House Tour or The State of Military Housing

Welcome to our home, so nice of you to stop by. You're just in time for Club crackers and crab dip.

Oh! You've noticed our tastefully framed vintage Collier's cover art. Yes, funny story about that. I found a bunch of original newspaper and magazine art from 'round the turn of the century in the trash in the basement of the BYU museum of art a few years back. One man's trash and all that...









Here's the front room. It's big, but only because we don't have anything to put in it. >SHRUG< It's been nice having hard wood floors because our dog hasn't been 100% perfect in his potty training regime. (Although he's been near perfect over the last three weeks.) Let's see, what else...um...we bought a used couch and a pair of book cases. It's still not enough to hold our millions of books. Note the horizontal bits beveling. Yikes. We've enjoyed living here. Good times sitting on the couch curled up with the dog watching reruns of Freaks and Geeks. Really weekends here seem to come pretty quickly. I'm working pretty hard, but the time does roll by.

Here's the kitchen. I'm throwing together a batch of Fluffernutters and Tang here. Uh...it's basically just a kitchen. Why don't you stroll down the hall while I get the marshmallow cream off of my fingers.







What I like about the place are the sundry gnarly trees both in the back and the front.



Meridth likes the location because it is a mere three minutes walk away from what looks like a post-apocalyptic zombie-infested deadzone. Observe:

Note the grass growing out of the gutters on the roof. Cool.





So why are there a number of abandoned military houses surrounding our neighborhood? Well, we live, really, in a decommissioned military facility that is in the midst of great changes. There used to be a number of units that were stationed in the Fort Ord area and there were also facilities for basic training as well. At any rate, the military is moving away from the Monterey Peninsula save for the Presidio (where I go to school) and the Naval Postgraduate School, located just east of downtown Monterey. Meridth and I still can't fathom why there should be such an abundance of truly eerie trash and bric-a-brac among these abandoned houses, but it certainly would make a picture-esque setting for a low-budget Mad Max remake.


So RADAR is super-cute and we pretty much love the crap out of him. This is him riding in the Subaru on our way downtown. Since we don't have friends (too busy, too nerdy) he hasn't had the chance to socialize too much so we'll occasionally go downtown or by the Fisherman's Wharf just to get him used to buses and ladies who want to squeeze him.

Anyway, all is well. West-coast Gimbels out.

THANKS EVERYONE!!

Thanks so much to everyone who sent happy birthday wished & posted pics of little Chloe. We loved them.
Here are a few from today.

Happy Birthday Chloe-bug!!

We love you very much!

~Aunt Meridth and Uncle Edward

MORE CHLOE!

In 2005, before an Easter egg hunt

Casing the joint, waiting for the hunt to begin

Ashley and Chloe with big, white fluffy ears

Playing on the trampoline with Aunt Betsey

Riding bikes with Uncle Richard

We love you Chloe!  Happy Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHLOE!

Little Chloe is six today and boy, do we hope she has a great, great birthday!  

Much love, Aunt Margie & Uncle Brandon.

More Doggie Pics

We posted more Radar pics on our blog if you want to see them.

Buyout

So I think Dad should take the next buyout offer and do something else.  The thought of Dad doing something different is weird, but interesting.  I think he should open a pottery shop and sell them online.  He could do lessons and have a cool website and what not.  It would be cool.

What do YOU think he should do?

Another Example of Meridth's Great Work

http://www.posocreekpuppies.com

The logo is up that Meridth did in exchange for Radar the pup!  It looks great Meridth!  I love the romping, happy puppies!  Almost makes me want to get a Corgi....almost :)  

Boo Walmart!

Saw this article (not like I read the WSJ - an Obama newsletter I get told me about it) and it made me think of ED...

Walmart Warns of Democratic Win


I don't know, but I don't think that's legal?? Richard?

The List

Here are all the subscriptions that mom and dad have.

1.  Ensign

2.  New Era

3.  Friend

4.  Creative Keepsakes

5.  Simple Scrapbooks

6.  Making Memories

7.  Paper Crafts

8.  Newsweek

9.  U.S. News and World Report

10.  National Geographic

11.  National Geographic Adventure

12.  National Geographic Travel

13.  Outside Magazine

14.  Adventure Cycling

15.  Bon Appetite

16.  Chicago Magazine

17.  Detroit Hour

18.  Road and Track

19.  Car and Driver

20.  Wired

21.  The New Yorker

22.  Vanity Fair

23.  Details

24.  Educational Leadership

25.  Middle School Journal

26.  Dwell

27.  Automotive News

28.  Chicago Home

29.  Portfolio

30.  Truck Trend

31.  Forbes

32.  Business Week

33.  This Old House

34.  Metropolitan

35.  American Bungalow

36.  Real Simple

37.  Smart Money

38.  Interview Magazine

39.  Muscle Machines

40.  Fast Company

41.  Home

42.  Architectural Digest

43.  Hemings Motor News

44.  Radar Magazine

45.  Off-Road

46.  Cruising World

47.  Solidarity

48.  AARP Magazine

49.  Corvette Magazine

50.  Fine Homebuilding

51.  Bike Magazine

52.  Math in the Middle (NCTM Journal)

53.  Automobile

54.  Autoweek

55.  INC.

And the Winner Is....

STACEY!!!!

The answer is 55 subscriptions.  I'll type the names of the subscriptions later.  I gotta feed this baby.  Stacey, put in the comments the subscription you want and Ed will deliver.   

Ed and Claudia's Contribution to Killing Trees

As I have been enjoying my luxurious stay at Hotel Gimbel, one of my favorite activities has been reading the boat-load of magazines that Ed and Claudia receive each day.  Something fun and new comes everyday!  Ed has an excellent reading station in his office that includes a plush chair, a rack for your magazines and a trash can for the inserts in the magazines.  It is quite the set-up!  

I started wondering today about how many subscriptions to magazines Ed and Claudia have.  I asked them, and they didn't even know!  They are currently brainstorming the list and it will be posted on Friday evening.  

But before then, I want to have a little contest for all those who read this wonderful (if a little stagnant) blog.  I want all of you to weigh in.  I know there are many lurkers here, but let's get the comments going on this!  In order to encourage comments, I am offering an excellent prize. The prize includes the following:

One wallet sized picture of Nora at six months

A Hoosier Girls State plastic cup from when Margie attended Girls State.

A subscription to a magazine of  your choice from Ed and Claudia (not the Economist, it is a pricey $100 a year!)

A Tears for Fears cassette that used to belong to Rusty (aka Edward)

A life-sized cardboard cut out of Michael Jordan that used to belong to Karl

A mug from the Bellmont High School 1994 Prom that Ryan used.

Okay, I may not send you any of that, other than the picture of Nora and the subscription.  Unless you really want a life-sized cardboard cut out of Michael Jordan at your house.  

Okay people, let's start guessing!

The winner will be announced on Friday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

  

What's your favorite cereal?

So as the title asks, what is your favorite cereal?  My favorite cereal this week is blueberry muffin flavored frosted mini-wheats.  I think my all-time favorite might be Cap'n Crunch's Peanut Butter Crunch. 

I think dad's favorite cereal is Cracklin' Oat Bran.  After all, he is Mr. Ed.
I think mom's favorite cereal is Cocoa Krispies.  She thinks they are healthy for you since they only have 110 calories per serving.
I think Ryan's favorite cereal is Fruity Pebbles because... well... he's FRUITY!!!!!!

We got a puppy!!!!!

Read the full story here.

ps. This dog (being that it is a "small dog") has been approved by Ashley Perkins)