Friday, June 30, 2006

Crikey!!

The true purpose of the Internet has now been found. For your enlightenment I most strongly suggest you follow this link, just not at work. It isn't p0rn, but you probably won't be sending the link to your boss.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Almost perfik

Now this is my kind of web page.
NSFW unless you work someplace where there are nekkid boobs all the time.

Monday, June 26, 2006

Getting there

Oooohhh. Ahhhhhh.









The yard continues to get better bit by bit. This weekend we got some cool chairs and a virry restful fountain to make purdy noises while we relaxify. That's the elephant I mentioned earlier there on the left.

We also went to see a host of theatrical extravaganzas like Mame (for the cape thingy) and Hamlet and Lion in Winter and Comedy of Errors. We saw lots of friendly faces.


Early this month a fellow we knew well enough to call a friend suffered enough mental pain to cause him to suddenly take his own life. Everyone was fairly shocked as this was quite unexpected. We attended a memorial to Dave on Saturday and the church was full. I was moved by what his family and friends had to say about him. He was a devoted father and husband, and he left behind quite a few people that really loved him a great deal. Dave was a man with a very unusual sense of humor and way of expressing himself. He was always genuine and a pleasure to be with. It was the most difficult memorial I had ever attended. I can't imagine how bad Dave must have felt to leave behind what he did.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

OUAM

Earlier this year you may remember that I was in a little show called Once Upon a Mattress. I won the Captain's Cape for being an extra special good chorus member. Of course this meant that I had to come up with a show themed decoration to sew onto the cape. Here's what I made. A little tiny mattress with "once" upon it. I think it's so clever, don't you too?

On Saturday I give the whole dang thing to the next winner.

101

I was informed earlier today (while in my air conditioned cubicle) that it was 101 degrees at home. It's 87 now and that's still too hot. Wearing just cargo shorts is too much... I think I need to go in the pool. Naked. Shield your eyes.

At least I have a truly bad movie to amuse me, a double feature: The Horror of Party Beach / The Curse of the Living Corpse from 1963.

Sunday, June 18, 2006

happy father's day!

What a nice day indeed. It started well since we had a nifty party to celebrate our super nice front yard and the party lasted till after midnight, so that counts officially. We all watched a terribly bad movie, Quest of the Delta Knights filmed at Black Point Forest where the "real"renfaire used to be. It was an MSTK3 thing with the talking robots and all that. Deathstalker proved to be too much for most everyone.

We had plentiful drinkies and numerous humorous guests. Rydell almost got violent when I tried to give him a martini in a pink glass. He said, "Pink! Pink!" pointing to the glass. I quickly handed him a martini in a clear glass and he calmed right down. We also pajabbered our way through a big Costco jar of cashews, which Pete noted were Indian and he told us all about it in his best Indian accent. The laughter lasted till after midnight. We have some pretty nice friends. (thanks all)

Today dawned with a headache, oddly.

A few Many handfuls of glassware got cleaned up, I had some toast and a cup of coffee and I was ready for a big shopping trip. We got a bunch of regular stuff and an elephant, which was on sale and marked down for a chipped corner (score!). We also picked up some MORE plants (can you believe it people!?) which we promptly planted to grow into the wire fencing that I put in on Saturday.

The yard looks so good now we are fairly pinching ourselves. We had casual dinner for the second night in a row in our newest "room" of the house surrounded by our little jungle.

I had a few beautiful moments as well, my little one telling me I was the best dad in the world, and Sharon telling me precisely why I was the best father of all for her children. It's good to be me, especially today.

Friday, June 16, 2006

reflection

in a rush
I've overlooked
so much in life

now I see it all
in glimpses
in light

if I concentrate
reflect
consider
vision comes clear

in this moment
I see how life
has brought me here

in this moment
I am surrounded
by my life
supported
by my memories

sweet pleasance
relief, gratitude and grace
comfort and ease

Thursday, June 15, 2006

OMG pr0n!

Well, Curse of the Erotic Tiki was FAR too porntastic to show at a genteel bad movie night. There was lots of simulated lovin' and black bras overflowin' with silicone. Everybody in the cast did everybody else except for the guys didn't do each other cause it wasn't that kind of a thing. And there were NO naughty bits (except for the pnuematic nipples) in sight, even though the nice actors pretended there were. All in all, not so spring fresh, and not NEARLY "bad" enough.

