Friday, April 30, 2004
The Royal Guardsmen
Click here for image. Apparently Yahoo/Geocities doesn't let you embed its content into other pages. Sheesh!
Was at our local library yesterday, and saw this in the used book/album shelf. Couldn't believe it! Bought it for a buck! In fine shape!
When we were kids we used to listen to the Royal Guardsmen over and over and over and over. Songs like "Alley Oop", "Peanut Butter", "The Ballad of Liberty Valance", and of course, the trilogy of Snoopy songs: "Snoopy and the Red Baron", "The Return of the Red Baron", and "Snoopy's Christmas".
Ah - that famous intro to "Snoopy and the Red Baron":
"Achtung ! Jetzt wir singen zusammen die Geschichte
uber dem schweinkomischen Hund und dem lieben Red Baron!"
which, according to Babelfish, translates into
"Note! Now we sing together history more uber to the pig-amusing dog and the dear let us talk baron"
Hmm - loses something in translation.
Anyway, it was a real treat to find this album. I'll probably copy it to tape so the kids can listen to it over and over and over and over...
teebee
Was at our local library yesterday, and saw this in the used book/album shelf. Couldn't believe it! Bought it for a buck! In fine shape!
When we were kids we used to listen to the Royal Guardsmen over and over and over and over. Songs like "Alley Oop", "Peanut Butter", "The Ballad of Liberty Valance", and of course, the trilogy of Snoopy songs: "Snoopy and the Red Baron", "The Return of the Red Baron", and "Snoopy's Christmas".
Ah - that famous intro to "Snoopy and the Red Baron":
"Achtung ! Jetzt wir singen zusammen die Geschichte
uber dem schweinkomischen Hund und dem lieben Red Baron!"
which, according to Babelfish, translates into
"Note! Now we sing together history more uber to the pig-amusing dog and the dear let us talk baron"
Hmm - loses something in translation.
Anyway, it was a real treat to find this album. I'll probably copy it to tape so the kids can listen to it over and over and over and over...
teebee
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Mindless (and acceptable) lunchtime fun
Emma Auditions
Emma auditioned for a role in a small independent movie on Saturday. Movie is called "The Little Fugitive", and is a remake of a 1953(?) movie. There had been an ad in the paper announcing the casting call, so she decided to try out. The whole affair was very laid-back. We showed up on Saturday morning 1/2 hour early, filled out some paperwork and read over the sample page of script she'd be reading. We saw lots of people we knew who's kids were also trying out. At 10:00 am, they brought in the first batch of 10 kids (no parents!). 20 minutes later they came back out, Emma with a happy face. Don't know if she'll be picked, and to some extent it doesn't matter - we're proud of her for trying.
teebee
teebee
Monday, April 19, 2004
Let's Go Racing!
Finally got all my stuff out of the old shop and into the new. Promptly got out and set up my old Aurora A/FX slotcars. One of the 2 toys I kept intact from my youth (the other being my HO electric trains). I used to dump all my paper route $$ into trains and slotcars, so I amassed a pretty sizeable setup. I used to make these huge setups, striving to use each and every piece. 4 levels high. Bumps, crisscrosses, squiggles, etc.
Some of the pieces broke over the years so I can't be quite as ambitious. However, I was able to make a pretty good doortop setup. 2 nice long straightaways for high speeds. Equal number of inside and outside turns per lane so no lane advantage. Strategically placed boards to contain flyaway cars. Etc, etc, etc.
Alex and I had lots of fun over the weekend. I tweaked and tuned the setup and the cars, and everything's running great. Alex likes the old cars best - they're not as frenetic. I like them too - the old tires give virtually no traction so you have to be really good with your use of throttle. If you're really good you can drive like a dirttracker, sliding the rear around each turn. The new ones go so fast it's really too hard to keep track of them - mostly you run WOT (wide-open-throttle) until you crash.
Pic page here. Am experimenting with using Geocities as a pic host - let me know how you like it.
teebee
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Slightly Less Leaky
The patches I put in place on the Miata top are holding. However the rear window is still leaking a bit. I've tracked down the offending seam and will seal it when things dry out.
teebee
teebee
Monday, April 12, 2004
Bust a Brick!
Went out to Rockport for the weekend. Saw all my brothers and sisters (4), nieces and nephews (7). Dave, Alex and I invent a new game to play on the rocky shoreline off the beach: Bust a Brick!:
- Scrounge around in the flotsam and pobbles (coconut-sized bits of granite rounded smooth by the sea) for chunks of broken brick (also rounded smooth)
- Find a suitably large target boulder, a safe distance away
- Hurl brick at boulder. Watch it shatter. Do the "Bust a Brick" dance.
Emma gets into a fierce game of Harry Potter (tm) Uno (tm) with some of her aunts and uncles, not realizing they have a rich history of playing cutthroat Uno. She holds her own; calls out Uncle Dave on the "can't use a Draw-4 unless nothing else matches" rule. I back her up; Dave acknowledges defeat. Gina wins the game.
