Mickey the Magic Bunny

If you read this blog, or listen to Frank's Place with Bill & Heidi on a regular basis then you know my kids are truly the center of my universe.

A few weeks ago I shared with you about the loss of Buddy...my 7 year-old sons guinea pig. Buddy was an important member of the family and his untimely death caused us great pause for thought. It was Nicks first time dealing with death, other than a couple of years ago when my wife's cat passed away.

As the days passed and the Buddy tributes became less prevalent, there was talk about getting a new guinea pig...or maybe a rabbit. But it was just talk. The guinea pig cage was cleaned and put in the basement...and I thought maybe...just maybe that winter would pass and we'd make it to spring before finding a new pet would become a priority.

And then it started...the whispering, the hushed conversations, the closed door sessions between brothers. Plans were being made...and I wasn't in the loop. Suspicious...as a dad will be when kids whisper to each other while looking at him and then leave the room...I started doing a little eaves dropping through those closed doors. I'd love to say what I heard shocked me...but hey, I'm Dad...very little shocks me anymore! My two boys were putting together a plan to convince me to adopt a rabbit.

Little did they know that I had already been scoping Craigslist and Uncle Henry's looking for a baby bunny as a surprise for Nick. The bigger surprise is that I'd already found one and contacted the owner about adopting it...but I was playing my hand close to the vest.

Then on Sunday...their scheme began to unfold. It started innocently enough with Nick looking at pictures of bunnies on the Internet...stopping occasionally to fawn over one just loud enough for me to hear. Then his older brother, Jack, sat down at the table beside me. In his most concerned older brother voice he said, "You know...we really should consider getting Nick a new pet. He was very sad about Buddy...but I think he's ready to move on now."

OK...like I'm NOT going to see through this? First of all...he's NEVER that concerned about his brother. .and what's this WE stuff? Unless he's coughing up some dough for this animal...there is no WE it's ALL ME!

But hey...who am I to mess up their plan. I was actually enjoying this. So I fired back with a question. "Do you really think he's ready for that? These things take time...and even so, we'd have to find another guinea pig...and that can take some time."

By now Nick is all ears from the other room...and before Jack can even answer...Nick is glued to my lap making his pitch for a bunny.

I wish you could have seen them when I said, "A bunny huh? Come with me." As I led them to the computer...curiosity was etched on their faces. Then when I opened up an e-mail and showed them the picture of a 9 week old bunny and asked if that's what they were thinking about...the curiosity turned to suspicion.

In unison they asked, "Why do you have a picture of a bunny?"

When I told them that I knew all about their plot to work me for a new pet and that I'd already decided to get Nick a bunny...and had even gone as far as to locate one for him...mass chaos broke out throughout the house.

They ran through the house cheering and chanting my name as if I was some newly elected king in a third world country. I was just waiting for them to pick me up and carry me through the living room and up the stairs to my throne. Then I realized they're only 7 and 9 and can't lift me.

So instead we piled into the car and drove to Windham and adopted Mickey the Magic Bunny. They call her Mickey...I added the Magic part because I think it sounds cool...and because at the end of the day it was pretty magic to see that smile on Nicks face as I tucked him in and he thanked me for his new pet.

Give up Facebook? Ummm...NO!

Lent begins tomorrow...and instead of giving up potato chips, beer or dessert for Lent, how about Facebook?

There are people who are considering swearing off the social networking site ... and they aren't just teenagers or college students.

Lent is a 40-day liturgical season leading up to Easter where some Christians recognize the time Jesus spent resisting temptation from Satan, fasting and wandering the desert by giving up something important to them.

College students who had given Facebook up for Lent in the past found it to be a brutal, but valuable exercise.

I for one will not be giving up my Facebook habit. I can't imagine not updating my status about 10 times a day...or checking in to see what others have posted. An obsession you say? Yes...yes quite possibly.

If you decide to give it up...just remember that I'll be posting some very interesting and entertaining stuff over the next 40 days...and you'll miss all of it. So give up chocolate or beer...OK, maybe not beer...but certainly not Facebook...if you do, who's wall will I read each day?

Another gross out. What's wrong with people?

I am sure that by now, everyone who listens to our show, knows I am a fan of tattoos.

I have some, my daughter has some, Geoffrey just got one and his son Kristopher has two.

