A few weeks ago my brother was sworn in as the new Fire Chief in St. Bernard. Tonight he will be sworn in (again) at the town council meeting. The oath he takes tonight is strictly ceremonial. A large number of family members will be there to witness the event and celebrate with Kerry. Congratulations, little brother.
Pictures tomorrow.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Role Reversal
Back to school is an emotional time. Teachers go back to work not-so-willingly and you might even say kicking and screaming. Parents on the other hand celebrate their impending freedom and rejoice in the idea that the schools will be babysitting their children 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. I guess you could say the stress changes hands. Parents essentially get to say to the teachers, "TAG! You're it!".
Senior!
Today is Abby's first day of school and she is (unbelievably) a SENIOR. I remember her first day of Kindergarten and now she is starting her last year of high school. I can't fathom the thought that my youngest child is finishing high school and will soon be making preparations for college. I keep thinking maybe I will wake up and this will all be a bizarre dream.
I will be praying for you, Abby.
Soli Deo Gloria!
I will be praying for you, Abby.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Grammar Joke
A newly enrolled Freshman at Harvard is having difficulty locating a restroom on the unfamiliar campus. Desperate for relief she approaches a stodgy and stuffy looking professor. She hastily asks, "Excuse me sir, but can you tell me where the restroom's at?". Obviously put off, the snooty professor answers in a haughty tone, "Young lady. Here at Hah-vad we never end a sentence with a preposition". Without missing a beat, the Freshman retorts, "Oh, I beg your pardon, sir. Can you tell me where the restroom's at, JERK?!".
Touche'!
Touche'!
Monday, August 4, 2014
Roosters
Tami and I went antique shopping today. Among other things, Tami purchased two brass roosters. They are postured in a battle stance and are meant to look like they're fighting. I openly said I didn't like them and the guy at the antique mall diplomatically said they were "almost ugly". Then after some good natured joking, he admitted he didn't like them either. Tami said she likes stuff that is unique. If that was her goal, then I consider her mission accomplished. I don't know of anyone else who has fighting brass roosters in their houses.
Full disclosure here--- The roosters were only 4 bucks apiece. So my opinion is not based on money. It's based on artistic and decorating taste (of which I admit I have none). These roosters will be proudly and prominently displayed on our new dining room table. Who knows, maybe they'll become family heirlooms one day. I can just imagine our kids squabbling over these roosters when we're gone.
Here is a photo. Sorry... I know it's blurry. My cell phone camera is not very good. Tell me what you think... AND BE HONEST! I really want to know if I'm off base or right on target.
I present to you, Fighting Brass Roosters!
Here are some better photos of similar sets (not ours though).
Full disclosure here--- The roosters were only 4 bucks apiece. So my opinion is not based on money. It's based on artistic and decorating taste (of which I admit I have none). These roosters will be proudly and prominently displayed on our new dining room table. Who knows, maybe they'll become family heirlooms one day. I can just imagine our kids squabbling over these roosters when we're gone.
Here is a photo. Sorry... I know it's blurry. My cell phone camera is not very good. Tell me what you think... AND BE HONEST! I really want to know if I'm off base or right on target.
I present to you, Fighting Brass Roosters!
Here are some better photos of similar sets (not ours though).
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Time is running out
School starts on August 19th. Time is quickly running out on my summer vacation. I can't believe the stress will be ramping up again so soon. The picture below accurately depicts how I'm feeling right now.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Happy 50th Birthday
Happy 50th Birthday, Honey!
To celebrate you are going to have breakfast in bed.
To celebrate you are going to have breakfast in bed.
Old Lady
Today is Tami's 50th birthday and I am officially married to an old lady. However, you will never hear me refer to her as "my old lady". I have always believed "old lady" is a terribly disrespectful way to refer to your wife. My lovely, wonderful and wise wife turns 50 years old today and I love her more now than I ever have before. You won't see any change in Tami today either. She is proud of her age and knows 50 is just a number. I feel the same way. We've spent 25 years together (2 years dating and married for 23 years) and she has spent half of her life with me. We've been through a lot together and I am looking forward to so much more with her.
Happy Birthday, Honey!
Happy Birthday, Honey!
Friday, August 1, 2014
The vicious cycle
Well, it's August 1st and my attention turns away from summer fun and turns toward going back to school. It doesn't seem that long ago I was cheering the end of school and the arrival of summer. Now I'm staring down the barrel of another school year. It's nothing but a vicious cycle.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
More businesses from my past
Here are some more places you may remember... Gone, but not forgotten.
The Record Theater in Norwood. This state-of-the-art record store was like no other I had ever seen. Entire walls of 8 track tapes were behind plexiglass with holes cut in it. The holes were large enough for your hand to fit through, but too small for the 8 track (shoplifting prevention technology of the 80's!). The concept was simple. Find a tape you were interested in buying, reach through the plexiglass, grab it and look at it. If you didn't want it, it was returned to its place on the shelf. If you did want to buy the tape, drop it onto a continually running conveyor belt that transported it to the cash register. Walk over and pay for it. (and yes, this is where I bought my Michael Jackson and Pink Floyd 8 tracks). Now we simply download everything from iTunes.
