The Brace

Read Kathi's post here and then come back to look at the photo below. It'll make more sense.


And we may have misnamed Owen. Check out the snarl... maybe he should have been Elvis.


There are just strange tooth things going on at the house right now.

Record Breakers?

Guinness World Record Attempt
Largest Kazoo Ensemble
August 2nd, 2008
Hillsboro Civic Center Plaza

No talent required. Sign-in and pick-up your free kazoo starting at 10am in preparation for the record-breaking head count at noon. There will be food, activities for the kids, entertainment and lots more!

For more information visit www.unitedway-pdx.org

We'll be there if you want to join us.

Take a moment to read this article.

The Brits have a great sense of humor.

The Hill

Yesterday I was on "The Hill", today I am over it.

Yes, as of yesterday I am 40. The big four oh. Old. Decrepid. However you want to put it.

All is good.

Thank you everyone who took the time to celebrate with me. I had a blast.

To those that fear 40 you have nothing to worry about, it's not that bad. I barely feel a day over 39.9972.

Thank you Christopher Nolan for the cool Batman movie. Sadly Heath won't be reprising his brilliant role.

Rope Swing

Last weekend at Detroit Lake my kids got a little adventurous and tried out the rope swing. We got a bit of video of it.

Moments like this make me proud. It is great to see your kids try things you know scares them. Alex made sure that everyone that saw him not do it the first time came back to see him do it successfully.

Childhood Home

Google Earth is cool. Right? Yes it is. But another cool thing Google has is Street View on their maps. With this tool I found the childhood home where I lived in Navato, CA. It looks a bit different from when we lived there but not much. With Street View I can also take a virtual drive down the street to see the houses of old friends and old enemies. I guess turning 40 soon has made me a touch nostalgic.

Rush on TV

Today I watched The Colbert Report during my lunch hour to catch Rush's (not Limbaugh) first American TV appearance in over 33 years. Here's a couple things I noticed.

• Neil's drum kit is amazingly huge. Ginormous if you will. Matt you must check it out.


• They still sound amazing.


• No canes or wheel chairs, however, one confirmed bald spot and one that might be covering his.


• Alex brings his own fans (see barbie dolls on his pedals). A little strange.


• Geddy still plays keyboard, bass, and vocals... awesome.

The quote of the night comes while Stephen was asking about the bands influences... "You are known for some really long songs. Have you ever written a song so epic that by the end you have influenced yourselves."

If you are or were a fan at one point and haven't heard the new album Snakes & Arrows go get it. It is great.

And before I forget, the meal served during this moment of coolness was a delicious Tillamook Bacon Cheeseburger and Walla Walla Onion Rings from Burgerville. My annual trip across the street for some yummy goodness.

New Names

This past weekend we headed down the road for a little camping. On the way it got around lunch time so we decided to look for a place to stop. Knowing my kids and what they are willing to eat and knowing how cheap I am I read off the list of restaurants at the next exit...

Me: Kids we have a few choices, CrapDonalds, CrapperKing, and Taco Crap.

Kids: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - Dad say CrapDonalds! Crapper King is the funniest!

Even with the new names they still ate at CrapDonalds.

Just know that the laughter continues five days later. I am so glad I can amuse my children.

I'm so tired.

Saying that I chuckle at the memory of Madeline Kahn's brilliant performance in Blazing Saddles.

But really, I am tired.

Blazing Saddles, if you haven't seen it, is comic genius.

Terribly tired.

And if you think worse of me for liking that movie, actually holding in my top 10, then too bad. I'm too tired to care.

Hawaii calls. Jim, Susan, got any hot job leads?

More 4th Fun

There is no questioning our patriotism. Look at this picture. How American can you get? Family of four with their dog, eating BBQ burgers in the backyard on the Fourth of July. Please note the Coke, Henry's beer, corn on the cob, Kettle Chips, Hunt's Ketchup (not Catsup), Walla-walla onions, the generic mustard (not French's), and Bush's baked beans. All American!

Happy 4th

Tonight we'll have the three B's to celebrate the Fourth of July - Burgers, Beer, and Blowing stuff up. Yes!

Our street will be filled with our neighbors doing the same thing. Hopefully this year I won't put my wife in danger. A few years ago I had a stray mortar shoot her way. Fortunately her ninja skills kicked in and she was able to evade the stray as it blew up right under the chair where she was sitting.

I've got some cool double mortars this year which we will light off in honor of Kev's 38th B-day yesterday. Happy Birthday Buddy. There is a card in the mail.

Biohazard Humor

When I arrived at the office today I noticed that one of my spare shoes was missing. You see, I am now leaving a pair of shoes at work because I am riding their more. Motorcycle boots are not comfortable to walk around in so a spare set of Nike's sits in wait. This way I don't have to cart in shoes everyday.

Upon noticing the missing shoe I immediately suspected that it was one of two people. Since I was the last to leave it was one of the people that beat me in. That leaves the receptionist and the shop foreman. Upon asking the receptionist I knew she didn't do it. This leaves Mr. Foreman.

I took off the boots exposing the sweaty socks. In stocking feet I walked out through the warehouse and up to the foreman's office. There I took off my now putrid, dust covered, sweaty socks and placed one over the phone receiver and dropped his wireless mouse in the other. Biohazard planted, confession forthcoming.

When I returned barefoot to my office I pulled out a spare set of socks I placed in my backpack for an occasion such as this. As I was pulling the socks on I noticed the missing shoe hiding behind my barf statue. After the socks I put on the shoes. Done.

An hour later I hear this yelling coming from down the hall. "Biohazard Warning! Biohazard Warning!" A moment later in walks Mr. Foreman wearing a Tyvek suit, dust mask, gloves, and a grinding shield holding my socks up by a stick of metal.

We had a good laugh.