Halloween 2008

I am a horrible blogger. As you can see it has been over 2 months since my last post. However, Halloween has come and gone and I love this Holiday. I usually dress up each year and have fun doing it.

This year I was almost not going to do anything as I was overwhelmed with projects at work and didn't want to take the time to do it. Well, one of the managers let me in on their theme of The Wizard of Oz and asked if I could be part of it. I quickly came up with the idea to be the man behind the curtain.

I put together a bunch of black paper at work and created a curtain and a giant head. I rigged it to make it so his mouth could move. Then I thought I can do a little more and look like an older man when I come out from behind the curtain.

I bought some white hairspray and a fake mustache, added some masking tape to a black sweater, pinned on a chain to look like a pocket watch and voila "The Wizard."

When I got to work, without seeing my area, I was called Captain Kangaroo, Sam Elliot and a few other characters, which is what I was not going for. I had fun anyway.

I am hoping to get some pictures together to post of all my past characters at work from Halloween time.

Below is a video of my work area. I had downloaded the sound clip from the Wizard of Oz when they approach him. I would play this for people while I moved the mouth from behind the curtain.

4th of July

Today was the 4th of July. Pretty much a lazy day and that's OK. It all started off by sleeping in, not making any of the kids wake up early or rush out the door to be here or there.

Afternoon came and we met up with our friends, Jen & Scott and Brandon & Tammi and Scott's parents Pat & Chuck, at Lincoln Rock State Park on the Columbia River. Spent most of the afternoon just snacking on food, laying in the shade and riding on Jen & Scott's boat on the river.

Evening came and we all met up again at Jen & Scott's for a barbeque, lit off some small fireworks (our wives broke tradition this year by staying in the house during our personal firework show for the kids, however they were making the traditional carmel popcorn for the major firework show) and then off to Walla Walla Point Park down by the river to watch the big firework show. We arrived at Walla Walla Point Park just as they were starting the fireworks and they lasted about 20 minutes.

On the way back home, Brooklynn asked if anyone else thought the fireworks were lame this year. Deep down I know she enjoyed them, they just went by way too fast for her this year. I certainly enjoyed the firework show and always enjoy being in a smaller town to watch them as getting home is really quick and easy.

Another tradition broken this year was the fact that we didn't take any pictures at all. However, two of Brandon & Tammi's kids were videoing the show with their cell phones. I am hoping to get one of the videos to post here at a later date. The picture of the fireworks above is from the front page of today's Wenatchee World

—

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
~The Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776