And this is the third Thanksgiving that I've run this particular video.
Can't help it.
Love it.
(The entire episode is available on HULU.)
Enjoy this long weekend with your family and friends and food.
That is if you're living in America.
Sadly, if you are in some other country, it's just "Thursday".
Sorry 'bout that. I'll try to only have one dessert out of respect for you.
Yesterday, my wife, Cora, talked about her Animaniacs slipping one past the censors. While she was planning that post, we were watching the second season of the Simpson, "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge", when the picture below flashed on the screen.
With a 14 year old daughter in the room, I couldn't just rewind / pause / point / laugh like I wanted. So I bided my time, and now I'm sharing it with you.
You're welcome.
Well, actually it was 20 years ago today that Milli Vanilla was stripped of their Grammy for not singing their own songs.
Blame it on that skipping record during that live MTV performance.
Blame it on the fact that they didn't have the MP3 on their iPod instead.
Blame it on the fact that Auto-Tune hadn't been invented.
But don't blame it on the rain.
As I have mentioned more than once here, I'm a BlackBerry user. I think I'm on at least my fourth different model.
Maybe fifth.
About two weeks ago, I upgraded to the new BlackBerry Torch touch screen / slider from the first generation Bold. The roller ball was getting a little balky at times, and I was eligible for an upgrade. Plus I needed to get the gals new phones, so it was off to the AT&T store.
I'm not an Apple person. There's no way I would go iPhone. Especially since I ride the L every day, and see way too many people sporting the "cracked screen app". The iPhone may look nice, but it is WAY TO FRAGILE for me. I want something that isn't going to shatter right off.
But enough slagging, on to my Torch review:
But first, I must say, "Yes", that is my Torch, that is my chair, and that is the background I always use.
The Good:
The ???
The Bad:
The Verdict:
All in all, I'm very happy with it. Will probably take it in (there's an AT&T center across the street from where I work) to check on the wiggle in the lid, but otherwise, it's more than just a minor upgrade, this is a nice next generation device. If you're a BlackBerry user & AT&T customer, your should seriously consider this, if you haven't already.
* Radio Shack has a nice little converter plug. Bought 2.
** I also solved the case issue. Seidio made the clip that I used on my Bold. While due to size differences, it wouldn't fit, they just put out their clip for the Torch. My new one arrived in the mail late last week.
Sara Lee has agreed to sell its North American bakery division to Grupo Bimbo of Mexico for $959 million . Read more HERE.
It's good to see that in this day and age, at least the Mexican Bimbos are willing to put out.
Well, what can I say? It's sure been an interesting two years since I started up Scope-Tech on November 8th, 2008. There have been just over 500 posts (this one is either #505 or #509 depending upon which count you believe) and I can hardly believe how much has changed since I started.
Back then, I had just started a new job, moved into a new condo, and had pretty much given up on meeting "her", so had accepted my lot in life to be "the bachelor". And Scope-Tech was a great way to pass the time while eating dinner alone in front of the computer.
Now? Wow! I married a fabulous woman, have a 14 year old daughter who has boundless potential and is an A #1 good kid, and my dinners are eaten at the dinner table with them.
While I might not be posting as often, please know this:
Before I was a blogger I was a commenter. I take that role VERY seriously. I don't follow for the sake of following. If I read you, I READ you. And I will try to leave a comment if I can think of one that is more than just a "me to" comment. And I (almost) always check that little box so I get the comments emailed to me from all the other people, too. (Sorry VodkaMom, you get too many comments for me to do that.). After all, I didn't meet Cora because of a post that I wrote. It was because of a comment I left.
So, I want to call out some folks who were really important in helping me find my blog legs. I don't mean to slight anyone not named, but to highlight these wonderful people here:
Gwen - Everything I Like Causes Cancer - She's like the most excellent and kick @$$ fairy-blogmother a guy could ask for. She's the one who introduced me to blogworld, got me going and introduced me to all her friends out there. And she was the videographer for my proposal video, and the only other person in the building who knew what was going on. The gal is simply ACES.
Candy - Candy's Daily Dandy – Candy took my virginity. She was the first person to leave a comment on my blog. She's a great lady, filled with passion for her Red Sox, her Celtics, her Tommy-boy and his Patriots, and helping women find quality beauty products at her Candy Bar. And when her kids gave their speech at her wedding, I was mentioned by name. How cool is that?
