From the Vault: Fool's Glod!

I've always liked westerns movies. I'm particularly fond of the Eastwood flicks like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Pale Rider, and the strange but fascinating High Plains Drifter.

A side note here: my wife and I have been watching a lot of the old Batman series off VHS tapes recently. The pair of episodes we watched last night actually featured Eli Wallach as Mr. Freeze. Eli, of course, played Tuco (i.e. the Ugly) in The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.

Back to westerns. There was a time when I wanted to be a cowboy when I grew up (I'm not convinced I've outgrown that phase) and the attached drawing is evidence of that. At first, it looks like a pretty straightforward depiction of an epic battle between two cowboys and two Native Americans. However, this battle comes with a couple twists.

• One cowboy has not only a jetpack but a DOUBLE jetpack. In this little scene, the cowboy has emptied his entire six-shooter in what I would call the unkindest shot.
  
• One Native American appears to have a rocket arrow which he's using to actually transport himself.

• The second cowboy controls some sort of auto-firing, multi-projectile launcher. It's firing knives and cannonballs with incredible efficiency.

• It appears that the entire battle revolves around a dispute about the local Glod Mine. All that fighting...more like Fool's Glod, if you ask me.

Baby Dos: Week 26

Size Comparison: a fondue pot. I know fondue pots are still around. For that matter, there are even fondue restaurants like The Melting Pot. Still, fondue pots always remind me of the avocado green pot my family had while I was growing up. Whenever birthdays came around, I'm pretty sure fondue was a pretty frequent celebratory dinner request. No doubt is was terrible for my parents to clean up but I remember that fondue sizzle with oil-splattering fondness. Besides, this was the week our pregnancy book likened the size of the baby to a 2-pound pot roast so the food comparison seemed appropriate.

Things are good. We have an appointment next week. This may be our last monthly appointment. I'm not sure on that. We'll be going down to every other week appointments shortly. We're busily trying to get ready for the new addition. I'm planning to paint Jesse's room this weekend. Once that's done, I'll move onto the baby's room. We're also pondering what to do about the whole stroller situation. Should we get a double stroller? Do we need one? We're also strongly considering a pouch carrier from Wallababy. We've heard very good things about them and the fact that they're made locally is another plus.

How about the other parents out there? How did you handle multiple kids and things like trips to the grocery store?

From the Vault: Tiny Battles

I'm fortunate that my parents saved so many things from my childhood. It's fun to go back and look through some of the photos, drawings, and writings that made up my childhood. More importantly, what do these thing tell me about the kind of kid I was? I still don't know that answer.

Anyway, here's a pretty exciting drawing. Check it out...it has everything you'd expect from a big-budget Hollywood movie. Fiery parachutes. Planes hitting helicopters. Motorcycles fitted with right-angle guns for mid-jump tank attacks. Finally, there's what appears to be the bombing of a Cord convertible. That's a lot of action to pack onto one sheet of typing paper.

I especially like the segment where it states the drawing represents WWII that Brett made. Don't count on it being historically accurate.

Canned Ham: Alarming

Your neighbors lost their alarm-clock

Three words: NOT MY PROBLEM

Breed Schmeed

I've had many pets over the years. I'm a pet person. When it comes to dogs, I tend to favor the mixed breeds. Our Maggie is a mix of...I don't know...brown dogs...and she's terrific. When we're ready to adopt another dog, we'll likely go to a local shelter and take home whatever we like. There's a good chance it'll be a mixed breed. Don't get me wrong, I like purebred dogs as well. To me, the biggest benefit to a purebred dog is the breed standards and the consistency you can expect. If I'm looking at a puppy of a certain breed, I know, based upon breed standards, the kind of adult the dog will likely be. How big? How much exercise will they need? What will their temperament be? For example, I know a Fox Terrier pup is likely to grow into an adult that's small, energetic, and constantly chasing things . And if I'm getting a dog from a reputable breeder, there's a good chance I can actually meet the pup's parents. That situation is even better. Let's face it, owning a dog is a huge responsibility that lasts many, many years. Knowing what to expect is a great idea...much better than getting a dog you're unhappy with later.

Anyway, I'm fascinated by the semi-recent popularity of hybrid/designer dog breeds. Have you noticed? I think it started with the Labradoodle but it's simply gone crazy since. Looking through the pet section of the local newspaper reveals numerous dogs with names made up of existing dog breed combinations. Even more fascinating are the asking prices for these dogs. Seriously, $1200 for something called a Havamalt?! I know they're trendy and hip but, designer or not, they're the same mixed breed dogs that have been in shelters for decades. You might you have a better idea of what the dog will grow into but I don't think there's any guarantee. Will my Poodle-Afghan Hound mix get the Poodle intelligence or the Afghan's supposed lack thereof?

Sidenote: there are still a number of mixed-breed dogs in the paper with reasonable prices (high enough to discourage those with less-than-honorable intentions but low enough to be sane) and I'm perfectly fine with those dogs and their owners. I hope these dogs don't go unwanted and unadopted because of the popular designer pups.

I'd be interested to know how the designer dog trend got started. Who first decided designer dogs were such a gold mine? I'm guessing one guy had a Lab, his neighbor had a Poodle, and, somewhere in there, the dogs got a little frisky. Just before they were about to give the pups away for free, there was a conversation between a poodle owner (PO) and an allergic friend (AF) that went something like this:

AF: Hey, do you hear that?
PO: What? The dogs barking?
AF: No, my sneezing, wheezing, scratching, and sniffly nose.
PO: But you're not sneezing, wheezing, scratching, or sniffling.
AF: Exactly!
PO: These dogs must be hyperallergenic! I'll be rich!
AF: I think you mean hypoallergenic.
PO: Whatever. I'll be rich!

On the positive side of the trend, making up dog breeds can be fun:

Spitz-Chow

Hava-Great Dane

Skye-Mal

Whippet-Whippet-Pood

Retrospective: October 1988

I have a small box of old papers that I've been sorting through. It's mostly report cards, drawings, and occasional projects from school. I'll post more about some of this later but, for now, I want to look on an interesting newspaper clipping I found stashed in amongst the teacher reviews and little league photos. The clipping is from the 10/12/1988 issue of USA Today and focuses on academic advice for students looking forward to college. It's interesting but nothing that I'm overly excited about right now. Really, I'm surprised that in the midst of mowing yards to earn money, running cross country, and just being awkward around girls, I had time to look forward to college back then (I would've been thirteen and in seventh grade at the time).

