Barrel Full of Mud Monkeys

ROT & RUIN - Jonathan Maberry - Book Review

2011-01-09T11:14:00.012-05:00

It was 2008 when I first heard of an author by the name of Jonathan Maberry. He was appearing at a book store in Clinton, NJ and was signing his latest book in his 'pine deep' trilogy called 'Bad Moon Rising' .. the description of the first book (Ghost Road Blues) caught my attention so I bought it and read it (rather fast) before the signing; I was hooked! I must have read all three within 3 weeks. So, 1000 pages in 3 weeks... I don't have a lot of time between work and house stuff to read so this was quite an accomplishment for me.

In case you were wondering the 'pine-deep trilogy' is about a small PA town over-run by zombies (much more to it than that description but you just have to dive in and read it).

I've been a zombie fan since I can remember and like some of us zombie fans we go back to 'Night of the Living Dead' as our source for starting it all.

So, now years later I still look forward to the newest Jonathan Maberry novel. Last year Jonathan signed with Simon & Schuster for a 4 book deal. The first book in the series is a young adult novel called ROT & RUIN. Since there are not many (if none at all) books stores in my area I had trouble finding the book at Target or Walmart. But I never gave up looking so it only took me a matter of hours before I knew that my first NOOK (my wife got me this for Christmas) purchase would be ROT & RUIN.

The book begins some years after 'first-night' where all the dead 'turned' into zombies. The town of Mountainside is fenced in which keep 'the walkers' outside of the town. The fence runs for hundreds of miles and encircles the town. What remains outside of town is known as 'the great Rot & Ruin' ("that stretched from California, all the way to the Atlantic"). This vast expanse of zombie wilderness is guarded and what I gathered from the book is that only bounty hunters are allowed in.

The town-folk would rather go about their normal existence (sans zombies) then venture in the Rot & Ruin. They'd soon enough forget there was a 'first night' then fight zombies (who wouldn't?). The bounter hunters either live in the rot & ruin or go into the rot & ruin on a daily basis to take care of business. Family members sometimes hire the bounty hunters to track down their loved ones and to finally have 'closure'.

An incident that happens about 3/4 the way through sets up the next adventure (book). The book kind of reminded me of 'lord of the rings' in the sense that there was a quest (can't give it away) and a journey. After finishing the book you kind of wanted Benny & his friends to continue on ... which they will (in DUST & DECAY)

Any good book will leave you wanting more* and that's what Jonathan Maberry has done with mostly all his books. I can't think of a recent author who has made me feel like wanting to read the next book like Maberry does. I can only imagine what it was like when JRR Tolkien put out 'fellowship of the ring'. There must have been much anticipation for the next one to come out (4 months later), and the third book (almost a year later).

I have to say I had no idea exactly what the book was about, except zombies, but it turned out to be a wonderfully written book with purpose, adventure, action & a great conclusion (to this book). The main characters are Benny, Nix, and Tom... and a colorful assortment of bounty hunters (mainly Charlie Pink-eye and the Motor City Hammer). Charlie Pink eye is described as "six-foot, six inch albino with one blue eye and one pink one that was milky and blind" - the Motor City Hammer is described as "he was bulldog ugly and had pistol butts sticking out of every pocket..."

There are many books, movies, video games on zombies but Maberry brings it to a new exciting level. The story flows as if Maberry was there writing it down as it happened (just what makes a great novel). He makes you believe that something like this could happen or that a place like 'the great Rot & Ruin' really exists (I would hope not).

I don't know why but I liked that there was hardly any talk of government involvement and the book didn't go into great detail to explain why things happened. The book was more focused on the adventure , Tom, Benny and his friends. Since it is categorized as young-adult fiction there is just good ole' zombie killing**. I would even read this to my 7 year old .. he'd think it was cool.

So, whether you are a young adult or an old adult (like myself) you will enjoy it just the same. You will not be disappointed.

And for those of you who aren't really into the zombie thing ... You have to pick up this book, there really is nothing to be scared of... just grab your katana and sprinkle on some Cadaverine ... you will make it out alive!

*I recently read Dean Koontz's Frankenstein. While the first book was good, the second one was so-so and I have no interest in even reading the third (or maybe any book by him again).

**Since ROT & RUIN is 'young-adult' fiction the violence is toned down a little. No graphic descriptions of innards being torn out and eaten.

Suck those Leaves!

2010-11-13T14:33:00.008-05:00

Once again it's time to rake those nasty leaves. With me, raking leaves has to come in a close second to shoveling snow. Actually any kind of manual labor is not high on my list. You know how I roll - I like to sit back with a big tumbler of JD, some pork rinds, and a good Mary Higgins Clark novel.

But sometimes you do have to get outside and do shit.

So a couple weeks ago my son and I agreed to find something on TV we could both watch. So channel after channel, description after description led us to a infomercial entitled 'Never Rake Again'. Ok, I would like to never rake again. Carter agreed that we should never have to rake again. So here was this nifty device called the WORX Tri-Vac that would not only pick up the leaves but mulch them in to tiny microscopic pieces and also blow them into the neighbors yard. 10 bags of leaves could actually turn into one? I could actually have the fun of vacuuming my entire lawn in a matter of 30 hours?

Remember last year I had come up with the device - 'the leaf diaper' - well, I did not sell too many of these devices. When people found out it was basically a giant piece of plastic and a giant rubber band they demanded their money back (see photo below).

As Carter and I watched the inf0merical we became more and more intrigued. Sue even came in at one point and said, "You never have to rake again?". And then before we knew it Paul DiMeo showed up to promote the product. He was picking up styrofoam cups, cheesecurls, small animals, and even leaves! I figured if Paul DiMeo was saying it was a good product, well it had to be a good product.

I had never ordered from an infomercial before. So after about 20 minutes of the operator trying to sell me other crap I was home free and the WORX Tri-Vac was on it's way. The operator tried to talk me into expedited shipping but I told her the usual 3 months delivery time was fine with me. And then don't you know that it arrived in about 5 days? She must of liked the tone of my voice and cut me a break on the shipping.

So today I used it for the first time. Since all my leaves are in the back of my yard I had to go out and buy another extension cord. So it took about 125 feet of extension cord. Paul DiMeo also lied to me because I do have to rake again! You can't just wander around a 1/2 an acre with this portable shop-vac. I had to actually rake the leaves into piles. Oh I'm sure if you have one tree and you're too lazy to put in 10 minutes of raking then this would be true to the commercial.

The device basically sucks up the leaves and then they go through a blade that mulches them. One advantage for me is that it was great not having to make about 12 - 15 trips to the road. I only had to make 3. And we are talking a large garbage container on wheels (not sure of the gallonage).

The good thing is it came with a 4-year warranty. I see this thing breaking down at some point but probably will only use it a couple times a year.

Here's a photo of me at work. See how easy it is to pick up leaves. You can work in the yard and still have a smoke. Just don't smoke the leaves - they are nasty tasting.

A Fine Day to Dig

2010-05-01T17:34:00.003-04:00

Once again it's time to start thinking about the garden. Last year I did a small expansion to the garden and planted Hot Banana Peppers, Basil & Oregano in the new section. The problem was I didn't expand the fence with the same fencing and some pesty rabbits got inside the garden.

I was just thinking today that my first garden was in 1994. Sue and I lived in a small bungalow in Harmony, NJ. This was our first place that wasn't an apartment. The house was small, quaint and reminiscent of a trailer home (only square). We were told it was a converted 'chicken shack' but I believe the chicken shack was converted (to a closet off of the kitchen) and the rest of the house was built around it.

You may have heard this story before (forgive me; I'm old). The garden that year was one of the best I could remember. I had about 8 plumb tomato plants and it probably yielded 20 tomatoes each before the summer was over. During that summer we took a trip to Disney World. When we left the tomatoes weren't yet ripe but once we got back (after a week) I had 90 ripe plum tomatoes!

So this would be my 17th year of gardening! Over the years I've come to realize that I can't grow green peppers. Of course it probably took me 15 years to realize this. Either I get 1 or 2 from each plant or an animal eats the plant before they can even grow. 2 summers ago I decided to put up a heavy (er) duty fence than the one I had up (which couldn't really keep a turtle out of). This was after a rabbit (or rabbits) ate all my peppers plants. Or it could of been the groundhog we had that year. I didn't see this horrendous action so I'm not sure what the creature was.

This year I have plans to grow a lot of Jalepenos, tons of Tomatoes, and some Basil & Oregano. I have ideas to create my own salsa. Now I just have to find a canning course.

Digging is not my favorite part of the planting process. This year my ipod made things go a little smoother. Some Dave Matthews, U2 and BB King made things right.

Growing your own garden these days has a good payoff (if you have the yardage). Who doesn't want to be able to pick their own vegetables or herbs right out of their own back yard? And with tomatoes at $3.99 a pound it pays to grow your own. I paid .90 cents for one Jalapeno a couple weeks ago.

If only I had a greenhouse I would grow all year long. But that's where the canning would come in.

So, I'm about halfway done. I had to stop today because of the heat (it's currently 85 degrees). I probably won't finish til' next weekend.

Happy Growing!

a trip to the SANDS bethlehem, pa

2009-06-22T19:12:00.004-04:00

Well today was my token 'day off' from work. What is nice is that it's a Monday and in the past Sunday nights were just ominous and as the night wound down I started missing the weekend .. even before I went to bed. Now it's a different kind of feeling with the prospects of having an entire day to do what I want (usually Sue is at work and Carter at school). Monday nights aren't like Sundays since 3 days of doing nothing (but mostly house stuff) is enough and I actually look forward to going back to work.. hey, it's only 4 days of retail torture now...

Ever since I mentioned the new SANDS casino (in Bethlehem, PA) my father has been bugging me (or asking whenever I see him) about going. Last Monday we were supposed to go but nothing was set. I get a call about 6pm and my dad is on the other end, "What happened? We were supposed to go to the casino today"..

So, when I saw my Dad on the weekend I told him we would go. We had planned on heading over there around noon. Well, today I get up around 9:30am ... I get a call from my dad at 10am saying "I'm on my way over". Luckily he doesn't own a cell phone so "on my way over" means he's just leaving the house.

I was in the middle of a bagel and coffee when he called, so I needed to step things up a bit. My dad still drives at 83 but doesn't drive far. He knows where we live but can't see to remember the two turns after getting off of Route 191. So, I meet him down the road in the church parking lot.

My dad followed me to our house and we came inside for awhile so I could finish my coffee and brush my teeth. We headed out about 11pm.

The casino opened about a month ago but Sue and I haven't had a chance to go there. She tells me that her and her friend (Lani) are going sometime soon. The casino is about 15 minutes from our house.

I wasn't thinking but my dad brought a baggie full of change with him to 'play the slots'. I had to use the restroom so when I came out and found my father he looked confused. He says, "Where do you put the money?". For a second I almost forgot myself that the machines no longer accept coins. He probably hadn't been in a casino in about 4 years. But I'm pretty sure they didn't accept coins back then either.

The next problem is that my father has all these 'ones' with him. Well, go figure, the machines will only accept a $5.00 bill and higher. You would think that maybe you could put a one dollar bill in a penny machine.. but no. But the casino is happy to print you out a .04 receipt.

So after about 20 minutes.. maybe 30 minutes my $30.00 I came with is gone. I figure if I only spend $30.. then I only lose $30.

