Cheeseheads

In honor of FSIL II. Brought a smile to my face.

It's official: KS to BS

FSIL II graduated from BYU yesterday. We (Sister Megs, his parents, cs, and I) attended the ceremony at the Marriott Center. They were showing the procession of the students coming from the Administration building to the Marriott Center on the jumbotron (big screen TV). cs recognized Kodison in the throng by his height, his mother recognized him by his walk, I recognized him by the way he carried his tassle.

He happened to enter up the aisle close to us. His dad whistled to get his attention. Kody heard, recognized the signal, turned and waved. It was a great celebration for all - 6,100 graduates and 16K+ of admiring friends, family and relatives.


We're proud of you…next up — the Big "O".

Yes, FSIL II, there is a WAGA!

Doubt not, FSIL II…and to think that you didn't know…having grown up in the state of Wisconsin.

Click here and here for further enlightenment.

Ten years ago

Ten years ago: I was beginning my numismatistic adventures – the 50 state Quarter program had begun. Not a gray hair was in sight.

Five years ago: I crossed over the half-century mark and looking forward to 50 more.

One year ago (plus a bit): I lost two daughters, but gained two FSILs – now the gray hairs are in abundance. Continuing my numismatistical ways I joined Where's George? and have found peace, joy, and happiness knowing where my dollars are traveling.

3 days ago: Was actually the day before the 4th, so I was at work doing what I do, to bring home the bacon. When I got home we had another family discussion about Swedish ancestry.

Yesterday: Was a day of rest to get ready for the day of rest and I watched/tended c8 for at least a good 2 hours…or more!

Today: I'm looking forward to Babette's feast of the week.

Today is extra special

Today is extra special because we get to celebrate double. It's a double birthday! Not only is it Sister Megs birthday, but FSIL II's as well.

I'm glad that you two found each other. You're a well matched pair in every way…well maybe not in height, but we can't all be above the rim and your unMacness attitude is a bit of a rub…however, you did let me dominate in the family board game. Now, we all know who is the Smart…but I digress.

Happy birthday to you, Sister Megs. Happy birthday to you, FSIL II. We're glad that you were born, Sister Megs. We're glad that you were born, FSIL II.

A cs & ld conversation re: c8's 3 friends

c8 spent the night. This morning, (being a good gramps) as cs was holding c8, I grabbed the cow and piglet hand puppets and started to entertain her — c8, not cs. I thought that I was doing a pretty good job because she was smiling and rather amused — once again, c8, not cs.

cs:   Use the "duck". She doesn't want to be entertained by things that you eat. You may not know it, but she has a social conscience.

ld:   I know that life was hard on the farm in Cibola, but on the farm that I was raised — we called these "chickens". No duck that I ever knew had a comb. Wait until FSIL II hears about this. And as far as social conscience goes, what do you think that it will do to her child psyche when she finds out where eggs and chicken nuggets come from?

NFL Draft

Note to FSIL II:

Since we're just a "hop, skip, and a jump" from Radio City Music Hall, cs has consented to stop by for a "live" peek of the NFL draft…I told her that it was your idea.

(It's the least that we could do…since we just missed seeing Favre at Letterman the other night.)

PS: "Nice 'do."

New York movie

First thing, we caught the subway and went down for a ride on the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. Great ride! Very patriotic feelings. Stopped at Wall St and the New York Stock Exchange to give/get some tips (these photos are for you, FSIL & FSIL II—my future financial geniuses.) Over to Ground Zero. Hopped back on the subway and stopped at Grand Central Station. It was worth it. You could spend a day exploring in there. Very impressive. Caught a bus tour to Uptown that went through Harlem. (cs felt a minority.) Got a picture of the Seinfeld Soup Nazi store along the way. Look quick and you'll also see the Angel Moroni in the right-hand corner of one of the pics. On to some cultural refinement (not) at The Cloisters. (How many tapestries of a Unicorn, medieval paintings and carvings can one take in an afternoon or a lifetime for that matter?) Back on the subway to connect with Syd and Penee at ChinaTown on Canal Street to shop for "random cheap bargains".

A New York Movie
Starring The Big Apple and Co-starring ld

Sharp as a needle

cs was doing some repair on a pair of my britches for me. She asked me to bring her a bar of soap. I asked her why. Thinking that she was going to mark the pants with the soap. (I had seen soap used to trace out a pattern onto new material before, but she was hand-sewing the pants so I couldn't figure out what the soap was for.)

She replied, My needle is dull.

So what good is the soap?

Now mind you, Bird is my witness. cs took the needle and jabbed it two or three times into the bar of soap.