Anyway, I was about to toss out the article when I struck gold! On the back of the education article was printing the TV Ratings for the week of 10/3/1988 through 10/9/1988! I don't have the bottom section of the ratings but it's still a pretty sweet score.

So, let's look back at the top 10 shows for week:

1. The Cosby Show
2. A Different World
3. Golden Girls
4. Empty Nest
5. Dear John
6. Jesse
7. ALF
8. NFL Football/60 Minutes/Hogan Family/Tonight Show Anniversary (tie)
   

Now, the bottom 5:

1. The Cavanaughs/Bugs Bunny Special (tie)
   
2. Perfect Strangers/Wiseguy (tie)
3. Simon & Simon
4. Live! Dick Clark Presents
   

I'm shocked that Simon & Simon rated so poorly. Then again, they were on Saturday night, opposite that ratings juggernaut, Golden Girls with their Amen lead-in and Empty Nest trailer. Perfect Strangers rated surprisingly low, too. Poor Balki. I do like the fact the Perfect Strangers and Wiseguy tied. Not only did the have similar ratings but they'd make a terrific bit of crossover fan fiction.

It really is a time capsule in print. There's ALF. Mr. Belvedere. 227. Vice Presidential Debates. It's all there. But not a single reality show. And, apparently, the FOX network isn't even on the radar. How times have changed.

Baby Dos: Week 24

Size Comparison: A Capsela Kit. Ok, I never actually had Capsela. I leaned more towards Legos. But I had friends with Capsela and they always seemed interesting. Building toys have been big for a long, long time. They've grown increasingly more specialized which I find to be a bit of a bummer. Sure, the Star Wars themed Legos look cool but once you've built an X-Wing Fighter, what else do you do with all those special parts. Like Tinker Toys, Erector sets, and many Legos, Capsela was pretty open to design and redesign.

Baby Dos is growing. She's moving around a lot, too. It seems like her schedule syncs up well with ours, being more active in the evening but quieting down about the time we're going to bed. I hope the continues for, you know, the next several years.

Our appointment with the doctor went smoothly on Monday and it really was a quick checkup. The doctor listened to the heartbeat, asked if we had any questions, and confirmed that Denisa was feeling fine. All is well. The next appointment will iunclude the gestational diabetes test. As you can imagine, Denisa is really looking forward to that.

Maggie

Around nine years ago, a mixed breed dog joined our family. My in-laws own a business near the Indy airport and, one day, a dog took up residence under their dumpster. We don't know where she came from or how she came to be sleeping under a dumpster. We checked newspapers and shelters to see if anyone reported a lost dog matching her description but never found a thing. We assume someone dropped he off somewhere. Terribly sad.

Fortunately, though, my in-laws like dogs, fed her a few ham sandwiches, and took her home. Anyway, she stole my then-fiancee's heart and has been with us ever since. Maggie is part of our family and we love her dearly. She's a terrific dog but still somewhat of a mystery as we have no idea what breeds combined to create Maggie. When people ask what kind of dog she is, we usually answer with something like "brown" because that's the best we've got. There are a couple tests (Mars Wisdom Panel™ MX Mixed Breed and MetaMorphic Canine Heritage Breed) available to help track down your mixed-breed's heritage and I admit that I'm tempted. We haven't sprung for it and I doubt that we will. Still, it's an interesting proposal.

Has anyone else tried one of these tests? What was your experience? Looking at these pictures of our 23 pound brown dog, any thoughts on breed? Lab? Dachshund?

Canned Ham: Conspiracy Theory

The Secrets to Aging

I'd really like to know about this big aging cover-up. I mean, I've managed to age but that was mostly due to my own tenacious hardheadedness about not wanting to be dead.

Surely there's an easier way. There's probably some suit in a high-rise office that's keeping it from us.

Baby Dos: Week 23

Size Comparison: A Mego Action Figure (Captain America, in this case). I never had the superhero-themed Mego figures but I was fortunate enough to have the Lone Ranger and Tonto figures. They were terrific. Their size made them a lot heftier to play with than a lot of the later action figure. They were kind of on the same scale as the original G.I. Joes. What's also great is that they came with real clothes. It's a good time to look through the eBay listings to see all the toys lacking the frequently lost items of clothing. It makes for some awkward but hilarious pictures. What? It's Captain Kirk, Spock, The Hulk, and Penguin all hanging out with no pants. Interesting. I missed that comic book.

It's hard to believe we're over half of the way through the pregnancy already. It's gone by with blinding speed. The baby is getting stronger each and every day and we're feeling her movements get stronger as well. Just the other day, I could actually see the baby kick. It was just a little blip but still...pretty amazing. The growth rate is hard to believe.

Anyway, we have an appointment with the doctor this coming Monday. I believe it's just the standard checkup and won't involve anything out of the ordinary (ultrasounds, glucose test, etc.) but, still, wish us luck.

And, yes, I did refer to the baby as her but that's not because we know the baby's gender. Using he/she makes it sound a lot more personal than always using it or the baby.

All things Retro

I happened upon what it is maybe my new favorite site for all things retro. If you're into things like old toys, cars and/or bikes, Max Headroom, or, heck, almost anytyhing, check out Retro Thing.

There's an especially interesting story about how, in 1987, someone hijacked a local Chicago television signal and broadcast their own version Max Headroom. There's some good video of the hacking but, be warned, it does involve some mooning.

There's no way for me to summarize the site without continuing, as I've already done, to post way too many links. It's a good time and I plan visit Retro Thing on a regular basis.

Johnny Bench

Despite the incredibly cold weather and that fact I could see my breath while I was out in the garage, I finished the workbench this weekend. And, I must say, it's a beautiful, beautiful thing. I started with the plans for The Ultimate Tool Stand but ended up making quite a few changes. The first change being a move to building the base out of 2 x 4s rather than MDF. That was partly for economy and party because 2 x 4s fit much better than sheet goods in a 1995 Honda Civic. The other change was to use particle board instead of MDF for the flat surfaces. Again, it was a little cheaper and I doubt the work I'll be doing will be putting so much stress on the thing that I need to worry much about it falling apart.

Anyway, the feature list:

1. The whole thing is on locking casters. When I want to use it, I can roll it out . When I'm done, I roll it into the corner and my car still fits in the garage.

2. Sliding doors. Combined with the enclosed ends and the dividers, the doors create two large , nigh dust-free compartments. Plenty of space for saws, routers, etc.

3. Three removable boxes. These provide several things. First, height adjustment. If I want to work on something tall like a bicycle, I can pull the boxes off. If I'm working on something smaller, I put them back. Also, when I use a miter saw, I pull out the middle box, set the saw in its place, and the two outside boxes provide a level "feed." Removing all three boxes leaves the bench at a good height to line up with my table saw...a perfect outfeed surface.

