Blending Barbies and Walking with Stilts

On Friday, July 27, we have had to be quite inventive when it comes to celebrating some of today's holidays. However, one of the holidays came rather easily: Bagpipe Appreciation Day. I've definitely always enjoyed the soothing sounds of the bagpipe, and it's too bad that one of the only times most people hear bagpipe music is when used to play "Amazing Grace" at funerals. Personally, I prefer the bagpipes when used in the rockin' tunes of the Dropkick Murphys! (Thanks to both Space and Justin for their celebratory videos posted on Facebook!)

Next up, we have Barbie-in-a-Blender Day. While this holiday may not seem too difficult to celebrate, we decided that we wanted to find all of the celebratory items through thrift stores on the cheap. We were able to find quite a variety of Barbie dolls, but, apparently, no one likes to donate their blenders to thrift stores. So, we had to improvise.

Barbie procured (Thanks to Jill for pointing out that this may not actually be a tried and true Barbie but still made by Mattel, so I think we're ok.)

 Our improv on the blender turned out to be the Magic Bullet blender. Barbie didn't fit too well!

 Before the blend.

Watch that head spin! It's like Beetlejuice! (Jen, I think you'll will enjoy this.)

 And after the blend!

This is just funny!

So, what's the deal with Barbie in a Blender Day? I'm glad you asked! The origin started with a Utah artist named Tom Forsythe who decided to blend a Barbie. Mattel Corporation found his photo less than amusing and sued the poor man. After that, Barbie in a Blender Day was born! Hope you had as much fun as we did!

Our third holiday celebration of the day allowed us to enjoy being in our pants. It was Take Your Pants for a Walk Day! I wish this holiday was during a bit colder of a month since pants in July in NM isn't always the best idea, but what the heck. Why not? Here's your Holiday Hero strutting his stuff:

 Love his itty bitty feet!

 These pants are ready to go!

Perusing the aisles for a Barbie to blend!

Finally, today is Walk on Stilts Day. Unfortunately, we do not have stilts nor know anyone with stilts to lend. But never fear, your Holiday Hero and Celebration Sensation never sweat these small details so we endeavored to make our own stilts. These are certainly not the stilts you may be used to seeing, but we had to improvise again so give us a break! We got the idea to use thick books wrapped in duct tape as the stilts. Now, I am very much a book worm, so the idea of giving up any books (even for the holiday cause) generally gives me hives. However, I did have two particularly unreadable, unused books lying around that I certainly did not mind donating to the cause. Twilight and New Moon (credit: Stephanie Meyer) have been as useless to me as a bag of dog poop, so why not make stilts out of them? Maybe they will prove useful for SOMETHING!

 Already Edward buckles under the weight of a real man! LOL

 Love this shot!

 Our conclusion: 1) These books truly are useless in every way.

Conclusion 2) Twilight is the real Necrinomicon!

Well, that's everything for today! Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate and gave us ideas for the stilt manufacturing (Justin, Jeramie)

CS, out.

Goooooood Morning, Bagelfesters and Holiday-teers!

It has been a fantabulous Thursday, July 26, here in the Duke city, and I am here once again to show off our holiday celebrations starting with the oh-so fabulous Bagelfest Day! Now, if you really wanted to celebrate Bagelfest properly, you'd have to head back east to Mattoon, Illinois, for their annual three-day celebration of their first introduction to the bagel. However, since we don't quite have the time, money, or ambition to go to Illinois, we'll enjoy the bagel in our own way. Lots of coffee shops and restaurants serve bagels with various toppings and flavored cream cheeses, but we prefer to make our own.

 Yup, we like to be plain!

 Holiday Hero prefers plain with butter...

but I prefer strawberry cream cheese.

And some prefer bacon bagel sandwiches. Rock on Mauricio! 

Sometimes things just work out so perfectly for our holiday celebrations it is uncanny. Today just happens to be Aunt and Uncle Day, and my Aunt Mary and Uncle Michael (aka Fab) came into town this afternoon from NYC. Obviously, we had to wish them Happy Aunt and Uncle Day:

Aren't they cute?

