"Double Dip Delight" Alternate Western 09/27/08

[FatherForce]

The author of the funniest TR is cruising with us: Zweihund.

However, I appreciate your kind words and also am glad to know that kindred spirits will be on the boat with us.

As for the guilt thing, once at a party I challenged anyone to come up with something that is wrong with society or had been a historical tragedy or injustice that I was not indirectly gentically or culturally responsible for occuring.

No one could.

I left with the title of "Guiltest Human Alive".

 

[LadyShiva]

The author of the funniest TR is cruising with us: Zweihund.

However, I appreciate your kind words and also am glad to know that kindred spirits will be on the boat with us.

As for the guilt thing, once at a party I challenged anyone to come up with something that is wrong with society or had been a historical tragedy or injustice that I was not indirectly gentically or culturally responsible for occuring.

No one could.

I left with the title of "Guiltest Human Alive".

*yeouch* YOU'RE responsible for no carb ice cream tasting like cardboard?????


Brandie

 

[FatherForce]

As I've been catching up, I realize that I have not introduced myself and family as most of you have. So without any further ado...

I'm 43 and I have been the director of a non-profit youth center for 15 years
(www.rhinosyouthcenter.org). I am very active in youth(teen) advocacy both locally and nationally. I'm a native Hoosier who's lived in Bloomington Indiana for 26 years.
I've been married to my lovely and challenging wife Cheryll for almost 14 years.
She is the business manager for the local parks department.
We have the most beautiful and special daughter in recorded history, Samnatha who will be 9 when we cruise.
I love her more than I could possibly express.
I also have a 24 year old stepson, AND a 24 year old daughter who has graced my with an amazing 4 year old grandson ( I don't get to see them enough. Samantha has been my redemption. Its a very long story. Look for the movie version of Lifetime soon)

Also, I have been the Host of the longest running 1 night comedy show in the country for 10 years (www.comedycaravan.com).
I am an anti-tobacco activist who helped pass a clean indoor air ordinance in my town and works with a state-wide youth led anti tobacco industry marketing campaign.
I am a musician who has toured the country in a satirical rock/comedy band.
I'm currently playing with a bunch of other old guys just for fun.
I'm also an ordained "Internet" minister who has performed 24 weddings in 8 years ( I'm 22 and 2 so far).
I also formed a comedy wrestling league that performed locally until my wife made me "retire". (FatherForce was my wrestling character's name)

I am what some of you may call a bleeding heart liberal, but I'd like to think I'm "progressive". My wife, on the other hand. is almost completely apolitical.
I believe almost fanatically in the sanctity of the Constitution.
I'm pretty cynical when it comes to pop culture, but I tear up watching movies, listening to music, and seeing WDW commericals on TV.
I love baseball. My team is the Cincinnati Reds ( shut up).
I play computer games and PS2 games. I love old Marvel Comics and think the 80's DC comic series "The Watchmen" is one of the best pieces of modern literature.

I like food and beer.

When Warren Zevon was dying of lung cancer, as a guest on Letterman, Dave asked him what he could tell him, in light of his situation, he may have learned about life and death.
Warren responded, "Enjoy Every Sandwich."

That sums it up for me.

 

[FatherForce]

*yeouch* YOU'RE responsible for no carb ice cream tasting like cardboard?????


Brandie

As matter of fact, if folks like me and my ancestors could restrain from eating too much ice cream, then there woudl be no need for the offending lo-carb varities.

So, sorry.
My Bad.

 

[LadyShiva]

As I've been catching up, I realize that I have not introduced myself and family as most of you have. So without any further ado...

What's your favorite PS2 game? I've been addicted at times to the Final Fantasy series... but I make hubby play for me. The music makes me sleep, which is a wonderful thing for an insomniac like me.

Should I bring my Sandman shirt on the cruise?

Lovely intro, by the way. Brought tears to my eyes when you spoke of your devotion to your family.

Brandie

 

[LadyShiva]

As matter of fact, if folks like me and my ancestors could restrain from eating too much ice cream, then there woudl be no need for the offending lo-carb varities.

So, sorry.
My Bad.

No such thing as eating too much. *sigh* What do I roll to disbelieve the illusion? *rummaging my dice bag* Here's a pretty d20... Or is it all d10's now?

*grin* *eye twinkle*
Brandie

 

[NHdisneylover]

The author of the funniest TR is cruising with us: Zweihund.