My dad seems to be doing pretty good on the video poker machines. I think he's up to $10.00 now. He notices that I'm just sitting there and tells me he'll give me $5.00. So I start playing the $5 and after about 20 minutes I'm up to $20.00. I'm thinking I should have started to play the video poker in the first place. But after about another 10 minutes I've lost it all again.

The casino isn't too big.. mostly a large room filled with slot machines and restaurants. Free parking (as most casinos have) and no ticket to redeem; just drive in, drive out.

My dad enjoyed the day and it was great taking him there since he worked at Bethlehem Steel (the site of the casino) back in the late 50s (when they produced 23 million tons of steel a year!) and worked there for 15 years.

Check it out: www.pasands.com

VACATION - day 5 - Friday

2009-06-06T09:31:00.004-04:00

9:00 am - Carter and I woke up (sue also was up with a terrible migraine)

10:00 am - Had a cup of joe and peanut butter captain crunch.

11:00 am - starting putting the '3rd' coat of paint on the bathroom. A trick that Sue told me for storing paint-brushes overnight (so you don't have to wash them out right away) was to put them in the freezer. Then you thaw them out the next day and they are good to go again.

1:30 pm - finally finished the bathroom. I wasn't too happy when I started taking off the tape since in some areas around the shower it peeled big chunks of paint right off!

2:30 pm - made a visit to work (yes, on my day off) to collect my paycheck and fix a computer problem. I called my boss at 1:45 and he said (I'll be there in 45 minutes). I got to work at 2:30 and he showed up 45 minutes after that.

4:00 pm - leaving work for the bank

5:00 pm - arrive at Michaels. Looking for small b/w photos for the bathroom. Why is it that Michaels only has photos of Paris? They have some weird obsession with the Eiffel Tower. I do get 4 8x10 wood frames - it's a start.

5:30 pm - go to Barnes and Noble to see if they have a book of photos I can incorporate into the bathroom scheme... nothing that jumps out at me. I leave with nothing.

6:00 pm - arrive back home.

7:00 pm - re-arrange the downstairs in anticipation of the concert next saturday. Moved the bookshelf into the guestroom and re-arranged the pictures on the wall. Now I realize I need one more 24x36 frame. It will be back out to bed, bath & beyond tomorrow (their frames are $25.00 - michaels are $50 with a 40% discount.. I swear they up the price so the sale looks more attractive).

8:30 pm - finished up the downstairs.. now it's relaxation time and time to watch a Grey's Anatomy episode (we are only on episode 10 of season 2).

So ends my vacation. I do not go back to work til' Tuesday.

Stay tuned for more exciting blogs in the near future!

VACATION - day 4 - THURSDAY

2009-06-04T22:11:00.003-04:00

8:30 am - woke up

9:00 am - started painting the walls of the bathroom

10:00 am - had a cup of joe and wheaties (the breakfast of champions)

10:30 am - continued painting

11:30 am - still painting

1:30 pm - finished painting but unfortunately it needs another coat

2:30 pm - made myself a tuna-fish, lettuce sandwich on toast and had a diet coke - watched some news. Can't believe David Carradine died :( - not right.

3:30 pm - started cleaning up the house; the in-laws will be here soon

4:30 pm - Sue left to pick up Carter. Finishing up a couple things on my 'list' Sue left for me this morning. Didn't find the 'list' til 2:00.

5:00 pm - the in-laws arrive

5:30 pm - go out to pick up the pizza

6:00 pm - sit down and eat pizza and have some conversation

6:30 pm - we leave for Carter's kindergarten graduation

7:00 pm - meet the rest of the parent's at the school and video tape the ceremony (see photos)

8:00 pm - get back home

9:00 pm - in-laws leave and I'm wishing I had more cake (not a real 'sweets' person but craving some icing; don't know why)

10:00 pm - start typing this blog

10:20 pm - finished blog (are you happy now, Lani? LOL)

VACATION - day 3 - Wednesday

2009-06-03T09:30:00.005-04:00

8:10 am - woke up; yes I decided to finally get up early and see off Sue and Carter - also get an early start on the painting.

8:30 am - started taping the edge of the wall; where it meets the ceiling.

9:30 am - getting started on painting the ceiling.

10:30 am - painting the ceiling. As you can see in the photo - it is true: I am painting naked. It's good for the soul. Only got one call from a neighbor across the street. Picked up the phone and all I heard was "COVER UP!"

10:31 am - I put my clothes back on.

11:30 am - electrician shows up (finally; thought he'd be here yesterday). Our lighting fixture in the laundry room stopped working. Appears to be the ballast. The electrician told me he would send me a bill.. doesn't sound good but it's fixed.

12:30 pm - putting the finishing touches on the ceiling. Started with a roller but the sand seemed to build up on the roller. Every now and then a huge clump of sand would come off of the roller. I then switched to a brush and that seemed to work much better. The texture paint was our only choice since it appears that someone replaced our lighting fixture and didn't sand down the areas around it.

1:30 pm - head out to pick up my new contact from the eye doctor

2:30 pm - go to Toys 'r us to pick up some b'day gifts for Carter. I don't know who will be more excited to try out the Star Trek transporter; me or Carter.

3:00 pm - since Toys 'r us did not have Spock I am on a quest now or, if you will, a 'search for Spock'.

3:30 pm - my search ends in not finding Spock (went to both Walmart & Target) but I picked up a SULU so Carter will have three figures to play with. Got some other stuff for Carter but it's a secret for now.

3:45 pm - gave my Dad a vist. He's excited that we will be going to the new SANDS casino soon.

4:15 pm - had to leave my Dad's in case I have to pick Carter up.

4:45 pm - pull into the driveway and Sue calls to say she can get Carter.

5:15 pm - put the Chicken in the oven and peel the potatoes. Tried a new marinade of Lemon Juice, Worcester Sauce, Olive Oil & Garlic.

6:15 pm - Chicken is delicious - Sue says it's a nice mild flavor. Can't taste the garlic but probably got lost on the bottom of the pan.

7:00 pm - I may head out to Barnes and Noble. More painting tomorrow but hope to get up early again.

VACATION - day 2 - TUESDAY

2009-06-03T08:54:00.008-04:00

9:30 am - woke up

10:30 am - had some peanut butter Captain Crunch & a freshly brewed cup of coffee

11:30 am - watched Rachael Ray (sorry but I have to say this - she's gained some weight!; it's all that good cookin')

12:30 pm - headed off to Lowe's.

1:30 pm - found out that the paint Sue wanted for the bathroom ceiling would cost $55.00 a gallon... do we really need sparkles in the ceiling paint? Ended up buying a textured paint - color: warm cappuccino. Also found out that some of the colors for Lowe's VALSPAR (what the hell kind of name is that?; sure it means something) are only available in the more expensive 'signature' series. Silly me, I thought a color was a color.. but was told it was 'trademarked'.. They've supposedly been in business since 1806... I think it says 'the paint of Edgar Allan Poe' on each can. Here's an excerpt from 'tale of the tell tale heart' - "It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see the old man as he lay upon his bed. I marveled at the fresh coat of Valspar paint on the walls.'

Anyway: the color Sue picked for the walls is called "PUMPKIN"...

2:30pm - watched the movie 'Joe Kidd' (with Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall, John Saxon). Never realized before that this movie was written by Elmore Leonard (one of my favorite authors; author of Get Shorty, Out of Sight and many others that were made into movies). He started out writing westerns; first novel was in 1953.

4:30pm - had to take a trip to GIANT since we were out of Hamburger. And did you know, Hamburger Helper makes a great meal? I've known this for a long time.

5:30pm - Carter and I arrived home

6:30pm - Finished my Stuart Woods book - maybe I'll take a trip to Barnes and Noble tomorrow for another book. But there is painting to do tomorrow! Another day of vacation.

VACATION - day 1 - Monday

2009-06-01T16:56:00.008-04:00

9:30am - woke up

10:30am - brewed some coffee - ate a bagel with extra-fat cream cheese

11:30am - watched some Tyra

12:30pm - straightened up the garage - almost was taken out by an enormous ladder

1:30pm - on the deck trying to finish up a Stuart Woods book

2:30pm - still on the deck but now I'm sipping iced tea

3:30pm - still on the deck but thinking about coming in to work out

4:30pm - finished doing my 'workout' (gold's gym cardio workout for the wii)

5:00pm - getting ready to pick up Carter

when it hits 6:30pm - on my way to the baseball game

Sowing the Seeds

2009-03-15T17:27:00.006-04:00

This year I have decided to start planting my vegetable plants indoors. I was patiently waiting for my Burpee Catalog but after 3 weeks I felt I should go looking elsewhere for the peat pots and trays.

Low and behold I walked into the local Sears store 2 weeks ago and they had a BURPEE station set up; seeds, trays, pots, soil - everything I needed!

The last time I tried planting indoors was back in 1992. Yes, I remember the year since Sue and I had just moved into our first apartment together. Our apartment was downstairs (in the basement) but we had a large living window which attracted a lot of sunlight; the perfect place for plants to grow.

Maybe a week or so after I planted the seeds they started to sprout. I was growing some pepper and tomato plants and the idea was to transplant them at a later date. I was very happy since this was the first time (and last until now) that I tried to plant from seed. This may also be the first time I even tried to grow vegetable plants. Before this I had lived with my parents or friends and never thought about my own garden before. My father grew tomato, cucumber & pepper plants as long as I could remember. So, it was natural for me to want to grow my own vegetables.

Things did not work out quit as well as I had hoped. Soon after the plants started to pop up something disastrous soon happened to my poor little plants. You see, we had a cat at the time (named Inky) who liked to sit in the big window. I remember coming home from work and walking into the bedroom. The first thing I noticed was that the trays were not in the window! The second thing I noticed was that they were on the floor upside down surrounded by dirt and my POOR LITTLE PLANTS lying helpless and limp.

Very traumatizing for a new gardener... and I might of shed a tear at the time. I get a little misty eyed just thinking of those little pepper and tomato plants lives cut short by a cat looking for a ray of sunshine.

So, today I once again try what I haven't tried since 1992. I've had a garden mostly every year since 1995 with the exception of the year we lived with the in-laws.

We currently have a cat (named Miles Davis) but the difference this time is that the plants will be downstairs in our guest room with the door closed. We get tons of sunlight in the guest room and the window seal is wider than any of the other ones in our house. I have given up on Green Peppers. Last year I got about 4 peppers from 4 plants. I'm growing Jalapenos, Tomatoes, & cucumbers.

I will post my progress here. Wish me luck.

PS: I'm hoping to make my own salsa. So, anyone out there that has some tips on canning, please share.. if I'm real ambitious I'll try canning.. otherwise I'll be making spaghetti sauce or other things with the tomatoes.

...and the Oscar goes to...

2009-02-22T10:54:00.016-05:00

Every year we make it a tradition to watch the Academy Awards, every year when the best picture nominations are announced we have the same response... 'I never even heard of that one'... but that does not stop us from making predictions. So, without further ado - here are my (Rob's) predictions on who will take home the Oscar tonight.

BEST PICTURE

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

I haven't seen it but have heard a lot of buzz. Usually the film with the most talk about winning usually wins) We never needed another film about Nixon, who wants to see Brad Pitt as an old man?, Sean Pean is over-rated, who even heard of 'the Reader'? (I think they made that one up to fill the slot).. and I'm still mad that 'Stepbrothers' was not nominated!

