Thursday, February 20, 2014

Meltageddon, Phones That Aren't Phones, and Cuckoo Was a Perfect Name Choice...7 Quick Takes


At 4:30 am on Thursday, I was awakened by thunder.  Lightening was flashing and the rain was falling and the wind was howling.

It's like Mother Nature herself got tired of winter, heaved a big sigh, and blew it all away.

To leave us with this:

Yup, that's my driveway.  

Aaaand this would be off to the side of our driveway.  That water actually continues all the way out onto the street.  

The amount of water and mud around here is extraordinary!  When walking on the usually solid grass, I sink up to an inch into the ground.  Imagine what happens when I have to walk in mud.

I will not complain.

'Cause it's not snow, and I'm not freezing to death.


You know how since the invention of the internet, all sorts of new "words" have been created?  Things like "awesomesauce" and "snowmageddon"?  Cuckoo has never surfed the web, but he's jumping on the bandwagon.  He showed me something today (I think it was some MiniWheats that were stuck together, because that is a party every time it happens.  We have approximately 6 parties with each breakfast.), and commented that it was "hunormous".


You heard it here first.

Learn it.  Remember it.  Use it.


Don't know if you noticed, but my header is boring.  And baby poop colored.

I thought I'd try to come up with something better on my own.

In doing so, I have learned that web design is most certainly not a strength of mine.

This is what I have come up with so far:

The only positive is it's not poop colored.  The brightness may hurt the eyes, but it won't remind you that you have to go to the bathroom.

I'll keep working on it.  Or get someone else to do it for me.


Times, they are a changin'.

Kids and teens are growing up with such new technology, they see things vastly differently than we do.

For example, in the car today, as always, we were listening to the radio.  A song Cuckoo doesn't particularly like came on, and he asked me to skip it.  He couldn't wrap his brain around the fact that one could not actually skip a song he doesn't like when listening to the radio.

While that was amusing, another incident all but knocked me to the ground with it's shock value.

Wednesday night, Phoenix had plans to work at the food pantry after school.  I was to pick him up at 7:30 or so.  At 6:50 I was getting ready to leave, and I looked at my phone.  There was a text from Phoenix which said, "Nobody showed up".  Plans had been cancelled.  He had sent that text at 5:19.  From 5:19 until I responded at 6:50, he did nothing else to contact me.

When I picked him up, it was clear that he was bored out of his skull for the 2+ hours he was waiting at school.  Part of our conversation went like this...

Me through gritted teeth, because all that went down was extremely inconvenient and a big time-waster:  Why didn't you just call the house?

Him:  It never crossed my mind.

Me:  Are you telling me you had a telephone in your hand, yet it never occurred to you to actually dial your home number with it?

Him realization dawning:  Um, no.  It never did.

From now on, we will no longer be able to call it a phone.  People under the age of 20 don't know how to actually use a telephone.  We need a new word.

Teletext?  Thumber?  I have no idea.  One of you etymology people needs to get on this for me, wouldja?


I love the Olympics.  I do believe I've shared that with you before.  However, I am going to be glad when they are over.  I need me some sleep.  NBC, of course, always put my favorite events last, so they can maximize their advertising.  I, of course, have to stay up to watch them.  It's all just too exciting, I can't be satisfied with only seeing highlights on the morning news.  


Speaking of the Olympics, don't know if you heard of the fellow Hoosier, Nick Goepper, who won bronze in slopestyle, but he's awesome.  A bit of his story was shown before he competed (after the little kids were in bed), including some home videos from when he was a child.  They showed him jumping off the couch, the table, and anything else he could find.  There were mats on the floor to catch him after he flipped and spun his way off the furniture.  While I watched, I thought about what great parents he had.  99% of parents would have scolded their son for doing such things, making the boy stop before he broke the furniture or his head.  Nick's parents, though, encouraged him to be himself.  They even allowed him to build a contraption in the backyard, turning the area into a mud pit which rivals the muck in my driveway.  