Next up on the list is FBI Day. These are the guys and gals in the government that roll up in their black SUVs sporting their black suits, and peering over their jet black glasses judging you. Conspiracy theorists around the world despise the FBI because of all the secrets and lies hiding within their filing cabinets, but one particular show highlights the good of certain agents. If you're anything like me, you'll know that I'm talking about Special Agent Seely Booth on the show Bones. I was able to commemorate FBI Day by watching several episodes of Bones very early this morning. And just for reference, here's everyone's favorite agent:

This was definitely a great episode!

Ever heard the expression "Give it your all" or "Live it like it's your last"? Well, today is the day to do just that. Whether it's doing something you've always wanted to do or something that you need to do but haven't had a chance, All or Nothing Day is the day to get it done! I've decided to catch up on the blog (hence writing the day's blog on the day). Also, while it isn't happening today, I will be doing something I never have on my birthday--going paragliding. So, woo hoo! I will definitely be going big in about 2 weeks.

Get 'R' Done!

Alright, that's all we have for today! See you tomorrow, kiddies!

CS, out.

UGH...HOLIDAYS GOOD...READ WHY...

Caveman pound ground! Catch food. Ooga!

Ok, I'm back. I was just showing off my amazing caveman impression to all of your holiday enthusiasts. Why? Well, duh, today (July 25) is Act Like a Caveman Day. Yep, it's the day when you can walk around with your knuckles scraping the ground carrying a fresh kill home to the cavewoman in your life. Now, seeing as how this is July in New Mexico, it probably wouldn't be too prudent to wear animal skins and furs in the 90 degree heat, but there are plenty of other ways to celebrate. Work on your best caveman smash; eat some raw food; talk in broken sentences with zero adjectives or modifiers. It's all part of the fun!

Need woman...ugh...

And we're back from the prehistoric era to celebrate today's next holiday: Culinarians Day. This is the day where anyone with a drop of culinary abilities should be applauded (and subsequently asked to show off their skills). I actually know quite a few people who can create rather appetizing meals without even thinking about it, but I am definitely not one of them. Your own Holiday Hero can certainly serve up delightful delicacies from the kitchen. Also among our masterful culinary friends includes: Justin, Julie, and Stef.

Yes, chef!

I wouldn't say no to one of his dishes!

Next up, we have to give our childhood props to one of the most fun, and most dangerous, pieces of playground equipment ever invented: the merry-go-round. If you were a kid before parents started to put rubber and soft padding on absolutely everything a child might even think about touching (pansies), you probably had the awesome experience of riding the playground merry-go-round. I certainly did and even had the (dis)pleasure of watching a fellow playgrounder get tossed from the ride and severely break her arm from the fall. Now, if that doesn't make you a stronger kid, I don't know what will! 

Aww...a childhood classic.

Many people will also classify a carousel as a merry-go-round, and I guess it qualifies so just for good measure I suppose we should commemorate that type as well. 

I would still call this a carousel.

Our final holiday is one that I celebrate quite frequently: Thread the Needle Day. I've become rather proficient at cross-stitching (I know, very dorky, but it's really relaxing!), and being able to quickly and easily thread a needle proves extremely useful when working on your project. Struggling with your needle and thread can definitely make you wanna throw your piece across the room and go eat a cookie. I've also been told that threading a needle comes in handy for sewing and other home-making duties, but I don't have first-hand experience there so I'll stick with the cross-stitching example. And show you these lovely pictures of a needle being threaded:

Yay! Needle threaded.

Boo-yah! Holidays celebrated. 

CS, out.