BEST DIRECTOR

DANNY BOYLE (Slumdog Millionaire)

I think most times the best picture and director go hand in hand

BEST ACTOR

MICKEY ROURKE

From what I've heard as far as reviews and watching the movie trailers this looks pretty much autobiographical and everyone loves a good comeback - unless it's Steve Guttenberg)

BEST ACTRESS

ANGELINA JOLIE

I base this on the fact that Angelina Jolie is hot (and there should really be a category for being 'hot') and Clint Eastwood directed the movie. It's next in our Netflix Queue.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

HEATH LEDGER

After watching THE DARK KNIGHT last night I have to say he should win (alive or dead). And with competition like Robert Downey Jr. for the mediocre film 'Tropic Thunder' it's a no brainer. Heath's portrayel of THE JOKER is one of the most frightening villians in movie history (with the exception of Merv Griffin in 'the man with two brains')!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

MARISA TOMEI

She will prove this year that her Oscar for 'My Cousin Vinny' was not a fluke! .. oh, and she's still hot (she would win two oscars tonight if we added that category *see above*)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

MILK

I base this on it's the only film, besides WALL-E, I've heard of. We are now nominating animated films for best screenplay? .. oh, the humanity!!!

So, there you have it...

I think I need to write the academy today about their snub of Stepbrothers

A sad ending

2009-01-18T18:24:00.002-05:00

So the Eagles lost. I guess the Cardinals just wanted it a little bit more.

It's a sad ending to an incredible run.

What we have to look forward to next year:
Donovan will be off to Chicago.
Andy Reid will be... we'll, hopefully somewhere else.

E-A-G-L-E-S

2009-01-18T11:54:00.004-05:00

Today could very well be the day that will make every Eagles fan roll over a car or two... and that's if we win!

Every sunday (all season) I wear the same Eagles shirt. It's the one that says 2004 National Football Conferance CHAMPIONS! Although the didn't win the superbowl (what Eagles fan could forget that?) I like the shirt and it gives me hope that they can get there again!

So, let's hope I can order a new shirt this week...

GO EAGLES!!!

Dance Off Part 2

2009-01-17T14:33:00.002-05:00

GET YA DANCIN SHOES ON BOOOYYYY!

Eagles win the division!

2009-01-11T16:34:00.002-05:00

That's right... who would have thought that THE EAGLES could possibly be on their way to the Superbowl but now everything is possible!!!! It had to have been that I was wearing my Eagles jersey. One more game to go, folks!!!!!

Saturday Dance Off is on!

2009-01-10T19:31:00.002-05:00

It seems that Timmay over at the Woodside has challenged my dance moves! You be the judge. Watch my 'professional choreographed' moves and then go over to JUMPIN at the WOODSIDE (link is down on the right) and see for yourself.

It appears that ole' Timmay needs props and flung shoes to get his dance moves across... just sad.

He's in for a whole world of shock next week when I pull out all the stops!

HAPPY NEW YEAR~!

2008-12-31T21:25:00.002-05:00

Just want to wish all my family and friends a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sue is on the mudslides

Rob is finishing up the Celebration Ale

and Carter has a brand new pack of FLASHIN' FRUIT PUNCH juice boxes!

We're about to watch the new 'journey to the center of the earth' and will attempt to stay up til' midnight.

I'll also be tuning in to the Woodside LIVE ... venture over to the Woodside and get an earfull of great tunes... we're usually there live also but this year just hanging out at home.

-Rob, Sue & Carter Bean

Carter's Holiday Drawings

2008-12-21T17:08:00.003-05:00

As most of you know Carter loves to draw and color. His newest thing is to draw a bunch of pages, have sue or I write down what the picture is describing and then staple it into a book.

So, I asked Carter if he could draw a Christmas book. It took Carter about 20 minutes to come up with these. I scanned them into the computer and (with Carter's help) colored in the drawings.

Then we put together this video for your enjoyment.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Don't Let the Wife Alone

2008-12-20T12:49:00.003-05:00

This is what happens when you are busy cooking Shrimp Creole while the wife decides to clean out the closet.

Your son will run up to you and say "Mommy needs help. She is stuck."

Of course, the first thing I did was get the ole' camera.

Priceless.

Let it Snow, Let it Hail, Let it Rain

2008-12-19T18:26:00.007-05:00

Today over here on the east coast we saw some snow. Around 10am the snow started coming down (in Clinton, NJ) and by 1:00pm it was coming down pretty good. I closed the shop early today and headed home. My journey home usually takes about 45 minutes but today it was about an hour and 15. This wasn't too bad since the roads were covered with about 4 inches by the time I started heading home. I only saw one accident and that was an SUV that had spun around on a section of road (in PA) known as 'cemetary curve'.

When I got home I had a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs (leftovers from last night). This was around 2:30. Since I rushing around at work to get what I could get done (the holidays are always busy in a printshop) I didn't get a chance to eat lunch til' I got home.

Carter and I went out after lunch and I shoveled while Carter rolled around in the snow. Between shovels of heavy slush I rolled a couple of snowballs and helped Carter make a snowman.

After I was done I went into the garage to look for some sort of sled. And then realized that we probably didn't even own a sled. So, I got this crazy idea to have Carter sit on the shovel and I'd pull him around the yard.

We did this for about 10 minutes til' I was exhaused and after I pulled a muscle in my leg (it's ok now). It really sucks to get old. Maybe I should get out and walk more (that's another story for another day).

Enjoy the video and HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all!

-Rob, Sue and Carter

Tale of the Tree

2008-12-13T18:11:00.003-05:00

In the past we used to go out the day after Thanksgiving and buy a 'real' Christmas Tree. But once our son was born my wife thought that we should maybe look into getting a 'fake' tree. Many years ago the 'fake' trees did, indeed, look fake. But in recent years the artificial trees have started looking better and better. Of course the price for a 'real looking' artificial tree can run you anywhere from $120.00 - $300.00 (or more).

When we first moved into our home in Lower Nazareth Township we went out and bought a nice big artificial tree. It wasn't top of the line but it looked pretty good. The only problem was that the tree was at least 8' tall and touched the ceiling. So, the following year we went out and bought a smaller tree. This was a Martha Stewart model and was about 7.5' tall. We really liked this tree and continued to put this up in 2005, 2006 & 2007.

This year my boss was saying how he wanted to put a tree outside the print shop and put lights on it - make the shop look a little festive and possibly attract customers to the shop by simply driving by and noticing the tree.

Well, I told him that we had two artificial trees and I would give him the bigger tree which we no longer used. The only stipulation was that he had to keep this tree; as I did not want it back in the house (we're trying to simplify - trying).

Each year I would put our tree up in the attic. This was a big struggle getting it up the ladder and then propelled into the attic for next year.

Before giving the tree to my boss I made sure that the boxed tree in our garage was not the tree we used for the past 3 years. Sue came down to the garage the night I was to put the tree in the van and was positive this was in fact the old bigger tree.

You can probably see where this is going.

Well, last Saturday Sue and Carter started getting out the Holiday storage containers from under the stairs as I got the ladder from the garage so I could go up to the attic. I unfolded the ladder, climbed up, removed the ceiling panel and looked around.... and looked around... and looked around. Guess what? No tree.

We had to laugh a little since we soon realized that the tree that was in garage was the tree we had bought to replace the larger one. And after some thought I remembered putting the tree in the garage since I was tired of struggling to shimmy the tree up the ladder each year and into the attic (man, that sucker was heavy).

So, out into the night we went. And it just so happened it was snowing. We went to Sears first and Sue spotted a $150.00 tree she liked. Being the bargain hunter I am - I suggested we go to a couple more places and see what they have. So, we went to Home Depot - two trees and nothing less than $200.00. Walmart - 4 trees - one for $70.00 that looked like an artificial tree and 3 others that also looked fake and for a higher price. Lowes - 3 trees and nothing under $200.00.

So, it was back to Sears. We bought the $150.00 tree (which is also pre-lit) and are very happy with it. Our other tree was pretty wide and our living room has limited space so a thinner tree works great.

Later that night I took a walk with my son and our dog while it snowed. It turned out to be a nice night and it's always great seeing the lights on the house for the first time (of the season). And it's even better to go walking during the first snowfall.

The big question we are still asking ourselves is: What did we do with the other (bigger) tree? Neither of us remember giving it away and it's too big to be hidden somewhere. The only place it could be is in the shed and I don't recall coming across it.

Hope everyone has a great Holiday!

Don't eat too many cookies. Drink all the beer you want.

WE DID IT!!!

2008-10-29T22:06:00.005-04:00

The Phils did something they haven't done since 1980. WIN THE WORLD SERIES!!!

Here are some photos from the joyous event.

First photo is the last pitch of the game!

Second photo is the 'pile on'...

And of course that is me acting goofy along side the action!

Why I'm Voting for Obama

2008-10-28T19:10:00.001-04:00

Here is why I'm voting for Obama:

1)He's a good speaker.

2)He wears a nice suit.

3)He's young enough to fulfill not only 1 term, but maybe 2.

4)He kind of reminds me of Will Smith.

5)He makes ladies faint.

6)He's going to change some things.

7)He can dance (did you see Ellen?)

8)He smokes cigarettes (and that is cool).

9)He's not McCain.

There ya go... this is why all of are voting for Barack Obama!

One To Go!

2008-10-27T09:15:00.003-04:00

Yes, it's true. The Phillies are now one game away from doing what they haven't done in 28 years! In 1980 I was 15 years old and a true Phillies fan. Most of you know I collect autographs but did you know that my first autograph signing was at the age of 12 and it was the catcher for the Phillies, Bob Boone?

I was too young to have celebrated in the proper way and now in 2008 I'm not too old but without enough friends and family who are fans to celebrate in the proper way but I will be proud of my team just the same. Maybe I will get crazy and come in late tomorrow.

Just too sad to think that the ole' tugger is no longer around to see it happen again.. but in game 3 he was there as his son sprinkled some of his ashes on the pitcher's mound. And 80 backwards is 08.. it's got to be our time!

Let's get this done PHILLIES!

PHILLIES do it in 5!

2008-10-16T09:31:00.003-04:00

Well the Phillies are headed to the world series. Dodgers fans can cry in their coffee (or beer) this morning and by the looks of the crowd last night they might have been crying in the ballpark.

I do have to agree that if it's the Phillies and the Rays the viewing audience will not be as big as if it's the Red Sox and Phillies... I would rather have the Red Sox and Phillies in the World Series since we may really see the Fightin' Phils come to life.. and wouldn't it just be sweet to say "We beat the Red Sox in the World Series".. who doesn't want to say that (except a Red Sox fan; sorry Stephen King - I love your books but don't like your baseball team).

I went out the other day and got my UTLEY shirt. My lovely wife washed it for me last night so I could wear today. You've got to show your colors, man!

Stay Tuned.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

2008-10-14T11:33:00.002-04:00

Phillies win game 4 - one more to go and we're in THE WORLD SERIES!!!!

And was that Penny Marshall looking like the blob at game 4? Rumor has it that some kid walked by her and disappeared... creepy...

But the quote of the day OR game was by Matt Stairs:

....you want to get that one big hit where you feel like you're part of the team. Not that I don't feel like I'm part of the team, by no means, but when you get that nice celebration coming into the dugout and you're getting you're ass hammered by guys, it's no better feeling than to have that done."

I think they should get a grip on the 'ass hammering'... I didn't even know that was part of the game.

Phillies

2008-10-10T18:54:00.004-04:00

I can't say that I am a 'diehard' baseball fan. I consider 'diehard' to be someone who has to watch every inning of every game. I have a life here. I get excited when the season starts and then towards the middle of summer I somewhat lose interest (but still know if the Phillies won or not). But the playoffs and the World Series are the most exciting part of baseball for me. And it's epecially exciting to see the Phillies in the playoffs.

