Hailey's first haircut

Hailey's first haircut, originally uploaded by beths96.

Seriously, is she not just beyond adorable?

'as god as my witness, i thought turkeys could fly'

December has "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Late November has this, from "WKRP in Cincinnati" ...

WKRP in Cincinnati: Thanksgiving Turkey Bomb! @ Yahoo! Video

food for thought

talk among yourselves.

Trotter talk, day 2

contemplative :), originally uploaded by pr9000.

Well, Katie has Trotter and is really enjoying it so far ... except for his breath, which I can attest is pretty heinous at times. I just texted her to say that we actually have parsley growing on the back porch. Perhaps the prime rib and smashed potatoes give him bad breath, you think? :)

Huh? you're asking. Trust me, it will all make sense in a minute.

In the first clip, you'll hear the voices of Aaron and Matthew, part of the Brush family that watched -- and thus fell in love with -- Trotter when we lived in Chanhassen. The boys called Katie's radio station and gave her some tips on how to get along with Trotter.

In the second one, Katie gets advice on how to rid dogs of bad breath. I've always been partial to peanut butter myself.

The Trotter phenomenon grows ... next thing you know, Amina's dad will call in to tell Katie that Trotter likes it when you give him animal crackers -- but only if you talk to him (Trotter) in French. :)

in the great smoky mountains

in the great smoky mountains, originally uploaded by pr9000.

This picture makes me smile. And wish I were a dog.

i think we always knew this day was coming

originally uploaded by pr9000.

... and yet, when it finally happened, it's surprisingly awesome.

What's the big deal? Trotter P. is famous!

It all started with a chance encounter with Katie, at one of our favorite restaurants in Franklin, when mom and dad were down to visit.

Somehow, the conversation turned to Trotter. It might have been the back of my business card, or it might have been that Amina and I are obsessed with our dog ... regardless, we started talking about stinkdogs and how we were looking for someone kind and loving to "dogsit" for us from time to time.

Katie got all excited and quickly volunteered.

Big deal, right? Well, it turns out that Katie herself is kind of a big deal -- Katie is a transplant from Eau Claire and just happens to be the co-host of a morning radio show, on WAXX FM, 104.5 on your FM dial if you're ever driving on I-94 in northern Wisconsin. She's a Marconi Award winner, which is more than my favorite sports radio host has ever done ...

So what happened today? Well, she and her co-host, George, spent quite a bit of time talking about how incredibly awesome he (Trotter) is, and the perils of dogsitting in general. They even gave him a corner of their website ... And I must report that I could not quit smiling when I heard my dog become famous across Wisconsin. George was a bit hard on Katie for dressing Trotter up in his Steeler regalia; but it was I who did that, and despite the look on Trotter's face, he was very happy to represent the 412. He's been a Pirates fan too, and donned the black and gold for Halloween this year.

He even ran for the Tennessee House of Representatives.

So, in short: despite my expensive education and many years of workplace experience, my dog is poised to have a far better career than me. C'est la vie, say the old folks -- it goes to show you never can tell ...

darth vader never looked so cute

darth vader never looked so cute, originally uploaded by pr9000.

awww ... "wuke, come ovaw to the dawk side ..."

the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round

here we go steelers ... here we go, originally uploaded by pr9000.

I can't believe I hadn't posted this photo on Flickr yet. It's one of my favorites from last year. You have to understand that the hat lasted about a tenth of a second after I pushed the button ... and that he actually looks better in a sleeveless t-shirt than I do. His guns are huge compared to mine.

***

I got up this morning and, to my shock and surprise, the sun was still rising in the east, just where I'd last seen it yesterday at the same time. Coffee still tasted as good. Newspaper was once again thrown in the bushes. Fletcher still demanded to be let outside, even though two nights ago I'd left him out all night.

In short, the world didn't stop turning. And I never thought it would. We've got a new president, and the tears I saw streaming down Jesse Jackson's face last night seemed genuine, which is surprising, because he's one of the least genuine political figures of my short lifetime. Oprah did call it "the most meaningful thing that has ever happened," confirming my deep hatred for that woman and all she stands for ... except for those Favorite Things shows, which are really kind of awesome and would be more so if I ever saw one in person. Then I'd forgive her putting Obama above, say, Jesus, D-Day, the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, Jimmy John's subs, Trotter in a Steelers shirt or ... well, you get the point.

My Facebook friends all seem to be post-orgasmic about last night. Here's a sampling of some statuses: "woke up optimistic about our economy and country and that the change we need is finally here" ... "proud that her fellow citizens (and Virginians) have done something right and taken a step to renew the country's standing in the world-community" ... "can't stop thinking, 'Yes we can.' I finally understand what it was like for my mother when Kennedy was elected. It's a wondrous day to be alive" ... "OMG! There is No Doubt! It's so wonderful! Thanks to all who worked hard for this!"

I think it will be interesting to study their reactions (and the reactions of the millions who share their thoughts and enthusiasm) as Obama The Candidate morphs into Obama The Politician. He's bound to disappoint them, and me -- that's what presidents do. And I think he's going to disappoint them in a massive, earth-shaking way at some point, because again, that's the president's job. He makes decisions that will anger some and please others. He can't always please just one side of the country -- it's not possible. All presidents -- good, bad, and Jimmy Carter -- disappoint. And this one more so, because people think he's akin to a prophet, and have become emotionally invested in him.

I try to remember: it's always a wondrous day to be alive.

the candidate we all can agree on!

Today I voted for change.

It's safe to say that I'm pretty happy with my choice, and I look forward to him chewing on the state constitution, playing fetch with the governor's slippers and being bribed by large amounts of peanut butter kongs and chocolate chip cookies.


the candidate we all can agree on!, originally uploaded by pr9000

hanging chad's? is it a bar or something?

hanging chad's? is it a bar or something?, originally uploaded by pr9000.

(I saw that at my local library. Sad.)

So it looks like Obama's cruising to victory. It shouldn't be much of a surprise; the Republicans have had an uphill battle the whole way -- wildly hated president, massive deficits, unpopular war, belated response to Katrina -- and yet I suspect the popular vote will be far closer than the Electoral College tally that should give Obama close to 300 electors.

It will look like a landslide, and the usual suspects will call it such, but it probably won't be a much larger victory than Bush over Kerry in 2004. And remember how the same usual suspects cried that the results "weren't a mandate" for the GOP platform? I doubt they'll be making the same claims tomorrow.

Consistency, hobgoblins, etc.

As for me, I've made peace with this election and my choice in it. I'm not going to announce it -- as if anyone cares -- other than to say that I voted for Turd Sandwich. I look forward to being part of the skeptical opposition for the next four years or so.

Actually, that's a lie. I really look forward to messianic disappointment. Hopefully that will lead some people to realize that politics isn't religion, and that a candidate so slickly and expensively packaged will not change the world, for ill or good. I'll remember this election as the one where I finally accepted that neither party is worth a damn.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go park my massive, massive wealth in some tax shelters. I'm not in the mood to be a Joe Biden-approved patriot any more than I already am, thank you.

a very, very ... interesting ... post about rice cookers

from Roger Ebert, no less. It's a very good, and very odd, read, and I recommend it heartily.

my dating life, as reported by drudge