However, I appreciate your kind words and also am glad to know that kindred spirits will be on the boat with us.

As for the guilt thing, once at a party I challenged anyone to come up with something that is wrong with society or had been a historical tragedy or injustice that I was not indirectly gentically or culturally responsible for occuring.

No one could.

I left with the title of "Guiltest Human Alive".

I absolutely love Erica's TRs also. I think your WDW report struck a chord because it was so close to home in a number of ways.

 

[FatherForce]

What's your favorite PS2 game? I've been addicted at times to the Final Fantasy series... but I make hubby play for me. The music makes me sleep, which is a wonderful thing for an insomniac like me.

Should I bring my Sandman shirt on the cruise?

Lovely intro, by the way. Brought tears to my eyes when you spoke of your devotion to your family.

Brandie

I think you should take your Sandman Shirt everywhere.

and Hadley, thank you.

 

[zweihund]

As matter of fact, if folks like me and my ancestors could restrain from eating too much ice cream, then there woudl be no need for the offending lo-carb varities.

So, sorry.
My Bad.

What's your favorite PS2 game? I've been addicted at times to the Final Fantasy series... but I make hubby play for me. The music makes me sleep, which is a wonderful thing for an insomniac like me.

Should I bring my Sandman shirt on the cruise?

Lovely intro, by the way. Brought tears to my eyes when you spoke of your devotion to your family.

Brandie

No such thing as eating too much. *sigh* What do I roll to disbelieve the illusion? *rummaging my dice bag* Here's a pretty d20... Or is it all d10's now?

*grin* *eye twinkle*
Brandie

I am so glad that DH and I will be in the company of other geeks. And I mean geek in the nicest way, being that I am one. In fact, the only reason I am not on the XBox 360 playing Carcassonne RIGHT NOW is that I realized I had forgotten to check my email. Right next to me? DH is playing Eve online. And every Saturday night? Tabletop RPGs in the living room (the boys play - I usually go for tea or I write back here).

So Brandie? You are in good company. Wear the shirt.

Delerium was always my favorite.

I absolutely love Erica's TRs also. I think your WDW report struck a chord because it was so close to home in a number of ways.

Awwww.

 

[FatherForce]

Hey! No giving her flowers.
She liked ME better!



Oh, and I forgot, as far as PS2 games, I'm a sucker for baseball and wrestling games, and I just finished playing The Godfather ( which is just basically GTA). Of course, Guitar Hero! I put stickers on my guitar controiller and leave it on an actual guitar stand by the TV which drives Mama Force up the wall!

 

[zweihund]

Hey! No giving her flowers.
She liked ME better!



Oh, and I forgot, as far as PS2 games, I'm a sucker for baseball and wrestling games, and I just finished playing The Godfather ( which is just basically GTA). Of course, Guitar Hero! I put stickers on my guitar controiller and leave it on an actual guitar stand by the TV which drives Mama Force up the wall!

I have our "guitar" tucked neatly behind the TV cabinet.

 

[LadyShiva]

I am so glad that DH and I will be in the company of other geeks. And I mean geek in the nicest way, being that I am one. In fact, the only reason I am not on the XBox 360 playing Carcassonne RIGHT NOW is that I realized I had forgotten to check my email. Right next to me? DH is playing Eve online. And every Saturday night? Tabletop RPGs in the living room (the boys play - I usually go for tea or I write back here).

So Brandie? You are in good company. Wear the shirt.

Delerium was always my favorite.

I don't get it.. How can you forget email????

I do have to admit... I don't play D&D any more. I started playing with my family when I was 8 and stopped while I was in college because no one appreciated how I play paladins (long story, but I don't think any character with that high of an IQ should have a death wish and no concept of strategy). I kept the dice because they were pretty. In college, I moved on to playing Live Action MPGs like SOLAR. Basically, bunch of young people running around the woods dressed up (as if for SCA) late at night. You know, the usual social scene, without the alcohol.

We also don't have an XBox 360 (I know, I'm a heretic, the things are just BUGGY--Star Wars!-- and too expensive!) nor a PS3. And yes, Fiona does play XBox better than her Daddy and I. Daddy's tickled pink and wants to make her her own MAME box. I pointed out there aren't too many games out there FOR toddlers, but he's still revved up.

So we have PS, PS2, Nintendo, and an XBox, in addition to the server room and various PC's/laptops/Mac in the house. Now we just have to get comfy furniture to play those from.

