Odd, but entertaining mix

I happened to get two gifts from co-workers over the past few weeks. My company is huge enough that we can throw $25 certificates around to each other to show appreciation for handing each other a paper clip and that kind of thing (ok, it has to be for something more than that, but we can hand out as many as we like, but can only receive 4 per year).

So, I happened to get two in two weeks time. Mine were for Amazon.com. I ordered the new Harry Potter book (obviously still waiting on that), but then I also got Team America: World Police Uncut and Uncensored. I haven't watched the film yet, but today at lunch, I watched a couple of the extras about the making of the movie, and it was really interesting. They had to have a TON of patience to make that film. It will be interesting to see how it differs from what I saw in the theater.

But the other item was for my son. It's a book called Finklehopper Frog. It is really a delightful children's book. Written in a very bouncy (as you would expect a Frog book to be), well-paced and well-rhymed tale about Finklehopper getting a "jazzy" jogging suit and trying to jog. The illustration is outstanding and it's really juat and all-around great work. I highly recommend it if you have little ones or just can appreciate a well-done children's book.

Like I said, an odd, but entertaining mix, and I'm really looking forward to HP6!

Enjoy!

Dave

Will St. Pete forget that "other" stuff?

since I did a sorta good deed?

A couple of weeks ago I entered our laundry room in the basement and saw something small move near some shelves. There it was, a good-sized mouse. He took off before I could catch him.

So, I'm thinking "Oh crap! How did s/he get in here?" There's no entryway from the outside to our basement, so we think he either came in through the new laundry vent somehow or through the hole where the satellite cable comes in, with the former being much more likely.

We go to Home Depot and look at our options. Most of which are unappealing, they either require poison, which wouldn't be good because my son or dog might get into it, and besides, what if the thing dies somewhere we can't get to it? Or worse, if we can reach it, it would just be a nasty thing to have to deal with.

Then there were your traditional mouse traps. Again, the nasty factor made these unappealing. Just eeeewwwwww. I have a bad thing about dead mice because once I was working on the interior of an old house and we were taking down cieling tiles and three very old dead mice fell on my head, kinda freaked me out.

Besides, I don't really want to kill this thing, I just want him out of my house. So, thinking there may be no other way, I happened to notice they had live traps. You put peanut butter in the end and when the mouse goes to get it, it moves the trap enough to close the door. I had no idea if it would work or not, but it was worth a shot.

Well, It only took two days and we bagged him! Funny thing was, I took him out to the woods to release him, but he didn't want to go. I carefully opened the door, hoping he wouldn't come out fighting. I gave it a little shake, no mouse. I shake a little harder and tilt the trap almost vertically, no mouse. I'm thinking, it will be really embarassing to go home and tell Mrs. Dave I thought we had it, but we didn't. But I shine the flashlight in there, and sure enough, he's in there, just hanging on for dear life. I gave one more good shake and he finally popped out.

I hope I haven't made him easy prey for a wandering fox or something, because he's covered in peanut butter. But, he looked at me, probably scared to death, or just blinded by the flashlight. He was all wet, not sure why, but after he got his bearings, he hauled ass. What really surprised me was he was jumping about 2 feet at a time. Boing, Boing, Boing and he was halfway into the woods.

So, do you think St. Pete will forget about stuff like Spring Break 1992 or my buddy's bachelor party or the "incident" at the Hustler Club in New Orleans? Does being kind to God's creatures (so what if we've been nuking some ants in our kitchen!) get you out of purgatory?

Dave

My Pet Hammerhead

Apparently my luck and grace tickets expired on Saturday, because Sunday was rough for me. It started out well enough. Little boy got up a little earlier than normal, but he was good. So after a fine breakfast, we were upstairs getting ready to go to see little boy's grandparents. We were waiting for Mrs. Dave to finish getting ready.

