The Wacky and Wonderful World of Brind'Amour

Special Announcement

2010-11-17T20:21:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone,

Since our last posting on the news of Brind’Amour, we have received so many comments, notes, and emails, and just wanted to thank all of you who sent them. It was greatly appreciated. A special thank you to The Kool~Kittie~Krew, Khyra’s Khorner, and Tessa the Maltese for posting the news of Brind’Amour’s passing on their blogs, and also a special thank you to Louie Magooey and Cocorue for being so supportive.

Orielle and the twins—Benny and Aimee, have mentioned to me that they either might like to continue with this blog, to keep the spirit of Brind’Amour alive, or to start a new blog of their own. They don’t know if, or when, but you will be the first to find out here. They will post a note once they decide. So please don’t forget about us just yet. We miss all of you and will hopefully, be back soon.

Sincerely,
Brind’Amour’s Mom

Message From Brind'Amour's Mom

2010-10-07T18:06:00.001-04:00

This is extremely hard for me to say, but I feel that you, Brind'Amour's faithful followers, should know that Brind'Amour suddenly got very ill and has passed. We will forever miss his smiling face and his huge personality. Nothing will ever be the same without him.

Brind'Amour

April 10, 1999 ~ October 4, 2010

Beach Bum Brind'Amour

2010-09-06T18:25:00.002-04:00

Somebody! Please tell me that summer is not over yet!

Happy's Birthday

2010-08-28T09:46:00.003-04:00

This is Happy. And today, August 28th, is her Birthday. You might be asking, who the heck is Happy? Well, I'll tell ya. Happy was my Mom's first quadruped. Her real name was Happy but her nickname was Boogie. Don't ask. I'm hoping it had something to do with her dancing a jig all the time but you never know. Anyway, my Mom loved Happy so much that every year on her birthday Mom would have a party and serve Coffee Cake Jr.'s. Happy even got one of her own!

Now, if Happy was still with us, she'd be... how old?... um... can't really count that high. But as you can tell from these old photos, she'd be pretty darn old by now.

Today's mission is to convince Mom to let us celebrate Happy's birthday by having Coffee Cake Jr.'s tonight! Think she'll go for it?

How Now Brown Brow?

2010-08-03T21:38:00.004-04:00

My Mom just got us new wall-to-wall carpeting for our living room and the most awesome thing about it is that it totally complements my eyebrows!

Don't ya think?

The Twins are FOUR!

2010-06-03T19:25:00.011-04:00

I'd just like to wish my cousin Orielle's kids, Benny and Aimee, a very Happy 4th Birthday!

Benny in his favorite weather - Cold!

Aimee in her lovely snow suit.

~*~*~*~

I'd also like to wish Benny and Aimee's brothers, who live elsewhere, a very Happy 4th Birthday too! Happy Birthday Louie, Peri, Otis, and Birdie!!

Broadway News

2010-05-01T09:48:00.005-04:00

Awesome news everybody!! My agent just called to let me know I got the lead in the new Broadway production of Little Orphan Brinny! Sweet! I knew I had a chance when they called me back for a second audition. It must have been my incredible singing voice. At least that's what my mom says. Rehearsals start Tuesday and I'll let you all know when opening night is.

Now, I can't say I'm all that thrilled with the costume design, especially the wig, but you know, show biz is show biz. But it is the costume design that I'm hoping will give a chuckle to my good friend Tessa and her mom, who hasn't been feeling all that well lately. I sure hope she's feeling better! Tessa's Mom: This one's for you!...

The sun'll come out tomorrow

Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow

There'll be sun!

Just thinkin' about tomorrow

Clears away the cobwebs, and the sorrow

'Til there's none!

When I'm stuck with a day that's gray, and lonely,

I just stick out my chin and grin, and say,

Oh, the sun'll come out tomorrow

So ya gotta hang on tïll tomorrow, come what may

Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya tomorrow!

You're always a day a way! WOO WOO!

Playing Games

2010-04-20T21:11:00.007-04:00

So, listen to this. I woke from a power nap yesterday and noticed something pink under the couch. I reached under and pulled it out and wouldn’t you know, it was Aimee’s missing Nintendo DS. It’s been missing since my birthday party. So I figured, since Orielle took Aimee and Benny shopping, I was left all alone to enjoy a quick game or two before they returned. But when I turned on the DS unit, the game inside was Fashion Designer World Tour. I mean, what’s up with that? The girl doesn’t even wear fashionable clothes! I then went in search of her DS game case and found a slew of games. But, at closer inspection, found nothing I’d wanna play. I found, Zhu Zhu Pets with Hamster Baby, Hello Kitty Party, Hamsterz Life, Style Savvy, Build-A-Bear Workshop, and Petz Hamsterz Superstars. What is up with all the hamster games??? I know she thinks hamsters are cute but COME ON!!! Where’s all the good games like Super Mario Brothers, Monster Truck, Speed Racer, Major League Baseball, Space Invaders, and Cooking Mama. Okay, okay, so I like to cook!!!! Geez… a guy can’t get a break. All alone, and there’s nothing to play but furry little hamster games. Geez, Pa-Leeze!

Celebration Squared

2010-04-10T20:05:00.022-04:00

So, like, today was my best day ever! And I'm sure you know why... It's my 11th Birthday!!!! Woo hoo!!!!

My day started with birthday kisses from Aimee. She's so cute.

Waiting patiently for my special breakfast.

Then, mom made me homemade peanut butter cookies. I love how she makes them into little bone shapes. Heck, I'd eat them in any shape!

After resting a bit, we went shopping at my favorite store.

Hmmmm. What should I get?

Oooh, oooh, that one! I want that one! It's perfect! Heck, they're all perfect. Get me one of each, mom!

After making a pig of myself in the store, we walked it off in my favorite park. That's my favorite oak tree in the back.

Catching a few rays. A perfect day.

I'd also like to mention here, that not only is it my big 11 birthday, but it's also my 100th blog post!!!! Woo Hoo squared.

For the Love of Peep!

2010-04-03T20:36:00.001-04:00

For Peep's sake,

Have a Happy Easter!

Comb Over Conundrum

2010-03-30T22:09:00.006-04:00

I got tagged by Amy and the House of Cats to play this little photo game. The rules are that you go to your first picture folder, post the 10th picture, and tell the story behind it. Then you tag 5 other blogs to play too. So, I opened the folder, went to the 10th picture, and I'll be gosh darned if I can't figure out who the heck this is! I mean, all four of us have the ability to sport a comb over of that magnitude. There really is no story behind this photo, a comb over is a comb over no matter how you look at it.

I tag: The Kool Kittie Krew, Tessa, Abby, Khyra, and my new friends Riley and Star.

CLumber Jack

2010-03-24T20:18:00.004-04:00

If you remember, this was the bad tree that fell on our house.

The township didn't want to take the tree down so I took control.
Just call me CLumber Jack Brin!

Spring Has Sprung

2010-03-19T17:34:00.002-04:00

She loves me... She loves me not...

She loves me!

Fort Stix

2010-03-14T18:11:00.008-04:00

This is my new fort.

This is how it happened.
Let's just say Mom is not as happy as I am.

The terrible storm on Saturday brought high winds, torrential rain, power outages for over 10 hours, and the uprooting of one large pine tree on a collision course with our house. It also brought me one heck of a new fort! Why don't humans get that!?

Snow What?

2010-02-23T09:32:00.002-05:00

This is my cousin Orielle. She thinks that snow is stupendous. She never gets cold or thirsty. I wonder how she does that?

I Got the Avatar Blues

2010-02-08T18:22:00.006-05:00

I went to go see Avatar in 3D this past weekend and let me tell you, those 3D glasses make you feel like you're really there!!!

Mini Brinny

2010-02-02T19:22:00.002-05:00

Can you believe this is me?

Feeling nostalgic, I was looking through some photo albums and came across this picture of me at four months old.

According to Punxsutawney Phil, it looks like we're going to have six more weeks of winter. Does that mean that sprinkler time is going to have to wait? Phooey.

It's as Easy as 1-2-3!

2010-01-25T17:59:00.007-05:00

First, you pick up Ball #1...

Then, ya squeeze it over to the side, and pick up Ball #2...

The tricky part is squeezing Ball #2 over to the other side without popping it out. Then, pick up Ball #3!

That's all there is to it! It's easy!!

No Weigh!

2010-01-19T20:46:00.002-05:00

Since the posting of the "hand-holding incident" with Benny, I thought it appropriate to secretly follow him around to see if I might get even, if you will. In keeping my eyes and ears open, it became apparent to me that he's a bit sensitive to the fact that we call him Benny-The-Big-Head on frequent occasions. It's just a term of affection! Really! Now, how I know that he's so sensitive is quite funny actually. I caught him, on numerous occasions sneaking into the bedroom and weighing his head on the scale. I kid you not! That white thing under his chin is an official Health o Meter scale. One minute he's holding my hand, the next, he's insecure about the size of his head. That boy sure needs therapy.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

2010-01-14T19:50:00.002-05:00

So, I wake up from this awesome power nap, I peek over to my right, and what do I see? Freakin' Benny holding my hand! "Dude! What the heck is going on?" Somebody PLEASE tell me this is a dream!

Super Sci-Fi Saturday

2010-01-09T14:21:00.006-05:00

Oooooooh! It's Super Sci-Fi Saturday!!!! Okay, so I dug out all my faves and narrowed it down to the top three -- Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (a personal favorite), and Flash Gordon. What a conundrum! I just couldn't decide. So, I just went with the most awesome super-duper sci-fi flick ever made -- Godzilla in 3-D!!!!

Shhhhhhh! The previews started! Let's eat!!!!

Winter Blast

2010-01-05T20:44:00.003-05:00

Don't you just love this cold snap?

Hey, is this my good side?

Fuzzy. Was He?

2009-11-16T19:41:00.003-05:00

Yup, you guessed it. Yesterday was bath day. Don't get me wrong, I love baths because it involves my favorite thing on the planet--cookies. But, all day long, Mom kept calling me her little lamb. And if that wasn't bad enough, she kept reciting:

Mary had a little lamb,

His name was Brind'Amour.

Now he's soft and fuzzy,

And not so stinky any more.

Dynamic Duo

2009-11-11T20:31:00.006-05:00

Aimee and Benny connected at the shoulder.

Benny and Aimee connected at the head.

The togetherness is nauseating.

2009-10-29T20:15:00.015-04:00

The Vampire Brinstat

By Brind'Amour

Chapter 4
Oddly enough, the next evening, after the brouhaha at the casino over his house of cards trick, Brinstat awoke feeling quite rejuvenated. He had decided, when he went to bed the previous morning, that he was going to give up the job hunt and just be who he is.

He made himself some breakfast, watched a little television, gave his mother a quick hug, and headed outdoors. All night he walked around the town. He went from place to place and ended up back home shortly before sunrise.

After a few days of the same routine, Brinstat quickly became bored. He found himself going out less and less. Several days later, while dinner was being prepared, he picked up the newspaper to read Broom Hilda and spotted an ad announcing a huge Halloween Costume Party given by the mayor in hopes of raising money for better security at the museum.

