Sunday, December 30, 2007
Say Hi to Sluggies
After Uncle George the one-eyed basset left to live at Karen's, we brought in our latest foster, Sluggo! He came from some sort of animal hoarder situation and was in rough shape but with a good diet and a warm bed, he's doing great. He's quite possibly the ugliest, "junkyard dog" I've ever seen, but in a sweet, bulldog way. Good news is that he may already have a home pending. I'm glad for him. (Look at those teeth!)
Friday, December 21, 2007
Hit the slopes
Here's my on skis a few years ago.
Here's me again, taking advantage of this week's crazy snow! Surprisingly enough, even though I hadn't skied in a decade, I did quite well. (And I also have to note that I posed like this especially for this photo comparison!) It's amazing how much better the entire experience is when you're appropriately bundled in the right, warm gear! We had fun. Gary, zoomed around on his snowboard. He wiped out once and I missed it was my camera. Dammit!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
My pony friend
With Butterscotch, your girl will feel like she is interacting with a living, breathing pony. Butterscotch is soft to the touch, with a fur coat and mane that feel just like a real pony. Her markings and color are modeled after a Shetland pony. Butterscotch also has built-in sensors all over her body, which enable her to respond to children in amazingly lifelike ways. If talked to, she will cock her head toward the speaker quizzically and blink her eyes.She will also react to petting, showing her enjoyment by rubbing her head against your child, twitching her ears, and swishing her tail. In addition to her convincing movements, Butterscotch also makes a medley of different sounds. She'll neigh and whinny just like a real pony, and snort when she wants attention. Should the room become dark, she will begin to whimper, letting her owner know that she needs a consoling hug to know that she is safe.
Saddle Up!
At over three feet tall, Butterscotch is more than strong enough to support a rider up to 80 pounds in weight. Your little girl will be overjoyed to sit on Butterscotch's back and pretend to go for a ride. Although she doesn't move her legs, Butterscotch will bump up and down when her hindquarters are tapped, simulating the feeling of a real pony ride. She will also make clomping sounds with her hooves while riding. Your child's imagination will soar as she pictures herself out on the plains with Butterscotch.
Caring for Butterscotch
Much like a real pony, Butterscotch loves to be groomed and fed. Children will keep very busy taking care of her. When given her special carrot, Butterscotch will chomp and munch on it. She also enjoys having her mane groomed with her brush. Along with her brush and carrot, Butterscotch comes with a special adoption certificate, which will give your little girl a real sense that Butterscotch belongs exclusively to her.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
A new star is born!
Following in his big "brother's" footsteps, Tankee has been invited by PBS to appear in the upcoming season of Fetch! The creators have decided that Riot (aka Murray) is on hiatus, likely shooting Antiques Roadshow or something similar, and Tank has been summoned by the temp agency. We have a lot of work to do to get Tankee Wankee in trainable form by January 5, but I'm sure with lots of hot dogs, we can get the job done. I'm thrilled that the legacy of stardom will live on!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Metal no more!
Uncle George
Hanukkah time!
Holiday trail ride
This weekend was a busy one. Sunday I had the holiday party at the barn and it was so much fun. Four of us went out for a 5+-mile trail ride and it was amazing. We were a little unsure how the footing would as the ground was covered with snow and we weren't sure of the icing, etc. But it turned out to be great. Allie and Riley led the way, followed by Collette on Truckles (her first time riding with us), then Chris on Pilot and me and Olly-var. Oliver was by far the most pokey pony, but I love that. Here, Oliver and I pause by the century-old cemetery Allie found way out in the woods. It's crazy because the only way out there is by trails, yet it's very ornate. Makes you wonder how and why it came to be. The end of the ride had us walking back on the road about 1.5 miles and while I've never ridden Oliver that long on the road, he did great amongst the cars and barking dogs. I was very impressed! I also got to use my new trail riding GPS -- Fun!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Atari on the big screen
Earlier this year, Gary and I puchased not 1 but 2 40-inch flat screen TVs. We've been doing a lot of wondering lately why we bothered to get one for the den, since we never use it. Well, we finally figured out a good purpose for it: my Atari 2600!
Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, Circus, Donkey Kong, Kaboom... the list goes on!!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Visiting Santa Paws
Yesterday I took Tankee and Artie to have their photos taken with Santa Paws. While the professional ones came out much better, these are still cute. Artie is going to his new home on Thursday. I'm going to miss him lots, but they seem like a great home. Below is a photo of Artie and Buford (the foster we had last week.) The best part is that this was not staged -- Buford put his arm around Artie all on his own!
A hunting we will go
Yesterday, Chris and Allie an I went out on a 5+-mile trail ride. It was amazing (even if when I was leading Oliver over a small ravine he jumped and landed on me!) We came face-to-face with a few hunters who were nice and assured us they wouldn't take aim. They even radioed ahead to their pals to let them know we were out. The jingle bells really helped they said, so that's good to know. Oliver got a little spooky at the gun. Smart boy.
