Wrong team!

Although I can't say I approve of the team gear, this photo was just too cute not to post. Here's Asher with his great grandpa, Donn, discussing the upcoming season for the Colts. Apparently Donn thinks the Colts need to draft for defense this year, and Asher thinks the Colts need to bolster their running game. Here's the photo of their deep discussion:

All HAIL the month of march!

For the second time in ten days, and for the third time this month, we have gotten a hail storm. The photos below document the storm we just had. Michael and Abby are loving the pellets falling from the sky that look just like Frisch's ice. Michael is doubly thrilled because he is taking his girlfriend on a picnic tomorrow, and he just harvested three bags of free ice for his cooler. Why buy Home City ice when God provides it for free? :-)

Vacation!

Every parent on the planet knows going on vacation with kids is not ALWAYS a vacation for adults. I'm not saying the adults don't get to have some relaxing time on vacation, but there is also a lot of work involved too. Keeping the kids entertained, fed, and safe can be just as exhausting as the daily grind back home. This is why Tami and I love cruise vacations so much. Entertainment for the kids is never an issue. The opportunities for fun on a cruise are nearly endless. Food is not an issue. There is food (and ice cream) available 24 hours a day. Safety isn't an issue either... it's a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. How far can the kids go?

Unfortunately our upcoming vacation is not a cruise, but we are excited about it nevertheless. This will only be the second full-fledged vacation without kids that Tami and I have ever taken. We are not quite empty nesters, but we are mighty close. This beach vacation is only a small taste of what retirement and the empty nest might bring.

I don't watch "The Simpsons", but in light of our upcoming vacation, I thought this was pretty funny.

My beach bod

Well, it's almost April and I still haven't started working on my beach bod. I guess I'd better start today because Tami and I just booked our summer beach vacation. Right after school lets out, Tami and I will be heading to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We will be spending 5 days and 4 nights at The Dayton House Resort. We have an oceanfront room and are very much looking forward to falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing on the beach, and waking up to see the sunrise from our oceanfront balcony. During the day we are very eager to spend our time lounging in what is called the "Yellow Umbrella" area. This is a grassy area between the hotel pools and the beach. This grassy area has picnic tables, chaise lounge chairs, and of course yellow beach umbrellas. This area is for Dayton House guests only and is apparently quite a unique amenity for the area. Reading the reviews online, people really seem to love these yellow umbrellas. Further research reveals the hotel is a bit dated, but honestly, we are not fancy people, and we do not require the best of the best to be happy. We just love the idea of being directly on the beach, and relaxing with a pina colada under one of the famed yellow umbrellas. We got an awesome deal, and are quite thankful we can take such a nice vacation for such an economical price.

Let's go camping!

This is why you don't go camping in the spring!

I'm going to start smoking

My prowess as the Grill Master is known far and wide. My friends and family always enjoy an expertly crafted grilled meal by yours truly. Honestly, I have always been afraid that if people knew how simple grilling REALLY was, they wouldn’t think I was so great. For now, I allow people to think grilling is some amazing talent that takes years of practice. It’s truly not that difficult. I credit my dad and my grandpa for showing me the finer points of grilling.

I still love to grill, but I feel like I have taken it as far as it can go. I am ready for a new challenge and a new adventure. This is why I have decided to venture into the wonderful world of smoking. No, I’m not talking about cigarettes. I’m talking about smoking meats and vegetables. Think brisket, pork butt, pork shoulder, beef tenderloin, pork tenderloin, chicken, turkey, ham, potatoes, corn, and everything else under the sun. I have been doing some research and have decided on a digital, electric smoker. I know this not what you’d call traditional smoking, but many of the experts today are using electric smokers. They are less messy than charcoal, and I would prefer to avoid buying bags of charcoal 25 lbs. at a time. Propane smokers are fine, but you have a finite fuel source. If you run out of propane, you can’t smoke anything until you refill your tank. Electric is an infinite power source (in smoking terms, that is). Electric smokers give you a little more precise control over the temperature. So, the verdict I reached was, sign me up for “plug in and go”, and if electric smokers are good enough for the professionals (Stephen Reichlen etc…), they are good enough for me. If you’re wondering what prompted me to purchase an electric smoker, I’ll tell you. The smoky flavor comes from heated wood chips, not the heat source itself. So whether you are heating those wood chips with a charcoal flame, a propane flame, or an electric heating element, it really doesn’t matter. What really matters is cooking meat at a very low temperature, for a very long time, while wood chips smolder and smoke (thereby producing that wonderful smoked flavor many people love). Another factor that affects the flavor is the type of wood chips used. This is just a matter of preference. The most popular woods are, mesquite, hickory, apple, cherry, oak, and maple.