As of right now the Phillies are kicking the Dodgers arses in Game 2. In game 1 all I can say is Derek Lowe looked like Richard Nixon in the Kennedy/Nixon debates of 1960. I even thought for a minute they were playing in LA since he was sweating so much his face looked irritated and red. But that's how the Phillies need to leave the Dodgers! Since Manny Ramirez is most of the team (since I only ever hear his name mentioned and Joe Torre) I guess we really need to keep striking Manny out. Also, I didn't even know the Dodgers still had a team until I heard they were playing the Phillies. GO PHILLIES! This is your year!!!

Happy Harvest

2008-10-03T19:30:00.002-04:00

Vampires don't need bottle openers

2008-09-26T19:48:00.001-04:00

Daddy O up in the Hizzou

2008-09-20T12:20:00.004-04:00

After work last night I picked up my Dad for his first sleepover at our house. A couple of weeks ago we 'finally' had the new carpet installed downstairs. After years of having two beds in our room (since carter would not sleep in his own room) we moved the bed back down to the former 'guest-room'.

My father lives alone and has been doing pretty good since my mother passed away in August. He goes to the bingo twice a week (by himself) and seems to keep busy with his housework. He turned 83 years old in August so he's slowed down a bit over the last 5 years. But he's in good health and always in a good mood.

We stopped at our favorite Italian Eatery (Pinos II); don't know where there is a Pino's I but sure it exists somewhere around here. We came back to the house, ate and later on watched 'MAD MONEY'. Sue picked this one out and turned out to be a pretty good movie. The movie stars diane keaton, queen latifah, and katie holmes. 3woman get jobs at the federal reserve. One is a janitor, one transports the 'old' money, and the other shreds the money. Since no one checks the trashbins (after the shredding) they get the crazy idea to not shred the money and dispose of it in the trash bins. Diane Keaton's character empties the trash bins and then they end up transporting the money out the door each day.

Ted Danson is also in the movie (as Diane Keaton's husband) and is looking as old as ever. The ending is a bit hokey but alot of comical relief. Katie Holmes plays a ditsy girl who listens to dance music and bobs her head alot... she looks kind of frumpy in most of the scenes and a bit weather beaten (or maybe it's just the stress of being Ms. Tom Cruise).

The other night I was watching FAMILY GUY and one sketch was where the power went out. They showed the gate of the Crusies home and then Tom and Katie sitting on a couch. Katie is wearing an ankle bracelet and when the power goes off the bracelet falls off and I think she jumps through the window and escapes.... I nearly fell off of the couch laughing so hard...

Carter and I drove my father back home this morning. I may actually go to the bingo with my dad in the near future. A couple of weeks ago he won $75.00 one night and then $35.00 a couple of nights later... not too bad and probably more than I'd win in Atlantic City.

End of Summer Recap

2008-09-13T21:04:00.001-04:00

Here's a recap of some of the things Carter did this summer!

Are you ready for some Football?

2008-09-07T15:24:00.009-04:00

Today is the start of the season for the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES!

What could be a better way to get into the game than with some Picante Salsa, Tortilla Chips and an ice cold Rolling Rock ...

At the start of the fourth quarter the score is Eagles - 31 vs. Rams - big 0. McNabb is in top form with 350 yards in the first 3 quarters.

I'm just glad I do not have Tom Brady in my fantasy league (I think he got injured in the 1st quarter). Last year I had Tom Brady and he helped me into the last week of playoffs (in which I sadly lost). This year I decided to go with McNabb (at that point everyone else was taken). I know it's only the first game of the season but McNabb already looks better than last year.

Good luck Hoochies! Carson Palmer has done you wrong.

Next game we will see the Eagles kick the Cowboys arses (monday night game)

Electric Woodside Boogaloo 2

2008-09-05T11:04:00.013-04:00

Got back Thursday night after almost a week at TIMMAY's WOODSIDE. Tim was gracious enough to be host the Monkey.

It was a nice relaxing vacation that I surely needed after the passing of my mother (on August 14th). I had planned on going down to NC earlier but postponed til' the last day of August.

Tim and I didn't do too much of anything but drink, eat and watch movies; which was ok with me since I took off the week just to relax.

The second day there we went and saw DARK KNIGHT. I highly recommend seeing this (if you haven't already)! You will leave the theatre thinking you've been on some crazy ride. One of the best movies I've seen in a long time but a little too long. I thought it should have been about a 1/2 an hour shorter. It was one of those movies where you keep thinking it's going to end (as you keep putting off going to the bathroom). Heath Ledger was incredible as the JOKER and sad that he's not around to reprise his role. The stunts were some of the best I've seen. This movie was simply incredible. There aren't many movies I'd go see a second time but this one I'd see 5 times (well, maybe 3)..

A couple of days later we saw TROPIC THUNDER. This one wasn't as good as DARK KNIGHT but also a different genre; different type of movie. I wasn't at all offended by the mention (and visualization) of 'mentally disabled' people. Maybe that's because I consider myself mentally diasabled and feel any publicity is good publicity.

We also ate out a couple of times. We went to a joint called STICKY FINGERS where you can get about 10 different bar-b-que sauces to top off your ribs, pulled pork or chicken. Also went to a place in Charlotte (can't remember the name) but had a pretty good burger. The fries sucked. The other eatery we went to is one I was told not to disclose to anyone. Tim even made me sign a paper stating I was not even to mention it. But I have to say the 'salsa' was most excellent!

The other thing we did was watch alot of TV.. which is always fine with me. Here are some of things we watched: THE RUTGERS/FRESNO STATE game, some episodes of MAD MEN, WEEDS, CALIFORNICATION, movies: CATCH AND RELEASE, 4 WEDDINGS and A FUNERAL, SMART PEOPLE, AIRPLANE!, SOME CAME RUNNING, HIGH ANXIETY, LOST AND FOUND, MARRIAGE ON THE ROCKS, OFFICE SPACE (I can watch this anytime)...

S0, after not having flown since my Honeymoon (in 1996) this was my second flight since April (when I went to Orlando). Flying for me is torture and the flight back on an airbus (2 long rows (2 seats on each side of the aisle) was the worst... simply because I could feel every time the plane slowed down, sped up and turned. It lived up to it's name in that I felt like I was flying through the air on a school bus.

Thank you Tim! Thanks for being a great host and a great friend!

PS: The photo at the top was a dance off Tim and I witnessed in downtown Charlotte. It got pretty dancey.

A long strange week it's been

2008-07-19T14:49:00.007-04:00

Feeling much better this weekend after the water heater problem. On monday the 'restoration guys' came back and took away the gigantic fans and humidifiers that were running non-stop since Friday. Our downstairs was deemed 'dry'; carpet, walls, toilet seat.

Thursday the claims adjuster arrived and after surveying the damage he went to his truck and went over everything (for an hour). When he came back in he handed Sue a big ole' check. This covered most of the money we had spent to have a new hot water heater (and pressure regulator) installed.

This check did not include the carpet. The carpet guy came out on Friday to measure. Allstate also provided the installer and they are footing the bill for the new carpet. We may even take a section of carpet that was not effected by the water and have it installed in the office upstairs. The carpet around the pool table is enough area for the office floor. All we would have to pay for is the padding and the installation.

Other news is that Carter is finally sleeping in his own room; and BY HIMSELF! The first 4 or 5 nights (last week) Sue slept on the floor. But now he's fast asleep after a story each night. He's also sleeping better since he's been in his own room. Early this morning (6am) I did have to untangle him from the covers but he went back to sleep after that.

We have two beds in our room and hopefully soon (after the carpet is installed) we can move the one bed (a full-size) to the downstairs 'guest room'. Kind of sucks we had the flood in that room since we probably would have done that this weekend. The guest room kind of became a room for 'stuff' once we removed the bed.

Today is very hot! The temperature on the grill says 120 degrees. It's really about 95/96. My neighbor is out mowing his lawn in slacks (and t-shirt). I'm beginning to think he has a skin problem or doesn't like grass on his legs OR nobody ever told him about 'SHORTS'! I like to call him Mr.Longpants. Shhhh.. don't tell him...

He's only one of two people in the neighborhood who still own push-mowers. All of us in the neighborhood have at least a 1/2 acre or more. I guess a push mower is a good thing for the environment; as I cruise my lawn on my k-gro 6000 spewing fumes (just kidding). I can tell you that my riding mower uses just a little more gas than my push mower. What can I say... "Once you ride you'll never push again" (and that is not a quote from Sheryl Crow).

I do help out with the environment in that I'm very active each day in turning out the lights my wife and son leave on, I recycle, I have a compost, I ride in my van without the air on (of course I am naked), I brush my teeth with rain water, I recycle my old toe nails into food containers, and I never use toilet paper... ISN'T THAT ENOUGH! GET OFF MY BACK!!

Oh, sorry..

One last thing: The garden is in full growing mode. The photo at the top is a cucumber I pulled today - this is what we grow in Pennsylvania. The tomatoes will most likely be ripe in a week. I've been planting my own tomato plants since 1994 (when Sue and I lived in 'the bungalow' in Harmony) and like every year a massive number of tomatoes get ripe at the same time. So, in a week or so figure I'll have 40 tomatoes. I will bring some to the woodside. I do know Matt (Splatt) does not like tomatoes. Not sure if Timmay does. Even when you've known people a long time it's hard to keep track of these things. Plus, it doesn't help I have a bad memory.

Also it's hard to believe I've known Matt for 30 years and Timmay for 27 years (give or take a year). As I often say (whispering to myself or sometimes screaming into the night from the backyard), 'Time is a Bastard!'

So today I will actually be outside reading a book and enjoying the sun.. until I can't take anymore. It sometimes doesn't feel right to sit in an air-conditioned house during the summer weekends. Seems like a waste of summer.

I watched the VH1 Honors THE WHO the other night and I have to say that the WHO can still kick rock n' roll's *ss - hard to believe Roger Daltry is 64 years old! I got an email from pat dinizio today and he told me to remind him next time we saw each other to ask about the time he met with John Entwistle...

The Foo Fighters are becoming one of my new/old favorite bands. I always liked them (having liked Nirvana) but now I've seen them twice perform live (on tv) and each time they've blown me away with their performances. Just an intense and talented band of rockers! They certainly honored the WHO the other night... Incubus's performance (right after) sounded like 'the backstreet boys' compared to the Foo Fighters intense energy-infused music. Makes you want to slam your head into something... ok, I'm 42.. I can dream..

Until next time I will leave you with a quote from the great Colonel Sanders

"I'm too drunk to taste this chicken"

An Inconvenient Appliance

2008-07-12T08:07:00.004-04:00

What I thought was going to be a normal Friday night turned into more than we bargained for. I followed my normal routine after leaving work; go to the bank, go to the liqour store, pick up food.. and come home and relax after a long week.

The normal routine did happen but the relaxing didn't. I walked in the door and Sue is there to meet me. She looks at me and says, "We have a big problem". I say, "What". She tells me that the 'dreaded' water heater has busted.

We live in a bi-level home so my only thought was that I would find things floating around when I walked down to the first level. At first things didn't appear as bad as I thought until I started walking around. It appears that soon after Sue left for work the water heater started leaking or just let loose of all it's fluids. The water continued it's journey into the laundry room/bathroom (which has a tiled floor), a closet next to the water heater, a bedroom, and into the living area. The hardest hit was the bedroom in which the carpet was completly soaked.