But while our house is wired, I also call myself a science and lit geek. I'm just as comfortable in a science lab as working in Unix, and I am pretty happy reading a book.

Oh, and the Sandman shirt freaks people out. Black t-shirt. It's a picture of Death saying, "You get what everybody gets... You get a lifetime." I like it, but people tend to think I'm a weirdo. Even hubby thinks it's a little out there.

Brandie

 

[FatherForce]

Hey, my wife has a hat with a sunflower on it.

Who's to say what is weird?

 

[LadyShiva]

Hey, my wife has a hat with a sunflower on it.

Who's to say what is weird?

Good point. Thanks!

Brandie

 

[rkandmjsmommy]

FatherForce

Dh is also an ordained "internet" minister, has done about 50 weddings in the past 2-3 years, he has 3 this month.

 

[jcemom]

We've changed to cabin #5014, still category 8, if anyone wants to update us.

 

[Buckeye Gal]

We've changed to cabin #5014, still category 8, if anyone wants to update us.

Thanks, Tracey! I've got ya down.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Good Morning everyone! How has everyone been survivign the heat wave? It has finally made its way across the country and is creeping the temps up here as I type. And it will be (is already) HUMID. We have no A/C and I am dreading having three crabby and hot kids to contend with (well and I do not do ehat well--I lasted one year to the day in Pheonix). Today we will be at the lake (swim tests) and tomorrow we are heading to a museum in Vermont that has a huge outdoor water area.

D (who will be going into second grade in the fall) brought an easy reader book with him so last night I asked him to read to me. He can literally read only the words "I" and "a". YIKES. He does not know how to track, or look at the begining sound and pictures for clues (we worked on that last night and he was catching on quickly--he is a brigth kid). We have to drop off a friend of Marika's who has been over the past two nigths at her house halfway to Concord today anyway and we WILL go into town and go to Borders and get the phonics readers that my kids loved. D seems to want to read and be willing to try (hmm I have one week left to catch him up more than a grade level; I know it is not possible but I can try can't I?). His mom sounds really involved and caring on the phone so I hope if I get him started on the set and he likes them and takes them home maybe she will read with him. Either way it can't hurt.



Oaky all you geeks. We are geeks too (though not in the realm of Xbox and the like--just plain old computers here). And guess what? When nerds collide we create mini nerds! We have two kids who love Star Trek TNG. Rio's favourtie toy is his Snap Circuits electrical set and Marika (the self proclaimed future aerospace engineer) wanted most of all a telescope for Christmas. A couple of weeks ago I came down from the shower to find the kids making atom models with gobstoppers (one color was the nucleus, etc.) This was just for fun and of their own invention mind you My poor warped children--they are so not the norm (just like their geeky parents--I actually ASKED to be placed in the engineering dorms even though i was an ENglish major just because I knew it was a better "fit" for me--and CSU put me there!).

 

[FatherForce]

Here's a reading assistance suggestion that we tried and it worked well:

When Samanatha started wanting to learn to read "for real" a couple of years ago while in Kindergarten, we got flash cards and phonic books and the like.

The thing that seemed to help the most though was watching her favorite DVDs with the captioning turned on! Nemo and the Incredibles helped her immensely.

Who says cartoons are bad for kids?

 

[NHdisneylover]

Here's a reading assistance suggestion that we tried and it worked well:

When Samanatha started wanting to learn to read "for real" a couple of years ago while in Kindergarten, we got flash cards and phonic books and the like.

The thing that seemed to help the most though was watching her favorite DVDs with the captioning turned on! Nemo and the Incredibles helped her immensely.

Who says cartoons are bad for kids?

Thanks for the tip. I was a lang. arts teacher, a reading mom for both kids' classes in first and second grade and taught preschool for years so I have a fare number of tips up my sleeves as well (but THAT is a good one). D has not shown an ability to sit for more than a half hour watching even the movies he begs to put on (usaully more like 10 minutes). But, I did order the first season disk one of The Eletric Company from Netflix (it will be here tomorrow). Do you remember these?? They were designed to change gears quickly to keep up with ulrta short attention spans. And they really are funny (my kids are way past the learning part of them but LOVE to watch them as they are soo hilarious). I recomend to any of you who are of that "HEY You Gu----ys!" Generation that you should check this out again and take a trip down memeory lane. Watching Morgan Freeman as Easy Reader is a riot