Christmas is a time that is somehow glows with the prospect of being with family and happy memories of years past. This year we are all hanging out in Knoxville and the whole family is here. The adults will be going out to dinner tonight while all the children are being watched by some friends. It is always a lively time when we are with Gayle's family: there's a dash of sarcasm mixed with a smidge of laughter and just a soupçon of serious discussion. It is always a good time and there is always a fair amount of food. Correction: There is a lot of food. There is also the requisite amount of head-scratching as all the ladies try to manage the meal distribution while the men all work on their laptops or talk like techies (only one programmer in the lot, but we are all geeks in our own right) until one of the children (or wives) kindly and gently, in a spirit of meekness and patience, demand our attention. In all honesty, they are generally very understanding and the other men are a lot better about being responsive and engaged than I am (case in point--I am blogging by myself in the corner while everyone else is engaged in conversation). As we listen to the family, there is a conversation about how the dogs circle and bark, how Dad's brother-in-law is building a garage in March, and that hot dogs and buns are on sale--and I am missing several going on in another room. If you don't like one conversation, you just mosey on over into another. It's free-form family living and one that we really enjoy. Doug just asked if I was blogging about how wierd our family is. I responded that I was. It is strange anymore for a whole family to still enjoy their time together even as adults. Everyone gets along with everyone else and if you put any two of us alone in a room, it would be perfectly natural and easy to spend time together talking. It's a wonderful strangeness and one I am perfectly content to continue.
Happy Holidays,
Dan
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
The Great Trek
Ok, who flipped the world over? Whoever (or whomever--i never do get that correct) did it: Not Funny!
Really, it only seems like the world has been turned upside down. We moved this week from Tennessee down to Georgia. Hotlanta, to be more specific. It has been an adventure for us all. The dogs aren't sure that this is home yet, while Gayle and I try to turn this house into a home. There have been a multitude (not Greek for "many small shelties") of contractors in and out of the house for the last two days. This has been a great convenience for us--I don't know how we would have accomplished half as much in such a short time.
As fun as that sounds, we are glad to be winding down a little. (Obviously winding down, as I have time to clown-around typing and not installing blinds, etc.)
Note to self: never again should you move the week of Christmas! Everyone wants to head out for the holidays (understandable) but that makes for a slightly more distressing look for the basic necessities of life: all shopping outlets (including Tractor Supply) are jammed with people looking for just the right gift; the roads, already famous in Atlanta for their congestion, are somehow worse; and when you do finally get home with whatever you went "In Search of...", you are so worn out that any use of the newly obtained article is best left for after your much needed nap.
Well, that's about it for now. I think I shall retire to the bed chamber for some desired-but-not-earned R&R.
Dan
Really, it only seems like the world has been turned upside down. We moved this week from Tennessee down to Georgia. Hotlanta, to be more specific. It has been an adventure for us all. The dogs aren't sure that this is home yet, while Gayle and I try to turn this house into a home. There have been a multitude (not Greek for "many small shelties") of contractors in and out of the house for the last two days. This has been a great convenience for us--I don't know how we would have accomplished half as much in such a short time.
As fun as that sounds, we are glad to be winding down a little. (Obviously winding down, as I have time to clown-around typing and not installing blinds, etc.)
Note to self: never again should you move the week of Christmas! Everyone wants to head out for the holidays (understandable) but that makes for a slightly more distressing look for the basic necessities of life: all shopping outlets (including Tractor Supply) are jammed with people looking for just the right gift; the roads, already famous in Atlanta for their congestion, are somehow worse; and when you do finally get home with whatever you went "In Search of...", you are so worn out that any use of the newly obtained article is best left for after your much needed nap.
Well, that's about it for now. I think I shall retire to the bed chamber for some desired-but-not-earned R&R.
Dan
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Dogs
After years of research, our conclusion is that a sheltie is a pretty dog--pretty grumpy when all is said and done. We have had our Amazon Sheltie (that is the breed) for well-nigh twelve years now. She is as amiable as a fence post. Make that a splintery fence post. Not that she isn't obedient, she'll do anything I tell her when she is good and ready to do it. The breed is loyal to it's owners purely because they have, in their own little doggy-scientific studies, found that showing the least little bit of loyalty ensures kibble in the bowl at dinner time. Had that study proved inconclusive, loyalty would have been out the window. In all fairness, "The 'Tude" is a beautiful dog. Again, pointing to the intelligence of the breed, she also knows this and flaunts it as she deems necessary...unless you happen to be a male dog and showing interest in her feminine wiles. Should some cur find himself sniffing her daisies, he will quickly find that her teeth have had an intimate encounter with his muzzle, neck and ear all before he can come up with his lame pick-up line. Her pulchritude has been commented on by many and caused consternation to not a few small male dogs.
The other breed we have encountered on our trek through the doggie kingdom is the Rough Collie, also known as Lassie, or in our case, Forrest Gump. Our collie, again a pretty dog to look at, has no more intelligence under the hood than your typical 45-pound plate found in any local gym. She is a boomerang dog, as we call it, sure to come back to you. We are split on whether or not that is a good thing. "The Box of Rox", as we call her, is a Good-Time Charlene, in a manner of speaking. She knows no enemies and would have certainly littered 50 times in her short 6 years had we not had the forethought to cut out the production lines. Yes, she makes her rounds (the herding instinct) and she gets around (a different instinct altogether). All in all, a fine canine, provided you don't ask much of her, she is a great comfort to Gayle. Mostly as a pillow, but Gayle also enjoys her conversations with the collie, which can go on for minutes, as long as Gayle doesn't use any big words.
The other breed we have encountered on our trek through the doggie kingdom is the Rough Collie, also known as Lassie, or in our case, Forrest Gump. Our collie, again a pretty dog to look at, has no more intelligence under the hood than your typical 45-pound plate found in any local gym. She is a boomerang dog, as we call it, sure to come back to you. We are split on whether or not that is a good thing. "The Box of Rox", as we call her, is a Good-Time Charlene, in a manner of speaking. She knows no enemies and would have certainly littered 50 times in her short 6 years had we not had the forethought to cut out the production lines. Yes, she makes her rounds (the herding instinct) and she gets around (a different instinct altogether). All in all, a fine canine, provided you don't ask much of her, she is a great comfort to Gayle. Mostly as a pillow, but Gayle also enjoys her conversations with the collie, which can go on for minutes, as long as Gayle doesn't use any big words.
Bienvenido
Well, this is our first post on our blog. About us...we live in Tennessee, we are married, we have two kids and two dogs.
We hate blogs that run on and on. We don't read them....who would be so self-absorbed to show to the world every last blame incident of their lives, chronicled for the world to see as if it were headline news!
Our blog will be of the minimalist persuasion. It's more artsy that way.
We hate blogs that run on and on. We don't read them....who would be so self-absorbed to show to the world every last blame incident of their lives, chronicled for the world to see as if it were headline news!
Our blog will be of the minimalist persuasion. It's more artsy that way.
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