liberty and independence

Sunday Evening Post

2012-02-12T19:25:00.001-05:00

Sunday evenings are a time for reflection; a time to look within yourself and discover the true meaning of life.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

I saw this logo on the back of a truck, but I didn't catch the product.

I'm still scratching my head.

Bird of prey that hangs around my office. If you're lucky, you can catch him swooping down to snatch a field mouse or baby mole.

I caught the Spartans wrestling team take on Delmar. Lake had a female wrestler, but the Delmar team would not compete against her, so the Spartans took six points for the forfeited match.

Weird.

The last cookie from Sunday night dinner.

I received this text early in the week. We were sweating it, but it turns out Rehoboth is indeed having their annual gumbo cook-off.

Just in time for Lent.

Either she tried too hard or too little. I'm not sure. My wife took the photo and sent it to her friend.

Not to be outdone, she received this shot of said friend's boyfriend in reply. This ensemble says, "I'm a Jedi, but I also support breast cancer research."

For Phaedra's fortieth, the home-ladies were all going bowling.

She got this card.

The real deal is so much better-

and the swordfish makes it.

Nice shot of Rox, but I want to know about the woman behind her:

Is she walking like an Egyptian?

My wife's friends happened to walk into a Kiss tribute band concert.

Some people have all the luck.

The end of the weekend brought a swim meet.

Good stuff.

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2012-02-05T20:27:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl Sunday

and I don't care -

My master's gone away

(Sung to the tune of "Jimmy crack corn").

Pics from the week.

After a picture count for this post, I realized I had whittled it down to 12 - one dozen.

Anytime I deal in a dozen, I have to include Lee Marvin of the movie "The Dirty Dozen".

Anything less would be unAmerican.

“I'd like to live as a poor man with lots of money.”

-Pablo Picasso

Poor Man's Towing spotted in Baltimore, MD.

My nephew's school project for the Chinese New Year.

My son and his cousin playing with cars and race tracks. This was one of my favorite pastimes as a child, too. Gravity is fun.

Baby magic tricks.

She made a chicken disappear earlier.

Speaking of disappearing, these pastries walked away from the fridge on their own.

I wonder where they went.

Locals at the local diner. I swear some days my parents eat three meals a day there. People yell "Norm" when they walk in.

My wife received this video from a friend.

It starts out as "Man and his Best Friend" and ends as "The Horror of Spider Island".

Anytime I visit Lewes, DE, I make certain I get a moment to hit the historical church in town to walk the labryinth and reflect. I am happy to report that it turns out my hometown historical church has its own labyrinth, so I will be visiting often.

This one is for Dorothy Howe,
wherever she is.

"Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree."

-Joyce Kilmer

I saw this smashed pumpkin while walking through town, so I imagine I am required to finish up with a Smashing Pumpkins tune

(Originally Fleetwood Mac).

See you next week.

Fisherman's Friend

2012-02-01T19:59:00.000-05:00

With the weather being so wacky over the past week,

it seems that I have had a perpetual sore throat and headache.

Lucky for me, a coworker reintroduced me to Fisherman's Friend, the tough-as-nails menthol cough suppressant lozenge.

It has been at least thirty years since I have popped one of these guys, and now I am wondering how I went without them.

So next time the severe weather is playing havoc with your head,

pick up a tin of these

(My favorite is the foil pouch emblazoned with a boat in orange and black).

You will thank me.

Sunday Evening Post

2012-01-29T19:56:00.000-05:00

The week in pictures.

At the beginning of the week, the Batmobile caught a flat.

Here was the culprit:

A scissor blade.

I got my eye on you, pal.

Sauce.

Meatballs.

Chocolate mouth.

My wife rented a huge rolling magnet and trolled our driveway to prevent another flat tire. Here is what we ended up with - a cornucopia of sharp and dangerous objects.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name...

My Uncle John turned 70, so my Mother surprised him with a visit to Florida.

For a guy who grew up in little old Houston, DE, he's done pretty well for himself.

When I called him to wish hime well, he advised me to drink a beer in his honor.

I obliged.

When my wife was a young one, she cracked her forehead open

(she still has a darling scar).

She remembers rubbing Cococare on it while she watched TV, to help minimize the scar.

We live in wondrous times.

Pole dancing has its own magazine and people actually make a living at it.

God Bless.

Swim meet graffiti.

Requiescat in pace.

Tyler popped into the new house. It was grand to see him and marvel at how old he has gotten.

Time keeps on slipping...

My Uncle shares his birthday with Neil Diamond.
This is his favorite song.
Happy Birthday, John.

See you next week.

The Sunday Evening Post

2012-01-22T19:03:00.002-05:00

Born under a bad sign.

Making mountains out of molehills.

Whereabouts and locales from the past week recorded on two iPhones and an iPod.

