Save Screech!

Once upon a time, there was a cheesy TV show on NBC every Saturday morning. It was called "Saved by the Bell." All of the principle actors moved on to other decent roles after the show's demise (Showgirls, Fastlane, 90210, Days of Our Lives, etc) with the exception of Dustin "Screech" Diamond. If evidence of his waning popularity after the show's cancellation is needed, look no further than the fact the Paul & The Violent Farmers turned down an invitation to be his opening act at a gig at Deja Vu Comedy Club in Columbia Mo. It seems that things have gone from bad to worse for Screech recently. Due to several factors in and out of his control, Screech is in jeopardy of losing his house to a forclosure. He has set up a website to raise awareness and funds to save his home.

Won't you do your part to help the ugly duckling of the Saved by the Bell family? Lord knows that if Screech had the good looks of his co-stars, he wouldn't be in this situation today. Damn you Tiffany Amber-Theissen! Save Screech!

All Work and No Play...

...makes Blog Daddy a dull boy. Today, on my day off, I found myself reverting to old habits. Instead of taking advantage of my time off from work by doing something fun, I spent several hours doing housework. I re-arranged the living room and the guest bedrooms. I vacuumed the whole house. I made all four beds. I chopped some veggies and threw them in the crockpot with a roast for dinner. I did the dishes. I folded laundry. What the hell is the matter with me!? Then I sat down to catch up on my blogging and the only things I could think of to write about were work at the D.E. (Doggie Empawrium) and housework. Whatever happened to the wild and crazy, unemployed guy whose sole purpose in life was having the most fun possible everyday? Remember the good old days when you could live vicariously through my "retirement"? Is this what having a job does to people? Work, sleep, work, sleep, housework, sleep, work, sleep... When does this vicious cycle end? Its a good thing I enjoy my job or I'd really be in trouble. Bear with me, my people. Your favorite blogger will get it figured out soon and begin providing you with quality blogging again.

In the meantime I think I'll take a nap- for old time's sake.

Dad To The Bone

Here I sit wearing my "Dad to the Bone" T-shirt while drinking coffee and blogging in a silent house on Father's Day. Alex spent the night at his Grandma Glee's house last night while Bethany and I went to a Summer Solstice party with friends. And although a quiet, peaceful Sunday morning is appreciated by myself and most other fathers, I still can't think of anything I would rather do than spend Father's Day with my son. And so, we will pick him up in a few minutes and then journey to my Dad's house for some multi-generational Father's Day fun. (Maybe get in a little fishing, too.)

This Father's Day is especially emotional for me because it comes at a time when I am working full time for the first time in over three years while Alex is going to school full time for the first time ever. I sometimes can't wrap my mind around the concept of how lucky I was as a Dad to be able to spend the last few years at home with my son. I don't think very many fathers get the opportunity to spend so much quality time with their kids like I did. Although Bethany told me I can have a CD player installed in my car as a Father's Day gift, I will consider the chance to bond with my son over the past few years to be the greatest Father's Day gift a man could ever receive. Thank you, Sugar-Mama, for that and for everything else you and Alex do to make me the luckiest man alive.

PS: Yes, that is a picture of Alex and me playing with a Steve Urkel doll. Jealous?

Gone To The Dogs

"What d' ya say, Norm?"

"I say its a dog-eat-dog world and I'm wearin' milkbone underwear."

Norm Peterson almost had it right. I like to tell people, "Its a dog's world and we're just livin' in it." Need proof? Who follows whom with a plastic baggie and cleans up their poo in public? Who buys whom fresh baked treats made from people-food ingredients? Who makes web pages celebrating whom? Speaking of web pages for dogs, I finally got the link to work for our dogs' web sites. (Click on "Our Dogs" on my links list on the right of this page.) The first page you will see is that of Princess, our St. Bernard. You can then click on Jake's link from there. Be sure to check out their "pup pals" while you're at it. Several of those dogs are the pets of the Doggie Empawrium staff and customers. While you're at it, start a page for your dogs and link them to ours. Its ridiculous, I know. But so is life in general. We might as well embrace it and have fun. Afterall, that's what my job is all about.

"Why Hasn't Travis Been Blogging?"

Some of my dedicated fans may be wondering why I haven't been blogging as much lately. I will not make excuses. However, I will supply a list of the things that have happened this week that have commanded my attention.

1. Bethany's beloved grandmother, Viola Rathsam, passed away Tuesday evening. She had been suffering from cancer, congestive heart failure, and a broken leg and is finally at peace. We will miss her more than words can describe. I hope that I can be half as good of a human being as she was.

2. I started working full time on Monday. I have been very busy and productive and am really enjoying the job.

3. Alex started summerschool kindergarten Monday. He is loving school, although he has been sent to time-out three of the first four days already. He's a chip off the old block.

4. Today is my mommy's birthday. She is at least 29 years old. That's all I'm gonna say. Happy birthday Mama!

5. Tomorrow is Brother Blake's and Meredith's wedding anniversary. I can't remember how long they've been married, but then, men never keep track of that sort of thing. Right Blake?

Those are just the major life events that are simultaneously occurring in my life right now. Now I understand what it means when people say, "Don't sweat the small stuff." Who has time to worry about the small stuff? I hope to blog a little more frequently from now on. I realize that my fans depend on my sage words of wisdom, and I won't let you down. Keep checking the blog whenever you can. Peace.

Catfish Blues

A sad event has occurred on Bud Wyman Lane. My neighbor, in an apparent attempt to remove a blanket of algae from the surface of his pond, used two water pumps to "turn over" the pond. The results were nothing less than cataclysmic. Not only did he kill the algae, he also killed the fish. Not just the little ones that got sucked into the pumps, either. No, he managed to kill every big fish that Alex and I have caught in the past few years. The catfish and bass that I posted pictures of on this blog in the past were floating belly-up just hours after my neighbor churned up their water. A dozen or so 3-5 pounders who had survived a dam break, several droughts, and a few battles at the end of my fishing line were no match for a man who wanted his pond to look pretty. The carnage was almost too much to bear. Summer hasn't even begun officially and already my favorite fishing hole has been rendered barren. Well, the timing seems appropriate. On Monday, I begin working full-time and Alex starts summer school. At least we have our memories.