Today's mail brought me Steve's Christmas card. Not the card he sent us; the card we sent him.

Yes, his mailman still hates him.

Ahhh You have brought up a very valid point. Archiving the firmware to the operating system that will lie dormant for as yet unknown period of time before it manifests itself at the most inopportune time. That's exactly how it works, i will be making this entry in as a point of historic fact in our family history book. There are many for my side of the book. The funny thing is there is a lot from jessica's side that have snuck out over a drink or two in sanibel. I know the insanity is not only on my end of this DNA ladder. I do know that my father is attempting to pass on the sneaker gene. I have returned from my dad's 3 times with new sneakers. I can also assure you that Ellexa is very skilled in maneuvering the electric wheelchair or as she refers to it "Pop-Pop chayer" She will walk over while he is watching t.v. and turn it on as well as beep and move him. And all while she giggles. She requests Roni"s every time we are at the house. She has helped me bake cookies and make pancakes. All exercises archived for later use. So you are correct. Do you speak from experience? Do tell.........
At left is a hat steve bought for ellexa, she wore on our patio as she fed the swarming ducks. Without fear she waved and greeted them and firmly announced "MY TOAST" Then layed back in her chair and said "AHHHHHH"
As for our son...... He is literally beating down the door to get out. We spent all nite in the hospital with contractions but it is a bit early. Sonogram shots show a head of hair and king size testicles as well as being just over 5lbs. With 6 weeks to go that's may be a large child or...............he could be all head. we will never know. AND-------------
This is Ellexa and her new cousin Angelina. Offspring of Pat & Heidi.

Just got in after a few days in NYC. The flight went smoothly (no shit -- American Airlines departed and landed on time). So go figure: an uneventful flight. You're as surprised to read that as I am to write it. Almost as surprised as I was to see Algore earlier this evening (no shit -- I was leaving the restaurant earlier to find my airport car on Seventh Avenue and as I rushed up the stairs I passed a large, waxy-looking old man who was lumbering down the steps; his build said "walking slab of baloney" and his suit said "head waiter"; it wasn't until I passed him that I realized who it was.) No time to stop and challenge him on the nouveau-Malthusian-apocalyptics he peddles so widely -- I had a plane to catch. And catch it I did. I even had a seat way up front, which I like because I can bolt as soon as they open the door at the arrival gate (which I did -- the guy in the seat behind me had a peculiar stink... like a combination of halitosis and fruit-strip gum).

Tommy, I looked at the picture you linked to. That girl is going to tear your heart out. Remember something about drama: Shakespeare wrote drama. Some if his works were of the comedy variety. Some were of the tragedy variety. I found them all so dense I couldn't tell which was which. Such shall it be for you.

And Bazzukajoe, that video brings back many painful memories -- hours upon hours of Wiggles torture.

Everybody crap!
Crap! Crap! Crap!

Ellexa has it just a little too down-pat. And did you just happen to hint to her that it was a really good thing to imitate all those Wiggle gestures? Admit it, you played it over and over and did the gestures yourself so she'd see.

It is thus that otherwise-dormant strands of DNA are activated... You're booting that kid's CPU with all the crazy Mastandrea-firmware that your genetics pre-loaded onto her BIOS. No one will ever know how to service that system... Very cool.

I haven't updated on Nikki. There's not really much to update on.

We went to her semi-formal as friends, and we danced and laughed all night as friends. It was cool. Some drama arose from the night between her, a couple of her friends, and one of her friend's potential suitors. I stayed away from it, comforted and consoled where necessary, and I've been over Nikki for quite a bit of time now.

However...Interestingly...Maybe the Law of Attraction or the power of positive thinking...

I just got invited to the Junior Prom. Sure, it isn't for another four months, but hey, I'm still pumped. I'm going with a girl I know named Christen. She's pretty freaking awesome, and although she's been a little down lately due to some significant family/high school drama, I think something can arise from this.

She's told me a few times she's interested in me, but that she would like to take it slow because of midterms and the exams coming up. I've got no problem with that. Whatever happens will happen.

This is Christen. Cute, no?

This is Ellexa and what she does when she stays home with her dad.



We tossed the tree today. And put up a tent that ellexa got for christmas. For those who have lost track.In my living room we currently have a kiddie table and chairs--a rocking horse--a tent--the weeble castle--a tricycle---an easel with paints and her box of dress up shoes. Don't ask about her bedroom. I am thinking of moving into the spare room.


As a side note all the stores where i work had to walkout in the street due to smoke alarms going off. I walk to my neighbor store-sunglass hut. There is a guy trying toi stop the stream of water firing out of a sprinkler head, the entire store was filled with water. There are 12 guys standing there watching him. He fell off the ladder changing ceiling tiles and grabbed the sprinkler for stability. BAD move. That is bad water.

Steve was right, the "translation" did make me laugh out loud. This other one was pretty good too. Ask Don Vito about these videos -- there was a cable station in Brooklyn that ran these videos in between infomercials for a cheesy mortgage broker. I wouldn't let him change the station -- the videos were so insane. And though I may have developed a slight interest in Shilpa Shetty's navel, I don't think Patricia Kaas has any reason to feel threatened (can't understand what the hell she's saying either). I'd loosen my necktie for her. If she asked. Nicely.

Tonight I exposed the boys to rock and roll. Some old stuff -- some Hey Hey, My My (both versions), some Grand Funk Railroad, and some Dylan. They particularly enjoyed Joan Jett -- especially her kick-ass resindition of Bad Reputation (figures). Cookie tried to sing along; Mojo danced like a maniac, mostly by hopping up and down while holding his chock. I don't play music very often these days, and classic rock only very rarely. But this was a laugh riot.

Wow, that's some ear-splitting shriekage. Very appropriate. True, it would be more convincing if uttered by a man with a chicken-head, but quite good as is.

Da Chimpz went back to school today. Mojo had to be thrown out of bed this morning; both had forgotten how to get their breakfast cereal. They're back now -- I haven't had the nerve to ask how things went today.

I see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is being mulched... The Berea-Rose tree still stands -- though it is set to be un-decorated soon, probably this weekend. Maybe I'll hack it up and burn it. Outside, of course.

Still no video of the elusive chicken headed coyote bellowing a mating call across indiantown road. BUT!
What i do have is a man in a hat with a tiny horn. For some reason i suddenenly knew what Jack Lanyo felt like that new years eve.

We all satyed up and i thought you would like to see uncle Joe's Pajamas.

Mojo just fell asleep, but Cookie not yet -- though he was about to as we were leaving our friends' place a bit earlier. It's way past everyone's bedtime, so all bets are off. But it is 2008. A brand new year. Yee-ha! Maybe one more drink and I'll hit the sack myself. We've got all our holiday lights on right now, inside and out. I'll be sad taking down all the decorations -- nothing but January brutality to look forward to as the holidays fade away. Oh well. Happy New Year all you Macaroni Dish people.