Call Me Ishmael.

Introducing our new ride. As a family of eight, no mere minivan can contain us any more (insert maniacal laughter here). So we purchased a twelve passenger Ford 350. Let me tell you how roomy it is! It's like taking your living room out for a ride. I'm looking forward to a road trip in it - North Carolina, here we come!

We bought it from the good folks at Anchor Subaru. If you're ever in need of a car, go see these guys. So far, we've purchased three cars from there (a wagon, a mini van, a maxi van). Since they don't sell school buses, I think we've reached our limit with them, which is a shame because they're exceedingly helpful and they've always given us good deals.

Originally, I thought we should name the van Ebenezer (look it up - 1 Samuel 7:12), but that would take too long to explain every time someone said "Wha??" So being the great white beast that it is, the next logical thought was calling it Moby Dick.

Which of course, having gone to art school, led to this:









Oh, Ahab, what has your fury led you to?

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life...

My house burned down
Now I can better see
The rising moon

haiku attributed to Masahide



I love a positive attitude, don't you?

My Daughter the Lawyer

My nine year old has recently become exceedingly interested in a friend's Pokemon cards. So her friend offered to sell her some. Having apparently been stung in a previous financial transaction (maybe real estate? I dunno) she thought it necessary to write up a purchase contract for her friend to sign.

Dear D,
This is just a little something that says that you sold the pok'e mon
to me.so uh.... just read it and see what you think O.K.. o.k. so here we go

The Pok'e Mon Selling Pledge

I ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– pledge to sell ––––––– Pok'e Mon to –––––––––––––––––––––––––––– who has paid an amount of ––––––––––––––– and not ask for a refund, which is giving her her money back and asking for the Pok'e mon back in return. Also teaching her how to play and trade the Pok'e Mon that I have sold to her, and also help her to under stand the basics of Pok'e Mon,and every thing she needs to know to be a good Pok'e Mon player and trader. Now the rules of this document is that this statement must be witnessed by two of the sellers sisters and––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– who are residents of the –––––––––––––––––– family to make sure that there is no cheating in the process of the selling and buying of the Pok'e Mon, the next rule is I'm sad to say is that the Pok'e Mon card prices can not be higher than 75, because this document has been read by the sister of the buyer,who claims that the price of the Pok'e Mon cards can not be as high as 1.00 a piece, I'm very sorry to say this but it just can not be so.but as this document had to be read by one of the––––––––– family member, I am very sorry to report that it had to be her, because she usably does not agree with what I have in mind for my friends,but as the buyer I can influence her to change her mind, but still being the younger sister the highest I could get out of her was 75 but never mind hey at least it is better than nothing right, anyway back to the subject, the Pok'e Mon selling and buying will still go on though I'm sure with less excitement, but at least the buyer will still get money, like my Father says, getting something is better than getting nothing, and I'm sure that He's perfectly right.well any way thats that and I can't change it,any way back to where to was....................oh ya uh right , since the document has been––I'm very sorry to say again–– read by a member of my family { the _________ family} we can now say that this document is Pok'eMonly legal , so then I'll settle the matter the ones in the Pok'e Mon folder can be a dollar but the ones out of the folder have to 75 or less so on Sunday April 19th the buyer and the seller of this Pok'e Mon event will decide { in the buyers case} which ones she/he Would like to buy,{and in the sellers case} if not wanting to sell these specific ones try and compromise with the buyer until the two come to an agreement in which both the buyer and seller are happy. Then on Tuesday–––––––– pay for the chosen Pokemon's and then on Wednesday –––––––– pick up the {chosen by the buyer and unapproved by the seller} Pok'e Mon.


Singed _________________________


Witness #1___________________________

Witness #2 __________________________

I wonder what her retainer fee is....