David Mead poster in Easton, MD. Missed the show by two days. Would have went well with coffee.

Spinach omelette croissant sandwich.

"Om-e-lette this tasty sandwich pass my lips and..."

Sorry. Too Corny.

I found this grand framed print of Blackbeard the pirate hidden out of view at another new coffee shop in Dover, the Governor's Cafe.

Nice place if you don't mind slumming next to the Governor's mansion.

Scene from Banh Mi Boy, a Vietnamese sandwich cafe in Newark, DE.

Family dessert night continues as we travelled over to my bro's casa with cupcakes.

We checked out his new high fa'lootin', 3D, HD, slim as a crepe television.

I have seen the future.

This is the scary part of visiting his place-

seven (yes, seven) remote controls. I can never turn on the football game without adult supervision.

Dead-eye Kim's target grouping from the ladies' shooting night.

Eli and the wolf.

WTF.

My wife and I like to read together in bed before we go to sleep. She showed me this ad the other night. I haven't slept since.

Can a cake have too many layers?

Let's ask Mr Owl.

Never mind. He creeps me out.

That's a fancy name...

...for such a tiny plant. The sign is bigger than it is.

My son checked out the MLK memorial on MLK Day!
Neat stuff.

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2012-01-15T19:22:00.000-05:00

Baby, it is cold outside.

Weekly summary in pictures.

A humid and steamy photo of my wife's Body Flow Gym class.

It looks like a Turkish prison.

Grandfather's camera. It's a Kodak.

Camouflage Finley.

I picked up some lip balm for the Mrs.

It's called "Chicken Poop."

She is now envied by all her peers.

Eli at the dentist.

Eli at the dentist doing a Ray Charles and Jaques Cousteau impersonation.

Slurping wonton soup with a straw.

Blanket rides.

The famous Wright Sisters got their nails done
(and their groove back).

The end results.

Sick kid.

Decoy cockroaches were hung around the office to lure the real ones out of hiding.
It did not work as well as peanut butter.

Famous line from a Bogart movie.
It hangs at the Annapolis Grill.

Lunching with the shark.

I stopped into the public library to pick up a few winter reads and was drawn to this gem.
If a book can be judged by its cover, this is Pulitzer material!
Couple questions:
1) Why would you shoot the flashlight? Is it evil?
2) What's up with that guy's face?
3) How many times have you seen a southpaw shooter featured as the hero?

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2012-01-08T20:00:00.001-05:00

One week.

Digital Pictures.

Sunday Evening Post.

I scored some wing tips at a thrift shop for a few bucks. Always my favorite type of shoe, but I could never figure out why.

Then I realized it was embedded in my subconscious long ago by the intro to "My Three Sons".

Gosh darn you, Fred MacMurray-

but who can stay mad at you long?

Free swag from the local Starbucks!

If there was a nyah-nyah font, I'd write the following in it:

My barista is red hot.

Your barista is so not.

Found a new spot for Buddha at the new house, but let's face it,

Buddha's content wherever.

The first snow day of the year.

Look at this meager dusting... and it delayed school by an hour!

What happened to the public school system I used to know.

"Leave no child behind" used to be

"Leave the weak in snow drifts to be eaten by wolves".

Skate.

Skype.

Skunk.

Right back at you, ladies.

Dishes from the restaurant Level in Annapolis.

Fancy pants.

Found this CD in a parking lot.

Oddly enough, it was blank.

My father-in-law and his siblings got together in one spot for a photo.

For the record,

I voted for "A Family Affair"

by Sly and the family Stone.

Roasting marshmallows on a wintry night.

Half-price sandwiches and beers in front of a huge fireplace with friends-

ain't a shabby way to spend a Tuesday night!

(Unless you are eating a wish sandwich...

and what is a wish sandwich)?

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2012-01-01T18:04:00.000-05:00

I took Christmas off, but the New Year brings focus. Here it is:

The last two weeks in photos

(Headphones are in and Judas Priest's "You got Another Thing Coming" plays).

The ugliness of mass consumption for the holidays began at Feby's Fishery on Lancaster Avenue, Wilmington, where I ate my face off with co-workers.

(All-you-can eat dungeness crabs).

Christmas morn is for the tykes.

This one got a Red Ryder BB gun. As of this date, no eyes have been shot out.

My Dad and brother both got indoor putting greens

(I heard their butlers and wait-staff find it both gauche and scandalous).

Christmas Day sports.

I checked out Rehoboth Beach's Nativity scene and found it somewhat lacking....

the Baby Jesus.

Wasn't that a Dragnet episode?

Are they, Father?

I was given the new Assassin's Creed video game and found that the older Ezio looks like my father-in-law

(dressed as my mother-in-law).