Godfather's Pizza (right next door to the Record Theater). Big, thick, Chicago-style pizza. I didn't think the pizza was that great, but dad liked it because they served beer. I liked it because they had a cool pinball machine. We usually went to Godfather's for dinner and then to the Record Theater... Family entertainment at its finest!
Germantown Pizza (you only remember this if you were from St. Bernard)--- Local pizza joint that smelled musty and garlic-y. For a few bucks you could order a pizza bread and play video games. We thought we were big stuff!
Showbiz Pizza Place--- This was the forerunner to Chuck E. Cheese. Never before could you get pizza, be entertained by an animatronic band and play in one of the coolest arcades in the city. This place was "Da bomb!" when it first came out. In the beginning Showbiz wasn't just for little kids. It was designed for people of all ages... even my grandma liked it.
Malibu Race Track (right next to I-75 in Sharonville). This place was a huge go-kart track, but the karts were made to look like race cars. It was realistic car racing (for its day) and it also had a huge arcade.
And speaking of arcades... My brother and I recently had a conversation about our time spent in video arcades. We decided that if we could get back every quarter we ever put in a video game slot, we could retire comfortably.
Putt-Putt Golf and Games in Evendale--- I spent so much time here that it warrants its own post (stay tuned). Remember the huge fiberglass golf ball on a gigantic tee that sat out in the middle of the driving range field? If you ever drove on Reading Road you couldn't miss it.
Farrell's Ice Cream (Tri-County Mall area). This place was built in the style of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. I remember they had a gift shop with lots of trinkets, but most of all I remember what they were best known for. An ice cream creation simply called a "Zoo". A Zoo was intended for many people to share. It was a large bowl with about a thousand scoops of ice cream, several sauces, nuts, whipped cream and cherries. The Zoo was ordered for parties and was gaudily decorated. I remember they used to delver the Zoo to the table amid a whole lot of hoopla. Servers yelling and cheering, people playing kazoos, somebody pounding a bass drum and people playing other crazy instruments. It was a really noisy and wild place (as far as ice cream shops go, that is).
It's amazing to think of the number of places that used to be around, but have long since disappeared.
The top photo shows a Zoo sundae. The middle photo shows the famous bass drum. The bottom photo is not the Cincinnati location, but does look similar (minus the blue canopy) to the one I remember.
The Record Theater in Norwood. This state-of-the-art record store was like no other I had ever seen. Entire walls of 8 track tapes were behind plexiglass with holes cut in it. The holes were large enough for your hand to fit through, but too small for the 8 track (shoplifting prevention technology of the 80's!). The concept was simple. Find a tape you were interested in buying, reach through the plexiglass, grab it and look at it. If you didn't want it, it was returned to its place on the shelf. If you did want to buy the tape, drop it onto a continually running conveyor belt that transported it to the cash register. Walk over and pay for it. (and yes, this is where I bought my Michael Jackson and Pink Floyd 8 tracks). Now we simply download everything from iTunes.
Godfather's Pizza (right next door to the Record Theater). Big, thick, Chicago-style pizza. I didn't think the pizza was that great, but dad liked it because they served beer. I liked it because they had a cool pinball machine. We usually went to Godfather's for dinner and then to the Record Theater... Family entertainment at its finest!
Germantown Pizza (you only remember this if you were from St. Bernard)--- Local pizza joint that smelled musty and garlic-y. For a few bucks you could order a pizza bread and play video games. We thought we were big stuff!
Showbiz Pizza Place--- This was the forerunner to Chuck E. Cheese. Never before could you get pizza, be entertained by an animatronic band and play in one of the coolest arcades in the city. This place was "Da bomb!" when it first came out. In the beginning Showbiz wasn't just for little kids. It was designed for people of all ages... even my grandma liked it.
Malibu Race Track (right next to I-75 in Sharonville). This place was a huge go-kart track, but the karts were made to look like race cars. It was realistic car racing (for its day) and it also had a huge arcade.
And speaking of arcades... My brother and I recently had a conversation about our time spent in video arcades. We decided that if we could get back every quarter we ever put in a video game slot, we could retire comfortably.
Putt-Putt Golf and Games in Evendale--- I spent so much time here that it warrants its own post (stay tuned). Remember the huge fiberglass golf ball on a gigantic tee that sat out in the middle of the driving range field? If you ever drove on Reading Road you couldn't miss it.
Farrell's Ice Cream (Tri-County Mall area). This place was built in the style of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. I remember they had a gift shop with lots of trinkets, but most of all I remember what they were best known for. An ice cream creation simply called a "Zoo". A Zoo was intended for many people to share. It was a large bowl with about a thousand scoops of ice cream, several sauces, nuts, whipped cream and cherries. The Zoo was ordered for parties and was gaudily decorated. I remember they used to delver the Zoo to the table amid a whole lot of hoopla. Servers yelling and cheering, people playing kazoos, somebody pounding a bass drum and people playing other crazy instruments. It was a really noisy and wild place (as far as ice cream shops go, that is).
It's amazing to think of the number of places that used to be around, but have long since disappeared.
The top photo shows a Zoo sundae. The middle photo shows the famous bass drum. The bottom photo is not the Cincinnati location, but does look similar (minus the blue canopy) to the one I remember.
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