I know I've been slacking on this blog, but after the St. MinneSomePlace 2012 Pre-PHlocking, I have plenty to add :) So this year's This Hotel Room PHlocking is being held in Shakopee. The official PHlocking starts tomorrow at 3pm, but Friday night many of the people arrive at the hotel to start the socializing and partying, staying at the hotel until Sunday morning. The pre-PHlocking was held in the lounge/bar/restaurant at the hotel and featured live performances by Jambo JoeBones, Matt Wahl, Jim Hoehn, Dave Herzog, and Bo Ridley. The place was packed to the point where it was hard to walk around.
I enjoyed the time to catch up with several people I know, a couple who came up from Iowa and others who live in the Twin Cities. And apparently Jambo knows me because after he was done performing, I was talking with my mom and a friend and he came up and gave me a big hug and said, "It's great to see you!" Welcome to my world.
Interesting songs of the evening: a new version of Margaritaville called "Minnesotaville". And then there was a Wisconsin all about beer. (Yep, we're all shocked.) The disappointment of the evening was that we didn't get to hear "I'm Feeling Nautical Tonight."
My mom and her friend Lisa are apparently stalkers of Jim Hoehn. They see him play all the time and make sure they ALWAYS get their picture taken with him. So, yes, a new picture was taken this evening. What do they do with those pictures? Well, probably nothing. Hopefully they can at least find where they saved all the pictures.
And then there's the adventure with my parents' friends and the things they say. Yes, I hear WAY more than I ever wanted to, especially from the one who is obsessed with sex. According to him, my mom's purse was filled with condoms and marijuana. Since I'm already scarred for life from all the things I have heard from him, I will refrain from scarring you as well. Feel free to thank me for saving you from having to have those things enter your mom. If you ever want to feel awkward because you're with your parents and someone keeps bringing up his own sex life or your parents' sex life, I guess I can introduce you.
Yes, this is just a glimpse into some quality time with the ParrottHeads. But let me clarify, these are some of the nicest, friendliest people you will meet!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
ParrotHead Float
I just realized that I never got these pictures posted. This is the float that the ParrotHeads built in my parents' garage at the end of November/beginning of December. I did the writing on the back (yes, I know you all spend time at your parents' house painting on the back of a float version of the Griswold house).
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Christmas with the Smiths
Merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior.
We're leaving shortly for my aunt's house in NE Iowa for Christmas. Because of this, my family opened gifts last night. Here were a few of the highlights:
We're leaving shortly for my aunt's house in NE Iowa for Christmas. Because of this, my family opened gifts last night. Here were a few of the highlights:
Dad on Christmas movies (again) at the breakfast table: “These Christmas movies are really hard on the tough guys. The only guys who have a chance are the gay guys.”
Mom opens gift from Sara, which was Hawkeye sweat pants and a sweatshirt.
Sara: “Mom, guess what I got you.”
Mom: “It’s clothes…. It’s lingerie.”
Sara: “Yeah, Mom I got you lingerie. That would be weird.”
This leads to a conversation about the lingerie my mom got when my parents got married. (WHO has these conversations while opening Christmas gifts?!?!?!?)
Mom opens Hawkeye sweat pants and a sweatshirt.
Sara: “Mom, go in the bathroom and try them on.”
Mom just starts undressing in the living room.
Dad: “I’m going to get you clothes more often.”
Dad’s turn to open a gift.
Dad: “I hope you didn’t get me boxers and expect me to try them on for you.”
I got Dad a Hawkeye steering wheel cover. (Yes, Christmas is the only time of the year buy Hawkeye things. It's a sacrifice I make to keep my family happy.) He wasn't sure he really liked it, but had a lot of fun playing with it. There was a small opening between the cardboard in the middle and the actual steering wheel cover. He sat there for the longest time holding it up to his face so that we could just see his eyes through that hole. I wish I had a picture...it would probably be much more fun that just hearing the story. It was pretty funny til his eye starting swelling up. Apparently you're not supposed to hold the steering wheel cover to your eye.
As I'm writing this, we're getting ready to leave. Since it's 37 degrees out today with no snow on the ground (boo!), my dad just asked, "Can I wear shorts today?" Really? 37 is NOT shorts weather, Father.