The next day, as I cleaned the kitchen, I heard Cuckoo playing the piano.  He doesn't "play" as much as he pounds the keys into submission.  I went over to take a peek at him playing, when much to my shock and dismay, he was not playing the piano at all!  He was standing on it!!  Once he got himself turned around and situated, he launched himself into the air and into the jump-o-lene strategically placed nearby.

That video of Nick Goepper immediately went through my mind, and I had myself a conundrum.  Was I going to go with my first instinct and yell, "Stop doing that before you break your head!" or calmly walk away and leave him to it?

Guess what I did.

I'll just say that if he doesn't become an Olympic medal winner, I'm gonna be mad.


Today is the day!!! After much anticipation and discussion ad nauseam, the half birthday party at the bounce house place has arrived.  The cake has been baked.  The friends have been invited.  The boy has been told that he doesn't get to dictate who does and does not get ice cream.

This should be interesting.

I'll be sure to tell you all about it in my 10 Things of Thankful tomorrow.  Probably with an annoying number of photos.  'Cause I know you live for them.  :)

Head on over to Jen's to read some other quick takers.  

Have a lovely day!


  1. The mud and water at the side of your driveway are similar to the ground in many places over here after all the continuous rain this country's been having - and that's why I've not been camping since last November!

    I just LOVE Cuckoo's new word; a brilliant one to remember and I'll certainly use it whenever I can. Maybe in years to come he'll achieve worldwide fame as it's inventor :)

    When I got my caravan a few years ago the pelmets, backrests and curtains were the same baby-poop colour as your header - now you know why I changed them to a nice sunny yellow! Your blue is a bit of an assault on the eyes but I'm sure you'll come up with something good soon.

    I hope the half birthday party goes well and everyone has a fab time - I'll look forward to seeing the photos :)

    1. Wow, just noticed I'm first to comment this time! Do I get a prize?? lol

    2. Oho! Yes you DO!

      This 'FRIST' thing is going places... :D

    3. I have seen a few photos of the wet mess in England. You all have had a pretty awful winter, too. Here's to a glorious spring full of wonderful camping! For you. I won't be camping. :)

      It would be hilarious if we someday hear someone throw out "humorous".

      Yes, yellow is much, much kinder to the eyes than poo and electric blue. :)

      The party was a raging succeeds. Photos will come as soon as I get home to my computer.

      Nice job, being first! Your prize is pride. It is a coveted spot! :)


    My daughter has the worst phone skills as well. She doesn't have a cell phone yet. We have a landline (still), and the kids don't bother to answer it.

    1. My daughter has finally started jumping up to answer the phone. She's the only one. So many people don't even have landlines anymore, we've become a dying breed.

  3. What a great set of quick takes! #4 makes me laugh--while I pull my hair out. And I had just begun to reconcile to the fact that technology is inescapable! As for the Olympic schedule, I've been frustrated because my girly-girl is so excited about skating and she has barely been able to watch any of it because they put it all on so late. Very frustrating.

    As for six? My kids will never be Olympians, I guess. :)

    1. Thank you!
      I'm not laughing about #4 just yet. :)
      I have the same problems with my kids! I so want to let them watch, but there's no way they can stay up that late. They get up for school at 6:00 am!

      Ah, well. There's plenty of other wonderful things for them to do which don't require breaking something. :)

  4. I am certain that if Cuckoo doesn't turn out to be a gold medal winner, he will do something GREAT for sure...all because of his fantastic parents.

    Can I PLEASE come to the party? I promise I won't even ask for cake and ice cream...I just want to see it go down in real time. Please, please, please?!? ;)

    1. I am so sorry I didn't see this before the party! You totally could have come!

      And you are too sweet. Thank you.

