January 29, 2008
Pictures!
What better way to not blog than by posting pictures! (Aside from not posting pictures.)
A few shots from this year:
First off, PETS!!
Playing the part of Rafiki, Catherine. Playing the part of infant Simba being held up for approval of all the animals of the savannah, a very perturbed Lightning.
Brilliant.
Enjoying the sunshine and dreams of chasing rabbits or rawhide bones, it's Patches.
AWwwwwww!
Next up, some of you might be aware that the South was covered in a huge thick blanket of snow a couple of weekends ago. The teevee stations breathlessly dubbed this dangerous band of weather "WINTER STORM '08!" and gave it round-the-clock coverage.
It started about 11 a.m., was over by about 1:30, and left a killing choking layer of frozen precipitation nearly half an inch thick. It all melted by 5:00.
But dangitall, it was SNOW, and the kids have been irritated for several years now that the evil McBushitlerburton weather machine had not produced anything appropriately wintertime-frosty, so they were ecstatic. While it lasted. (Oh, ignore the date stamp--this actually happened on the 19th.)
Anyway, the first snowball:
Boy holds up two rather pitiful competitors in the snowball arms race:
Next, a tiny snowman, his tinier snow-progeny, a tiny snow-dog, and a giant ball of snow, all perched upon the gas grill to represent the growing danger of global warming:
Global warming, though, is trumped by the threat posed by giant extraterrestrial canines transported to earth by a race of earmuff-wearing Amazons:
The front of Casa de Possum, looking almost New England wintry. This was taken about an hour past the height of the blizzard.
The Volvo looks right at home--
I sorta wish it had that layer of snow on it all the time. Helps cover up the faded paint on the upper side. Also, if it had snow on it all the time, I would ride around with this on my back window all the time:
I live for constant positive reinforcement, you know.
In other family news, Miss Reba had herself a birthday! As you can see from the candles on the cake, she's three.
She's actually 48, and danged hot, if I do say so myself.
So, that's it for the family, although there is a dearth of pictures of Oldest, who does not take well to being candidly snapped.
And me? Oh, well, yeah, I guess there's a few shots of your host as well. Acting silly, as usual.
Hey, do you like those little butter mints like they have at baby showers and junk like that? Me too!
What a moron.
Here I am all dressed up acting like a moron:
AND FINALLY, this past Sunday we appointments to have our pictures made at church for the directory. This is what it looks like when I have to wait for something:
Well, there you go.
Back to work now.
Posted by Terry Oglesby at January 29, 2008 10:47 AMHey! I finally figured out Miss Reba's secret for looking so young - the *kids* all look a year older, taking her year of age from her!
A very fine-looking two- and four-legged family you have there.
As for the snow on the Volvo - I suppose spraying Christmas tree flocking on it to give it that year-round snow look would be a little much, huh?
Posted by: Diane at January 29, 2008 12:01 PMActually, Diane, Miss Reba looks so young because she gets a healthy dose of ME every day! Really. That's what does it.
And thank you--I agree, they are all a mighty fine-looking conglomeration. Aside from me.
AS FOR FLOCKING, I'd not considered that. Until now! Surely there are still a few cans floating around the after-Christmas half-price bins...
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at January 29, 2008 12:19 PMI assume that if the winter storm of the millenium had arrived on a weekday, schools would have been closed. When Doc Weevil and I were kids living in southeastern VA, that much snow would have been enough to close them.
Posted by: steevil (Dr Weevil's bro Steve) at January 29, 2008 01:36 PMIndeed so. Several local colleges with Saturday activities closed down that day due to the blinding white-out conditions and the lack of sufficient reserve quantities of milk and bread.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at January 29, 2008 01:51 PMI envy women with fine-line brows. Cat has them, too.
Mine grow like caterpillars.
Posted by: Janis Gore at January 30, 2008 08:25 AMI bet it's cool when they turn into butterflies, though!
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at January 30, 2008 09:07 AMI think we got a LITTLE more snow than y'all did, but not much.
Posted by: Kathy at January 30, 2008 09:12 AMYou're welcome to it, Miss Kathy. After the big storm of March '93, any chance of accumulation makes me sorta antsy.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at January 30, 2008 09:25 AMWhy were you dressed up and acting like a Mormon?
What? Oh.
Never mind.
