Fun with the Schaeffers

Returning Soon

2011-05-08T15:27:00.000-07:00

Hi! How you doin? We're dealing with some minor 'technical difficulties', but we should be back for more FUN!

Year In Review

2010-01-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

Hello! Christmas and New Years has came and went. So, because I haven't posted in a long time, here is what I'd like to call: Year in Review or What Did I Learn In 2009?" Here we go!!

I learned that my son is a train lover. His grandpa built him a handmade wooden train for Christmas. Also, A is for apple, B is for apple and C is for apple, unless Cookie Monster says C is for cookie. Cats love to bother my wife in the middle of the night by laying on her head. It doesn't matter, new (or freshly bought used) cars will always have some sort of things wrong in them. A universal truth all men need to know (I've known this but just restating it): Wives are right 99.94% of the time. The .06% when they're wrong is a husband's job to remind them that they are. You can't go back to living with family after you've been on your own for 15 yrs. Visit? Yes. Stay more that 2 days? NO. It is possible for one person to have 3,038 comic books. Blackest Night is the best comic series of this year. Children have a tendency to surprise and scare you with out trying it. The government is going to mess your life up anyway possible. Giant generators take up to a month to get to nuclear power plants from dock they are unloaded from. Wednesday Night Youth Group is great when I help out with the Middle School class (10x better than the one from years ago). Forgiveness can be the greatest thing in the universe and if you did me wrong in school, you're a friend. Sushi still is good. Sleeping is the second best thing to do. Playing with your son and his toy is the best thing. Top 3 movies for 2009: 3. Watchmen 2. Star Trek 1. Avatar. Life is good as long as you have a positive outlook and try not to loose your cool. As much as think you know more will be learned as you grow older, or if you'd like, Age-ibly Enhanced. Finally, it never hurts to help! Catch you on the flipside!!

Next time: KOOMBYEYAH!!

The New Woman In My Life

2009-11-21T13:03:00.001-08:00

This is Enforcer. Right now he looks very, very angry at me. Well he should be. I got a new woman in my life. She's younger than my last one. She's bigger too, but sleeker. She's got an old fashioned name but that don't bother me at all. She's got it all where it counts also.

Oh and Michelle likes Mabel too.....

This is Mabel. (Had you going didn't I?) Mabel is a 2003 Ford Windstar. Claudia (my 1987 GMC Jimmy) was dying a slow and agonizing death. Drastic measures were taken before I would be left stranded on some back road in the middle of a snow storm with a screaming 2 year old. Mabel is sweet! Nice and roomy, she's great for me a nd hauling the Ladykiller around. We just got a TV from some friends and it fit perfectly in the back without removing the seat. She has the following: power doors, power pedals, entertainment center with a VCR, CD and cassette (good), a very well kept interior and engine, and rear warning sensor. She goes really fast without trying. The wife said something today about her car has been replaced as the family car. I love driving it and now know what a car made in this decade feels like on the road.

So, I'm sorry if i fooled you into thinking I was being bad. To make it up to you, before I go, here's a new video of Alex at a burfday party the other Sunday. Cuteness reigns surpreme. Catch you on the flipside!

Time Flies...

2009-11-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

HI!!! How's things everyone? We'll just say it has been busy the past couple of weeks. And boy, have we been busy. I've been trying to keep up it all so here's what happened...

Sorry Phillies fans, it's Yankees here in Schaefferland. I'm not gonna instigate people (the Wifey made me promise)
So the other week the Swarrs paid a visit from their Los Angeles home. A late night ensued.

Farm Show came and went. Alex wanted to motor in this tractor, but...

Instead he settled in his new truck. Here's to hoping he doesn't drive like his father..
Speaking of the Ladykiller, he's doing fine. He dressed up as a farmer for Halloween. Here he's getting ready for Sunday School... Too cute for words. If his mother has anything to say about it,

he's gonna have longer hair than what he has here. Yes, ladies... The killer curls are still there somewhat.

So my baby is dying. She had her steering column replaced just 3 weeks ago. Now she's overheating a little bit. So I've started cleaning her out because I feel she'll won't make it til the end of the year. I love my GMC Jimmy, but, after 160,000 miles she's ready for retirement. I thing my next vehicle willbe a mini-van or some type of 4x4 that's a 4 door. I don't want to crawl in the back anymore to put Alex in his car seat.

That's the most of what's going on. Hopefully I'll be able to update again soon. Don't forget, I am thinking about you all out there fighting the good fight. Catch you on the flipside!!

Next Time: New Car? Turkey?

News From The Front

2009-09-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

Why is this is boy crying? Because he just found out some bad news! Do to circumstances beyond my control, Fun With The Schaeffers will be published even more sporadic than what it is now. But don't fret, I will post whenever I get the chance. Before you know it things will be back to normal and the insanity that is our life will continue. Meanwhile, here's a story about my precious kitten, Krystal.

Krystal somehow got the tip of her tail bloody. We don't know how or if it was one of the other cats, but it was a mess. Poor thing. She had about an inch and a half of her tail amputated. Krystal has a stump now.

Of course, the good news is Alex always get to go to great places with his Granny and Pop-Pop. Here they went to the Cherry Crest Adventure Farm.

So not much right now. Hopefully, I'll be able to tell more stories that'll make you laugh, cry, and move your heart. Catch on the flipside!!

Next Time: We'll see....

The Mouse Buys The House Of Ideas

2009-09-10T02:02:00.000-07:00

"Ma'am, if Uncle Sam wanted me to be Mickey Mouse, I'd do it. I'm that kind of American - the kind you can count on." - John Walker, the new Captain America, Captain America #333, September, 1987.

I saw that in a comic that I bought Monday at the Landisville Flea Market. It's almost a prediction of last weeks events when Disney (The Evil Empire) bought Marvel Comics for $4 billion. A lot of fans (me included) dropped their jaws over the sale. Will Disney muddy up some of the best characters ever? Will it be business as usual? Will Marvel start making Disney comics? Time will tell. In the meantime, here's to hope for a She-Hulk/ Scrooge McDuck crossover written and drawn by one of the best artists Marvel has, John Byrne.

Sorry, short post this week. More very soon. I promise. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Lawn Mowing & Toy Hunt Wrap Up

Bullpen Bulletins

2009-08-18T02:34:00.000-07:00

Good Morning. Let's get to this updated version of quick hits (modelled after Marvel Comics' Bullpen Bulletins) going shall we?

ITEM! Recently, my aunt and uncle were up from Tennessee. Of course, this means family get-together. It was held at my cousin's place. Fun time was had by all. It did rain but that didn't dampen the spirits of seeing loved ones.

ITEM! Thank you, Mom and Frank, for all the work you've help complete to our home! About a couple months ago, that big bull in a china shop (me) fell through the bathroom floor beside the tub. After a few hours of repairs, we now have a new floor in the potty room. I might have been hesitant on the flooring choice, but I've warmed up to the blue carpet.

ITEM! The summer's second tractor show was held the other Saturday at a local farm. Dad, the ladykiller, and I went to see the pulling and other farm related activities. Pictured is a similar Minneapolis/Moline my father owned when he had the farm. Only thing is, this one is a little bit more rusty.

ITEM! Back in July, our washing machine took a dump and stopped working right. The water would not go down. After some pointing in the right directions by my mother, we found a cheap repairman. I was fooled by the look of his operation, with all the old washers and dryers sitting around, but THIS GUY ROCKED!! Not only did he walk me through the first repair (which was putting on new belts) he then did a house call and found and fixed the real problem (it was a clogged pump - what clogged it? I think it was one of Alex's socks) and adjusted the height all for $40! Yessir, Myers Repair is the one to go to!

ITEM! Monday the 17th was Michelle's burfday! Yay, Wifey!!! So we went to her parents on Sunday for lunch and to relax at their house. Their neighbors have a pool. So, Alex and I brought along our swimming trucks and jumped into the water.

His first reaction was of one fear, which was understandable, but after a while and when Pa-Paw got in he really started to love it. To him, he probably felt like he was in a big bathtub. Of course Michelle wouldn't get in. Chicken. Oh yeah, Sasquatch was spotted in the pool too!

There you go. That's all for now. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Mowing Madness!

Boy, 1 1/2, Learns Tractors Are Cool, Grandfather Pleased.

2009-07-29T02:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday, my father took the wifey, the ladykiller and I to this farm museum called Rough-n-Tumble for their "John Deere Days". Uh oh. Grandpa is in heaven... With Alex right behind!

They had the standard, an antique tractor parade, a lawn tractor pulling cut-off barrels with seats for a kiddie ride (Alex couldn't do this... he's too small) and of course tractor pulls. If it wasn't green and yellow (or pink and purple as one young girl had her John Deere painted) it wasn't walking out alive.

Of course, this was the Ladykiller's first time at something like this. Grandpa wanted to take him to one of these ever since he was born. And, boy, did he have fun!

They also had a small train ride there too. Daddy and Alex HAD to take two rides on it. Hope PopPop Frank doesn't get jealous... He's the one that takes him on train rides...

After playing in the 'corn box', Alex had corn practically everywhere, including in his diaper.. (Not THAT type of corn, Swarrior! Get you mind out of the gutter!) It was a good day. My dad won a t-shirt as a door prize, which he then gave it to me. Finally, by 1:00pm, the tractor pulls started

While watching it, Alex would start dancing to the unique putt-putt sound of the tractors. Then, we looked down and found this...

... He fell asleep!!! Catch you on the flipside!!!

Next Time: The Blackest Night (I promise! Trust me..)

The Things We Used To Do at Vacation Bible School

2009-07-22T02:02:00.000-07:00

Last week our church had that fun week for kids and adults... VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL!! I'm still recovering from it. Everyone had a great time with our theme, "Crocodile Dock". It had everything, Bible stories, testimonies, food, games, crafts (I wanted to make the picture frame!) and really bad comedy with a really bad southern accent.

Most of my time was spent with this class, the 7th and 8th graders. They may look like trouble, but they're a bunch of good kids. Now if they can get over that dopey "Twilight" facsination...

One day at VBS was spent subbing for the regular 1st thru 3rd grade teacher. These guys were a blast. They're smarter than what I was at that age.

Like I said, games and food. Up top, was a cardboard mat race. And down below, the class with the most offering giving in one night gets a pizza party. For 3 years the oldest class won the pizza.

Nancy, the pastor's wife, asked me to do a little acting for VBS. And so Skeeter was born, bad southern accent and everything. It was great for the kids, but, yeah, it wasn't pretty. I had a really good time at VBS last week. I personally cannot wait til next year.

Before I close up for this installment, I want to give a shout out to all those lucky people going to the San Diego Comic-Con. Especially you Savage. Enjoy yourself! Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: The Blackest Night!

Caption Contest and Frequently Asked Questions

2009-07-15T02:04:00.000-07:00

So, first off I want to say blah. Alex is mad because only one person entered the caption contest. Granny had some good ones but of course I went and lost them. Because of that, she's gonna get the shoefly pie. Sometime. That or I'll let her take the ladykiller with her and my stepfather to visit my brother for the weekend. This was an experiment and next time I'll do better with it. In the meantime, Enforcer Rodrego Schaeffer wants to give you a rasberry:

The wifey and I seem to get the same questions over and over. I decided to clear the air with these "Most Frequently Asked Question!"

1. When are you gonna have another child?

Answer: While we both love kids and can't dream of spending a single minute without the ladykiller, right now it wouldn't be in our best interest to have any more. One is enough that we can handle, physically (not enough room in our home) and mentally (Alex keeps us running!)

2. Is your wife working?

Answer: Michelle went back to work approximately a month after Alex was born. The stay at home parent is an appealling idea but with everything priced so high, we couldn't afford that luxury.

3. How's both of your job securities in this economy?

Answer: Michelle is finally ending a record 5 week engagement of the musical Les Miserable at the Fulton. She's been really jumping. I, on the otherhand, am experiencing a downturn in the car auction business and a lot of people are a little nervous. I can't go into detail because of the nature of the downturn and I don't want any trouble from the bosses here.

4. How's it goin'?

Answer: My friend at work Mike asks me this every day. I tell him it's goin' and everything is hunkydorie.

5. Are you smokiing cigars again?

Answer: Yes. I'm trying to quit and it's not that easy. I need to save the money for a trip to the San Diego Comic-Con in 2011.

6. Is that oil coming from your truck?

Answer: Ugh. I've been meaning to get that fixed.

That's just a little taste of what questions we sometimes get. If you have any more feel free to comment in the comment section. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time:

Caption Contest Update

2009-06-30T02:17:00.000-07:00

You people are slacking! The caption contest I instigated is still in full swing. You got until July 15th to come up with some snazzy captions to the pictures I posted two blogs ago. Nobody has yet to enter for the yummy wet bottom shoefly pie. Hurry up!

Meanwhile, things have been jumping around here. I saw the new Transformers movie. I give it a B+. They've extended Les Miserable at the Fulton Theatre another week. The wifey tells me she's getting tired of it. At least, the people making reservations for tickets. The ladykiller is still being the ladykiller. I wanted to post this picture the other week but I forgot so here it is...

Alex is sit with his buddy Declan the Little Swarrior. To see more of him head on over to Swarr Family Inc. The link is right over on the side. Watching those two together is funny. Alex will grab a toy and try to put it in his mouth and Declan will take it and tell him how to play with it. Too much cute for words.

So that's it for now. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Frequently Asked Questions

Father's Day

2009-06-24T02:15:00.000-07:00

Father's Day came and went.
This is how it was spent.
I'll tell it in rhyme,
if you got the time.
It started with a chore,
the ladykiller threw up on the couch and floor.
Mommy left to go to her job
but Alex didn't fuss or make sob.
We went for a walk
and everything we saw made Alex talk.
Later in the afternoon
we met the wifey and he began to croon.
We went to the Macaroni Grill
and the food was good, we ate our fill.
We went and split, driving away careful and smart.
I took the long way home, Michelle and Alex drove to Walmart.
I was really content driving my car,
though if the wifey saw me, she'd be ticked, I was smoking a cigar.
We all made it home and we were glad.
Alex and I went next door to visit my dad.
By 9:00pm Alex went to a peaceful sleep,
I laid him in his crib and he made no peep.
I sat down and watched TV and read comics galore,
but I know for some of you that would be a bore.
Suddenly, I had a craving for something sweet,
and went to the kitchen for some oreos for my treat.
I only had seven
and I was in heaven.
It was getting late and I needed to rest.
So I crawled into bed, now here comes the best.
I jumped up, ran and puked in the toilet bowl.
I knew why it happened the oreos took their toll.
Michelle, of course, was worried and full of stress.
No way she wanted to clean up another mess.
I laid back in bed, my stomach stopped churning like the tide.
So that's my tale, catch you on the Flipside!!

Next Time: Caption Contest Update!

Updates & A Contest?

2009-06-16T02:48:00.000-07:00

Hi, everybody! How you doing? Here's where we are standing in this beautiful world we live in. Alex had some minor corrective surgery the other week. It was scary for both mommy and daddy but in the end we knew it would be over fast. He's a lot better now, chasing after the cats and being a little rugrat. The Fulton Theatre started its final show of the season. This past Friday, the wifey and I went and saw Les Miserable. At first I had no desire to see this even if it was the wifey's favorite musical. After seeing it, I was pleasantly surprised how good it was and I recommend seeing it.(And seeing it saved me from going to divorce court - that's mad the wifey would've been if I didn't see it.) Finally, the Toy Hunt 2009. I didn't make out so well this year with the beginning of the season. I got a bunch of comics (surprisingly all Marvel because the last few years I've been a DC man) and 4 toys. I pretty much was disappointed with that.

Ok, all you smarty-pants out there. Here's your chance to crack wise. Introducing the first annual:
Fun With The Schaeffers Funny Caption Contest!!!!

Here's the deal. Some of you out there have a smart mouth. So I've posted these four pictures and you have to come up with a silly or funny caption for them. Here's the pictures and the rules will follow:

1. You can use any of these pictures, one or all, but only once.

2. No swearing (Zach!), cursing or all around nasty comments geared towards the family.

3. EVERYONE CAN ENTER!! Except me because I'm the judge.

4. You have till July 15, 2009 to send your entries with your address to toast1974@msn.com

The winner will be sent a shoefly pie. There's a local bakery that you can mail a pie safely to anywhere in the country. If you've never had a shoefly pie, aahhh, it's sooooo gooooood... Plus I'll post the top ten best comments.

So there you have kids! Hope to see a lot of entries! Catch you on the flipside!!

Next Time: Father's Day!

New Look, Same Great Fun!

2009-05-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

So, like the new look? Thought I'd try something new with the logo. I still working on a replacement just in case things get a tad dull. Plus I streamlined the Mandatory Linkage for webites I visit more often than the others. Also, since last time my Jimmy failed inspection and got repaired. (I have one kidney now..) And my yard got mowed. And then the hay bailer went thru.

