Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

What I want most of all is Bakugan Bakugan and more Bakugan. I want 3 battle packs, 2 Baku belts, 4 Dekas, 1 wrist launcher, 1 hand launcher.

I wonder how you make those toys. And why you send Scout over after Thanksgiving.

I like you because you give evryone toys. I always think about you. Exept once I FORGOT. But is that okay? I think you and your elfs are the number one!

MERRY CHRISTMAS Santa.

From Donovan.

October is My Favorite Month

 

Always Will

 

I loved you once
I love you still
Always have
Always will

Making Mud Pies

 

My niece, Jael, at the beach. Is she gonna be a heart-breaker, or what?

Giant Lobster

Mmmmm, Lobster!

Hi Dad!

 

I was lead to the beach by three overly excited children, who told me that there was something on the beach I just HAD to see. Cute.

The picture doesn't do it justice. It was so big, you could see it clearly from the stairs at the base of Ocean Ave. That was a lot of seaweed!

I reached a new points threshold on MyCokeRewards: 1500 points! Let's see, what does that get me:

1.) $50 Gift Certficiate to eBags.com (never even heard of it)
2.) A 10-cup rice cooker from Proctor-Silex. I don't eat much rice ...
3.) $50 off any purchase of $100 (or more) at AmericanTourister.com. Pass.
4.) 4-Quart slow cooker from Hamilton Beach. Might have gotten this as a gift for Dad, but he just got a slow-cooker from Stacy this past Christmas.
5.) Coca-cola Backpack. And get rid of my Salesforce.com Backpack? Never!

Guess I'll keep racking up the points ...

Handsome Dude

 

I'm telling ya, this is one handsome dude. And he's getting sooooo big! I'm 6'1", he's only 10, and he's nearly up to my chin!

First Day of School

 

Sarah Palin Makes It Work

I try to keep all my blogs free of political posts (even this, my personal blog), but I have to say, I'm rather smitten by McCain's pick of running mate. And not for the reasons you might think:

- Not because she decided that the private corporate jet bought on state credit by the previous Alaskan govener was too much, and decided to sell it on Ebay.
- Not because she's a health nut, who loves jogging, runs marathons and climbs mountains.
- Not becaues she eats caribou, mooseburgers, and rides snowmobiles.
- Not because she's a mother of five children, the youngest having Down Syndrome, and therefore giving her a glimpse into the plight of families with special needs children.
- Not because her oldest son (now 18) is currently serving in the US military.
- Not because her husband is a down-to-earth commercial fisherman, not some political mucky-muck.
- Not because she has an unheard of approval rating by her constituents ... in the high 80% range, sometimes in the 90's!
- Not because she has been heralded in the national media as being the most popular govener in the country
- Not because she's a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association
- Not because she is quoted as saying, "I support our Constitutional right to bear arms and am a proponent of gun safety programs for Alaska's youth"
- Not because she she's spunky and ethical, resigning from her post on the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, in a protest over what she perceived to be a "lack of ethics" of fellow Alaskan Republican leaders
- Not because, as city mayor of Wasilla, she invited investment and business growth by eliminating small business taxes, eliminating personal property taxes, reduced real property tax mill levies.
- Not because is pro-life.
- Not because she belogs to Feminists for Life.
- Not because she opposes same-sex marriage, but also supports same-sex union benefits (and signed them into law).
- Not because she's stirring up discussion, and controversy, and excitement in the way that no other vice president - in either party's history - has done before.

No, I like this candidate because I'm shallow, and she's FRICKIN' HOT!

Go, McCain-Palin, GO!

Appearances

The world is governed more by appearances than realities, so that it is fully as necessary to seem to know something as to know it. -- Daniel Webster

Friends

 

We like it when the Moore's extend their week at the beach for a couple days. The kids love have someone their age to play with. Here's Zach and Don ... both the same age, although you wouldn't know it from the picture. The Seabury family tends to run a little on the tall side ...

Anyone wanna play hoops?

 

The sun is low on the horizon at Higgin's Beach when I caught this self-portrait. Hoops anyone?

Dumpster Truck Races

 

Chris vs. the Clam

 

We had this clam bake thing at Boottss' palce, because Chris had never eaten clams before -- and because it was her first time in New England, she wanted an authentic clam bake. Well, here's the deciding moment: Chris vs. the Clam.