Flying High Above the Drive Thru Will Blow Your Mind and Get You No Frosties

We are flying high today (Tuesday, July 24) with a variety of wonderful holidays including: Amelia Earhart Day, Blow Your Mind Day, Cousins Day, and Drive-Thru Day. Because it is a beautiful place, let us begin in the skies and work our way down to the ground.
Amelia Earhart, as many know, is an aviation pioneer and set many aviation records. The main mystery surrounding her involves her final flight and her disappearance along with her navigator Fred Noonan. They were attempting to fly around the world but lost their way in the Pacific Ocean searching for Howell Island. During bad weather, radio communication died and they were never heard from again. Search and rescue attempts were unsuccessful and the famous woman was never found. I love to fly, but back then I'm not sure if I would have been as brave as Amelia.

Flying High!

Coming down a bit from the skies to the human brain, we are ready to celebrate Blow Your Mind Day! All of those times and situations where you feel absolutely amazed and confounded can be enjoyed and commemorated today. Your Holiday Hero had band practice this evening and said that there was a moment when all the members of Fort Hobo struck a chord and played a tune that truly blew his mind. Whew! So, what blew your mind today?

According to Old Spice, this ad will "blow your mind!"

As slowly complete our descent, we strike a familial landing. Today is Cousins Day. If one or both of your parents had siblings and those siblings had children, you now have cousins. Send your cousins a text, email, letter, or anything else to let them know that you appreciate them and love them just as you love any of your family members. I'd like to send a shout to my cousins Matt, David, and Vincent as well as the Holiday Hero's cousins (who are also my in-law cousins) Justin, Janine, and Jenny! We love you all!

Finally, we have Drive-Thru Day. Whether it's a notable fast food chain with the yellow neon 'M' above its doorway or one with a big Mexican-style bell on the sign, drive-thrus have become a way of life in America and across the world. Today is the day to go out and enjoy the efficiency of the drive-thru pickup line. HH traveled through the Wendy's line to retrieve some scrumptious Frosties on his way home from practice:

Waiting patiently for Frosty goodness is not easy!

CS, out.

The Fastest Gun in the Very Hot West

Yee haw! Celebration Sensation here. I hope you enjoyed Holiday Hero's blog for Sunday, but now you're back with me. Monday, July 23, has several occasions for which to have great celebrations. We have Annie Oakley Day (hence the cowgirlism), Hot Enough for Ya? Day, National Hot Dog Day, and Neptunalia and Salcia Sea Gods Day. And now, we shall begin today's discussion.
So, it's the end of July, and we live in New Mexico. What does that tell you? Yep, you bet! It's fucking hot here. The fact that today was Hot Enough for Ya? Day seems like it definitely could have been any and every day in ABQ from May through September. Anyway today was definitely hot enough for us especially since we spent a good portion of the afternoon on the extremely hot blacktop of a local Mercedes dealership. Let me interrupt your thought process for a moment to tell you that no, I did not get a new job as an expensive car salesperson. HH and I were waiting in line to meet the man who played the Soup Nazi on the hit TV series Seinfeld. As part of a multi-city tour, the Soup Nazi visited Albuquerque to meet fans, take pictures, and hand out Mulligatawny soup, Junior Mints, black and white cookies, Snapple, and other extremely familiar Seinfeld-related foods. It was well over 90 degrees on that blacktop, but HH and I were quite careful. We drank lots of water and tried to keep in the shade as much as possible. However, I did get quite a sunburn. Check out our Kodak moments:

 The soup was awesome!

No soup for you!

Other than being brutally hot out here, it's also part of the "wild west." When you think of the "wild west," a few things come to mind: riding horses, gun fight at the OK corral, and famous gunslingers, outlaws, cowboys, and cowgirls. One of these most famous cowgirls in history was Annie Oakley, and today is the day of the annual Annie Oakley festival. She was one of the fastest guns in the west (she used a shotgun), but, ironically, was born in Ohio! I am totally down with a strong female wielding an awesome weapon! I never had a cap gun as a kid, so I'm living out the fun now.

The dogs seriously don't like my shotgun cap gun!

 Fabulous!

I've got you in my sights!