Where did you gain that little nugget of knowledge? Did you google-mine it off of the internet? It is something that Pam teaches in her Home Economics curriculum? Was it an RS tip of the week? Is it something that is analogous to Blythe and the regions round-a-bout? Or did you learn it from Grandma Rosie?

I had never seen this done before. She seem to be getting agitated from my inquiries, but the soap trick must have worked because the needle seemed really sharp as she thrust it at me.

It's amazing the things that can be learned from various sources. Just ask FSIL II. Last week, he learned the cause of his sty…from a very reliable source!

Shame on you

FSIL II got indoctrinated into the family way of playing board games last night with a rousing game of Balderdash.

Everything was going as usual with each of the players knowing beforehand which were cs' and FSIL's answers. (cs' replies were 15 sentences long and FSIL's had something to do with either a Mayan tool or the colonial period.) The two of them were neck to neck in a dead heat for last place.

But the coup de grâce came when a certain person (who was in the lead) got caught cheating.

The question: Who was Ruth Wakefield?

I was the monitor. The answers came in one by one. I was puzzled because one had the correct answer: The inventor of toll house (chocolate chip) cookies.

After I read the choices out loud, in unison they said that there were only 4 choices and that there should be 5. I stated that someone had gotten the answer correct.

Suddenly, Bird threw out an accusitory finger at FSIL II. You were cheating! (Never underestimate the wrath of a pregnant woman.)

He was caught with his Blackberry at his side and Betty on the couch text-messaging the answer to him after she had googled it on the internet. (Megs was supposedly not able to play because she was busy writing a paper for a homework assignment.)

He started stuttering and stammering, but Bird assured him that cheating wasn't his crime. When it comes to playing family games, it's a given that everyone will cheat to win. No, your crime was that you got caught doing it.

Belle Ma

FSIL II calls cs, Belle Ma.

It's supposed to be French and all…I think that she likes it.

But to me, it's said more with a "Swedish" accent and it sounds more like Velma. (I once had an old primary teacher named Velma.)

Oh well, to each their own, but I think that I'll stick to calling her, cs.

MacBook Air & iPod Nano tunes

By now, many of you have probably seen the ad for the new MacBook Air.



The song is catchy — just like the one sung by Feist for the new iPod Nano. Here's the full song by Yael Naïm — that's Mïan Leay spelled backwards!



Hardcore fans of French musical theatre (i.e. FSIL II?) probably knew Yael Naïm as Miriam in the Ten Commandments, but for many of us, we discovered her Feist-like vocals via the MacBook Air ad. Born in Paris and raised primarily in Israel, the singer songwriter has found serious success in France with her self titled album which features Yael singing in English, French and her native tongue. International success is definitely on the way with her easy on the ears soft and acoustic sound.

iPod Nano Ad by Canadian singer/songwriter Leslie Feist — that's Tsief Eilsel spelled backwards!



Full video for 1234



You've got to love Apple and their Ad Agency for their clever and catchy ads…I know that Naïm & Feist do…all the way to the bank! They each got my 99¢.

Bird sings

Cameraman: Brig

Wedding planner list

I've written before about cs' penchant for making lists. Here's a sample of cs 'the wedding planner's' list. (It's written on the inside of a Christmas gift box lid. I'm certain that the missing chunks of the box are "mini-lists" that were removed and stuffed in a pocket or purse for further reference.)

By-the-by, great job with the planning. It was superb! Pam would have been proud.

Mr. & Mrs. Staples

The Wedding Singer

Pristine

I’m sure that each of you at one time or another have received an anonymous gift left at your doorstep. You know what I’m talking about: Someone will leave a gift, ring the doorbell then run and hide.

The items will be varied and far ranging. At this time and season they mostly run the gamut of some type of home made confectionary item.

In the past, we have even had a bottle of Wash ‘n Curl shampoo left on the doorstep.

But the all time winner, was this past week when we opened the door to find two giant empty cardboard boxes stacked upon one another with a sign attached stating: Pristine Cardboard.

cs’ reputation as a connoisseur of cardboard construction runs far and wide. (One man’s junk is another woman’s treasure.) She hasn’t met a box that she didn’t like. Refrigerator boxes are the crème de la crème. [Another French word for you, FSIL II.]

These were left by the same person that used to leave her empty Costco milk boxes (that held two one gallons of milk) on our porch, because cs happened to mention that they were just the right size to hold her folder files. (The person must have had a penchant for taking milk baths — judging from the amount and frequency that the boxes were left on our porch.)

I’m hoping that cs’ creative juices start to flow and that she comes up with a cardboard masterpiece — because I know where our friends live and I plan on returning the favor!

Mr. Sub

When good people turn bad. Apparently, this is an actual TV commercial from Canada. FSIL II or Sister Megs, do you recognize these two?