It started this past Tuesday. Toy Hunt '09 is in full swing! I plan to go to the big flea market on Memorial Day, but it seems the weatherman is calling for rain. If it does, oh well it won't disappoint me in the littlest bit. It means more time over at my in-laws. On Tuesday, though, I saw one very interesting piece. A Corgi James Bond car that turned into a sub. The guy wanted $25 but I didn't go for it. I was holding out for something I ended up not seeing. Just try to read the list up above. I really wrote it down fast this year.
Today was 'Family Fun Day.' It was the day the wifey, the ladykiller and I got together with my mom and stepfather and went on a tourist binge of Lancaster County PA. (For those who live out of southern PA a quick word... It's pronounced Lancaster not Lan-caster.) After a artery clogging breakfast buffet we headed to take a horse and buggy ride. Alex really liked and had a good time. I on the otherhand, thought I was gonna get sick at the beginning of the ride. I was still suffering from eating too much at breakfast.

After the buggy ride, we went to the Strasburg Railroad. If you visit Lancaster, you almost have to ride this train. Alex is 16 months old and he's been on it four times. I've only been on it three times. That little bum, besting his father. Then, after the train ride, we went and had a very light lunch at a local ice cream shoppe and headed back to my mom's house. Where, with no questions asked, this turned out to be the over all consensus of everyone.

Shhh... Catch you on the flipside.

Next Time: Toy Hunt Aftermath

Yard Work, Sound Engineering, & Other Short Stories

2009-05-06T02:18:00.000-07:00

Hi! So I find myself with a lot to tell but I can seem to put it down on the screen. I guess when in doubt, start off with the ladykiller climbing steps over at my mom's.

A couple weeks ago at church I was asked to run the sound system while the regular sound engineers went on vacation. The Sunday I was to do it went smoothly. I was expecting to write about how 100 people went deaf because of the feedback whistle I was gonna accidently cause. Thank God that didn't happen. I got lucky this time....

My poor yard. I mowed it about a week and a half ago. I try to get it once a week, but it's been raining off and on the past couple of days. It's getting so long. After I mow it the next time, I'm gonna need a bailer to gather the clippings. Oh yeah, also I have to mow my dad's lawn on top of that..

My GMC Jimmy (Claudia - because all cars and trucks should be named after women) got her Pennsylvania car inspection this past weekend. Sadly, she failed, requiring all new ball joints and 2 tires. That definitely hurt the wallet. I got her back yesterday and now she runs a lot better. I guess it falls under the good things catagory.

Alex? Well, he's doing a lot better. Last week he was sick and miserable. Monday, he turned around and was back to his ladykiller ways. In fact, he's now knows what a camera is as this next picture shows.

So that's a short update. Oh, the 2009 Toy Hunt List didn't get scanned in but it will be up very shortly. Flea market season starts very soon and I'm itching to get cracking on it. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: BIG CHANGES!!!! Stay tuned!

Swarrior Surprise

2009-04-21T02:13:00.000-07:00

I've said many of times on how awesome the Swarrs are. This past Saturday cemented that once more. The reigning princess of the Swarrs, MB, snuck around her hubby the Swarrior to throw him a surprise 30th burfday party. He was definitely caught of guard.

This here proves that there was some massive shenanigans going on if these 4 guys got together. That woman in the back was the instigator.

Here's the burfday boy and his brother-in-law (both have links here! Check out Stone Dead Parrot & Swarr Family Inc.!) planning the Swarrior's Harry Potter Dress-up Day.

The 5lb. Wilbur chocolate bar with almonds was one of many presents given to the the Swarrior, but probably the only heat sensitive one. Even Alex got into the the fun! The Little Swarrior brought his WhatNot Workshop Muppet, Max Eyeball. (don't ask) Maybe, just maybe the wifey might let Daddy created one for the Ladykiller. I guess I'm really gonna have to suck up to the boss on that one...

And finally, the Swarr Brood (minus the Little Swarrior, you can't keep a 4yr old in one place.. My day is coming) looking very satisfied by the afternoon of surprises, laughter and love. You guys know how to throw a party. Swarrior, happy burfday and get back to selling your house. MB, you planned a bang up job! Way to go!! We love you all!! Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Yard Work and Toy Hunt '09!

Bunny Attacks...

2009-04-15T02:24:00.000-07:00

Easter Time! Break out the eggs, ham, and giant foot and a half chocolate Easter bunnies. Last year, Alex just slept through it. But this year, look out.... He's on the warpath. It started Good Friday with my mom and my stepfather coming up for supper. That's where the ladykiller got the big bunny. The thing is HUGE! At a foot and a half tall and weighing in at a little over a pound, this hollow chocolate bunny will definitely get someone sick in the stomach. I wonder who? (cough) Michelle (cough).

Saturday was the church's Easter Egg Hunt. It's the first one for an upwardly mobile Alex, and he hit the town running! Though, the first egg he found (with Mommy's help, of course) proceded to head straight to his mouth.

Saturday afternoon we went to one of our really good friend's. There Mommy and Daddy learned that the Stairmaster can't compete with a little boy OBSESSED with steps to the second floor. Finally on Easter Sunday, it was off to Ma-maw's and Pa-paw's for a nice dinner and an addded surprise, a lawn mower ride from Pa-paw. Lucky bugger.

So this Easter, Alex did enjoy it more. Now, how can I get that chocolate bunny before anyone knows it's missing. I better not. I couldn't steal from this face...

... wait a minute... hmmm... Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Testing, Testing, 1.. 2.. 3..

Alex Surprises His Old Man

2009-03-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry, Savage, I wish Alex could surprise you there at Old Man Musings. But this story, the ladykiller has done something not completely unexpected just how it happened it shocked me. The other night, the two of us were sitting on the floor playing. The wifey was working late. Alex was at the TV, doing what he loves to do, push the on/off on the TV. I usually tell him to get away from it and this time was no different. He looked over at me, walked towards me and plopped on my belly. For a minute, I didn't realize what happened. When it did, my jaw dropped. and Alex looked over and smiled his silly smile. Did YOU realize what happened? Here. Watch this:

So, now he's on the go. Michelle wasn't angry at all that she missed his first steps. Actually, when she got home that night, the midget walked right up to her and grabbed her legs. He's growing up. That means its time to lock cabinets and doors so he can't get into trouble. Oh, wait... I think that's too late. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Stimulus Package!

My Toy Collection: A Journey Into Geekdom

2009-03-25T03:05:00.000-07:00

I collect toys. I've done it most my life. Call me what you will, but that's who I am. Before I go any further, let me say this, I would give it all up, in a heartbeat if the wifey said to choose between her and Alex. I won't put them ahead of my wife and kid. That would be a sign of immaturity. I may not act my age, but I know what's important in life. With that said, here we go!
I have say my toy collecting started with the Star Wars line. I have some of the original 1977 to 1983 run, but most of it is the 1995 to present line. My pride of that collection is the my favorite vehicle from the movie saga is the many versions of the All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT). I'd love to have one just to go to work each day. Bad thing is I'd probably trip somewhere along the way.

The Transformers that I got range from 1984 to present, including some from the new cartoon on Cartoon Network. I keep most in two drawers and the ones on display are my favorite.

I know G.I. Joe has been out since the sixties, but in my book the 3 3/4 inch line has been the best til about 1988. Now about two years ago, Hasbro has started remaking these figures and I couldn't be more happy.

About 1989, the Mega Force line was introduced. The Triax fought the V-Roc with futuristic base vehicles with features like missile launchers and swinging arms. They had miniature tanks, helicopters, jets and V-Tol jets made from die-cast metal (it's a dying art).

I got a bunch of DC Comics figures from 1985 to present day. Of course, my collection isn't complete without the greatest superhero ever - The Green Lantern.

Spanning over 30 years, the Japanese cartoon inspired Gundam, caught my attention back at the beginning of the decade. Most of these toys were poseable models you built from scratch.

On top of my bookcase is just a bunch of mix matched series of toys I've picked up over the years during my travels. A lot have come from my trips to California. I wouldn't be much of a videogame geek without Mario, Luigi and some Pokemon. Funny that they're next to Gumby and Pokey, the greatest Claymation stars ever.
When it comes down to it, I guess my toy collecting comes from my dad. He has over 300 toy tractors.

Why do I collect toys? I got a few reasons. First, sentimental. I couldn't get these when I was a boy and now that I'm older and (not lately, anyway) I can afford them. Second, my father tells me when he leaves this world his tractors are going to my son. I feel the same way. When I go, they'll go to either him, or his son.

My collection is impressive by my standards, but over the years I've learned one thing.. There's always a bigger fish. In other words, someone out there has more than me. And I'm perfectly fine with that. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Alex Surprises His Old Man

Current Events!

2009-03-17T02:50:00.000-07:00

Ahh the sleep of the just.. Yeah, right. Hi, everybody! How are all you happy people doing? Here in the magical land of Schaeffer, we're happy, but things are tough, just like everything else. To be honest with you, right now, this fuzzball got it pretty easy. So, here we go... A little thing I'd like to call: CURRENT EVENTS!!!!

Item 1: The auction is still here, but sales are dropping slowly. Where we would have 8000 - 9000 cars, we're down to 5000 - 6000. My dealer friends tell me that used cars are selling but new aren't. Michelle is busy over at the Fulton Theatre. Right now, The Spitfire Grill is playing. After that is the comedy The Foreigner, then it's one of Michelle's favorite musicals. I call it Les Miserable, but if I don't see it she says, she'll be extremely grumpy and she's gonna hurt me. (I'm joking, honey... or am I?)

Item 2: Alex is Alex. He's trying to walk, but he's definitely a Schaeffer because he's got that stubbornness that is prevalent in my family. He needs another haircut.

Item 3: A couple months ago, I talked about the comic mini-series Watchmen and the movie that was coming out. Well I saw it and I really enjoyed it. Out of all the comic book based movies i've seen in my lifetime, this one was the most accurate adaptation. Only the ending was different, but, it worked extremely well with the overall story. It was the shortest 163 minutes i've sat thru. For some reason, I felt this movie had the same effect (ending wise) like another one of my favorite books turned into a movie, 2010.

Item 4: For some odd reason I've really enjoyed this season's TV shows. I've been watching too much I think.

Item 5: For you bonus monkeys at AIG, why? My wife and I are having a tough time making ends meet and you go and take our taxes and get happy. Honestly, nothing is gonna happen to anybody there. It's depressing.

So there you go. That it for this installment of Current Events. Hope you enjoyed it. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Toys! (Yes, I've been trying to get this post written since last year.)

We're Baaack!

2009-03-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

So, yeah I'm bad. I've neglected my duties. This post hopefully will make it up. We're okay, even if we are a little sick lately. Here's Alex's belated burfday pictures. Plus as an added bonus here is Alex after his second haircut. Don't worry, girls, it's growing back really fast and he still has the curls that made him famous. That's it for now. More very soon I promise.

Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Current Events

One Year Later.. Part 1

2009-01-21T02:34:00.000-08:00

I want to apologize right now. I went to copy pictures of Alex's burfday party but they didn't copy to the disc. The only time right now upload them to Fun With The Schaeffers is either at work Monday to Wednesday or at my Mom's house. Yup, we still don't have internet at home due to budget concerns. No biggee. I promise next week I'll have them up. His face was such a mess... Catch you on the flipside.

P.S. Congratulations to the new President. Okay, things are better. I want my raise now.

Next Time: One Year Later.... Part 2

Room of Doom Gets More Room!

2009-01-06T02:59:00.001-08:00

I trust everyone had a safe and enjoyable New Years? I know I did. I got so much accomplished. See, I took the past two weeks off for vacation. And boy was it worth it. The fun started on the first Sunday of Week 1.I've talked about my 'Room of Doom' before. Almost every man has one. A Man Cave. An Inner Sanctum. Mine is called the Room of Doom and it was a hog pen. The picture up above doesn't do it justice on how bad it was. I would clean it and it still felt cluttered and in disarray. I had comic boxes on the floor and junk boxes sticking out the closet on top of toy boxes. But that had to change. I needed to do something. I could throw some of the stuff out because I might need it at some later date or sentimental reasons. My vacation solved that problem.

I started first by moving the comic boxes into the hall way. (The wifey didn't like it, but she understood the end result) Then, boxes full of stuff I might need at a later date (namely my NES, SuperNES, and Virtual Boy for Alex when he's older) went to my bedroom closet (I cleaned that up too!) There was some more junk that I really didn't want to throw out, so I moved that out to the shed. I started Sunday and finished Monday afternoon. Of course both of the Swarr boys had to come over in between this time and criticized on how messy my room was. (Hey, I had just started moving stuff out of the closet!) Here is the final result: Well, yes, there's some CD cases, a bag and some cat toys on the ground but it's 100 times better than what it was. Now Alex can crawl in the room and not get stopped by boxes. The wifey was happy too, I could now vacuum the floor. I'm so proud of myself. I can wait show show the Swarr boys now. Except, for Gabe. He'll have to see here or when he comes to visit next Christmas.

So that's how I spent my vacation. Cleaning. Oh, I forgot! I sent Savage from Old Man Musing a wet bottom shoefly pie for him and his wife for Christmas. I hope you two enjoyed it! Catch you on the flipside.

Next Time: Toys! and 98 Posts and Counting!

There's Something in the Chimney and I Don't What It Is, But It's Been There All Night Long!

2008-12-25T12:59:00.001-08:00

The title refers to Twisted Christmas song about a little girl singing about Santa getting stuck in the chimney on Christmas Eve. Of course, the song goes on to tell about the 'thing' trapped there all year rond. Well, being this was Alex's first Christmas, Santa didn't get stuck. He was worried he wouldn't find him.We spent the night at Michelle's parents. Alex had it bad after his bath before bed. He squirmed his body away from mommy and took a header off the bed and landed on the hard wood floor. He's okay, just a little bruised. After a bottle and some tears, it was off to sleepytime land and those supposed sugar plums that danced there.

The next morning, after about seven hours of sleep for him and 4 for me, (I can't sleep in an unfamiliar place) we got up and ran down to see the presents. Santa came to Ma-maw's and Pa-paw's! Alex got an Elmo DVD and a stuffed dog that talked. Then it was off to Granny's!

Santa showed up there too!!! Alex got some books, a whack-a-nail toy and a wooden abacus! Santa left stuff for Mommy and Daddy also. Michelle got the new Josh Groban Christmas CD and I got The Dark Knight on DVD. Want to see a magic trick?
So for his first Christmas, Alex had a great time, except for falling off the bed. But what he doesn't know is Santa managed to stop at our house anyway. His big gift is waiting there, which means Daddy gets to go bonkers trying to put it together while Mommy watches and nags about what goes where.

Merry Christmas to all. And catch you on the flipside next year!

Next Time: Room Of Doom Has More Room And MegaForce!

The Haircut Song By Ray Stevens

2008-12-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

"When you get a haircut, get a barber you have known." "Ever since you were a bitty boy sitting' in a booster chair'"

"You may look like Larry, Moe or Curly..."

"...If a stranger cuts your hair!"

Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: There Something in the Chimney and I Don't Know What It Is.

"The Wheel In The Sky Keeps On Turnin'.."

2008-11-26T03:14:00.000-08:00

Journey said it best. I don't know where I'll be tomorrow. I was gonna talk about my new Wednesday Night Youth Group class (I teach the high school age kids) but things kept on getting pushed back. Maybe another time. What I will talk about is the situation in our world today.

On my Facebook account, I wrote the note, " Dean is shocked how the hammer fell today." and I got a couple comments from people who didn't understand what I meant. Well, here it goes. I work for the world's LARGEST (I don't care what other people say, as big as this place is, you almost can see it from space) auto auction. I enjoy my job (sometimes). I've been here for 10 years and I wouldn't mind retiring from here (bennies are great!) But after the past couple of months, me and some others are scared. They've started to lay off people.

Dad says don't get comfortable. The Swarrior has an application for another job for me. I've applied at two restaurants for part-time work. I had to agree with my mom. She told me to look but get something you know will be secure. If I would leave where I am now, I'll be low man on the totem pole and if things go bad, the first to go. I'm listening to her (always listen to your mother, kids) but being careful at the same time.

Alex, on the other hand, is in for a surprise. Tomorrow, Thanksgiving, after my mother-in-law slips into turkey coma, my father-in-law is grabbing the boy and putting him in the chair. The barber chair. Ma-maw has been fighting this for the past month, but now there's nothing she can do about. Alex NEEDS a haircut. I say give him a cut like what I usually get, a military style flat top (no comb for 3 months!) but the wifey won out and said "trim it, but keep some of the curls." (Those curls are gonna get him into trouble. Mark my words!) The next post will show his reaction to this. I wonder... If Michelle gives him some of her turkey, will that help him, or will we need a sedative...

Well, that's pretty much what's going on right now. One reminder, 42nd Street starts at the Fulton Theatre in December. So if you're in the area, please check it out. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: The Haircut Song By Ray Stevens

It's Still Off... Who Cares!

