It's been a whole month.

It's been a month since the last post. I always say that. Faye is huge, She just got her drivers license and has started applying to colleges. Not really but she did go on a road trip to San Francisco. I went for work and the ladies came with me. Faye saw her first snow in Mt. Shasta city. Mt. Shasta is cool in the middle of winter. We stayed at The Woodsman Lodge and it offered "the bottomless bottle of wine" by fireside. Once in SF we stayed with Al and Adriane, our long time super friends. The trip back from SF had it's own adventures. I-5 was closed at Redding due to heavy snows for 5 hours. I bought some chains after it re-opened and we headed up the hill in the snow. about 25 miles from the top of the pass it was mandatory to chain up. Faye learned a bunch of new words while I was trying to put my first set of chains on. A few times along that drive I had that "what the hell am I doing" feeling.
Faye is enrolled in a Montessori day school that starts March 1st. She'll be learning all kinds of stuff. Apparently she'll know sign language before she can talk and she'll be learning spanish from the time she can say her first words. I can already see it in her eyes, she thinks she's better than me! Ah who are we kidding... she is!!
Other than that she is eating and sleeping like a champ and diapers are filling up like a landfill.

Outside our room at The Woodsman Lodge

Fran and Faye and some random bridge.

Silly bridge

Al Bird trying to front like he's the Dad.

Faye's real Dad

Proof that Faye is an elf.

Al and Faye were buddies he taught her how to play drums

Adrianes short ribs were way better than Phonelines.

"Faye this is Red Leader...Stay on target...Stay on target"

BLOWOUT!!

This is what Faye looks like with a hat on...

This is what Faye looks like without a hat on.

The night before we left San Francisco, Al and Adriane took us to their favorite meat restaurant.It was seriously the coolest place and it was VERY serious about prime rib. It's called the House of Prime Rib."The Hopper". The name was no joke. It literally was a house made of meat. The menu went something like this... Meat...Meatier...Meatiest. Those were your choices.
Our wonderful hosts. Thanks Al and Adriane!!

Check out this menu. No Bullshit just meat.

This old guy holding Faye has been seating people in front of meat at The Hopper since the gold rush

Al named these the Meat Zeppelins. They just flew around carrying lots of hot meat.

This is the interior of a Meat Zeppelin.

My buddy Brad even came out to The Hopper. Hi Brad.

Wang our waiter couldn't have been happier.

Bye Bye for now.

Buttermaker wears the Scarab

The Scarab was the Logo of the 1970's/1980's band Journey. Today Faye wanted to wear the bug onesie that Melanie and Brian got her. She was laughing her ass off at how big the singer of Journey, Steve Perry's nose is. What a beak!

BURP...

We did a little family "photoshoot" while Mom was here. I was running around like some 1950's Dad. I had the hat and the tiny camera on a giant tri-pod, everything. I'd focus, set the timer and hurry to take my place on the couch and sit. snap flash DAMMIT!!! It was amazing how hard it was to take a picture of yourself. After about 15 tries and getting frustrated I said "alright dammit everyone hold still one more" Focus...Push the shutter...run...sit..BURP...Flash BINGO!! Faye burped right in mid shutter and here is what we came away with. It couldn't have been a better family portrait. We all look insane. Perfect.

BIG NEW POST or LORDY LORDY MOMMY'S 40

Have I let you down!? Are you chomping at the bit for more pics of Buttermaker?
Fear not my loyal readers, this is going to be a hearty new post. I know how much you like to snoop into our lives and I will not let you down. Faye has reached 10 pounds. She can roll over from her stomach to her back. She is wearing her first pair of blue jeans today. She went to an art opening Friday night (wearing a shirt that said "watch your fu**ing mouth around the baby". Yes we have turned into "those people". She is wearing tiny little shoes. She is owning it!! Grandma Pat is here this week and today we are all going to Powell's to be book nerds. If you see Fran please ask her about the "Doug Fir diaper incident" it's a good story that involves a super messy diaper and a public bathroom. All I can say is... when Fran and Faye returned to the table, they both looked like they had just robbed a bank.

I also just want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRAN. You are even more beautiful than the day I met you. (That day in 1989 when you bit me in a bar)

Rocket and Rockets Mom and Dad came over for dinner. Check out Rocket. Keep it clean Rocket! Eyes up...Eyes up!

OHIO STATE BLEW IT BIG TIME!!

We walked into Fayes room and saw a guilty looking Earl on Buttermakers activity pad.

Look how guilty he is.

After Earl spent 5 minutes in time out, Fran used him as a prop in a photo shoot.

This is Faye's signature sweater. White double breasted with a flipped up collar. She likes to think it invokes a feeling of royalty.

Queen Ann and The Duke of Earl????

Margi and Coady were in Portland the first week of January and all the girls showed up to flirt with Coady. What a dick.

Hal and Kim Curtis gave this Tiffany bank to Faye. Her she is putting her imaginary gold coins into it.

What?

Chicken Earl has lost his friggen mind.

Grandma Pat came to Portland all the way from Ohio via the Oregon Trail. As soon we put the oxen up for the night we headed out to see Riswold who curated a show called WAR at some random gallery in North Portland.
Here is a shy Hitler with Mom, Fran and Faye. (The photo is called "Knock knock. Who's there? The Russian Army."

Mussolini was there to great us with a good old fashioned Italian fist shake.

I liked the little sign on this table that said "Please don't set anything on Hitler"

And I saved the best for last...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRANNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:- )

Happy New Year

Shit...Where did 2007 go? I guess it went where every other year goes.
I am just going to post a bunch of photos from the month of December today.
I'll keep it short and sweet. We hope you have a great 2008. Make sure you eat some pork and sauerkraut on the first for good luck. We have a pork roast in the crockpot right now. I'm showing Buttermaker how we do.
xo

Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you.

Faye looking for her first Christmas tree with Mom.

Cut the tree down Buttermaker!!

Georgie, who works with Aunt Katie bought Faye these awesome Browns pajamas. The Browns had a great season and Buttermaker was happy.

But then the stinkin' Browns blew their playoff hopes and she was pissed.

We are really happy that the TV show American Gladiators is coming back. It was by far the most entertaining idiotic show of the late 80's early 90's. If you don't remember watch this. It should refresh your memory or at least let you in on how much fun it was.
CLICK HERE FOR RETARD GLADIATOR VIDEO
Chalk these next two photos up to plain old good genetics.


Every Christmas Eve day we go to John Helmer the Haberdasher and buy hats. Pete and Michelle have gone with us the last 2 years. We not only had Faye with us this year but Adam Daneen came all the way from London to share in the tradition. This is a good group photo. Check out our friend Granny Gums playing Santa Claus. She made it extra festive.


Pete and Michelle...new chapeaux's

We had dinner at our house Christmas day. Whitey and Sorenne. Matt, Illick, Corky and Thor came by for Turkey with all the trimmings.
Here's Whitey and Sorenne with Clark and Earl.

Illick does his best "Diamond Broker" impersonation.

Gordon vs. Illick Portland 1918

It didn't take us long to get this oldie but a goodie. "Baby with Booze"

Mommy and Butter Eatin' Turkey.

Illick stole Fayes bib. (And he needed it)

Fran took this next set of pics and they are AWESOME!

Sometimes it gets real messy around here.

But it's always a friggin blast!!

We'll Send you away with a good old fashioned out of focus kick ass photo. Happy 2008 everyone!!