MJenks – Vita Brevis – Mr. Jenks left a comment on my second post. We share a Midwestern upbringing, a love of redheads, a college football team, and even a birthday. If you have a love for Latin, things going boom, or embarrassing stories of his youthful sex-ploits, check him out.
Sass – Are You Sassified – What can I say? Well, if it were Thursday, I could tell you the Things I Want Thursday, which Sass originated. I've met this lovely lady a few times and let me tell you, she is just like she comes across on the blog. ||_|, I know.
Sassy Britches – Well okay, Sassy Britches – Another blogger I have met a couple of times. The first time I met her was shortly before I met Cora in person. And I honestly think that she was more excited about it than I was. And I was pretty darned excited, considering that I was flying 2000 miles for a first date.
Dr. Zibbs – That Blue Yak – The good doctor. The man. The myth. The legend. It was on his blog where I first saw Cora and was lured to her blog.
Cora – Coracabana – Any list of bloggers has to include my fabulous, wonderful wife, Cora. For those of you who have been around these parts for a while, I think a good subtext for this whole blog has been the developing of our relationship from flirty to dating to engagement to marriage. And let me tell you folks, the adventure has just begun.
So, for those who have been around here from the beginning, for those of you who are reading me for the first time, and for all the folks in-between, thank you. It's you who have helped given me a life better than I could ever imagine.
My fellow Americans, just think, today as you leave work, "This is the lightest it will be when I leave work for months and months and months."
Standard Time starts Saturday night / Sunday morning. Daylight Savings Time is over.
Set those clocks back.
Enjoy the extra hour of sleep in the morning.
Curse the darkness when you are heading home.
So now that all the boxes are unpacked, the pictures (mostly) hung, the in-law visits are done, Halloween is done, Gwen's birthday party has been thrown, and October and all it's "B(.)(.)Biness" is over, I suppose it's time to get back to real life, and tell you what's been going on around the here. So here's a little trip into the time machine, back to the late summer, early fall.
Don't forget your tin-foil hat.
This first picture I had to snap in secret. You know how it is. You're out in public and you cannot believe what you are seeing. In this case, it was during the river cruise that Cora and I took with her father when he was in town delivering her stuff. While on out Lake Michigan cruise, a man sat next to me, wearing those shoes. Let me correct that: an adult male. I really have to question the manhood of anyone wearing a pointy toed, cloth slipper in public in the middle of the day. But, more of an explanation than a defense, he was European.
For Labor Day, we went down to Kewanee, IL for "Hog Days". It's a classis small town summer-fest. Carnival, midway, parade, and pork burgers. Yeah, I'll get to them last.
The Hog Days parade is a classic. And now, instead of being 15 miles from my parent's house, it's about 1.5 blocks. You have to get to the park early to stake out your spot. The parade is full of local high school marching bands, antique farm equipment, floats, Shriners, fire trucks, and a huge septic truck with "Yesterday's Meals On Wheel" written on the side.
And then there are some of the "novelty" entries. There is actually someone 
in that little ambulance, driving along the route. Now, I'm really not sure what's going on with the guy in the purple Prowler. I took the picture, because one of my uncle has a purple Prowler. But I hope he doesn't have a blond wig.
The parade was full of nostalgia for me, and more tractors than Gwen & Cora had ever seen in all the parades in their lives wrapped in one. But eventually, the parade ended with the horses, and we took off.
The next day, we had a little reception for our marriage for a lot of friends and family that couldn't make it out to Seattle. On the way home, we saw this sign:
Nice. Isn't publicly humiliating a 16 year old girl your definition of "love", too?
After the party, the girls and I headed up to the carnival.
I shot about 20 pictures while they were on the swings. This the closest I got to a good picture.
And then Gwen and I got ready for our ride on the Ferris wheel.
By the look on Gwen's face, I can only imagine she was having a good time. I, personally, was just starting to get motion sick when the ride ended.
But I recovered my appetite just in time for one of the great, simple pleasures of life:
The pork burger sandwich. That dude, (well, one that ISN'T half eaten) runs you an entire $1.50. I had two. And one of the $3.00 butterfly pork chop sandwiches. And I relearned a lesson from my youth: the pork burgers are better.
That's some of what's been going on around here.
Catch you up more in a bit.
-- Pssst… You can take the tin foil hat off. I was just kidding.
