same size. Instead, I was handed the collector's sheet with about 15 different sized and imaged stamps.

Now I have to figure out which bill gets what stamp. The Darth Vader stamp was about 2"x2" and almost covered the address on the Directv payment. If you're wondering, the car insurance got Boba Fet, Verizon got the strom troopers and pre-pay toll bridge envelope got the X-Wing fighter. I would send the Emperor to the credit card company, but I pay that online.

And who do I send the lame Padme stamp to?

Spring Training

2007-04-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

I've started rolling out of bed early to do some of that exercise stuff I've heard people talk about. I'm not quite sure how me shuffling around the neighborhood is going to help me get ready for the Tri-athawhatever in the summer, but I guess it can't hurt... Well, yes it does hurt, because I apparently need to stretch way more than I do. Also, I've gained a couple of pounds since I started because since I'm running in the morning, I think that I can eat all of the Easter candy I can snarfle. At least I'm doing a community service by giving the morning dogwalkers something to chuckle about.

Tomorrow morning I'll ride the bike and see how that goes.

Oh well, I guess I'm just beefing up for the "before" picture.

Now about something else... My Vegas trip was fun. I never won anything at the slots, but I only played about $25 total during the 2 days because I was never feeling the winning vibe. Mostly I bring up the trip to warn you away from the show we saw, "Bite at the Stratosphere. It was very bad... funny, but not on purpose. I know you're saying how could anybody mess up a show about topless vampires who dance to '80's rock standards? I don't know, but they did. Next they'll combine ice cream and beer to f*&% up those too.

Oh My, Your Pimple Is So Minty Fresh!

2007-04-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

I'm a pretty smart guy- or so the IQ test scores say- but sometimes I do the dumbest things.
Today's example... (with a little background)

I'm meeting some old friends that I have not seen in years, so of course a big blemish springs up on my right temple. (I'm not the only one this happens to, ie My Big Fat Greek Wedding.)

DDoll read somewhere that toothpaste is better at drying out pimples than the Clearasil type products. (Kinda like the Windex in the Greek Wedding movie.)

I'm working from home today, so DDoll comes into my office and goops some minty Crest on my forehead while I'm at my desk. I'm not seeing anyone today- just calls, emails and IM- so I don't fuss. I'm curious to see if it works.

A little while later, DDoll asks me to go get the morning paper. Since she is making me a mocha, I say sure, take my cordless, and head out. (You all see where this is going, right?)

Heading out to the mail box I see Neighbor Mike. I have not seen Mike in a couple of weeks so I walk over to chat for a couple of minutes. Mike's a real nice guy because he never mentioned what I had completely forgotten, that I had a 2 inch patch of blue paste roughly troweled on my temple! (I remembered as I was walking back in the house.)

The moral of my story is to wear the zit with pride, because everybody gets them. Nobody understands wearing floride on your forehead.

Don't Ask for Whom the Cow Bell Rings...

2007-03-19T22:09:00.000-07:00

First, sorry about the zero for March on this whole posting thing. I wish I could say it was because I gave up snarkiness for Lent, but we all know that's not true.

Last fall, I was dumb enough to tell D-Doll that I intended to be a certain weight by my 40th birthday at the end of May. (I still might make it... if I eat only helium for the next 2 months.) I've also said that I could either be fat or bald, but both, and I'm not living up to that one either.

Maybe it's because she wants to keep me around for awhile, but D-Doll has not had the common decency to forget all my loose talk of healthful intentions... so long-story-short, I've commited to doing a triathlon in early August.

WTF! Half mile swim, followed by a 20 mile bike ride (with hills! My arse!) Then topped off with a 3.8 mile stagger.

I know that D-Doll did her tri last year, and that was great and all, but all I had to do was find parking, hold on to the Boy and ring the cow bell. Something tells me that this one might be a bit more labor intensive.

I miss Trader Joe's!

2007-02-27T22:17:00.000-08:00

When we moved out to the sticks from Burbank, we did it with the understanding that we would no longer be within walking distance of a mall, an Ikea and 42 movie screens (really, 42.) We said that if close proximity to chain stores was a bigger deal than clean air and affordable housing, than we needed to refocus on what is important. And after 2 1/2 years, I'm sure that we've made the right call. But...

I really miss the 5 minute drive to Trader Joe's. (I liked it better living a short drive away in Burbank than the 3 blocks away in Los Feliz. Walking 3 blocks uphill - yes, both ways- with milk, beer, canned goods, etc. was not so much fun. I sometimes drove, but it was sooo close and parking at the store and our apartment was tough. Anyway...)

I was near Federal Way(kind of like Burbank, as it has every chain store invented) for work today, so I thought I'd do a TJ's run. Ohh, the Joy! The accumulation of stuff doesn't get any better than a liter of extra virgin olive oil for $5.49. I liked it so much, I even got some for the kitchen.