4. Clamp space. The open area sandwiched between the top and bottom of the boxes, provide ample space to clamp things. Per the Ultimate Tool Stand, I still have the ability to cut grooves into the boxes which would provide even more clamping capability.

5. It's incredibly strong. A lot stronger than I expected.

6. I think the whole thing cost me around $50. Not bad.

I'm still thinking I may coat the horizontal surfaces with polyurethane. That would definitely help smooth and protect the surface. Of course, it needs to get a lot warmer before I can even thing about doing that.

High Yield Hybrid

Warning: I'm all over the place with this one.

Word is the Toyota Prius outsold the Ford Explorer in 2007. It's an interesting statistic and I think it does say something about the nation's changing attitudes towards car purchases, fuel economy, and the environment. However, I'm not sure it says that much.

Comparing the sales of two similar vehicles is a good indicator of buyer preferences. Looking at sales for a Honda Civic vs. those for a Volkswagen Jetta seems like a valid comparison. But, once that comparison starts spanning completely different market segments, the validity of the comparison drops. This is especially true when the different market segments are as vastly different in size and scope as large SUVs and hybrid cars. Let's face, if a buyer is looking for an SUV, the Explorer is only one option out of dozens. What manufacturer doesn't build a SUV? On the other hand, a buyer looking for a hybrid car, can choose from, what, a handful options? An even better comparison would be to compare sales of hybrid Civics with their non-hybrid counterparts. Those interested in the SUV market would be advised to check the numbers of something like the hybrid and non-hybrid Toyota Highlanders.

Somewhat related is that the Prius dramatically outsells its closest competitor, the Honda Civic hybrid. One would think the Civic, having been around since the mid-1970s, would have a strong following of previous owners. Is the difference due to Prius having been around a few more years than the Civic hybrid? Or, does it have more to do with the image of hybrid cars and hybrid car owners as this editorial argues? Is there something to be said for flaunting one's greenness.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I'm not anti-hybrid by any means. I do question whether hybrids are a long-term answer to ongoing fuel issues and I'm hesitant to put that much money into something that's a band-aid. If a hybrid makes financial sense when we're looking for our next car, we'll certainly consider it. If it comes down to me having to drive the car fifteen years for the fuel savings to catch up with the extra expenditure...well...it's probably not going to happen.

Anyway, hybrid sales for November of 2007 made up less than 3% of "light duty" vehicle sales. I think that's still a dramatic upswing from some past numbers but there's still a long way to go. Keep it up, hybrids, my checkbook is watching.

Baby Steps

Jesse took his first unassisted steps over the weekend! He's been able to cruise along furniture for months and, recently, he'd been able to walk while holding onto just our fingers but this was the first time he's done it without any help.

He was holding onto a kitchen chair and, after a lot of encouragement, he finally let go, took about 4 steps, and fell into my arms. Initially, Jesse wasn't all that excited about it but once we started clapping and laughing, so did he. He hasn't done much walking since but he did take a few more steps last night.

My Main Man is getting to be such a big boy.

Baby Dos: Week 20

I don't have a size comparison this week. Instead, I have something even better...a picture from our ultrasound last Thursday. We were pleased to find that everything looks great. They measured bones, checked the heart, checked other organs, and did just about everything BUT inform us of the baby's gender. Again, we chose not to find out the baby's gender during the ultrasound, preferring to be surprised at the birth. I have a gut-feeling as to whether the baby is a boy or a girl so we'll see if that's right. On top of all that, Baby Dos was measuring within a couple days of what was expected so, in theory, our previous estimated due date of around May 23rd/24th should be about as close as can be expected.

If you're dying for a dose of retro, I did see a pretty nice Fiero on the drive to work. It was a white GT fastback model so it would've had the beefier V6 engine and, potentially, some beefier suspension components. It was also sporting a black set of classic Pontiac starburst wheels. I'm going to guess it was 1987 but I don't know for sure. It was pretty similar to the one found here. I tell you what, the Fiero is one of the most underrated vehicles made. It was always a good car for what it was intended...a commuter car for short trips around town. Unfortunately, the public expected a mid-engine, two seater to be, you know, a sports car. It's a shame the Fiero didn't evolve into a sports car (and a fine one, at that) until the public had already decided it would never be one. By then, it was too late. Sigh.

A New Frontier

I stopped buying monthly comic books a few months ago. That was a big deal for me if for no other reason than than I'd been making a semi-weekly trip to the comic shop for several years. It's not that I've given up on comics as that's certainly not the case. If anything, I'm more into them than ever. But that stoppage has freed up both time and money (but mostly time) to invest in reading either graphic novels or collected reprints of monthly comics. I enjoy having everything "right there". There's no waiting for next month's issue. There's no trying to figure out what I missed before I started picking up a title. Anyway, I've written about that before.

I've read some books I've really enjoyed. I liked DC's Showcase Presents: Jonah Hex. I also really enjoyed Superman: Secret Identity. Of course, I've also read some that I didn't care for like Son of Superman.

Most recently, I've been reading DC: The New Frontier. It was published a few years ago so I'm a little behind the game as I only found out about it recently. And that was only because of an email I received about the upcoming animated movie based on the book. I've got to say, the book(s) (it's actually published in two volumes) have blown me away. Here's why:

1. It's a great story. It spans several decades, weaving several generations of characters into a something that ultimately gives us the first incarnation of the Justice League. Characters that really don't interact...ever...are meeting under believable circumstances. Obviously, it's a comic book so I'm using a pretty loose interpretation of the term "believable". Still, it's impressive.


2. It's set during the mid-/late-fifties. Why is that a big deal? Well, first, it's about the time the Justice League was actually developed (1960). Several of the individual characters like the Hal Jordan Green Lantern (1959) and the Barry Allan Flash (1956) also debuted during that timeframe. In other words, it's not a modernized version of the characters. It's not taking place in some other dimension. The time feels real and there are plenty of semi-accurate historical tidbits.


3. More important than the time of the setting is the mood of the setting. The time period just fits, for lack of a better term. Space was a mystery. Communism was a threat. The heroes of the day were astronauts, test pilots, veterans not juiced up athletes or grandstanding celebrities. People had a genuine sense of duty and honor. I don't know. It's not like I was alive during the 1950s so maybe I'm just being nostalgic for a time that at least appears less murky than today.