I don't think she had it in her mouth long enough to savor it, but it was fun watching her try to swallow it down.

Bootss' Pad

 

After the Renn faire, we had a clam bake at Bootss place. Here are (L-R), Bootss babe, Bootss, Roes, Angelzheart (sitting), Nefarrio and Beni. Bootss has a real nice home -- authentic log cabin and rustic interior, very secluded, surrounded by woods -- with an enormous fire pit in the back yard.

The Heckler

 

This young lady, dressed in garb, was heckling one of the performers as he was doing his show on stage. So he invited her up front to join him ... then convinced her to lie on the stage, so he could juggle "razor-sharp knives of death" over her. Quite amusing.

Big Kitty

 

At this venue of the Renn Faire, the "beast lords" paraded out lions, tigers ... and this fellow, a liger (cross-mating between a lion and a tiger). He sure was a big kitty!

No cages between the lions and the audience, but there was a midget standing guard on top of a table, in front of the stage. I'm not kidding, and I wish I'd gotten a picture of him. He had a fierce tattoo on his bald head (probably painted), and had his back to the stage. As he face the audience, and it was his job to make sure everyone was sitting down -- that no one was standing up to move to the next exhibit, make sudden movements of any kind, or take flash pictures with their cameras.

Beast Lords

 

Of course, there were scantily-clad, busty women at King Richard's Faire -- renn faires are a magnet for such. This one on the left was the fairest of the lot. Nice leather!

A Yarde of Beer

 

Of course, that might have had something to do with all the alcohol. Here's Paul (aka Gravelor) quaffing down his yarde of beer.

King Richard's Faire

When we weren't playing Bocce and drinking beer, we were visiting King Richard's Faire in Carver Mass. Somehow we ended up on the side of the evil knight (go figure), and we really whooped, hollered and cheered him on ...

Jaelle Baite

 

Here's Chris (aka Jaelle), squeezing a weenie. Naturally.

You have become better at cooking (5)!

 

Of course, we ate like kings! Doug (aka Roes) flips burgers and dogs.

One thing leads to another ...

 

Of course, once you've been out playing a game of full-contact bocce-ball, you need to replenish. One thing leads to another, and ...

Bocce Ball

Bocce Ball was the game of choice all weekend long -- mostly because you can play Bocce while holding a near-full glass of Black and Tan.

Black and Tan

 

This was the drink of choice all weekend ... Black and Tan. A Black and Tan is a drink made from a blend of pale ale and a dark beer, such as a porter or stout.

Pete (Nefarrio) is "master of the pour", the technique required to create the classic layered look of a Black and Tan brew. He even crafted his own "Black-and-Tan" spoon. I think his spoon design is even better than the glass-edge variety. With Pete's variation, the pourer can hold black-and-tan spoon down into the glass, near the surface of the ale, and slowly lift the spoon up as the dark beer is poured over the top. The result is even less splash than a traditional glass-edge spoon. I really think he should trademark the spoon.

Home Sweet Home, Away from Home

 

Here is is after we all toiled -- Home Sweet Home, Away from Home. I got to hand it to the Moore's, they camp in style.

Campipng with the Boys

 

Two show you how far behind in blog updates I am, I'm now posting pics and events from TWO YEARS ago. September 2006, we invited all of the EverQuest Guildies to join us for a camping trip. Of course, only a small number of folks could join in, because our EQ gang is comprised of members from all over the United States.

Pete brought his family pop-up trailer, which made the camping trip really comfortable. Here's Doug (L-aka Rose) and Pete (R-aka Nefario), setting up the trailer, just after our arrival at the campground.

My Dad, Armed and Dangerous

 

Pic from last year's pool party. It's my dad, lounging around on the pool chair, armed with one of the kids squirt guns. Too funny!

Oh, but you should see him now! He started working at the gym 3 days a week, shortly after this photo was taking. He lost over 60 pounds!!

1-2-3 ... PULL!

 

The problem with building a life-size sand castle is that you need a really, REALLY big bucket to put all that sand in. And the problem with a really, REALLY big bucket is that they are awfully difficult to tip over -- espeically when you're 9-years old, and weigh less than the bucket.