Sadly, it's a 90+ minute drive home from there, so I had to refrain from going down the frozen isle. Maybe next time I'll bring the cooler.

Did you here the one about the crazy astronaut?

2007-02-05T21:28:00.000-08:00

Sometimes reality is so much stranger than anything you could make up. If I saw a tv show that had a astronaut driving from Houston to Orlando to stalk another astronaut in an airport parking lot because they're both involved with a space shuttle pilot, I'd change the channel because nothing like that could ever happen... Except that it did.

The Daily Show, Leno and Letterman shouldn't even mention it, because it's just too easy to make fun of.

I'm turning Filipino, I really think so.

2007-01-29T21:55:00.000-08:00

I think the I'm turning slowly Filipino through osmosis... and not by consuming large amounts of pancit and chicken adobo during visits to the In-Laws (although there is some of that happening too.)

Why do I say this? Because I saw the Happy Slip lady on YouTube and I think I got most of the jokes. Even the ones about pointing with the lips and peephole/people confusion.

Can massive amounts of texting and loading big cargo on a little motercycle be far behind?

Back to work.

2007-01-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

Even though I only really took 2 vacation days during the holidays this year, it always seems to take a bit to get back in the work groove after the holidays. Maybe because alot of work time is spend talking to accounts and co-workers about the holidays. Not to say I was not getting someproductive work done, but it feels slightly off to not have a holiday concert, mall sorte or tree lighting to go to right after work. To ease back into it, we'll head back to Target tonight to sort through the green and red storage bins.

Also, if I need to, I call always watch 6 hours straight of the DVD of "The Christmas Story." (Which is know by the Boy as "Ralphie and the BB Gun.")

Happy New Year!

Holiday card shortage.

2006-12-21T09:34:00.000-08:00

I'll double up since I'll be offline most of next week.

As of yesterdays mail, we'd received 10 Christmas cards (not counting the ones from our insurance agent, newspaper guy and several email cards.) We'd sent out about 85 last week. Now, I'm not asking for a 1 to 1 ratio, but what's up? Are people not mailing cards anymore? Did we just not make peoples lists this year? Maybe we've got more in past years because we sent our cards out in late November or early December and the cards we got back were sent because people felt bad when they got ours.

Also, when you receive an e-card as part of a bulk email, should that really count as getting a card? I'm leaning toward no, but not sure.

I miss the keggers!

2006-12-21T08:42:00.000-08:00

I thought I was all grows up when I offered to give my sister a break and host the family Christmas Day get-together. I was wrong.

Now we've hosted parties at this house before, but this will be the first one where most people are not out on the patio or on our huge sofa to watch football. (Also, a chunk of the sectional has moved to make room for the tree.) This time we have to figure out how 22 people are going to sit down, at a table, and eat at the same time. Unless the kids eat at the picnic table in the back yard, the math is not working. Maybe I should have asked Santa for an addition on the house.

Anyway, as my office is about to into a guest room when Ddolls folks arrive for Boy time, I won't be online much for the next week. So... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Forever Young?

2006-12-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

The Boy was listening to the radio in the car with Ddoll the other day when he heard an ad for an upcoming Rod Stewart concert at Key Arena. Now he wants me to take him to the show! Say WA? Let me list my issues with this development...

- How did it get to be just me/him and not the the three of us? Mostly our special guy trips are to the recycling center and/or transfer station, not a date.

- We've taken him to quite a few concerts and other live performances over the last couple of years and usually I end up in the lobby with him for big chunks of the show. The Duke Ellington concert and last year's Nutcracker show spring to mind.

- Just in general, taking a 6 year old to a arena rock concert... What could happen?

- $60 and up plus service charge to sit in the noise bleeds of a basketball stadium. If you're watching the concert more on the big video screen than you are looking at the stage, why are you there. I'm a fan of the small venue.

- Rod Stewart? While I don't mind him, as far as aging rockers go, he's not quite the Stones or even AeroSmith. But really, once they start using your songs for Pamper commercials, should you still be touring? (This reminds me of the time when some friends took Ddoll & me to a Jimmy Buffet concert in Irvine. She had no idea Jimmy was so long of tooth until he took the stage and she squawked about it the whole show.)

That time of year again

2006-12-06T22:48:00.000-08:00

The dreaded holiday letter, we've been doing them since we had the Boy and now it's time to write this as I'm picking up the cards from Costco tomorrow. I think that we have done better letters over the years than most of the stuff you get (mostly be keeping it relativly short... never more than 1 page and never less than 12 point type,) but I'm confused this year. How do I keep it from being redundant to DDolls blog? I know most of the folks we send cards to are not readers of her blog, but part of me is thinking, "If they really cared, wouldn't they read it?"