I like them, but understand that they're not for everyone.

In the past, I've given my opinons of facial piercings, I do not like them.

But, I've got to say, these photos are more bizarre than any that I've seen yet.

Apparently, some folks are really fond of piercings...so much so, that they completely change and or disfigure themselves - until they're barely recognizable to their families and friends.

Do any of them stop to think...

How will this look in 20 years?

I would guess not...

What?? A zipper was too much?

Just a guess, but I bet she sleeps on her stomach.

I am sure your Dad is real proud of you and the fact that you love life.
Jack might like the arm though...

Huummmm... What would you guess his favorite color is?

Remind me not to use cutlery when I visit this guy. On second thought, nevermind.

I won't be visiting.

WTF is this? I mean really...

GROSS

Nice contacts.

Oh, and by the way....Not!

If the devil had a girlfriend, it's safe to say that she'd probably look like this.

I don't understand what drives people to mutilate themselves to this point.

I probably never will.

Heck, I am not sure I want to.

Rock on with your bad self.

H

Time for another change...

So, I am not much on making New Year's Resolutions. But that doesn't stop me from making commitments and keeping them. Somehow, the word resolution throws me all off kilter.


I have successfully been a non-smoker for more than 10 months and am doing great. That's not to say that I haven't thought about it. I think of it often, and sometimes wake up feeling guilty if I have dreamt that I was smoking! I don't like the smell though and I almost gag when I walk by someone who's smoking. BLECH...



Quitting smoking has done wonders for me though, my food tastes different, my car smells great and stays clean a lot longer. My clothes and hair smell fresh and clean all the time and no more ash tray mouth! I smoked for 21 years and am confident that quitting at the right time makes all the difference. Unless you're committed, it's not going to work.



In my efforts to quit and stay smoke free, I took on a few more pounds than I'd have liked to. I suppose it's all relative if you think about it. Not really a trade off as far as I am concerned, I'd rather have the weight than the habit. I wouldn't say that I've gone overboard or anything, I can still fit in all my same clothes, but I know it's there just the same.



So, I have decided to make another commitment, and that is to join a gym. I have thought about it for a few months, I've prepared myself for the commitment, I have mentally gone through my schedule, chores and recreation time and have decided what time of day will work best for me. I have made the choice and will stand by it.



I went online and printed out a program to get me started and will take it with me to the gym to make sure I don't forget something, and that I do what I am supposed to. Walking in there is overwhelming and trying to figure out what to do first is oppressive. I took that away by going with my daughter a few times and doing what she does. I've spent some time with the equipment and don't feel that it's too intimidating anymore. The free weights frighten me a bit but with experience and use that will go away too.



I am excited about this, although I hate exercise, I look forward to building stamina, strength and being healthy. I look forward to seeing a better version of myself. (I think of it as Heidi 2.0!) I am in a really great place in my life, personally and professionally. Time to step it up and make myself as good as I can be. I am going to attack it with the same ferocity as I did quitting smoking. That turned out great, this should too.

Rock on with your bad self,

H

Sorry to Offend

I just got an e-mail from a member of Frank Nation complaining about a comment that I made on Saturday morning about Academy Award winning actress Kate Winslet.

While previewing last nights 81st Academy Awards I mentioned that Kate had been nominated as Best Actress for her role in The Reader...and that she appears nude during the film.




I went on to say that Ms. Winslet has commented that this may be her last nude role because she didn't want to be known as the actress that always got naked on film. To which I replied, "I wouldn't mind if she decided to change her mind about that."

The person that complained said that my comments were "inappropriate, sexist, and crude." While I disagree with this persons perception...I certainly can appreciate the sentiment. However, while my comments may have been a little sexist...there certainly was no harm intended...nor did I mean to be offensive.

If you know me in the slightest then you know that I admire and respect women. My wife is an accomplished woman. She is the Maine State President for AAUW...an outstanding woman's organization that fights for women's rights on not only the state level, but also the national level. I also work side-by-side with a female morning show partner each day, and on more than one occasion in my 26 year career, I've had a female supervisor. Believe me...if I even was slightly sexist any one of them would have set me straight...and rightfully so.

