Moe, Is that you???

I have to say that I was surprised at this.
If you dont know anything about Moe's, let me tell you they make one fine burrito!

Dont get me wrong, I'm sure that the FireBonz is a quality eating establishment in its own right, it's just that I didn't expect to find Moe at the FireBonz during the lunch hour.


But, here's his truck, and I mean it's the big honkin' Moe's catering rig, not just some little around the block delivery van! I'm not naive. I know that Moe cant eat at Moe's for every meal, but this is at lunch hour, people! Who's running the Moe's show if Moe is at the FireBonz?

Okay, so I have a few speculations.

First, I suspect that Moe has brought over a truckload of food for the FireBonz staff. Surely they can enjoy a Moe's meal every now and again. Dont you suppose they get a little burned out on ribs and steak and such? Well, if their manager decided to treat them to a Moe's meal during their normal lunch, he's got to be an okay guy.

Second, perhaps Moe is there incognito? Suppose he's there to check out the competition. He could find a few of the FireBonz secrets that he could incorporate into his own menu. That's just good business acumen, aint it? Somebody should tell Moe to come in a different vehicle next time.

Third, what if the whole Moe's gang took the truck out for a little joy-ride, and they stopped at the FireBonz for lunch? I really dont think this one's plausible since the food at Moe's is so darn good, but when you're investigating, you cant discard any theory until you have the facts to show it's not a credible explanation.

Fourth, I think that the food served at the FireBonz is all actually provided by Moe. This makes the most sense. I bet he makes a delivery three or four times a week to help keep the FireBonz viable as a legitimate establishment in the Rock Hill area.

There is a fifth possibility, and that is that the FireBonz is actually a Moe's establishment. It's not unheard of, but it doesn't seem likely given the phenomenal success of Moe's, but it's important to consider all possibilities.



Ciao,
~Hon!

Happy Birthday Andy!

Today is Andy's eighteenth birthday!

He was born five days after hurricane Hugo came. Although they were tempted, Mommy and Daddy stuck to the original plan, and did not name him Hugo! Andy and Mommy stayed in the hospital for a few days, and when they came home they didn't have any power since all the power lines had been knocked down by the trees that Hugo blew over! The power finally came on three weeks later!

During the storm, Mommy thought she was in labour and wanted to go to the hospital, but they couldn't because there was a hurricane. When it finally got light, Daddy took Mommy to the hospital. There were trees and houses and stuff all in the road. They said it took about an hour to get to the hospital that was usually only minutes away!

Along the way, Mommy saw a house that appeared to have no damage at all, and she commented to Daddy how it was remarkable that the house sustained no damage in the middle of all this destruction! Upon further inspection, however, they discovered that the house was not there the day before, and had actually been blown in by the storm from somewhere else. I would have thought that the ruby slippers and shrivelled legs protruding from beneath the house would have been some kind of indication!

When they got to the hospital, they could watch TV and see all the damage all over the state. They said Mommy was not in labour, and she had to go back home!

Doctor Townsend said she could come back on the 27th, and he would make the baby come.
But, after about thirteen hours, he couldn't make the baby come, so they took Mommy into the operating room, and they went in and got the baby! Daddy said he couldn't get out on his own because he probably broke something!

So now he's eighteen.

This is a photo of him giving Jonathan a 'wedgie'.

Mommy and Daddy said he could pick anywhere he wanted to go to eat this Saturday, so of all the endless possibilities, he picked the Olive Garden. The food is good there but Daddy said Olive Garden is real Italian like Sonny's is real Barbecue! Sorry Sonny, but you had to have already known...

I'll take lots of pictures of the food and give a full report next week. Look out Andy! You're Blog fodder now!!!!!

9-28-07 -- Extra!

I made Andy a cake yesterday...



~Hon!

Sunday was HOT!

Sometime during our nap Sunday afternoon, the air conditioning quit! I don’t mean it quit blowing; it just stopped blowing cool air! So, we opened all the windows to try to let it get a little bit cooler than the surface of the sun in our house. Finally, about 3 am, it got to be a little cooler! Mommy has scheduled an air dude to come by today and gas it!

