Rerun

Well its been awhile so at my mothers urging to blog i suppose its time for an update.  Abby is 16 and driving, not doing badly unless one desires to get somewhere quickly.  The other day we were passed by a senior walking group and some dude in a wheelchair who kindly flipped us off and told us to move to the right. She is getting better at changing lanes, not just aimlessly drifting from side to side, leaving rows of cars behind her askew in the grass. Now a junior in highschool doing well, still playing softball, writing frightening (no disturbing) stories about shit I cant even imagine, but very talented just the same.  Now I have an idea why Steven King's parents were medicated. 
Alex is 12 going on 30, the social butterfly who can fart like a sailor and lie about it with a straight face.  She has at least 60 friends and invites them over 7 at atime for sleep overs.  There are times when she isnt home for 3-4 days because she is at friends houses...hopefully bombing them with her scent.  She is bright, doing very well in school, and excelling as a softball pitcher (45mph fastball, deadly changeup and drop). 
Becca is 10 and her favorite food is anything that isnt nailed down.  I believe she is gonna be a foodie, eating champion, or a pastry chef (probably the latter).  She will get up at the crack of dawn to make cupcakes for school, leaving the kitchen like a flour bomb exploded for Patty to clean up, and say "I forgot".  Becca has also embarked on a softball career as a catcher and sports a pretty good arm when she isnt getting knocked over by Alex's fastball.
Billy, yes the commando, still likes "forgetting" to put on his underwear, especially at night and still doesnt know what a "test fart" is as evidenced by the shit streaks in his underwear when he actually wears them.  He is full of energy and a handful at school.  I had the pleasure of meeting his first grade teacher, who looked weary, and she showed me his desk which was placed right in front of her desk.  He misses recess alot due to having wars with his hands (Spiderman vs DocOc or something) rather than doing his work (I told Patty not to worry, the Nuns at Sared Heart used to smash me over the head with books and rulers for the same shit and i turned out ok).  He has a great imagination and some of the greatest excuses ever....like...."Why were you bad in school William?" Dad it wasnt my fault, it was these jeans, they make me be bad.  As for sports, so far he excells in web shooting, likes soccer but girls keep running past him and scoring, and his football career was shortened because he would just walk off the field randomly for a rest and water break.
Patty is a saint, married to me for 20 years, taking care of them kids keeping a house and now taking care of a friends mom who is dare I say forgetful (no its not me). When Patty comes home she mutters alot, like "unbelievable" "I just dont get it" and "I give up you slobs" and her favorite "Calgon take me away and get me some wine".  She is a great wife and mom and is busier than me and I have 3 jobs.
Me...well its 3 jobs to keep it going and their are times I wanna jump off the fiscal cliff with all of the Senate and Congress tied to my leg.  My wrinkles have wrinkles, things are hanging, (my balls get wet when I crap) my eye twitches and I have lumps.  My doctor insists I get scoped "everywhere" so at the end of the month I get hosed up and down and hopefully they dont put it in my ass first. The kids ask me for homework help and I tell them I didnt learn that in school to ask their mother, i take naps, and my shampoo bottle has lasted me 6 months and its still a third of the way full, I dont need a comb.  Overall, while feeling my age a little more every year as evidenced by loose skin, jowls, and age specific tests, I am blessed with 4 great kids, a wife who loves me, a mother who is still a loving mother who looks out for her 52 yo elastic son. 
There you have it....update complete

2nd Generation of the Great Dane has begun. Top is Monte with Abby and Alex, now its Toby and Billy

The Boy the Dog and Potty training

Ok I am horrified that my son is not getting the whole potty training gig at all. So I told Patty just take the diaper off and let him go commando and see what that brings to the house where we already have a Great Dane Puppy who pisses lakes and shits houses on the floor when he doesn't make it to the door, so needless to say you don't want to visit the relative with the "smelly house". So Billy is thrilled to be free ballin in the house and he goes and sits down on the loo drops a few dribbles and yells "I did it" and off he goes again to play. A few more times of sitting down, a few more drops a few more hoorays things are looking good. The dog is getting it and we think the boy is finally on the fast track to dryness....and then....it happens...now mind you the dog is running to plead his case that it wasn't him who dropped trowl and peed on the wood floor, no it was that boy who is always pulling on my jowls, by the way let me out. Yes the boy peed on the wood floor, "I did it" was the call, how proud...thank God for pergo...a few more potty stops, one more on the ceramic tile in the kitchen, the dog ratting him out, and I'm feelin like he on the short bus to school if you get my drift. Sooooo the experiment for the day is over, the diaper back on and tomorrow is another day, gonna try cheerios in the toilet and let him try and hit them, I just hope he doesn't pee in his cereal bowl.

I don't know who wants their mama more but Billy is definately jealous of Toby.