4. It does justice to the characters. There seems to be a trend to make comic book characters...you know...trendy. They've been created and recreated to make them more human and more flawed...ordinary people with flaws. The thing with DC: The New Frontier is that, while the character still have flaws, these characters were, at their core, extraordinary even without the powers. If they weren't extraordinary...well, that's where the supervillians come from. Anyway, the heros (superpowered and otherwise) inspire courage which, I think, is what they're meant to do.


5. It introduced me to characters the I either a) didn't know about or b) was unfamiliar with. The Challengers of the Unknown. The Sea Devils. The Suicide Squad. I'll be looking them up.


6. The Flash and Green Lantern, awesome characters that tend to get overshadowed by Superman and Batman, save the day. The Flash is fast. Really, REALLY fast. Seriously.

There's good interview with Darwyn Cooke, the author and artist behind DC: The New Frontier, on the Comic Book Resource site. He hits on a lot the things I mentioned. After this, I will be checking out some of his other work.

Check out the trailer for the animated movie.

2008 is Enough

2007 was a huge year at the RetroBrett house(s). To name a few of the big things to happen:

1. Sold our over-big house.
2. Didn't buy multiple houses.
3. Moved to an over-small apartment.
4. Bought a reasonably sized house and moved in.
5. Sold a car.
6. Bought a car.
7. Successfully parented our first child.
8. Found out we're having a second child.
9. Went on a Men's retreat.
10. Paid off all debts except the house.
11. Stopped buying comic books (that really was big for me).

2008 is looking better than ever. It's comforting to look at the above list and realize the most stressful events (i.e. the house/car things) shouldn't be happening again in 2008. Trust me...we're NOT moving in 2008. In theory, it should be a quiet year, right? Well, we'll see. Having the second child is our really big thing and that alone guarantees the year won't be quiet we couldn't possibly be more excited about it.

Anyway, as is customary with a new year, I have a list of resolutions that I hope to implement in 2008. Ok, I started to make this list but realized that everything kind of fell under one BIG resolution. So, one resolution with a lot of sub-resolutions/results.

1. FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS! Seriously, don't get distracted by meaningless junk...tv, computer games, self critisism, etc.

• Finish reading the Bible. I guess I’ll never really finish reading the Bible but I do want to finish this pass through. I’m deep into Psalms right now.

• Read for pleasure. My to-read list gets longer every week.

• Get up earlier. When I do, I want to actually use that time for drawing, sculpting, writing...creating in general.

• Actually work on my list of creative projects. I have notebooks FULL of ideas and sketches. They aren't doing any good there.
  

• Continue to fix up/organize the house. Paint. Finish the workbench. Fence the yard. Again, a long list.

• Follow our written budget.

• Stick to a fitness program. I really need some cardio work. And putting on a few extra pounds wouldn’t hurt.

2008, bring it on!

Canned Ham: Regular Users

This is a very special installment of the RetroBrett Canned Ham How it is special? Well, it's RetroBrett's very first SimulBlog. At the very time this Canned Ham is posted, my friend and fellow blogger over at Professional Cool is blogging about the very same subject. No, not about spam. Rather, he's blogging about the subject of this particular spam. That subject? Colon cleansers.

(America’s Favorite Colon Cleanse Try it Free)

Yes, America has spoken. In a poll of several hundred users of colon cleanser, this one was chosen as the least detestable of them all.

I also like that the subject is in parenthesis. It's like the email is sharing some kind of secret that only the "in people" know.

In related spam, I almost always delete any email coming from the sender Colon Flush. Ok, I always delete them.

Baby Dos: Week 19

Size Comparison: Masters of the Universe Moss Man figure

I felt Baby Dos move the other night! That was the first time I've been able to feel the baby. Amazing! The pregnancy feels more and more real each week.

Ah, Moss Man...he's like a breath of fresh, moss-scented air. Seriously, the original Masters of the Universe Moss Man toy was scented. Really. You just don't find many scented action figures. A new version came out with the 2002 cartoon series but it was some kind of MOTU exclusive thing. You can pick one up on eBay or, if you can pick up a cheap Beast Man figure, you can customize your own. Me? I'll go with the latter at some point. It'll go well with my custom Faker figure.

Canned Ham: We all scream

Re: Be the a la mode with our cheapo watch.

I suppose if I were "a la mode" I could, technically, be "fashionable" or "stylish". Me? I'd prefer to think the a la mode version of myself to be pretty much the same as usual...but with ice cream.

So Long, Star

Well, I sold the Star the Moped. Yep, someone bought and took it home last night. It's a little saddening as I did put a lot of work into the thing. And it had a lame coolness that I'll miss. Still, I made a decent amount money on it...probably a $100 more than I put into it. That's a good thing. Of course, if I look at the hours I invested, it probably translates to me earning something like $1/hour. Those were enjoyable hours, though, so looking at the hourly income is a little meaningless.

Anyway, I have some extra cash. And I have a pretty significant chunk of my garage floorspace back. I'm happy about both of those things.

I was also happy to see the moped go to a good home. I know that sounds silly and part of my means it to be silly. There's another part of me that's serious. The new owners live in Bloomington, Indiana and it sounds like they have a pretty close group of fellow moped riders. Star will get to feel the thrill of the open road far more often than it ever did with me.

So long, Star. The journey we shared was slow, sometimes hard-starting, and often frightening. More importantly, that journey was always fun. Thanks.

Baby Dos: Week 17

Size Comparison: A Choose Your Own Adventure novel

Ok, I missed a week. I'm sorry. Relax. Anyway, everything is still looking good. I think Denisa is officially feeling the baby move. From what I've been told, it's a weird fluttering sensation. It'll be a few weeks before I can feel anything but this definitely psychs me up a bit. Denisa is doing well. She's at a point where it's no longer really safe to sleep on her back due to the circulation issues. That's not just her. That's all pregnancies at this stage.

We have the big ultrasound scheduled for early January. This will be the one with extra time spent measuring bones, checking organs, etc. This would also be the ultrasound where we could potentially find out the gender of Baby Dos. We don't want to know but, you know, if we did...

So, Choose Your Own Adventure. I enjoyed these though I don't think I ever had or read all that many of them. I did own "You are a shark" and I remember that being a good time. Specifically, I remember being a wombat in the story. A little obscure but I guess I learned some biology while reading about how I was about to be eaten by a leopard or something.

Canned Ham: Too Little, Too Late

Seriously, I could've used this email about a century ago...I would've been very cutting edge.

20th Century Jobs are Now Available.