Since we had the windows open, we could hear a lot of ‘country’ things outside. Crickets, birds, cows, donkeys, chickens, roosters, cats, dogs, teenagers, hyenas, panthers, bobcats, pterodactyls, you name it! Maw-maw said one time she had a deer and a panther fighting on her porch! Well, as I listened to all these things, I realised that Heather is tuned in to it all. So I watched her for a while, and I think I have her figured out. It goes something like this.

Lie down and sleep.
If a car is leaving, get up and bark, then lie down.
If a bird is flying overhead, get up and bark, then lie down.
If a cat is nearby, get up and bark, then lie down.
Go check for new food. If there’s any, eat it. If you’re not hungry, lie down beside it so that the cat wont eat it. If a cat comes to eat it, get up and bark, then lie down.
If a car is coming in the driveway, get up and bark and chase any nearby cats so the people in the car will think you’ve been working all day protecting the house from cats. Bark, then lie down.
If you hear any sound at all from the woods, get up and bark, but don’t lie down. Proceed to the edge of the woods, and bark non-stop for about 15 to 20 minutes, then go back to the house and lie down. Repeat as often as there are sounds from the woods.
Periodically, get up and walk around the property sniffing at various things. If they smell funny, bark.
Check the back door to see if you can see anyone inside eating. If so, sit down and whine at the door like you’re starving, but try to conceal the fact that you’re overweight. Try to look pitiful. If they ignore you, bark. Eventually they will give you food. If they dont, bark. After the food, bark, and lie down.
If they put the food up high for the cat, sit near the cat and bark.
If the children are playing ball, go over and get in their way, bark, and try to bite the ball. If they run, chase them and bark.
If they are riding bikes, chase them, bark, and try to bite the tires.
If they are swinging, stay out of the way, and try to find something to bark at.
If they are relaxing in chairs, go sit beside them, they might have food. Periodically, bark like it’s important. They like that.
Repeat process from step one as long as desired.

That’s pretty much it. Heather has a pretty full schedule, but she can usually accommodate you if you need to be worked in.

Saturday, Mommy and Daddy took Andy to visit Anderson University in lovely and picturesque Anderson, South Carolina. They said it was a very nice visit, and Andy looked to be excited about leaving home.
He said there are about eight girls to every guy at Anderson. I don’t think his girlfriend knows that! I wonder if she reads my blog??? Anna goes to Anderson, too.

They didn’t take very many pictures at Anderson, but here are a few.

They're known as the 'Trojans' at Anderson, so here's Andy at 'The Trojan Room'.


Here's Andy about to eat his lunch.


This is Daddy and Mommy's food.

This is Mommy's food a few seconds later...

Notice she's digging into that banana pudding!

On the way home, we spotted this interesting display.
I dont know what it is, or what purpose it serves, but I include it here for your enjoyment.


Later that evening, as Daddy was enjoying a refreshing glass of tea, and the latest episode of Stargate Atlantis, this little lady flew in for a visit.

Mommy said it was a visit from Jasmine!

Also inscribed on that same piece of fine furniture...

I wonder how that got there?

BTW, if you remember my earlier post that contained the recipe for the perfect BLT, you may be interested in this great article on taste-testing bacon.
The best line in the article is the one about 'Bad Bacon' being something of an oxymoron!

Okay, see you all tomorrow!

~Hon!

Hon Cooks Spaghetti

Last night Mommy said she was in the mood for spaghetti. She gets like that when the weather starts to turn cool. So Daddy agreed, and told me that I could cook!

Jaden and Amanda L-O-V-E spaghetti!
When they found out we were making it, they ran around the kitchen singing and dancing about spaghetti!

Okay, so here’s how I make spaghetti.
If you have some idea that this is some really unique recipe from Mario Batali or somebody like that, forget it!
If it didn’t take the water so long to boil, this couldn’t even be on Thirty Minute Meals with Rachel Ray!

Daddy said he used to make the sauce and all from scratch and use Italian sausage and all that stuff, but it was never much better than the stuff in the can, so now he figures, why bother?
But everyone likes it, as a matter of fact, I think they like it better….

