He was never sick

This is probably the grossest thing I have written about. Autocorrect thinks I am talking about hockey. 

I don't remember my older brother getting sick when I was little.  Now he had the occasional horrible illness like chickenpox and mumps, but that's kinda it.  I think I know why: hockers.

When we were little we had a house with a pool.  Around the pool was a red fence, at least I think it was red.  The cool thing for my brother, cousins, and all his boy friends to do was muster up slime from their innards and try to hit the bottom of the fence just right so it would dangle and dry right there.  Yep long lines of dried snot just beyond the picturesque yard that we spent time on our hands and knees pulling weeds in. 

As I sit here I can hear them laughing.  My brother's laugh was contagious.  (When he watched Monty Python downstairs at night I would hear him laughing as I lay in my bed and I would start laughing.)  Laughing and spitting.  I am certain that anything that entered their bodies that could possibly be sucked up was and then it was left as 70s yard art. Viruses, bacteria, and likely other nasty boy stuff never had a chance.  The really disgusting thing for me though is that I am quite certain on occasion it would fascinate me so much I would wander over and touch it. Okay, nothing will ever be grosser than that. 

Almost lost a dog today

See that dog peering over the screen and the mammoth spider?  Sampson came close to meeting his maker today.  As I took him out back this morning to give bones and water to the dog next door, I saw it, but he in his vigor did not.  He went flying out the back door.  As he passed through the outer edge of the web the spider quickly dashed in his direction.

I can admit that apparently I have found the extent of my love.  If you move through a web with a monster spider on it, I will not save you.  There I said it.  I will indeed stand watching as you are eaten and will only then probably go get a bottle of Raid and spray everything within my vision stream until nothing moves.  

It would have been just awful enjoying the first Sunday of the NFL season if the morning would have gone horror movie wrong.  Enjoy the day everyone.  May your day be spiderless. 

They're heeeere

Well it appears someone is in our house. Okay we may be just a little jumpy...you be the judge.

Erica and I were just sitting in the living room this evening watching the news.  Well sort of.  I had my head in my iPad and she in hers.  A commercial came on, then it happened.

Just as the commercial was transitioning back to the news, a person appeared on the screen for just a second and said "Erica." Then the news appeared.  The silence in our living room was deafening.

I looked over to Erica and she was already looking at me.  "Did you hear that?" I repeated, "Did you hear that?"  Erica finally spoke and said, "that was super creepy."  We sat in silence for a while longer.

Let's hope it's not a poltergeist and that it is in a good mood...always.

My hair is still standing up...I guess the Halloween season has officially begun.

This little dog

This little dog occasionally acts out by pooping on the floor.  He barks a lot.  A lot.  If a truck passes by, someone slams their car door, or he gets spooked - he barks.  Most of the time he doesn't even know what he is barking at.  

He thinks he is the boss.  He acts like the boss.  If he feels like you are ignoring the boss, he poops.

This little dog is named after Stormin' Norman.  Norm passed in 2009.  Junior reminds us of him although he is less than half Norm's size.

He is protective.  He isn't afraid to take a nip at someone who looks like they are trying to get close to me.  He is goofy and joyful.  He loves to jump up in the chair and snag any food you have left behind on a plate.  He likes to look like he didn't do it.

Is he well trained, no.  Is he smart, yes.

Every day I come home I hear him joyfully barking waiting for me to come through the door.  Every day I am thrilled he is there. 

This little dog runs in a circle when he wants a walk. He is tired after we get to the corner and back.  When he is tired you have to carry him and he lays like a dead weight in your arms. He loves to ride in the truck on the center console.  He can be the boss there.

This little dog loves other dogs.  I am certain he judges them.  He knows he is better, but he befriends them nonetheless.  

This little dog....

Throwback Thursday

For this Throwback Thursday I remember Mr. Hultgren.  He was my 6th grade teacher.  He was an old but long and lean glass of water.  His voice was deep and thunderous with an old man scratch to it. He taught me the words gestalt!  And gesundheit!  He loved to use German words in class. 

Edgewood Elementary is where I spent 5th and 6th grades.  It was a nice school in a great neighborhood.  We had a lot of cool playground toys.  And yes we had a cement playground area not the rubber ones or wood-chipped ones of today. We had this one really cool apparatus.  It was a huge round metal swing set with a great big blue ball that hung from the top center beam on a chain. That was the toy of choice.  We had to have a sign up list to get to play on it.  Everyone would swing and kick that ball around.  It was GREAT!  Then someone stole it...  We didn't need a sign up list after that. Mr. Hultgren would say that they must have needed it more than we did.  

I met some memorable kids that year, Dotty Linsemeyer, Joy Buckingham, Lori Marriott, and Mark.  I don't remember Mark's last name, but he was one of those boys who had facial hair already.  I stayed away from him.  I can still feel his eyes looking at me.  Made you feel dirty.  I think he had a lot of sex, even at 12. 

Sixth grade was one of my favorites.  Ah, Throwback Thursday, remembering the good ol' days.

Aunt Thelma rides again

Emmy is working on her photography project and has our dining room all askew.  And funny enough Aunt Thelma is here.  How do you say? It's a fruit themed project. Each photo has to have a word associated with it. Em picked strawberries. And everyone knows Strawberries = Jello = Family.  Every holiday; every year. 

I still remember the crying when she came flying down the hallway at my grandma's house without her wiglet on and scared us.  She didn't have a lot of hair and we didn't recognize her.  She was so ahead of her time.  Now wigs are all the rage. 

I am sure Aunt Thelma is smiling.  She lives on through her great, great niece's artwork. 

Penance

Sometimes you are given certain opportunities to help you see things you didn't before.  If you are lucky enough, you realize it and use it to make yourself a better person. 

Lets hope I am seeing the signs properly and will use this information to not only improve myself, but to give back to others. 

As the water falls from the sky, I am learning to dance in the rain. 

Peace out my homies