If you look closely, you can see a heart hidden in the toffee

If you look even closer, you can see your arteries hardening.

Checkers.

My wife's Christmas pork roll got spiced up with Laird's Applejack brandy.

Here they are, looking all buff.

The may faces of Eli.

Hanukkah in the new home.

Fashionable Jack.

My other nephew was busy flying commercial planes.

Crazy certified organic cow,

puns are for kids!

I shot this deer playing Nintendo Wii, so I had its head mounted.

Makes good sense.

Found it at a great burger and rib place on the state line called "In the Sticks".

Happy New Year.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-12-18T19:28:00.003-05:00

You better watch out.

You better not cry.

The week in photos.

Nothing more humbling than seeing a wiener shack shut down. What is the world coming to?

My wife and I stopped by her favorite restaurant in Nueva Jersey. Watching these two made her feel good.

My son spent his weekend in New York City. Here is the one of the first photos he sent us -

the view from his hotel room window.

This is Central Park from the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental. He went there for tea

(He leads a very rough life).

That reminds me,

I recall Central Park in fall.

How you tore you're dress.

What a Mess!

(I must confess).

Rainbows over the school.

Max and Phyllis

Cream cheese melt-aways with meyer lemon glaze.

(Let the holiday gluttony begin).

Christmas tree afire.

Cousin Beth and Max getting ready to visit the Frick Museum.

The Great Cookie Swap of 2011.

I was abhorred to see that Lilly's snack bag did not have a poem written on it, so I hurriedly scribbled one down.

Crisis averted

and our reputation was saved.

E meets a dinosaur.

In line for FAO Schwartz.

My friend went to Dallas to see the game.

I told him to send a picture of his seat.

Yeah. Nice seat.

New wind turbines on a nearby house.

Good old Mr. Dick!

He is always going above and beyond.

Some things are too good.

If you eat one, you end up eating ten.

I picked up a new rolling chair.

Captain James Tiberius Kirk would be jealous.

Finally!
A good book has found its way on my night table.

While in NYC, my son saw the broadway show,
"Spider-man, Turn off the Dark".
He said it was awesome,
but was it Spider-man 1960s theme song awesome?
You be the judge.

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-12-11T20:48:00.002-05:00

"Cause it's gone daddy gone
Your week is gone
Gone daddy gone
The week is gone away".
(But it's cool - we got photos).

Three foot tall wooden tooth outside a dental office in Milford.
Somewhere out there lurks a giant pissed-off George Washington.

Buffalo head that hangs in the Eastern Shore Brewery located in St. Michaels, Maryland.

Here is the logo for their porter-
Duck, Duck, Goose.

Drinking green tea and watching the Redskins lose.

I am always on the look out for some new tattoo ideas, so I end up with pictures like this.
People ask me what my tattoos mean, as if they have a hidden message or are symbolic.
They do:
"Mid-life crisis".

Salad.

We are trying to start a new tradition and have family and friends over on Sunday nights for dessert and tea.
If you are in either of these two groups, let me know.
(I, however, pick the accompanying music).

Not only did my wife have rice pudding this week, but she got to share it with her Dad.
Lucky Duck.
(Rice and tapioca pudding will always mean Martha to me. My Gandmom could not finish a meal without them).

This is one of those laugh-out-loud pictures that could possibly win a Pulitzer.
His pose is very Lord Fauntleroy.
His T-shirt.
The stalker-kid in the background.

Christmas tree is up.

This has the full potential of being a fantastic "Benny Hill Show" chase scene.

Scene from the house.

Master Tan throwing West Coast gang signs in celebration of his birthday present:
a personalized Blue Crab Feast picture with a warning about filling up on hush puppies.
Oh, yeah.
One percenter.

It's what's for dinner.

Usually I get this view just before being fired by the boss for stealing, but on this occasion, it was actually a scene from a bar.

This is how the tragedy of "Athlete's Hand" began.
Seriously though, my wife is a huge fan of this woman, Jennifer Pastiloff. Old friend, inspirational yogi and and doer-of-all-sorts-o-goodness. She's going to be on Good Morning America on December 27th. Check her out.

You are my sunshine
(Third verse
same as the first).

What is left of the noontime cookie tin at 4:00PM.

SEE you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-12-04T20:10:00.000-05:00

Pictures?

Sure.

The kid got decked out.

The Jews and Christians converged on Longwood Gardens for this year's "Hanamas"

extravaganza.

Here are the choreographed fountains

in full swing.

C does a mean Ron Weasley impersonation from the Harry Potter movies.

I give this shot about an 8.4 on the cute scale.

Gingerbread trees.

Look closely and you can see bite marks on the toy train where kids thought it was made of candy.

My wife sent me this shot of cacti, so I texted her back, "Larger than Jim Backus".