I will work on getting you a picture soon of my dad's other Christmas gift. It's pretty unique!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Friday & Saturday Travel Adventures
I don't really know where to start with the adventures of the past 24 hours. My mom, dad & I drove up to La Crosse last night to visit my grandma in the hospital. Here are some of the highlights of the trip:
* It was dark while we were traveling, so it was fun to look at all the Christmas lights while driving. I believe it was around Lynxville, WI (yep, welcome to Wisconson!), when we came around a curve and saw that a house that was up on a little hill had a lit-up Santa out front peeing down the hill. Yep, the had rope lighting coming down to look like he was peeing. Well, that became the theme joke of the trip.
* Dad wasn't happy with the hotel choice for the evening and kept complaining about it. We didn't have a confirmed reservation (they were just holding a room under the name Smith and didn't take a credit card or anything), so we kept telling him he could go wherever. But he kept driving to the Days Inn and complaining the whole way. And it was snowing (very pretty!!), which made him complain more. On the drive from the hospital to the hotel, he declared, "We're stayin' in a frickin' winter wonderland." Soon followed by, "Let's go bar hoppin." Then, "I think I'm going to become and alcoholic." Followed by, "I think I'd like to have amnesia." It was only a 15 minute drive, but completely filled with commentary.
* At the hotel, Dad was crabby because it was an older hotel and didn't have a flat screen TV. The TV was a big, old box and the screen was really fuzzy. So Mr. Crabbypants just went to bed. My mom had SO much fun with the remote it was almost as if she had never seen a cable TV before. However, nothing good was on. She asks me, "What kind of shows does TLC have?" I replied, "Dumb ones, you won't like them." She turns to TLC, "What kind?" "Dumb ones, like 'Say Yes to the Dress." (which was on) The chick on there was upset that the dress she wanted was $10,000 but her mom said she wouldn't pay more then $6,000. While the daughter is whining, my mom is sitting on the hotel bed cheering on the mom to hold her ground. The next girl is on, a guy friend enters and my mom exclaims, "That's Hollywood gay!" Really, Mom? Once we get to the commercial break, my mom asks, "Is this really a whole show about them just picking out wedding dresses?" "Yep, I told you they were dumb shows."
* Today on the way home, Dad was determined to find the Santa peeing again. He was pretty obsesses with the peeing Santa. He wants one really bad. That's all he wants for Christmas...a Santa peeing off his roof. If he gets a Santa peeing off his roof, then he'll allow people to come over and watch the Iowa State bowl game that's on before the Iowa bowl game. I asked that if the Santa's wearing a Cyclone shirt and peeing on the Hawkeye flag if that'll confirm it. His response that then he's going to shoot the Cyclones. (Yep, there's definite hostility there. Others want to watch the game and he doesn't want to because he hates Iowa State and will just spend the afternoon fighting with everyone else who will cheer for ISU when they're not playing Iowa.)
* Mom told us a story she heard on the radio, wondering if we had heard anything about it. Apparently some guy was drowning and a cat saved him by pulling him to shore and giving him mouth-to-mouth. Dad and I are in the front seat cracking up that she's even asking this if we've heard that it's true. Supposedly it was on a radio show and some guy called in all upset that the guy had his cat who he had trained. The guy was demanding he return the cat. But my mom had already been sitting in the driveway for 5 minutes listening to this and had to come inside.
* Backstory: 6 years ago at Christmas, while driving to and from family Christmas, my dad starting rewriting Christmas songs using the word 'gay'. The favorite? Frosty the Gay Man. Yep! This year: Dad starts singing Christmas songs incorporating a peeing Santa. "You'd better watch out, you'd better get an umbrealla, Santa Claus is peeing in town...." Mom and I were dying. Again, obsessed with the peeing Santa.
* Final story: we stopped for dinner at a little bar/restaurant in Alburnett that my parents really like. You know you're in small town Iowa for dinner when:
- There's a 5 year old girl sitting on the bar coloring (yes, I know she's 5 because someone asked her how old she was)
- There's a customer appreciation dinner...that's FREE for regular customers. We were the only people in there tonight getting menu and paying for our food.
- The dinner buffet contains a few crock pots with food in them and cupcakes with a can of Redi Whip beside them to top them yourself.
