Last Week of Summer Break Shenanigans II

After lunch we went to the area at Minnehaha Park downstream of the falls known as the deer pen. The kids love playing there. This is the best summer play spot in the Twin Cities. 
Adrian is in the blue swim shirt and Walter is in the white. 

 In the previous two pictures they were doing what they love most. Building a dam with the river stones to divert the water. On our previous visit we completed a gap in a dam that went clear across this half of the creek. (As I am typing this I am having to change damn to dam. I guess I haven't typed the word dam much.)

Then the cousins show up. Calvin helps Walter ford the swifter parts of the creek. 

 Walter, Adrian, and Everett at the deep part of the creek upstream from the bridge. 

 Snack Time!

 This week of Shenanigans just keeps getting better. When we got home I noticed the boys did not follow me into the house, but were squealing outside. They were in Lisa's backyard (Happy 50th Lisa!) playing with water balloons. 

 Adrian had figured out that being fast can be helpful. You can run up to your brothers balloon and squeeze it so it pops all over him. 

 Lisa's turn!

 Special Trick works again!

 I'm gonna get you sucka!

If that wasn't enough excitement. On the walk back from the creek, (yes for those of you out of town, there is a creek with a massive 40ft water fall a 10 minute walk from my house!)their Grandpa Bruce called and offered to take them to the Cabin. They are out for two nights of cabin craziness! May the last week of Summer Break Shenanigans continue in this vein. I know that mine will with the kids gone...

Last Week before School Shenanigans

    Me: You need to pick up your room so I can vacuum in there.

    W: How do we pick up our room. Its attached to the house. 

I can hear noises of large toys being lifted and moved only to find this...

I am not sure what this game is called, but "Pile the toys on big brother" is a contender. Good news is there are fewer toys to pick up in their room. 

W then proceeded to write all over his brother's legs. For the record A did not protest. 

Hey wait a minute that looks good. I wonder...

 W: Take a picture of my face. 

W: Hey! That looks good, I am gonna do some more. 

Now they are making Lego ziplines all through the house. 

Next, Lunch and the Library and the Creek. 

Daddy Cool

I was recently made aware of this song. I hadn't heard it since I was a kid.

Check out the video.

About the video, I am not sure which show this was shot for, but I don't think the audience was expecting this. They seem to not care that there is a man stripping down and getting down with his mic stand. They are also unimpressed with the woman whose dress is topped with the doctors reflective head thingy. Will.i.am fans now know where he got the idea for his hear. Please see the singer in the middle. I gotta say this is pretty much what I expect from a band named Boney M.
After this video aired on German TV, the song went to number 1 (in Germany).

Turns out, not a surprise that the people are all lip-synching. This is an early Millie Vanilli. The male vocals were all recorded by the German Producer, singer song writer Fred Farian. I thought it was funny that a guy from Aruba had such a thick german accent. Still for me the accent makes it.
Peace.

PS totally worth 99 cents on iTunes.

Another pic for the kids at home.

Laying Low on FB

alright facebookies. As I told you before I am getting tired of FB, which is a temporary thing. I am not going to cancel my account, but I will not be on as much. I am keeping it primarily for those of you that I adore but maintain contact with through FB. This is mostly bama and wash folks. If you need me but aren't getting a quick enough response. You can hit me on Twitter @sachamuller or at my struggling blog site http://ramblindad.blogspot.com
My original intent was to have my tweets link to Facebook, but that is not possible if you have deleted your facebook account once already.

Hotel Greatness - El Encanto

I can't say enough wonderful things about this week in Santa Barbara. Just as in my previous post, I could have written extensively about the wonderful things about the Gilbert House. I just wrote about the pie safe. This is because it is a part of that experience that I want to take with me and emulate. I haven't even spent the night here at El Encanto. I checked in about noon and spent most of the day elsewhere. Already I am in awe of this hotel.

It has dawned on me that it is all in the details. The more you spend on accommodations the more details you get. As I carry one sleeping child and the other groggily follows. We enter the room at 10:00 pm. I realize it is not how I left it. It has been turned down. The room had been tidied; towels replaced. Fireplace on. Bed turned down. Hidden secret attached to the headboard reading lights out and illuminated. Water bottles and glasses by the bed (the latter currently being used for whiskey (something out of a modern country song about drinking $15 whiskey in a $600 room)). A caramel left on the bed with a card indicating tomorrow's weather forecast. A pair of slippers left on each side of the bed. I had previously experienced turn down service on the train. This makes sense this this hotel is owned by the Orient Express. 

I can't wait to see what details tomorrow brings. There are many wonderful things we are doing these next five days, but I hope I do get to just chill in this room a bit. 

I realize that I still have to post some notes about the first wedding I did, but second things first. I am in beautiful Santa Barbara. I am currently staying in beautiful very large victorian house. There are many things I could say about the house, but I am stuck on the smart pantry in the kitchen. I am also stuck on my desire to emulate it in my house. Here it is. 

It looks old. The front is old. Open it up.

 There is spice and small bottle shelving in the door. Nice deep shelves in the middle...

The middle shelves each swing out to reveal larger deeper shelves! For those familiar with my house. I am thinking of doing this to the cabinet next to the fridge.

I did it! I figured out how to create an html version of my calendar that would work on the blog. Not bad for an old guy!  look to the left-------------->