What caught Brinstat’s eye was the headline, “Bored? Have nothing to do? Want to have a good time? Want to meet new people? Come to the Mayor’s Halloween Costume Party Friday night at 9 pm sharp! Big cash prize for the best costume!!”

“Geez! That’s tomorrow night!” said Brinstat. I have to come up with something good so Mama doesn’t give me another one of her lectures again, thought Brinstat. “Hey, Mama! I’m going to go to this Halloween party to see if I can scare the pants off some people there!”

“Ah! That’s my boy! Your Mama is just so proud of you, Brinstat!” she said, squeezing his cheek.

The next day, Brinstat combed his hair, brushed his teeth, put on his best cape, and headed to the party. When he got there, he was astounded at the turnout. There had to be hundreds of people. He saw cowboys, clowns, magicians, doctors, belly dancers, mummies, Frankensteins, princesses, and so many others. Of course, even though Brinstat wasn’t really dressed in a costume, he fit right in.
Brinstat mingled and chatted with a few partygoers. Suddenly, someone dressed as a prisoner, announced that the costume contest was about to begin. “And there’s a big cash prize for the winner, too!”

While the parade of masked partygoers circled around the room showing off their costumes, Brinstat spotted a sly little cowboy slink over to the prize table, look around, and quickly swipe the metal box containing the prize money. Holy cow pies! I can’t believe he just did that, thought Brinstat.

As the thief quickly fled the scene and escaped out the front door Brinstat did the only thing that came naturally to him… he quickly turned himself into a bat and flew out the door after the culprit. Less than a block away, Brinstat soared right into the back of the cowboy, knocking him flat on his belly. Brinstat swooped up the cash box and quickly flew back to the party. He dropped the box back onto the table, and with a POOF was back to being The Vampire Brinstat once again.

“Dude! That was some awesome trick! I’m mean, Dude, you rock!” said a rock band guitar hero, sportin’ a blue Mohawk.

“Why are you dressed as a vampire if you’re going to do magic tricks?” asked Little Red Riding Hood.

Brinstat just stood there not able to say a word, embarrassed at what just happened. He rolled his eyes as another vampire approached. “That was really something,” she said.

“I’d rather just forget the whole thing,” Brinstat replied. “Can I get you any hors d’oeuvres?” he asked in order to change the subject.

“Sure!” she said. “My name is Rosalie.”

“Mine’s Brinstat.” With that, he went to get plates of hors d’oeuvres for both of them. They spent the rest of the evening talking, dancing, and having fun. “Whoa, I’m really thirsty, would you like anything?” he asked her.

“Yes, thank you. A soda and some snacks would be very nice.”

“I’ll be right back,” he said. Brinstat returned balancing two drinks and two plates full of different kinds of snacks. He carefully placed the drinks on a table and when he went to hand her a plate, a meatball rolled off and made a straight line directly into Rosalie’s chest.

“AH!” she screamed. And, suddenly, smoke started to rise from her chest and she ran outside.

Shocked, Brinstat ran after her. “Rosalie, what happened?”

“I’m burning up here. Can’t you see?” she cried.

“But how? What? How?” he questioned.

“I don’t know, Brinstat. It must have been one of those garlic-infused meatballs or something. I’ll be all right. I just need some air.”

“Are you saying what I think you are saying?”

“Yes, I guess so. I’m a vampire, okay? I’m not some human vampire wanna be! I’m a real vampire and I came here to meet some new friends because this town is as boring as “boring” can be.”

“I know! I feel the exact same way! I can’t believe this!” he replied.

“Brinstat, do you think we can just leave this party and go and talk somewhere?”

“Oh yes, Rosalie. We can go anywhere you want!”

Just then, they both POOFED into bats and flew off together.

Epilogue

Brinstat finally found a friend. A friend for life. Someone just like him. And he found her when he was being nothing more than just himself.

RING! RING! I’ll get it Mama!!! “Hello?”

“Is Brinstat there?”

“This is he.”

“Hi. This is Mr. Giles from the museum. I heard about what you did at the Mayor’s Halloween party and I figured with all the money they raised, and by you catching the thief, I thought we can offer some training, and well, we’d like to hire you back.”

“Really? That’s super awesome, Mr. Giles. Thank you so much! See you Monday night!”

“OH NO! WHAT AM I GOING TO TELL MAMA?!!!!!!!”

The End.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

2009-10-25T19:59:00.006-04:00

The Vampire Brinstat

By Brind'Amour

Chapter 3
Whoa! Now that’s a job for me! I mean, I am a master with a deck of cards. I even know how to play black jack. Well, a little, anyway, thought Brinstat. He jotted down the number for the casino on his breakfast napkin and quickly tucked it away in his cape pocket.

“Ah, there’s my boy! How are you feeling, my baby?” asked his mama.

“Oh, much better Mama,” said Brinstat.

“Goot, that’s my Brinstat,” said his mama, patting him on the head. “I need to go out for a little vhile Brinstat. I’ll be home soon.”

“Okay, Mama. But I might be out doing vampire things when you return,” he lied.

“Ah! That’s my boy!!” said his mama. She then leaned over and kissed him on the forehead.

The coast was clear. His mama had left and he was all alone to make the phone call.

“Allo? Collins Casino...”

“Hi, I’m calling about the casino dealer position.”

“Ya! Plis hold.”

A few minutes went by.

“Mr. Edwards speaking, how may I help you?”

“Hi, I’m calling about the casino dealer position. And, I just want to let you know ahead of time that I’m really good with cards,” said Brinstat.

“Well, in that case, why don’t you come down and fill out an application. If all goes well, and you seem to fit the job, can you start right away?” ask Mr. Edwards.

“Oh yes. I can start tonight if needed.”

Brinstat hung up the phone, combed his hair, brushed his teeth, straightened his cape, and headed out the door.

Upon arriving at the casino and telling the doorman who he was, he was then escorted immediately to Mr. Edwards who was waiting patiently for him to arrive. Every minute that went by reminded Mr. Edwards that customers were standing around an empty table waiting for a dealer.

“Good evening. You must be Brinstat,” said Mr. Edwards as he shook Brinstat’s cold hand.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Edwards. I just want to tell you that I’m a master when it comes to a deck of car…….”

“You’re hired!”

“Wow. That was fast.”

“Here’s your uniform. You’ll have to leave the cape in your locker. And please hurry to table seven. The customers are waiting.”

Brinstat changed and headed to table seven. No sooner did he get there than his table filled up immediately with patrons. Brinstat showed off his shuffling skills with hands like lightning. He subtly smirked at the “ooh’s and ah’s” coming from the players.

He gave the stack one more shuffle and quickly dealt out the hands. Chips were flying. Mr. Edwards was impressed as he watched from the hidden cameras. “This guy is good!” he said under his breath.

A few hours later, Brinstat dealt a hand, one in which a customer was less than pleased with. “Uhh, this hand is terrible,” the lady whined. “Hey, Mr. Nice Guy Black Jack Dealer, do you think I could have two new cards? I’m on the verge of tears here. Please? Pretty please?” asked the whining lady.

“Well, I guess that would be okay.” And Brinstat dealt the lady two more cards. This time, the lady was more than happy.

“I won!” screamed the lady. “You’re such a nice guy Mr. Black Jack Dealer! What else can you do for me?”

“Well, I can build a house of cards like none you’ve ever seen,” said Brinstat.

“Yeah? Let’s see,” said one disgruntled man.

Brinstat collected all the cards and proceeded to build a house. Quite frankly, it was more like a castle. The customers were utterly impressed. The structure was so massive it drew many customers away from their tables, eyes as big as golf balls, amazed at the monstrosity in front of them.

Before long, Brinstat was using cards from other tables in order to create the biggest, most intricate piece of artwork he’d ever done. Hoots and hollers were heard throughout the casino. He was shining, smiling from ear to ear.

Then, over the loud speaker came, “Brinstat, please report to the office.”

“Ooh, maybe I’m gonna get a raise!” said Brinstat excitedly.

Brinstat was quickly disappointed to find that he was once again…fired.

He slowly made his way home only to find his mother waiting for him in the living room.

“Vhere have you been, Brinstat?”

“Mama, I think you were right. Getting a job and trying to make friends is just not for me. I will do as you say, Mama. I’m going to just be me—a vampire.”

“There, there, my boy. Things vill be all right, you’ll see. Get some rest and tomorrow vill be a new day!” his mama replied. “And next time, listen to your mother!”

“Okay, Mama. I’m going to watch some television and then I’ll go to bed.”

“That’s my boy!”

Stay tuned for Chapter 4

2009-10-21T20:20:00.011-04:00

The Vampire Brinstat

By Brind'Amour

Chapter 2
Sitting on the park bench, Brinstat thought Okay, maybe being a pastry chef wasn’t such a good idea. But how hard could being a security guard be?

Brinstat picked up the paper, tucked it under his cape, and headed back home. Thankfully, his mother was already in bed. He headed downstairs to his room and read the ad once again. “I can do this. I can be a security guard. I’m going to call first thing tomorrow night,” he said out loud.

The next evening when Brinstat woke up, he quietly came upstairs, and looked around for his mother. She was nowhere in sight. “Good,” Brinstat said under his breath. He picked up the phone and dialed the museum.

“Karloff Museum, Tara speaking,” said the lady on the phone.

“I’m calling about the Security Guard position.”

“Oh, you have to speak to the manager. Please hold.”

“Hello? This is Mr. Giles. Can I help you?”

“I’m calling about the Security Guard position.”

“Good, my nighttime security guard just quit. When can you start? Can you start tonight?”

“Oh, yes! I’ll be right down.”

As Brinstat hung up the phone and turned to write a note for his mother, he ended up face to face with her, the blood draining from his face… more than usual.

“Vhere are you going my beautiful boy?” his mother demanded.

“Um, I’m going downtown but I’m in a hurry. I’ll call you later Mama!”

Brinstat breezed out of the house toward the museum. He arrived there shortly before closing. The manager greeted him at the door and escorted him to the office.

“The only thing you have to do is make sure no burglars get in. That’s all there is to it. Check the doors hourly and inspect the outside perimeter on the half hour of every hour,” said Mr. Giles.

“No problem. I can do this!” Brinstat exclaimed.

He got his uniform and badge and was on his way to patrol the grounds. The doors were all locked and not a soul in sight. Everything looked secure. Until…

A few minutes after midnight Brinstat heard a faint tapping sound on one of the doors. He ran over to inspect and with his keen hearing picked up voices on the other side. Brinstat yelled, “Who’s there?” and quickly opened the door. Out of the corner of his eye he saw two figures quickly dive into the bushes. He rushed over to the bush with his billy club raised.

“Hey, what are you two doing back there?” Brinstat sternly asked.

“Uh, I was taking my girlfriend for a stroll, uh yeah, and she told me she never saw a museum before, and uh, I told her I could show her one but it was closed and um, I was only trying to impress her, if you know what I mean, so I tried to see if the door was unlocked but it wasn’t and then I tried to jimmy it open so I could show my girl how strong I was and then I could be all cool and everything and give her a tour of the museum but you know, not to take anything or touch anything, but just to show her around like you know, like a real cool guy would do but then you came out and scared us to smithereens and we just ran and flew into this bush here, you know what I mean?” said the guy.