First get about a gallon or so of water in your big pot. Add some salt and put it on the biggest burner on high heat. Daddy says this is the ‘Glory to God’ setting. He says it refers to when you’re at the end of church and the organist turns the organ up as loud as it will go and plays ‘Glory to God’!

Now dice a large Spanish or Vidalia onion, and put it in the pot with some olive oil over medium heat.

Let it ‘sweat’ until it gets soft, then turn up the heat to high and add about a pound of ground beef and cook it until it’s all brown. When it’s done, you can pour off any fat that may have rendered from the meat.

Now pour in as many cans of store bought spaghetti sauce as it takes to make the consistency you like, and turn the heat to low and cover the pot. This part is done!

Now cook the noodles. By now the water should be boiling really well. Put in the noodles. When they get soft like you like them, they’re done.

Now taste-test the noodles and sauce together to ensure it’s seasoned properly and buon mangia (that means good eats).

That’s it! Now go try it yourself.

~Hon!

Farewell to Summer

Mom and Dad went to the beach for a long weekend. They left before we got out of school on Thursday, and didn’t come back until Sunday afternoon! They didn’t want me blog about it since they left us all home alone! Actually, they didn’t, but they still didn’t want to let the world know that no one was at home. The boys went to stay with Aunt Kim, and we stayed with Maw-maw two nights, and Grandmommy on Saturday night. Of course, we watched Disney the entire time. Me and Courtney had to baby-sit Evan and Ashton during the big storm, and I don’t know why, but Maw-maw called and said for us to turn off all the lights and sit still until the storm passed. I guess we were trying to fool the storm into thinking that no one was at home?

It was very cool Sunday morning. Mommy said it was probably the last great weekend for the beach this year, so that's why I called this post "Farewell to Summer". It's finally starting to feel like Fall.

Mom and Dad said they needed time to themselves. I don’t know why, because all they talk about when they go off by themselves is us?

They went shopping at the beach, and everywhere they looked, Jasmine’s name kept popping up. Mommy says that’s a confirmation from God.

Here's Mommy in the baby's clothing store...



This is a photo of supper at Damon's....



That looks really good!

Mom and Dad had a good time at the beach, but they were glad to get home. We're glad they're home, too!!!!

Here's a little video to come back to during those long cold winter months....



~Hon!

Tuesday Blog Block

Not much is going on today, so I thought I just tell this story. Get a tissue 'cause Daddy says this makes everybody cry...

It was six a.m. on a bright Sunday morning in April. A solemn, blond six-year old boy was admitted to our small paediatric unit for a procedure not very common to young children: phlebotomy - that is, blood donation. Todd and his four-year old sister shared a rare, genetic blood condition and now Jenny was to undergo major cardiac surgery to save her life. The operating room crew was briefed on the procedure, a heart-lung machine was procured, in-service on every aspect of Jenny's nursing care was presented, and a week-long lecture series by the eminent physician and his assistants was offered to everyone connected in the paediatric unit.



One of the complications that the doctor was anticipating was haemorrhage, and since Jenny's blood was almost impossible to match from another donor, the parents were asked to bring Todd in for phlebotomy the day before the scheduled operation. So it was that Todd, Jenny, and their parents were greeted by a hushed atmosphere of suppressed excitement.

At six years, Todd was already a veteran of multiple surgeries to correct his clubfeet. He had been a patient of ours many times, and his shy, serious face and gentle manner had won our hearts long ago. Jenny was a skinny out-going redhead. A tendency to tire easily was the only outward evidence of her life-threatening heart condition. Once Todd had been admitted and his height, weight and vital signs taken, he took his sister by the hand and led her around the room, showing her the decals and pictures that had entranced him as a four-year old. The way he held her hand and looked at her revealed many unspoken things about the special relationship that existed between them.

Geri, the head of the paediatric department moved quickly about the room setting up the transfusion equipment, and Jenny's mother and father found a chair and sat down. Just then the doctor breezed in, briefly patted Todd and Jenny on the head, then turned his attention to the parents. With one hesitant question from Jenny's father he launched into a dissertation on certain technical aspects of his procedure. It was heavily laden with high-sounding medical terms, and Jenny's father took notes furiously. About this time I was called in to serve in the capacity of assistant, equipment holder and procurer of needed supplies.