It is an obvious reference to 3rd Bass's Cactus Album.

(The lyric is: "Larger than Jim Backus...it's the cactus").

I spent the next hour trying to explain it to her.

Jim Backus.

3rd Bass

(Discuss with friends).

Mother and Son.

My wife thinks the kids drew this picture of Longwood Gardens because they had such a good time.

I think it's because they are thinking about breaking in later and need a map.

My Mom puts together an advent hunt every year, so the days of December 1 through 24 are a non-stop adventure.

Max is now a proud owner of a "Bazinga!" T-Shirt thanks to cousin Margie, who saw his Sheldon Halloween costume

(Now if I can just get him to start studying advanced physics).

Any more fog like this and Rudolph might be getting the call from the bullpen come Christmas.

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-11-27T18:54:00.000-05:00

Giving thanks.

Taking pictures.

One more week.

Thanksgiving means mass consumption, so I was in dire need of some physical activity prior to the dinner. Fortunately, I was turned on to a Turkey Trot 5K. I weaseled my way into the number 21

(Rest in Peace, Roberto)

and ran my best time.

We hosted the big event.

Good times had by all.

T brought along his banjo for the Friday morning serenade coupled with coffee.

I have spent a lifetime looking for the plant that smells like running rabbit dogs.

I finally found it.

Elliotts Goldenrod.

Check it out.

Smells like wet beagle.

My son put together the Lego White House.

Heavy artillery fire down the hallway. Notice all the spent nerf shells.

Turkey.

(Why can't someone make an all-dark meat bird)?

Congratulations to E and M.

A happy marriage is like owning a vintage bomber jacket-

It doesn't always look good, but it always feels right.

The dessert after dessert -

Birthday cake.

I just recently recovered from the coma it all induced.

Everyone pitched in to help.

Some more than others.

This guy had on a pair of red Doc Martens to match his red motorcycle and jacket. He was also blaring the Whispers hit "And the Beat Goes On".

Sand play at the public park.

Thunderhead and umbrella pine purchased for the new home.

Apples to Apples, Uno, and bacon pizza with family friends.

Now that is a party.

The happy homeowners, taking it all in.
(Quite possibly a sin to be this content).

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-11-20T20:49:00.000-05:00

A delay in internet service caused a one-week (weak)

hiatus.

New home.

New post.

The week in pictures.

A little hang time with our new neighbors.

We are back on the family compound.

It's a lot like being on the TV show

"Dallas."

(I'm JR).

Talking shop with the future generation.
Diversify your bonds, floss your teeth, etc.

Hooch is a word that needs to be used more often.

Happy 40, S.

(It's the new 21).

I have a hypothesis that cranberries are preferred over dingle-berries by a rate of 100,000 to one.

Das Boots.

Nephew Art.

(Bravo, Jack. Well done).

Swings and Fall just seem right for one another.

We are slowly getting around to decorating the home front.

First coat of paint on the barn door.

Mango.

Bed.

How many men out there have a wife that will allow them to confidently display their toy robot collection?

She's a keeper.

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-11-07T07:48:00.001-05:00

The Sunday Evening Post /

Monday Morning Quarterback Edition

Sorry about the delay.

I fell asleep on the couch last night.

All sorts of Halloween pictures.

Here is a rookie, not yet sold on the idea.

This guy is definitely a veteran.

Homemade genius.

Fortunately, Trick-or-Treating is still legal in California...

for now.

Professor Sheldon Cooper.

My wife sent this photo to me in a text and threatened to buy it for me.

My reply.

It is nice to have friends with skills.

Here is our new barn door under construction.

Reading time in front of the new house.

My wife's sister threw a grand 50th birthday celebration for her man in Philadelphia and it was a year-topper for a great time.
A date with the Mrs. is a rare event.

The name of the restaurant is Osteria and it has forever altered my perception of Italian food.

Brotherly Love.

(Hug it out).

The boy who cried wolf.

Monday morning commute.

Finally-

The kitchen is done.

Here is the barn door on its rail. I bought the hardware at Central Tractor and the wood is pine. It came out better than I had imagined.

An interesting find was this beer based out of Cherry Hill, NJ. It is the Flying Fish IPA. My wife is from Cherry Hill so I challenged her to a hometown beer contest - Flying Fish vs. Dogfish Head.

The corner of Broad and Wallace.

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-10-30T22:52:00.000-04:00

Pictures of the week.

Anti-drug posters drawn by fifth graders.

Word on the street is that we will be stocking our new pantry next week.

Guest bathroom sink.

Colder weather hit on the eastern shore.

Looks like my nephew found a remedy.

A lot of the week was focused on unexpected surgery for my son. Nothing serious, and everything turned out great.

Here is his pre-op breakfast of champions, four individual packs of jello.

