June 2012 Vacation

Well, my vacation week is ending today.  I decided to look for a short YouTube clip that would reflect how I feel - and found one sub-titled "Yet more nursing".  It's very appealing, and listen carefully @ 1.22 seconds....



Our original plans included a trip to Webster, but unfortunately Edie had to work.  In the end this vacation ended up being largely a "stay-cation".  So, here are some highlights from our past week going from youngest to oldest.

• Tiger - Had lots of company!!  It's nice that Tiger enjoys attention from everyone.  Sterling was one of his more frequent visitors this week.  As a general update - Tiger is now very happy with his kitty bed, placed in the upstairs hallway.  
• Brock - Especially enjoyed overnight at Great Wolf Lodge, the Pocono water park resort.  Got to see the newest "Madagascar" movie.  You also had fun with friends Ben at Hickory Run Park, and Matthew at Frances Slocum Park.  Became somewhat ill after going on rides with Ben at the Forty Fort 125th Anniversary carnival.  Spent quite a bit of car time with your DVD player, watching Hogan's Heroes exclusively.  When home, played the Play Station 3 game The Elder Scrolls, Skyrim.
• Sasha -  Liked Great Wolf Lodge, in particular pizza which he had for dinner and then breakfast the next morning.  Spent some happy hours tying flies, as evidenced by the computer table & surrounding rug (assorted wires, threads, feathers, and other fluffy items are piling up, and the keyboard needs compressed-air cleaning).  Sasha, you spent time with friends Steven and Gage, and went fishing to favorite spots - Harvey's Creek, as well as Fishing Creek and Bowman's Creek with Dad.
• Mom -  Did not think about Prudential, or at least not much.  I enjoyed the two of you, appreciate very much that you got along well most of the week, started my summer tan, got to bake a little (blueberry pie, brownies), but thankfully did not spend too much time in the kitchen.  You have both been getting over nasty chest colds, and I hope we are almost done with coughing spells and albuterol treatments.
• Steve -  Went to the doctor for an infected insect bite on his back ('Roids, man!).  Installed new anti-virus software on our computer and helped fix cable TV problems.  Tolerated Brock eating chicken wings at Uncle Buck's BBQ Pit in Plymouth.  Showed us around the 4H camp at Hickory Run Park where he worked during high school, took lovely pictures of the park and all of us (his specialty), and took apart water guns upon our return to make sure lake water did not ruin them.

And guess what, we have another vacation coming up next month!  Am looking forward to fun at the beach in Delaware.

Hogan's Heroes

Sometime last year, I had dinner at The Cracker Barrel restaurant - you know, the one with the rocking chairs on the porch, checker tables, fire place, to-die-for green beans, plus a country store.  I noticed and bought a DVD set that I thought you might like....  Hogan's Heroes, the complete first season of the TV show.  It was an incredible hit with both of you.  I remember how hard you laughed as you watched the DVD for the first time.

As time has gone by, Sasha is less interested in the show.  But, Brock, you are still a huge fan and have asked about getting a DVD of the later seasons.  Here are some of my thoughts about the show:

• Hogan's Heroes was showing on television close to 50 years ago, from 1965-1971 (the first 6 years of my life).  That's a long time ago, but like The Three Stooges which you also like a lot, still very funny.  
• By the way Brock, you've also asked me whether there was a real "Stalag 13".  I just Googled it, and Yes there was.  But it was nothing like the fictional one on Hogan's Heroes.  The real Stalag 13 was an Allied prisoner-of-war camp which held German military personnel after World War II.  
• Hogan's Heroes ridicules Hitler in particular, and to a large extent German culture generally.  It's understandable this would have been very entertaining, especially since  World War II, during which Hogan and the Allied soldiers were German prisoners, started just 25 years before the show aired.
• Each episode begins with the announcement "CBS presents this program in color."  Do you realize that TV was originally in black and white?  CBS began sending a color broadcast signal from a few stations in 1951.  But color television was still a relative novelty in the 1960's, as most people did not yet have TVs which could receive a "monochrome" (color broadcast) signal.  You can read more about the technology and history of color TV here  -->  Color Television

Brock, when I asked you today you told me that your favorite characters are Corporal Newkirk (of the British Royal Airforce), Corporate LeBeau (of the French Free Airforce), and the German Sergeant "I see NOTHING!" Schultz.  As I've watched the show with you, I am very impressed with the performances of Werner Klemperer as Col. Klink and especially John Banner as Sgt. Schultz.  As you both know, they were Jewish - very interesting that they were willing to do the show at all.  John Banner had the most expressive face, and did a phenomenal job playing Sgt. Schultz as a friendly, bumbling, look-the-other-way Master Sergeant.  You'll be interested to learn more about Johann Banner, an Austrian, here  -->  John Banner


Well, on that note here are two wonderful clips.  The second one includes one of my favorite scenes, when LeBeau, Schultz and then Klink are flying a kite!

The Avengers!

The Avengers is now playing in the movies......  I did not read comic books as a kid, so am woefully ignorant about the world of Marvel Comics.  As evidence I recently pronounced the company name as "Marv-Ehl" with emphasis on second syllable, rather than "Mar-vell" with emphasis on the first syllable.  You boys immediately corrected me.

In fact, it was only when The Avengers came out that I realized the Iron Man movies staring Robert Downey Jr. were based on a Marvel character.  Not to confuse matters further, but I can hear Bugs Bunny of Warner Bros. cartoons saying "Ehhh... Pitiful !!"

Sasha went to see The Avengers with Steve and me, while Brock went to see it with Aunt Pam.  Am sure we'll see more movies together this summer!  Last week we talked about our favorite Avengers characters, listed below:

• Sasha - Thor, based on the god Thor of Norse mythology.  Thor can command storm elements e.g., lightening and thunder, and uses a hammer "Mjolnir" as his weapon.  Since you boys are both interested in fighting "gear" of all sorts, you may be interested to read more about its powers here  -->     "That Which Smashes"

                                       

• Brock - Hawkeye, who is a master marksman and also trained in martial arts.  He uses a bow and very powerful arrows, carried in a special quiver.  In "real life", his name is Clint Barton.  Clint was trained in archery as a boy while working at a circus - by a character named Trick Shot.

                                    

• Mom - Err.....  I'm still not a comics fan.  In particular, didn't find Captain America to be appealing.  But I do like the Iron Man movies and am fond of Tony Stark's assistant Pepper Potts.  Love how Pepper usually anticipates Tony's next moves, and how she keeps him organized.  Wonder why she might appeal to me?

     
More movie posts to come!!

Summer Time !!

Today is your First Day of Summer Vacation !!!  I remember how light and care-free I felt as my class was being dismissed on the last day of school.....  To kick off our summer, this past weekend we visited with Grammy, Grandad, aunts, uncles & cousins.

On Saturday we spent several hours at the Battleship New Jersey in Camden (got to eat lunch in the mess hall!).  Also, you both got haircuts - most noteworthy was the return of Brock's mohawk-style hairdo.  The New Jersey:

On Sunday Sasha went fishing with Mark, while Brock came along to the Morris Arboretum.  The Fernery with a nearby family of wood chucks:

For the summer of 2012..... I'm looking forward to time to relax, time for fun outings, and time with each other.  I'm sure you don't realize how lucky you are to have a bedroom with air conditioning, plus a pool at Dad's house!  Tiger is already enjoying the summer including a break from excessive fluffiness (except for his tail).  Here are pictures of a pudgy, sleepy kitty recently bathed & clipped at The Grooming Cottage:

Special thanks to photographers Steve and Lucy!