I loved watching Geri's technique with children. Todd was now lying face up on the bed and Geri was talking quietly as she swabbed his arm prior to inserting the needle. Her voice was friendly and easygoing. "O.K. Todd, just a little stick and that's all you will feel." Todd's face was grim and pale. I remember thinking I'd never seen him endure a procedure in such stoic silence before, but I attributed this to the adoring presence of his little sister, who by this time had climbed up on the bed and settled in beside him, thumb in mouth, a doll clutched in her arm.

Half an hour went by. I had gone after a glass of orange juice and on returning I stopped in the doorway. From that vantage point the room resembled a three-ring circus; the parents still listening raptly to the doctor's monologue, Geri was fussing over the stubborn I.V. equipment. But in the core of this field of nervous energy Todd and Jenny seemed to form an island of stillness. Todd lay stiffly on his back, his face impassive as he watched the dark, red blood travel slowly down the clear plastic tubing. Jenny sucked her thumb intently, her head on his shoulder.

It seemed to me that Todd was trying to get Geri's attention. I was about to intervene when the speaker paused and Todd's quavery voice came through: "Geri excuse me, but how long will it be now?"

"Well, Todd, what do you mean exactly? All of Geri's attention was on him now.

"I mean, how much time before I die, after all my blood is gone out of me?"

In the shocked silence that followed there was an exchange of looks between us. Nobody trusted his voice enough to speak. In a series of still-life pictures that remain forever etched in my mind, I saw Jenny's mother put her hand to her mouth and look away; I saw his father break a pencil and hurl it down; and Doctor Sutter mutely contemplated his shiny black shoes. I am ashamed to say that I could only stand frozen in the doorway. Only Geri, bless her - had the composure to speak. She crouched down until her eyes were level with his and said in a soft voice, "No sweetie, you aren't going to die. Your body is making more blood right now."

With that, Todd's body crumpled. He turned away and buried his face in the pillow, shoulders shaking. Gone was every last shred of pretence.

As we came to our senses we became aware of the full magnitude of Todd's sacrifice for his sister. On that bright, clear morning we felt grateful to have witnessed an unparalleled gesture of love. As mother and father blindly groped to embrace their two children, the rest of us crowded around awkwardly. The doctor made faltering attempts to express the emotion he was feeling.

We had something intangible in that hospital room, the five of us. And though we may never attain his level of selflessness, we had learned the most valuable lesson in love from a little child.



See you tomorrow!
~Hon!

Jaden was Hot!

Today, I want to tell you about Jaden Ann Shuguo.

Jaden is the baby. She is our Wuhan Baby! We call her that because we were watching music videos in China, and there was one that had a chorus that said "You're a Wuhan Baby!". She would laugh when we sang it, and we got Ged to sing it, too.

His mom says he still says it!

Jaden got hot on Saturday and didn't cool down until this morning. Mommy said she got the same fever as Amanda. Two days was all that Amanda stayed hot, too. She spent most of the time sitting on the sofa, or with Daddy, or Mommy. She DID NOT get to go to Maw-maw's or drink ginger ale like Amanda did! I think that made her angry. Mommy didn't get to go to church because she stayed home with Jaden. I wish she could have heard the sermon, though since it was on Favouritism! (The boys say I am the 'Favourite Child'!)

Aunt Mandy and Uncle Stacey went to the beach, so Maw maw was keeping Evan and Ashton.

Maw-maw asked me to come help, so I did.

That means I got to watch Disney all weekend! Ashton started throwing a fit Sunday, and Maw-maw said "THAT"S IT!" and took them up to their house to wait for Aunt Mandy to get home!

I was thinking....Maybe I should start a new series of posts about---

The Adventures of Maw-maw!

Y'all let me know what you think!

I'll leave you with a joke....

As the horse drawn hearse neared the top of the hill at the end of Main street, the front wheels
dropped in a rut and the back door flew open.

The casket slid out and down the hill right through the front door of the pharmacy.

It stopped when it hit the pharmacy counter. The lid popped open and the corpse sat up. The unfazed older pharmacist said, "Well, what do you want?

The corpse replied, "Do you have anything to stop this coffin?"