“Why do you have that ski mask on? And why are you and your girl friend dressed all in black?” asked Brinstat.

“It’s a fashion statement. We’re like Goth people. So can we come in for a little stroll through the museum so I can show my girl what a fun guy I am? You would be such a swell guy if you let us in and then we could tell all our friends how great you are.”

“Well, I guess it’ll be okay. But I don’t want any funny stuff, you hear!” said Brinstat.

“Okay, no funny stuff. We’ll take a tour and be out in no time at all.”

Brinstat let the couple into the museum and continued on his rounds. The couple quickly walked to one particular area of the museum and left a few minutes later shouting, “Thanks dude!” as they ran out the door.

Wow. That was fast. I guess his girlfriend is easily impressed, thought Brinstat.

Daybreak was approaching and Brinstat’s shift was over. He waited for the next guard to show up and zoomed home before sun up.

“Vhere have you been Brinstat? And vhy didn’t you call me? Vhat kind of boy did I raise, Brinstat? You don’t care about your mother no more?”

“Mama! Stop! I took on another job but this one is really going to work out. You’ll see.”

“How many times I haft to tell you Brinstat, stop taking on these silly jobs. They aren’t for you. Do I need to remind you Brinstat, that you are a vampire? And a vampire doesn’t need a job.”

“No, mama. But I just wanted to make some friends. And I think I made two friends tonight, Mama.”

“Uh, my boy, my boy. You exhaust me, Brinstat.”

Just then the phone rang and Brinstat was happy to answer it just to be able to get away from his mother. “Hello?”

“Is this Brinstat?” said the voice on the phone.

“Yes, who’s this?”

“This is Mr. Giles. Our daytime security guard, Jake, said there must have been a break-in last night. He told me that the highly valuable, precious Anya Sapphire was missing when he went on duty. What happened to it, Brinstat? Didn’t you patrol the museum? Didn’t you see anything or anyone?”

“No, I didn’t see anything other than the cute couple who only came to the museum on a date. But they were in and out lickety split, Mr. Giles.”

“Brinstat, you weren’t supposed to let anyone in. It’s all over the news. A young couple was picked up trying to sell a large sapphire stone in the next town over. Brinstat, I’m afraid you haven’t done a good job and I’m going to have to fire you.”

“Oh no! Not again!” cried Brinstat as his mama came rushing over with a tissue.

Slowly, Brinstat hung up the phone and walked over to the couch, head hanging low.

“Brinstat, you have to stop trying so hard. Just be who you are. Now, cheer up and go get some sleep.”

“Okay, Mama.”

The next evening Brinstat was eating breakfast, watching television, when he heard the newscast. “A local casino is looking for a black jack dealer for immediate employment. Apparently, the previous dealer was an escapee from the Stoker County jail. Anyone interested, please call the number at the bottom. No experience necessary. Keeping customers coming back for more a must!”

Stay tuned for Chapter 3

2009-10-18T19:44:00.007-04:00

The Vampire Brinstat

By Brind'Amour

Chapter 1

Little Brinstat woke up one evening all excited about the dream he just had. He ran straight to his mother and shouted, “Mama, I had the best dream ever! I dreamt I got a job and made lots and lots of friends! That’s what I want to do, Mama, get a j…!

His mother interrupted him, “Hush now my son. There vill be no silly talk. You are a vampire. You vere born a vampire and you vill stay a vampire. That’s vhat you are.”

“But Mama!”

“Brinstat! That is enough.”

“Oh!” he complained. And with that, little Brinstat shuffled off, head bowed, disappointed about having his dream crushed.

Years passed and Brinstat listened to his mother and went through life being what he was—a lonely vampire. He wanted nothing more than to lead a “normal” life, have friends, and get a nice job, but being a vampire made that type of life quite hard to achieve.

While munching on a snack and reading the newspaper, Brinstat stumbled upon an ad. The ad read “WANTED: Pastry Chef for late night hours. Experience not necessary. Making customers happy a must!” Brinstat quickly put down the paper and ran for the phone.

“Leonardo’s bakery, can I-a help you?” said the friendly voice on the other end.

Wow! A friendly person, Brinstat thought. “Yes, I’d like to apply for the Pastry Chef job.”

“It’s-a evening hours. Is that-a good for you?”

“Yes! It’s great for me. Evening hours are perfect!” responded Brinstat enthusiastically.

“Okay-a, come on down-a and fill out-a application, my son-a.”

“Sure thing, I’ll be right down!”

Brinstat hung up the phone and contemplated whether to tell his mother or not. Finally, he thought it best to go and just tell her later.

To his surprise, Brinstat was hired on the spot since many people didn’t like the late night shift. He was handed a pile of recipe books, got a tour of the kitchen, and was left with one piece of advice…

“Keep-a this in mind-a, the people like-a suga. Make their bellies-a happy and you will have-a friends for life-a.

“Friends! That’s exactly what I’ve been looking for! Okay, Mr. Leonardo, I’ll start right away-a. Ooops, sorry,” giggled Brinstat.

Brinstat immediately opened the recipe books and picked out a few sweet treats to make right away. “Hmm, this recipe calls for a cup and a half of sugar. Mr. Leonardo said people like sugar. Hmm,” he said to himself. “Maybe if I add twice as much sugar, the people will like it twice as much!”

He took out the mixing bowls, utensils, and ingredients and got started right away. “This is going to be great! People will love my pastries and I’ll make a lot of friends! Friends! I never had friends before. This is going to be super awesome!”

Mix, mix, mix. Stir, stir, stir. The pastry dough was piled sky high and ready for the oven. By this time it was getting quite late, or early (depending on if you’re a vampire or not). All he had left to do was bake everything and have it all ready and done before sun up.

Brinstat put his creations into the oven and waited patiently for them to bake. A short while later, the smell of cinnamon, almonds, and pecans filled the air. Sweet, sweet smells. “I am going to make so many friends!”
The other employees started to arrive to get things ready for the early morning rush. Brinstat explained to them that the pastries were all in the ovens and were just about done. He then left in a hurry to beat out the sunrise.

Early the next evening, while watching Dark Shadows with his mother, the phone rang. “I’ll get it Mama!” Brinstat picked up the phone hoping it was Mr. Leonardo telling him how much people loved his pastries. Well, it was Mr. Leonardo but he had news nothing like Brinstat wanted to hear.

“Mr. Brinstat-a, I’m afraid-a I have-a to fire you.”

“What!!?” screeched Brinstat.

“How much-a suga you a put in my-a pastries? They all-a flopped. We had-a no pastries to sell-a this morning!”

“How can that be?” asked Brinstat.

“Too much-a suga makes-a the pastries too-a heavy. They all-a fell over and burnt-a in the oven! I have to let-a you go my boy. So-a sorry.”

Brinstat slowly hung up the receiver and just stood there flabbergasted.

“Brinstat! Vhat’s the matter, my boy?

“Nothing Mama.”

“Brinstat, you vill tell me your troubles!”

“Okay, Mama,” he said. “I took a job making pastries in a bakery so I could be like everyone else. I wanted to make friends, Mama. But it didn’t work out. I got fired.”

“You see Brinstat! That is vhat I’ve been telling you. You have to be who you are. You can’t be someone you’re not. Try to be happy being a vampire, Brinstat. And stop upsetting your mother!”

Maybe she’s right, he thought. I’ll go out and be what I am—a vampire. I’ll go out and do what vampires do. “See you later Mama. I’m going out.”

Brinstat walked in the brisk night air for more than ten blocks without finding a soul, and ended up in Willow Park. For two more hours he walked around the park, not even a stray cat crossed his path. Feeling lonely, he decided to rest on the nearest park bench. There, sitting on the bench with him, was today’s copy of The Daily News. Coincidentally, right on top of the folded paper, was an ad. The ad stated, “WANTED: Security Guard/Night Watchman for museum. Second shift. Experience not necessary. Keeping burglars out a must!”

Stay tuned for Chapter 2

I'm Back!!!

2009-10-14T20:12:00.005-04:00

First, let me start off by saying a big THANK YOU to all my friends who have sent me notes and emails. I missed you guys too! So, here’s a big smooch to each and every one of you:

I guess the main reason that I haven’t been posting is that back in August I started having internet trouble. Let’s just say the Slowski’s would have seemed like a ride on the Concord compared to my computer. So, I took care of that problem only to find another….. computer trouble. To rectify the situation I bought myself a brand spankin’ new laptop. And listen to this -- I became so fond of it that it inspired me to write a book!

My research took me to many far away places around the world and landed me in Transylvania. That is where I stayed to write my book.

But now, I’m back from my trip and I’m here to share my story with you, chapter by chapter, starting with my next post. Tee hee hee, did I leave you in suspense?

Boy, am I glad to be back! I missed you guys!!

I Won! I Won!

2009-08-12T10:09:00.010-04:00

Hey everyone! Guess what? I won third place in a photo contest!! The contest was held at my favorite store, Cosmopawlitan, which is owned by Marie, who gives me lots of cookies! The contest was about dogs having fun in the sun. I submitted this photo of my favorite day in the sun.....

The first place winner was a dog pictured swimming and the second place winner was a little doggie in a pink bikini. I mean, how could I top that?! Anyway, check out what I won!

Anniversary.....YIPPEE!!!

2009-08-07T06:28:00.004-04:00

Hey guys, guess what? Today is a very special day. Exactly one year ago today, I started my blog! Orielle even baked me a cake to celebrate this momentous occasion! Isn’t she great? It’s been a super year – I met a lot of new friends, had a lot of interesting adventures, and got in a little bit of trouble photographing Orielle at some, um…….. inappropriate moments! What a year!

Okay, back to my cake now. SWEET!

Best Friends

2009-07-22T20:02:00.002-04:00

It was such a super nice day out today that I decided to take my BFF "Brother" for a ride in the park. I took him around the lake. I took him to the playground. We had a little picnic. Then, I had a great idea. "Why don't you take me for a ride?" I asked him. I'm not sure, but I think he guffawed, and then mumbled something about my butt being too big for the wagon. Sheesh, what a pal!

Tool Time with Brind'Amour

2009-07-05T20:41:00.003-04:00

Well, it finally stopped raining, and to relieve some boredom I decided to take out some power tools and build some extremely enticing accommodations for our fine feathered friends. I mean, after all, we are bird dogs you know! Keep in mind that I'm a professional builder, and if any of you youngins' decide to try this at home make sure you properly prepare. Remember: Safety First!!!

Tagged Again

2009-06-28T10:53:00.006-04:00

I was tagged by my new friend Sierra Rose to play this cool game. Here are the rules:

1. Go to your photo files and select the 6th folder.
2. Then, select the 6th photo in that folder.
3. Post the photo along with the story behind it.
4. Tag 5 of your friends to do the same thing.

So, here goes.....

Back in December.... It may appear that we were asking to come inside, but what we were really asking was, "Mom, it's snowing!!! Can you come out and play ball with us?!! P-L-E-A-S-E?"

From the left it's: Orielle, Big Schnoz Benny, cute little Aimee, and Me in the back!

So, now, it looks like I have to tag 5 of my furry friends to do the same. I'm going to tag: The Kool Kittie Krew, Sugar, Bruschi, Abby, and Selby and her Dogs.

