The Sweet Smell of Success

I recently tried to replicate making ginger ale.  My first attempt was literally under the supervision of a doctor, because the person who showed me how to make it is a doctor.  I am proud to say that it turned out to be spectacular.

Even my friend who makes real beer liked it.

However, my wife told me I have to limit my ginger ale intake next time I make it because after I sat on the pot she complained of a distinct ginger aroma seeping from the bathroom.

7,000,000,001

That's right seven billion and one.

The wife and I are officially contributing to the overpopulation of this fine planet. We of course plan on raising this rat to be just like us and just like our parents. Most people say they will never do what their parents do, but we both get along great with our parents.  They are actually some of the best friends we have.  I think this is a result of taking responsibility for our lives and not blaming our parents for doing anything but trying to raise us the best they could.

I also know that even if we decided to send our kid to montessori school it still counts as overpopulation, but hey everybody is doing it.

We found out that we were going to be parents after the first week in Kodiak this summer, but we didn't want to tell our parents over the phone. So we had to wait eight weeks before returning to the motherland before telling our parents.  We lined our parents up under the premise that we wanted pictures for our blog, which was true. While I took the picture the wife counted down 3-2-1-I'm pregnant!!!

First up were my parents:

OOOOhhh!

Then the wife's parents.

Ahhhhh!

Notice that of both sets the female is most excited.  This is because they are thinking about all the clothes they can dress the little doll in. 

Just a few days later we received pictures of this UFO inside my wife.  

Your Name Here

Don't ask me is we know what it is because we don't know. We'll tell you after the wife passes it.  Who would want to ruin the surprise anyway?

Kodiak Blues

The time has come to leave.  

It's bittersweet.

This year was awesome because of the counselors, the leadership and the campers.  The weather was much nicer this summer too.  I remember leaving last summer and feeling like I did not do nearly as much as I wish I had.  This summer the wife and I climbed several mountains, went backpacking and skiff camping on two different island.  We also did a lot of other things, but we both still feel like there is so much more we could have done. 

I guess part of growing up is realizing you can't do it all.

We have been touched by so many people this summer and I was finally able to see why Sonya always raved about living in the Foreman Jones Society. 

I will make this promise Kodiak, I will be back someday and I won't be alone. 

More Fun

My wife invited me to go walking at fort Abercrombie.

While we were walking I started grumbling about the speed at which she was going.

I told her that we were walking not hiking.  Then she told me that she had invited me hiking, when she really invited me to go walking.

Who was right is debatable, that doesnt' matter.

My complaint was that I was trying to take the day easy.

She said she didn't know why it was such a big deal because we didn't do anything yesterday except for climb a mountain.

Yeah, I guess she was right we didn't do anything.....except climb a mountain.

Ohhh the irony

We hiked the first of the three sisters last weekend, but much to our dismay we were unable to hike the other two due to weather.  When we reached the top of the mountain we were in the clouds and visibility was roughly 10 feet.

Mountain climbing for me is really difficult when all I can see is clouds, so we went back down the mountain. The motivation of climbing is the view.

Now for the irony.

When we got back to the van we all enjoyed some fruit that we had brought along.

I had an orange and my wife had an apple.

It was at this point that one of our group members told my wife that he had recently heard that apples were supposed to be bad for you because so much pesticide was used in their production.

I've heard this argument before and I don't really care. I wash my fruit before I eat it...most of the time.
I was so busy thinking about avoiding this discussion that I missed the irony.

My wife pointed out later that this guy told us about the evil of apples while smoking a cigarette.

The 3rd 4th and hopefully not the 5th of July

I’m officially too old to enjoy DIY fireworks. 

I have no problem with fireworks put on by professionals, as long as I’m not directly paying for them. Indirect taxation from the city is fine by me.

I think I get this from my dad who was never a fan of fireworks.  He always had a stick in his craw about them being “dangerous and too expensive”.  As a kid I thought that is how every dad was but as I got older I realized it wasn’t. 

However, at my current age I couldn’t agree with him more, you might say I have a whole lumberyard in my craw.

If you don’t know what a craw is its insect and bird related and if I were either an insect or bird mine would contain sticks. 

Continuing on…..

We apparently live right by the beach where everyone in Kodiak comes to let off their DIY fireworks, pipe bombs and other homemade explosives.  Keep in mind that it doesn’t get dark enough to light fireworks in Kodiak until approximately 12am.  We have the pleasure of sporadic fireworks from about 9pm until 1:30am. 

I thought it was the price of the fireworks that I hate, but I’m not buying any of these I just have to listen to the windows rattle when they are set off…..at 1:30am.

Incase you are wondering these fireworks are not the ones that go boom and make pretty colors; they just go BOOM!

My other firework related irritation is children under the age of 21 setting off fireworks. I know someone who now has the luxury of a glass eye due to fireworks.  I don’t want the same luxury and can’t stand children lighting fireworks from the campfire I am trying to enjoy.  I am a big kid so I move away from the fire, because you can’t explain to children they shouldn’t light fireworks right next to your head and they have no appreciation of expensive water proof clothing that lack holes.

Eventually these same kids follow you to your new destination and you have to pretty much leave the party if you want to keep your eyes and clothes in tact.

I’m done, I thought this was give me some relief but I’m getting irritated all over again.

I can’t wait to see how many patriots storm the beach tonight.

Happy A Parental Units

My parents have been married for 29 years and I decided to celebrate by hiking termination point with my pals Orlando, Ashley and Wilbur.  Wilbur is the dog.  It was a great hike and great way to celebrate my parent’s commitment to one another.

Thanks for sticking it out Muther and Daddy-O.