Earlier in this post I mentioned Stephen Reichlen. This guy hosts a TV show called, “Project Smoke”. This show is what got me interested in smoking meats and vegetables. Before I saw “Project Smoke”, I thought smoking was something that required very specialized (and expensive) equipment, as well as a lot of “know how” that I would never have. Stephen inspired me with his assertion that smoking is simple, and basically anybody can do it.

Very soon I will order my smoker, and I will be ready to dip my toe into the water. I know there will a learning curve. There will probably be some disasters, and some very delicious mistakes. But in the end, I hope everyone comes to love my smoked specialties as much as they enjoy my grilled meals.

I know, I know... this thing looks like a refrigerator you'd find in a college dorm room, but trust me, it's not.

Do you "Jiggle"?

Do you jiggle? This is the question my three year old grandson, Elliott, asked me yesterday. I must admit it took me aback for a moment. Could this little guy be asking me about my beer and food induced spare tire? Could he be taking notice of my middle age spread at such a young age?

Do I jiggle? I repeated the question because I really wasn't sure where this innocent, out of nowhere question was going. He then proceeded to hand me three wine corks. At that moment I realized what he was REALLY asking. He was asking if I knew how to JUGGLE. Well, like any self-respecting Goppa, I took the corks and assured him I knew how to juggle (I actually have no talent in this area). Apparently I faked it well enough because he was kind of impressed. In reality there was never more than one cork in the air at one time, so I wasn't really juggling. But to a three year old, it must have looked close enough to satisfy his curiosity.

And to all you smart alecks out there... yes, I do jiggle. I jiggle way more than I'd like to. And no, I don't juggle, but don't tell Elliott. He thinks I can, and I am willing to allow that illusion to go on as long as he believes it.

Getting Old

I'm getting old, but it's not ALL bad :-)

So true!

This is so true!

Hello?

Hello? Spring? Is that you? Welcome back old friend!

Goodbye?

There is a warming trend in progress and April is only a week away. Could winter be taking its dying breath? I sure hope so!

Ice, Ice, Baby!

Wife: Honey, where is the ice scraper?

Husband: It's in the car. Why do you ask?

Wife: Well.................

Her lips are sealed

I know it's silly, but this one made me laugh :-)

Whodunnit?

Tami loves to watch shows like Dateline NBC and 48 hours. You know what shows I'm talking about. There is usually a murder, and they present the viewer with the back story and all the suspects. At the end of the story it is revealed who was guilty (or not). Tami is an excellent judge of people and is really good at reading body language and telling if people are lying. 95% of the time she picks the correct killer or knows when a person is actually innocent. She missed her calling. She really should have been a detective. When we watch these shows together she often jokes how she would bump me off and not get caught. That's why I try to stay on her good side :-)

Self-writing jokes

File this one under jokes that write themselves! The liberals are making this waaaaaaay too easy!

More March Madness!

The March Madness continued today. No, not the basketball tournament, the weather. So far this month we've had warm temperatures, freezing temperatures, sleet, ice, thunderstorms, hail (twice), tornadoes, snow, rain, high winds, and everything in between. I can't remember a crazier roller coaster of a month when it comes to weather. Here are two photos of the hail on my deck this morning. Now I'm just waiting for the hurricane, tsunami, and drought to close out the month.

March!

This month has stunk up the joint when it comes to weather. I know March Madness refers to the big basketball tournament, but I think the graphic below is a better depiction of it.

Probably

This girl "probaly" should have spent more time in English class.
***Note*** I did not write the text at the bottom either. It's poorly written as well.

Stayin' Home

Top o' the morning' to ya! Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone who gets to be Irish... if only for a day.

I have never been one to "celebrate" St. Patrick's Day and I certainly don't intend to start this year. In fact, this year more than ever I feel the need to stay home. This year St. Patrick's Day falls on a Friday. This so-called holiday is nothing more than a green beer drunk-fest for most. So having it on a Friday (as opposed to a Tuesday), lends itself to heavier drinking. Couple this with one of the biggest sports days of the year (the opening Friday of the NCAA basketball tournament), and you have a recipe for a lot of wild and reckless behavior tonight. Many people will start drinking early in the day and will continue late into the night. I am going to err on the side of caution and stay home tonight. I will not be imbibing anything green to celebrate this faux holiday. In fact, after having conferences last night and then turning right around and coming back to school early this morning, I will likely be asleep in my recliner by 9:00. I know, know... What a party poopin' fuddy-duddy! I don't mind that label. I teach 9 and 10 year olds all week. They drain every bit of energy I have. I am comfortable with letting the young people (and the old people who like to act like they never grew up) do all the partying. I will relax tonight with a cup of decaf (or maybe I'll go crazy and make it an Irish coffee), and watch NKU play Kentucky from the comfort of my own living room.