He got to rock blue and gold hospital bracelets, treasured status symbols of the trendy pre-junior high crowd.

I can't say enough good things about A.I. Dupont Hospital for Children and their staff. Here are staff members competing in a group Halloween costume contest. Smurfs on the right, angry birds to the left.

(Is it wrong to think Smurfette looks smurfy hot in her go-go boots)?

The best part of the surgery was the gifts and swag people sent.

Edible fruit.

A rare photo of the Ragin' Asian Cajun doing his best John Cusack impersonation in front of Michigan Stadium.

Its inclusion in this week's post will certainly create controversy for my OSU family members, but when a man is hitting his stride, you have to give him credit.

This photo was sent to my wife's phone from her friend who was in the process of getting a weave.

Here is the final product.

It looks sensational, but everything is a little bit better when coupled with the right song.

Perfect.

A very happy 50th birthday to Danny, living proof that a rolling stone gathers no moss.

We'll finish up with a shot of my nephew and his friend dressed for Halloween as English aristocrats.
God Save the Queen.

See you next week.

The Sunday Evening Post

2011-10-23T21:38:00.000-04:00

Pictures?

I've had a few. But then again, too few to mention.

Home stretch.

Hopefully, we'll be moving in two weeks.

Concrete floors came out just like we wanted.

Crush and run driveway

(Sounds like Bon Jovi lyrics -

"Shot through the heart and your to blame.

Darling, you crush and run a driveway").

Plywood backing and wood shelves for the niches.

I see a red door and I want to paint it black.

A man and his dog.

A boy and his haircut. This is actually his Halloween haircut. He is going as Sheldon from "Big Bang Theory".

Everybody is getting ready for All Hallow's Eve.

Eli on a Deere.

Biohazard.

I can only hope is was being use as a rubber boot for a peg leg.

Ghost Pirates.

Happy Birthday to Spider-man

(Seen here with Stevie Nicks).

Blue skies over the DE and St. Georges.

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-10-16T22:27:00.002-04:00

"It's been a hard day's night

and I been working like

a dog."

-The Beatles

But, hey. Make some "Me" time and check out the photos from the week.

Jesus Saves....

parking spaces for others.

Delaware in the mist.

Chickens in the Mist.

We journeyed to the Philadelphia IKEA once again to return and replace, but a stop at Tony Luke's for a sub makes the arduous task worth it.

Our pendant light finally found its way home.

I really like the images and shadows it makes, but the number rule of the house is:

NO DISCO.

Settlement date has been set for the end of the month.

Here is my son's late-for-school slip.

Honestly, the door knob snapped off and my father had to come save him.

Oh, well. It's better than the worn out "dog ate my homework."

I worked all day and got a text from my wife stating that there was shrimp and beans left over from dinner. She asked if I wanted them. I was so busy that I could not respond that I did want them until twenty minutes later.

Her reply?

"Sorry. They are already gone."

Here's a picture of them.

Someone left pumpkins by the back of this car.

They are loaded with beta-carotene.

My nephew donning his ninja costume.

(This is everyday, run-of-the-mill wear for him - no lie).

Blurry picture of us test running the new fog machine.

Turns out IKEA parts make great laser guns.

The days have been long and filled from sun up to sun down.

Any ordinary man would have given it up by now.

Fortunately,

I'm extraordinary

(It's in my DNA).

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-10-09T20:09:00.000-04:00

Pictures of the week.

From the left side.

(Now slide).

Now that my son's feet are officially bigger than mine and no stop is in sight, my wife and I like to pull out old photos every once in a while and wax nostalgic. Here he is dressed as Boris Karloff many Octobers ago and another photo of him with Sinead O'Connor.

Plenty of house shots this week as a wave of activity struck the homestead. Here a stack of doors ready to be hung.

Our IKEA kitchen has hit a few snafus that will hopefully be ironed out soon, because I got a fever for sipping Sunday morning coffee at this locale.

Twin day at school. They're almost as cute as Jack Lambert.

Almost.

Transporting our lights in the back of a truck.

First couple coats of color.

The tradition still continues in CR's Homecoming Parade. The busy streets of Camden and Wyoming were shut down as Rider Pride ran free.

Here is a loyal fan cheering her brothers on as they roll by in strict float form.

The Candy Man doled out all types of solidified high fructose corn syrup to the young ones.

Eli proudly displays a tapeworm he found trapped in the rain gutter.

Way to go, E!

...And so, the Nutcracker King sold all of his kingdom's oil rights and ore deposits to the Rat Empire and spent the rest of his days on the tennis courts in Monaco, where he tired the locals with the saying,

"How 'bout dem nuts!"

Here is a pumpkin found in the patch that they forgot to inflate.

They don't make them like they used to.

Awaiting the Great Pumpkin.