One of the most classic parts of summer is having a cookout with friends and family, and those cookouts usually include grilled hotdogs. It's National Hotdog Day, and we were certainly ready to celebrate! Turkey hotdogs are great grilled, boiled, microwaved, or any other way you care to prepare your dogs. Hope you enjoyed your cookout.

 YUMMY!!!!

Tasty goodness!

Last but not least, today is also Neptunalia and Salcia Sea Gods Day. Anyone who has studied ancient Roman myths of the gods will know that Neptune and Salcia are the god and goddess of the sea, and today is their festival. This seems quite logical since it is the height of the summer's heat and the construction of tree-branch shelters suggest that they were also the gods of water sources in the summer's drought. Fun times for the Romans!

Why are they always naked?

And that's all we've got for today. 

CS, out.

Use A Hammock To Stay Above The Rats

This post was originally written by the CS but due to interweb failures it was erased and the eye's of the world will never know what blogging greatness really looks like. So, you're stuck with me. But enough of me and on to the hammocks and rats.
Hammocks. They've been around...well, forever. Brought back to Europe by Columbus after his voyage to the New World and used by the native cultures for an unknown length of time. I don't own a fucking hammock but that didn't stop us from trying to make one for the dogs. (Our poor little holiday test subjects.) Here is the photographic evidence of our FAILED attempt.

Woah! Blurry action photo!

It's not GD chew toy, Arthur!

Ok, rat time. Sunday was also Ratcatcher's Day or to you official types Pied Piper of Hamelin Day! Grab a flute, recorder, or a paper towel roll with holes punched in it and get those little bastards to dance. (I'm slaughtering the history but isn't that the fun of my writing?) I don't like rats and wouldn't get near a real one but fake rats I can handle. Photo evidence now! 

Proud papa and his little rat babies. 

Smile for your close-up you little rat bastard.

P.S. Remember children don't curse like your Uncle Holiday.

Tug-of-War Battle Between Could Have, Should Have, and Junk Food

It's Saturday, July 21, and we had a major set of holidays to celebrate! Today is National Junk Food Day, Toss Away the "Could Haves" and Should Haves" Day, Tug-of-War Tournament Day, and First Day of the World (Egypt). With that said, let's get started on today's recap of holiday excitement!
I find it only fitting that the first post should be about the First Day of the World. In Egypt, and throughout the area, they celebrate the official beginning of the world on this day and tell their own version of the creation story. Information on this is actually rather difficult to find, but the stories are just as fantastical as any we have ever heard in the U.S.

Time to study up on Egyptian history!

One of the best (and worst) things ever created is definitely junk food. Take a walk down the candy/chips/cookies aisle your local Albertson's Market or Giant Eagle and see what goodies they have to offer. From chocolate chip cookies to Cheddar and Sour Cream potato chips, extra butter popcorn to Swedish Fish, there are a plethora of tasty items down that aisle waiting to be devoured and waiting to "go straight to your love handles." Well, today is the day to go out and enjoy your favorite fatty foods and feel zero guilt!

 Sweets abounding!

Nom, nom, nom!

Now, after eating something quite unhealthy (like junk food) lots of people will regret the decision and say, "I should have stopped at 2 Big Macs" or "I could have had a salad instead." But this isn't the only reason why the "could have's," "should have's," and other modal words come out of people's mouths. Whatever your reason for saying these phrases, STOP IT! Toss away those words today (hopefully forever) and accept what you do on a daily basis.

We take things quite literally in the Holiday Cave!

Today's final holiday is National Tug-of-War Tournament Day. What better way to get out some aggression than to have an all out battle with some rope (or some other length of material) and two opposing sides! In our world, the mini holiday-teers we've got rustling around our cave love to play tug-of-war with their toys, our bedsheets, and anything else they can sink their teeth into! Here's Artie facing off with your Holiday Hero:

 Fierce competitors!

Gotta play fair, HH!

I think that about wraps it up for July 21! Hope your day was awesome!

CS, out.