2008-11-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

No biggee. My mom loves it because I can download my pictures of the ladykiller onto her computer. So I have some quick bites to say... First, congrats Pres.-elect Obama. I didn't vote for you, but I'm willing to stand behind you like I did for other presidents. Oh, and get that Golden Doodle. They're adorable. Second, as one of the pictures show, Alex and I were the new Luchadore tag team for Halloween: Lamar The Revenger and El Pato. Finally, Mom's book went to print. I didn't do much artwork for her as I liked, but I think I did a good job. Okay, that's most of what's going on. Catch you on the flipside...

Next Time: Wednesday Night Fun!

What's Goin' On?

2008-10-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hi! That's pretty much what's happening in the Schaeffer household. The net is still down. I'm hoping for November. Meanwhile, I'll just sit around and either watch my mom's cat on my lap,

take Alex to the Manheim Farm Show so he can ride around on the John Deeres, or

dress him up as a duck for Halloween. Quack! Quack!

Of course, Alex knows how to charm the women. Ever still the lady killer.

More soon... If I don't talk to you til then... I don't care who you vote for, JUST AS LONG AS YOU DO IT! Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: More Wednesday Night Fun

We Might Be Giants..

2008-10-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

Hi! Our internet is still down, so I'm over at my mom's writing this installment. As you can see, we are doing very good.
Alex is crawling around like a mad little boy and getting into all the stuff he shouldn't. Look at that face. He can't be THAT naughty? Wanna bet?

So last Monday was my birthday and those who have read this blog know how much I LOVE them. This year was different. This year I got to see one of my favorite bands. Finally! Their name - They Might Be Giants. You probably heard them, but didn't know it. Ever see those snappy Dunkin Donut commercials with the catchy songs? Or ever watch that Fox show Malcolm in the Middle? They did that music. This John Linnell. He plays the keyboard and the accordian.
This is John Flansburgh. He's on the guitar. I've been a fan of these two guys since the early 90s when my good friend Gabe Swarr (I think I've mentioned his name once or twice here) introduced me to them. When I first heard them I felt they were a cross between Weird Al Yankovic and R.E.M. Now, I feel they have that alternative rock style all their own.

So for my birthday, Michelle got me tickets to see them at a local club. I kind of knew what to expect, but that wasn't what happened. In fact, it was ten times better. They played some of my favorite songs and got some of the crwod into a conga line. I didn't do it because I didn't want to loose my spot. Both Michelle and I were exhausted after everything was over. I, of course, walked away with a t-shirt.

So that was our week. Oh, forgot something. Alex, here, is massively teething, so he's been sick. Don't worry. He's getting better. He's in Granny's hands right now. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: How my yard is a doggy-doo minefield... Wait.. I DON'T HAVE A DOG!

Dean's going stir crazy.

2008-09-21T12:37:00.001-07:00

Do to items that just seem to happen to us, our internet is down. So it might be a little time between posts. I myself am going bananas because of the networking (goofing off) I do on the net. Michelle is kind of happy. Poop. I'm gonna have to live with it for now. I'll post from time to time til it's up and running. If I do and there's no pictures that means I snuck on the computer at work. I'm on my mom's right now, torturing her one kitten. Before I go here's some pictures of Alex and what as replaced the internet in my life.

I've drank about two pots a day. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: They Might Be Giants

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes.

2008-09-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

Back in July, the new Batman film "The Dark Knight" hit the theatres with a mighty bang. I'm insane when I go to the movies. I like to get there REAL EARLY, sometimes an hour and a half before they even open up the theatre. (I'm a freak I know) Why? One reason, is to get a good seat. The other? To get to the theatre before the trailers start. I love the trailers. Trailer is another term for preview. Well, one of the previews stood out and smacked me in the face. It's for the movie: Watchmen

Who watches the watchmen? as the title says. Watchmen was a miniseries published by DC Comics in 1986. It tells of a world where the only heroes allowed are the ones sponsored by the government and all others are illegal by the Keene Act. It takes place mostly in New York in 1985. Nixon is still president due to an amendment change. There is a Cold War, but there's only one thing stopping any thing from getting out of hand. (I'm getting ahead of myself) That's the back story I can tell you about. The only other thing I'll tell you (it's so freaking tough not to spill everything about this!) is it starts out a murder mystery. Everything else? I want it to be like me. Learn everything the first time.

I read comics since the 80s, for almost 25 years. In the 90s, I heard of Watchmen, but never really wanted to read it. For a while I had the 7th issue, but you know how it is to jump in the middle of a TV show you never saw before. I lost or sold that issue and bought another a couple years later and forgot about it til I saw the trailer for the movie. So, the other day I dig up that issue and found out it was the first one. Goody! I can start at the beginning. After I finished it, I knew I needed to the rest of the story. I got the trade paperback (trades collect stories and miniseries into one book) and that's when the trouble started. I read the thing twice in one week.

I finished it the first time I started to cry and then get mad at myself because why in the heck didn't I read this sooner! It was a breathe of fresh air with superhero comics. Okay, Dean, shut your mouth before you start saying anything else. Listen, I got to stop this post before I squeal and spill the beans about everything. I want you to find the trade, or find someone that might have it. It is truly the Moby Dick of the comics world.

But before I go, if you want a look at the trailer, here's the website: http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com/ Go to the site and let it load. Just one thing, this movie preview has some adult themes. So parental guidance is advised. See, I'm looking out for the little ones. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: They Might Be Giants. Finally!

Please Pass The Jelly! Part 4: The Finale!

2008-09-09T16:18:00.000-07:00

I'm posting the final part of my comic. Enjoy!

First of the guest pin-ups belongs to Alex Petretich (Quick fact: Alex partly named after him!) Check out his website: http://www.theabsurdist.org/

Next up is one of my personal heroes: Derrick Wyatt! (Quick fact: Derrick is the master of all Riddler knowledge, especially Frank Gorshin, the original Riddler from the 60s Batman show!) His website is http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/ When scanning in these pages, I seemed to have lost a page. That ticked me off to no end. The page in question was describing the heroes origin. Well, I may not have the page, but I remember them enough to write down. You know Toast's so here's the others!

AUGALUS: The super hero named Augalus is a tortured soul. After his bio-blasts manifested themselves at a high school dance, Augie checked himself into the John Krickfalusi Home for Distressed Superheroes because of the mental anguish. His progress was remarkable

and was allowed out to fight crime and help those in need, until the death of his best friend, Techno the Techno-organic worm, by Tenticus.

MASTER BRAIN: In order to create 'The World's Smartest Soldier', the army drafted a redneck from the backwoods of Pennsyvania into the program. Unfortunately, with all government projects, accidents have a tendency to happen. The soldier lost his arm and leg, but with high tech cybernetics and an exposed brain, Master Brain was born! Of course, his farmboy life still peeps in.

CAPTAIN SHADOW: Marcus Cole had it the best job in the world. A successful movie theatre owner he was on top of the world. That almost came crashing down on him. Walking home from his theatre, aliens with a bad sense of humor abducted him. They mutated him. His body was turning into a living shadow. He now is connected to the Shadow Force, a twisted realm where darkness and They Might Be Giants music plays constantly.

Well there you have it. My first opus. I had (have) plans to do to a sequel or two. Maybe, give or take a few years, I'll get around to telling them. I want to tell you about the last one I had planned. It's such a great idea! Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes.

Please Pass The Jelly! Part 3: The Vengeance of Tenticus!

2008-09-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

Next time: The thrilling, albeit short, conclusion! Featuring two special guest artist pin-ups, a sketch page, and origins of the other members of the cast! Catch you on the flipside!

Please Pass the Jelly Pt 2: Five Years Later

2008-08-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

Here we go!

Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Part 3: The Vengeance Of Tenticus!

Please Pass The Jelly!! Part 1

2008-08-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

So this is Part 1 of my comic, Toast. First I want to apologize for some of the content. Let's face it passing gas is bad but funny comedy. Second, on the front cover and title page I used my friend Gabe's imprint. Now at that time, I didn't think it would be used like it is today. Me being a wimp and afraid of lawyers, I deleted the imprint name on these pages. (Can you guess what it was?) Third, this sucker's big. 48 pages big. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find Page 47. That's okay, because that page is the origins of the heroes. I'll give an in depth review of them at the end of this series. Fourth, my address was on the title page. I've moved like 4 times since then. And finally, I got three of my great friends to do pin-ups for it. Two will be shown. Gabe's will not because of subject matter. email me if you REALLY want to see it. Okay, enough talk.. HERE WE GO!!!

Oh, one more thing. Can you spot the things that influenced when I made this? Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Part 2 - Five Years Later..

Fast Blasts!

2008-08-13T18:06:00.000-07:00

First, I want to give a shout to Mr. Savage (http://www.oldmanmusings.com/) and Mr. Robare (http://www.brandedinthe80s.com/) for the support, Over the next couple of posts (probably three) I'm gonna put up the Toast comic I talked about last time. Now remember these were done over ten years ago and they aren't the best in quality. More on that next time. So strap yourself in for this post, because...

...peppered with pictures of Alex, (sorry, its the dad in me) here's a couple quickies that I'd like to call Fast Blasts!

Happy 30th Burfday to my loverly wifey, Michelle! You are still as beautiful as ever, even if you got that little drool on your mouth while you were sleeping in my chair. Love you Honey! If anyone sees her before Sunday (her burfday) make sure you harass the dickens out of her!

My father was in a car accident on Tuesday. He was driving the company van for the auto parts store he works for and blacked out for a split second and ran off the road. The van sheered a telephone pole and went into a field. Dad walked away bruised and with a very stiff leg. At the time the doctors didn't know what happened to him. He has another doctor's appointment later this week to find out whats going on.

My mother is working on a devotional book. I have been requested to draw some of the little artwork speckled thru out it. Instead of writing this I should be drawing. She has the utmost faith in me to have this project done by the end of August. I am the President of the nation of Procrastination.

Alex will be 7 months on Sunday. He's getting so big. He has two teeth and I think there's another coming in. He LOVES apples, pears and pineapple glazed ham. Baby food has gotten varied nowadays.

Work is... different this week. I'd go into it but the only thing I'll say is, if it was an airport, it would be the most secure.. heh heh..

We went to the Fulton Theatre's greet the cast party this past Tuesday. Alex, of course, was hamming it up with the cast of this years season opener, Oklahoma! Sorry everyone, no Hugh Jackman.

So that's what going on. I'm gonna sit down here soon, draw a little and watch some Olympics. Go Michael Phelps!! Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Please Pass The Jelly!

The Burnt Knight

2008-08-09T18:17:00.001-07:00

I love comics. I've read and collected them since 1986. Things, of course, change over the years, but, comics, they don't. I am addicted. In the summer of '94, my friend Gabe (see http://www.dummcomics.com/ on Mondays or at http://www.gabeswarr.blogspot.com/) drew a comic. Due to legal issues I cannot show this comic, but if you beg Gabe, he might be nice and show you. I can though talk about a story element that happens in this comic. This 'event' set the basis for me to launch my comic. And that, I can talk about. Meet Toast - The Burnt KnightIn Gabe's comic, a giant is doing cannonballs off of Big Ben and into the River Thames in London. Well, I took that part and ran with it. I mean, what would be the repercussions of this, scary but silly act? Enter the foreign exchange scientist from America working with a new form of napalm and an experimental flame resistant asbestos/Kevlar cloth in London. What are the chances of something going wrong? In the resulting accident cause by the a aforementioned giant, this unnamed scientist is left with flaming hair and the ability to throw flames and fly. Taking the asbestos/Kevlar and making a costume for himself, he returns back to the U.S. and to fight whatever evil may pop up. So Toast was born that fall of '94. It would take until 1997 for me to finish my comic. I wanted to do sequels and colorize it (original is in glorious black and white) but life happens fast as the insurance company says. I'm debating to post a couple of issues at a time here on the blog, but I don't know... We'll see.

Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: A question for you: should I post some Toast?

PS: I really got to start tagging my posts...

Alex's Truck Misadventure

2008-07-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

Contrary to the title, this is a serious post. Last Friday, Alex was in a truck accident. He was with his babysitter, her sister (who was driving) and two of her great-nieces. They were driving down a local country road when a fly started buzzing around. They tried shooing it out when the babysitter's sister took her eyes off the road for a second. The truck then side swiped a telephone pole. The babysitter got banged up. She was taken in an ambulance and received some stitches above her right eye, which also got really swelled and black and blue. One of the young girls in the back had a couple of scratches from the glass but nothing worth going to the hospital. Alex, who was in his car seat in the middle (everyone was wearing their seat belt) was completely unharmed. No one else was hurt. The ironic thing (sing it, Alanis) they were all on a drive to go with the babysitter's sister to pay the insurance on the truck.I was at work when my boss told me to go to the safety trailer and see the cops that are stationed at the auction on sale days. I was thinking it was an accident but not one with Alex involved. Unless you're one of those heartless scum parents who don't care about their kids, no parent wants that phone call. You always expect the worse. I instantly left work and headed to the babysitter and her sister's house. I get there and see Alex. He saw me and he got that cute stupid grin he has every time he sees Michelle and I. I took him home and changed his outfit carefully just in case there was some shattered glass in his clothes. Michelle came home and wouldn't let go of her little boy. Very understandable, being that I couldn't let go of him either.We took him to the pediatrician that afternoon, so that an expert could check him out and see if there was something we missed. He was perfectly normal, well, by baby standards (not Schaeffer standards - none of us are normal) After a nice Chinese dinner, we went to visit the babysitter. Michelle and I told them that what had happened was an accident. We still love them and glad that they love Alex so much. We found out the sister was so upset by these events, she can't bring herself to drive anything. We made it clear that this stuff happens and they can't get out of taking care of Alex that easily. That night, my dad came over and looked at Alex and said something that has stuck with me since. He said "You'll forget about it by the time you're an old man." You know, that made me feel a lot better too. Catch you on the flip side!Next Time: The Burnt Knight or What Happens To A Scientist Working With An Experimental Version Of Napalm After Giant Does Cannonballs Into The River Thames...

San Diego Comic Con 2001

2008-07-22T14:12:00.001-07:00

Ahh... It's that time again. 140,000 people (last count I believe - help me out Gabe or Savage!) converge on the West Coast to San Diego. They're there for the biggest comic book convention in the world - The San Diego Comic Con. If you a true comic fan and/or collector, you must go to this spectacle of Pop Culture and all around Geekiness (and YES I AM ONE OF THE MANY! LIVE WITH IT!) at least once in your life. I was lucky enough to go to the 2001 Con. I can't say how my experience there went (I do remember a belly dancer, seeing Elvira, Mistress of the Night, and being pointed out by the Mr. Show with Bob and David Panel) but the memories flood with these pictures I took. Before I start, I just want to let you know, these were taken by a disposable camera. Sorry, the Elvira and Mr. Show pictures just didn't turn out right. They were too small. Well, her we go!

Me with Green Lantern and Aquaman at the DC Comics booth. Aquaman looks like Steve Irwin - The Crocodile Hunter Here's Mark Waid. This was second time I met him. The first time was back in '93.
DC 's Mike Carlin with Supes in the background.
Sam and Max Creator Steve Purcell. His booth right next to...... this guy! Gabe Swarr was the one that got me in to the Con. Here's he's showing of the first issue of Big Pants Mouse! You can check out his stuff at www.dummcomics.com! Tell Lamar sent ya!
Brinke Stevens is one of my favorite B movie stars. I had to meet her, one to get some of her comics signed and to get the inside scoop on a mutual friend, Todd Kaylor.
As they say at Marvel Comics... 'Nuff said!!

Oh, don't forget to see The Dark Knight. It's the best Batman movie ever! Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Why So Serious? Let's Put A Smile On That Face!

How Many Posts and Shoutouts?

2008-07-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

I noticed the other day i got about 20 posts til I hit the hundred mark. The rate I post, it'll be a long time coming. Meanwhile, I'm gonna give you nice folks a taste of what I'm going to write about in the coming weeks. Next time, in the spirit of the San Diego Comic Con, (38years and bigger than ever) I'm going to show some pictures of the 2001 SDCC. Then it's on to more fun tricks with the Ladykiller. I'd like to do some posts on some comics if I get around to it.

Hope you all are checking out the links on the side. If you're an 80s nut make sure you check out http://www.brandedinthe80s.com/ . It'll help you relive all the fun stuff that you had as a kid (unfinished sticker albums were the worse!) http://www.toybender.com/ shows the latest in toys for playing and collecting. Chris Sims Invincible Super Blog (http://www.the-isb.com/) will keep you update. And of course, you got Mr. Derrick Wyatt, big time Transformers: Animated designer at his (if not updated that often - he's really busy!) hangout - http://www.derrickwyatt.blogspot.com/. And finally, my buddy Gabe Swarr and a few of his good friends started a site a couple of months ago. http://www.dummcomics.com/ is where you'll find new fun strips of the Packrat with the Enchanted Loin Coverings - Big Pants Mouse!

That's all I can think of right now. But before I go here's an update on Alex's adventure at Ma-maw's and Pa-paw's. Catch you on the flipside.

Next Time: Mr. Show! Elvira! Gabe Swarr! Brinke Stevens! All This And YOU SPENT HOW MUCH?!?!?!