I can assure you that I am not sexist. I'm a red-blooded American guy that appreciates women not only for their beauty and sex appeal, but their intelligence too. The fact is that I applauded Kate Winslet for her great acting ability...as well as being a sexy woman...and made a comment in am attempt to be amusing. If my joke hit a sour chord...and you were offended...then I'm sorry. I guess I need to find someone to write better jokes.

Snow Tubing II

Back from snow tubing. OMG! What fun! I can't remember the last time we had that much fun in the snow.

My two sons had a complete blast...I can tell because they both slept all the way home....and if you have kids then you know exactly how peaceful that makes a trip in the car!

Our Cub Scout Pack has decided this is a new annual event.

If you've never been snow tubing at Seacoast...GO!

Snow Tubing

Man...I have been such a slacker lately when it comes to blogging. It just seems like the day gets away from me...then I climb into bed and realize that I had so many thing that I could have blogged about.

Instead of playing catch up and doing a massive blog about a lot of things...like I've done in the past...I think this time I'll just admit my sins and move on! My goal is to blog on something each day...even if it's just really short.

So to that end...my house is a flurry of activity this morning as we get ready for a huge Cub Scout Pack 323 event...we're all going snow tubing at Seacoast Fun Park. It's our first time snow tubing and to say that everyone is geeked up would be an understatement. Jack and Nick have been awake since 6 a.m. and on me for the past hour about what time we're leaving, what to wear, will I buy them lunch...and then back to asking what time we're leaving. My wife on the other hand just wants us out of the house for some much needed peace and quiet...so now she's asking what time we're leaving! If I wasn't so excited about tubing myself I'd make her take them and I'd got to a movie!

Anyway, I promise a quick update on our snow tubing adventure later today.

Death in the Family

Last week was sad at my house.

My 7 year old sons guinea pig, Buddy, had to be put to sleep. Buddy was a cool guinea pig...this from a guy that wasn't at all too crazy about getting a furry little rodent and keeping it in a cage in my living room.

But I have to tell you...that little guinea pig grew on me. He ate carrots and lettuce like there was no tomorrow...he ran around his kennel like his butt was on fire, and he loved to snuggle his little furry face into my neck. OK...so what can I say? I fell in love with the little critter just like my kids.

No matter how many times you go through this sort of thing...be it a dog, a cat, or a guinea pig...it doesn't really get any easier. Although the hardest part for me this time was having to tell Nick that Buddy had passed on.

I was a little surprised by his reaction. At first he seemed caught off guard...but I guess it isn't every day that I pick him up from school with bad news. After the shock wore off he tried to act like nothing was different...but several times I saw him looking at Buddy's kennel. Then later he just got quiet.

At bed time I leaned across his bed to give him a hug...and that's when it hit. We locked eyes...and an entire days worth of tears came pouring out...followed by the sobs of someone that had lost a very dear friend.

As I felt Nicks tears against my cheek...I vividly recalled losing my first pet; a dog named Micky. I was about 10 when she had to be put to sleep. I remembered sitting in the Vet Clinic...nervous and scared....waiting. Then I heard my dad crying..something I had never heard before. As all of this played out in my head in that split second that Nick started to cry...I did my best to comfort him. I told him that Buddy had loved him as much as any guinea pig can love a boy...and that he had given Buddy a great life...full of love. He finally settled down and drifted off to sleep.

Things have quieted down since then. Nick has slowly started to get used to Buddy not greeting him with his high pitched chirp each day after school. There's even been a few whispered conversations about a getting a new guinea pig...or maybe a rabbit...in a few weeks.

No matter if we get another guinea pig or a rabbit...Nick will never forget the first pet he ever truly loved. I hope someday when he has a son that he can call upon that sad day that Buddy passed on use that emotion to comfort his son.

Someone's got way too much time on their hands...

I thought I might highlight some of the things that people with too much time on their hands can come up with - some are totally useless, and yet although some others have a function; I still have to ask why bother?


Honestly. If it says "Only available though this special TV offer" then chances are, the marketing geniuses behind the products weren't successful enough to actually get them into stores somewhere.

Lets start with these.

OK, I can totally see how people will need a coffin; at least the people who want to be buried vs. burned into cinders. But, here's where it gets weird. An Australian company has launched a line of personalized, environmentally safe coffins.

LifeArt customers can choose from a range of designs, such as an image of a surfer catching a wave, an open road, Sydney Harbor Bridge or a cowboy riding off into the sunset.