Back in the Day

2009-06-22T22:04:00.003-04:00

First, let me start off by saying congratulations to Bell and the Kool-Kittie-Krew for guessing correctly on whose big schnoz that was in my previous post. Yes, it was Benny's!

Now, before you start guessing on this one...... the following two pictures are me, back in the day, when I was a wild and crazy guy! Check out the do!!

WHAT was I thinking!!??

And, in case anybody was wondering....... if I could have worn bell bottoms, I would have -- you betcha I would!!!

Big Schnoz and Awards

2009-06-16T20:43:00.008-04:00

Can you guess whose schnoz this is? Is it Orielle's? Is it Aimee's? Is it Benny's? Or, is it mine? Biggify it if you dare!
And now, for some awards......

This awesome award was given to me by my good friends the Kool Kittie Krew! Thanks guys, furry kind of you!!!

This award was given to me by the lovely Princess Coco. Thanks Coco, you're swell!!!

My good friend Bijou gave me this awesome award. You rock Bijou!!!

I received this "sweet" award from my new friend Thor! Thanks so much Thor! You're great!

And last, but not least, I got two awards: the International award and the Most Wonderful Favorite award, which already reside in the sidebar, from my good friend Kiko. Thanks Kiko!

Anyone who does not have any of these awards please feel free to take them since you all deserve them!!!!

The Big Finish

2009-06-10T21:33:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I bet you've been waiting to hear all about the grand finale for Benny and Aimee's birthday party. Well, I wanted to do something special for the kids and what better way to celebrate their 3rd birthday than to hire................ Carmen Miranda!!! She was fabulous, performing a few sambas from her hit movie "Copacabana."
I hired her for three reasons. One, both Dora The Explorer and Elvis were busy that day and two, Benny, if you recall, LOVES fruit. And Third, Aimee, well, is a bit of a fruit herself. It was perfect! We all had a blast.................... Then, Benny tried to eat her hat!!

Down Memory Lane

2009-06-06T22:12:00.004-04:00

As promised, here's the slide show that I put together for Benny and Aimee's birthday party. Orielle blubbered through the whole thing mumbling, "My teeny tiny babies are all grown up."

You'll never believe what I did for the party finale!! Stay tuned....

P-A-R-T-A-Y!

2009-06-05T09:06:00.005-04:00

In honor of Benny and Aimee’s birthday yesterday, their Mama, Orielle, and I, threw them one heck of a P-A-R-T-A-Y! We got things rolling with what else, of course - party games! First, we played “Smell-It, Find-It” where the humans let us smell some goodies and then while we wait in another room they hide them all throughout the house. Then they shout, “Ready, Set, Go, Find It!” and we take off in search of the hidden treasures using nothing but our schnozes. Boy! Was that fun!! Plus, I found the most (hee, hee, hee). After that, we played with some new toys, followed by “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” Well……it started off as the regular version of the game until Benny and Aimee got the brilliant idea that it would be too funny to glue their mama’s picture onto the donkey’s body. They could barely get out their request through all the giggling. They are so silly, those two. But Orielle, as sweet as she is, said, “Go right ahead, it’s your special day.” Benny and Aimee thought that was the funniest thing ever and kissed their mama to thank her.

After the games ended, we moved on to a slide show of the twins as teeny tiny babies and then, the big finale! Uh oh, gotta go for now, but stay tuned for more party antics!!!!

More Awards and a Secret....Shhhhhhh!

2009-06-02T19:29:00.009-04:00

I am honored and proud to say that I have collected several awards recently and have decided to post them all together. First, I'd like to thank my friend Kiko for giving me the first two awards: I Love Your Blog Award and the Honest Scrap Award. Thanks Kiko, you're awesome!

Next, I'd like to thank Nibbles Treats for this amazing International Bloggers Community award. Thanks guys, I'm honored!

I'd like to also thank Chase for giving me the Kreative Blogger Award which already sits in my sidebar. Thanks Chase, you rock!! And to my good friend Checkers: high five dude!! Thanks so much for giving me the Most Wonderful Favorite Award! You're super swell!

I thought I'd pass all these awards along to some of my newer blogger friends, so here we go: Abby, Coco, NY Bully Brats, Scooter's Kitty Krew, Selby and her Dogs, Suzuki, Tank, and Thor! Enjoy everyone, you deserve them!!

And now, for my big secret..... Thursday is my cousin Benny and Aimee's birthday and I am secretly planning a big bash. Stay tuned.......... Shhhhhhh........

Silly Predicament Part 2

2009-05-29T21:58:00.002-04:00

Um..... Can anybody tell me why this keeps happening to me?

Paw It Forward

2009-05-25T10:59:00.007-04:00

My good friend Checkers just sent me this totally awesome Paw It Forward package. Thanks Checkers, you're the best!!!

I couldn't wait to shove my big snooter in that box to see

what I got!!

Check it out! I got squeak toys, a frisbee, chewies, a kitty kat toy, and a very special new hat!!

I also got this really great tote bag so I can take my new things anywhere I want to go!! Checkers just thinks of everything!

If you'd like to play this Paw It Forward game, just read the rules below then leave me a comment to let me know you want to play. Go to my profile page to find my email, then send me your home address.

"The exchange focuses on doing an act of kindness without expecting anything in return other than that the recipient will, in their turn, pass the kindness along and 'paw it forward' in their own way. This is how it works...we are going to agree to send something fun, inspiring or uplifting to the first 3 blog owners who post a comment on this entry. In turn you will then post about this on your blog, link to us, then send something to the first three people who sign up to play along through your blog. There are no cost restraints, BUT don't go crazy! The little something you send can be something you made, bought, were given or found. No biggie, just a gift that will make the person smile. Maybe something unique from where you live? And, remember that kindness doesn't have to involve money; there are untold ways to help others every single day, everywhere you go - just look around." SO PAW IT FORWARD...

Double-Take

2009-05-18T21:55:00.005-04:00

Listen to this..... I was on the computer checking to see if the slide show I made with my Brother got any star ratings yet when I suddenly heard the all familiar "You've Got Mail!" It turns out that I was contacted by someone from New York who shares my name, and I don't mean Rod (he's too busy fighting for the Stanley Cup). Not only is my new friend's name Brind'Amour, but we have a few things in common. We both love to eat, we both love to sleep, and we both look quite a bit like each other. Don't you agree?

Check it out!

2009-05-15T21:18:00.006-04:00

I received a bunch of awards lately and thought I'd post them all together. First, I received the "Sweet Award" from my friend Tuffy. The conditions of the SWEET award bestowed on me by Tuffy state that upon acceptance - which I graciously accept, is to be passed on to TEN other deserving blogs.

Second, I received this "One Lovely Blog Award" from The TN Bull Terrors. This award says....
1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award on up to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

And third, I received "The Pawsome Blog Award" from my good friend Vodka. This award is presented to those dog bloggers out there who know the meaning of GREATNESS. Their blogs are consistently interesting, funny, or informative. Their KINDNESS is extended to others without expectation of its return, and their FRIENDSHIP inspires others to do EXTRAORDINARY things. These are the blogs you can’t wait to read everyday. In short, they are AWE-INSPIRING, full of wonder, and simply PAWsome! Pass this award on to 4 others who you feel exemplify a “Paw”some Blog, and leave a note saying why you think they deserve the Pawsome Award!”

Vodka also passed along to me the "One Lovely Blog Award" as well as the "Proximity Award." Thank you Vodka! And, thanks to Tuffy and The TN Bull Terrors who have passed these along to me. I know that most of my friends already have these awards, so I would like to pass all these awards along to any of my followers who might be missing one. Thanks everyone, you're "paw"some!!!

The Good Ole Days

2009-05-11T06:32:00.003-04:00

So, I spent some time this weekend putting together a scrapbook of some of my adventures with my Brother. See if you can find him in every shot. We sure could give the Traveling Gnome a run for his money!

Silly Predicament

2009-05-07T21:12:00.006-04:00

Did this ever happen to anyone?

Ahhh, Ahhhh, Ahhhhh, CHOO!!!

Fiesta Time!!

2009-05-05T06:20:00.003-04:00

Hola, amigos! I would like to weesh all my furree pereeto friends (and keeties too!) a super-fun Cinco de Mayo. To honor this great Mexican holiday, we weell be dancing the cucaracha dance, dreenking barkareetas, and eeating lots of doggee beescuits and burreetos from Taco Bell. What do you all theenk of my Mexican accent? Do I sound like Baba Louie? Well muchachos and muchachas, time to partee. Hasta la vista, babies!!!

Look What I Got!!

2009-05-01T21:58:00.007-04:00

My good friend Checkers gave me this wonderful award. Thanks Checkers! You rock!!

For this award, I'm supposed to list my 7 favorite things. Here goes...

1) There's nothing like opening a new can of tennis balls. The fuzz is just heavenly.

2) Going to the pet store and watching the chameleons change color.

3) Having my morning ration of Cheerios every day.

4) Running through the agility tunnel over and over and over and.....

5) Going out in the rain and bouncing my tennis balls in the puddles.

6) Getting dressed up for a new photo shoot.

7) Being with my little cousin Aimee. She's so cute. (Shhhhhh, don't tell anybody.)

I'd like to pass this award along to my friends Coco, Lady Godiva, and Truffle; and also, Lorenza, and Mango.

And now, I'd like to thank my new friends Pu and Sara for sending me my name in Chinese. The translation that they made was based on my French name, Brind'Amour, which means "A little bit of love." Tim Tim Oi, in Chinese, stands for: Tim = drop of, and Oi = Love.

Thanks Pu and Sara!!

Oh Brother!

2009-04-28T22:06:00.002-04:00

I thought it was about time that I introduce everybody to my BFF. He's been with me for practically my whole life. To humans, who don't know any better, he's a quote/unquote squeak toy. But to me, he is as close as a brother would be. That is why I simply refer to him as Brother. We've been on countless adventures together, some of which you will be hearing about soon.

Here we are, hanging out in the jungle of the lawn that nobody bothered to mow.

Tah-Dah!

2009-04-23T21:52:00.002-04:00

Well, here it is -- my very first music video. The star of the show, Benny, is my cousin Orielle's kid, and Aimee's brother. He likes to be.... shall we say..... busy. The song I chose says it all. Make sure you turn the volume way up!

More Awards and a Gift!

2009-04-21T21:15:00.006-04:00

My good friend Chase sent me these two awards. Thank you so much Chase! You're awesome!

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award."

The second award is the Neno's Award and is given... "As a dedication for those who love blogging activity and love to encourage friendships through blogging.To seek the reason why we all love blogging. Put the award in one post as soon as you receive it. Don’t forget to mention the person who gives you the award. Answer the Award’s question by writing the reason why you love blogging. Tag and distribute the Award to as many people as you like."

Here goes.... I love blogging because it is through writing about my adventures that I have met all of my new furry friends from all over the world. I love blogging because I get to share my love for dressing up. And, I love hearing about, and seeing through pictures, how all my friends spend their days.

I'd like to pass along these two awards to: Lorenza, Harry, Moco, and Laney.