A Trip To Ma-maw's & Pa-paw's

2008-07-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

Did he...?
or..
Didn't he..?

Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: The Truth Revealed!

The Man, The Legend, The Ladykiller

2008-06-29T11:46:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, Michelle took Alex to the grocery store. As they walked in the door, the typical scene played out. They were approach by two older ladies, who, proceeded to admire Alex and his hair. Alex, in his usual fashion, just smiles and turns his head shyly way. The ladies just giggle over him as my wife continues on her way. At the register, there is two high school/college age girls and they see Alex coming down the aisle. They look at him and admire his blue eyes and his curls. Well, Michelle, expecting the same reaction from him as he did with the ladies before, pretty much looked the other way, ignoring them. Alex loves the older women. He's my Ladykiller. I used to call him The Midget but, no, Ladykiller suits him now. Especially this lady here. This is Colleen. She will go out of her way to make sure she as him for a guaranteed half hour or longer if she could. She's already wanted babysitting duty numerous times. The door is open for you, Colleen.

Meanwhile, my job as his father is to take as many embarrassing pictures of him, so his future dates get to know this boy and his superpower of seducing women. Catch you on the flipside!!

P.S. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, VAL & FRED!!!!

Next Time: How Many Posts Have You Done?

Lamar: A Real American Hero

2008-06-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

I've talked about video games. I've talked about childhood fun. And I do believe I've talked about Transformers. With all these and other fun stuff happening in my life, some things have a tendency of getting overlooked. One thing that falls under this category grabbed my attention from 1983 to 1987. It's been around since 1964, but it's the mid 80s run that sticks in my mind. They are The Real American Hero - G. I. Joe.
1983, for my birthday, my parents got me my first G.I. Joe toy. It was the Dragonfly helicopter and it came with Wild Bill. I was all ready familiar with the cartoon that Sunbow produced and I thought it was the coolest show, even if at the time it was a five episode mini-series. Getting that copter strengthened my imagination about Wild Bill flying in and out of danger while rattling of some Texan metaphors at the enemy. Then Christmas came, and my brother and I were blessed with more fun. I got the M.O.B.A.T. (a motorized tank - batteries weren't included) with Steeler (he was great because his file card said he's from Pittsburgh - home of the greatest football team ever!) and my brother got the V.A.M.P. (a jeep) with Clutch. And so the battles began.
Over the next four years, toys and vehicles would come and go. My brother would get the Rattler (VTOL jet) and Firefly (wish I had him now) but by 1994, they would be all gone.
I don't know what happened to them. Like a lot of things, they were lost, sold, or broken. Of course over the years, if I'm at a flea market and see a G.I. Joe toy from the 80s, I try to get it. In fact last year, I went to this stand at the local farmers market and found a box of toys sitting there. I saw one vehicle I always wanted and ask the guy how much for it. He said he's asking $60 for the whole box. Well, the picture just above this? This Battle Platform was in the box. In the condition it's in, it's worth about $50 to $60. The wifey wasn't too mad but she wasn't too happy either. Me, it just ignited my search for the classic 80s toys. But everything changed. Yes Alex was part of the change, but on the G.I. Joe front, this man I've never met personally. He goes by the screen name Savage and he runs the website Old Man Musings.
Savage did an article about the 25th anniversary collection of remakes of the 80s version Joes. I was reading this, and thinking, yeah they're cool, but I don't know, interesting, but (bad English is all over my thoughts) I'm gonna pass. Until they came out with a version of a figure I had back in 87. The reissue of Battle Armor Cobra Commander completely changed my 'meh' outlook on the toy line. Detacthable hoses, small details in the figure and accessories, and the biggest thing, a removable helmet. That sold it for me!

I now have thirteen of them and plan to get more. It's tough though, not only getting the new ones, I'm still trying to get the stuff I had as a kid. Plus try to get the stuff I wanted but never got. I'm looking for the Dragonfly with Wild Bill (of course!), I'm looking for the hovercraft (it was called the Killer W.H.A.L.E.), and a few miscellaneous figures. Ebay has this stuff, but I hate online auctions. You never know what you're gonna get. So for now, I'll talk to friends looking to unload their toys (I won't cheat them either, I'm not a total heel) and check out yard sales and flea markets. Meanwhile, the Room of Doom grows smaller and smaller. Much to the wife's disappointment.. Sorry honey, but remember the biggest thing I collect in this world is your love. Catch you on the flipside and YO JOE!!!

Next Time: Alex - The Boy, The Legend, The Ladykiller

P.S. : One more shout out - Thank you, Savage! Check out his website www.oldmanmusings.com Tell him Lamar sent ya!

Hersheypark Arcade!

2008-06-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

Today was my work's Employee Fun Day at Hersheypark. Hersheypark is fun as long as it's not in the high 90s, which it was ALL DAY. We got very little relief. We didn't want to ride the water rides because we didn't want to walk around dripping and have to fight for a locker to keep our dry clothes. Plus that was where everyone was at the water rides. The only relief we got was at the one theatre with a percussion show and the Arcade. When at this arcade I usually go to win tokens so I can get cheapo but really kickin prizes. Couple years ago I got a dust pan and broom for the house. Cheap but practical. This year I got a camera bag. Meanwhile, I had to do something for the blog. The arcade at Hersheypark has some great old school arcade games. I didn't play any, (because I'm an idiot because I didn't) but if some of you who read this blog would be all over them like flies. So I'm gonna end this here with a challenge, can you name the last one? Sorry about the quality of the pictures... These were taken with my cell phone. Catch you on the flipside!

P.S.: Yes, I did get sunburned. It's on the back of my arms. (payback for not playing Arkanoid, Ghostbusters or Millipede there.)

Next Time: Dean - Not the Greatest American Hero...

A Bridge Too Old

2008-06-01T12:16:00.001-07:00

South of my hometown of Manheim, near where I work, is what the old timers call "The Junction." You take Auction Road west, past Junction Road to about 10 houses. Back in the day (sorry, I don't want to make a lot of the old jokes. The elderly are a wealth of information) the trains would past through this small little village. They still do. Right beside The Junction runs Chickies Creek (or Chiques Creek to give credit to the Chiques Indian tribe from this area.) And spanning the crick (that's how we say it) is the bridge of Auction Road. I don't know how old it is. I know that this one guy at work used to ride his bike on the side of it when crossing it. He's 70 years old and tells that story constantly. He always saying about him and his buddies fishing here or going crick stomping. My brother and I used to do the same thing when we were younger. My brother and a friend of ours used to drag race their trucks on Auction Road and the bridge, because it was a one lane bridge, would be finish line. Remember you know you're from Lancaster (not pronounced like the actor Burt Lancaster) County if you know where there is at least 5 to 10 places to drag race. An added plus, if you were moving at a high rate of speed you could get some air in your vehicle. And proceed to scrape the bottom. The years of wear and tear have taken their toll.

The other day coming home from work, I was headed towards the bridge. A Penn Dot (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Headaches) sign stated that the road will be closed on June 2nd. I know I'm jumping to conclusions, but I got the feeling they're gonna tear down the bridge. The big thing in the U.S. is the repair of our roads and bridges. And this bridge is pretty bad. In the end they'll replace it with a better bridge, seeing this one can only handle up to five tons and there is a lot of traffic from my work. The idea of a historical bridge coming down, though, makes my kind of sad.

So this morning I went and took pictures of the bridge. I never had the chance with other bridges that were raised and replaced. I want to be able to remember what it looked like and all the memories that went with it. When I was taking pictures of it this morning, with the birds chirping, the crick flowing, and the wind blowing thru the leaves, for some reason I was thinking of the Frank Sinatra song "It Was A Very Good Year." Catch you on the flipside.

Next Time: Good Things Happen To Those Who Buy Their Time

Toy Hunt 2008

2008-05-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

When it rains, it pours. Today was no exception to the rule. I went to the flea market I mentioned last time with my dad. Only my dad. Alex seems to have gotten a ear infection. At least, that's what it looks like. So, I don't think tomorrow's farmers market flea market will happen for me. I plan to do the most important thing - take my boy to the doctor's to get check out. Hopefully everything will be okay. Glad I have off tomorrow and I can take him. It's 10:40pm and he's sleeping for now. He tends to sleep all night, but last night he woke up about 2am screaming. He'll be okay and his normal happy baby self. Just like this picture while over at my mom's house. Who couldn't love that face? Heck, the older women are all ready lining up for him. It's got to be the hair and the blue eyes. Killer combo!

On with the aftermath of the flea market! So I got lucky! First of all, I didn't think I was gonna find this stuff. I spent 17 bucks. That made me very happy. (the wifey wouldn't kill me for spending oodles of money on toys. Sad thing is, we only hit the major flea market spot in the town. When we left, there were yard sales on both sides of the streets for almost two miles!
We were tired from walking the main part, we both said forget it, and went home. I said to myself Labor Day they do it all over again.

So this is my acquistions of the morning. I'll run down the list -

1. 2 G.I.Joe figures: Gung-Ho in his Marine Dress Blues (fitting for Memorial Day) and Cutter - a figure that goes with the absent W.H.A.L.E. (it's a hovercraft)

2. 2 G.I.Joe vehicles: The S.H.A.R.C. (a submarine like vehicle) and the Phantom X-19 Stealth Fighter. Both were purchased for a dollar each.

3. 3 Transformers: 2 mini-cars (reissues - I look at the company logos) and a Micromaster.

4. The side car for the Stiletto from the toy and cartoon series M.A.S.K.

5. The final item was the G.I.Joe M.O.B.A.T (MOtorized BAttle Tank). Now, I had bought this same item a month ago for the exact same price as I did today ($5), but, the one i got today was in better condition and had it's stickers still on. I'll just use the older one for parts.

So there you go. Oddly, I did see a lot of He-Man toys today. They're nice, but I don't have room for them. That's all I saw. Like I said, they do the same thing on Labor Day. Next time, I hope Alex will come to enjoy the fun. About that farmers market flea market? Well, if the doctor's appointment is later in the day, I think I'll still go with Alex. Unless it rains. I think they're calling for it tomorrow. Ugh. Catch you on the flipside!!

Next Time: Who Really Wants To See My Toy Collections?

Cat, Get Outta Here!! & The Hunt Is On!

2008-05-20T02:23:00.000-07:00

This is Enforcer. He loves his parents. Especially Mommy. His thing is to wait until everyone is asleep or on the verge of sleep and walk across their hair. Or lay down beside Mommy. With his behind in her face. He likes to do that also to Daddy as he crawls into bed. There is no way to combat this. If you shut the bedroom door, it gets unbearably warm and you block the only way to get to Alex if there is problem. Enforcer also is an alarm cat. If you sleep past 5, 6, or 7 am, he will walk across you again and lay down beside you to wake you up. But in the end, he's a good cat. Even if he claws you, disturbs your sleep, tortures the world's cutest kitten, Krystal, and gets into stuff he's not supposed to. Yup. He's a pest sometimes, but I love him and glad he's my cat. Though, he thinks he's Mommy's cat and he probably loves her more. Why? Mommy most of the times puts food in the dish, while Daddy cleans the litter box.

It's getting close to Memorial Day Weekend. First, I want to give a shout out to the brave and courageous men and women who have given there all to keep the great land free. Without those who have risked, fought tooth and nail, and died for this country, we would be a land under oppression. Thank you very much, all of you.

So every Memorial Day, in the small town of Landisville, a few miles from here, has what I would think to be the best flea market in the county. They have twice a year, once on Memorial Day and then on Labor Day. When I go this year, I call it a hunt. A Transformer and G.I. Joe hunt.

As you know, I'm a big 80s toy nut with my main collection being Transformers and G. I. Joe. (Sorry, no Joe pictures yet. I'm working on a photographic layout for them.) As you can tell, I got pretty many. I guess what it comes down to is, I'm trying to relive my childhood. It's an adventure trying to find the toys I wanted as a kid. We weren't as lucky as some of the other kids growing up, (but we made due!) and it seemed they had the cool toys. I look back not in jealousy or envy, but more with the sense, do they still have them and if so, are their parents dopey enough to sell them at a stupid price? That's why I love this flea market. Some of these sellers don't realize what they have and sell at a cheap price. I'm not taking advantage of them. They're the ones who don't research the prices of what toys they might have. (Queue the evil laugh) Yeah, sometimes you get someone who knows their stuff. A lot of times they don't and then it's get it before someone else does. The last time wasn't so great. I got some good stuff, but it was far and few between. The biggest thing is it will be Alex's first flea market. I hope he likes it.

Well that's it for this time. I'll let you know how I do. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: The Hunt's Results!

Your Answers!

2008-05-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

Okay. About three weeks ago I asked those who might stumble upon our blog to question us. Well, let's just say they're all quite interesting. So, without further ado:

ASK THE RIDDLER: THE ANSWERS!!!

1. Anonymous asked: If each of you (individually) could commit an evil (and illegal) act, what would it be and how would you do it?

Answer: Michelle has done something illegal and relatively evil. You know those DO NOT REMOVE tags on sofas? She has removed them from pretty much ALL our furniture. Me? I would dress Alex in New Kids On The Block outfits and force him to listen to NKOTB before bed every night. (hey that's illegal in MY book)

2. The Sarcasticynic questioned: How can I determine the legality of this question?

Answer: Mr. Sarcasticynic (a link to one of his many blogsites is here, check it out!), I feel legality is determined by the gas companies right now. And if the gas prices where you live are lower than the $3.65 we are paying, then this question is more legal where you live than here. (and if you ARE paying less, pooh on you)

3. Another Anonymous (two guys with the same name, who knew?) asked: What are you going to spend your stimulus check on?

Answer: I said, "Let's have a blasty-blast with a keg and cigars and strippers and a band!" Michelle won out and said no and spent it all on gas for her car.

4. The Swarrior (check out Swarr Family Inc and tell Lamar sent ya!) gives us the last one: If you could give a famous person of the past a tour of the modern world, who would it be and where would take them? What are some of the things that would point out to him/her and what do you think his/her reaction would be?

Answer: I would bring back Rodgers and Hammerstein. I'd walk them around Broadway and let them watch all the modern musicals for their opinion. Their reaction would probably be that musical theatre is good but could be better and not as raunchy or filthy as some are.

So there you go. Hope everyone was satisfied. I might do this again in the future. Next time you'll have to post your questions so I can go at it again. Also, if you're on Twitter, follow along to the daily insanity! Catch you on the flipside!

All answers were carefully proof read by the Fun With The Schaeffers Editorial Staff. Unfortunately, they were unable to subdue some of this writer's opinion. So, bleah!

Next Time: The Hunt Is On! or CAT, GET OFFA THERE!!!!

One Week To Go

2008-04-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

So with the last post I got only two questions. So, I'm gonna give one more week for more questions you might have. This week, you get to see the midget (that's what I call him) in all his glory. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Answers!

Ask The Riddler

2008-04-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! This post is special. It includes audience participation. I want you to ask us any question. Any LEGAL question. No asking us if we'll give out certain numbers. (Don't even bother.) So here's what you do. Leave your question in the comment section of the blog. You can write it in anonymously or you can leave your name. If you're really uncomfortable, and you know my email, send it in. I'll give about a week or two then take all the questions and answer them to the best of my ability. Come on! Do it! It'll be fun!

Meanwhile, the wifey and I took another bus trip to the ole Big Apple again this past weekend. Enjoy the pictures! Oh, and a shout out to my mom-in-law and my mom for watching the midget this weekend. I'n glad you didn't fight over him too bad.

Times Square - Naked cowboys to the left, stores and a street fair to the left and bad traffic up the middle!

New York City Public Library - Home to the Guttenberg Bible, the first Winnie the Pooh and the library ghost. "GET HER!!"

At the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Plaza, they were getting ready for the presidential election in November. Yay.. It's not like I'm not sick of it yet....

Nintendo World.. No explanation needed.

At the Museum of Modern Art, they had this Jackson Pollock. It looks like anyone could do it.

Another beautiful trip for us. Here we're at the 'Top of the Rock.' Some nitwit had to out the Empire State Building in there.

Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Your Answers... (if there is any...)

Oh Boy Update!

2008-04-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly, I'm still alive. When I posted Thursday, I thought it was bronchitis that had me in its grip. Boy, was I wrong. I went home that day from work (without even punching in) crawled in bed and slept. Unfortunately, that didn't help. I still felt sore and worn out. So I walked around in a daze. That night I called off work again. I never call off work two days in a row - I repeat, NEVER. Until now. Thursday into Friday I lay in bed, unable to sleep and mind racing. I knew something was wrong. I got up about 4am and Michelle, who was sleeping on the couch, switched places with me. I did fall asleep then.

Morning had arrived and so did more coughing. This time it got worse. Seeing what came up with the coughing, (sorry no graphic details) Michelle said call the doctor. I did and at the office I found out the bad news. Pneumonia. First bronchitis, now this. So the Doc told the nurse to give me a shot in the behind (my first one!) and gave me a new presciption. He told me next go get blood work and an X-ray Saturday morning.

