When Dee Dee Attacks

Apparently "Best Fit" Magazine placed Springfield on the top 10 Worst Places to Raise a Family.

• http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/family-fatherhood/The_100_Best_Places_to_Raise_a_Family.shtml

10. Springfield, Missouri
9. Dayton, Ohio
8. Corpus Christi, Texas
7. Flint, Michigan (Country's highest violent-crime rate)
6. Columbia, South Carolina
5. Waco, Texas
4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
3. Fayetteville, North Carolina
2. Beaumont, Texas (Long-standing air-quality challenges)
1. Clarksville, Tennessee (Low educational spending: $6,729 per student)

Curiously, Flint, Michigan also appears on this list. Some may think it a coincidence, but investigators (the Jacoburgers) suspect that there may be a link between the downfall of Springfield, Missouri (once thought of as one of the best places to live) and the presence of Flint, Michigan on the list of family-hating cities. That link, I'm afraid to say, is the notorious child and family hater, Dee Dee Jacobs. When she moved to the innocent, family-loving city of Springfield, she quickly began her work. We are already number ten on the list. What is next?!

Curiously, Springfield has frequently been listed (by NYTimes, MONEY Magazine, etc...) as one of the best cities to retire in. This is proof that Dee Dee eats children and poops out happy old people. I knew it!


--(Dee Dee Attacks)-->

Tom Cruise Crazy

One of my favorite internet ukulele players got to play with Jonathan Coulton here in Seattle, though I didn't make it.

Maybe now you kids will think ukuleles are "rad" and "wizar'd".

So far, my summer is just going to school, working on projects, reading Pratchett, and some game-playing (Okami turned out to be good). However, besides the guys at school and friends and family on the internet, I'm not sociallizing as much as I like. So, I may jump in on some bonus weekend classes, like tai chi (Not that wimpy health tai chi, the martial art tai chi). Though, if anyone else has any recommendations for making friends in a big city (goils?), feel free to shoot them my way.

Throw your partner out of the boat, and listen to him scream

Whelp, it's getting to be summer. And you know what they say -" 'Tis the season to sing 'Row row row your boat'." Mom has evil plans to go on a float trip in a two or three weeks. I think she wants to go on the Buffalo River, although maybe she just meant that she wants to ride on a Buffalo down the river.

Anyways, she has bestowed upon me the holy task of "firgurin' out whens everyone (but Kelly - she said he smells too bad) can go." She'll be done with school in a couple of weeks, and Bre will be done this week. I think Steve has a pretty open schedule. I know Dee Dee works during the week though, and who knows what the heck Briley does during the week?

As for me, Saturdays are generally bad, but I can pull Sundays off most of the time. I also usually have Tuesdays and Thursdays off. I don't have my schedule for June yet though. I may be able to do other days of the week.

What works for other people? Reply and let me know!

What About This Guy?

Is this Mykl & Alli's secret cloned son? He just graduated high school and is Valedictorian to boot. Nice going you two, but you could have told us about him so we could've gone to his graduation.

I Choo-Choo-Choose You

Gas prices are ridiculous, and Pat and I have been planning a trip to Michigan for Fourth of July for a while. Some quick math showed me we could expect to pay at LEAST $500 for gas to get there and back. And that's optimistic! So, the other day, we bought train tickets!

We're so excited, me probably a little more than Pat. I have an image in my head of a magical adventure through rolling country hills, like in Harry Potter. Pat is much more realistic! Neither of us has ridden a train before. Has anyone else? We would love any tips.

The best part is that every time I drive by a gas station that tells me it's now $1 million for a gallon of gas, I think of my train ticket and feel like I'm sticking it to the man! See if you'll get my money! Mwahahaha. Of course, I still have to buy gas for everything else, but at least it's something!

Another highlight is that both to Michigan and back, our train has about a 2 1/2-hour layover at Union Station in downtown Chicago, just a block or two from the Sear's Tower. How cool is that? I'm thinking that surely we can do something fun in the Windy City with 2 hours to play with. Does anyone have any advice? Both of us have been to Chicago a couple of times, but we haven't thought of any great ideas on what to do. Whatever we do, it'll be a fun date for our one-year anniversary, which will be the next day! Our trip is July 2-6.

Magical train adventure, here we come!

So, Duku This....

Well, I recently discovered the Sudoku puzzles. I never really understood what people found so appealing about them. I still don't, but I cannot help but try to solve them. It is like my brain is addicted to it or something. I am still on the easy levels, but I have books that go all the way up to SUPER CHALLENGER!! It is going to take a long time to get through all of them and I figure it will give me something to do when I am working in Joplin and in between classes this Fall.

Alli and I have gone through a "Computer Holeocaust," over the last month or so. My Desktop bit the dust first, then Alli's computer, and then our laptop- they all went into convulsions and began to have intermittant Hardware malfunctions. It is currently being looked at as possible terrorist activity...I can only hope they are back in shape before Starcraft comes out.

For anyone who doesn't know...the only games I play religiously are Mario games and Starcraft. At least I have the Wii, some books, and Sudoku to keep me busy. The next time you guys see me I may look a little something like this because my brain will be fried from the Sudoku!

Okay, back to the grindstone...have a great Memorial Day everyone!

Peace out,

Mykl B

(It is only rootbeer everyone!)

Family Guy - Bullfrog