I hope you enjoyed this little story of our trip. I'm sure I've forgotten several of our moments. Oh yes, here's one more... You know you're in Wisconsin when you go into a store that is a sporting store (Dad was looking at boat motors to buy), a liquor store (with cheaper alcohol than anywhere else...and we're talking a LARGE selection) and a cheese store all in one. Here's a picture of what you see upon entering:
Yes, that is a selection of guns to buy, hanging right over the booze. The best part of the time in the store? There was a family with 2 little boys that walked in and got REALLY excited. "Which one could I shoot? I'm gonna go shoot those deer." The parents were fairly embarrassed and said, quite loudly, "We don't get out much. We live in the city. This is new to them."
* It was dark while we were traveling, so it was fun to look at all the Christmas lights while driving. I believe it was around Lynxville, WI (yep, welcome to Wisconson!), when we came around a curve and saw that a house that was up on a little hill had a lit-up Santa out front peeing down the hill. Yep, the had rope lighting coming down to look like he was peeing. Well, that became the theme joke of the trip.
* Dad wasn't happy with the hotel choice for the evening and kept complaining about it. We didn't have a confirmed reservation (they were just holding a room under the name Smith and didn't take a credit card or anything), so we kept telling him he could go wherever. But he kept driving to the Days Inn and complaining the whole way. And it was snowing (very pretty!!), which made him complain more. On the drive from the hospital to the hotel, he declared, "We're stayin' in a frickin' winter wonderland." Soon followed by, "Let's go bar hoppin." Then, "I think I'm going to become and alcoholic." Followed by, "I think I'd like to have amnesia." It was only a 15 minute drive, but completely filled with commentary.
* At the hotel, Dad was crabby because it was an older hotel and didn't have a flat screen TV. The TV was a big, old box and the screen was really fuzzy. So Mr. Crabbypants just went to bed. My mom had SO much fun with the remote it was almost as if she had never seen a cable TV before. However, nothing good was on. She asks me, "What kind of shows does TLC have?" I replied, "Dumb ones, you won't like them." She turns to TLC, "What kind?" "Dumb ones, like 'Say Yes to the Dress." (which was on) The chick on there was upset that the dress she wanted was $10,000 but her mom said she wouldn't pay more then $6,000. While the daughter is whining, my mom is sitting on the hotel bed cheering on the mom to hold her ground. The next girl is on, a guy friend enters and my mom exclaims, "That's Hollywood gay!" Really, Mom? Once we get to the commercial break, my mom asks, "Is this really a whole show about them just picking out wedding dresses?" "Yep, I told you they were dumb shows."
* Today on the way home, Dad was determined to find the Santa peeing again. He was pretty obsesses with the peeing Santa. He wants one really bad. That's all he wants for Christmas...a Santa peeing off his roof. If he gets a Santa peeing off his roof, then he'll allow people to come over and watch the Iowa State bowl game that's on before the Iowa bowl game. I asked that if the Santa's wearing a Cyclone shirt and peeing on the Hawkeye flag if that'll confirm it. His response that then he's going to shoot the Cyclones. (Yep, there's definite hostility there. Others want to watch the game and he doesn't want to because he hates Iowa State and will just spend the afternoon fighting with everyone else who will cheer for ISU when they're not playing Iowa.)
* Mom told us a story she heard on the radio, wondering if we had heard anything about it. Apparently some guy was drowning and a cat saved him by pulling him to shore and giving him mouth-to-mouth. Dad and I are in the front seat cracking up that she's even asking this if we've heard that it's true. Supposedly it was on a radio show and some guy called in all upset that the guy had his cat who he had trained. The guy was demanding he return the cat. But my mom had already been sitting in the driveway for 5 minutes listening to this and had to come inside.
* Backstory: 6 years ago at Christmas, while driving to and from family Christmas, my dad starting rewriting Christmas songs using the word 'gay'. The favorite? Frosty the Gay Man. Yep! This year: Dad starts singing Christmas songs incorporating a peeing Santa. "You'd better watch out, you'd better get an umbrealla, Santa Claus is peeing in town...." Mom and I were dying. Again, obsessed with the peeing Santa.
* Final story: we stopped for dinner at a little bar/restaurant in Alburnett that my parents really like. You know you're in small town Iowa for dinner when:
- There's a 5 year old girl sitting on the bar coloring (yes, I know she's 5 because someone asked her how old she was)
- There's a customer appreciation dinner...that's FREE for regular customers. We were the only people in there tonight getting menu and paying for our food.
- The dinner buffet contains a few crock pots with food in them and cupcakes with a can of Redi Whip beside them to top them yourself.