Well, I got home fell asleep on the couch, awoke with my left shoulder in extreme pain, watched some TV, and then crawled back into bed. I slept pretty good last night. So I got my stuff done this morning. Hopefully, everything is okay. So the rules of the household right now is, I don't care how much he begs or cries, I cannot hold my son. That hurts more than anything. Michelle (God, I love her) has been a single mom these past couple days because of this. She has been my rock, my support, and my nurse. When I get better, I got to do something for her, something special. The picture at the bottom was taken while I was writing this with my cellphone. You can almost see how ugly I look. That's it for now. Catch you on the flipside!

P.S. : Over at the Swarr Family Inc, they wanted me ask themwhat kind of beard they would make for us Schaeffers. Well, hold off, Swarriors, at least till I'm better to enjoy it. And any of you other visitors to here hit their link and check out what's going on there!

Next Time: Ask The Riddler? Wait, Derrick Wyatt a.k.a Transformerman is gonna be here? (It'd be cool, but, no, he won't)

Oh Boy....

2008-04-10T01:25:00.000-07:00

So I'm sorry for not posting lately. Work has driven me sick again. Last night was the kicker. Projectile vomit while suffering through bronchitis is not fun. Not fun indeed. And to top it all off, Alex was sick with RSV last week to this week. In case you don't know, RSV is like bronchitis in babies only a lot worse. Last Wednesday, the midget went to the doctors who then said get him to the hospital. We sat in the hospital till Thursday afternoon. We ended up buying a Nebulizer and a albuteral prescription for him. Well, I'll keep you updated next time and by then I'll be back on a regular schedule. Catch you on the flipside.

Next Time: It's a Surprise!

Goodbye to a Legend

2008-03-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

This man here is one of the men responsible for falling in love with science fiction. Serious science fiction. Star Wars and Star Trek have nothing on this guy. He brought mystery and technology to the same table with wonderment hosting the dinner party. Arthur C. Clarke was 90 years old and lived in Sri Lanka. His most famous book has one of my favorite quotes:

"The thing's hollow - it goes on forever - and - oh my God! - it's full of stars!" - Mission Commander Dave Bowman, 2001: A Space Odyssey.The second in the series (there would be 4 total) gave us something scientists are pondering that might be possible, life on another world. Then, he showed Jupiter blowing up and turning into a sun.

Mr. Clarke, I've never met you but I want to thank you for enriching my life.

Rememberance

2008-03-14T18:47:00.000-07:00

It started a couple of weeks ago. While goofing off on the internet, I went to check out a website I bookmarked and pretty much ignored, Retrojunk.com (see linkage). I've been on it before but really never took it seriously. I was looking through an article about 80s movies when I spied one i haven't seen in ages. Explorers starred River Pheonix and Ethan Hawke and it was about some kids building a spaceship. Instantly, I went to this one video website to see if they had it. It wasn't there, BUT I found ANOTHER movie, this time from the 70s that I loved as a kid. This one starred Richard Boone and Joan Van Ark and was called The Last Dinosaur. It had an oil tychoon finding a lost land populated with a tyrannosaur that he wanted to kill. Of course, being that it came out in 1977, the dinosaur wasn't the best in quality (man in suit), but as a child, it held your attention. So, with those two movies, my brain kicked into high gear.

I look back and I think to myself, I had the world. We weren't the richest family, but we had fun. It was none of this, no fun allowed mentality that seems to run rampid nowadays. Think back, what could you do as a child? Summers and Saturdays were the best for my brother and I growing up. We could ride bikes up and down the streets of our neighborhood looking for things to do. We couldn't leave said area, but we could push it to its limits. We lived near a small stream and we'd go down and build a dam. We built this one that it made a small pool on the other side also. What we didn't know was, we blocked a sewer pipe a little. And you knew it wa sa great damn when the guy lived next to the stream (mad as all get out at us) had to call a digger to clear it up. Oops.

I also started thinking about what TV shows and video games we played when the summer months were over and school had started. Saturdays were still the best. We'd sit from 8am til 12pm looking for the best cartoons. If my dad was around 9am was The Smurfs and we had to watch that. Funny, no sooner than I was planning this article, The Smurfs came out on DVD. At 1pm on Saturday, if my mom didn't kick me out of the house, I'd watch the Saturday 1 o'clock Monster Matinee on channel 29 out of Philadelphia. That UHF station always had some monster, sci-fi, or horror movie that would keep me enthralled. The best were the old Godzilla films. Now, 29 is a Fox station that hardly shows movies on the weekends anymore. Sad. Come to think of it, you have to go to cable for any thing like that. (Remember kids, cable is a choice and the rates aren't going down.)

How's this for awesome? We lived a block from the local bowling alley. My mom signed us up for a Saturday afternoon kids league one year. We'd spend three games trying to break 100 only to get beat. Afterwards, instead of going home, we'd spend what money we'd have in the back arcade. There's where I fell in love with the game Crystal Castles. A friend of mine sent me an article about old videogames. If you'd play them now, you would lose interest after 10 to 15 minutes because your memory has high expectations of said games only to find them really boring. Who knew?

Over the course of remembering my childhood, little things start to pop in my mind. Catching crayfish at this one park. That same park had the world's tallest slides. (They had four and the biggest one was a double slide with the top steps broke off. Scary but great!) Riding my new dirt bike I got for Christmas only to wipe out on ice. Going creek stomping. Going out for dinner on a Friday night. Rollerskating with the school on a Sunday afternoon. Having my dog Kibbles chase me around the house. Playing kickball, Red Rover, Kick the Can with my cousins. Sledding down vertical angled hills in the winter. Just all around stupid kid stuff.

But those days are over. Political correctness and parents who baby their kids way to much reign supreme. Playgrounds are replaced with non-injury inducing equipment. TV never has the kind of shows that entertained you. Now it's all mind controlling ads making you want to buy the next American Idiot CD. Movies now are on the "revision of old movies" phase. (Remember the three deep sea movies that came out from 1987 to 1988? Can you name them? Bonus points if you can name an actor or director from two of them. Answers next post!) Video games try to be new but some you lose interest quick.

So I leave you with this. Think about what you did and saw as a child. Hold on to those memories. Write them down. Pass them on. If you don't you'll turn into the drab adult that won't let anyone have fun or a good time. Oh, I was gonna have pictures with this post but changed my mind. Catch you on the flipside... I feel like crying now because you can't go back.

Next Time: Smashing! Or An Hour A Day Practices Self-Control From Using Curse Words In Front Of My Son. (it's tougher when you're really aggravaited!!)

Family Tradition!

2008-03-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

My Dad's side of the family has a little tradition with the newborns. They stick a lollipop in their mouth. My grandfather or grandmother (I forget which one) started it with us grandkids and it went on with the next generation. Case in point...

So Dad held him an Alex got ahold of it. The rest was history. He really didn't care for the pink lemonade flavor. Catch you on the flipside.

P.S. - Thanks Aunt Gloria for keeping the tradition alive!

Next Time: Childhood Revisited... Still working on it....

Much Better Now!

2008-02-22T21:08:00.000-08:00

I'm still on the antibiotics, the inhaler, and the codeined cough syrup. I have to finish all so I combat this fully. Michelle is doing good also, she only has slight headache. Alex got lucky. No flu or cold affected him! Yay!
The last post had that thing for my friend from Myspace and the ten unsual facts about me. Well, I was to 'tag' some other friends to get them to do the same thing. Wrong. No one did it. But, that's okay. I'm okay with that. If they don't want to do anything like that for their friend, that won't bother me. Onward to bigger and better things.
Right now, it's about 12:20am EST. I'm on babysitter mode. In other words, if Alex starts to cry, I get him change his diaper and feed him during the middle of the night. This let's the wifey sleep instead of getting up and doing all the 'fun' stuff. I do Friday night and Saturday night. While I wait for his signal, I listen to Coast to Coast AM. Coast to Coast is such a great radio show. They dive into everything from the unexplained to stock market problems to government issues. I got the link on the side so please check this website. And if you find yourself up in the middle of the night, break out the AM radio and hunt this show. Last night was talk about ghost hunting. Tonight has updates of the Texas UFOS and then My personal favorite, Open Lines. All sorts of salt of the earth people call in with their experiences. Fun stuff!
Tomorrow, we're not doing much. So I think it's time for a change. I'm gonna rearrange my Room of Doom. I'll take pictures after I'm done. Hopefully, it will work out what I want to do. That's all I can think about talking about now. There's more, but I can't think of anything right now. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Relive Your Childhood.... or Time, Time, Time, See What Has Become Of Me.... A story of the past.

Now For Something Out Of Left Field...

2008-02-15T15:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, First I'm just finishing being sick for the third time in almost as many months. Unfortunately, Michelle now has it and my dad does too. Now the waiting game begins to see if Alex gets it. He's almost a month old and he may still have some of that "baby immunity" some of my friends have told me about. I hope.... Now, I'm not gonna worry about it. If it happens, well, everything will be okay.

Meanwhile, enough of the worry. On with the FUN! Okay. I have a friend on my myspace page named Frank. He's from Palmyra, PA, just a hop, skip and a jump up the road. Frank sent me a comment today that I had to respond to or I would've felt bad because I didn't do it even after he said would. So here's what I'm to do:

I've been tagged! Here's how you play: Once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird, random things, facts, habits or goals about yourself. At the end, choose 10 people to tag, listing their names and why you chose them. Don't forget to leave them a comment (You're It!) and tell them to read your blog. You can't tag the person who tagged you, so let me know when you've posted your blog, so I can check it out...

10 Things About Dean "Lamar The Revenger" Schaeffer You Probably Didn't Know and/or You Don't Care!

1. I love listening to the Carpenters. Karen Carpenter had such a sweet voice. I've always thought of the song "Close to You" as a song for this comic book character named Longshot from the late 80s run of the great Marvel series The Uncanny X-Men.
2. I have all five seasons of the television show Babylon 5 on videotape - twice. First was the regular pan and scan version and the second is the wide screen version. But, I only have season five and the movies on DVD.
3. I willingly took a shower with four (4) kittens back in the early 90s. It was a dare. And YES, I wasn't clothed.
4. I flipped a car on its side... And I want a videotape of it. I wrecked my mom's car in '93 going into a turn and walked away with a brush burn on my arm. I had my seatbelt on, too. Wear'em kids!! My mom sometimes gets mad about it, but I still think it was like a cool stuntman crash.
5. I was grounded from my best friends house by HIS mom after his brother and I had a water gun/balloon fight and we messed up the windows...on the outside of the house. Still sorry Val.
6. I found out I flunked fifth grade until after I got back from 4-H camp. Made me who I am today.
7. I've written and drew a comic in '97 - '98. I also made a t-shirt advertising it. A select few understand the phrase "Prepare For World Domination." I also tried writing a science fiction book at the same time too.
8. My exgirlfriend was my wife's roommate before we married. In fact, we hooked her up with a friend of mine. They lasted two years and we lasted four months! The wifey and I started dating after they were broken up for a year and a half. And it's worth every bit!!!!
9. I can't eat eggs. No eggs can pass over these lips. Don't like them. I can eat them mixed in baked goods and pancakes and such, but I will throw up all over anyone within 200 miles if a tiny piece is eaten. My parents say when I was a toddler I could not stop eating them. We lived on a chicken farm at that time and maybe I saw where they came from... out of the behind of a chicken, the same place as the pooh. Makes me sick just thinking about it. Ugh.
10. At one time I had over 5,500 comic books. I have maybe 1,000+ now. They were sold by my mother. And FOR THE RECORD - I hold no grudge. And I never will.

So there you have it. Ten facts about me. I think I can name at least 5 people on my Myspace page that might do this. Amy, Carla, Bones, Daniel, and MB. I can't give any other reason except they put up with me. If not, oh, well. Thanks, Frank, for giving me something rather than the monkey to post about! The only thing left to say is - Catch you on the flipside.

P.S. - More pictures next time!

Next Time: Aftermath of the Flu or Do I REALLY Want That Shot?

Having Fun Yet?

2008-02-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

My little monkey has passed his first doctors appointment. Funny thing is, he got to do a certain (and natural item that he can't control) thing that got all over Mommy while they were weighing him. I know it will happen to me soon enough, but I couldn't help from laughing. Sorry, Mommy. Sorry, Alex.

I went back to work on Thursday the 31st and got a wonderful surprise. Here, the office staff got together and set up a poster, balloons, and a bunch of gifts. I was very thankful to these wonderful people. Then, on Friday, the kitchen staff did the same thing! Such great people! I wasn't expecting all that. The wifey was more overwhelmed.

Finally, we've got to get this little midget on a sleep schedule. Sunday and Monday, Michelle was up til 1:30am because he was awake. Its now11:20pm and it's my duty to get him to sleep. That's gonna be tough. I got to go. He has hiccups now. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: "I'm thiiiiis biiiiigg!!"

Where A Schaeffer Boy Sleeps

2008-01-29T11:28:00.000-08:00

Now that the young man is home, we finally got his room pretty much the way we like it (so far). As I mentioned before, my pop and I painted a John Deere theme in the nursery. Friends of my wife then made a valance (for the window), a hanging diaper stacker, a crib bumper, crib dustruffle, and a quilt all with a John Deere theme. Today, the in-laws brought the crib. Happiness is putting a crib together with your father-in-law. So here's the finished result:

Oh, and by the way, midnight feeding isn't so bad... yet. Catch you on the flipside!

NEXT TIME: First Doctor's Appointment and Lamar Goes Back To Work...

HE'S HOME!!!!!!

2008-01-26T08:11:00.000-08:00

Alex made it home and life is good!! We got home about 9:30am Saturday with him and everyone was waiting! My mother and step-father were there with his daughter and grandson. My pop came out as soon as we put the car in park. It was wonderful.

He slept the whole way home. Mommy watched him in the back seat with him.

Grampa couldn't stop holding him. Well, it was the first time. He couldn't hold him while he was in the box. Something tells me he'll be holding him more and more...

But, of course, Mommy holds him the best. Catch you on the flipside!

NEXT TIME: 2 AM Feeding!

Mommy's Little Blue Light Special

2008-01-22T15:11:00.000-08:00

This was taken on Sunday. As of this morning (Tuesday), our man Alex is off the U V light. He's doing very well and is still a go for coming home on Saturday. (Woo-Hoo!!!) He was tranferred to a crib today so he won't be sleeping in a box anymore. Watching him sleep today (and yesterday) makes you wonder what he's dreaming about. I say he's watching his Guardian Angel fly above and around his head. Also it makes me want to fall asleep too. just look....
(don't worry moms, the nurse was watching him while he slept this way.) Well that's today's update. Catch you on the flipside!

NEXT TIME: More Alex updates if needed, but most likely be him coming home!

Thank you!!!!

2008-01-19T17:49:00.000-08:00

I want to say thanks to all for the support in this trying time. Today, Alex is doing better but is a little jaundice so that have him under an U-V light to help him. Michelle got to feed him a couple of times also. Plus other good news, most of the tubes have been removed from him. Unfortunately, he's hooked up to some sensors and one was measuring his heart rate. Well it dropped below the level it's supposed to stay at and hospital rules state he must stay one week without this alarm going off after it goes off once. So my boy won't be home til next Saturday if this alarm doesn't go off again. But he's doing so much better.

So, it's upsetting, but I Have to deal with it for now. Of course I use humor to combat this stuff. It's a father's duty to embarras his son as much as he can. I want to start early...

"Thats a Spicy Meatball!

Catch you on the flipside!

NEXT TIME: Hopefully the monkey will be home....

All Ways Look On The Bright Side Of Life!

2008-01-18T09:58:00.000-08:00

Every time there is something life changing in a person's life. Well, that moment was at 3:27am Thursday January 17th, 2008. At 6lbs and 10oz and 19 1/2 inches long meet Alexander James Schaeffer.

There's just a few I took these couple of days. But, the last one is the one I'm hoping not to see ever again after he comes home. As you heard in the video I put up, he was whimpering like a puppy. When he came into this world, he didn't have all the fluid squeezed out at birth and some was still in his lungs. After about 2 hours the doctor put him in the NICU (Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit) at the hospital. He's been there ever since, hooked up to a breathing tube and an IV. Now he's breathing room air but he needs the pressure to help build up his lungs and clean out the fluid. The IV is there because if you would feed him, the formula would have a chance of going down the wrong tube due to his breathing. I can tell you this, i don't care how freakin strong or tough you might be, seeing your firstborn hooked up to this and being almost helpless to do anything, really makes you worry that something bad is going to happen. That's where the Monty Python song came in. I thought of that last night and said he's gonna be alright. As of 10:15 am today (01.18.08) he's doing better and resting comfortably. For having this buddle no less than two days ago, Michelle has been stronger with the situation than I have. I love her so much!

Speaking of Michelle, she is doing good and of course, sore. I tried to keep her spirits up during the 12 hour labor with jokes and love. There was one time that she thought I was going to pass out. That was when they gave her the epidermal. She said I go white. I had good reason. The needle they put in her back was long and thick! When Alex was born, it only took 5 pushes and boom! there he was. I of course made the crack afterwards that he looked like a Smurf.