I also want to thank my new friend Checkers, who just gave me this wonderful gift today. I am honored and look forward to continuing our friendship. Thanks Checkers! You're Super!

Lights! Camera! Action!

2009-04-19T20:28:00.003-04:00

Well, I have to say, the new digital movie camera I got for my birthday is totally awesome! I've been mulling over a bunch of ideas, but I've decided that my first attempt at the great art of film making is going to be a music video. The auditions went off without a hitch, even though Benny was the only one who showed up. Aimee was too busy working on a new toilet paper art project and Orielle decided that working behind the scenes in makeup and costumes was more her thing. Oh well, so it looks like Benny's going to star in my first video. Stay tuned.....

My First Award!

2009-04-16T21:03:00.003-04:00

My new pal Mango gave me this award today. I'm very excited because it's my very first award. Thank you Mango!!! You rock!!

I'd like to pass this award along to my new friends, Honey, Chase, Checkers, Maggie and Mitch, and the 'splorin' Wolfies.

Birthday Surprise, or Not

2009-04-14T21:10:00.002-04:00

So, Friday was my birthday and as some of you may know, I turned the big ONE-OH, double digits! Benny and Aimee made me hide my eyes saying they had a big surprise for me. I have to say, it's not exactly a surprise when they tell me it's a surprise, but I went along with it anyway. After they counted to 10, skipping number 7, I opened my eyes to find Orielle with a plate full of homemade peanut butter cookies, or shall we say, a half a plate of cookies and a bunch of crumbs dangling from her lips. It was the thought that counts. After the P.B. feast, they presented me with a bunch of presents, my favorite being the digital movie camera I've been asking for. Ah, the joy of film making -- the possibilities are endless! Afterwards, we were subjected to yet another round of Benny's magic tricks. One thing I don't understand: if he loves tennis balls so much, why does he keep making them disappear?

Sticks and Bones

2009-04-08T22:41:00.003-04:00

Anybody ever see that show called “Bones” with that guy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Which, by the way, was the most awesome show ever. Well let me tell you, I have watched Bones two times now and not once, I repeat, not once, have I ever seen any bones in that show. I mean, come on! How deceiving! I was all set for some good time, heavy duty chewing and what did I see? Nothing! Now, in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, even though they talk a lot about “steaks,” and I have yet to see one, they do offer an assortment of nice size pointy sticks. Mmmmmmm, I love sticks.

Tag, I'm It!

2009-04-04T19:09:00.009-04:00

I am taking a short break from my wacky and wonderful adventures because I have been tagged for the very first time by my new friend Chase to tell five random things about myself.

1) I love standing in the wind, especially when it lifts up my ears and I look like a 747.

2) I love watching awesome sci-fi movies, especially Godzilla!

3) I love helping with chores around the house. My fave is doing the "pre-wash" cycle in the dishwasher.

4) I was named after a hockey player. "Brind'Amour" in French, means "a little bit of love."

5) For all my new friends who have been asking...... yes, we are Clumber Spaniels.

And now, I'd like to tag my friends, Honey, Harry, the 'splorin' Wolfies, Laney, and Maggie and Mitch.

What's So Funny???

2009-04-01T06:08:00.003-04:00

I know what you’re thinking…… but it wasn’t me! It was that sneaky little girl, Aimee, who decided to wake up extra early this morning and play an April Fool’s trick on her brother, Benny. I knew she was up to something when I caught her pushing Orielle’s laundry basket in front of the mirror to block it, all the while giggling and snorting under her breath.

Then Benny wakes up and comes into the kitchen for breakfast in his usual jolly way, making jokes, and teasing his little sister and well, let’s just say he still thinks we’re laughing at his corny knock-knock jokes…….Poor Benny, he has no clue….. I guess that box of washable markers I gave Aimee for Christmas wasn’t really such a good idea.

Intro to Fine Arts

2009-03-26T22:16:00.003-04:00

Self Portrait on Pink Canvas

by Pablo Brincasso

An Irish Faerie Tale

2009-03-17T06:07:00.011-04:00

"A leprechaun!” Annie shouted and startled Bobby right off the bed. “I know what we can bring for show and tell -- a leprechaun!!!” Annie and Bobby had been trying to figure out something amazing that they could bring to school tomorrow and had not been having too much luck. Annie kept trying to convince her brother, “We could make a trap and catch him.” “Gee, Annie, I don’t know. It sounds like fun but Mom might not like that idea. We better not tell her.” “Okay, Bobby, I won’t tell her.” The children set off in different directions collecting the things they needed to build a leprechaun trap. When they met back, Annie asked him, “What should we use to get the leprechaun to go in the trap, Bobby?” “Don’t worry -- I have an idea!” Just then, their Mother walked into the room and asked what they were doing. “We’re building a leprechaun trap,” shouted Annie. “ANNIE!” Bobby yelled in disbelief. Mom just shook her head, “You two and your imaginations! Just whatever you do, don’t go onto Mr. Shannahan’s property. You know how cranky he always is... and don’t be late for dinner.” “Okay, Mom, we won’t,” Annie promised.

After finishing the trap, Annie and Bobby packed everything up and headed outside to look for clover since Bobby told Annie that leprechauns love clover. They wandered around the property for a while when Annie noticed a huge clover patch on the other side of the fence. “I found some clover in Mr. Shannahan’s yard, Bobby!” “Don’t go in there, Annie! We’ll get in trouble,” said Bobby. Just then, Bobby had an idea. He instructed Annie to hold the gate open so he could run into Mr. Shannahan’s yard, grab some clover, and come back quickly. “Okay, Bobby,” Annie agreed.

While Bobby was picking the nicest clover he’s ever seen he heard a strange noise coming from the direction of Mr. Shannahan’s house. Bobby froze, then slowly looked up, and saw Mr. Shannahan coming out onto his back porch. Goose bumps broke out all over Bobby’s body. “Hey, you hooligans, get off my property or I’ll hang you up on the clothes line by your ears!” shouted cranky Mr. Shannahan waving a fist. Bobby gasped, turned, and headed for the gate when he suddenly bumped into Annie. “Annie! What are you doing here? I told you to stand there and hold the gate open!” “I don’t know, Bobby! What are we gonna do? Now we’re locked in!” Annie screamed. “RUN, ANNIE, RUN!” The children circled around a few times not knowing where to go. Somehow Bobby managed to find an opening in the fence at the other end of Mr. Shannahan’s property. “Annie, follow me!” shouted Bobby. They both found their way through the hole in the fence and ended up in a beautiful section of woods. The children took a few minutes to catch their breath and then went looking for a good place to set their trap. Bobby placed the clover he’d picked all around in hopes of luring a leprechaun while Annie set the shoebox trap. “What kind of bait did you bring, Bobby?” “What leprechaun’s love the most of course -- Lucky Charms” he replied. “Oooh, good one, Bobby. They ARE magically delicious!”

With the trap set, Annie and Bobby took a few steps back and hid behind a tree and waited. A short while later the children heard a rustling sound coming in their direction. Bobby peeked around the tree and whispered to Annie, “I think I see a little leprechaun.” The tiny leprechaun slowly approached the trap, scrutinized it, and let out a rip-roaring belly laugh. “B’gosh and B’gorrah! Is this another ridiculous leprechaun trap before me eyes?” The children slowly inched out from behind the tree and Annie said, “Yeah. Are you gonna go in it?” “Well, the Lucky Charms were quite ingenious, and I did think about it for a second, but, I’m sorry, m’thinks not, m’lass.” The leprechaun removed his hat and introduced himself. “The name’s BrynMahr O’Brien, and if ye like, we can play all afternoon together instead.”

The children were having so much fun playing with little BrynMahr O’Brien that they forgot to watch the time. When they realized they had missed dinner, they quickly said goodbye to BrynMahr and ran all the way home. They crashed through the door screaming, “We’re sorry we’re late, Mom! We set our trap but didn’t catch a leprechaun because he was too smart for that but he played with us all afternoon! We forgot what time it was. We’re sorry….” Their mother just stood there quite serious and said, “I was worried when you didn’t come home for dinner and I’m tired of you two making up stories about things that don’t exist. Now, go to your rooms and don’t come out until tomorrow morning for school.” The children slowly made their way to their rooms upset that not only did their mother not believe them but they also didn’t have anything to bring for show and tell.

The next morning the children made their way to the kitchen for breakfast. Their Mom stood there waiting for them with a smile on her face. “I just want to apologize for yelling at you yesterday but I was very worried. I know you like to make up stories and that’s fine.” “But Mom, we really did see a leprechaun,” said Annie. “Whatever you say, Annie. But I want to make up for yelling at you. I don’t usually give you your favorite cereal, Lucky Charms, for breakfast on a weekday but I just wanted you to know that I still love you.” Bobby whispered to Annie, “Did we make that whole thing up yesterday? Or, did we really play with a leprechaun?” “I think he was really real, Bobby. Don’t you?”

After their mother poured the cereal, she placed the box on the table. When the children looked up at the box, they couldn’t believe their eyes! There, on the front of the Lucky Charms box, sat BrynMahr O’Brien. The children looked at each other, looked at the box, looked at each other, and laughed. Their mother added, “I’m sorry you don’t have anything to bring to show and tell today.” With that, BrynMahr O’Brien winked at the children. “Oh yes we do!” they laughed!

Happy St. Patty's Day!!!

Brownies and Cookies, Oh My!

2009-03-12T08:41:00.007-04:00

Hey! Guess what? Today is National Girl Scout’s Day! And it just so happens that a while back I tried to convince Aimee to join the Girl Scouts, you know, to provide an outlet for her…… well…… enthusiasm. Anyway, she wasn’t buying it. When I explained that joining the Girl Scouts would give her more self-esteem, she said she feels confident enough when she wrestles and pins Benny to the ground. When I said she would learn about environmental issues, she said she knows all about environmental issues from all the digging she does in the yard! Then, when I mentioned she would learn about health, traveling, and the arts. She replied, “Uncle B, I already know about that stuff! I’m very healthy! I sleep all the time – it’s very relaxing and stress-free. And, I do a lot of traveling, too! I go from the couch in the living room to the bed in my bedroom. I travel all the time!” I have to admit, that girl is artistically inclined. You should see what she can do with toilet paper! Man, she’s good! Anyway, I told her that she would have to be a “Brownie” first and amazingly she agreed. Most likely, it was because she thought it had something to do with food.

So, I got a call this morning from her Scout leader saying that I owe the Girl Scout’s $84.00. I hesitantly asked, “Now, what did she do?” The Scout leader said she told all the girls they each had to sell a case of Girl Scout cookies. But in stead of hearing, “you have to SELL a case of cookies,” Aimee heard, “you have to SMELL a case of cookies.” And, we all know what happens after you smell a case of cookies……. Yup, you eat a case of cookies. It’s only natural though, especially when it’s a case of Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies! So, now, I owe $84.00 and all that’s left is a bunch of crumbs!!!! That’s my Aimee!

Snowonder Why I Love It!

2009-03-04T08:43:00.004-05:00

Brind'Amour: "I think I smell another tennis ball under all this fluff!

Orielle: What? I wasn't eating snow. Why do you ask?

Benny: Can anybody say.... BRAIN FREEZE!!