Dinner on Saturday includes a wonderful homemade apple pie. I protest that I gave up dessert for Lent. I am told (a) Lent abstinence officially ends on Saturday evening and (b) shut up and eat the pie your mother made for you if you know what's good for you. I acquiesce, and the pie is very good.
Ed and I talk more car stuff, Dad and I search the web to find out why the lockup torque converter isn't anymore on his CRV, Mom tells me she bought a Saab convertible for the Florida house, Ben informs me that my digital camera has a removable 64-meg flash card, our kids interact with younger cousins, Emma shows off her new eyeglasses to universal acclaim.
Bonus - it doesn't rain. What more could you ask for?
teebee
- Scrounge around in the flotsam and pobbles (coconut-sized bits of granite rounded smooth by the sea) for chunks of broken brick (also rounded smooth)
- Find a suitably large target boulder, a safe distance away
- Hurl brick at boulder. Watch it shatter. Do the "Bust a Brick" dance.
Emma gets into a fierce game of Harry Potter (tm) Uno (tm) with some of her aunts and uncles, not realizing they have a rich history of playing cutthroat Uno. She holds her own; calls out Uncle Dave on the "can't use a Draw-4 unless nothing else matches" rule. I back her up; Dave acknowledges defeat. Gina wins the game.
Dinner on Saturday includes a wonderful homemade apple pie. I protest that I gave up dessert for Lent. I am told (a) Lent abstinence officially ends on Saturday evening and (b) shut up and eat the pie your mother made for you if you know what's good for you. I acquiesce, and the pie is very good.
Ed and I talk more car stuff, Dad and I search the web to find out why the lockup torque converter isn't anymore on his CRV, Mom tells me she bought a Saab convertible for the Florida house, Ben informs me that my digital camera has a removable 64-meg flash card, our kids interact with younger cousins, Emma shows off her new eyeglasses to universal acclaim.
Bonus - it doesn't rain. What more could you ask for?
teebee
Thursday, April 08, 2004
Ewwww
I remember...
Carnation Instant Breakfast. The breakfast of choice for finicky kids (like me and my brothers) when you're a mom on the go (like my mom was when she went back to work). She'd fire up the blender, get a few packets out from the brown box, whip up a batch and bam bam bam - 3 glasses of frothy (I hated the froth!) nutrition. I can still taste it now - thicker than chocolate milk, with the distinct impression that you were drinking something of consequence. I always thought of Willie Wonka and his gum-that-was-a-3-course-meal when I drank that stuff. Luckily, I never turned blue and swelled up.
I Google'd "Carnation Instant Breakfast" and sure enought it has its own web site, with recipies, info for healthcare professionals, and even a FAQ. Here's a few tidbits from the FAQ:
Q. How much caffeine is in a Nestlé CARNATION INSTANT BREAKFAST Energy Drink?
A. Our Chocolate and Cappuccino varieties of CARNATION INSTANT BREAKFAST contain 5 to 8 mg of caffeine per serving. There is no caffeine in the Vanilla or Strawberry flavors.
Well, that's not much. Coke has 40-50mg; coffee can have up to 100. Still, interesting in light of this FAQ entry:
Q. Can toddlers/children use Nestlé CARNATION INSTANT BREAKFAST?
A. Absolutely.
Who can argue with logic like that?
Can't remember how old I was when we were in the Instant Breakfast phase - somewhere between 5th and 8th grade, maybe? I don't remember of Jen/Ben were on the same meal plan. Haven't seen Stone Philips solemnly discussing the fate of kids who grew up on Instant Breakfast and are now in a vegetative state so I guess we all survived OK. Haven't had a glass in years and feel no need to - the memories are enough.
teebee
I Google'd "Carnation Instant Breakfast" and sure enought it has its own web site, with recipies, info for healthcare professionals, and even a FAQ. Here's a few tidbits from the FAQ:
Q. How much caffeine is in a Nestlé CARNATION INSTANT BREAKFAST Energy Drink?
A. Our Chocolate and Cappuccino varieties of CARNATION INSTANT BREAKFAST contain 5 to 8 mg of caffeine per serving. There is no caffeine in the Vanilla or Strawberry flavors.
Well, that's not much. Coke has 40-50mg; coffee can have up to 100. Still, interesting in light of this FAQ entry:
Q. Can toddlers/children use Nestlé CARNATION INSTANT BREAKFAST?
A. Absolutely.
Who can argue with logic like that?
Can't remember how old I was when we were in the Instant Breakfast phase - somewhere between 5th and 8th grade, maybe? I don't remember of Jen/Ben were on the same meal plan. Haven't seen Stone Philips solemnly discussing the fate of kids who grew up on Instant Breakfast and are now in a vegetative state so I guess we all survived OK. Haven't had a glass in years and feel no need to - the memories are enough.
teebee
Thursday, April 01, 2004
Leaky
Miata top is leaking. 2 pinholes and one tear. Gina was kind enough to pull it back into garage during yesterday's downpours. It's gonna rain for the next 5 days so in the garage is where it will stay. Been searching Miata forums for patching solutions. Best solution so far: black silicone caulk for pinholes; iron-on black denim patch + fabric adhesive for tear.
teebee
teebee