  5. Eeewww! to the mud! I know you're glad the snow is gone, though, so I guess I can give a half-hearted Yay! for the mud. I am pretty much over the Olympics myself. I just catch the highlights now. I sure hope that Cuckoo wins that gold medal one day.....that would be hunormous! :)

    1. Eeewww is right! But I have to be happy to have it, seeing as it's not snow.

      Hunormous indeed! :)

  6. This whole post is one of my favorite things. So funny! I hope your driveway dries up, but it's kind of like having waterfront property. Maybe buy a boat?

    1. Aw, thank you, Lillian.
      It's drying, but not dry. We'll get there eventually.
      Ha! That would make the kids quite happy. And with the water in the surrounding fields, we could almost go sailing.

  7. Yep, the mud is the last thing to contend with before the good weather arrives. That's a lot of mud and a lot of water.

    Your header is baby poop colored? I laughed out loud. I've been visiting for quite some time and have never thought of baby poop color until now.

    Have a fabulous day and weekend. ☺

    1. it is a lot, but it is a sign that winter is going to end someday. I can live with it for a while.

      And now every single time you come back, you will think of baby poop. You are welcome. :)

  8. I'm on it.... what kind of banner do you want?

    1. Julia! You are the sweetest! You do not have to make a banner for me! I don't even have a good idea of what to do.

    2. I love doing that stuff. Lol. Don't tell anyone. I'll come up with something and send it to you to take a look at.


  9. Ahhhhhhhhhh well done you for letting Cuckoo maybe break his head or maybe become an OLYMPIANNNN

    Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand perhaps beginning to see a *little* of the cray-cray side of you with your IMMMEEEEENNNNSSSSSSEEEEEEE numbers. Me likee :)

    I quite like 'Thummunicator' for the 'thing which should call, but doesn't'. And perhaps for the boy who should've called but didn't, something more along the four-letter variety, suffixed with -head. ;)

    Hope your quest for a new header goes well. I think you should have a ninja chicken on it, at least :D



    1. Thank you. Thought you'd like that part. :)

      Me? Crazy? Nah.

      Ooooohhhh, thummunicator has a very nice ring to it. (Ha! I didn't even mean that pun.)

      I will consider the ninja chicken idea.


  10. I truly love your new header and do hope it see it up someday soon. Excellent representation of running stick figures. Or perhaps they are high-stepping? Or getting ready to kick farm animals in the nether regions?
    Oh, are children are leaving us behind! Or, are they? Wishing you a good drying out.

    1. Ha! I actually thought you liked it for a second there. :)

      So far, my kids and I are even, being familiar with different parts of technology and are able to help each other. Those days are numbered, though.

      Thank you!

  11. NO WAY! On the piano with his FEET!
    You and are are Olympic twins--sleep-deprived and still hooked. It is time to get back to normal.
    That is one slog of a driveway. This winter--good grief.

    1. YES!! On the piano with his feet! Fortunately, it is a hand-me-down piano. In it's first life, it was a piano in a high school for music students. Then it went to a family through an auction. After many years, they wanted to get rid of it and gave it to us. Makes walking away a little easier.

      I thought you might be as into them as I am. Normal is looking pretty good right now.

      Oh, this winter... We will be telling our grandchildren about it someday. "If you think this is bad, you should have seen the winter of 2014!"

  12. Youza that's a LOT of water!!!! Even for me and I live in the rain forests of the Pacific Northwest. :O

    OMG..that is tooo funny about Phoenix. Well from my reading point that is.

    I need some sleep too! Of course by Monday night I will be bored again. Haha!

    1. So you are familiar with water! :)

      Yes, I imagine it is funnier for those of you who simply read about it. I'm not laughing quite yet.

      I know. I will miss the Olympics, but I'll make myself feel better by actually getting some sleep.

  13. LOL it is hard to pick a favorite here. But I'm going to have to say it not dawning on Phoenix to call was very hunorous! Did I spell that right. I'll have to scroll up and see.

  14. Oh and all the fancy things that Christopher tries to do with a basketball except play the game like he's supposed to? Maybe he'll get to be a Harlem Globetrotter?