So there you go. Michelle gets out tomorrow. Unfortunatly, I don't know when Alex will be coming home. It all depends when the doctor feels he's in the green. But until then, I'll keep thinking about the bright side. Catch you on the babyside!

NEXT TIME: Alex Comes Home!

Down To The Wire...

2008-01-15T01:13:00.000-08:00

Sorry again for the delay. Things are getting tense and exciting here. The baby's room is almost finished. The only thing we need is the crib. We have a basonet in there now. The crib is at a friend's house waiting to be delivered. I wish I could show you pictures but I'm writing this somewhere where I shouldn't again. So the room (as the Swarrior put it) is bright. There is a John Deere tractor border hugging the top of the wall. Half way down is painted yellow and the bottom half is painted green. Friends of ours were working on John Deere curtains but I haven't heard anything yet. Furniture is in (except the crib) and clothes are all ready to go.

The wifey has her bag packed for the hospital and the diaper bag is also ready to go. My bag is somewhat ready, but I think I will be changing some things. Right now I have my laptop in it and I'm debating taking it. I will be taking J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit to read during that long period where the wifey is in labor. Hopefully it will be a short time. Her one friend was in labor 68 hours. My mother said she'll gut me if Michelle goes through that. Don't worry, kids. I'm not about to.

Last week, Michelle and I (more me than her, I think. I definitely wasn't ready) had a concern. She had a doctors appointment and they noticed her blood pressure was really high. So they took her to the Triage section of the hospital and hooked her up to all sorts of machinery to monitor her. If it didn't go down, they would've induced labor. Luckily, as soon as I got there it went down. The doctor said it wasn't time yet. We were 36 weeks in and if the kid can wait one more week, that would be great. Now we're at 37 and the kid can come anytime. Just last night I had the dream that Michelle's in labor and everyone is working like clockwork to get her to the hospital... except me. I'm running around like an episode of Benny Hill with his music playing.

The kids in my church youth group (by the way 100 times better than last year!) are doing a baby pool in preparation to the fun. The person who comes closest or on the date and the weight wins a special prize. And everyone wins in the end, because I'm going to treat for a pizza party. I feel it's like giving out cigars only I won't because that would get me into a LOT of trouble.

On a side note - I have given up cigars. In fact the last time I smoked one was the day before Thanksgiving and I'm still going strong.. Well, I've had cravings but thanks to Michelle, I've stayed clean. Instead I read all the Harry Potter books for the first time in a week and a half. Not bad, though I didn't care for the epilogue that much.

So thats where we stand in the world. The next time should be the announcement you've all been waiting for: Who won the Presidental Election? Well the rate I post that's probably true too.... Ha ha. Catch you on the flipside!

P.S. - I want to mention also: Thanks to everyone who has helped us lately! Especially my parents, Michelle's parents and the Swarrs! Oh and I think the cats know something is up....

SERIOUSLY, NEXT TIME: MEET THE NEW BOSS, NOT THE SAME AS THE OLD BOSS!!

Baby Shower Makes Man Sick!

2007-12-04T18:39:00.000-08:00

The other Saturday, Michelle had her second baby shower... Wait a second... SECOND BABY SHOWER?!? Well if I would keep updating like I should you would've heard about that. Here's some pictures from it. This shower included friends and family from York County where Michelle is from. It was pretty fun! She had an idea as soon as she walked in the door. That was November 11.The second one was November 24th. Michelle and I were to go to my mom's to shopping. But, we had to stop at the church to help move some tables for Christmas decorations. Then... BLAMMO! She got nailed with a second one. This one was with friends and family from the Lancaster area and some other places. Here's some pictures from that event.

So, why did it get someone sick? Well, it started Friday. With my great friends home from Los Angeles, we started to day with lunch. We went bowling afterwards (I was lousy) and then we went roller skating. Don't worry, Michelle bowled, but i she didn't (and i won't let her) roller skate. I was sore from bowling and I knew I was in trouble when I went to tie my skates and a twinge in my muscle went through my body. The next morning I felt like pooh. And I don't mean Winnie. After the shower, I started coughing, FOR THE NEXT 10 DAYS. Tonight, I went to the doctor. He said I has had bronchitis. Hooray.... Now skating and bowling didn't cause this. Turns out my MOTHER had it during Thanskgiving and the shower on that Saturday. Well, thanks Mom. Don't worry I'm not blaming you. Just picking on you. Quitting cigars (YES I QUIT!!!) left me vunerable to it. So remember kids smoking is bad and I knew this yet I kept on going. Anyway, the next few days are for rest. And getting all the wonderful gifts (thanks everyone!) put away before the child decides to party with us for the next 18 years... Oh boy... Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Finally, This Episode... The Nursery of Doom!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-21T02:44:00.000-08:00

What's this? Another post? A new one in 5 days? Wow!! I just want to say Happy Four Day Weekend to all who have it. And for those who work, you have my sympathy. Especially, you, my friend Artie. May the shopping gods, smile in your direction and the angry people stay home. Catch you on the flipside.

P.S.: Turkey coma and pumpkin roll (from ROOTS where its SOOOOO GOOD) here I come.

Next Time: The Wife Yells at Lamar.

Apologies

2007-11-16T01:27:00.000-08:00

First I'd like to say sorry for not posting in almost 2 months. I've had writer's block. I'm making this post short (I'm at work, aww naughty naughty) but never fear. Big news from the land of Schaeffer is coming. Including, nursery woes, attack of the killer kitten, mommy's vengance, and dad's advice to unborn son. Look for updated links and other nuggets of goodness. So, again I'm sorry for not keeping you in the loop. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Redneck Nursery?

Yeah, It's A Kid...

2007-09-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

So the kid has both arms and legs. It has my lips, so says the wifey from this ultrasound. Everything is go for February fourth. When we got the ultrasound done, the child would not sit still. It kept moving around kicking and punching like it wanted out now. So now the fun begins with the decorating and preparing the the nursery and getting the house ready. It should be an interesting time. So here we go! heh heh heh..... Catch you on the flipside.

Next Time: Nursery Fun! (or Yellow and Green Paint Please.)

P.S. - Oh Yeah, We'rehavingababy.Itsaboy.

Quickie

2007-09-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the cat taking over the blog. He has mental issues. He takes after his owner. Anyway, updates are in store for those who stick around. So as usual, catch you on the flipside!

Oh wait.....

Q: What do Philadelphia Eagles fans do after they win the Super Bowl?
A: Turn of the Playstation.

Next Time: Baby News or Boy or Girl?

i took over....

2007-09-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

meow. it's me enforcer. daddy been bad lately. he's been playing pokemon on mommy's nintendo ds and not posting stuff like he's supposed to do. so i have to write for him. lazy bum. asdf;kl'ghperghpfbpdkfgp --- nemesis, get off the keyboard. she's so naughty. and whiney too. mommy been ignoring us too when she gets home. something about people have no patience.. i don't know what that means. i cheer her up by snuggling up to her every chance i get. especially on her face. she's always saying my name and really petting me hard. daddy did one good thing. he cleaned my bathroom. he needs to to that more often. 3 times a week isn't enough. uh oh. wait a second, krystal walked into the room. time for my daily torture lesson. okay i'm back. she swiped at me one and i got bored with her. daddy filled the food too. nemesis was right there being a pig and eating it all. sorry. had to chase krystal again. she thinks she's mommy's favorite but she's not. i am. mommy and daddy are acting weird lately. they aren't home a lot. and they talk about february 4 like someone is coming over. i just hope it's not a little kid. i don't trust them more than i can throw nemesis. she's getting so fat. i have to go now. need to take a nap on daddy's chair in my room. he says it's his but the whole house belongs to me. maybe grandpa will come over and give me a back massage. meow.

Update - Finally!!!

2007-08-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've been neglecting my responsiblity of keeping everyone up-to-date here on the blog. My bad. So much has happened, but the energy to write as been sapped out a couple of times. So now I'm gonna start from the beginning.

The Yard Sale was a marginal success. We didn't get rid of all our stuff, but we sold enough. To all who came out, THANK YOU!!!! As much stressing the wifey was dealing with first thing Saturday morning, couldn't have done it without your support! We don't expect to do anything like that again this decade. If we do, we're not gonna transport our stuff over to someone's house, unless it's to my Pop's place. He has a better view of the main road.

Baby news: The wifey had a Doctor's appointment on Friday (her birthday, but more on that in a bit) and everything is in the green. Baby's heartbeat is normal and everything is fine. Still no word on what it's gonna be.

Yes, Friday the wifey turned 29. So after I was done with work we went to one of the local Mexican restaurants in the area and had dinner. It was a very pleasant evening, except I was tired from a really busy day at work. I didn't care, as long as my baby was happy. Even though it happened the next day, we went to the Lancaster Host Resort for a cat show. If she had her way we would've had 4 more kittens in our house. Uh... No. The rest of the day was spent napping while the cats played with their new catnip cigar. (don't ask)

Speaking of cigars, Super Stogie Man has made his ugly appearance again. Still the same rules in effect. Not in the house or around the wifey. She has made it clear that if I don't stop soon, NO MORE COMICS OR TOYS. Please give me strength.....

Well that's it for now. Catch you on the flipside!!

Next Time: In 1987, NASA launched the last of it's deep space probes... Or Why TV is Lousy nowadays...

Okay, It'sTime for a BABY SALE!!!!

2007-08-08T17:05:00.000-07:00

Okay. The questions will be answered.
1. Yes. The Wifey is with child. AWESOME!!!
2. We're about 14 weeks in.
3. We don't know what it's gonna be. As long as it's healthy, I don't care. We will find out. We have PLANS (heh, heh, heh) for the nursery. A boy would be cool considering there's only one boy on her side. My side's pretty much a even mix of boys and girls.
4. We have names. If you beg I might tell you.
5. Finally, the due date is going to be February 4, 2008. That would've been my late Step-Grandmother's 90th birthday. Also it's one day before The Swarr Family Inc's Little Man's birthday. Plus... we'll most likely be in the hospital on Superbowl Sunday. (I couldn't resist that one)

So that brings me to the baby sale. On Saturday, August 11, we will have a yard sale with The Swarr Family Inc. at their house. Everything must go. We need to make room for baby and get some money so we can start getting set up for the little squirt.

That's all for now. Catch you on the flipside!

There Goes The Neighborhood...

2007-07-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

I'm MAD!

2007-07-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

I have a lot to do tonight. First, take the trash out. Second, wash some dishes. Third, fill some water ballons (for bible school). But, that flew out the window when I got a phone call from my dad. Some punks vandalized the cemetery where most of the late Schaeffers reside.

My Grandfather, Grandmother & Step-Grandmother

"Dean, come with me for a ride. Someone knocked down tombstones at the cemetery where Pappy is laid." He said. I got up and met him outside jumping in his truck, camera in tow, just in case. On the way there, I told jokes I saw on the net, trying not to imagine what we might find. Before we knew it, we were there.

My Uncle

I wanted to cry but the shock prevented me. I don't know how many are in that cemetery, but I will tell you this, about a hundred were knocked over. The local news wagon was off to the one side with one of the reporters interviewing I guy I've seen at work. (I'm gonna talk to him the next time I see him) The news reports stated the a police officer drove into the cemetery and found it. Wrecked tombstones is not something you want to see. It makes you sad one way and angry in another. We drove on looking for our family plot.

My Aunt

As Dad and I got out of the truck, we noticed our spot was untouched. About 20 feet from that spot, there sat granite wreckage. I started taking pictures (some of the ones you see here) for reference and for show the next generation who they were in case something bad does happen. I feel remembering family history is as important as living as a family. You learn from mistakes or laugh at the good times. Destroying grave markers like that is telling people you don't care for anything. Period. They are small monuments to those who have changed their world in their own way.

My Great Grandfather & Great Grandmother

Finally, this is an open request to those responsible. They might not see it, but someone who knows them might. Turn yourself in. Now. Because, somewhere down the road, you'll slip. and then you'll get nailed. We are watching. And we will not take it any more.

My Great Uncle

Three Stories To Make You Giggle, Wonder & Angry

2007-07-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! Did you all have a good Independence Day? It was a another year without fireworks here at the Schaeffer Funhouse. Well, I lie. Tuesday we went to The Swarr Family Inc.'s residence and both the Swarrior and I got some "legal" stuff, but that ended rather quickly. The next generation of Swarr didn't really care for them. The Swarrior lit the first one and it shot sparks in the air. Then, I lit a "ground blossom" (which I really love) and buzzed in different colors on the ground. The Little Man held his ears and was a little nervous, but he thought they were cool. But that ended with the next set. The Swarrior set two of these off at once and they did the same thing as the first ones, until the end. The small pyrotechnic display ended with a series of LOUD cracks that scared The Little Man badly. He started to cry pretty hard. I junped and started to laugh a little (so did the Swarrior) until we realized what had happened. We both apologized to the kid, trying to stifle our laughs. Of course, The Wifey and Maribeth didn't care for that at all. The Swarrior only said "Who knew?" as he comforted his son. That was the end of the fireworks that evening. The Swarrior still has the ones I bought and if he wants, he can keep them. I still shouldn't find it funny (I hate sudden loud noises too) but I still get a chuckle from it.

Wednsesday found my father, The Swarrior, and I at the movies to see Transformers. I told you folks it was going to be big. I sort of lied to them both saying that I didn't see it, but, I saw it on Tuesday after work. I managed with at my might to keep my mouth shut through it all until the end when I spilled the beans. To all who think I can't keep my mouth quiet, think again! I won't tell you what happens in the movie, but I can tell you this. If you like action, science fiction, humor, and mindless robot on robot violence, GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!! I know that a sequel has been green lighted. It was that good. Heck, it made like $27.5 million the first day breaking old box office records. That's like $1 million per hour! Wish I made that. But that's beside the point. Go see it. The Wifey asked if it was the best movie I've seen so far this year and I said I couldn't remember any other movie I saw after seeing that. And I saw some pretty good movies this year.

Today in the newspaper, there was an article about the final Harry Potter book. I haven't read them all, but I've seen the movies (I know, it doesn't count) and I really like them. Here, in this article it talks about pranksters who love to ruin things for people, like the endings to these books. The last one had these idiots screaming the ending out at those fans who waited in line to buy them the day it hit the stands. Some avid readers are now taking matters in their one hand by blacking out the media, wearing headphones so the don't hear them, and threatening the spoilers with bodily harm. It reminds me of the yutz who would walk out of the theatre after seeing Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back talking about Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker's pop ruining it for people waiting in line to see it. Me, personally, would probably question them before they could run off. I have no worries because I can wait until its made into a film or put on audio tape. Anyway, Harry gets his skeleton removed, but doesn't die, Dumbledore comes back from the dead and marries one of the female Professors, Hermione must kiss Voldemort in order to save Malfoy's life from Haggrit, Ron says his family is responsible for everything that happened to Harry since day one. Boy ain't I a stinker. By the way, before I get blasted by every Potter fan out there, that was all a joke. Some people don't have a sense of humor these days.
Catch you on the flipside...

P.S. Hope you like the worlds cutest kittens in their ultimate fuzziness!

Next Time: Fall out!

IN-N-OUT! IN-N-OUT! IN-N-OUT!

2007-06-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

San Diego, California. Land of the Zoo. Home of the Midway. Location of one REALLY BIG convention center. There nestled in at least three places (that I saw) in the west coast's best burger joint. In-N-Out Burger. We just got to San Diego on Sunday. The wifey and I were there for vacation and to celebrate the wedding of our dear and lovable friends Gabe and Karla. After a slight day of rest, we went to this mall Monday evening to pick up some things for their wedding when the hunger bug decided to gnaw on our stomachs.
"Let's go to In-N-Out." Gabe said, with a smile on his face.
Off we went, walking across the mall, out the door and across the parking lot. There was the red, yellow, and white sign. I was giddy with anticipation. The wifey was curious not knowing what to expect. As we walked in, it was almost standing room only. I forgot to mention this was at about 8:00pm. (For a fastfood restaurant where we live, to be standing room only on a Monday night at 8:00pm usually means a really big kid's soccer or baseball team won their game and went for ice cream) The wife and I looked at the menu board. It had the following: a hamburger, a single/single, a double/double. They also had three of the required meal specials, a chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry milkshake. I ordered a number 3 special, managed to find a seat for four, and waited til they called our number (which was really fast too!). My special included an iced tea, fries and a double/double. The rest of the meal was a blur as I bit into that burger. If the wifey told me she was pregant with triples, I wouldn't have remembered a single word. I was In heaven. Now before I go on, the question pops up, "Dean, what's a double/double and why did it affect you so badly?"
These are two double/doubles. Two beef patties, two slices of cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions (those three are optional. I don't personal care for tomatoes) and thousand island dressing in a bun. All this talk about this is making me hungry. Anyway, as we left the restaurant, Gabe says what it would be like to eat TWO double/doubles. My mind began to formulate a strategy.