• Newsie
• Bodyguard for Warren G. Harding
• Crystal Pepsi taste tester
• Speakeasy Manger
• Gaslight lighter
• Telegraph Operator
  
• Cobbler
• IBM punch card operator
• Packard Mechanic

Hipster

As I was unpacking a few weeks ago, I found my stack of extra index cards that I had been using to supply my Hipster PDA. What's a Hipster PDA? Well, for those of you unfamiliar with it, it's an extremely low tech system of managing one's time/to-do list. I'm typically low tech. And, I'm typically on the lookout for better ways to manage my time. So, when I heard about the Hipster PDA a year ago, it appealed to me.

The general idea is that you take a stack of ultra cheap index cards, clip them together with an alligator-type paper clip, and use these to track your to-do list. I personally like the cards with the color coded margins as they help feed my need for organization (I use a different color for various task categories) but they aren't quite as obnoxious as the full color pastel cards. In theory, you're supposed to use one card for each item on your list. I don't follow these guidelines exactly but it's pretty close. I use one card for each big item on my list. These include creative projects, house projects, or anything else that will involve multiple steps and/or days. I usually top the card with the idea and use the rest of the card to write down sub-ideas, shopping lists, measurements, sketches, etc. For instance, I used a card for the rotary phone project and I quickly filled it up by listing the various supplies I'd need and what I spent on them...kind of like a project diary. I veer from the Hipster PDA's guidelines putting all my immediate/current week tasks on a single card. This is usually filled with things like mailing something, stopping at the grocery store, and, occasionally, the sub-tasks from the other cards.

I like the concept of the Hipster PDA. I used it pretty faithfully last winter. Unfortunately, I strayed last spring when we got wrapped up in our move. Ironically, that was when I was busiest and really could've used better time management. Anyway, I'm trying to get back in the habit. And before you ask, I do reuse and recycle cards.

Baby Dos: Week 15

Size Comparison: Nearly full pouch of Big League Chew

We had an doctor appointment yesterday. Everything looks great. After some searching, the doctor found a good strong heartbeat. It’s a little disconcerting to NOT immediately hear a heartbeat on the little Doppler device. No matter how reassuring the doctor's words are, that period of concern is frightening. But, no, the baby was just a little lower than expected. No big deal. The doctor said the location wasn’t a problem…just a matter of logistics. Good news.

We’re working on cleaning up the new baby’s room. My wife has cleared just about all of her stuff out of there but I’ve still got a few boxes sitting around in there…mostly comic books, art supplies, and some random collectibles. I hope to have that taken care of by the end of the year so we can get started on painting the new nursery.

Big League Chew. Wow, bubble gum designed to look like chewing tobacco. Seriously, chewing tobacco. It was, of course, a big hit at the little league games. You know, kids cramming as much of it into their mouths as possible. I don’t think I ever bought that much of it but, when I did, I think I always opted for the grape flavor. I don’t remember the flavor lasting all that long and I don’t think it was great for blowing bubbles…too much of a grainy texture.

First Birthday: Retro Style

Jesse turned one this past Friday. Unfortunately, he had to celebrate with his one-year checkup at the doctor. A few minutes of poking and prodding combined with four shots kind of put a damper on his day. Saturday, however, was party day! Jesse invited his grandparents, great grandparents, aunts and uncles, and a couple friends over for cake and celebration. Based on Jesse's reaction to his first taste of cake, it looks like it successfully offset the unpleasantness of the previous day's shots.

It's incredible to think where we (and Jesse) were last year at this time. Just twelve months ago, Jesse weighed seven pounds and fifteen ounces. His diet was extremely limited. He slept a ton. And we could comfortably set him down (in a safe place!) without worrying about whether he'd stay there when we turned our back. Now? Oh no. He's twenty-five pounds and two ounces, his second tooth just broke through the other day, and he is all over the place. He's not slowing down, either.

The year has been stressful. But, even bigger than the stress, the year has been more rewarding than I'd ever imagined. Seeing Jesse develop his skills, personality, and, (most noticeably) his sense of humor has been a joy.

Oh yes, Jesse's cake...that was Mommy and Daddy's idea. It's not exactly the shape of a 1968 Dodge Charger but the effect works. And the concept of the pull-apart cake/cupcake is pretty sweet.

Unpacking: Monkeys with Jetpacks

Unpacking from our semi-recent move has been and interesting experience. To be honest, I’m really getting anxious to wrap it up. Fortunately, we’re to a point where there are really only two places that need work. The first is the new baby’s room. It’s not packed with stuff but it is housing a lot of things like comic books (a side note, I’ve cut my comic book collection down from 7 boxes to 3), my unassembled drawing table, and some sewing/quilting supplies. Having my art supplies so inaccessible hurts my heart. The second place is half of the garage. Granted, most of what’s in the garage is stuff that will stay in the garage--tools, sporting goods, lawn/garden stuff--but the trouble is that it’s piled in with absolutely no system. Not being able to find things in the garage is frustrating. And not having room to park my car in the garage isn't helping.

On the plus side, we are making progress. The other night, my wife sorted through yet another box of old books, setting aside a number of them to either give to Goodwill or post on Craigslist. I also unpacked a box of office things and old projects. The most notable thing I found was my homemade monkey sculpture shown in the attached images. The little simian did suffer a bit during the move. A foot, a hand, and a few pieces of the based had to be glued back on. He’s fixed up and he’s back in fighting shape once again.

What’s next on the unpacking to-do list?

- Get some garage storage in place. I’m getting started on a modified version of this workbench. Some shelving is also in the in the works.

- Reduce our number of work surfaces. We’ve got a computer desk, a school desk with a sewing machine, an antique desk, drawing table, and a craft table. It’s crazy. Surely we can organize these to do double duty.

- Figure out where the re-evaluated work surfaces will go. Move them.

- Sort the bookcase designated as “mine.” When I unpacked the boxes of books, I just threw things up on the shelves. I’ve got Harry Potter books on three different shelves. I’ve got Ian Fleming next to a devotional, Constructive Anatomy next to Narnia, DIY stuff next to Musashi. How is it NOT driving my librarian wife crazy? I know it bothering me.

Wish us luck.

Canned Ham: Kohler than cool

During some previous home improvement project, I signed onto the Kohler Kitchen and Bath site to get diagrams of a particular faucet I was disassembling. As a results, I occasionally get emails from Kohler about new products, specials, etc. It's pretty standard stuff but the wording is often amusing. This one arrived just a couple minutes ago:

Make an artistic statement in the bathroom

Yeah. That's not art.