    1. Almost got it right. :) Oh, my dear, dear Phoenix...

      Oh, a Harlem Globetrotter would be fun!!! Encourage that! And hide the valuables. :)

  15. My iphone ate my earlier comment, but what I was GONNA say was that you should put Cuckoo to work on the name for the thing that we used to call a phone but is now a really tiny computer that makes phone calls. Maybe that will keep him busy and out of OrthoIndy for awhile.

    And I like your header just fine, although that said from someone who was in the bathroom at the time the original comment was made, so....

    I heart Nick Goepper.

    1. Stupid iphone.

      Good idea!

      Don't you even go there, Missy...Ugh!

      Well said. I hearted him first.

  16. OMG your driveway!! Good thing you have some pigs to roll in that mud with because the expression "like a pig stuck in the mud" came to mind when I saw it. Wait. Is that even a real expression? Hey! If not, you heard it here first, too, much like hunormous.
    I can't believe that Phoenix hung out for two hours and never thought to call home. Wow. Kids are weird. When my teenage step daughter lived with us, one day she came downstairs crying saying that she'd had a fight with her boyfriend. I was surprised, as I'd just put Tucker down for his nap and didn't hear anything from her room, like you know, shouting, and fighting. It all took place on text. Then, later, they broke up on text. Yowza.
    HAHAH to the future Olympic star that Cuckoo will become. I wonder if he'll change his name once he's famous. to you know, something less Cuckoo ;). I think you're awesome to have left him to jumping on the piano. For real.
    I'll help you with your header, if you baby poo color either, promise. Seriously, IM me on FB if you want help with it.

    1. Except the pigs are in the freezer. I'm not really willing to let them roll in the mud anymore. :)
      Hahahahahaha!!! "like a pig stuck in the mud"!?!?!?!? Ha! Um, no. It's bled like a stuck pig. I did get a hunormous laugh out of it, though!

      THAT! I do not understand this texting important events business. Really?? I will hurt any of my boys if they try to ask out/break up/have real discussions through text.

      I'm thinking he will keep it. It's original!

      You have an idea already? I don't even have one!

  17. In fact, I have a maybe pretty awesome idea for it.

  18. hi Christine, this is a test, only a test!!


    1. I wanna know now, what's the capability of this thing - is it awesome or just gonna be another bust??????????????

  19. This is hilarious! I love all the new words that have evolved from the blogosphere. I also love all the pics you included here but that mud looks pretty bad!

    1. I'm glad you liked it! So many new words, but the clever ones are my favorite. The mud isn't fun, but it will dry eventually. Probably just in time for the next big snowfall.

  20. Totally feel your pain with the mud. The only snow we get around here is pre-melted for our convenience. My yard, driveway, and road are mud pits!
    Sometimes it's mind-boggling, how different the world is now from when we were kids. I can't believe he didn't call you!!

    1. Hahaha!! "pre-melted for our convenience". That's funny.

      I imagine out where you are is a disaster of mud.

      I can't either!! Still can't!

  21. hey, I appear to be getting out some as I have read the last two Posts here at 'the coop'

    (one of the problems I have we reading a lot of blogs is that I am so damn slow! it seems to average out to about 15 minutes to read a Post and write a Comment. of course, I should keep in mind that, when it comes to Comments, it's not 'War and Peace' that is the goal.)

  22. I hear ya on the late night Olympics. I hate that the best stuff is on at midnight. I was dragging, too, by the time they were over. I did not see ONE medal ceremony. Did you catch any? I don't think they aired any. :-(
    Love your self-drawn header. But, keep your day job. :-)

  23. I hope your half birthday fun was fun. That is some serious mud in the picture, but you are right that it is not snow. Hopefully you won't be flooded soon. I'm still just giggling at the phone thing. My kids DO NOT GET IT either! It's sad. It's not for lack of trying on my part, though I am about to give up.