~Hon!

Peam Yang

Today, I want to tell you all about my friend Peam. Peam lives in China, and she sends me notes about every week or so. Here is a picture of her. Isn’t she pretty?


She is the same age as me, 12, and is in the sixth grade.
Here’s another picture of her playing the flute. Daddy plays the flute, too!


This symbol is Chinese for Side-Blown, which is how you play a flute!

Daddy knows David Bolt who is Executive Director of an organisation called Bring Me Hope. They have camps and sponsors in China to help children. Peam has been to the camp with David and his family, and one of the sponsors there helps translate the letters from English to Chinese. Her name is Emma!

Bring me hope was started by David’s dad, Steve. Steve was there on business, and eventually he and his wife adopted a little girl from China. When he got home he started thinking of other ways he could help, and that lead to Bring Me Hope. The whole Bolt family works for the organisation! This is really one cool, group. Our friends, the Ballantyne’s have a daughter who knows David, too. You can read all about this cool circle of events at their CaringBridge site.


Okay….that’s all for today. Dont forget to check out the Bring Me Hope web site at www.BringMeHope.org! Dont miss this video! If Steve doesn't bring a tear to your eye at the end of the video, you must be made of stone!!!

~Hon!

The Fishin' Hole

Every Tuesday and Thursday, Daddy takes Jaden to the Speech Fairy (Therapist) at another school. He does this because she has to be there so much earlier than we have to be at school. So Mommy takes us to school later, and then picks Jaden up after that.

At this school, they have a bird. I don’t know what kind it is, but it thinks it can whistle! The song it thinks it can whistle is the theme from the Andy Griffith Show.

Did you know that song is called The Fishin’ Hole? This is possibly the most recognized TV theme song known to mankind. It's almost impossible not to whistle along to this (if you can whistle at all). It has become a cultural icon associated with the image of Andy Griffith and Ron Howard (now an award winning director) as Andy and Opie Taylor walking on the dirt road with their cane poles on their way to the "fishin' hole." This reminds us all of a simpler time, a simpler place in American history.

I have a CD with Andy singing songs and telling stories. Here are the lyrics to the song…

The Fishin’ Hole

Well, now, take down your fishin' pole and meet me at The Fishin' Hole,
We may not get a bite all day, but don't you rush away.

What a great place to rest your bones and mighty fine for skippin' stones,
You'll feel fresh as a lemonade, a-settin' in the shade.

Whether it's hot, whether it's cool, oh what a spot for whistlin' like a fool.

What a fine day to take a stroll and wander by The Fishin' Hole,
I can't think of a better way to pass the time o' day.

We'll have no need to call the roll when we get to The Fishin' Hole,
There'll be you, me, and Old Dog Trey, to doodle time away.

If we don't hook a perch or bass, we'll cool our toes in dewy grass,
Or else pull up a weed to chaw, and maybe set and jaw.

Hangin' around, takin' our ease,
Watchin' that hound a-scratchin' at his fleas.

Come on, take down your fishin' pole and meet me at The Fishin' Hole,
I can't think of a better way to pass the time o' day.

I bet you couldn’t read them without the tune in your head!!! Well, imagine that silly bird trying to whistle that song, but he cant!!! He’s terrible! Daddy whistled the song for him, and he still got it wrong! That just goes to show you that you cant trust a bird to get the melody right. Don’t even think about letting him have a try at harmony!!! Ha ha!

~ Hon!

Crepuscular Deer

Today, I want to tell you about our deer. We live WAY out in the country. As a matter of fact, when you get to ‘the country’, you still have to go a ways to get to where we are. Anyway, because we live so far out, we get to see a lot of wildlife like deer, turkeys, foxes, raccoons, skunks, mastodons, mammoth, pterodactyl’s, etc… We have what used to be a pond on our property. I say it used to be a pond because it’s been so dry this summer that it has all but dried up! Now it’s like a big mud hole. Everyday, the deer come out of the woods, and go to the pond for a drink. They are crepuscular, which means that they are active in the twilight times. Some guy wrote about them in the local paper, but I think our deer are documented.



They ran off when Daddy took their picture....



~Hon!