Chocolate Covered Bacon

We have just returned from the reddest, "red state" extravaganza that I have ever participated in. It made a NASCAR race look like a wine and cheese party hosted by the poetry club.

The Delaware Punkin Chunk (world championship) was pure epic awesomeness.

Truly, no other country (no sensible one, anyway) would devote such time, energy and engineering to throwing a pumpkin. No one else would tackle the hard problem of spending 25 years breeding a hardier pumpkin to survive the stress of being launched into the air by trebuchets, onagers, centripitals and air cannons. (solution: use white pumpkins and feed them lime).

I now assure you that I have seen pumpkins thrown over 4000 feet. I can say this with confidence since the helpful folks from the Guinness book of world records were on hand to verify the distance with differential GPS and laser range finders.

The guys from Mythbusters were also there but we didn't see them much to the disappointment of my kids.

Words fail me so I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Click on the photo below (I've also thrown in a few Halloween shots at the end).

Random Photo

Last Germany Bits

I finally fixed my camera last week (go gently with me, I ordered the parts ages ago). The photo below is a link to a few remaining Germany photos that were taken after our computer was shipped out.

Happy Birthday Maddie

Last week, we once again failed in keeping our children from growing up as Maddie celebrated yet another birthday.

She picked her own birthday meal. Scrambled egg burritos, black beans, chips and salsa, cake and ice cream.

My cool friend Steph helped Piper and Tess bake an awesome cake to celebrate. I discovered that when folks who are OCD enough to rack up graduate degrees in optical sciences channel their energies into baking, wonderful things can happen. The results are here.

Tess warned Maddie that her cake would be made of exotic meat. Maddie was not too pleased about the prospect but was happy with the result.

We're Back

For those of you who are still tuned in.

2 days ago, we re-entered the 21st century when our internet was installed. Total time without internet: 7 weeks. 0 casualties and 0 injuries though I have some twitches that might be symptomatic of PTSD. Too soon to tell.

The good news is that we now have FIOS. My initial reaction is that I can't go back to DSL. Ever. I'm now ruined for lesser forms of high speed access.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Micah Anderson Apiwat.

Below is a teaser from the 5fordhams archives. The truly embarrassing photos remain safely under lock and key until we need them to embarrass you at your Senate confirmation hearings.

Vacation Quotes of the Day

FIRST PRIZE

"I don't like it when Micah calls me a chicken! It makes me think that I'm stupd and dirty and that I lay eggs and that I'm not a mammal."

--Cousin Thomas. Age 7

RUNNER UP

"I know what happened to my swimsuit. Racoon's took it."

--Maddie Merrick, Age 8 (who has apparently learned the meaning of the word "hypothesis" but not the word "plausible")