Ain't no hills in Delaware, so we call hayseed like these four "Flatbillies".

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-10-02T20:47:00.001-04:00

Photos from the week.

We were invited to a wonderful Rosh Hashanah dinner complete with good wine, incredible sweet potatoes...

...and a modeling show of the Missoni line from Target.

When a man tells you to put your sunglasses on, at night, inside - you do it. No questions asked.

We were even serenaded by the traditional shofar.

Every time a young person opens up a book, Lavar Burton gets to party.

Told you.

Good thing my unknown dead relative secured the services of the great attorney James T. Ford prior to their death or I would have never been able to claim my millions of dollars in inheritance. It took a little while for the money I wired to him in Haiti to clear, but it will be worth every penny, believe me.

Pumpkins.

Babies getting crazy at a get-together.
(get mingling, already!)

Corrugated metal siding is on my house.
(Sung to the tune of "Daft punk is playing at my house").

Here is an inside view looking at the kitchen, which should be installed next week.

I got in a rare golf outing down at Kings Creek. I found this memorial for Doug Davis and his hole-in-one...

...and this one for Babe Ruth.
(You find a lot when you are always looking for errant balls).

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-09-25T19:55:00.001-04:00

We were given seven more days.

We used them well.

Here they are.

Nothing like starting off the week with a colonoscopy. It can give Mondays a whole new meaning.

A very happy seventh birthday to Jackson. He entertained us by reading adventurous squirrel tales.

Our pendant arrived and my wife put it together all by her lonesome. She takes great pride in her work, but soon after this photo she realizes that it would not fit through the door assembled. Life's lessons can be cruel at times.

A statue of Jesus being transported on the back of a truck on the Jersey Turnpike.

Nothing can motivate you into a new diet than a pig-shaped ice cream log staring you down at the local Dairy Queen.

Big Red and Little Peanut.

I do try, but I simply can't resist the temptation to give false names at every turn. Here is my donation to the 4-H Club, signed "Von Pubes".

The Friday night lights, high school football.

Phaedra is off to Canada for a year, so she was sent off with a celebration including all things Canadian. Here is poutine, which consists of french fries, gravy, and cheese curds.

Sounds gross.

Looks gross.

Tastes great.

I ran the Dogfish Head Brewery 5K and made certain that the "losing-est team in baseball" was well represented. I knew it would be a good day when a stranger welcomed me with "GO BUCS!" and a high-five.

24 minutes / 13 seconds.

Not too shabby for an old guy who detests running.

Of course, the best part of the race was the end, where beer trumped water at the finish line.

We end the week with Phaedra's end and Canada's

National Anthem.

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-09-18T19:15:00.000-04:00

The Week in Photos accompanied by quick quips -

in a trebuchet font, no less.

Chopsticks.

Keeping children quiet for over three centuries.

We had to buy my son a pair of glasses this week and no amount of bribery was enough for him to select a thick black pair of Buddy Holly's.

We were able to squeeze in one last trip to Rehoboth for skimming and sun. September and October have always been my favorite beach months.

The carport pad and front walkway were poured this week at the home site. My good friend designed the place and his attention to detail is really showing up in spades, as demonstrated in the roof overhang that protects visitors to our door.

This photo of the local vacuum repairman's office was sent to us accompanied by the description of the proprietor climbing over the mess to get a needed part. This will soon be an episode of "Hoarders."

E and associate caught a live show of The Laurie Berkner Band, one of the most popular children's music groups in the world.

(A couple of six-year-olds were busted in the parking lot for selling black market pixie sticks and lollipops).

The Emerson College Quidditch Team. Fortunately, as the years go by, it appears that college students are getting smarter and using their free time more wisely.

Bald Cypress.

The "Route One Rivalry" should be renamed simply

"The Rout"

as the Blue Hens destroyed the Delaware State Hornets by a score of 45 to nothing.

DSU's band, however, was the highlight of the night and tore it up.

I found this clip on Youtube from their 2010 Homecoming.

U of D's Marching Band, meanwhile, played a yawn-inducing rendition of Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends." I feel morally obligated to come to the original version's defense and attach it to this post.

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-09-11T14:13:00.000-04:00

Sunday Evening Post

September 11, 2011.

Block of tea

(for two) in Washington, D.C.

Salt and Pepa's

here.

Work continues on the home and our IKEA kitchen arrived. Here they are delivering it and placing it in a secret location far from the prying eyes of Martha Stewart.

Drywall action is nearly complete and we had to scramble to select light fixtures. We have one area that demands a chandelier.

This is the one we chose.

This one did not make the cut.

My nephew's first day of preschool.

His mother explained to him that he was going to be left there while she went to work. His reply to the news?

"Mama, I'm a little shocked."

Listen, gang.

There is such a thing as cute overdose.

Be careful.

