Month: December 2007

  • They're HOME!!!

    "They" being Beth, Hannah and Faith, who arrived this afternoon after an eleven hour flight from Tokyo.  Dmitry and I drove up to Keller to collect Bridgette from Kirstin then headed to the airport, where Don and Anna, Beth's mother, were waiting.

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    It took a while, but at long last....the doors opened and there they were. 

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    Wish I looked that good after a nonstop flight from Tokyo.  Of course, babies were exchanged as Don got to meet his youngest granddaughter for the first time, while Beth eagerly reached for her new niece:

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    Hannah was also pleased to make Miss Bridgette's acquaintance:

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    We left the airport and drove to Anna's apartment, to have dinner and visit.  Here's a photo I've waited three months to take!

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    My poppets!  

    Grandpa with Faith:

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    And with both his sweethearts:

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    And me with them, too:

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    As Beth said, "Granny heaven!"  ;^)

    Here's Beth holding Faith while talking to Alex, who was already missing his girls:

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    Don and Dmitry sharing a chuckle over something or other:

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    In the big bag up there was the first gift for Faith from Nana; Faith's Uncle Dmitry took charge of assembling it:

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    Faith appreciated her uncle's efforts:

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    Of course Hannah got something too!  A Dora the Explorer inflatable bed for her to use while here:

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    It was a lovely, lovely evening, spending time with our dear ones.  If only our Alex had been there!  Not too long, though, and he will be with us, too.

  • This is funny!

    HT: Beth's father, i.e. Alex's father-in-law, who sent me this:

    Bird_thief

    A
    seagull in
    Scotland has developed the
    habit of stealing chips from a neighborhood shop.

    The seagull
    waits until the shopkeeper isn't looking, and then walks into the store
    and grabs a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos.

    Once outside, the
    bag gets ripped open and shared by other birds.

    The seagull's
    shoplifting started early this month when he first swooped into the
    store in Aberdeen ,
    Scotland ,
    and helped himself to a bag of chips. Since then, he's become a regular.
    He always takes the same type of chips.

    Customers have begun
    paying for the seagull's stolen bags of chips because they think it's so
    funny.

  • It's surprising these days how often advertisements....particularly television commercials....have essentially nothing whatever to do with the product ostensibly being promoted.

    As an example, take two of the currently-running Jack-in-the-Box ads.  One amuses me tremendously, one annoys the living daylights out of me, but neither actually give me a reason to eat at Jack-in-the-Box, at least not for the food served there.

    The amusing ad is the one with two men riding to work, where one of them has a Holiday Jack antenna ball stuck to his forehead, since his car is lacking a suitable antenna.  Completely deadpan he explains, "Just trying to show some holiday spirit."

    The first time I saw the ad I was struck dumb, unable to imagine what would be his companion's reply, for I most assuredly wouldn't have been able to think of a thing to say. 

    The companion stared at the driver for a moment, then turned and looked doggedly straight ahead.  "Mission accomplished," he said. 

    Excellent response.  For whatever reason, that ad cracks me up, it's played so straight.  Neither man shows even a hint of humor, which makes it simply hilarious (at least to me).

    Doesn't give me much of a reason to eat at Jack-in-the-Box, unless of course I want a Holiday Jack antenna ball of my own, which I don't, but by jingo, the commercial's entertaining, and I appreciate that.

    Unfortunately, the other commercial is not entertaining in the slightest, and in fact leaves me wondering what sort of idiots are running that company, anyway.  This is the one with a company meeting that Jack's trying to hold, only a newly hired employee keeps interrupting it by interjecting stupid  suggestions.  Finally Jack punches a button on the phone in front of him, instructing his secretary to get the new guy ("A corner office?" the NG cracks) a severance package.

    Irritating ad, as the NG is a royal jerk, and I keep thinking "So who hired him?"

    This ad not only provides no reason to purchase food at Jack-in-the-Box, it's just plain aggravating.

    ISTM that company's marketing department could stand some tweaking.  If you're not going to promote your product, at a minimum be amusing, and as a rider it'd be nice were you to not show jerks and fools as being those who buy what you're selling.  Why would I want to lump myself in with jerks and fools by using the stuff they use?   e-browlift

  • You're kidding.

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    Pomegranate 7-Up? 

    What the deuce does a pomegranate taste like, anyway?

  • Trust a Texan to take it to the next level. >;^>

    I'm sure y'all recall the animated light display set to Trans Siberian Orchestra's "Wizards in Winter", right?

    Well. A homeowner in Frisco (waaay north of Dallas, but now considered a suburb of the latter benighted city) decided anything the original light-animator could do, he could do better, and I think he did. Check out this bit of Christmas light action, set to the same song:

  • Today was the 2d Annual Shopping Extravaganza.

    Abbreviated both in scope and duration, due to the increased number of participants and leaving Don to mind Bridgette. ;^)

    Bethany, Brianna, Meredith, Benjamin, Margaret and I headed downtown to see what there is to see.  The first thing we saw was the city's Christmas tree, so I got a photo of them in front of it (with my cellphone, as the Canon S3 is bulky to haul around):

    Kids & tree 2

    On the other side of the tree was where Santa Claus was, and the children were mightily intrigued:

    Peeking at Santa

    Bethany, caught hamming for the camera, certainly seemed to catch the spirit of the event:

    Yay!

    One of the stores at which we shopped was the two-story Barnes & Noble, which has a large bronze statue of a cowboy:

    Kids with B&N cowboy

    The kids thought it quite impressive.  Once our shopping was complete and we were heading back to the car, I snapped this photo of them from the rear:

    Pals

    They're cute. 

    Afterwards we came home, had hot dogs (or a hamburger patty in Meredith's case) and french fries, followed by brownie trifle which I made early this morning.  The children seemed to enjoy best just being together and playing, bless them. 

  • Wanna see something cute, sent by cellphone?

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    Our adorable Bridgette finally being able to sit up as she's been so eager to do. 

  • Speaking of girls' dresses, it's irritating how hard it is to find decent ones.

    Yesterday afternoon I hit the mall in search of dresses for Bethany and Brianna, thinking I'd buy them one to wear to "Amahl and the Night Visitors" weekend after next.

    Un. Bee. Lee. Va. BULL!

    Nothing appropriate.  Either the dresses were "party" dresses, or ugly as sin, or more suited to a twentysomething gussied up to hit the bars. Didn't matter where I went....Macy's, Dillards, Penney's, or Sears...virtually the same unsuitable selection was offered.  Here is a sample of what the vendors and buyers consider appropriate attire for seven year old girls:

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    I don't THINK so. 

    After giving up in frustration and leaving the mall I went to Wal-Mart to pick up some groceries.  There I came across some simple knit dresses, marked down to $4.50.  Bingo!