Family Fun

This year we spent turkey time with my family. It was good to see the Black side of the family again. We met in Wisconsin (it's a long story). When my family arrived in the Taurus Truckster my dad mentioned something about having a cold. He was sniffly and sneezy. He awoke two mornings in a row with headaches. They eventually turned into migraines. This is something he generously passed through the genes into my noodle. I am not all that thankful but I was able to empathize with his pain. It may have been something in the gravy or it may have been the pain killer he was taking but for some reason he spent most of our time together wearing a pot on his head. Maybe this is some new form of alternative medicine.

The day after the turkey celebration the ground was covered in three inches of white, fluffy snow. I quickly threw on my longhandles and neck scarf (as opposed to any other type of scarf) and took the boy out for some downhill sledding (as opposed to any other type of sledding). I am not sure that he really enjoyed the snow but he did enjoy the speed at which we were taking the hill. Before we reached the bottom of the hill he would shout "mowa" (translated: "more"), so up the slick snow we went for another run down the hill. We will be spending our winter in North Dakota (August-June) training for the new Olympic sport of father/son downhill sledding (as opposed to any other type of sledding).

After several attempts at a new downhill landspeed record we went inside to warm by the hot fire and the even hotter wife and mommy. It doesn't take long to thaw out with one look at those eyes.
We had a good time together as a family. We have much to be thankful for indeed. Next year Pancake Sinatra will be here to help us celebrate and hopefully he won't have to see his grandpa wearing that silly pot on his head.

Saltines: The Traditional Pre-Thanksgiving Meal for Seagulls

I am now reunited with my family in La Crosse, Wisconsin (translation - The River, Wisconsin). After several hours on a train across North Dakota and Minnesota - my only entertainment was watching an old man that may have been Jerry Garcia back from the dead play war games on his laptop computer - I am back with my lovely wife, energetic son and over-eating dog.

Monday evening we went to see Walk the Line. Great film. They only left out one small thing about John R. Cash - Jesus. Phoenix and Witherspoon are marvelous. Cash was definitely a rock-n-roll star!

Tuesday evening I finished reading A Walk in the Woods. I then read to my wife from I'm a Stranger Here Myself. I laughed aloud. She fell asleep.

This morning we loaded up in the MarshWiggle Wagon and went to the Mighty Mississippi. My boy fed seagulls a traditional pre-Thanksgiving meal - saltine crackers. They seemed to be thankful for the crackers. We thought one seagull was missing a leg. It was tricking us. When it landed it ran on two legs to get a piece of saltine yummy goodness. The tricky two-legged seagull must not have a canker sore in its mouth like I do.

I am thankful for all of the above activities. God is good to give me even these things. I am unthankful for the canker sore.

THANKS!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I am thankful for __________________.

A way of escape

I am in Minneapolis for a conference. Last evening I went for a walk through the city with a friend. It was 18 degrees and the windchill made it something like a bagillion below. It was the kind of weather that made your skin hurt and snot run down your face unawares. We walked through the city streets for about an hour. We then remembered that Minneapolis has this hamster style maze through the buildings to provide a way of escape from the elements. The Skyway. It is an amazing system of indoor sidewalks. The return trip to our hotel was much nicer. I thought of hamsters as I walked. Then I thought of being a rat in a tunnel. Then I thought of Billy Corgan. Maybe he is right, I am still just a rat in a cage. I am in Minneapolis.

How to make a North Dakota redneck...

1 Flannel Shirt
1 Pair of Overalls
+ 1 Shag Carpet
1 N.D. Redneck

He sure is cute though, eh?

You know you're in the middle of nowhere when...

...you drive down your street (in a residential area in the middle of town) and you see this hanging by the sidewalk. Welcome to the middle of nowhere!

My love

My wife is a darn good woman. She whipped up a pumpkin cheesecake for my birthday. She is one beautiful gal. I am so glad she is my wife. Look at that picture! Isn't she a looker!? I sure do love her! She is happy that we are the same age - 30 years young.

Closing in on a name...

We have almost decided on a name for our next little one.

Pancake Sinatra

We are still debating as a family.

What do you think?