The new family pet

R.E. Dad's clan finally took the plunge and obtained our first post-child family pet. 'His' name is "Hermie" and he's an extremely camera shy hermit crab.  The weekend ritual of casually browsing local pet stores in the name of free entertainment has been interrupted.  Now our weekend jaunts to Petsmart will have Hermie's well being in mind.  In fact, the first order of business this upcoming weekend will be to shop for a decent "crib" for little Hermie as this tiny plastic container is substandard....I don't want to be labeled a "slumlord."

If anyone is to blame for our new addition, I suppose that person would be the guy who is typing this post.  Yep, after being the steady "NO" man for months with reference to any kind of pet adoption from fish to ferret (illegal in California by the way - no, not fish, ferret), I became swept up in the moment.

The family (including my Mom) spent part of our Mother's Day attending the revitalized Strawberry Festival at the Placer County Fairgrounds in Roseville. So after eating a wonderful pancake breakfast complete with strawberries, whipped cream and sausage, we ventured over to the ride and game area of the festival.

After watching the kids go on a few rides, we decided to check-out the ping pong ball toss which was well shaded on a warm sunny morning.   For $5, you could get 30 or so balls and toss them towards about 15 rows of small fish bowls. The prize for one ball in a bowl was one small hermit crab. Two balls in a bowl (that doesn't sound good, sorry) was a medium hermit crab. Three balls in a bowl meant a muy grande hermit crab.  I thought why not....$5 and the kiddos could have at it.

I was right...the kiddos did have at it throwing ping pong balls all over Northern California but clearly had next to no chance of scoring a hole-in-one about the same odds as a snowman winning a surfing competition.   Good?  Yes, but R.E. Dad couldn't help himself and tried a tad too hard to "win."  Uh oh, I did make one in and yadda yadda yadda, we now are proud owners of a little hermit crab in a blue shell.   The triplets were thrilled!  Mom MD and I were stuck.

On our way out of the festival an older couple with their grown son stopped us and asked "where did you get the hermit crab?"  After we told them about the ping pong toss game, they mentioned that they bought a hermit crab for their son when he was a young boy, and have had the same hermit crab for 32 years!

Later in the evening after the kids had gone to bed I asked Mom MD "what the heck was that couple talking about, no way could they have had  a hermit crab for 32 years......I wasn't thinking that this would be such a long term commitment."   She said not to worry "we'll probably screw-up and kill the crab long before then."   I wish no ill-will on Hermie.  I'm glad the kiddos have their first pet.

Six Word Saturday

Six Word Saturday:



Sleeping in with triplets is impossible.

Bring back 'Cheers'

I'll have to admit when 'Cheers' premiered  on September 30, 1982, I was about as far away from an old tavern in Boston both mentally and geographically that a person could possibly be. At fourteen and domiciled  in a seemingly desolate  California desert town, I doubt that I was the targeted audience.  

For me, the only TV that mattered was on MTV.  Do you guys remember that late great network launched on August 1, 1981 before it went to the girls?   So many memories of world premiere videos,  concert dates, cool VJ's living in NYC drinking cheap coffee on an even cheaper set on a Sunday morning.  Let's not forget the mind-numbing videos in which the concept for the video was seemingly created before the song was written.

But I digress.    The Life and times of the original MTV generation is reserved for another post.

Bellying back up to the bar,  I imagine at the time I couldn't conceive why a handful of middle-aged adults would want to spend so much time away from their families in a dreary basement bar consuming spirits and exchanging banter no less.  'Norm' what a slob.  'Cliff' what a know-it-all. 'Diane' what a preppy snob.  'Sam' what a male gigolo.  'Carla' what a pro creator.  'Frazier' put a sock in it!   'Woody' oh woody... someone call the village, your idiot has been found in Beantown.

Over time with the demise of MTV as it was originally intended to be enjoyed by its founding fathers, I began watching 'Cheers' with more regularity.   Some characters left the show while yet others were introduced.  'Lillith" was my favorite newbie...'Rebecca' not so much.   But despite those minor character flaws (alluded to above) in which we all possess, the bar patrons and the employees presented that human need for fellowship.

Sadly, I'm not sure if the networks would consider a sit-com (with laugh tracks) centered in a watering hole.  Not really "PC."   Some schmo with a lisp might say "Oh wow guys, drinking isn't too good for you.  It leads to bad decisions, and goes hand-in-hand with smoking, gambling and prostitution.  I won't even mention those possible chronic ailments including cirrhosis of the liver, and the tremendous potential monetary costs to society."  

Oh please!  We're not romanticizing drinking.  The setting could be at Starbucks or Einstein Bagels.  There is nothing wrong with finding an establishment that "everyone knows your name" or at least in my case they recognize me and remember how I like my java or my bagel prepared.   In these tough economic times, why not extend pleasantries, and build camaraderie everywhere we go.   We could all use a shot of 'Cheers' in our lives.