We had to pick up a few things for the house in Philadelphia so I treated my wife to lunch at her favorite restaurant in Collingswood, New Jersey. It is indeed the best Japanese food I have ever tasted.

I gauge the quality of a barbershop by the volume of deer heads mounted on the wall, but in this case, I will make an exception.

Moscow Mule in Milford's Abbot Grill.

Vodka, lime, ginger beer.

My son discovered a dead bird. I was instantly reminded of this Calvin and Hobbes comic.

Nick Gillespie from Reason Magazine.

Cherish the moments.

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-09-04T21:08:00.003-04:00

Here it comes.

Fall is in the air.

The week in photos.

Treated my son to a tasty Jake's burger for a little male bonding.

Work continues on the house. Here is drywall work on a wall that my friend designed for us. Great place to display my toy robots.

The weather has been beautiful and my son and I have inspected every nook and cranny of our town. Here is the secret garden we found behind the Knights of Columbus lodge.

I stopped by E's house in Annapolis to pick him up for the Navy/Delaware game and found that not only does he possess a John Wayne coffee mug, but he also is the proud owner of Dukes of Hazzard glasses. He should get some type of bachelor award for that.

The Blue Hens might have lost the game, but they won the tailgate hands down.

The fellas and I are losing our touch. Last year B and E had their pic taken with the Duke Cheerleading Squad. This year it was with Billy, the Navy Goat. Greatest moment, however, was when B asked three Midshipmen if they were Delaware fans.

Classic.

If you ever get a chance to see Navy play at home, take it. Watching the Midshipmen march in is impressive.

Couch Swatches.

Why are baby's heads so much bigger than the rest of their bodies. Is it to keep them from running away?

WTF? K?

That's right.

It is official.

I am somebody's Hero.

It even has my picture to prove it.

Bizarre sighting in my hometown - A young white male wearing Wayfarers, expensive watch, loafers, and a canvas belt with a tie and oxford. I almost called the cops.

Hey! My nephew and his Dad took a camel ride!

How cool is that?

The kids were out in full force, enjoying the water while they still can.

I was looking for some music online by Chris Tucker and stumbled upon this gem on Youtube.

It definitely captures what it was like growing up in the 19934 zip code back in the 70s and 80s.

See you next week.

Hump Day Album Cover

2011-08-31T16:29:00.000-04:00

I lost the album name and band, but it is one of those old upside down faces thing. Please refrain from flipping your laptop over.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-08-28T19:30:00.000-04:00

Earthquakes. Hurricanes. Tornadoes.

No Force of nature can stop the

Sunday Evening Post

(Except a well-placed twenty).

So begins a new school year.

They grow up before we realize what has happened.

(Insert a little Jim Croce "If I Could Save Time in a Bottle" Here).

At least a few are left that can watch older brothers and sisters leave for an education and think

"Suckers."

Pittsburgh!

I slipped out of town with a few compadres and caught the Bucs against the Brewers.

They lost...

but I got to do the Maz dance, so I won big.

I waited excitedly for over a hour, but it turns out "feckin" is an Irish whiskey.

What a rip off.

The east coast earthquake struck and this was the extent of our damage:

a lego car rolled off of a table.

Always count your blessings.

Always be thankful.

A rare Sam sighting.

The second season of our guilty pleasure is out on DVD so we picked up a copy.

Kenny Powers.

The character you love to hate to love.

This official hurricane expert assesses the damage in Baltimore...

While the streets of Delaware were checked for damage by this guy. He found his personal creek filled to capacity

(pronounced "crick" in these parts).

My nephew never ceases to amaze me. One minute he is dressed like any other regular kid and then when you turn your head, he jumps out in full costume.

Here is Batman doing the "YMCA".

The storm kept me up all night, so to deter sleep I mixed my two vices -

Coffee and chewing tobacco.

A final shot of Maz, forever making that loop around third

on the banks of the Allegheny River.

Perfection.

See you next week.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-08-21T19:54:00.000-04:00

And on the Seventh Day, the Lord declared there was to be a post of the entire week. And it was Good.

My wife and I spent all of Monday cooped up in an IKEA, purchasing a kitchen, bathroom, closets, and pantry. I was so Sweden when I left, my hair turned blonde.

Here sits the man that made it all possible, the most helpful IKEA employee on the planet, who patiently fine-tuned our kitchen and saved me mucho dinero. Turned out he was originally from Seaford, Delaware - of course.

I believe it was the Royal Teens who asked the question, "Who wears short shorts?"

Answer: These IKEA shoppers.

I rented a Penske truck and thanks to two burly friends (an ex-Delaware lineman and a country-strong Baptist) I hauled away twenty free concrete cylinders that probably weigh about five hundred pounds apiece. They are going to create a visual barrier between my landscaped areas and natural fields at the new homestead.