Well, the week went on and In-N-Out was a treasured memory of our vacation. Until Thursday. The Swarr Family Inc. arrived. Thursday afternoon we went to visit them in their hotel room, playing cars with the Little Man, when food was brought up. The Swarrior said he wanted to go to In-N-Out before they had to go home on Sunday. Then it happened. Two car loads of Pennsylvanian tourists started down the 5 towards the Mexican border, only to get out about 5 miles from San Diego at, you guessed it, In-N-Out. Everyone was on Cloud Nine. I brought my camera along and took the Little Man's first single/single, a milestone the Swarrior and his wife Meribef will treasure. Here he is chowing down on the rest of the planet.I, on the other hand, knew what had to be done. The challenge was laid down. I stepped up to the register. The wifey panicked when she heard my order. All parties present were astonished by the gaul of the feat. I left the greatest burger place, feeling like a conquerer, having looted the treasure chests. In-N-Out has a party platter for big get togethers. It's called the hundred/hundred. Hundred burgers and hundred slices of cheese. Four of those burgers and cheese you have my name on it. You can have the rest, because that's all I can do.... Catch you on the flipside!!

For the next time I was gonna say I had a heart attack.. The double/double had its' revenge, but that's not funny. Here's the real next time blurb.

Next Time: Happy 231st Independence Day!!!! Hey, Kid! Put down that sparkler!

I Gotta Wait....

2007-06-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

Short and sweet folks. I can't post the In-n-Out Burger stuff til the Swarr Family Inc. post their stuff. Meanwhile, enjoy these picture of us on the U.S.S. Midway in San Diego...

If you notice, I added another link to this page. I just found it about 20 minutes ago and I really loved what I saw! Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: If the Swarrior hurries up we can do our joint blog. After that, in the next few weeks, I'm thinking of jumping head first into my collection of comics. There's also some other stuff I'd like to get to also. Maybe I'll write about my toe or the lack of one....

"And They Lived Happily Ever After.."

2007-06-16T06:10:00.000-07:00

By popular demand, (namely from Old Man Musings - now a link!) I bring you....
"The Swarr - Equihua All-Star Fun Time Wedding Spectacular!!!

There you go. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: In-n-Out?

Questions That Should Be Answered (But Probably Won't)

2007-06-11T14:48:00.000-07:00

Why is this guy so happy after he found out he couldn't buy that sombero because it was too big for the flight home?

What made this shark eat two respectable tourists from Pennsylvania when it darn well knew the risk of transfats (especially that guy.... he's loaded with them)?

How could these two sleep when the best wedding ever was going on, right over in Balboa Park?

Why is she smiling, when everyone knows he's gonna throw her into the fountian at the first Mission in San Diego?What could cause these two to fall in love, get married AND be the best friends to this writer and his wife after they sped down the streets of San Diego like a madman (and woman)?

Why was this the end of a perfect and memorable vacation, one that didn't want to end but over too fast and is making me sad?

To answer these questions, tune in next time! Same Schaeffer time, same Schaeffer channel. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: WHY DON'T WE HAVE THIS IN PA? (I guess this will be a joint blog with the Swarr Family Inc.)

Signing off

2007-05-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

NO!!! I'm not leaving this universe for some other one in the Multiverse. In a week or two I'll let you in on the SECRET.... Catch you on the flipside!

P.S.: Nothing yet... Sorry all you relatives out there....

And Now, The News

2007-05-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hi. I don't have much to talk about this time around. First of all, I hope everyone is checking out the links on this page. I added some new ones. Seibertron.com is all about Transformers. (yes, to geeky for some of you nice folks but hey, I enjoy it!) Wiicade.com has some of the best flash games that are PLAYABLE on you Nintendo Wii or on your home computer! There's this one under Action called Bowman 2. You just shoot arrows at you opponent and try to give him a fatal wound. It's kind of gory because if you hit them just right, blood squirts out. It's not for the faint of heart. (but it's fun) Now onto the news....

First. There was an editorial about shock jocks Opie and Anthony having to deal with a 30 day suspension. They made very rude remarks about Condi Rice and Laura Bush. Now with remarks like this (I won't repeat them. Let's just say I would've hit someone. That bad.) what do they get - 30 days. Imus got fired for saying something rude, yes, but not THAT rude. The thing that gets me is these two entertainers are on XM Satellite Radio. Good. Maybe they'll start bring down the hammer on all shock jocks. Doubt it, though. The article went on to say that the Rev. Al Sharpton (what church does he preach at?) was on CNN Headline News and didn't even mention these two nutballs. I guess when you talk about hairdos of girls basketball teams you can get fired easier than if you make raunchy remarks about The First Lady and The Secretary of State. (article Lancaster News Era 05.22.07 L. Brent Bozell author)

Gas prices still climb. I paid $2.99 a gallon at the one gas station I go to. Somewhere there is a man swimming with his mistress in a solid gold bathtub he'll only use once. Government wants to do something now that the Dems are in control. I'll remember that at election time.

In sports, Joe Paterno, you maybe the oldest coach in college football. I've made some statements at work saying you should retire. That changed when with this headline - "JoePa Cracks The Whip" hit my eyes. It seems some of the players got into a fight earlier this spring. Six were arrested. Well, Paterno said, in so many words, "You goof up the WHOLE team will suffer". He's making all of them do community service this year. Good. I have some new found respect for him. (article Lancaster New Era 05.22.07 Joe Juliano/ McClatchy-Tribune)

And finally, Paula Abdul broke her nose after (she says) she tripped over her Chihuahua. Or she was drunk. You decide. Right now, though, some guy with a video camera is sending a tape into "America's Funniest Home Videos" At least the dog wasn't hurt. I want to ramble on about this, but I'd get yelled at by the wife.

Sorry about this dull post, folks. The Countdown has begun for June 3 and then the Excitement returns. Catch you on the flipside.

Next Time: It's Adventure Day! (whooopiee...)

Lawn Work

2007-05-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I said I had some projects to work on.I'm practicely all a done. I'm a happy boy! The yard work was tough but I think I got it under control. Saturday, I helped me pop but in a post on the corner of his property so that people who can't drive don't cut off his yard. That problem came to a head when the local trashman made a giant mud hole about 4 feet wide. Here is the hole he dug and the post all put into place.

Now the yard was a little more work. My lawn mower took a trip to the lawn mower heaven (or the other place... that piece of junk), so My dad and I got his running again. His mower is much nicer than my old one. I really glad I used his. Then on Sunday, I went and got some Round-Up weed killer. Not to sound like a commercial, but that stuff is GREAT!!! Kills weeds DEAD. That way I don't have to pull them or use the weed wacker (even though, I do love using it heh heh...) So thats whats going on around here. Now, if I can get a awning over our deck..... Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Here we GO!!! ( oh wait.... 2 more weeks to go!)

Oops

2007-05-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

If you want to see the new post, skip "Sorry" I still don't know what I'm doing.

Sorry

2007-04-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

I've been busy. I haven't had much ambition here lately also. Don't worry... I'm working on a nice little tale that I think you nice happy folks will enjoy. Give me about a week to get the details straight and we'll go from there. Than you for your patience and your time. On a side note... For those interested parties, it's still quiet here, hint, hint. Meanwhile, here's a picture or two to hold you over. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Mein Kampf! (My Struggle) (Don't worry, it's not what you think.)

Mein Kampf (My Struggle)

2007-04-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the delay. We've been so busy the wife is finally washing dishes. Don't worry, I get to put them away. The cats have been the same and causing all sorts of trouble.
Anyway, most history buffs know that "Mein Krampf" was written by that fiend Adoph Hitler. His "struggle" cost millions of people their lives and changed the world. This blog is NOT about him. It's about MY struggle: CARS.
I have gone through six vehicles since I've started driving in 1992. I'm now on number seven. You may think that's not a lot, but in my eyes it's too many. Automobiles do not like me. I probably spent over $10,000+ on repairs on used cars that are not worth it. I have bad luck when it comes to cars. And it all started with when I got my driver's license.

The Cavalier: This was Mom's car. The car I first practiced driving on. One day while driving over to a friend's house I took a corner a little bit too fast. Went into a ditch, hit a rock, flew up, and landed on the driver's side door. (I'll admit, I wish I had a video camera for that now, it looked like something out of Fear Factor) I walked away from the crash with a brush burn on my elbow because the window was down. By the way, Mom was NOT HAPPY.

The Cutlass #1: This car I think was a Cutlass. I'm not sure. See, about three to four weeks after I rolled the Cavalier, I did something worse. On July 4, 1993, I went to work a little earlier than I usually do. I didn't fully wake up and closed my eyes for a brief second. A brief second is all it took. When people tell you to wear your seatbelt do it. If I hadn't I wouldn't be here writing this. There would be a cross where the telephone was that I sheared off it's base.

The Le Mans: The Battle Beast. Out of all the cars I've gone through this one is my favorite. I would love to have this back and just fix it up. It was a rust green, rust brown color (not the normal way I describe it - hey this is a family blog) This car was a true rust bucket. The vinyl top was flaking off. Han Solo had The Millenium Falcon and I had The Battle Beast. And that's what it was. My brother and I took it on the local four lane highway just to see how fast it could go. He got it to 90 to 100 miles per hour and started to bring it down. Then the needle got stuck. I carried a bowling ball in the back seat (long story), and if it moved you felt all over. Tap the gas a little, and spin the tires. One winter's day coming home from work the water pump blew, sending the Battle Beast to the grave. I think I know which junkyard it's in. I want to see my first real baby.

The Cutlass #2: This car was okay. Nothing bad to say about it except it died in Tioga County, PA somewhere. My fault again.

The Thunderbird: The Battle Beast #2 - The Thunder Chicken! This was a cool car. To bad the transmission was starting to go bad. I do have one thing to say about it. If I get another Ford it would be an '85 to '87 Thunderbird.

The Celebrity: After about a year and a half of no cars (I walked a lot) I got hooked up with a Chevy Celebrity station wagon. I liked it. It was nice. It never passed inspection though. I called It the Shaggin Waggin. I sold it to my mom (This was eight or nine years since that first accident so she was talking to me again. ha ha, mother) and went a SPRAY PAINTED it blue. She doesn't have it any more.

The Jimmy: Claudia. If you name your vehicle give a female name. My '87 GMC Jimmy is named Claudia. Claudia has about $4000 worth of work. And I'm the second owner. (what can I say, I beat my cars. sad, but true) I love that thing though, or I would've gotten a new car. I want to keep her around just a little bit longer.

My struggle continues. With every day that passes I keep wondering, "Will she let me sit somewhere far from home. I hope not. And at least not into a telephone pole. Those thins are expensive. Catch you on the flipside.

Next Time: Nothing yet. Remember your Mother!

"Dean Day!"

2007-04-14T06:07:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday! No work. Nothing planned. No running around to family functions. No worries. Just a day filled with 100% goofing off! (Wait, the wife has to work... that stinks... oh well. Love you, Honey!!) I need this day! Work has been busy. The last couple of weeks were very stressful. So, today, is the official "DEAN DAY!"

Dean Day is that day where I do the things I really want to do for myself. It would be called "your name Day" for you specifically. (you know, Gabe Day, Karla Day, Zach Day, Maribeth Day, Declan Day, etc.) Even though I do tend to do what I want on most weekends, Dean Day is the day where you REALLY let your hair down. You can do stuff you haven't done in awhile. You can make a dinner that you haven't had in a long time. Whatever you want to do... DO IT. (of course, be reasonable. don't do anything stupid, like break the law.) The best way to plan your day of fun is simple.... BE SPONTANEOUS.

Today, Saturday, April 14th 2007, I am gonna do the following:

1. Kiss my wife as she leaves and tell her I'll be home when she gets home. (priority, men)

2. Change out of my pjs and get dressed.

3. Grab some comics.

4. Pet the cats as I'm walking out the door.

5. Jump in Claudia, my faithful GMC Jimmy

6. Head to Speedwell Lake (pictured at top) near Lititz and relax for as long as I want.

7. go home and make some tuna casserole and watch a movie or two.

That, my friends is a Dean Day. I hope, if you can, to plan "your day" similar to mine. Everyone needs a day of pure relaxation. Thank you John Hartel for giving a goof-off day a name. Oh, one more thing. Here's a shout out to all my friends on myspace. Here's the link for you other folks (GABE!!): www.myspace.com/lamar_the_revenger. Catch you on the flipside.

P.S.: I forgot. Thanks for the notes and messages on Michelle's Grandma's passing.

Next time: NOTHING STILL!!! no dice yet.

Bad News

2007-04-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, after I posted the previous blog, I got a really terrible phone call. Michelle's Grandma passed away at 8:30pm. She went very peaceably and surrounded by her family. She's not suffering anymore. She was a cute little lady. She survived breast cancer. Quick funny Grandma story. We were at the American Music Theatre to see a show with Grandma. Here, at intermission I got up to go to the bathroom and Grandma grabbed my behind. I of course jumped and turned around only to see this little old lady smiling. The wife doesn't believe it, but I know the truth. I laugh about it now. Adia Myers was 83 years young. I only knew her for three years, but I miss her dearly. She also knew the secret of Michelle and I. Catch you on the flipside.

Next Time: Sorry, Grandma. Nothing Yet...

The Calm Before The Storm

2007-03-31T16:38:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get the feeling like something big is going to happen in your life? Lately, it's just been run, run, run. Every weekend at the beginning of the month was spent running to visit Michelle's grandmother who had two really bad strokes. (She's now out of the hospital and under hospice and Michelle's aunt's house. Then, on the 17th we were in New York. The 18th near Philly. Last weekend we spent either at home, with friends, or on the road. This week on Wednesday, we went and saw a play in Hershey. (It's really good and if it comes to this area again, SEE IT!) With all the running around the wife and I have been doing, it's funny just to sit and do nothing for hours. Well, the wife had to work and I did nothing for hours. But deep down inside of me, I feel something is going to pop and change my life forever. Just a nagging feeling mind you. Like someone has a bigger role for me to play in the adventure of life. Oh wait! I REMEMBER NOW!!!! In june Michelle and I are going to San Deigo for the week! My best friend gabe is getting married to the third greatest girl (after my wife and mother) and I'm an usher. That's what's wrong with me. I'm looking forward to that! So that's it for this time. Also make sure you check the new links under the Mandatory Linkage section. It's good stuff! Catch you on the flipside.

Next Time: Nothing Still.....

Deal or No Deal?

2007-03-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

The projects I've been working on are almost complete. The Transformers have been photographed and copied to disk. Here's a taste of some...

My mp3 project worked out perfectly after I figured out to do. The yard project should start kicking in the next few days. It's starting to get nice out side. Finally. No more darn snow. Dad's tractor collection should be started very soon also. Just have to find out when is good for him.

Last Tuesday, I got REAL lucky. As you now know, I collect mostly 80s toys. Well, I'm at the local farmer's market. They have a flea market there. Here, I'm walking around looking at the toys this gentleman has when lo and behold, there is this G.I. Joe vehicle I've been looking for. (I'll post pictures soon enough.) I ask him how much. He says you have to by the whole lot. The lot included about 8 vehicles and about 15 figures. Now this the 80s G.I. joes, from the cartoon. They're tough to find sometimes and when you do, you're going to pay for it. And then they're not in the best condition. The guy I was dealing with wanted to sell them (everything mind you) for the low price of $60 U.S. Situations like this happen not very often. (twice for me) When I got home and looked at my haul, to my surprise I could hear Howie Mandel saying you've made a great deal. In total, the toys were in decent condition, but not near mint. What got me was the wow factor of how many little pieces were still with the vehicles. I'm most likely looking at $150 to $175 U.S. for these toys. And NO they are not for sale, folks. They're mine!

Before I leave you this time, congrats to the Swarrior for figuring out the secret message in the blog a couple of weeks ago. I'm not saying anything right now. You'll be hearing about this project in the weeks to come. Meanwhile, keep looking here for details. heh heh heh. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Nothing Yet. Nuts. (This is taking longer than I thought.)

Escape From New York!

2007-03-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

Trapped by forces uncontrollable, I found myself in New York City on Saturday. It was fun. I want to tell more but I'd get in trouble with the wife. Catch you on the flipside.
Next Time: Nothing Yet.....

Projects And Projects And Projects

2007-03-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

Hi! I added a new link. Cynical Much is pretty funny. I wanted to share the joy with everyone! Don't worry. I won't become cynical or sarcastic. Anyway, sarcasism is the recourse of a weak mind. But let's move on shall we?

Projects upon projects upon projects!

Project #1: Cataloging Transformers! I have too many toys. I collect them along with comics. I go for more of the 80s toys. The stuff that came out when I was a kid and I didn't have the money for them. Well, now I (kind of) do. Right now, Transformers are the main collection on display. I posted pictures of them when i was describing the "Room Of Doom". The mission is to take pictures of every one in both vehicle and robot form. (I'll post some in the near future in case you don't know what they are. Or you can wait til July 4, 2007. You'll definitely know what they are by then.) After the pictures are finished, I plan to print them and put them in a photo album with each listing. That'll take a weekend or two.