Oh well, atleast using MS Word, I'll have my spelling/grammar crutch, unlike Blogger. I know I should look it up, but if it does not have a red line under it, it must be right, write?

Worst Christmas Song Ever

2006-11-28T21:59:00.000-08:00

I like music. I don't obsess about the artists or need a Zune/ipod/ringtones going nonstop, but I enjoy most types of music. (Alternative, classic rock, classical, jazz... I even like well done country/western and rap/hip hop, but not together.) Anyway, I dig the Christmas tunes anytime after Halloween. From Handel, to Bing Crosby, to the Bare Naked Ladies, to Jingle Bell Dogs, I'm good with it... with a few notable exceptions.

First, the regional holiday songs are just sick. Up here they play a couple that make my skin crawl, "Christmas in the Northwest" and "Walking in Seattle's Latte Land" (to the tune of Winter Wonderland.) These songs are offensive to anybody with ears. I'd link them, but that would be hurtful to you and you might come after me.

But as bad as the regional cr@p is, it's Nat King cole's Christmas Song when compared to "Christmas Shoes" by the faith based group Newsong. Now, I'm a Child of the Light (aren't we all?), so I'm cool with the God stuff, but the only message in this song is BLOWS. The only good news is when it's over. Please understand me, this song is really bad!

If I ever go to a Newsong concert, I'll be leaving in handcuffs.

Snow Day

2006-11-27T22:28:00.000-08:00

We've got about 6"-8" of snow here the last couple of days. It closed the schools to make the 4 day weekend a 5'er. We didn't really feel the full magnitude of the day because the boy is a home schooler and I work out of my home office. But I did get to use the bad roads as a excuse for postponing a appointment at the dentist office.

I saw more snow when I was in Alberta two weeks ago, but that just felt like frozen tundra land. The couple inches here feels more Christmas. ish. y.

Just the 3 of us on our anniversary

2006-11-12T23:07:00.000-08:00

We had our date night on Friday so I can't squawk too much, but when it came time for our champagne toast at dinner tonight, I broke out the crystal flutes we had at our wedding and a glass cup we bought jelly in. The boy has been asking for a taste of wine lately, so he bellied up for a slug of the good stuff. He thought it was a little spicy though.

I guess since he was born 9 months and 13 days after our wedding, he was there in a way.

Happy 7th, Demon Doll!!!

P.S. KIT

Keeping It Real

2006-11-04T21:41:00.000-08:00

So I was planting tulip and daffadil bulbs in the rain today, instead of watching football, while my wife had taken the mini van to the crazy 50% off yarn sale and the Boy was immersed in playing "Hidden pictures" on Highlights.com, when I thought to myself...

"Have I lost my edge?"

I guess if you have to ask, you might already know the answer... Of course not.

And I showed it by mixing the bulbs together and planting the different colors randomly. Some I even planted some in the sod, 'cuz no flowerbeds keepin' me down, dawg.

Our haunted house

2006-10-30T22:13:00.000-08:00

I think that something strange is going on in our house. Please consider the following...

When we woke up yesterday, every clock in the house was one hour fast.

A huge pile of dirty laundry apeared, seemingly overnight, on the floor of our bedroom.

Both aspens and the japanese maple in the front yard have all of their leaves fall off in the last couple of weeks.

It has gotten so cold inside of the house, just like The Sixth Sense, that we had to turn our heater on to fight the chilling air.

And scariest of all...

The package of candy that DDoll bought to give the invisible Trick or Treaters has been opened and some pieces are missing. DDoll insists that it must be gremlins. It's not the first time something in the pantry has opened by itself.

Courage... & Happy Halloween.

PS. I'm going to kick a$$ at the home office costume contest tomorrow!

DDoll thinks this applies to me

2006-10-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

Weird Al - White and nerdy

My Better Third has been on me to link this video to my blog. I'm getting the feeling that she might think of me when she hears the "Ridin' Dirty" song. I am pretty street... I'll have you know that my high school is know for it's chronically low standardized test scores.

Sadly, what does it say about me when I read the review for Weird Al's spoof on Slate before I ever heard of the song/artist he was lampooning?

Peace, out!

What's in a name?

2006-10-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

Tickle, tickle, ha-ha... Well, now we know what happens when one lets his 6-year old choose the title for a web log.*sigh* Of course, for those who know me, it is a natural fit. I was leaning toward "The Daily Sneer," "Walking & Mocking" or "Don't Hate Me Because I Didn't Mean That About You Specifically." But I guess TTHH sums all that up and more. It's innocent and deviant at the same time.

Thanks, Boy! Ha Ha

me

2006-10-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

My wife has too much yarn. I am surrounded by yarn.

We will keep posting this picture until someone acknowledges its genius. Chicken Bingo.