It's hard for me to get real angry since sometimes things like this happen and there really isn't anything you can do but get them fixed. So, we figured all we could do was try to soak up some of the water standing on the laundry floor and remove things which were sitting in water.

So I got on the phone with my insurance company. I got a claim number and was told someone would call in an hour to instruct me what would be done next. I got a call from a gentlemen who said he was in the area and would come over in 30 minutes. This was a company that removes water (from carpet, walls, etc.). So, we continued to remove things that were wet and mop up the water in the laundry room and bathroom.

45 minutes later two men showed up with equipment. After evaluating the situation they told us that the carpet was seperating (where the water had sat) and it would need to be replaced. Yes, the entire 1st level of carpet needs to be replaced. If you recall we had new carpet installed in December (upstairs and down). But again, what could we do? All is (supposedly) covered by my insurance company and the claims inspector will be out on Thursday to evaluate the situation.

The 'water removal' guys got most of the water out of the carpet but the downstairs is a mess and very upsetting to me at this point. I can't understand why they can't make a better water heater or a different type of system.. maybe they do.. I don't know but I've heard of this happening alot to homeowners. A woman who worked with me years ago had just moved into a house in Virginia when the same thing happened. They were probably in the house less than a week and weren't even fully unpacked.

I have to say that nothing of value really got damaged. I have many autographed items and luckily I didn't have anything up against a wall (like I did a couple of weeks ago). Most of my signed items are either on the wall or in a plastic storage container. This container was actually in the closet that got soaked but the container protected them. A couple boxes of china got soaked.. and of course a couple of record albums (it always finds the albums). The only autograph it got was a signed Antonio Banderas photo, which was under a dresser in the bedroom (where it should rightfully be).

They had to spray downstairs (so we don't get mildew or mold) and the animals had to stay upstairs all night. The cat was moved into Carter's bedroom. Between listening to the cat scratch at the bedroom door (don't worry, he's declawed) all night and my mind whirling with the events of the night (the water guys didn't leave til' midnight) I must have gotten 3 hours of sleep. Plus, at some point in the night (I think 3am) one of Carter's toys (a fishing game) turned on. I kept hearing this clicking noise and music. I went into the room and found where it was coming from and turned it off. The strange thing is that the game was up on a top shelf of the closet and somewhere where Miles (the cat) could not get to. Just the irony of the night I guess.

Today I got up at 7:45am and I'm now waiting for the water heater guy to get here to install a new water heater.

I guess I'll feel much better when all the humidifiers are gone and the new water heater is in and working... at least we can move some stuff back to where it was until the new carpet is installed. I'll also feel better when it's confirmed that the insurance will cover all of it (maybe not the water heater itself).

Carter's Summer Fun

2008-07-05T16:27:00.010-04:00

So it's summertime and what better way to kick things off than throwing a birthday bash! Here are some photos from this glorious event that took place on June 15; not only were we celebrating Carter's birthday, but Dad Nowak's birthday, and Father's Day. We also took in a baseball game that day.

... and here are some other summertime events:

Hanging out with the Smithereens (June 7th)

93 degrees in the shade that day.

An IRONPIGS baseball game.. although Carter preferred the 'bouncy house' over the game; not much going on in a 1-1 game (June 28th).

He also likes the occasional ride down the (middle) of our road.

And when he's not on the swing or monkey bars he's climbing trees (with full parental supervision; of course).

SUMMER MIX revealed

2008-07-03T21:39:00.003-04:00

So here is the losing summer mix for 2008! I didn't think it was so bad; but that's just me. There are a couple of songs I found (for the first time) before I put them into the mix. No theme, just songs that make me think of summer. I did throw in about 3 sound bites - it was probably the Paul Lynde soundbite that did me in.

Do You Remember Rock N’ Roll Radio – THE RAMONES
Under My Wheels – ALICE COOPER
Rebel Rouser – THE VENTURES
Beer Nut – THE LUCKSMITHS
I’ve Been Everywhere – JOHNNY CASH
Seaside Bar Song – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Feel So Good – DICK DALE
Better Together – JACK JOHNSON
Ice Cream Man – TOM WAITS
Summer Lady – SANTANA
Someone – RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
Rubber Biscuit – THE BLUES BROTHERS
Summer Girls – BLUE RODEO

My vacation with the house

2008-07-02T18:40:00.005-04:00

That's right folks.. another Fourth of July week.. a week I've been taking off since, well.. every year for the last 10 years. I only took off 3 days this time since I had to space out my last remaining vacation days.

Today I began what I'm sure will be a bi-yearly ritual.. and no, it's not mowing the lawn in the nude. I do that all the time (just kidding)...

Have you guessed? Well, we since we had the deck built in October and the we get full tilt sun beaming down most of the day.... HEY FOLKS.. it's time to Stain the Deck! Ohhh sure, we could have hired someone to do this for us (at $1,000) but I felt I needed a tan... and who doesn't love the smell of stain in the summer? Or the feeling you get after painting a few hundred rail posts? Anyone? Anyone?

But in the end it will all be worth it.. and it's looking better already.. I'll be back out there tomorrow (weather permitting; it's supposed to rain in the evening) enjoying a nice cold ice-tea, the sun on my backside, and the tight grip from a clear vinyl glove on the wood handle of a paint brush as I dip it in the glorious stain.. that beautiful glorious stain!

Go with the clear stain.
The left is BEFORE and the RIGHT is after.

The Weekend

2008-06-27T18:58:00.004-04:00

Well folks, it's the weekend. I plan on doing a lot of nothing ... just sitting on the deck sipping some Sam Adams Summer Ale and finishing up my Hemingway book... ohhh, and practicing my Elvis act. The gig at the nursing home doesn't pay that much (actually nothing) but the ole' blue hairs love it when I gyrate real fast.

Tomorrow we will take in our second baseball game of the season at the new IRONPIGS stadium in Allentown. Last game I went to was on Father's Day with my father-in-law and friend of the family, Dave. This will be Carter's first game... let's hope he can sit through it... at least it's only 10 minutes from home.

Hope everyone has a great weekend... and I will soon have photos of the garden and possibly a new video of Carter.

George Carlin Rest In Peace

2008-06-25T19:35:00.003-04:00

A comedian that I had always wanted to see live but never got the chance (tickets would literally sell out the day they went on sale for Easton, PA). He was rough around the edges but a great mind and a great comedian!

Stay away from the LAND SHARK

2008-06-06T22:30:00.006-04:00

I was at a Memorial Day Concert and saw that someone had brought with them a 12 pack of Land Shark... never heard of the stuff.. and didn't get to have any until today when I decided to give it a try.

I do like some of the higher-priced Anheiser Busch brands (BASS, Stella Artois) but they also have some losers in their lineup... and you can add Land Shark to them..

I kind of consider myself a beer snob but if given the choice of this and a rolling rock, well, I'd take the rolling rock and use this to wash my feet... yes, it's that bad... I like my beers without a bad after-taste.. when I was much younger I didn't care if it was Coors, Michelob, or Bud... but as an adult I go for taste over not passing out on the floor or waking up in a bath-tub.

It's obviously a really bad imitation of Corona... and makes you want to go out and buy some Coronas... Just like the time someone talked me into eating a vege-burger... why would you eat something that leaves a bad-taste in your mouth and makes you want a real burger (or it's just me) ... so, why would you want to drink something that looks like a Corona but takes like a Miller-lite?

I always bring in the summer with some Coronas..

Someone posted on 'chowhound.com': that land-shark will take away sales of Corona ... it's just not possible once word gets out how horrible this beer is! They even have the nerve to charge as much as Corona! ($7.99 a six-pack).. when they should be charging what they charge for rolling rock.. this is not Becks or Bass we're talking about... it's a glorified budweiser..

So, I wash my feet with you!!!

Carter's New Room

2008-05-31T17:14:00.004-04:00

We now begin the project of getting our son to sleep in his own room. Yes, he will turn 5 soon and still sleeps in our room. So, it's new paint and a new bed! We are going with a rocket ship/space theme. And hopefully that will get him in there soon.

He did fine when he was younger but around the time he was 2 years old he got scared of a thunder storm. That week was HELL. We slept about 2 hours a night since he was up screaming for either me or Sue. Then we would go into his room and one of us would sleep on the floor with him... so, the most sensible thing for us to do was to have him sleep with us. Most books and Dr. Phil probably tell you DO NOT LET YOUR CHILD SLEEP IN THE SAME ROOM AS YOU (or eat cookies) but they, of course, have 'people' who take care of their children. If they don't sleep one night they have the nanny take care of the child while they go on vacation to the south of france. Or they have someone who looks like them sleep in their room so they think their parent(s) are there to keep them safe.

Watch Out Summer!

2008-05-17T15:18:00.002-04:00

Some people do rain dances to conjure up a rain storm.. some people have their lucky trinkets with them when competing for a game show.... I START DIGGIN' when I want summer to get here! Or I sometimes have a Corona (with a slice of lime)

That's right... it's time to get the garden going! Today I went out to Home Depot and picked up 6 tomato plants, 6 green pepper plants, and 3 cucumber plants. Last year was a bad year for growing or at least in this part of PA. I had a rabbit problem with the pepper plants and I'm still looking for a solution (anyone?) to keep the rabbits out of the garden; besides building a 4 foot fence (which I have thought of). I had 4 plants and the rabbits literally ate the plants right after they started to flower.

I did grow cucumbers once (when we lived in Washington, NJ) with little success. I got about 4 good cucs... that's why you see the trellis in the photo... it's for the cucs! Wish me luck this year! I'm usually pretty good with tomatoes. The year before last was a great growing year. I had about 70 - 80 tomatoes off of 6 plants... and considering all the plants cost a 1.99 it would have been about $80.00-$100.00 at the store to buy that many (not that I needed that many; I do give some away).

If you are wondering about the rocks in the photo I just placed them there for now ... and will probably keep them there since Carter has been catching crickets; they live under the rocks.

Tune in next time to see how the garden grows..

Old Brown Dog

2008-05-09T18:52:00.007-04:00

Tonight I am trying something new: Smuttynose Brewing Companies 'Old Brown Dog Ale'

And 'no', it doesn't taste like an old brown dog .. not, like I would know what an old brown dog would taste like.. it actually tastes pretty good and at 8.99 a six-pack it's a fine outstanding beer - By the way, I use BUD to clean the bird-poop off of the deck.. works pretty well...

OLD BROWN DOG ALE
Winner of a Silver Medal at the 1989 Great American Beer Festival.

AWARDED BEST BROWN ALE IN THE NORTHEAST - 8th Annual US Beer Tasting Championship

Old Brown Dog has been cited as a classic example of the "American Brown Ale" style of beer. Compared to a typical English Brown Ale, Old Brown Dog is fuller-bodied and more strongly hopped.Old Brown Dog has been around for many years. It was first brewed in 1988 at the Northampton Brewery. In 1989 it won a silver medal in its category (American Brown Ale) at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver.