I hope you enjoyed this little story of our trip. I'm sure I've forgotten several of our moments. Oh yes, here's one more... You know you're in Wisconsin when you go into a store that is a sporting store (Dad was looking at boat motors to buy), a liquor store (with cheaper alcohol than anywhere else...and we're talking a LARGE selection) and a cheese store all in one. Here's a picture of what you see upon entering:
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Convos in the Smith House
So apparently I'm not good at the long-term keeping up with projects. Tonight my father spent a while downloading new songs from iTunes while my mom kept trying to give hints about how it's better to buy gift cards for iTunes because of the Christmas deals...mainly trying to not give away the fact that she's already bought him iTunes gift cards for Christmas. Yeah, he never caught on. So I just came upstairs to hear "Pretty Woman" blasting from their bedroom. Apparently he wanted the new songs to play on the stereo to fall asleep to.
In other news, here are some of the conversations that happened yesterday while watching Christmas movies:
In other news, here are some of the conversations that happened yesterday while watching Christmas movies:
Dad: “These movies have to be hard on the guys. The girls never go for a tough guy. You never see them want the factory worker.”
Mom: “Well, she’s going for the unemployed actor.”
Dad: “That’s not tough. That’s more of the gay, liberal craftsy guy.”
Dad: “Katie, are you going to be a minister? Pastor Katie.”
Me: “No.”
Dad: “Are you going to be a nun? Sister Theresa.”
Me: "Yep, you got it, my lifelong dream."
Dad: “Katie, Mom’s getting hot over here.”
Me: “Open the door.”
Dad: “Good idea Pastor Katie.”
While watching Hallmark (I think) movie where the girl doesn't want to face her mom again for the holidays being single. So she hires a man to pretend to be her fiancee. I'm sitting on the couch watching the movie, Dad's sitting at the computer playing solitaire and making plenty of entertaining comments. Then...
"Katie, you should do that for Christmas next year. Bring home a fake fiancee."
Okay, Dad. Really? How in the world am I supposed to respond to that one. Sure, I'll get right on that. So if anyone has any ideas for how to find a fake fiancee for Thanksgiving or Christmas next year, let me know. I'm not really sure what to start with that one.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Really???
Tonight I was looking for something to eat. In an effort to see if there was anything in the freezer, I had to start taking things out so I decided I might as well clean out my mom's freezer. Of all the interesting things I could find, I found tissue paper in the freezer. Really? WHO has tissue paper in their freezer?????
In other news, I wasn't feeling very good tonight, so once my dad got home, he started flipping through the channels for about 10 minutes. Then he started playing a word game on the Tivo, so I was just sitting there playing a game on my computer. After 2 of his games, this is the conversation:
Dad: "Well, I gotta go to bed. I gotta get up and go make some money for your mama. That's pretty important, huh? You'll have to remember that when you find a guy."
Me: "Okay."
Dad: "Will you make sure to remember that? If you ever meet a guy, make sure you him, 'Are you gonna bring home the money for mama?' Will you do that?"
Me: "Sure." (not spoken very confidently)
Dad: "Well, I'm glad you got to spend this quality time with me." And walks off to go to bed.
Yep, there's an evening in the Smith household for you.
In other news, I wasn't feeling very good tonight, so once my dad got home, he started flipping through the channels for about 10 minutes. Then he started playing a word game on the Tivo, so I was just sitting there playing a game on my computer. After 2 of his games, this is the conversation:
Dad: "Well, I gotta go to bed. I gotta get up and go make some money for your mama. That's pretty important, huh? You'll have to remember that when you find a guy."
Me: "Okay."
Dad: "Will you make sure to remember that? If you ever meet a guy, make sure you him, 'Are you gonna bring home the money for mama?' Will you do that?"
Me: "Sure." (not spoken very confidently)
Dad: "Well, I'm glad you got to spend this quality time with me." And walks off to go to bed.
Yep, there's an evening in the Smith household for you.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The Bedroom Tree
Only one of the three trees is done. The big one will take all 3 of us to get the lights and beads on. Hopefully there will be pictures of that by this weekend. But for now, here are a couple pictures of the tropical tree in my parents' bedroom. For the record, my mom already had all of this in the basement. The only things purchased were the tree, tree stand, lights, tree skirt (totally my dad's doing on the tree skirt).
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