Guitar Hero
I admit it. We're 30-somethings, and we're fans of Guitar Hero III. Here's Dena (first time player) rocking out. She proved to be a natural, even when Tankee was humping her leg. I continue to get booed off stage. Oh, now that I thoght about it, Dena's only a 20-something. Must be why she's so damn good.
The Mousinator
Saturday, November 24, 2007
The orange brigade
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Hunting apparel
Of horse and hound
Saturday, November 10, 2007
New Foster
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Goodbye, Rye-Man
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Happy Halloween!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Faces in places
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Carve away (without the mess)
Sunday, October 21, 2007
More from NH
As we were sitting at the top, we ended up chatting with this guy who was rock climbing. As he was waiting for his partner to make it up the rock face, we got to talking about where we're from. Of course the guy would be from ASHBURNHAM!
As it turns out, she knew my brother. Funny...!!! Before we left on Sunday, Gary and I headed out to Jackson Falls where we got married in February. It was fun seeing the place with no snow this time around!We'll have to make this part of our annual visit. It was so pretty...
...and looks so heavenly!
Fear Factor on the Ziprider
The ride is about 50 seconds long and goes about 45mph while the rider is suspended in a flimsy harness off a cable.
Craig and Joanna hustle off the chair lift.
Once at the top, Joanna makes peace with the situation at hand.
And this is basically the view from the top. I'll say this much: It's steep. I couldn't get any photos going down, but click here for a video that someone else posted.
Now, to the best part. When I was looking online for additional photos online tonite, I came across this notice on the mountain's website posted yesterday -- they day we went: "The ZipRider will not be open the remainder of today Saturday October, 20th or tomorrow Sunday October 21st. Unfortunately, the retrieval system that performs the necessary function of moving empty chair safety harnesses back to our starting deck is currently inoperable. We are working to repair as quickly as possible. Please check back here to know when the ZipRider will fly again." NICE!!!! Let's just say after reading that I doubt I'll be zipping again!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
No more corporate uniformity; credit cards dress up
(Editor's note: I wrote this for tomorrow's column for the paper but wanted to share this advance copy. I am going to order up... now!)
Ever been intrigued by a credit card simply because you like its design? From horse breeds to sports teams, there’s a company out there willing you charge you interest for use of its card. Now there’s a way to personalize any card with zero damage to your card – or your credit – which brings new meaning to an attractive offer.
It’s a simple idea, really – “skins” for your credit cards, debit cards, ATM cards, you name it. Just buy, remove the backing, apply the sticker and instantly you’ve got a cool-looking card.
Produced by CreditCovers of Madison, Wis., the stickers’ designs range from faux Burberry plaid to camouflage. “Blackout,” the company’s best-seller, blacks out all info but the subscriber’s name, card number, and expiration date.
According to the company’s website, CreditCovers will not damage cards or their swipe strip since the sticker is applied to the front only. They’re also safe to insert in ATMs. While removable (sometimes with a little help of such products as Goo-Gone) they are not reusable. And, while the company states the cover will last “forever,” if it does wear out, they’ll replace it for free.
Available in select retail stores (the closest is Prelude Gift Expressions in Needham), all are available online for $4.99 apiece.
Visit CreditCovers.com to browse the online catalog.
The Penguin Egg
Who know this 69-cent impulse buy at "don't you just love a bargain" Christmas Tree Shops would be such a hit?! This cute little penguin is currently birthing itself from the confines of its egg thanks to a little water and hard work on his behalf. Granted, he might be a bit stunted since I did let the water evaporate a bit too much last night (woops) but he's still at it. I hope by tomorrow he'll be big enough to ride. (No offense Oliver, but with only 3 shoes, you're now out of commission until Saturday!)
Sunday, October 14, 2007
DC Weekend
This weekend the entire Hill/Green/Crews-Hill family headed down to DC to celebrate my cousin Pearson's wedding. It was a gorgeous weekend and it was fun to have the family together, even if it was a whirlwind of a trip. Gary returned home from Israel at 3:30 Friday morning and we left for DC just a few hours later... Needless to say it's been a crazy few days, but fun nonetheless. Below are just a few highlights of the weekend.
Above, Dane and Emily sample some fine water at the reception. Not too much now, kids...!
Here's me and my one and only cousin, Pearson, at the rehearsal dinner. He's hilarious.
Here's the entire, EXTENDED, family. That's right folks, this is it. And it includes Alison, our newest member, and my Aunt Johanna, Pearson's mom. I love how it looks like Gary and I are Emily's parents. Everyone's all jumbled up, so I guess it doesn't really matter...
As is only the case with wedding dance floors, David (my brother) and Pearson paired up for a quick dance. Just long enough for a photo, really, but long enough!
And, just as proof that we were in fact in our nation's capitol, (because honestly, it was such a crazy trip that we could have been anywhere) here's the Washington Monument from the back of the cab window.