VITAL STATISTICSOG: 1060, TG: 1016 Grain Bill: Pale Brewers, Munich, Crystal 60°L, ChocolateHops: Cascade, WillametteIBU's: 15, ABV: 5.7%Color/Number: Deep brown-amber, 25°

What's on my jukebox (or should I say XM):

Fleetwood Mac - Don't Stop

Kansas - Dust in the Wind

Ricky Nelson - Garden Party

Little River Band - Happy Aniversary

Grand Funk Railroad - We're an American Band

Carol King - It's Too Late

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - An American Dream ('might be the answer to this hillbilly beer')

The end of our vacation

2008-05-03T10:20:00.006-04:00

On Thursday we went to Hollywood Studios (used to be called MGM). Carter got to meet some of his heros - the Power Rangers! After days of only being given the choice of Hamburgers, Hotdogs and Dry Chicken Sandwiches there was finally a Pizza place! Sue can't eat Pizza (namely the sauce) so while we went on the 'movie ride' Sue went off to find something to eat. Carter really enjoyed the movie ride. You are in a car and go past these elaborate sets made to look like the actual movie sets with animatronic actors; John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, the munchkins, etc. One of the sets was set up like a town in the 1930s and once the car stopped a gangster jumped out (a real person), there was a gun fight and he took over driving our car. That was until he got greedy and tried to steal the jewel (from Raiders of the lost ark) and was turned into a skeleton.

Some of the rides remained the same from when Sue and I went in the early 90s; Tower of Terror and Star Wars (flight simulator). Carter seemed a little scared when we went on the Star Wars ride but he was totally into the characters and the light-saber battles outside. He even got to meet Darth Maul but ran away when he showed him his nasty 'green' teeth! He is still talking about it and saying he's Darth Maul (then showing me his teeth). I told him that your teeth can turn green if you don't brush your teeth every day.

Friday we spent most of the day at the pool. Sue's mom and dad checked out at 10am and headed to their next destination (Treasure Island). They are retired so they'll be in Florida for the next 2 or 3 weeks. We hung out at the Hilton Grand Resort.. plenty to do.. about 4 pools, music, games, a bar and tables where you can eat. Carter got to paint a snake and played on the playground until he fell and hit his chin on the ground. It wasn't a good day for Carter. While I was leading him to the bathrooms he hit his head on one of the walls (don't even know how this is possible), then his chin, then at the airport he had a nosebleed right before we were to be checked over, and to top things off he fell off his chair (while sitting at a table) and hit his nose on the table before falling to the ground with the chair behind him.

So we are back home in Bethlehem. Got back around 10pm last night. It's funny when you return home after just a week.. things look different for some odd reason. The cat was especially glad to see us. As I got to the front door he was scratching at the door (having heard us arrive). He was epecially needy all night but then bit Sue as she came up the stairs. Cats get weird when you're gone for awhile or maybe he was just hungry.

Here are some more photos:

Universal and Epcot

2008-05-01T09:39:00.005-04:00

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

On Tuesday Sue and I went to Universal Studios by ourselves. Some of the rides have changed since we were last there (it has been 14 years) but I was amazed that the Lucy exhibit was still there. We got to see some of Lucy's dresses, some old Lucy scripts and her Emmys; just to name a couple of things.

We caught the Blues Brothers show (performed outside their brownstone), the Horror Makeup Show, Men In Black ride (I won), The Mummy Ride (a rollercoaster; Sue thinks her back is now fixed), The Simpsons Ride (replaced Back to the Future) which is a flight simulation; towards the end of bouncing and flying through the air after your roller coaster car lets loose a Giant Maggie puts you in her mouth and spits you out. The park closed at 7:00pm so we didn't get to see FEAR FACTOR and the live taping was for some wrestling show.

Here are some photos:

EPCOT

On Wednesday Sue, Carter, Grandpop, Grandma and I went to Epcot. The first ride we went on was pretty cool. You go through the history of technology. There are some games you can interact with before getting on the ride (almost like playing a wii; without the remote). As the ride starts moving your pictures are taken. There is a computer screen in which you plug in some information (what you like to do, where you are from, etc.) and then before the ride ends it places your faces into the video. Although I am a little worried since this was supposed to be our future and I was no where to be found (Sue told me I better buckle up!).

Carter especially liked the Character Depot where he got to meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip and Dale, and Goofy (after about an hour wait). In the old days you would wander the park and get to meet the characters; now you have to wait in lines and sometimes just to see one character. Kind of funny when you see kids with autograph books waiting in line to have goofy give you his autograph. You have to train them young to be autograph seekers! At least these characters weren't charging.

We spent some time in England where we saw a bad Beatles band. Ok, they were ok.. but just putting on a wig and outfits doesn't make you the Beatles (although anyone could be Ringo); the Fab Faux are much better. Sue bought some AERO bars and Carter got a set of Peter Pan figures. We ended the night in Mexico and watching some of the 'illuminations' .. fire, fireworks and lights.. before heading to the parking lot.

Here are some photos:

Animal Kingdom

2008-04-30T10:08:00.008-04:00

On Monday we ventured off to Disney's Animal Kingdom. My expectations were high and after leaving I was a little disappointed. Sue was told that most of the animals are hard to find (they hide) and this was the case at 1/2 the exhibits.

If you have small children (under 5) you might want to re-consider BUGS 3-D. This looks all cutesy and cuddly from the outside but once you get in you are bombarded with acorns, a stink-bug lets one loose, bees are up close and personal, huge animatronic bugs, and spiders drop from the ceiling. Right before you leave all the slugs and snails (and such) need to leave first so you feel things underneath your seat moving.. pretty gross.. Carter was a little scared of the spiders and the acorns flying past our heads.

Some of the fun stuff was Carter meeting Goofy and Pluto (pluto's tag said "if lost, please return me to Mickey Mouse) and Meeko the raccoon. We also saw some monkeys, various birds, an anteater, a hippo, and a pair of Gorillas. We were watching the Gorillas; thinking they were going to fight. We soon found out that one of them was male and the other was female as the parents frantically rolled away the strollers and shielded their children's eyes from nature.

We didn't have a chance to go on the safari since the park closed at 6pm. That is one thing that we're not too happy with but I guess we are here off-season. The first day at Disney we were very sad to here that the park closed at 7pm (on a Saturday!) but this was because of 'grad night'.

Here are some photos

The future Chad Smith (or Ricky Ricardo)

This monkey has a child clinging to it

The Gorillas (before showing us some tricks)

Carter meets Goofy and Pluto

Disneyworld

2008-04-28T20:57:00.014-04:00

Saturday we went to Disneyworld. The last time I was at Disneyworld was around 1994 when Sue and I went. We remember doing disney in one day since most of the rides are geared towards the little ones. This time we spent 7 hours on Saturday and 8 hours on Sunday. Sunday we stayed for the parade (see photos below) and the fireworks. The park closed at 11pm. If you stay at one of the resorts you can come in at 11pm and stay til 2am!

Carter's favorites: Meeting buzz lightyear (he gave him a high-five), meeting winnie the pooh and tigger (too). Carter's favorite rides were: Pirates of the Caribbean .. he can't stop talking about seeing 'jack sparrow' (What is funny is that they put this wax figure of Johnny Depp (as Jack Sparrow) in various places through 'pirates' (the ride still looks the same except with Jack showing up here and there... and also an apparition of davey jones (not the guy from the monkees) greets you when the ride starts), Buzz Lightyears Galactic Adventure (Grand-ma won!), it's a small world (I have a fear of the ride breaking down and all the little people coming to life) and the Country Bears (they dust them off once in awhile).

The fireworks were unlike anything we've seen before. I imagine disney creates their own types of fireworks.. and the grand finale was tinker-bell (or someone a little bigger than her) flying down a wire from the top of the castle and across to a nearby building.

We had to fight the evil Zorg to get our son back

Everyone Loves A Parade

These are real "little" people - don't be fooled!

Super Carter and his Dad

Drinks were priced reasonably. Water was $1.80.. Powerage (blue) was $2.00 ... that's about all I've been drinking is the energy-drinks. It's hard to find something healthy to eat at disney but they were selling bananas, apples and oranges at some of their stands. You can only eat so many fried foods before the muscles in your legs cease up on you.

The little mermaid was my favorite. She's a redhead, you know and she's been my favorite disney character for a long time. I was very excited to see her in person!

Next up: Animal Kingdom

Florida here we are!

2008-04-26T09:37:00.006-04:00

On Friday morning (April 25, 2008) we got up at 5am to catch a 7:45 flight out of Allentown for Orlando. I haven't flown since 1996 (on my honeymoon). Going through the gate check wasn't too bad but I did protest when they asked that I remove my belt. This holds up my pants and without it there are problems. Off with the shoes, remove all the crap from your pockets, take off all outerwear, remove any gold teeth, throw your brand-new laptop into a plastic tray, remove all metal rods from your spine, and proceed.

The airport breakfast food is something you do not want to consume. I bought a double-bacon egg omelet at Subway. Basically pre-cooked egg rolled out with pre-cooked bacon wrapped in a fajita and unheated. Sue went with the more practical blue-berry muffin (as did Carter). As I was leaving the subway my wife and son were no where to be found. I usually get a 'waa waa waa' (like the teacher on peanuts) and then realize I never heard what my wife told me. So I sat in front of the subway eating my omelet as they called 'last call for gate 10 to orlando'.. S**T that was our flight. I see Sue running and coming to a halt in a panic looking for me as I rustled with the spackled omlette and shoved it back in the bag.

We ran to the gate. No hurry since once we got through there was a line going onto the plane. This was Carter's first plane ride. The flight was pretty smooth but I did take offense to the flight attendant's attempt at humor during the safety instruction. .."if the flight becomes a cruise please use your seat as a floatation device"... somehow I remember hearing that in a movie..

During the flight they held a raffle and we bought 10 tickets for $5.00.. and we won! A Florida blanket and a deck of cards. I remember flying as a child and receiving 'wings' and a deck of cards.

Once we were about to touch down Carter moved over to the window seat (seen below).

We picked up the rental car (a Dodge Caliber) and went off to Seaworld. Even before we got inside Carter was wanting to see a Manatee! We have no idea where he even heard of a manatee before.

The manatee was one of the last things we saw before leaving. I wasn't very impressed with Seaworld after spending $200.00 on 3 tickets. The only things to drink were soda and water.. we could not find juice anywhere and you will think I'm lying but my son does not like either water (he drinks this sometimes) or soda (he hates soda; yes, he's my son). The shows were really bad; even for kids shows. Once you become a father (or mother) you become an expert on what kids like and otter/seal show was pretty bad. We didn't get to see the Shamu show since it was to capacity as we approached the gate. You have to walk about 3 miles to the stadium and then once you get there you are either told to 'come on in' or 'go away; we're full' (not exactly what they said). The food was over-priced (like most theme parks) - water $2.50 / bud - $5.00 - and if you are carrying your bud make sure they're aren't any small children in front of you. You could accidentally poor beer down there back if you aren't watching what you are doing.

What was very cool was that you could see Shamu up close and personal. He has his own tank. (see the photo below). The manatees were outside and you could get pretty close to them. You could also see sharks, stingrays, barracudas (these guys look mean; and have teeth!), dragonfish (look just like a floating plant), and the occasional squirrel. While we were sitting at the otter/seal show Sue looked over and a squirrel was staring at us from the aisle. They seem to seek me out! They are vicious little creatures and should be avoided at all costs.

I will post more as soon as I have more energy. Yesterday we went to Disney and 7 hours walking around in the sun takes a lot out of you. And we are heading back there today.

A Manatee named Jeremy

Thinking of Summer

2008-04-12T19:36:00.006-04:00

Today it was in the 70s here in PA. Nice change from the 40s and 50s of previous weeks. So, I decided to get a head start on the patio furniture.

Several years ago my in-laws gave us a nice wood patio set. Since we had the deck built back in October I decided that it was time to put new life into the old patio set. We've debated whether or not to buy new patio furniture or keep what we have. We both like the wood furniture that was given to us and it's a great compliment to the new deck. The only problem is that it needs some care, and some paint.