Rubber meets road

These are the days where the rubber meets the road. The days where teachers have to suck it up and take one for the team. I'm talking about conference night. After a long, and full day of teaching, there are four and a half hours of conferencing with parents. Don't get me wrong. I like conferencing with parents. It's often a relief to have a conversation with an adult after dealing with nine year olds all day. We do conferences 4 nights each year. After tonight we do conferences next Thursday as well. In my 27 year career, this will be conference nights #107 and #108. I like to think of it this way because it helps me see the light at the end of the tunnel. At the end of my career, I will have had conferences for 140 nights. So after this week, there are only 32 more nights of conferences until I retire. or you can look at it this way... After next Thursday I will have conferenced for 486 hours in my career. The equivalent of more than twenty days (24 hour days that is). Wow!

Two More

Handsome devil and a pretty face!

Doing the dishes

Grandma is watching the kids today. Yes, that would be Asher climbing into the dishwasher. 10-1 odds say he is not allowed to do this at home :-)

Frozen!

No real reason for posting this other than the fact it is FREEZING outside, and seeing my grandkids warms my heart. Here they are in all their cuteness and sweetness.

Spring?

Spring is just around the corner...

Here in the midwest, it seems like winter drags on forever, and spring lasts no time at all. In fact, around these parts we say, spring is a short season around here. Last year it was on a Tuesday. Teehee!

Arctic March

It's the middle of March and we are expecting low temperatures in the teens tonight. So, let me get this straight. Most of this winter we had less than frigid temperatures highlighted by a day that reached 78 degrees in February. Now that spring is a week away we get freezing temperatures that could bring wind chills of single digits. Right! Got it! Check! 10-4! At least we're not in the northeast where they are measuring their snowfall today in feet, not inches. So, there's that we've got going for us. I'm just hoping I don't wake up and realize this mild winter was just a dream.

Stella!

Today I am reminded of Marlon Brando yelling, "Stella!", in A Streetcar Named Desire". People here in the midwest, and people in the northeast may soon be yelling the same thing. Winter storm Stella is moving across the midwest where it is forecasted to be a nuisance, but the northeast stands to get slammed tonight and tomorrow. New York City could get from 12"-18", and Boston could get just as much. Our so-called winter that wasn't is not quite ready to give up the ghost just yet. Temperatures this week are more like normal temperatures for January. It's mid-March, and we're going to get winter now? Sheesh! Thanks a lot. Just when we thought we'd escape the clutches of Jack Frost unscathed, we get Stella.

I thought the photo below was interesting. The photo is not doctored, and was taken over the weekend. This house sits directly on Lake Ontario. The combination of winds and spray encased this house in ice. This isn't due to Stella, but the owner of this house might need a jackhammer to chip his way out.

The Circus

We took the 2 older grandkids to the circus today. It was their first circus, and they loved every minute of it.

Question--- How can you tell if a Goppa loves his grandchildren?

Answer--- He takes them to the circus. Goppa HATES the circus (I always have). That's a sign of true love because I wouldn't go under any other circumstances. Second answer--- He pays $24 for two Sno-Cones in souvenir cups. You read that correctly... 24 freaking bucks for two Sno-Cones. I felt like I had been robbed. Putting that aside, the day was a total and complete blast!

Success!

With much lifting, tugging, pulling, pushing, and dragging, the hot tub is now sitting on my deck. The photos below show the trip on the highway, and a couple of shots of the hot tub in place. You will notice it is sitting at a crooked angle. This is intentional as it allows access to make all the connections underneath the tub in tight quarters. Once everything is hooked up (but before filling it with water), the tub will be straightened and will look nice where it sits. It's going to be nice to have a hot tub, but above all, praise the Lord all the volunteers were safe. Thank you to all the men who helped today! You are a real blessing to me.

Before the hot tub

It doesn't look like much right now, but here is the "before" photo of where the hot tub is going to go. All of that bare wood and stained carpet will be covered. It will look so much better once the tub is in place.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow's the day for the BIG hot tub move. Please pray for the safety of those volunteering to help, and for a smooth job with no complications. I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't a bit nervous about this whole thing. This is a gargantuan task!

Reasons to vote Democrat

To quote an excerpt from author Michael J. Knowles’ new book, "The main reason to vote for a Democrat is..."

The above is not a typo.

Knowles’,“Reasons to Vote for Democrats: A Comprehensive Guide,” is 266 pages of absolutely nothing. Clean, blank, snow-white pages. And as of Thursday morning, it occupied the No. 4 slot on Amazon.com's "Best Sellers" list.

“What’s really great about this book, you can go cover-to-cover in about 15, 20 seconds,” Knowles’ told “Fox & Friends” on Thursday.

Billed as “the most exhaustively researched and coherently argued Democrat Party apologia to date,” the spoof book was Knowles' attempt to razz the party for a lack of direction.

I must confess. I love this!

Mother-in-law

I love my Mother-in-law. I would never do this. However, I still thought this was funny.

Haha!