A sure way to look tacky, even in death. No price listed. I wonder why? I bet people everywhere are just 'dying' to get in one of these...


Next on the list

The Deni Gravy Warmer. According to the write up on this little gem, "Hosting a dinner party requires the right tools. Now gravies or sauces can be created ahead of time and kept warm until the hostess is ready with the Deni Electric Gravy Warmer". Well, hell, I didn't know I could hold the entire dinner up until I was ready. Perhaps I should look into this. I make a mean gravy.

Oh look, it's only $24.95 plus $7.95 S/H. What a steal! I better get two, I have a really long table.

And who doesn't need one of these...

Only $8.95 plus $6.95 S/H. It's a bargain at twice the price.

Say it ain't so...

No waiting for a big pot of water to boil? I can cook pasta to al dente perfection in the microwave? The Fasta Pasta uses less energy and water, and pasta cooks in half the time it takes on the stove and there no need to stop the microwave to stir. Just add pasta, water and place in the microwave in just minutes you’ll be serving perfect pasta. Fasta Pasta cooks evenly without sticking and will not boil over. Hummmm. Looks a lot like the plastic storage boxes I can get at the dollar store for... A DOLLAR. I also have a razor blade to cut a hole in the top to make sure my 'portion size' is correct. Cause I've never made too much pasta before. OK, maybe once. But I have this handy thing at home called a refrigarator! I keep the uneaten pasta in there for a few days.


But, if you gotta have one, the FASTA PASTA original will set you back $14.95 plus $6.95 S/H

And perhaps the worst thing I have ever seen.

I don't even want to talk about it. Not now, not ever. I hate it, I hate the name for it, I hate the commercial for it and I really hate it that Bill has such an unhealthy obsession with it.

Rock on with your bad self. Snuggie and all.



H

Social Networking

Remember back in the day when you went to a bar, or ran into someone at the bookstore and struck up a conversation? Maybe you gave them your business card, or you searched through your jacket pocket...or purse for you ladies...to find a piece of paper to write down your phone number.

If you ever did that...then you were engaging in social networking! Who knew? I thought I was just giving someone my card that happened to have my phone number on it.

Then at some point we moved into the computer age and instead of a phone number we started giving people our e-mail address. You'd log onto your computer...and there it would be...a little note just for you in the In Box! Again...I never realized I was engaging in social networking. Heck, I was just happy I knew how to use a computer!

Well if you haven't heard yet...phone numbers and e-mail is so 2005...now days we just say, "Send me a message on Facebook." Or..."I'll look for you on Myspace." And if you have a really short attention span then you can just drop an update on Twitter (choose this option and you'll be known as a tweeter!) Yes...now it has a name; this is social networking!

Social Networking is all the rage...and it's not just for kids. As a matter of fact there are more and more adults using Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter than ever before. Some of my friends say they use it just to keep up with what their kids are doing...others say they use it to make new business contacts...and another reason I hear a lot is that it's fun to catch up with old friends or stay in touch with loved ones from away. I'll admit it...I love Facebook! The only problem is that it can eat up an hour of your day before you realize it...but it is fun.

If you haven't signed up for a social networking site yet...what are you waiting for? Everyone is there! Click on these links and get started.

















After setting up an account...look for me. I'd be happy to be your friend! There's also pages for 107-5 FRANK-FM and Frank's Place with Bill & Heidi.

So don't ask me for my phone number...just look for me on Facebook!

Super Bowl XLIII

Today is the biggest day in sports...Super Bowl Sunday! Even though our beloved New England Patriots are at home watching the game just like us...it's still an exciting day for football fans around the world.

It's really no secret that I'm a HUGE Pittsburgh Steelers fan...so you know who I'm rooting for today...but I have an enormous amount of respect for the Arizona Cardinals. You can't deny that the Kurt Warner story is a good one...and the whole Larry Fitzgerald angle is an amazing story as well.

I just hope it's a great game...and as the clock ticks down in the 4th quarter...that my team is the victor. If not...then it was an awesome season all the same.

Enjoy the Half Time Show...Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band promise to rock the house...and of course the commercials will be the subject of water cooler talk everywhere tomorrow...including on Frank's Place with Bill & Heidi.

Don't eat too much at the party...and I'll talk with you in the morning.