Today I sanded down the table and primed it. This took me about 2 hours! But the end result will be well worth it. We have two chairs, 4 benches, a bench seat, and a lounge chair that all go together. My goal is to have the table, 2 benches and 2 chairs sanded, primed & painted before summer gets here. The two chairs are currently sitting on the deck next to each other. The bench is also on the deck and in better shape that the other pieces. The photo (above) is of the primed table.

Simple Chef: Sunday Grillin'

2008-04-06T14:37:00.006-04:00

Well it's Sunday and here at the Lilly household that usually means some sort of chicken dish for what I like to call myself; the simple chef.

I'm a simple chef because I can read directions for a simple recipe, boil an egg, make rice (and not the minute kind), make chili (from scratch), make a mean meatloaf (again, from scratch).. but anything more complicated than that or something which requires a lot of prep.. I then put into use the following phrase, "yes, I am ready to order."

On Sundays we usually have an oven-baked whole chicken, maybe a boneless chicken with a coating of italian dressing or today, just because I feel summer coming; bar-b-que chicken on the ole' grill.

Today I am marinating several legs, some thighs, and breasts in some MEMPHIS STYLE BBQ SAUCE. This is the first time I am trying this particular sauce. You can only find this sauce at Wegman's since they make their own sauces. The ingredients in this one are: Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Water, Sugar, Fancy Molasses (now that's fancy!), Distilled Vinegar, Vegetables (Bell Peppers, Onion and Garlic), Spices, Mustard Flour, Natural Flavor, Paprika, Citric Acid (I love Citric Acid!).

Keep it Simple and Happy Grillin!

Mr. Lappy

2008-04-05T20:25:00.003-04:00

The latest at the Lilly ranch is that earlier this week we had a thunder storm come through. I unplugged my wife's computer during the storm. When I went to plug it back in it came on but soon shut down while she was sending an email. I then realized that it was very loose where the plug was inserted. I couldn't get the computer to come back on.

Her computer is 7 years old so we decided not to have it fixed. So, she got my (I will never buy a) DELL computer with the 19" monitor. And... I went out and bought a new laptop. His name is Mr. Lappy and he's become a good friend to me in the last couple of days.

Luckily my wife did not have anything of importance on her computer. I make sure I backup everything while also keeping it on the hard-drive.. just in case the computer kicks or the disc I transfered to deciides not to work anymore. But I also don't have anything of great importance on my computer either. Just some old photos of David Hasselhoff, Timmay and Steve Guttenburg; people who have been with me throughout my life.

Ok.. I will have to remember to delete the last line I typed.. I'll get back to that.

Anyway, hopefully Mr. Lappy and I will remain good friends for a long time. I got him for a great price and he's even faster than my DELL computer. Dude, don't get a DELL! Story for another time.

Honeymooners Wine Humor

2008-03-30T12:02:00.010-04:00

Most of my friends and family know me as a honeymooners nut! I sometimes do a weekly trivia show as Brother Norton (ohh no, the secret is out!). And if you go to itunes and search the podcasts for 'the honeymooners' you will find my show there for download.

This week marks the 52nd anniversary of the airing of a Classic 39 episode called HEAD OF THE HOUSE. In this episode Ralph, once again, runs off his big mouth and tells a newspaper reporter that he is the boss of the house! Alice is angry when she finds out what Ralph thinks about woman (and particularly her). Ralph decides to pull out a bottle of wine he was going to give to Alice's brother for Christmas. He goes up to get Norton to celebrate his 'emancipation'. While he's upstairs Alice replaces the wine with grape juice.

Art Carney shares in some memories of this episode: "I remember one of my favorite scenes was the wine and the grape juice," says Carney. "We really were laughing at each other - he broke me up and I'm sure I broke him up. But it was part of the thing, because we were supposed to be laughing... crocked and everything. Funny scene."

Here is the original dialogue from that episode (courtesy of the Official Honeymooners Treasury) Mostly Gleason and Carney never went exactly by what was written.

RALPH: Well, how about getting down to business.
NORTON: Nice-looking bottle of wine, Ralph.
RALPH: Yeah. Norton, you gotta be pretty careful when you're buying wine. When I went in the store, the guy tried to talk me into buying a stale bottle of 1939 stuff. But I was too smart for him. I made him give me a bottle of fresh wine - 1956!

NORTON: Guess they have a tough time getting rid of that old stuff.
Ralph pours into Norton's water glass till it's half-full.
NORTON: That's enough, Ralph. I'd rather start with a short one.
RALPH: Well, let's drink to all the poor souls in the world who're afraid of their wives.
NORTON: As we say in the sewer, Ralph, here's mud in your eye!
They drink bottoms up. After drink, Norton considers the taste a moment.
NORTON: An amusing little wine.
RALPH: Sure goes down smooth.. but when it get down - what a kick!
NORTON: Va va va voom!

Birds are flockin

2008-03-23T12:03:00.001-04:00

Since we had the deck built I've recently noticed that there are a lot of birds who also like our deck. I've seen a huge Robin (might have eaten the other Robins), a couple of cardinals, and various small birds (sorry, I'm not a bird expert).

I've been thinking about putting a bird-house somewhere on the deck but didn't know how to go about it til' yesterday. I found an inexpensive bird-house that I could attach to one of the rails with a couple of screws.

And walla! The birds have taken notice. I saw about 6 birds this morning in about 20 minutes time. Carter even named one of the birds Sammy. The bird was pretty skittish and would hop over to the bird feeder and then hop down into the bushes, hop back up and kept doing this for about a half an hour.

Here's a photo of one of our visitors this morning (not Sammy).

Chillin & Grillin

2008-03-22T19:55:00.000-04:00

It's Saturday Night and it's time for grillin'... well, I was mostly chillin'.. since it's a mere 42 degrees and my hands were pretty cold while I was tending the ole' grill. Just some Bubba burgers and some country ribs with a dash of bar-b-que sauce (from a plastic bottle ya'll). Oh, and a Yuengling Black & Tan (can't stand the lager). It's a poor man's weekend!

Friday Nite Food & Drink - 3/14/08

2008-03-14T20:11:00.001-04:00

Okay.. it's Friday night and this is what I'm eatin' and drinkin' .. we have a nice 2005 Coastal Ridge Merlot (I opted for the cork this time) and a beautiful fully formed Twinkie. The box depicts the epic classic 'Bee Movie' starring Jerry Seinfeld and the lovely Renee Zellweger (who I've had the pleasure of touching hands with).

Monkey Reading - Steve Martin

2008-03-01T17:56:00.000-05:00

I just finished the new Steve Martin autobiography 'born standing up'. The book 'born standing up' is about Steve Martin's early days from his start at Disneyland's magic store, to Knotts Berry Farm, the Bird Cage, and the Boarding House. Then his transistion from writing for tv shows (like the Smothers Brothers), various appearances on the tonight show (appeared 16 times before anyone knew who he was) to doing stand-up to sold out stadiums and eventually working everything into a nice movie career. Having your first movie directed by the great Carl Reiner (Dick Van Dyke show) couldn't have been to bad a start.

The book is only 207 pages but a good smooth read. I know a book is good if it only takes me a week to read (which it did). You end up feeling a little sad that someone at the height of their career could be so lonely. But this is what happens when you become so famous you can't venture outside, every relative you speak to seems to want something from you, and nurse's are asking for your autograph on your heart-rate chart. By the end of the book Steve feels that he is now at the right point in his career. Famous, but not too famous.

MY FIRST ENCOUNTER
It's hard to believe but I first heard of Steve Martin when I was 12 years old. My father had to get his car repaired so we went to a local garage (on S.Main Street in Phillipsburg, NJ). As we waited for the car to be repaired (could have been an oil change) we sat and listened to what was coming out of the speakers. I'm not sure if they were playing the entire album or just part of it but it was Steve Martin's 'let's get small'. It was most likely the local station Z-95 (which still exists and still plays the same songs they were playing in 1977) as opposed to the garage owner spinning an album in the office.

If any kids are reading this an album was made out of something called vinyl. A disc about the size of a pizza, black with grooves in which a needle came down and played songs, words, etc. out of speakers. Ok, it sounds confusing but it was much simplier than trying to figure out my MP3 player.

Anyway, in 1977 I got my first listen of Steve Martin. I soon went out and bought the album. Yes, my parent's did not know or care what I was listening to and the store owner didn't care what I was listening to. And in 1977 I was a year into buying my own albums. With each new Steve Martin album I would have my father or mother run me out to the store (most likely the record section of Laneco). After 4 albums Steve gave up the comedy routine and went into movies.

One of my favorite movies is The Man With Two Brains and I do still watch it once in awhile. The Lonely Guy is another favorite which they used to show on HBO all the time (along with the JERK). I've seen these movies about 10 times over. Steve moved away from 'comedy' movies many years ago and got into mostly family movies or the occasional drama.

One strange movie I saw some years ago was NOVOCAINE (2001) Here is the description: Dr. Frank Sangster is a straight-laced dentist who because of one innocent lie, finds his tidy, prosperous life transformed into a comic quagmire of illicit sex, illegal drugs and inexplicable murder in this brilliantly offbeat, bitingly comedic film!

Steve Martin plays the dentist. And it's kind of ironic since he played a dentist (Orin Scrivello) in Little Shop of Horrors in 1986. It you get a chance rent it!

In ending: Maybe you'll get a chance to read Born Standing Up. Ok, books are those things that are made out of paper with words on it. You do have to pick these up and hold them. You may also need a lamp. They are not self-illuminating (sorry kids). Ahhhhh heck! Go download the audio book to your ipod~!

Below is my autographed/framed photo of Steve Martin. Signed in March of 1999 at the premiere of Cabaret (at the Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills).

Monkey Golf

2008-02-24T11:47:00.000-05:00

Last year I decided to sell my playstation 2 and buy a PSP. I am a video game nut but don't really have much time to play like I used to. So I got my PSP, played it for a while and then started to long for the days of my video game console. In October my wife had back surgery and she got the idea that we should buy a Wii to help with her recovery. I was all for this since I would be getting my video game console back (if you aren't a video addict.. you wouldn't understand; stop reading now).

Timmay and I do partake in DOOM3 in the winter months when there isn't much to do outside (house stuff). So if we know you and you want to join us in a game of DOOM some Saturday or Sunday morning let us know. You have to own the DOOM3 PC program - it's a mere bag of shells ($19.99) at most stores.

So back to golf: last week I got the Tiger Woods game for the Wii (it's the 07 version; I don't like spending $50.00 on a sports game). And yesterday I bought the (NERF) sports attachments. Ok, this is majorly geeky (I really am not!) but it does help with the realism of the game. The wii works with a wireless remote and the game works with most of your movements. So the golf club was essential in the overall feel of the game (I don't do real golf). So here's a little video of yours truly having a go at golf. Enjoy!

The Real McLovin!

2008-02-12T18:15:00.001-05:00

I was listening to talk radio today and they were talking about these 'super delagates'. A 21 year old super delagate by the name of Jason Rae was interviewed. Once he started to talk I almost spit out my drink. All I could think of was 'mclovin' from SuperBad.

Forward the video to 1:20 and you will see what I mean. He doesn't look too much like mclovin' but close your eyes and listen to him talk. We have an honest to goodness real mclovin' in our midst! Watch out!