Posted by: skillzy at January 31, 2008 02:44 PMThank you, Miss Litella. Thank goodness there were no misunderstandings about the flocking discussion.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at January 31, 2008 03:21 PMActing like a Mormon?! Obviously some latent mad Mitt-love. Now that Edwards is out he probably has the nicest hair out of the bunch, though Obama-mama keeps his close to the scalp.
While the snow on Jarn looked nice, I wonder how he'd fare up in Diane's neck of the woods, where the temperatures were getting down to sub-zero (Fahrenheit). Makes me glad to be an adopted son of the south ... that and the ham biscuits.
Posted by: Marc V at January 31, 2008 06:41 PMIt isn't the temperatures Jarn would need to worry about - the wind would blow him back to Alabama.
Let's see, in the last week:
Forties over the weekend.
Forty plus degree drop in temp on Tuesday, with *sustained* winds in the 25 -30 mph range, gusts to 45 mph and a high on Weds of about two.
Warming back to high twenties Thursday, six to nine inches of snow overnight, with three more slated for the morning today.
Break out the ham biscuits and grits, boys, I'm moving south.
Come on down, Diane!
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at February 1, 2008 11:22 AMSkillzy- Mormons would NOT get caught wearing a blue shirt! For them its dress white shirts, all the time.
As for the pictures, everybody looks terrific, Terry. Pity about that puny snowstorm. That much doesn't even warrant sweeping the steps out here.
Posted by: Nate at February 5, 2008 10:20 PMMaybe I'm a Reformed Moron. Oh, wait--never mind. AS FOR THE SNOW, or lack thereof, I'm perfectly satisfied with the amount we got. There's a reason I won't live any further north than Birmingham.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at February 6, 2008 09:11 AMAS FOR THE SNOW, or lack thereof, I'm perfectly satisfied with the amount we got. There's a reason I won't live any further north than Birmingham.
Well there is that lil matter of the four circus elephants, the scale model of the Arch du Triumph & the sister of the Anishinabek MN county sheriff. He still has that shoot on sight order up on Merl's bulletin board. BTW blaming Mr. Sookum (link here: http://picasaweb.google.com/vonkrag/NewAlbum12907344PM/photo#5154388367428012754) again just wont fly, the truth is out there!
Posted by: Chef Tony at February 6, 2008 08:02 PMLIES! ALL LIES!!
1) It was only three circus elephants, and they were already sick.
2) It was a model of Stonehenge, and it was really supposed to be 18 feet tall, not 18 inches.
c) It was the sister of the Anishinabek Tribal Police chief, NOT the county sheriff.
4) It is not a shoot-on-sight order, but merely a suggestion, and Merle spells his name Merle, not Merl.
5) Let's not bring Elvira into this. At least not right now.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at February 6, 2008 10:18 PMHumph! Elvira is ALWAYS worth bringing into a blog. For that matter so is Miss Loren, Miss Deneuve and because I'm feeling nostalgic Miss Page too.
Mariko just read this and said I really am a MCP, I'd add in a Moron® also but y'all already know that.
Posted by: Chef Tony at February 8, 2008 06:48 PMSorry, Tony--I just didn't want to impose on Elvira unless it was absolutely necessary. You know how she is.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at February 12, 2008 04:43 PMThis blog needs some pep, I think chocolate is the thing to cause pep. So here y'all go:
Recipe: Aztec Hot Chocolate Pudding
Time: 45 minutes
Butter for greasing pudding dish
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup best-quality cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup corn oil
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum.
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 8-cup pudding or soufflé dish. Set aside. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, chili, superfine sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. In small bowl, mix milk, vanilla and oil. Pour into flour mixture. Mix by hand for thick smooth batter.
2. Spoon batter into pudding dish, and smooth the top. Pour 3/8 cup water into a small pan. Set over high heat, and bring to boil. In small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup cocoa with brown sugar, making sure there are no lumps. Spread evenly across the batter. Pour boiling water over it, and top with rum.
3. Bake pudding until top is a bubbling sponge and center is wobbly and liquid, about 30 minutes. To serve, spoon out portions that include some of the top and chocolate sauce beneath. If desired, accompany with vanilla ice cream.
Yield: 4 servings
I take USD, cash and kisses on a pro-rated basis in payment for this service.
Posted by: Chef Tony at February 25, 2008 03:38 PM