Party Hearty Mardi......Gras!!

2009-02-24T21:05:00.008-05:00

Well, we just got back from our trip down to New Orleans. It seems there's this holiday called Mardi Gras and the main purpose of the holiday is to celebrate by dressing up in colorful costumes, watching the parades, eating like there's no tomorrow, and hoping you catch some beads that people throw at you. Weird, no? Yeah, but any holiday that involves costumes and eating is worth celebrating in my book!!

Separated at Birth?

2009-02-18T21:59:00.001-05:00

Isn't the resemblance between Laa-Laa and Orielle remarkable?

It sure makes you wonder....

Messenger of Love

2009-02-12T23:14:00.004-05:00

Remember that guy who hired me for the Santa Grams? Well, guess who I heard from the other day? Yup, the same manager! He said that he made so much money with my Santa Grams that he wants me back for Cupid Grams. Can you believe it? He even bribed me with a nice case of graham crackers, which I willingly took, of course. I met with the manager bright and early this morning. He handed me the long list of weekend gigs in one hand and in the other, a red sash, ring of flowers for my head, and a set of sequin cupid wings. I took one look at those and nearly choked.

I put together a nice repertoire of Elton John songs to perform but just couldn’t bring myself to don the halo and wings. Speaking of Elton John, I remembered I had in my trunk, a pair of Elton glasses I got at a flea market in Chattanooga. I put together my own outfit, figuring the manager wouldn’t mind, and headed out to my first stop. It went well. I made a few tips and was off to the next gig. The fourth stop happened to be an office party and after belting out “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” one woman screamed, “AREN’T YOU SANTA?!” Ah, she saw right through my disguise. All the screaming and clapping only encouraged me to break out into “Crocodile Rock.” Now, what crocodiles have to do with Valentine’s Day I’m not really sure but it was definitely a crowd pleaser. Not only did I make a lot of tips, I got myself a date!!! Happy Valentine’s Day!

It's Just a Game!

2009-02-08T20:44:00.002-05:00

The other day was one of those “lounging around” kind of days, if you know what I mean. It was snowing out, there was nothing to do, and so Orielle and I decided to play Dogopoly while the twins were out playing in the snow. Benny spent most of that time trying to catch snowflakes. He must have gotten his silly gene from his mother. I have to say that playing board games with Orielle requires one part patience and two parts humor. Basically, she doesn’t play right. For instance, when she lands on “Go to Kennel” she says she can’t go to kennel. Who would take care of her babies? I say, “Orielle, it’s just a board game.” “I’m not going” she responds. So, of course, I let her get away with it because she’s cute. Then, it’s a fiasco when she lands on “Fleas – pay $200.” She claims she doesn’t have fleas, nor does she want them, and won’t cough up the dough. Again, I tell her it’s just a board game and that she must pay the $200. She gives me that blank stare that she does so well, and then comes the excuse that she doesn’t have $200, she has the twins to feed and can only pay $50. So I say, okay, $50 is good. And this time, when she landed on “Go Fetch” she got so excited she got up and ran to fetch her bone leaving me alone, playing Dogopoly by myself. And I was winning!!! Yup, she’s a corker all right. But she’s cute!

Weather or Not....

2009-02-02T18:35:00.002-05:00

Yeah, so today was Groundhog Day. So what. I mean, first, they wake up Punxsutawney Phil from a long winter’s nap. So we can ALL understand his crankiness. Then, they make him search for his shadow in his groggy stupor and predict the weather! Now, let me ask you this – What does a sleepy groundhog know about weather? They spend most of their lives hiding in holes! Whereas, I spend my days traveling, conducting experiments, competing, toying with numerous part time jobs, and studying weather patterns in my spare time. So, here's my prediction…. The relative humidity was 82%, barometer 29.94, dew point 27 degrees, visibility 10.00 miles, UV index low, and wind speed CALM but rising. Therefore, I predict rain! And an early spring bringing lots of rain with it. Rain, rain, rain, and more rain! Yeah! I love rain. Rain is great. It makes awesome puddles to run through. It makes you blink really fast when it runs into your eyes. It makes bobbing for tennis balls in rain-filled holes incredibly fun. And most importantly, every time you come in from the rain you get a cookie for being dried with a towel, otherwise known as the “towel cookie!” You NEVER get those on sunny days!!

Oh, and, by the by, in honor of National Weatherman’s Day on Thursday, Feb. 5, I’d just like to say I LOVE RAIN!! R-A-I-N, that spells RAIN! Yeah!

Happy New Year....Again!

2009-01-25T23:04:00.001-05:00

Gung Hay Fat Choy!! That’s “Happy New Year” in Chinese -- Cantonese, to be exact. Isn’t that cool! I’m sure you all know that today is Chinese New Year. It is the Lunar New Year 4706, the year of the ox. The Chinese celebrate with good food, fortune cookies, games, dance, crafts, and parades. Personally, I found dressing up in a dragon costume and scaring the pants off of Orielle, Benny, and Aimee by chasing them around the house and roaring like Godzilla the most fun of all. RAHRRRR! Okay, fortune cookies are fun, too!!

It's a Secret!

2009-01-21T21:20:00.003-05:00

Whew! I just got back from Washington. You may recall that I missed being elected President of the United States by only a few measly votes. But, just the other day, I was recruited by the government to be part of the Secret Service team during yesterday’s presidential inauguration. How awesome! I wonder if this had anything to do with me learning karate. I must admit, I did learn some really great moves from the movie, Kung Fu Panda. You may have seen me yesterday on TV. If not, you can always catch the reruns. I’m the one wearing the black tie and dark glasses.

Hi Ya!

2009-01-13T21:45:00.000-05:00

Konnichiwa! That’s “hello” in Japanese! The New Year is starting off on the right track. I signed up for Beginners Karate and already have received my yellow belt. Things are going great! I love the part where we yell “Hi-Ya!” but mine comes out more like “Woo-Rah!” Running laps, practicing the death grip, and working on tumbling is just so awesome. The only problem I’m having is working those darn nunchuks. I keep hitting myself in the head. It must be that whole lack of thumbs issue working here again. My sensei says if I keep up the good work, I may have an opportunity to enter a karate tournament in a few months. Isn’t that swell? Sayounara! That’s “goodbye” in Japanese!

Party Animal

2009-01-04T21:50:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Well, I’m finally recovered from our New Year’s Eve bash. It was outrageously fun and as you can tell, maybe a little too much fun. Orielle took that picture of me in her attempt to get even for those “precious moments” I caught of her on camera. As you can tell from the crooked picture, she was having a little too much fun herself. Now, how that lamp shade got on my head I’ll never know. Everyone just giggles when I bring it up.

After a day of recovery, we all got together to tell each other our New Year’s resolutions. This year, I want to take up a few new hobbies. I’m thinking maybe dance lessons and advancing my photography skills, as well as possibly getting into movie making. And I definitely want to learn Japanese. Imagine watching Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla in its original language! How amazing is that!!! Oh yeah, I’m also going to take up karate.

Orielle said she wants to do more traveling, baking, and exercising. But her main resolution was to be more careful about getting caught in embarrassing moments by me and my camera (hee, hee, hee).

Benny also wants to keep fit and trim by exercising regularly. His main resolution is, of course, to perfect his magic skills -- but he’s also talking about going to clown school.

Aimee had no interest in resolutions whatsoever. We asked her if she wanted to try an exercise program like the rest of us. She said no. We asked if maybe she wanted to take up ballet to learn poise. She said no. We asked if she would like to try to curb her toilet paper fetish, but again, she said no. She finally explained, “I don’t like change. I just like everything the way it is.” Isn’t she cute?

Santa Gram?

2008-12-21T22:15:00.005-05:00

Still looking for a way to make some extra cash for Christmas, I searched the Wanted ads very carefully this time and thought I found the perfect job. The ad read, “Looking for the right person for Santa Grams.” Wow, I thought, Santa grahams! I love graham crackers and figured the job had something to do with making little Santa graham cracker cookies, you know, like those little elf cookies, or possibly a taste tester, or even maybe a packager. So, I applied for the job. The interview went well, and quick if I might say, and ended with the manager stating I was perfect for the job. He never actually explained what the job entailed but regardless, I was excited about working with food.

So, I showed up for my first day of work and was terribly confused when the manager handed me a Santa suit and an address. “What?!” “Okay, I get it. I deliver the Santa suit and pick up the Santa Grahams, right?” I asked. “What are you talking about? Don’t be ridiculous. Just put on the suit, go to the party at the address I gave you, do a few Christmas songs, and don’t forget to collect the money,” he grumbled impatiently. Still confused, I asked, “What about the graham crackers?” The manager just blankly stared at me for what seemed like forever, then rolled his eyes and turned and left. Well, here we go again. Another one of those misleading jobs.

But, not to be irresponsible, I donned the suit, beard and all, and headed off to the party. It was a little awkward when I first arrived. Some people screamed “Santa!” while others just giggled sheepishly. Suddenly, an uncomfortable silence took over. Remembering what the manager said, and being a performer by nature, I quickly went into Bing Crosby’s version of White Christmas. The response was pretty good so I figured I’d kick it up a notch with Elvis’ version of Blue Christmas. Boy, was that well received! And my hip action really got the girls going! Before I knew it the crowd was going wild and tips were flying. I didn’t need much encouraging to start break dancing to the tune of Jingle Bell Rock. Everyone went nuts. They all started chanting, “GO SANTA! GO SANTA!” But how I got up on that table Russian dancing to Feliz Navidad in double time, I’ll never know. What a night!

So, it looks like I really did find the perfect job after all. The manager received so many requests for me that I even got a bonus! And not only that, he gave me a case of graham crackers as an early Christmas present.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Christmas Wrapper?

2008-12-15T20:59:00.004-05:00

I got over the fact of being fired right after I heard about this great job offer in one of the local stores. I heard they were looking for a Christmas Rapper and being as musically inclined as I am, I quickly applied for the job. I showed up in my hoodie and bling ready to perform my newly written Christmas Rap. The manager took one look at me, eyebrow raised, and said “Here,” as he handed me some scissors, a tape dispenser, some stupid antlers and a bow tie. He quickly shoved me behind a counter and said, “Wrap all the gifts as efficiently as possible.” Now how am I supposed to wrap gifts without thumbs, I ask you. Tying bows is practically impossible and the tape keeps getting stuck to my fur! In dire need of some extra cash I tried to go with the flow and belted out my Christmas Rap anyway thinking it would entertain the customers standing in line….

My name is Brin Daddy B
And I’m here to say Merry Christmas ya see
I know what you be wishin’
And I’m on a big fat mission
To get the gifts you been askin’ fo
So you don’t be wishin’ for those gifts no mo
I’m here to help the fat man here
Just like I try to do every year
So have yourself a merry merry day
I wouldn’t want it any other way…

After nearly finishing my Rap the manager rushed over and gave me the all familiar “YOU’RE FIRED” spiel. Foiled again! I must research these job offers thoroughly before I apply next time….

