Entries from December 2008 ↓

I mentioned Callithump! here and then I realized that they had obviously put in so much work putting together the issue for an insanely little amount of money that it would be criminal for me not to tell the world. The problem, here, as we found with Gumball Poetry, is that by spreading the word they might get more orders – which means a lot more work for them for that $10. Still: They are well worthy of your support.

Here’s a quick photo log of what’s in Callithump! #1 — needless to say the kids were ecstatic and frenzied over the contents of each capsule. Click on any of the photos for a full-size view – this is only a small sampling of the full issue. Then head over to Callithump!

I’m really liking my new pin — it came in a box of capsule art by Callithump (“Callithump! is a magazine of arts and literature distributed through toy capsule vending machines.”) Totally awesome. We used to do something like that – ah, they even mention us here. At any rate – while it was delivered on the backs of a narcoleptic tortoise, they are definitely deserving of your adulation.

Update: Look you can buy a “Oh my god, what the fuck” pin here:

http://www.callithump.org/page2/page2.html

Also, two roosters we met today, both were grumpy and friendly, all at once.

We were completely snow-bound in the biggest snow storm in 60 years, with all four of us sick, two kids and a cat running up the walls, and out-of-town guests snowed away.

So what kept us from re-enacting The Shining?

Laura is a master at To-Do lists. This is a sample from one of those mind-numbing days, which within its objectives contains bits of general advice on how to not spread sickness (cough into your elbow!) and what any of the tykes might have said at the moment (scratch my leg, check!). No item is ever too small for these lists, and items already accomplished are gleefully added so that they maybe be pleasurably crossed off the moment they are noted:

Phew.

2009: Bring it on!

Oh Update: Here’s a pic of one of the insane people I live with. I think it gives a new meaning to the word ’steampunk’

I’ve been sending myself some very interesting spam recently, at least according to my Gmail spam folder:

I have had some trouble hooking up with myself lately — phone tag, standing myself up, etc. which has caused some confusion about the house. Sometimes I arrive and when I ask, people tell me I’ve just left. Damn! Thus the bevy of emails sent from me as to my whereabouts. I do occasionally call myself darling, so that secret is out. Also, if anyone knows what kind of accident I was in, please let me know post haste.

When I open these up, Google tells me:

Alas! I already know almost all of my personal information!

A blizzard is characterized as having 25mph or above winds, blowing snow, a windchill of -13F and visibility of less than 5/8th of a mile.

Weather.gov has a warning for just such a thing here – yet the weather underground claims we haven’t quite hit that – though having just spent 10 minutes outside, I beg to differ. 

At any rate – having lost a tree earlier this week (we live next to a field, and all the wind seems to end up in our yard) we’re taking it seriously by making sure we have emergency supplies and a well-stocked alcohol cabinet.

Here are a few pics I took — hard to know the best way to take pics in this, as they look nothing like what I see with my eyes. 

(click a thumbnail for a larger view)

Ben Rosenbaum was talking about birthday cakes (and, err, good and evil). We just had a cake-a-lapooza here ourselves for Coen’s 5th(!) birthday. This is the impressive work of Coen’s grandmother.

This is a definite improvement over last year when we drank a bit too much, stayed up late and tried to recreate busytown.

This year it was a carrot cake (truthfully, we just didn’t tell him – we all wanted a carrot cake and the idea of carrots in a cake still sounds like putting turnips in a milkshake to him).

It seemed to go over well as it was promptly devoured by a horde of small two-legged creatures.