Project #2: Cataloging Tractors! I get my toy collecting from my Dad. He has over 200+ tractors and he wants the same thing done with them like the Transformers. In fact, he gave me the idea to do it. Wait til I post pictures of these. Wow, and I thought I was bad.

Project #3: This is more personal. I've hinted in other previews about Super Stogie Man. As of Tuesday, February 27th I've only had one cigar. Considering I was smoking three really big ones every day. Sometimes I'd have six or seven a day. The only reason I smoked that last one was, it was given to me by a boss at work. IF you see me puffing away on a cigar... well, trust me, you'll KNOW WHY.

Project #4: I got a Mp3 player the other week and I'm still trying to get my perfect music list. It's tough for the technologically stupid. I still can't believe I figured out how do a blog.
Project #5: It's getting nice out there! (finally) Yard work awaits... yeaa...

That's all I can think about right now. You'll probably see other projects coming up in the next few weeks. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: It's Coming.....

America Is Dead!

2007-03-07T16:44:00.000-08:00

America is dead. It took a bullet to the head. Of course, you probably think, who cares. Plus, if you do care, people will look at you as a freak.

Now that I got your attention and hopefully got you mad. Why am I saying this? Because it's true! Captain America is dead. In a recent storyline called Civil War, Cap (a.k.a. Steve Rogers) was heading to court on his role in this series when a sniper/assassin shot on the courthouse steps. Civil War was a story where it was hero verses hero over a government law to have superheroes registered. Cap was on the side against because he felt it was unconstitutional. Marvel Comics has made a mistake. And a lot of people are mad as heck.
Captain America was created in the 40s duing World War 2. Steve Rogers was a fine art major when he enlisted. But do to polio as a young child he was 4F, meaning he was rejected by the military because of his overall wimpy physical stature. Not one to give up, he was offered a chance to help the government. He became a test subject for "Project: Rebirth". This secret project developed a serum to enhance the strength and stamina in a average soldier. Rogers was perfect for the test. After He drank the "Super Soldier Serum" his body got muscular and taller. The scientists on the project began doing tests on him. Every test Rogers took he passed, breaking every record. But, remember this was WW2 and the Nazi spies were everywhere. One managed to get into Project: Rebirth. The spy was discovered by the head scientist on the project and killed him. Unfortunately for the spy, the scientist destroyed all his notes before they were stolen. The Nazi was killed trying to escape.
The government realizing that Rogers was the only person to take the serum, decided to make him a symbol. Donned in a red, white, and blue costume and given a impervious shield, Steve Rogers became Captain America. As Cap, he became the spirit of the good ole U. S. of A. Nazis ran from him. Evil was defeated at every turn. The war turned in the comics world because of him. Until the impossible happened. Near the end of the war, Cap was frozen in an iceberg. Then, in the 60s, He was found and unfrozen, returning to fight the good fight against evil and oppression.

In reality, he was created by comics legends Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. He started on the Timely Comics imprint (that then became Marvel Comics) Joe Simon recently quoted when Cap was killed, " It's a hell of a time for him to go. We really need him now." Amen, brother.

That is my quick and allbeit short history Of Captain America. If there was anyone who represented the country, it was Cap. Kids looked up to him during the 40s. He was an American Hero for all ages. Finally, I present five pages of the Marvel mini-series The Infinity Gauntlet. This is what Captain America means to me. With all hope of victory gone, Cap stands up to Thanos, an alien with the powers of a god. It's a moment I will never forget. He knows he's the last man standing and he won't back down know matter what the cost. Don't worry, he survives the battle (but don't ask me how, you have to read the series!) I hope I don't get in trouble for this. It's MY tribute to the Star-Spangled Avenger. He will be missed by so many fans.
Finally, Marvel, I stopped reading your different comic series about two to three years ago. I will still read your classic stuff up to the 90s. But all in all, I can't read you anymore. if people say, "Oh he'll be back alive next month." I don't care how you bring him back. I don't care if it is a comic. A bullet to head is pretty final.

Also, found out the next issue is the autopsy of Captain America. So instead of the usual closing saying, I leave you with the phrase said by Cap in the Avengers videogame from the 90s:

AMERICA STILL NEEDS YOUR HELP!!

Next Time: I wanted to talk about my cigar smoking but I'll save that for a couple moths from now. Meanwhile, goodbye Captain America.

Quick Blog

2007-03-01T14:58:00.000-08:00

I'm not sad anymore! (see end of last blog) This is a quickie. hope you lovely people notice some changes. We now have some of our friends links to their sites. Also, there is a link to News of the Weird Daily - this guy has writing a newspaper article for 19 years and what he reports is ABSOLUTE TRUTH, no matter how offbeat and wacked-out as it may seem. It is the TRUTH. 4 Color Rebellion is a site dedicated to video games and comic book news. Fun stuff. Catch you on the flipside!

P.S. Oh my stars and garters.... Krystal is too cute for words. She loves the camera. Sniffing it that is....

Next Time: Death Of Super Stogie Man (or I NEED ONE NOW!!!)

Dogs, Cats, and Youth

2007-02-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

This weekend was good! Except for the snow hitting us right now. I hate this stuff. Oh, hello all! Been a while, I know. We've been very busy with work and all. Shoveling is a pain in the keester. And it looks like tomorrow will involve more. Shoot me now, Michelle, so I don't have to go to work.

Well, back to what's going on. Saturday, the wifey and moi went to Applebee's with Dennis and Lisa Miller. She has her own blogsite at http://ruwhoyouwant2be.blogspot.com and just hanging with them inspires me to smile! (ha, ha, lisa!) We went over to their house to watch Tim Burton's "Big Fish". Great movie. It makes me cry every time I see it. The biggest thing though is Tucker and Hogan. Tucker loves Michelle. Hogan KNOWS when his buddy Dean comes over. Hogie goes bananas. Nothing says fun when you get mugged by two adorable pups. I think our cats would be jealous. And out for doggie blood.

Michelle has quit the Wednesday Night Youth Group. That's okay, it just wasn't for her. She was getting stressed out for work and the kids and she needed a change. She now teaches the 4 and 5 year olds during Sunday School. They're more her speed. She's better at handling little kids than older ones. She's had practice with her niece. (now THERE'S a ball of energy!)

The cats have been themselves. If I don't work they love walking on top of me or sleeping next to my head. They got a new toy recently and surprisingly it's still in one piece. It's a clear plastic want with a rainbowed felt cord at the end. I can wake them up for a deep kitty sleep by just picking up and whipping it around. Uh-oh, I got Nemesis' attention.

Right now? I'm feeling sad. Have you ever heard something and it sent you back 20 to 25 years ago? As I right this blog, I'm listening to 80s music on the internet radio. And these songs are really messing with my mind. It's making me think of wild stuff. Stuff like, for Christmas of '85, I got a tape deck a.k.a. a very small boom box. I would turn on the radio to the only station I listened to then (when I had control of the dial) FM 97. I would leave it on over night listening to it in my sleep. The music was so good back then, not like the junk they got today. Heck, the only way any pop or rock stars make any money is when they remake the 80s sound. I'm not gonna get started. Anyway, listening to this music is making me sad for the fun and irresponsibility of youth and how you NEVER can go back. No hanging at school dances. Hanging with friends. Saturday morning and weekday afternoon cartoons. Riding bike with no helmet. Building dams in the stream near your house. Summer camps. Goofing off in school. Climbing trees.

On that note, I leave you. I got to go shovel snow so I can get to work. And suffer like each and every one of you. Catch you on the flipside.

Next Time: I'm Sad.

Super Bowl Sunday!!!

2007-02-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

Okay. Short and sweet post today kids. The Bears are playing the Colts. And I got one thing to say.......

DA BEARS!!!!

Thats it. Catch you on the flipside.

Next Time: huh.....?

Twin Pines Winter Retreat 2007

2007-01-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

I did it again. A lack of posts means a lack of interest. Sorry. I have a reason. Last weekend our Church Youth Group had their Winter Retreat at the church's camp. Here's the kids. Okay. It was a fun trip. I got to learn some new things and relearn the same old stuff. New: MTD - Moralistic Theraputic Deism and that 75% of the teenagers have it and don't know it. This guy here taught the lessons. His name is Jeff Berger and he was great. He really had the kids attention. But, that was only during the worship time. The old stuff I had to relearn involves the average junior high school teenager. Two girls decided to go meet some of the boys at about 12:30am the first night we were there (Friday). Of course, they got caught. Next, two of the boys, (two that are in my middle school class) thought what fun it would be to go out at 3:00am in ten degree weather (in snow) and go streaking. They're nuts I tell you. And, no, the guy in the brown coat IS a boy. The top story of the trip was "Pass the Nanner." There were five junior high guys that went on the retreat. They're not the smartest apples (in this case, bananas) in the bunch. One of them started throwing a banana peel around. After "passing the nanner", the peel ended up in the in the toilet. And then they flushed. and then it clogged. I was not a happy camper (no pun intended.) The reason they gave me was they didn't want the smell of a rotting banana in the trash can. This is your future America!!!
So that was the trip. Other standard events included me loosing my keys, (I found them) the hike down a really, really steep cliff of lose shale, (ask michelle about that one. I won't explain because of privacy laws) and the lack of sleep (don't ask or I'll go on and on about it.) Finally, more about the future of our society. The one lady who helps teach the middle school class went for a walk on Sunday morning. She's walking and comes across a deer. It ran off, of course, and it was just a serene moment. I wish the wife and I were there. Well, she returned to the girls' cabin to tell them what she saw. As soon as she was finished telling them, one of the girl asked "What did it say?" Even if I wasn't there to here it, I find it hilarious over and over. (I still harass her about her great question. Okay, I'm done. Catch you on the flipside.
Next Time: DA BEARS!

New Year, Same Old Mess....

2007-01-06T18:18:00.000-08:00

So the New Year as come and gone. Things haven't changed. The wife still loves me. The fuzzballs still walk all over us. Work is still the same, aggravaiting. Things are just the way they were last year. In fact, take my study. It's still a mess.

When I married Michelle, I only asked for one thing out of our trailer. She could decorate the place any away she felt fit. (of course, with some small items that I thought should be out, pictures, the family bible, a sword - for home defense) But, one room would be mine. Call it a study. A inner sanctum. A fortress of solitude. Call it what you will, I have a name for it -
THE ROOM OF DOOM.

Ahh, The Room of Doom... It's where I go to be alone and get away from the distractions. Don't worry. If the wife needs me I'm just a scream away and I always go running to her. But, in my room I am the master. Nothing gets by me. You only come in if I let you.

I keep most of my comics in here. thats the big stack you see in the picture above. There's probably 1000 - 1500 comics there. The rest (four long boxes of stuff I don't collect anymore) are in my bedroom closet, buried under clothing. My toy collection is also kept in The Room of Doom. Here's just a sampling of what is there.
It's a work in progress. Always changing, always something new making an appearance. In the end, I'm satisfied with my room. Michelle respects my hobbys and she might only vacuum when she thinks it needs it. I nice enough to do it myself from time to time. But, before I finish this post, one thing. When I get home from work and want to relax in my Room of Doom, I find something laying there. It sits festering like a sore that gets bigger with time. Scary thing is I can stop it. I have to leave the door open so it doesn't get too hot in there because of the sun. I leave you with this unspeakable evil on two different occasions in the same spot. On my desk chair. Catch you on the flipside!

Next Time: Let's Go To The Youth Retreat! GET THE MUZZLES!!!!

What Did You Get For Christmas, Little Girl?

2006-12-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

So, Christmas is here. It's 3:08pm EST on December 25, 2006. It's raining pretty hard. Thank goodness it's not snow. I hate shovelling snow. Anyway, its that time to spend with family and friends and the joys of the holiday. This morning started with a bang. By ten after ten we slowly got up to greet the day. We brought what stuff we didn't bring in last night when we got home. (pretty much everything. it was a late night) We then proceeded to open the gifts we got each other. I let the wifey go first. It took me awhile to find her gifts, but it was worth the aggravation. She got from me the following:
5 DVDs - An American In Paris, Brigadoon, Singin' In The Rain, The King And I, and Finding Nemo
1 CD - Broadway First Take
3 picture frames featuring pictures of us two, my mom and her husband, and of course, those three wacked out bundles of energy, Nemesis, Enforcer, and Krystal, the cats of doom.
Yes, it made her day.
Finally, I got something for the said cats. I leave you with pictures of them - in play mode. Catch you on the flipside.

Next Time: New Year, Same Old Mess.

WII like to party!

2006-12-22T15:22:00.000-08:00

Monday I had off. I needed to do something so important, my marriage depended on it. Buy the wife's Christmas presents. Sound simple enough, doesn't it? WRONG! This woman is really, really tough to buy for. I thought about it. Jewelry. Nice, but the good stuff is really expensive. Teddy Bears. Like buying tractors for my pop, I'm afraid to get a bear that she already has. Could go the Build-A-Bear Workshop route, but, no, that for another occasion. (I'm not saying jack right now. It'll ruin the surprise.) Gift cards. Been there. Underwear of the Month Club. Tempting. REALLY TEMPTING. But no. So with no ideas whatsoever, I jumped in Claudia, my trusty cigar smoke filled GMC Jimmy, and headed west. To Elizabethtown. And to destiny.

My itinerary went like this, go to the E-Town K-Mart, walk around, take the Harrisburg Pike down (maybe stopping on the way at different shops) and ending up at Park City Shopping Mall. There, I knew something would jump out at me to get her. Then, I would get it wrapped and wait for the wife (we had a Christmas party to go to). I'm chuggging along, smoking a cigar (I'll tell the story of Super Stogie Man in due time), and listening to The Transformers Movie Soundtrack. I guess you'd say, things are good for Mr. Dean Lamar Schaeffer. Of course, that's when fate decided, "Here comes Mr. Speed Bump!"

I get to the K-Mart of Destiny. I'm not too familiar with this K-Mart. I usually go to Lebanon to shop there. But not today. First things first. Call me a weiner (oh, wait, you can. that was my childhood nickname), but I head for the toy department. I always like to look at the toys, to see what is collectible. As I walk through the aisle, magic happened. Pure unadulterated MAGIC. "ATTENTION, ALL K-MART SHOPPERS! WE JUST GOT TWO NINTENDO WIIs IN. IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THIS, PLEASE COME TO THE HOME ELECTRONIC DEPARTMENT. THE FIRST TWO CUSTOMERS WILL BE ABLE TO GET THIS NEW VIDEO GAME SYSTEM. THANK YOU!" My heart skipped a beat. I felt like I just graduated high school again. Destiny had arrived.

The Nintendo Wii (pronouced "we") was the latest system in videogames. Revolutionary in game play, it planned to change everything. The controller was motion sensitive. It could connect to a internet wireless hub. Most of all, you could download (for a price) every Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and Turbografix 16 games. (Those last two systems are long gone) On November 19th it was released. and sold out in five minutes at some stores. Friends (in TWO different states, mind you) waited hours for the Wii to be available. People on Ebay were selling it from $600 to $2000. The thing is only retailing at $250. I've been looking ever since it came out. I had almost given up and waited until the insanity of Christmas shopping season was over. But, that was before that fateful annoucement.

I started walking towards the main aisle. I had to get my bearings. I didn't know where the electronics department was. As I got to aisle, I turned the corner, and looked up. Lo, there it was! To the left. I walked right into it! I asked the clerk if they still had any. He looked at me and said "You're the first." A lady in her mid-twenties comes running down the aisle screaming "I WANT ONE, I WANT ONE!" "That's two! Boy, you gotta shake'm off with a stick." The woman and I proceeded to connect a high-five but failed until our sixth attempt.

Later, I'm walking out of the store, carrying a heavy bag, reaching for my cellphone. I had to call my wife. At first, she thought I was hurt or drunk in a gutter when I called. (Hey, I was excited...) She then realized what had happened. "Oh, Dean... You're silly."

Finally, to end this story, the Wii comes with a game called Wii Sports. Bowling is one of these games. I rolled a 146. Michelle on the other hand... rolled a 192. AND I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT TO GET HER FOR CHRISTMAS!!!! p.s. - Peppered in this blog is pictures of the Wii and Michelle beating the tar out of me. YEA WIFE! Catch you on the flipside.

Next Time: What Did You Get For Christmas Little Girl?

Hey! Where'd Ya Go?!?!?

2006-12-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry. I'm bad. I'm a horrible person. I haven't updated this site. In a while. Things have been pretty busy around here. Last week, work was tiring. Six days of manual (for me) and mental (for the wife, oh wait, more days for her. I told you she works a lot) labor. Then this week was nonstop pure h-e-double toothpicks, we finally get a day off tomorrow. We are finally gonna relax. Tomorrow is Christmas shopping fun! Now, what should I buy my mother? I'll give her a kitten. (not mine.) Dad? Money. (he expects it) Mom-In-Law? Victoria Secret gift card. Dad-In-Law? Guns. (loves'em) The wife? I AIN'T TELLIN'!! Well the rest is a suprise for everyone else. I am at a loss of words right now. I want to squeal on the gifts. So I'll shut-up. Catch you on the flipside. PS: Here is our Christmas kitties!
Next Time: FUN!