Category Archives: Family

Geocaching Saturday

Saturday was a perfect day for winter in Oklahoma. Sunny and warm, maybe a little breezy but I’ll take it.

The whole family loaded up along with one dog, Ginger, the dachsund mutt mix.

We went to Haikey Creek Park in Broken Arrow. Sweetie, SuperPizzaBoy, and Ginger went walking on the the various paths.

I went went looking for geocaches: Haikey Creek #4 and #5. The first I have found in MONTHS.

I found both pretty handily. Originally I had posted pics of both but they both looked kind of alike. The above is of #5. #4 looks just like only it was a round container. I knew that it had been some time since I’ve gone caching because I actually hesitated sticking my hand in there to get the cache. I was so ashamed of myself. If you don’t like sticking your hand into logs and rock crevices to find things then you had better stick with scrapbooking.

I finished up and headed back to find the rest of my pack. They were headed toward me.

SPB’s vehicle is a Triton. It is very cool. It steers with the rear wheels and has a very low center of gravity. I had a theory for a long time that it cannot be turned over. I tested that theory last summer and found out that my theory was wrong but there was no photographic evidence. Sweetie again proved the theory wrong a few months ago at Jewell Lake. I have video of that but she has forbidden the posting of that evidence. This is not the sort of pioneering, can do, attitude that has made our United States of America the powerhouse of science and technology and the bastion of free enterprise and democracy that it is today.
Anybody want me to post the video? If I get enough responses then maybe Sweetie will relent. Let me know.

We had a great time. We finished up by going to Quik Trip, for giant drinks. SPB and I got hot dogs.

Christmas 2008

Every year it seems like there is a theme for Christmas in the Yogi family. This is not a theme that is thought out beforehand. It just kind of happens on its own. This year was the year for critters. The Yogi family loves dogs and cats. We have two, Ginger and Abigail, and one, Chrissy, respectively. Sweeties Mom, Nana loves critters also she has Fiona, a shi-tzu.

Well this year we each added one animal. So we went from a combined four animals to six. SuperPizzaBoy got a kitten, yet to be named and Nana rescued a black lab – hound dog puppy named Snowflake. He is a loveable pupply, all legs, who is getting along well with the other dogs.

Below is Sweetie, SPB, and Nana with Snowflake.


Sweetie and I took all the mutts on a walk Christmas Eve. Snowflake ran out of gas and then got cold when I was carrying him back so I got to do the kangaroo thing with her. She really liked it.

Here is SPB with the yet to be named male kitten. He also got videogames, books, bakugans, bionicles, a digital camera, and other stuff but he said the kitten was his favorite.


Below are the two new critters together.

We have a giant Maine Coon cat named Chrissy. She isn’t quite sure of what to think of the new cat. I just hope that she doesn’t sit on it.

I for one am having Christmas hangover. Too much food, not enough sleep, too many animals. What a zoo.
Wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Little Dixie Christmas Party

This has been the year for Christmas Parties for the Yogi family. We have had several. Some years we don’t have any. Last weekend we journeyed down to Nana’s house to attend her Christmas Party. A good time was had by all. For me the best part of a party is when most everybody is gone except for a few. Then you can do things that are hard to do during the party.
Here is a picture of the “remnant.” Time for the post party!

Time to make, and drink, chocolate martinis. Sweetie is getting good at them. Note the “real” half and half. Lots and lots of fat grams!
And I can put on my favorite and most comfortable shoes. Sweetie hates them. I don’t think that Nana likes them too much either. But they are very comfortable. You can get your pair here.


A dog breeder friend of Nana’s brought over a $2300 maltese puppy. Sweetie fell in love with it. Made me kind of nervous. She gave it back though. Sweetie is going to make do with our two mutts.


Post Post party photo. Where is SuperPizzaBoy? He might have been taking the picture. Notice my favorite hat. A Dallas Cowboys Santa Hat. Sweetie gave it to me so I wouldn’t wear my Antlers Bearcats hat. She doesn’t show any pride in her school so I have to wear the hat. Except now I have my Cowboys hat.

Chocolate Martinis and Pancakes

John and Donna came up from Little Dixie to impart a little culture to us Rubes in Tulsa. I hope that we didn’t embarrass them too much.

First, we ate at the Cheesecake Factory. Two in our party got a little carried away. I don’t what these two are doing except Sweetie was talking about her favorite television show as a child was “The Flying Nun.”

Then we went home where John taught Sweetie how to make chocolate martinis. Back in school I took all sorts of chemistry labs. I had never seen anything so complicated as the preparation of these drinks. It was taking them a lot of time. I was having to drink beer in between rounds to keep my buzz going.
I don’t know what all the fuss was about. Those martinis were not any good.