Furniture Hunt pt.2

2008-01-27T12:18:00.000-05:00

So last Friday Sue went to Ashley Furniture (did I mention it's our favorite furniture store) and picked up our 'tv stand'. 71" of solid wood, cabinets on each end that hold about 50 dvds (each side), two glass cabinets in the front and two drawers above.

When I got home from work on Friday I started to move everything off of our old entertainment center. But when I went to move the tv (which is the old bulky kind) I must of turned (while holding the tv) and a muscle in my back just twisted along with it. I had to lay on the floor for a while to shake off the pain. There was still the problem of the new tv stand which waiting in the van to be carried into the house and up a flight of stairs into the living room.

I took some Aleve and sucked it up. Some things you can imagine as not being too heavy.. that is, until you go to lift them.. and then wonder; how the hell can this be that heavy? But the main reason for replacing our old (style) entertainment center was that it was cheap particle board. We wanted something solid and something we will have for many, many years. So the new one is pretty solid and pretty heavy.

In the end we did get it out of the van, into the house and up the stairs. Now we are thinking of getting a new tv but there really is no reason at this point since our 27" (that used to be big) GE TV is in great working order and actually doesn't look too bad on the new tv stand.

Here's a photo of the old entertainment center. I obviously dismantled the thing and it's next home is the dumpster.

.. and walla.. here is the new tv stand! One fine piece of furniture.. I recommend going to Ashley furniture if you are in need of some furniture. They are usually located within a store called Country Junction (also a great place to buy stuff).

BACON!

2008-01-26T11:01:00.000-05:00

I have to start this off by giving credit to someone who inspired me to write this blog. One of my favorite comedians is Jim Gaffigan. Jim is always talking about bacon (must drive the wife crazy). I do agree with Jim on all aspects of his bacon theories and would now like to add some of my own.

The greatest invention known to mankind is not the wheel (sorry, wheel lovers). So, if it's not the wheel (you are asking) what is it? How can you not know... it BACON!!!

Bacon is the most versatile food product in our solar system. It's grown on farms and distributed to every grocery store imaginable. Just think about it, bacon can be eaten by itself as a snack, a breakfast food, a late night snack, or try a bowl of bacon while watching your favorite movie. Let's face it, bacon is damn good! Whoever invented bacon needs a statue (possibly made out of bacon) dedicated to them.

Add Bacon to anything and it tastes 99.9% better (don't quote me on this; might be 100%). Just the other day I dropped a piece of bacon on a sock. Without thinking I picked up the sock and started eating it.. and to my amazement I didn't even realize I was eating a sock til' a couple minutes later when I looked down. It was the bacon that sent good tasty thoughts to my brain.. it could not make out the sock for the bacon.. boggles the mind, doesn't it?

Plan and simple: Bacon dropped on anything or wrapped around anything can almost guarantee a great tasty snack. Wrap bacon around your favorite meat (ham, bologna, sausage, liverwurst) and you are in for a delicious explosion of meaty flavors. Take for instance the often hated eggplant.. just fry up some eggplant and once you put some bacon on the top of it and chomp down you won't even realize you are eating eggplant. This is the power of bacon.. behold it's wonder!

I will now start off with my favorite bacon products: 1) bacon by itself (didn't have to think about this one) 2) bacon, lettuce, tomato with Miracle Whip (can be found on any diner menu or easy enough to make yourself) , 3) pizza with bacon (sometimes the pizza place will give you a 'free' piece while waiting; just ask), 4) kevin bacon (ok.. that's embarrassing.. why did I say that), 5) Slim Jims (for that bacony flavor), and 6) bacon wrapped around filet mignon (maybe that one should come before Kevin Bacon.. I'll have to think about it).

Now here are bacon products in which I'd love to see come to light.. listen up big corporations! This is what we want! 1) Bacon Beer (you can have your bacon and drink it too!), 2) Bacon Ice Cream (with real bacon bits), 3) Bacon coffee (breakfast in your coffee; how convenient), 4) Bacon cigars (smoke your bacon.. literally), 5) Bacon toilet paper (ok.. that one might hurt), 6) Bacon smell spray for your car (everyday could be bacon day), Bacon licorice (yummy), 7) Kevin Bacon (now wait.. he already exists.. sorry), 8) Bacon Chap stick (protect your lips against those who hate bacon.. or Kevin Bacon), and last but not least ... 9) Bacon outlet centers (where you can get all your bacon products in one place).

So with that I am off to eat some bacon... as I suggest you go and do.. get to it!!!

*update: see photo - I did actually find a bacon flavored beer*

2008-01-19T18:39:00.000-05:00

Here's a new video from my friend, Pat DiNizio!

ENJOY!

New Years 2008 at the Woodside!

2008-01-13T17:29:00.001-05:00

This year the monkey spent New Years (as I have many times in the past) with Timmay at the Woodside in NC. It was just the two of us but we had a great time. Here's a video compilation of the night's festivities.

Furniture Hunt

2008-01-12T19:03:00.000-05:00

Just got back from furniture shopping at one of our favorite places, ASHELY FURNITURE. We first traveled to Quakertown, PA and found a wonderful armless chair. At first we were looking for an over sized chair but then decided that the armless was the best fit (for our limited space).

We were also in search of a new entertainment center or what we call a glorified 'tv stand'. Meaning it's just one long stand with cabinets and drawers. Sue found one online that we both liked. The Quakertown store did not have the tv stand but the store in Wind Gap (about 20 minutes from our house). This was in the other direction of where we were so we brought the chair home.. refreshed.. and headed back out to Wind Gap.

Once we got there we went on a furious hunt for the infamous 'tv stand'. After finding a sales person we were lead down a path of glorious couches and into a living area set up with the 'infamous tv stand'. The floor model was pretty banged up so we had to order one. It will arrive this Friday! What is great is that if you can take the furniture home yourself they give you a 10% discount. Since we got a Grand Caravan a couple of months ago it's paid off pretty well in that we don't have to pay to have things delivered.. and a discount on top is even better.

Sue was disappointed that we could not bring it home today but it will be worth the wait. We saw a couple of other tv stands that would have suited our living area but we didn't want to settle on something we'd want to replace in a couple of years.

And now here I sit typing and drinking one of my favorite wines "SMOKING LOON"
I basically bought my first bottle of the Merlot maybe 5 years ago simply because of the name (and the price). It used to cost 7.99 a bottle but I think after people found out how great tasting a wine it was at such a low price it now costs 10.99 a bottle. Still not too bad. Tonight it's Cabernet Sauvignon! Now I'm not a wine expert like Timmay but I know when I like something and this wine (Merlot or C.Sauvignon) is very tasty. Either one of these goes quite well with Roast Pork Lo Mein and some egg-drop soup.

I don't pay attention to what you can or can't eat with a certain wine. Although, I would recommend a good Merlot with some Nacho flavored Doritos.. just don't over-indulge yourself.

I will be adding an exclusive New Years Eve video soon recorded live at Timmay's Woodside! So stay tuned...

Christmas Eve at the Lilly Abode

2007-12-24T18:51:00.001-05:00

After driving around looking at Christmas lights (while listening to Christmas music) we are home for a quiet evening. There will be a reading of 'It Twas' the night before Christmas' and then we will wait for Santa to arrive! I hope I get that underwear I've been asking for.

ELVIS CLAUS is coming to town!

2007-12-20T20:43:00.000-05:00

Elvis takes requests for Christmas

10 Christmas Songs for this year

2007-12-18T11:03:00.001-05:00

So, once again it's time for those Holiday tunes to filter out of store speakers and radio stations across the country. Here are my top ten for this year. These are songs I've been listening to a lot this year.

10 - Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg. Everytime I hear this song it brings a tear to my eye and especially this year with the passing of Dan Fogelberg. I was actually watching a video (of this song) the night before he passed away. One of those songs with a great story. I've only heard this song once this year on the radio but thought I had to include it since I never tire of this classic.

9 - Bringing in a Brand New Year performed by BB King. A song worthy of playing as the first song of the new year. Very festive and a new favorite of mine!

8 - 2,000 Miles by the Pretenders. I've always been a fan of the Pretenders and love Chrissy's saddened vocals on this one.

7 - Zat you Santa Claus? sung by Louis Armstrong. Can't go wrong with this Holiday classic and it always makes me smile when I hear it. Louis Armstrong is just one of those people that make you wish you were born in a different decade.

6 - River sung by Sarah McLachlan. I first heard this song last year and yet another one that made me teary (a real man admits he tears up!). I also like the James Taylor version but Sarah sings it far better and makes it seam sadder for some reason.

5 - Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley. The Elvis Christmas album was the first Christmas album I ever heard (back in the early 70s when I first noticed a thing called 'music') and it gets played every year many times over. I've always wondered how the backing vocalists got there voices to do those weird harmonies. But that's for another day.

4 - Christmas (I remember) by the Smithereens (sung by Dennis Diken). A fairly new Christmas song that sounds old. US Weekly voted this song #5 of new Christmas Songs for 2007. I urge everyone to go out and buy 'Christmas with the Smithereens'!

3 - Merry Christmas (I don't want to fight tonight) by the Ramones. Great song by a great (and missed) band. It's hard to think I'll never get to see these guys perform again.

2 - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year sung by Andy Williams. I re-discovered how great of a holiday song this was a couple of years ago (thanks Tim!) and besides (Andy and I) we share the same birthday.

1 - Baby it's Cold Outside sung by Dean Martin. Just a feel good Holiday song and one I've liked for a long time. You can never go wrong with a little Deano for Christmas.

Christmas Shopping is done!

2007-12-17T21:07:00.000-05:00

In years past I used to start my Christmas shopping in September and ended up finished right around the week after Thanksgiving. For some reason this year I put off some gift shopping til' tonight. I finished shopping for my wife several weeks ago and did most of it online. Over the last 5 years I've grown to really despise the big mall. It's not the mall itself (I love a square building with a sexy marquee) but the people that filter around me. Some of them smell, some are rude, some ask you questions (I was taught not to talk to strangers) and some need a good foot stompin'!

So, maybe that is why this was the first year I did 90% of my shopping online. If you can find online stores that offer free shipping this turns out to be a pleasant experience. No pushing, no shoving, no foot stompin'! And how lovely is it to shop nude.. I suggest everyone try this next year - let's make it a naked Christmas party.. well, on second thought let's not.

On Black Friday I decided to go shopping at Toys R' Us... BIG MISTAKE... I went in thinking.. "I'm going to get some great bargains today!" I walked out empty handed asking myself why I thought this was a good idea. After only finding two out of the ten items I went in for I figured out it was easier to go home and go online than stand in the back of a line that wrapped around a store. It literally took me 10 minutes to find my way out. There were aisles blocked off so customers didn't feel the urge to butt in line. So, you were forced to walk all the way around the store, the line, the carts, people getting ready to hand out a good foot stompin', just to get back out.

I came home, went online, and ordered a ton of toys. I had to pay shipping but it was worth it.

So now I sit here relaxed and ready to conquer Christmas morning like only a Father can! I will have one thing to put together Christmas Eve and a couple things to assemble on Christmas morning. I wonder what it's like to be 4 again?

Hope all of you are close to being finished with the awful task of Christmas shopping! And watch out for carts careening towards your ankles.

The Monkey is Back!

2007-12-17T11:15:00.000-05:00

After public demand became too much too handle I decided to bring my page back. There is too much to tell not to do a blog. I will bring many stories of hope, salvation and beer back to the blog.

So, sit back and stay tuned..

PS: I am so happy the Back Street Boys have decided to bring us new music for the new year. There is so much to look forward to.