Lounging Around

2008-12-08T21:31:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I’m home, practicing Christmas tunes for the twins. Go ahead, ask me why. Well, it all started when I applied for a part time job as a lounge performer to make some extra cash for Christmas. I got the job immediately. I mean, after all, lounge songs are my specialty. I dressed appropriately all set to please the crowd. I figured I’d blow them away with my first song, Look of Love by Burt Bacharach. I barely completed the song when the manager came rushing over to me and brashly said, “It’s the holidays. Do you think you can play something a little more Christmassy?” “Sure!” I replied and belted out Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin. I barely got through the song when I saw the manager come charging at me once again. “Look Mister, I hired you to play Christmas tunes, not elevator music!” he yelled. “That is a Christmas tune. I just sang about scarlet billows. Scarlet is the color of Christmas and billows is what Santa uses to get the fire blazing in the fireplace so no one can figure out how he got down that chimney” I replied. “That’s bellows, not billows, you nit!” he shouted. “Fine, Mr. Cranky” I mumbled under my breath. Everything seemed to be okay for a while until I ripped through Floyd Cramer’s version of Chattanooga Choo Choo. That’s when everything turned from bad to worse. He screamed something incomprehensible about the song and Christmas when I cut him off. “Mr. Manager, Chattanooga Choo Choo’s are under everyone’s Christmas tree going round and round pleasing kids all over the world.” “THAT’S IT! YOU’RE FIRED!” Can you believe it? He actually fired me. Hence, that is the reason why I’m here practicing hum drum Christmas songs with the kids.

We Believe!

2008-11-28T09:05:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving was a hoot! We got up early, ate, took a nap, played a few games of Wii Bowling (Aimee shared my controller since hers is still MIA), took another nap, went for a walk and dove in all the leaves, and found the biggest slug we’d ever seen. Too bad I didn’t have my camera! Then we headed home for the highlight of our day – the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! The best part, of course, was the last 10 minutes when we all rushed over to the TV to cheer Santa’s arrival. Woo Woo! Santa’s here!! So much excitement -- it’s time for a nap!

Time to Spare

2008-11-23T15:21:00.002-05:00

I just love bowling. As a matter of fact, I’ve always wanted to become a professional bowler. But can anybody answer me this…... Why in the world, when you go bowling, do they only give you two shoes? And what’s up with the way they drill the holes in the balls? Do they ever fit anybody? And why is the alley so slippery? A person can break their neck out there! It’s no wonder so many bowling alleys are closing down. But now, I’m doing more bowling than ever since I just sprung for a Wii and got Wii Bowling. It’s amazing!! You don’t need any shoes (two or four), you don’t slip down the alley and go head first into the gutter (although Orielle got a big kick out of it every time I did it), but most importantly, you don’t need an ill-fitting bowling ball! And, I’m so excited about the release this week of AMF Bowling World Lanes which offers Tournament Mode!! How awesome!!! Now, if we can only find Aimee’s game controller……

Practice Makes Perfect

2008-11-16T20:58:00.004-05:00

Okay, so Orielle wasn’t exactly pleased I took a picture of her ironing in her house dress and curlers. So I figured I’d take her out for the day to, you know, make up a little bit for the ironing debacle. I’ve been target practicing lately, and since it was such a nice day out, I invited her to come along. At first, she wasn’t all that keen on going until I mentioned that there would be food there. She quickly changed her tune. Little did she know that she would become more a part of it than she realized, and that the food I mentioned would end up on her head!

Gosh, I'm good!!!

This has been a reenactment. Do not try this at home without a parent or legal guardian present.

Moving On...

2008-11-09T13:09:00.005-05:00

Darn! I didn’t get elected President of the United States, even after all that campaigning I did that day! That’s OK. It was a good thing actually, because on my way home I had time to stop and take a few nature shots. My favorite was the one I like to call “Tennis Ball in Fall Foliage.” But nothing topped what I found when I walked through the door at home. Once AGAIN, I caught Orielle in one of those “moments.” I guess she wasn’t expecting me quite so soon. Ooooh, she’s really gonna kill me for this one!

Vote for Brind'Amour

2008-11-04T06:31:00.003-05:00

Hi. My name is Brind’Amour and I am running for President of the United States. I realize I am a last minute candidate but if you vote for me, I promise, you will not be disappointed. If elected, my first order of business will include the following.

-- Universal (free) pet insurance.
-- Lower interest rates for all first time homeowners who buy new dog houses.
-- Tax breaks on higher education, i.e. Rally-O, Obedience, Tracking, etc., in addition to free Pre-K programs for young pups.
-- Grants to help small business owners get started, i.e. in the categories of gourmet pet bakeries, pet bedding shops, pet toy stores, etc.
-- Building more parks.
-- Installing more fire hydrants in neighborhoods (for safety reasons, of course).
-- No restrictions on pets in public, i.e. malls, restaurants, visiting Santa, etc.

Vote for me! My name is Brind’Amour, and I approve this message.

A Halloween Fairy Tale

2008-10-30T21:38:00.011-04:00

It was a dark and stormy Halloween night. Ok, it wasn’t stormy at all, it was quite nice actually. It was the perfect time of night to go Trick-or-Treating. A brother and sister named Bobby and Annie set out to do just that. Their mission was to fill their bags with goodies. They traveled down the road looking for the houses that might offer the best treats. Before long, they came to a stop at the edge of the woods where a narrow path led the way to the mansion on top of the hill. “Let’s go this way Bobby!” “No, I don’t think we should go that way, Annie. It’s too creepy.” “You’re just trying to scare me, that’s all. Come on, let’s go, Bobby! Big houses always have the best treats!” With that, they set off down the path when suddenly a giant frog jumped out in front of them! “AH!” screamed Annie. The children tried to hurry around the frog in order to get away but the frog somehow kept blocking their way while croaking, “Ribbit, ribbit, RIBBIT, Ribbit!” “Look Mr. Frog, we can’t understand you and we’re heading over to that mansion to get some Halloween treats so kindly GET OUT OF OUR WAY!” shouted Annie. The children managed to get around the slimy frog and continued on their mission. “Gee Annie, I’m not sure we should keep going” Bobby mumbled. “Come on Bobby, we’re almost there and look, the mansion even looks haunted! It’ll be fun, you’ll see.” Without saying anything else, they made their way to the iron gates that surrounded the mansion. Annie pushed them open and practically ran up the steps leading to the front door. She and Bobby both knocked at the same time and realized that the door wasn’t closed at all. It slowly creaked open and lo and behold, there, sitting on top of a table across the room, was the biggest bowl of treats the children had ever laid eyes on. “Annie, I don’t think we should go in there.” “Don’t be silly, Bobby. It’s Halloween and those treats are for Trick-or-Treaters. Let’s go get some!” The children each took a treat, and then another, and another, and another. No matter how many treats the children took, the bowl seemed to never contain any less. “Wow, Bobby, it’s like magic. This house is awesome!” With bags full of treats the children decided they should be heading home. As they turned to leave, their eyes locked on the beady green eyes of a wart-infested witch! The children stopped in their tracks barely able to breathe. The witch let out the most heinous cackle and snatched up the children with lightning speed and dragged them down into the dark, damp basement. She threw them into a cage, slammed the door, and locked it. The witch cackled again and shrieked, “I’ll see you later for… dinner!” She threw the key on the desk as she glided up the stairs. “Oh my God, Bobby. What are we going to do? Why did you bring me here?” “ANNIE! It was your stupid idea to come here. Now, you get us out!” As the children argued they spotted that giant frog they met on the path tapping on the basement window. Being that the frog was so big, it didn’t take much to push open the window and hop down inside. “Hey, hey! Over here! Come help us, Mr. Frog!” shouted Annie. “The key is on the desk over there. Please, go get the key!” pleaded Bobby. Somehow, the frog seemed to understand. He hopped on over to the desk, scooped up the key, and promptly delivered it to the children. “Wow, Mr. Frog, I can’t believe you really got us out of there! Thank you!” Annie said as she and Bobby ran for the window. They piled some boxes up and quickly climbed up and out. The children ran all the way home. The frog followed right behind. They all met on the front porch of their house, completely out of breath. Huffing and puffing, Annie said to the frog, “Thank you so much, Mr. Frog for getting us out of there. How can we ever repay you?” “Ribbit” croaked the frog. With that, Annie leaned over and kissed the frog on the cheek. POOF! The frog suddenly turned into the most handsome prince…..

NO, WAIT! That’s the corny ending that everyone uses! What really happened was that Annie leaned over and kissed the frog and with that ‘POOF’ he turned into a ghost and scared the pants off the children. They ran like the dickens into the house and slammed the door behind them! Their screams were heard from miles away….

The end.

By Brind’Amour

Phantastic!!!

2008-10-30T06:28:00.003-04:00

What a night! What a game! All I can say is GO PHILLIES!!!

We're sooo tired from staying up late but it was so "Werth" it. We were Rockin' and "Rollins." It was "Utley" phantastic! What a "Victorino!" Ok, I'll stop....... zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Halloween Hoopla

2008-10-27T06:43:00.003-04:00

Had a little hoopla this weekend. No one could decide what they wanted to be for Halloween this year. Nothing like waiting 'til the last minute! While we were tossing around ideas, we decorated the house. It looks GREAT and SPOOKY. When we got to the last storage box, Aimee found the Frankenstein and just knew at that moment that she wanted to dress up as the Bride of Frankenstein. But when Benny got wind of that one, he said she didn't even need a costume because she already looks like the Bride of Frankenstein. Then, Aimee gave him that "look" and.... well..... hence, the hoopla.

Phillies Phan

2008-10-20T20:21:00.004-04:00

Let’s go Phillies!! Isn’t it “phan”tastic that the Phillies are going to be in the World Series this year? Normally, I’m a Yankees fan but when they are out, I must root for Philadelphia. After all, I am an Eagles and Flyers fan and I did get my name from one of the Flyers best players at the time. Aimee insists that I add here that Philadelphia also makes the best cream cheese ever! Therefore, that is what she is bringing to the “tail”gate party which will commence two hours before the game on Wednesday. I, myself, am bringing another Philadelphia favorite, cheesesteaks (Mmmmm). Orielle says she's bringing some Pennsylvania Dutch no-salt soft pretzels. Benny, no doubt, will bring pears. What that has to do with Philadelphia is beyond me! Go Phillies!!!

Hooray for Columbus!

2008-10-13T06:47:00.000-04:00

In fourteen hundred ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue….

What a guy! He didn’t even have a GPS unit and found America anyway!! That’s surely worth celebrating!!! Like most people, we too are going to celebrate this momentous holiday. I’m going to watch the parade and eat Italian food. You know, like meatballs and pizza crust. Orielle is going shopping in hopes of getting great Columbus Day sales. And Benny and Aimee are going to spend the day making crafts -- God help us all!!

Safety First!