Little boy and I were roughhousing on the bed, as we are prone to doing when nothing else is happening. So, we tumbled and wrestled and tickled and giggled. We had worn ourselves out a bit and I was lying on my back looking up. My son was looking back at me and imitating his mother scolding him "I'm not playing with you!" he said with a smile and pointed finger. He got a little closer, "I'm not playing with you!" This time I was laughing because he did the impression so well. I turned my eyes just to glance at the TV when, without warning, WHAM! It felt like a hammer hit me in the cheek just below my eye. I howled in pain and surprise, then little boy was crying and Mrs. Dave is trying to figure out what the hell happened.

Mrs. Dave, of all people taught little boy early on how to "clunk" heads. It was just a gentle head butt, but they've gotten a little out of control of late. We're trying to get him to stop, but it's a slow process. He just doesn't realize how hard he's doing it sometimes. But, he was just trying to clunk me on the forehead, but he brought the hammer down. Oy! It hurt the rest of the day! Fortunately, no bruising, though. A friend of mine had something similar happen, but it did a lot more damage, she was lucky it didn't break the bone around the eye orbit.

But, as I said, grace expired, too. We have semi-spiral stair cases in our house. That means that instead of a real landing to turn to continue up the stairs, there are two steps cut at 45°. Or you could say the landing is a triangle. But, I think semi-spiral stairs is accurate. But I'm going downstairs to check the laundry, when my foot slips on one of these stairs. I tried to catch myself (unfortunately it's not an uncommon occurence), but it was too late. My left foot shot out and headed further down the stair, and my right foot got stuck on the step enough that I couldn't get it in front of me. So, I'm rushing toward the wall, with no real way to stop. CRACK! I felt my knee impact the wall. I braced for the pain. I was sure I must have broken my kneecap with that noise...but nothing serious came. It was me vs. the wall and the wall lost. Luckily, I hit a hollow part of the wall instead of a stud, and it gave way. Walking down the stairs at my house can be dangerous for me, and ours are carpeted! So, of course, after she realized I was Ok, Mrs. Dave starts laughing uncontrollably.

But I wasn't done. Somehow, and it's still a mystery, I was using the restroom, *ahem* in the uniquely male position of standing, and while everything felt normal, somewhere, somehow things were taking a detour and hitting the wall. (Cue more of Mrs. Dave's uncontrolable laughter)It was truly bizarre. I shan't try to over analyze it, but how do you miss that bad?? ;-)

Dave

Illustration Friday - Nourishment

Somebody had to do it! (Warning: may not be considered work-safe)

Here's a link, at least til I chose a new layout for this blog where I can have landscape images that don't screw with my bio and links.

Dave

Illustration Friday! Mischief

Well, last week's was so much fun, I thought I'd try another. This weeks word is Mischief. That word always seemed to be coupled with the term "Satan finds work for idle hands." So I thought of Satan as working at the unemployment office, someplace I don't wanna be. I "borrowed" the devil and hand, but this is just for fun, so I thought, "What the hell?" >;-) Again, also used Keith Bowman's brushes liberally. I can't actually draw worth a damn, but I can put good stuff together...



Dave

Just one more!

I just need one more referral for the iPod! I'd be so appreciative if you did it (if you haven't already, thanks Joepe!)

PLEASE???!!!! I'll be your bestest friend....


Here's the link again

Thanks in advance!!!


Dave

Please say I'm worth it

Ok, so I'm taking the chance on this, and if you would be so kind, help me out. Since I can't actually afford one right now, I'm trying to get a free iPod from freeipods.com. I was going to try to be greedy and go for the Photo iPod, but I'll just be a wreck asking 10 people to be victi- uh, referrals. So for a standard iPod, I only need five, and I have two for sure.

So, if it helps, think of it as your saying congratulations on graduating and getting your Masters degree to me. You just have to sign up for one of their offers (Blockbuster, Napster, and a cool one from Teleflora - order flowers for your Mom, help Dave get an iPod! How cool is that??? Everybody wins!)

After I get home tonight, I'll get the link. YOU HAVE TO USE THIS LINK ONLY for me to get credit, you can't just go to freeipods.com. As soon as I get enough, I'll change this post to say so. I'm just in it for the freebies. ;-)

*Here is the link! Come one, come all!*

Thanks in advance!

Dave