Baby Dos: Week 14

Size Comparison: a Schaper Stomper 4x4

The baby is a growin'! We'll have another appointment with the doctor next week so maybe we'll have more news then. There problem won't be another ultrasound unless, of course, it's like last month and the Doppler device doesn't zero in on the baby's heartbeat. NOT hearing the heartbeat made for some very nervous minutes. The ultrasound (image posted below) showed that everything was perfectly fine and moving around like crazy. Anyway, I'm guessing the heartbeat will be a little louder so maybe it'll be easier to hear. It was running at around 158 beats per minute last month...we'll see how it compares this time. Otherwise, we're wondering when Denisa will be able to feel the baby moving. Soon, if not already.

I had a few of the Schaper Stompers as a kid. Ok, I actually had them up through a couple month ago when I sold them on eBay. In any case, they were a blast. Actually pretty powerful for a single AA battery juicing four wheels. They'd climb just about anything and, believe me, I tried getting them to climb just about everything.

Phone Envy No More!

There's a previous post regarding a certain rotary phone I happened upon at the local Goodwill store. It really wasn't all that impressive at the time. Don't misunderstand, the fact that it was a rotary phone means it already has a lot going for it. However, there was certainly room for improvement. This baby had a lot of potential.

Over the last few weeks, I've weaseled in time to trick out the phone. It's not perfect but I think it's looking pretty sweet. I was tempted to tweak it even more but I'd just about reached the limits as to what could be done before the phone was no longer fully functional. As it is, it works for both ingoing and outgoing calls.

I'll let the images and video speak for themselves.

Book Review: Journal of the Gun Years by Richard Matheson

I admit that I love westerns. I know that western books and movie aren't exactly in these days (though I do know there are several new western flicks either out or on the way that might juice up the genre) but, then again, I'm rarely in. To be completely honest, I claim to be a big fan but I haven't extensively explored the genre. I've seen several Eastwood spaghetti westerns and I've read a handful of books but those barely scratch the surface of the Western. I'm working on changing that. I recently watched The Magnificent Seven for the first time (excellent, by the way) and I'm reading a huge 500+ page collection of Jonah Hex comics.

Anyway, I did recently read Journal of the Gun Years by Richard Matheson. I enjoyed it, of course (if I don't enjoy something, I have no qualms about putting it down). I had previously read some of Matheson's western work and this book definitely felt similar to The Gunfight. In fact, some of it was very similar but it didn't feel repetitive. I haven't bothered to look to see which book came first but that really doesn't matter.

Journal of the Gun Years follows the life of a young man as he finds himself growing into a gunfighter both feared and famous. It's interesting to see his rise to fame, his astonishment at his own fame, and how it all changes him. Yes, there's plenty of action but it's never really the focal point. It's almost a coming-of-age kind of story. It just happens that the coming-of-age involves a lot of gun play, some feudin', and a lot of fussin'. Good stuff.

Go for the head,
RB

Baby Dos (dose): Week 13

Size Comparison: Shipwreck GI Joe Figure.

If you’re reading Retro Brett, we’ve really probably met. In fact, we’re probably reasonably close friends and/or family. Let’s face it, I’m not exactly getting a lot of strangers checking out the site. Anyway, if we’re that close, the fact that my wife and I are expecting our second child probably comes as no surprise to you.

I’ll be honest, finding out that we’re expecting a second child did come as a surprise to me. Don’t get me wrong, it was an incredibly happy surprise but, still, as surprise. After it took so long (close to two years) to get pregnant with Jesse, I wasn’t really anticipating a pregnancy after only one or two months of NOT trying not to have another child. When we found out, I actually thought it was funny. I genuinely laughed out loud. I’m still laughing about it. It’s extremely exciting. It’ll mean some big changes. And, even though it’s a little scary, I’m surprisingly unstressed about it. Watch out world!

Continuing the Retro Brett tradition of comparing the current size of our new baby to something retro and cool, Baby Dos is about the size of one of the GI Joe figures I remember from my early/mid eighties childhoods. I picked Shipwreck for the visual as he struck me as one of the most memorable characters from both the toy and the cartoon series. Really, he’s got a parrot? Seriously? Ok, maybe Snake-Eyes is more popular but he certainly not as colorful.

I’ll get an ultrasound picture posted shortly.

You know, I wish that I had Jesse's books

My wife and I love reading. We hope that’s something we’ll be able to pass down to Jesse. Of course, Jesse is just about a year old so he’s currently more interested in grabbing, pulling, and biting books than actually listening to a story of any length. Still, there was a period when he was a lot less mobile and I really enjoyed reading to him (I still do but I just have to understand he’ll probably be petting the dog, pulling pillows off the couch, or banging on something [maybe me] while I read). I especially liked going back and sharing with Jesse some of the books I loved as a kid. Danny and the Dinosaur by Sid Hoff stands out. As does the Harry the Dirty Dog series by Gene Zion. And how can I forget just about anything by Shel Silverstein?

We’ve also stumbled upon the work of contemporary author/artist by the name of Adam Rex. We first found his Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich at an independent bookseller in my hometown and I immediately fell in love with the artwork. He manages to create work that is both whimsical (I never thought I use that word in this blog) and realistic. The writing is also fun and imaginative. One of my favorite poems of Rex’s is titled Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Henderson and involves one Dr. Jekyll drinking the wrong potion prior to a dinner party. Instead of the monstrous Hyde, Jekyll transforms into Henderson, a dull but no less terrifying insurance salesman. Excellent stuff. That said, the book was part of Jesse’s Christmas last year and we’ve read through it on multiple occasions. We’ve also read Rex’s Tree Ring Circus which was also quite entertaining though I’m personally fond of the vampires, werewolves, and zombies in Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich.

I’m always on the lookout for children’s book suggestions. Does anyone have additional recommendations?

Canned Ham: Add this to my Christmas List

Take better pictures with a Cannon Camera

Is there such a thing as a Cannon Camera? If so, I needs me one. As for the "better pictures" part, I'm pretty they'd all end up featuring some kind explosion. Which, you know, would be pretty sweet.

The H-Bomb is ours!

Well, we've finally done it. My wife dropped the very last of our car payments off at the bank the other day. As of now, our 2005 Hyundai Tucson, the car I affectionately call "The H-Bomb" is ours. That last payment was a doozy, covering probably a couple years of monthly payments but, boy howdy, does it feel good to have it done. Now, all we have to do is wait for the title. And, from now on, NO MORE CAR PAYMENTS! At least not if we can help it.

As for the debt situation, all we have left is the house. That puts us through the first 3 steps of Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps to financial peace:

	$1,000 to start an Emergency Fund
	Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball
	3 to 6 months of expenses in savings
	Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement
	College funding for children
	Pay off home early
	Build wealth and give!
	Invest in mutual funds and real estate

We got steps 2 and 3 out of order but, hey, works for us. Step 4 should be cleared once we get to our annual opportunity to adjust our 401(k) account.