2008-10-09T21:30:00.001-04:00

Since it’s National Fire Prevention Week, let’s review the fire safety checklist.
1) Avoid shoving stuffed toys and rope toys in electrical outlets.
2) Teach youngsters to not chew on electrical wires.
3) No rough housing inside (Benny!) to avoid knocking over burning candles.
4) Avoid flinging toys on top of a lit stove.
5) Change batteries yearly in all smoke detectors (but how you get up there to do that is beyond me!).
6) Teach the “Stop, Drop, and Roll” technique in case your coat catches fire (not the “Drop, Roll Half Way Over, and Stop” technique that Orielle practices so brilliantly).
7) And finally, designate escape routes in each room and practice regularly (and I don’t mean through the wall Aimee!).
Don’t forget, safety first! (Then cookies, then kibble, then toys……)

Breaking the Bank

2008-10-07T21:06:00.005-04:00

We’re back! Our sailing trip was great – we soaked up some rays, enjoyed the wind, and even saw some dolphins…. or, maybe they were sharks, we’re not sure. How do you tell the difference anyway? I never realized how expensive sailing was. I spent just about every penny I had saved in my piggy bank to pay for the trip. It was worth it but I may have to start thinking about getting a job if I want to pursue sailing and a number of new hobbies for the winter. The good news is that I never had to pay the sitter for watching the kids. When we got home the sitter was nowhere to be found. Bells and whistles went off in my head when I found Aimee hiding under the end table pretending to look innocent. After searching for some time I finally discovered something peculiar about the closet door. The toilet paper spewing from around the door and the muffled noises coming from inside told me that something wasn’t quite right. When I opened the door and found the sitter wrapped up in tons of toilet paper like a mummy I knew that Aimee was behind this one since she has a penchant for toilet paper. When I finally got the sitter unwrapped she just sailed right out the door without so much as a thank you or a good bye. How rude was that!

All Aboard!

2008-10-02T21:10:00.003-04:00

Ahoy mates! The forecast looks great, the time is right, so Orielle and I are going on a weekend getaway. I'm taking her sailing! I also packed our snorkeling gear. My only concern is leaving the kids with the sitter..........

Happy 5769!

2008-09-30T07:27:00.003-04:00

I’d like to wish all my Jewish friends a happy Rosh Hashanah. As you all know, Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the Jewish year and, the “birthday” of all of creation. WOW! The birthday of all of creation?! Does that mean it’s my birthday too then? I just love celebrating….. anything actually…. especially when it involves food and rest. Oy vey! Gefilte fish and a nap! What a day!!!

Pear Watching 101

2008-09-24T20:54:00.003-04:00

Well, Benny and Aimee are back. I came to realize that they were in the tunnel all along but just hiding under Benny’s magical invisibility cape. Him and his magic tricks! That little weasel!! When he’s not practicing his magic tricks you can find him sitting under the pear tree waiting patiently for a pear to fall. Sometimes it even looks like he’s mind-melding with the pears. He sure does love his fruit! I swear that boy must be a vegetarian! I have an idea -- maybe he should use some magic on the pear tree to make all the pears fall…..and while he’s busy scoffing them up, I can swipe his dinner!!!

The Big Experiment

2008-09-21T21:01:00.004-04:00

In looking for larger test subjects it was suggested that I use tennis balls or cookies, or things of that nature. However, I felt that using even larger subjects might produce even larger results. I ultimately did use tennis balls and cookies, just not in that capacity. My goal was to capture and photograph two large subjects colliding in a tunnel at amazingly high speeds. I chose to send Benny in through one end of the tunnel using tennis balls as his accelerator and I sent Aimee in through the opposite end using cookies as her accelerator. Man! Can those two move! A few seconds later I heard a BIG BANG but unfortunately my camera malfunctioned and it was never recorded. I waited and waited but neither Aimee nor Benny emerged from the tunnel. I decided to go in and look for them. Hmmm….where could they be? I went around that darn tunnel three times and found no sign of either of them. Perhaps there really is such a thing as a black hole! Oh well…maybe I can have their dinner!!

The Experiment

2008-09-18T21:31:00.003-04:00

One interesting thing about this whole subatomic particle/proton collider thingy is that some believe that if these so called microscopic particles collide at a tremendously high speed it could possibly create a black hole. Hmmm…...intriguing. So, I conducted a few experiments of my own. To my dismay, not only did nothing collide but these microscopic particles are so stinking small you can barely see them. I mean, what is the point of that? What are these scientists thinking? And, are there really such things as black holes anyway? Personally, I think using larger subjects that are visible to the naked eye might produce larger results. Let’s just see…….

What Does it "Matter"?

2008-09-14T19:48:00.002-04:00

Listen to this…. It says here that scientists set up this gigantic lab in Switzerland that contains the world’s most powerful particle collider buried inside a 17 mile circular tunnel. WHAT?!!! Let me get this straight. They are spending billions and billions of dollars on equipment and cameras just to see subatomic particles whiz around a tunnel until they collide like bumper cars. WHY?!!! It seems that the purpose of the experiment is to search for other dimensions, dark matter, and antimatter. Hmmm… Don’t the Swiss have better things to do? I mean, aren’t they busy enough making Swiss steak and Swiss cheese, climbing the Swiss Alps, sharpening their Swiss army knives, calibrating their Swiss army watches, and most importantly, putting those tiny little marshmallows in those little packets of Swiss Miss hot chocolate? Those Swiss are sure busy people! Maybe I need to conduct a few subatomic experiments of my own…....

Go Eagles! Go Eagles!

2008-09-10T20:42:00.003-04:00

I'm still working on understanding the tennis thing but at least the game of football makes sense. See, someone throws the ball to you, you catch it, and run like the dickens while people chase you! It makes perfect sense...

U.S. Open Review

2008-09-06T09:36:00.002-04:00

Let me ask you this…who in their right mind would toss a tennis ball back to someone who just hit it to you, huh? Something about that is just not right. If a tennis ball soars in your direction, it’s only natural to catch it and keep it, not toss it back, right? I mean, that’s really weird, no? It’s not like I didn’t have fun at the U.S. Open, I just don’t understand the game, that’s all. I actually had quite a good time. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is an amazing playground! But after a few hours of baking in the sun and trying to understand the point of this game, something came over me. I was compelled to get a closer look…. a MUCH closer look. While down there on the courts, I caught a few balls for Benny, mostly on the first bounce too! I was having a great time, that is, until the security guards came and tossed me out. Well, I’m back home with a few souvenirs, just hanging around waiting for football season to start.

Kitchen Nightmares

2008-09-04T21:30:00.003-04:00

Whoa! Am I the only one who didn’t know that tonight was the season opener of “Kitchen Nightmares?” Good thing I found out just in time! I mean, Chef Ramsey is my idol. He thinks he’s got problems? We have our very own kitchen nightmare right here! And her name starts and ends with vowels (and I’m not talking about her mother!)

Birthday Bash

2008-09-02T21:12:00.005-04:00

So, yesterday was Orielle’s birthday and even though some of the decorations were unusable (thanks to Aimee), the party went off without a hitch. We started off with some music and Freestyle dancing and then moved on to Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Dawgie. Following that, we busted open a Piñata filled with cinnamon cookies and peanut butter treats. Let’s just say we did not use traditional methods to open it up. No sticks of any kind were used, mostly because I have a compulsion to eat them. Afterwards, Benny entertained us with his amazing magic act. He opened with juggling, not one, not two, but three tennis balls! Whoa! That guy was good! Using his incredible sleight-of-paw he did his Disappearing-Tennis-Ball-Under-the-Cup trick. And if that wasn’t enough, he also pulled a Tennis-Ball-Out-of-the-Hat! And for the grand finale he performed his famous Sawing-the-Tennis-Ball-in-Half trick. Believe me when I say, THAT DUDE WAS AWESOME! We then sang to Orielle, showered her with presents, and had her favorite Liver Cake with whipped cream icing.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2008-08-30T20:14:00.003-04:00

Well, we were supposed to have our Labor Day picnic today but it appears that we have been rained out. I couldn’t believe it – I had to go out and check for myself. After all, they said it was supposed to be sunny today. But then again, what do those weather forecasters know anyway. Even though rain is one of my favorite kinds of weather, it isn’t suitable for grilling. It is however, quite suitable for bobbing for tennis balls in puddles. Especially during hurricanes. I remember being a little kid when Hurricane Floyd hit and flooded the yard. Talk about bobbing! MAN! Was that fun! Who’s Floyd anyway? Do we know?

The Perfect Plan

2008-08-27T21:00:00.003-04:00

This is Aimee. Need I say more?

... let me just add, that it was the perfect plan. I snuck out of the house like a ninja and headed for the party store to buy some supplies for Orielle's upcoming birthday on September 1st. I found all the decorations I needed. I even managed to sneak back into the house unnoticed. It couldn't have been more perfect. I quickly hid the bag of decorations from snooping eyes and big schnozzes and went to go get a nice cold drink from the kitchen. But when I returned... well, let's just say, it WAS the perfect plan. All I heard in the background was that wise cracker Benny chanting, "Aimee's in trouble. Aimee's in trouble!" That girl's not in trouble. She can't help it. She's just.... um.... enthusiastic. Yeah.

Power Shopper

2008-08-24T16:03:00.002-04:00

Orielle spent most of the morning trying to convince me to take her back-to-school shopping for the kids. Against my better judgment, I finally gave in. It’s not that she’s not fun to shop with; it’s just that her perception of time is a little askew, if you know what I mean. Her version of “a little while” amounts to at least three hours, and when she says “a few things,” it really means at least five bags! I know with school right around the corner, Orielle was anxious to get Benny the supplies he needed for his advanced obedience class. She was also excited about getting Aimee’s supplies but not overly excited with Aimee’s teacher who “strongly” suggested she repeat kindergarten… again. What do teachers know anyway! That girl is smart. She just needs… um… guidance. Yeah. So, like I predicted, we came home three hours later, carrying five bags, and totally exhausted. Boy, can that girl shop!

Picnic in the Park

2008-08-21T17:55:00.003-04:00

In order to make up for the bubble bath debacle, I invited Orielle to go on a nice picnic in the park, just the two of us, to get out of the house, and away from the kids for a little while. Silly me. My mistake was I thought “nice” meant relaxing and quiet.

It was a beautiful sunny day and we found the perfect spot by the river to lay our blanket. I took out some snacks and drinks and got my camera ready in hopes of getting some good nature shots to add to my portfolio. Just as I got comfy, Orielle was off! First, she went to go say “hi” to a turtle who was dozing and sunning himself on a log by the water. Wow! I never saw a turtle wake up and move so fast! Well, there went my turtle shot. Then, I tried to coax her back for a snack but on her way a dragonfly resting on some reeds caught her eye. He took off, and that girl chased him around that willow tree…must have been four, five times! I kid you not. Made me dizzy! I guess no dragonfly shot either. Orielle finally came back for a drink but within seconds took off like lightning after a flock of geese. “GO BACK TO CANADA!” she barked! I’m not sure if they understood her but they took off heading in the right direction. Looks like no nature shots of any kind.

Did I mention that I thought this was going to be relaxing and quiet??

Surprise!!

2008-08-19T14:37:00.003-04:00

I have to say, it's good to be home. I got here a little earlier than expected and oddly found the house quite empty. I searched around -- the kids were outside playing, but where in the world was Orielle? I remembered seeing the bathroom door completely closed on my way in and feared that she might have somehow accidentally locked herself in. I rushed over there, pushed open the door, only to find her taking a bubble bath. Hee, hee, hee. Fortunately (for me), I still had my camera around my neck from my trip. Isn't she cute? Oooh, she is so gonna kill me for this!