The next morning after we came to, I mean woke up. I made pancakes. My one or two readers know that I’m very particular about the 1/4 cup rule and face centered cubic structure and all that but there is one exception. The “dog cake” traditionally the last of the batter is made into a large pancake and given to the dogs.

I changed the tradition some time ago, to the consternation of the dogs. Now, I get the dog cake. Of course I eat in honor of the dogs so the spirit of the dog cake is preserved. Just to make sure that nobody gets confused about whose pancake it is I monogram it.

All good times must end so we had one last party pic. SuperPizzaBoy and I were headed to a Cub Scout Meeting. Unfortunately Mr. Rick wasn’t going to have us work on the bartending merit badge. SPB might have been able to meet the requirement for Specialty Drinks.

More Thanksgiving Weekend

Gramps continues his visit from Idaho for the Thanksgiving Holidays. As far as the critters are concerned he ought to stay permanently.

I made pancakes this morning. I do a pretty good job. These are healthy for you. They have oatmeal, egg beaters, skim milk, brown sugar. My Mother gave me the secret to pancakes way back when I was a young boy. She always told me not to turn them until 97 bubbles came up. I gave away the family pancake secret. Darn!
Also from an engineering perspective. I like to use 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. The face centered cubic pattern I use on placing the individual cakes results in the maximum area of pancake to area of grill ratio for the 1/4 cup batter portion. Later on we went to the Gilcrease Museum. Lots of photographs by Ansel Adams and of course western art. Its a family favorite. Take a look at the sculpture of the Native American with the bow behind SuperPizzaBoy. That image is going on our new license plates.

Old School Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is here. My Dad, Gramps, flew down from Idaho and Wednesday we all drove down to Little Dixie to have Thanksgiving with Sweetie’s Mom, Nana. We had a pretty good time.

Desserts. Note that these were for about five people. Works out to about two person. Plus a few people stopped by to visit.
Lots of dogs. For some reason they piled on me.


Nana lives in an old school neighborhood. They have big trees and sidewalks.

While there, we “men” went out to the Kiamichi Wilderness to check out a monument a site where four British airmen crashed and died during a training flight during World War II. It also the site of a geocache that SuperPizzaBoy and I placed a few months ago. It is way off in the boonies, only four people have found it.

The security guy at the gate into the wilderness invited us to visit their new Fire Station. So we had to go see it. While there SPB got incarcerated for violating the wilderness holiday videogame prohibition. We had to leave him there. I told him that a judge would have to set bail and they don’t work on holidays. I hope that he does ok.

Nana was the gracious hostess as always. She keeps asking me where her grandson is.

Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without holding a baby. Sweetie is wondering just when do sweet 5 month old boys turn into stinky, farting, 10 year olds. It may be a while before we get SPB out of jail.


Friday, if all goes well, we head back home. I don’t know if SPB is going with us or not.
And of course, the Dallas Cowboys won.
Amen .

Gramps

Gramps flew in from Idaho last night to spend Thanksgiving with us. We always look forward to seeing him anytime but we really like seeing him at Thanksgiving.

He is very easy to have around, a very good guest. I think that he likes Sweeties cooking, I think that he likes it a lot! So do I.

We never have martini time in the house except when Gramps is here. We have a couple drinks but nobody gets drunk. Its a great way to relax, unwind and talk and catch up on what is happening.

And then we ate. Sweetie made a great dinner. For desert she made this great bundt cake. You’ve all seen pictures of bundt cakes in Southern Living and Good Housekeeping. They are so perfect, placed on a nice plate, all sprinkled with powdered sugar and all. There is always something fakey about those pictures. Don’t you think?
Here is a picture of the best bundt cake ever made, and eaten.

I really like Gramps’ visits.

Kids World

Big weekend for SuperPizzaBoy. Birthday party Friday night and then his friend Q had a sleep over at our house. After a nutritious sprinkle donut breakfast and a mentally stimulating multihour videogame session we headed to the fairgrounds for Kids World International Festival put on by the Tulsa Global Alliance.

Its kind of an old school idea, that understanding cultures besides our own is of some benefit. I am not sure it leads to world peace or whirled peas but it was fun today.

Each child gets a passport and then goes to booths representing many different countries and organizations to get their passport stamped and maybe engage in an activity. Everything from trying out wooden shoes from the Netherlands to crayon rubbings to coloring to receiving a sample cd of songs from the Tulsa Opera. We spent a couple hours there and saw it all.

SPB and Q showing off their fish rubbings.

SPB showing some karate moves at the Japan booth.

Dum dum, you give me gum gum!

Open House

Sweetie’s Mom, Nana, in Little Dixie sold her pharmacy recently. She had an open house on the last day. Traditionally the gift shop is decorated for Christmas for the open house and that was done again this year. It is quite a sight. I wasn’t there but Sweetie was nice enough to grab a few photographs.

My favorite, the upside down Christmas tree.