Meanwhile back at the ranch....

The house progresses and the tub has been installed.

(Kind of a creepy photo).

Anything like a restaurant that sells PBR by the can?

I'm buyin'.

I tried to convince them to put a PBR and PBJ lunch special on the menu.

I think they are considering it.

Restaurant 55.

Crab Spread.

It makes great toothpaste.

Hedge Apple.

You can thank FDR for these things. The WPA planted over 200 million of them. As kids, we called them monkey brain trees.

You're never too young to get a job on the factory line or at the car wash

(I've seen that dress somewhere before).

Our good friends took my son to the dollar store and he wisely purchased a fake severed hand. Here he is cuddling with it and chewing its fingernails.

Some gifts keep on giving.

Congrats to Bryan, who completed a masters program at University of Pennsylvania.

Well played. He did it all for the iPad.

Gives a whole new meaning to

"crowning".

Cute kids make me sick!

All smilin' and laughin' and enjoying life.

One of my favorite shows is Swamp People, in which film crews follow alligator hunters in the bayou. They dangle rotten chicken over the water with a hook in it.

This contraption reminds of that show

(and the bait is a gator skin purse - go figure).

My good friend designed this shelf system for our home.

Congratulations are in order for Jordan as he begins a new chapter in his life.

The cake reads

"So long and thanks for the all fish"

a line from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Ghost Riders in the Sky.

See you next week.

Hump Day Album Cover

2011-08-17T08:43:00.000-04:00

Laid Back

Compilation

All School Flavor Vol. 1

Afros laced with colorful aliens and abstract shapes can not be beat.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-08-14T20:32:00.001-04:00

The week in Photos.

Hey. Come on, Gang. Pretty Please - with sugar on top.

You would hope that something like that would go without saying, but it doesn't seem to be the case.

Speaking of stealing, how 'bout them Bucs? They've been stealing hopes and dreams from us loyal fans now for over twenty years. Failure is a lesson you should learn early. It builds character.

Good one.

My son spent the week at skimboard camp and learned all about the joys of jock itch.

Nothing beats fresh Frankenstein maters from the garden. Slice that bad boy up for a sandwich and you got something.

It was car against trees up North. Guess who won.

Dogs in Uggs are "Duggs."

I look in the rearview and discovered that the 1980s are back. I guess that's O.K. ...

just don't end up like these guys.

Tough gig being two and a half - dress-up, tea parties and krumpets...

Now that's more like it. Bring back the seventies! Play some Skynyrd!

Careful. He's packin' a dog.

I'm not a big cat fan, but thought it only fair to include one to balance out the heavy canine vibe this week. Here's Kitler, the neighbor's feline with a Nazi mustache.

Therein lies the dreaded chigger. A few of those heathens got me good while I was Henry Thoreau-ing through the woods.

(Say - that rhymes)!

If you are getting ready to tee off on the first hole, and Mr. Planters Peanut strolls up in spats and a top hat and casually asks if he can join you, and then inquires if you would like to wager ten bucks a hole, DO NOT ACCEPT THE BET.

Popeye Spinach - helping beat up bullies since
1929.

See you next week.

Hump Day Album Cover

2011-08-10T19:45:00.000-04:00

Millie Jackson

Caught Up

The most horrifying scary movie scene ever is the half-man, half-insect caught in the web at the end of "The Fly".

This cover reminded me of it.

Sunday Evening Post

2011-08-07T21:13:00.000-04:00

Life moves forth in seven day chunks.

Fortunately, we take pictures.

Picked up this shirt for my Mother, who loved it almost as much as her dog.

A sampling of my son's light summer (bedtime) reading:

Ivan The Terrible, The Death of Captain America, and Zombie Haiku. Scary, creepy, and morbid must run in our DNA.

Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom was one of my favorite shows as a child, but Marlin Perkins' narration could not hold a candle to the talents of Randall and his commentary about the Honey Badger. We discovered it this week and it had both sides of the family in stitches.

Panda Man.

Baby Lulu.

Come on, Guys. This is serious stuff.

The roof is on the new house. I can't wait to hear it in the rain.

My nephew steps in. Long Par 5. He's got a five wood.

Cinderella Story....

My son turned ten, so in celebration we took him to Busch Gardens down in Williamsburg. He forced me to ride Apollo's Chariot twice. I will never be the same again.

Ornamental peppers.

Chocolate birthday cake never tasted so good.

Chico's Clothiers.

Chico's Bail Bonds.

Chico Marx.

See You Next Week.

The Hump Day Album Cover

2011-08-03T20:42:00.000-04:00

Beirut

East Harlem / EP

This cover has one of the best combinations known to man -

beagles and snow.

It resonates deeply with me and is a snapshot of my childhood.