A REALLY COOL CHRISTMAS TOY.

For Christmas, my son gave his mother (and in this day and age I'm forced to add, she is also my wife, thanks "MODERN FAMILY", a Canon Flatbed color scanner. I had an HP scanner many years ago. It was huge, loud, slow and very finicky.

As a testimony to Canon and their new, light-weight modern technology, My wife and I became quickly enamored of this toy tool.

It's quiet, fast, easy to use. Easy to install & configure. And it gives fantastic results, as shown in these images copied from some prints we have in 1 of the dozen or so photo albums we have collected during 29 years of our marriage.

KPK

This is my son Kyle. Now 24, when he was celebrating his 3rd Christmas.

Good looking kid. Must be something to that heredity stuff, huh?

ABK

This is the little girl, for which no mortal will be good enough to suite her dad.

Amanda, just into the terrible 2s, and 20 years later, still in that phase.

This is how I picture my children, much to their chagrin, when I think about them.

NASTAD MAULERS

And this is a group photo of the 1979, 1980, 1981 

NTC, 

&

FLEASWTRACENPAC

&

NETSCPAC

League Softball Champions.

(Can you spot me in there?)

 tell me what cool thing showed up under your tree.

My #1

A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens

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my introduction to the story came about from an old cartoon version, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol.

the story intrigued me, and the book by Charles Dickens was actually one of the first classes I read before I was 10 years old. I have loved this story since my early youth. And although I had to go the library to get a copy, you can read it online for free:

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Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about.register at his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon change for anything he put his hand to. Old Marley was dead as a door nail.

CLICK TO READ THE ENTIRE STORY HERE

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over the years I have made a tradition to watch that movie, it has many versions as I can find. The store had been reprised so many times it's almost impossible to keep tabs on every version of it. The latest version released last year 2009 start Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge. I have yet to see that version, as I am not a very big Jim Carrey fan. Outside of Liar Liar, and how the Grinch stole Christmas, his perpetual overacting bothers me to no end.

And since I gauge the entire story on the performance of the actor in the lead role, I have very little enjoyment from comedic knockoffs, such as Scrooged starring Bill Murray. There's even a version Where Tori Spelling plays a leading role (couldn't stand it).

my favorite Ebenezer's are:

Henry Winkler,

An American Christmas Carol

a very passable portrayal that does not make you think of Fonzie.

Patrick Stewart

A Christmas Carol

not the best bad guy Ebenezer, but very enjoyable transitioned, good guy Ebenezer.

George C Scott

Scrooge

an excellent bad guy Ebenezer. However, did not transition well into the good guy Ebenezer.

Alastair Sim

A Christmas Carol

usually the critics choice, and for many years it was my choice. This portrayal of the scratching, clawing, nose to the grindstone miser, gave me chills in my youth. And for years when I heard about the bogeyman, this was who I thought of. And his transition portrayal is sheer genius when he actually stands on his head, scares the cleaning woman screaming out of the room.

But recently I have found a new favorite Ebenezer:

Michael Caine

A Muppet Christmas Carol...

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 MERRY CHRISTMAS

BUSY BUSY

Tomorrow, I'm going to visit my old workplace, to attend the annual Christmas pot-luck. I'll be sure to bring back lots of pictures to share. But in the mean time, I'd like to share some of the photos I recently took on one of my neighborhood excursions. Once before, the kind lady from THIS OLD HOUSE asked me to show what a typical SoCal Suburban neighborhood looks like. Well Karen. I don't know how typical it is. But this is the views of & from our house.

This is the North West corner of my house, and the front porch where I watch the grass grow.

Facing due South from the North West corner of my Frontyard.

Due South from the street

Same Southerly view, looking up.

We live on top of a hill overlooking the city of Santee, California.

My next-door neighbor (North from my house).

Facing due West, my neighbor Dale lives here.

Facing WNW from the bottom of my driveway.

The wild fire of 2003 came over those hills and right up to the rear of those and my house. We did not evacuate, as the neighbors and I took a defensive posture and kept our property safe.

Front Porch (zoomed)

From the bottom of my drive, facing ENE.

My green Dodge 1500 RAM SPORT

Note: Lawn is not drought tolerant.

Hibiscus blooms in December, in SoCal.

Closer

Drought tolerant, low maintenance.

More of the above, Tighter shot.

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Dale's Propane powered Toyota ORV

CREEPYTOY

CREEPYTOY

 Karen, still trying to figure out how to move this bling

My custom hand painted SKULLS air breather

Onto this! 

and

JUST IN CASE I DON'T SEE Y'ALL BEFORE THEN

have a very

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I'll Be Right Back.

A SHORT UPDATE

Things have been very busy for me lately. Doing double sessions of  PT (Physical Therapy) and OT (Occupational Therapy) at the San Diego VA hospital. The sessions are 1 hour for each. But because I am using the VA wheelchair transport system, I'm forced to go and return by their schedule. And so far a trip from home and back to get 2 hours of therapy, is averaging 7-8 hours.

I am not complaining. Just letting you know where I've been.

And I wanted to share a little video, that was created by one of my

FACEBOOK
FRIENDS

PAULA GRIMALDI-REARDON

MORE FAMOUSLY KNOWN

TO THE

MOTORCYCLING WORLD AS

PULSATING PAULA

 

SHE'S A BIKER CHICK FROM THE OLD SCHOOL

AND SHE USED TO BE A STAFF WRITER FOR

MOTORCYCLE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

AND

A STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

FOR EASY RIDER MAGAZINE.

HER FACEBOOK PHOTO ALBUM

BELONGS IN A MUSEUM

AND I COUNT MYSELF BLESSED FOR

HAVING MET HER.

IF YOU HAVE FACEBOOK,

AND

ANY INTEREST

IN

MOTORCYCLING

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU

FRIEND REQUEST

PULSATING PAULA.

I CALL HER VIDEO

"GET YOUR BEARD ON."

MAIL CALL

GOT THIS TODAY

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WALK NAKED IN AMERICA DAY

Don't forget to mark your calendars.
As you may already know, it is a sin for a Muslim male to see any woman other
than his wife naked and if he does, he must commit suicide.

So next Saturday at 1 PM Eastern Time, all American women are asked to walk out of their

house completely naked to help weed out any neighborhood terrorists.
Circling your block for one hour is recommended for this anti-terrorist effort.

All patriotic men are to position themselves in lawn chairs in front of their houses
to demonstrate their support for the women

and to prove that they are not Muslim terrorist sympathizers.

Since Islam also does not approve of alcohol, a cold 6-pack at your side is further proof of your patriotism.

The American government appreciates your efforts to root out terrorists

and applauds your participation in this anti-terrorist activity. 
 
  God Bless America!!