I have to admit, though, that I'm disappointed not to find "Purchase Ferrari 308 GTS" on the list. These are just guidelines, right?

Canned Ham: Once in a Lifetime

This one sounds rather ominous:

Live Complete Life Today!!

I mean, what if I want to live my complete life as it happens? Why rush it?

Go for their head,
Retro Brett

Book Review: World War Z by Max Brooks

I recently finished reading Max Brook’s World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War and I must admit I liked it. The gist of the book is that it’s been several years since the Great Panic, a pandemic sized outbreak of zombie-ism (a word?). Essentially, mankind was nearly wiped out with the earth overrun by the undead. Even years after figuring out how to battle the threat, things are still a little shaky. Entire islands are still “white zones” and completely infested by zombies.

The book is well written and interesting. The nitty-gritty details of the Great Panic and mankind’s recovery are told in the manner of one individual interviewing numerous survivors. The “voices” of the interviewees sometimes blend together but that never detracted from the book and I actually really liked the format. The book definitely gives what feels like very personal accounts. It also offers a very wide variety of views ranging from dog trainers specializing in zombie recon to a blind Asian monk living in the wilderness to a family fleeing to the Arctic where zombies would freeze (though the do thaw just fine).

I did like that Brooks kept zombies in their place. There was no dressing them up into intelligent and agile predators to make them more threatening. No, these were the classic slow-moving creatures with poor motor skills and zero intellect. Being as “weak” as they are, you wouldn’t think they be a threat, would you? It’s like being pursued by a knife-wielding tree sloth, right? Wrong. Brooks manages to make the situation dire. For example, one interview involves a downed pilot having to hoof it up an overpass to reach a helicopter rendezvous. She has a leg injury and is pursued by zombies. This is problem enough. But then she encounters zombies reaching out at her from car windows despite being trapped by their own seatbelt. Creepy.

The sheer scale of World War Z is impressive, too. It's global and the event unfold over several years and isn't limited to a small group of people stuck in a farmhouse or holed up in a shopping mall. I also addresses questions that I often ask (and am asked by others). How would the military react to an undead enemy that never tires, has no emotion, and can not be threatened? Where would people go to escape? An island? Underground? What if outbreaks occurred there? Zombies don’t need to breathe, what about those that end up underwater?

A side note about that book involves some of the reviews I read on Amazon. Specifically, there were readers that claimed this book was leftist propaganda. There were other readers that claimed this book was rightist propaganda. There’s no doubt that Brooks makes some pretty heavy-handed insinuations about several groups and a number of unnamed but stereotyped people but I can’t say the book is either left or right. I think it would be more accurate to say he simply takes shots at things like the pride, stupidity, and greed that put mankind at risk.

If you like zombies, read the book. Interesting stuff. In the meantime, check out the risk calculator to see how likely you are to survive a zombie outbreak (I scored a measly 39%). Otherwise, remember to go for their head.

More like Funky Winker-MEAN (Part 2 of 2)

I greatly admire the really good cartoonists. I like the poignancy of Peanuts. The offbeat humor of The Far Side always gets me. And I’m amazed at how Calvin and Hobbes can make you laugh and make you think (perhaps I’ll follow up with another entry specifically on Bill Watterson and his creation). I know those three strips are no longer in development but let’s not forget that there are certainly some terrific comics in production today. I think Mr. Boffo by Joe Martin is terrific but surprisingly unknown. Speed Bump by Dave Coverly is interesting and works well. And Dilbert by Scott Adams reaches people that would never pick up the funny pages otherwise.

[Warning: rants ahead]

There’s a downside, of course. Maybe it’s because I love comics so much that it hurts so much to see them so...not good. My issues start with the newspapers themselves. Several decades ago, a decent Sunday paper might have a comics section of 30+ pages. And each of those Sunday strips might have half a page with which to work. Considering the real estate allotted to comics today, that’s astounding. I think the Indy Star, a reasonably “large” paper, prints something like six pages of Sunday funnies with the strips being little larger than the minuscule weekday strips. Add to that the fact that the first two panels (essentially the first line) of today’s Sundays have to be “throw away” work to be printed or not printed at the paper’s discretion and…well…it’s bad.

The other downside? The strips. They simply aren’t funny. Now I could probably read Flash Gordon, Tarzan, or Spider-Man but those aren’t intended to be funny. But, c’mon, has anyone read Funky Winkerbean in the last ten years? Seriously, alcoholism, cancer, chemotherapy, death, missing limbs, lost biological parents, etc. It sounds more like a season of Degrassi Junior High than anything funky. Of course, the odd thing is that I actually read Funky but only because the thing's a train wreck. Then there are the reprints of Peanuts. Reprints?! Not cool. It seems like most of what’s left in the funnies are heavy-handed political or social commentary. Asking readers to think about an issue is great. Unfortunately, so much of it now is the literary equivalent of a sucker punch in the face…with brass knuckles…embossed with some kind of bumper sticker-ism. Ugg. Don't we get enough of that from John Mellencamp?

I do have hope. Most notably, that hope springs from the web. Nowhere can one get their work “out there” as easily as on the web. The possibilities are endless. Online comics can be animated, any length, color, black and white, you name it. Sure, it creates even more competition for the printed strips. And, yes, the ease of online publishing has created a sea of junk which makes it difficult to find “the good stuff”. Mr. Boffo, Speed Bump, and Dilbert are all available online so that’s a plus. While I’m surfing, maybe I’ll find something else new and, you know, not painful.

Perhaps I’ll review the work of Scott McCloud and his views on web comics. Pretty interesting stuff. In the meantime, I’m breaking out The Authoratative Calvin and Hobbes and The Prehistory of the Far Side.

Maybe this should've been 3 parts.

More like Funky Winker-MEAN (Part 1 of 2)

I’ve always loved comics. I love comic books. I love comic strips. The former has been mentioned before. The latter probably hasn’t. Nevertheless, I remember being a little kid and spreading out the full color Sunday funny pages to pour over the funny pages. I still have a number of anthologies of my favorites, Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side. Their creators, Bill Watterson and Gary Larson, respectively, inspired me to nurture my own creativity, writing, and artwork.