Road Trip

Remember way back when traveling with mom and dad across the country in one of our many piece of shit vehicles, ie the VW Bus with the flying luggage, the reverse only mercedes, that jamming hot rambler (mom can correct me if I got any of them wrong, but I was little and we tend to block out horrifying experiences). And how can we forget the lines of common sense from dad, "the human body can go three days without food and water" "If you spill that in the car I'll chop off your head" (ok not exactly but close) "Just hold it" "I don't need directions" "Did he put the gas cap on" etc feel free to add your own.



Well it has come full circle for me, I took the wife and kids to NC, 500 miles one way to pick up a great dane puppy in the van with one window that is now permanently up. And so it began, 40 miles into the trip, Becca has to go bad, hold it, I can't. Pee on one of the dog pads we bought. I can't. Watch the video, but I have to go bad. Stop #1, rest stop in........NJ. Everybody out and go, this is the LAST stop until we get there. But aren't we going to eat? No the human body can go three days without food, have a chip and some warm water. But its warm. Don't you know that cold water can freeze your blood and cause a heart attack (thanks Rob) I'm just looking out for you. Off we go, the GPS is set, we are flying now. Missed a turn, recalculate the GPS and we end up on 17. 17 is a long road, with lots of traffic lights and I'm pretty sure I saw people playing banjos and guitars on the side of the road. 150 miles in we stop, I gotta go, but I tell the kids we are switching drivers. The rest stop has stainless steel toilets, I'm thinking prison movie. A hasty escape, back on the road, are we there yet, Shutup, we have 6 more hours. The Cars movie is begining for the second time, KKKKKAAAACHOW. 300 miles in, crayon fights shes hoggin the crayons, not the Cars movie again, switch it to CHOMPS the robot dog, Billy crys himself to sleep. Driver switch after a stop at Subway and of course Mc D for Billy and Becca. Off we go, 20 more to go. Now the roads are very dark, and the banjos are getting louder. Finally see a sign for Jacksonville and make it to a Holiday Inn Express right down the street from the Piggly Wiggly. The place was full of marines, I forgot it was down the street from Camp Bean Leguine. Finally in bed, sleeping, until 3am a ruckus, f-words, laughing, doors slamming, must be those marines. Out of bed, a great breakfast, really a nice spread, to the desk to checkout, how was your stay, well it was great except for that 3am thing, well we are sorry sir, as she looks at my 4 tired kids and gives us half off the 90 dollar room. I love the Holiday Inn.

2.5 miles to the breeder, just a regular house in the neighborhood, but....5 Danes and 9 puppies makes for a busy place, not smelly, clean and very nice folks who obviously love their dogs. Kathi would be in heaven.



Took possession of Toby, 7 weeks old 11 lbs. Met his pop, Master T 160 lbs, and momma Pulska, who wasn't much interested in anyone especially Billy.



500 miles to go home, now with a dog that everybody wants to hold, and the dog just wants to sleep. The dog did well, took a dump in every state on the way home. The ride home was a little worse than the ride up, the question of the day was "Are we in Delaware yet"? 10pm pulled in the driveway, piled into the house, and to bed. Now I have an idea of what dad went thru.

Election Day

While the world is excited about the historical election, a black prez or a female VP, I must admit I am a bit fearful. Not because Obama will win (yes he will, and by a landslide and no not by my vote...Ben Stein for POTUS) but because I get to work on election day in the city of Trenton. Oh there will be joyful noise in the city, the bars will be packed, gun play, a few fires, drive bys, walk bys, run bys, and thats when Obama wins. I'd hate to think what it would be like if he loses. I'm calling out.

Frost on the Windshield Remix

I'm always late to. No matter how many deals I make with myself I just can't drag my ass out of bed. I hate getting up at 5:15, I usually don't remember my ride to work (1 hour) and I roll in on the dot or at 2 after. Thank God it usually doesn't matter the way our unit is set up, but when I am early my co-workers usually put me to bed and take my temperature. Now its getting cold, so I REALLY hate getting out of bed, out of my warm clothes to shower and change, gosebumps as big as the Denali, my nips as big as flag poles and of course the complementary shrinkage of the nether region (God definately was not fair on that reaction, can I get an AMEN ). Now that all of you are trying to wipe that visual out of your head. Anyhow, to make things worse, the Van window did it again, down no up. A while back, it just decided to go up after the failed shore trip, me and Patty and the girls, not so much Billy, prayed for devine mechanical intervention and walah it went up. Praise the Lord! While at church last week, I put the window down to talk to someone and there she sat at the bottom of the window well. My tithe must have been short. Patty was laughing at me because I was leaning in with my head on the heat vent while driving cause it was getting cold. Now its really cold, so I'm not driving the Van until summer, unless God the mechanic come back to fix it.