So, Deathstalker it is instead. As one reviewer said, "You have to see Deathstalker just so you can say, 'Yeah, but was it as bad as Deathstalker?' when your friend tries to tell you about a bad movie they saw..."

Come on over on Saturday and help us celebrate bad cinema.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

stuff and nonsense

Well, the ladies went to Valhalla and had lots of fun after the graduation thingy. Two down, one to go for the public school thing.






Before they left we went out to lunch with to celebrate Andy's graduation. Here are the boys celebrating. That's Sharon's little brother Scott (or Uncle Sock to the kids).




So during the weekend I put in a few plants, went to Home Despot and bought a bunch of man stuff, dug two three-foot deep holes and planted some pressure treated posts to hold up the gate I still have to build. I made a fairly elegant (if I do say so myself) mailbox holder upper.

Then I put in a bunch of metal fence posts to hold up the wire fencing that the plants we still have to buy and plant will grow into. There was painting and staining and a few festive beverages in there.

The yard is really starting to look like Charlie Dimmock and her friends came by and visited, except there isn't a nifty water feature except for the little fountain we have.

We even squeezed in a movie that wasn't nearly bad enough to qualify as a bad movie. (Bloodrayne) I plan to make up for that by hosting my friends to watch The Curse of The Erotic Tiki. Wanna come over for that? (I'll preview it first and find out if it is too much skin to be funny. If so we'll see something else.)

Friday, June 09, 2006

Thursday, June 08, 2006

puttering

I went to a nice housewarming party at Kate and Nate's on Tuesday to celebrate the 666 day. I brought some housewarming glassware... which Kate and Nathan put to immediate use.

Shortly after this Nate made Kate an El Diablo in the big old glass. He told her there was no more alcohol than usual in it, just more mixer. She seemed truly skeptical.





It turned out to be a wee party indeed, with one other guest (Cyn) beside our hosts. There were various festive beverages made with great vigor by Nathan who managed to shake the Manhattans so gleefully that the shaker adopted a jaunty top-free pose thus spilling some of the precious mix on the floor and his shirt. Kate dutifully cleaned the floor and Nathan tried to tell us that he meant to do that. I charitably trained Nathan how to make the perfect martini, which all proclaimed to be really good. Um... yeah!

We had a nice evening of laughing mostly about silly fair(e) stuff. The other three talked about their ex-spouses, or soon to be ex-spouses. Cyn told a hilarious story about her ex-husband which I shall not repeat here. There was a Marie Antoinette challenge (with the new glassware of course) but Nathan and I just watched in calm amusement and wisely did not try to best our opponents. There were pictures but you'll need written clearance from the ladies to see them.

Late in the game Nathan called up Chicken and Waffles, a place that serves, um... chicken and waffles oddly enough. The other three assured me this was a great delicacy, whereupon I expressed my doubts. Sadly they were closing in a few minutes and we couldn't make it there in time for takeout. Too bad, I think.

Since the party I have been doing an exciting activity I like to call "work". This will be followed this weekend by something I like to call "not really working".

Monday, June 05, 2006

Valhalla

I had my first ever time as a participant at a Renaissance faire this weekend at Valhalla at Lake Tahoe. In a few words it was; fun, tiring, hot, fun, and fun. I have always felt ambivalent about Faire, I want to participate but I don't feel I have the history background or improvisational acting skills to excel at it. (And we all know how competetive I am)

This weekend in the Queen's court as a noble (cousin of the queen no less!), was still fun in spite of me not knowing anything about my character except my name (Baron Hunston) and my relationship to my stage and real-life wife, the lovely Baroness Hunston (or Sharon as I call her). Despite me not knowing what to say, where to stand, how to move, or how to hold (or even put on) a sword, everyone welcomed me and I felt appreciated. That was nice of everyone even though I was just walking scenery.

My thanks to Lisa who lent me the perfect costume, and my many thanks to Anton who taught me everything I now know about swords, precedence, and frogs. I'd have been lost without you both.

One more thank you has to go to my precious wife who encouraged me to come along and with whom I was very proud to share the stage. I hope to do it all again soon.

Update:
I almost forgot. I didn't see any (. )( .) at faire. I saw some ladies that appeared to be smuggling melons through the shire, but no (.)(.)s. Ladies, just look down and imagine that it was hot and dusty. Guys, better luck next time.