While I was in college, I had the opportunity to attend the triennial Festival of Cartoon Art at Ohio State University. That was 1998 (the list of events/speakers is still available online). For a comic guy, it really was a blast. Kind of my own one-man adventure. I heard the legendary Will Eisner (creator of The Spirit) speak. That alone would’ve been worth the trip. But that wasn’t it. I also heard and greatly enjoyed hearing Dave Coverly (creator of Speed Bump), Patrick McDonnell (of Mutz), and Ted Rall (editorial cartoonist for Rolling Stone, NY Times, Washington Post). My only regret is that I didn’t stick around for the second day to hear Jeff Smith (creator of Bone) and Art Spiegelman(creator of Maus). [Sigh] Unfortunately, I’ve only recently become interested in these last two artists and writers. FYI: The 2007 Festival of Cartoon Art is coming up near the end of October.

My love of comics went so far as to prompt me to submit my own comic strip for syndication. The strip was promptly turned down by…well…ALL the syndicates. It was heartbreaking but, looking at my old copies of that strip, I can certainly understand why it wasn’t picked up. First and foremost, it wasn’t any good. I probably don’t need to expand on that though I will look for my original character sheets. I'm somewhat hopeful they were lost in our recent move. Not really.

Anyway, there’s my history with the funnies. I know it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the negative title of this blog entry. It'll make more sense after I post Part 2 which will focus more on what I don’t love about comics. Stay tuned. That sounds about as much fun as reading the latest Funky Winkerbean.

Canned Ham: Columbus Day

In honor of Columbus Day, I'm posting the spam I received last year at Columbus Day:

World isn't round. It's dirty!

I guess I'm not sure why the world can't be both round AND dirty.

Photo Op: A Boy and His Dog

Not much to say. I just love these pictures.

Book Review: Wild At Heart by John Eldredge

It’s not often I start a book and don’t finish it. Wild at Heart by John Eldredge is an exception in that way. As it is, I got 30 pages into Wild at Heart and had to stop. Seriously, I had to stop. There is something to be said for reading challenging texts and I strongly encourage the seeking of challenges. But Wild at Heart isn’t challenging…at least not a positive way.

Interesting, though, how timing sometimes works. I had starting writing a scathing review of Eldredge and Wild At Heart last week and I was all set to polish it up and post it today. Then we went to church (Northview Christian Life) and the sermon touched on the topic of criticism and some of its consequences. It made me rethink just how harsh I wanted to be. Particularly within the venue of an almost wholly one-sided blog.

There are plenty of other online reviews of Wild At Heart and I doubt mine would have had all that much to add. Note: if you search for reviews on Wild At Heart do not stop with the reader reviews on Amazon. Dig for more thorough, scripture-based reviews. There is a huge difference.

Would I recommend the book to others? Not likely. Especially in light of all the other terrific, more complete, and less flawed books available. I, for one, picked up John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life and, so far, so good.

RetroBrett: In Like Flint

If there's ever a RetroBrett movie, I think the part of Brett should be played by a young James Coburn.

I can't think of anyone more suited to the role than Our Man Flint.

2 New Goals

I have a number goals and I think I may have touched on them in the past. Many of them deal with family, work, time management, health, my ability to do (or not do) a handstand, etc. You know, the standard New Year's Resolution type of things. Recently, I've added a couple new goals:

1. Read more.
And I don't mean just staring at a page. I really want to dig into the text. Specifically, I want to devote more effort to reading the Bible but it applies to other things as well. I think this will also force me to be more discriminating in what I read. This side effect will come up more in my upcoming review of John Eldredge's book, Wild At Heart.

2. Pray constantly.
I have a horrible habit of hearing a prayer need, noting it for future reference, and failing to ever actually pray on the need. Anyway, I'm working on praying immediately when a need is recognized. This one is actually reasonably easy as the prayer often takes the same time and effort as making the mental note.

The Bronze/Pottery Anniversary

My lovely wife and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary yesterday. From what I've read, it's supposed to be the bronze/pottery anniversary. We celebrated with neither. Actually, we enjoyed a terrific night out last weekend while my parents watched Jesse for us (Thanks, Mom and Dad).

With the few extra years of dating at Ball State, we've been together nearly 11 years. It's been amazing. It really doesn't seem like it's been that long. As my wife said, it seems like we were just going to Fazoli's on our first date, using the dorm room desks for a dining room table, and making an evening of going to the Muncie Wal-Mart.

A lot has changed. Sure, I miss the simplicity of college life. And I certainly miss having the flexibility of the college schedule. Let's face it, homework can always be done in the middle of the night...planning a fun date needs to happen now. On the other hand, I think we've really grown with all the changes. Maybe when things like free time grow scarce, we realize their true value. It didn't hurt that I was younger and sleep seemed a lot less important (and necessary).

I'm excited about our future. Really excited. Even in the last year or two, we've really grown closer to each other. We've grown closer to God. And we're really working on growing closer to God as a couple. I see that trend continuing.

Thanks you for 8 + 3 awesome years.

Canned Ham: We should all contest this

I usually limit my collection of funny email subjects to only those that I receive as spam. This subject line represents one of the exceptions as it came from an apartment search/rating website that I used during our recent series of relocations.

Last Chance to Enter the Possession Obsession Contest

On the one hand, it's semi-funny. It's no Reportduckling or pain tolerance test but it's somewhat humorous to think of the possible meanings. I mean, do I win by being the most obsessed? Or, if the obsession the prize? Maybe the prize is an exorcism.

On the other hand, I actually find the subject line a tad offensive. Seriously, is this a contest glorifying possessions? Even glorifying obsession? Merriam-Webster defines obsession as "a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling". Is this something to praise? Maybe part of what disturbs me is that there are people actually playing this contest...though, I guess, many of us play the "possession obsession" game every day. I know I certainly do. After all, my previous most was about a collector car auction and a $650k Cobra.

Anyway, thanks, but no thanks.

Auburn 2007: Sale-A-Bration

For me, Labor Day translates to my annual trip to the Kruse Auction Park in Auburn, IN for what's grown into one of the largest collector car auctions in the country. My Dad and I have been going each year since I was a little kid...back when the auction filled a high school football field. Now they have 480 acres and they expect to have 5,000 cars for sale. For a car-guy like me--especially one that loves old cars--it's incredible.

This year was no different. A few of the highlights:

1. $650k Cobra (the black one with the red, white, and blue stripes in the slideshow).

2. A metallic green Mercury Cougar (I think a 1968 or so).

3. 1970 Hemi Superbird. It's the bright orange car with the massive spoiler on the back. What I really liked was that the car had been used as the getaway car for a casino robbery in Reno. They robbers didn't exactly go inconspicuous, did they?

All that being said, the real highlight was spending the day with family and friends. My mom even enjoyed it...she got to babysit and have Jesse to herself for an entire day.