Shadow Puppets

Just saw an impressive shadow puppet video on the DB Website. Here's the link:

MST3000

We recently Netflixed a spectacularly bad episode of Mystery Science Theater 300, "Hercules Against the Moon Men." I had almost forgotten how funny Joel, Crow and Tom Servo were as they rattled their way through space and miserable movies. Here is a picture of the Moon Man costume, an amazingly dopey get-up something like a tin foil oil with kevlar oven mitts for hands. Also on tap: perhaps the longest sand storm on film; cameos by Telly Savalas and Paul Sorvino (not); worst ever special effects; and the least realistic torture devices imaginable. So bad, we watched it three times!

Tulip Time

When I visit Jana in the spring, we like to take pictures at Temple Square. We found this year having two kids to cajole was even harder than one. When Lynlee smiled, Alex didn't. When Alex smiled, Lynlee didn't. But the tulips were always posing perfectly, and we got a few good shots off. Here are some of the favorites from my visit in April.

Paddy O'Platt

When they announced a St. Patrick's Day party in our ward, there were more than a few of us who lifted our eyebrows and wondered how a suburban Mormon ward would pull that off. Clearly, green beer was out. What would we have to look forward to? The answer soon came in the form of a request from the activities committee chair, who begged Roger to emcee the party... dressed as a leprechaun. Much angst followed. But as her home teacher, there was a certain amount of pressure to comply. And thus was born "Paddy O'Platt" - pictured below. Roger, of course, did a great job, even under duress. When I came up with an idea for a costume that was not too embarrassing, that seemed to help. There was Irish stew, green cookies and cupcakes, an Irish story from our resident storyteller, lovely Irish fiddle playing, a St. Patrick's Day quiz, and a very cute group of step dancers (also pictured below) from a local dancing school. It turned out to be a great party, and no one even once stated the obvious - that we are not Catholic and don't actually honor Patrick as a Saint (although our ward mission leader's given name is Patrick, and he is a real saint!).
The best part of the whole thing was when I sent the pictures below to Jana. She said Lynlee laughed and laughed to see Pa dressed up. Her comment: "I didn't know Pa was a leprechaun!" Priceless.

Time Marches On

March already, and the blog has been badly neglected. Not the only blog neglected, to be sure. In fact, all my posts are infrequent for no good reason except that life goes on. To get back in the swing of things, here is a photo taken on a "birthday lunch" with my friend Tina. Our outing was a few weeks late of my birthday, but what we lacked in accuracy we made up for in panache. We decided to cruise on down to OB for a burger at Hodad's on Newport. Probably the best burgers and fries in town - and it's a big town! I'm talking best in San Diego, not just OB. Maybe the best cheeseburgers ever created. There was a short line at the door, not bad for a Friday lunch. Fate - or timing - was on our side, as the guy at the door (can't really call him a host; maybe "dude" is better) asked if we'd like to eat in the bus. Yay! One of the outstanding architectural features of Hodad's is half an old VW bus stuck to one wall. Diners so lucky as to be invited to eat in the bus have a wooden plank (with much beloved initial carving) to eat off, where the dashboard once was. Here we are, happy as clams, waiting for our perfect burger plates. And yes, they were perfect! You can take the old hippie out of OB, but you can't really ever take OB out of the old hippie.

Busy

Busy and happy. Jana and family are here, so there has been no time for blogging or much of anything else. This morning, Alex is back to sleep and doesn't seem to mind my typing next to him. So I will include a few photos and log off. Lynlee at the beach and with Shelley and Brandon in Yuma. Details to follow. Yay for grandkids!

Refrigerator Art

For those of you who are acquainted with my fridge, this may come as a shock. It is more tidy. Before you faint, it is not the INSIDE that is tidy. And of course I didn't actually say TIDY, just MORE TIDY. We bought a big plastic package of magnetic clips at Costco on Saturday, and I came right home and threw away all the extraneous garbage on the fridge doors. So the magnetic roach is gone, along with the yellowing cartoons and the magnetic business cards from people I can't remember and don't want to call. Rubios and Chili's made the cut - gotta have their numbers handy. And the dentist remains, although I'd love to pitch him. What is mostly left is a grandmotherly shrine to the cutest kids ever. I feel it is my duty to share their glory with anyone and everyone at the least hint of interest - and of course they must be prominently displayed on the freezer door. Now the darlings are all lined up, as though by magic, held to the door with new magnetic clips - that match! Yowza! Who's fridge is that anyway?! In honor of the grandkid shrine, I will be sharing some fridge photos in my next few blogs, starting with the latest Alex picture. See above. I know you are interested.