2/24/2013

So, just consider this to be a space/time continuum dilema. Here you are, on Sukkot, and you go to sleep, and wake up on Purim. What the heck? No halloween? No anniversary? No Election? No Thanksgiving? No Chanukah? No New Years? No Super Bowl? No winter break? I want my money back, sez you.

How do we catch you up? Food was eaten, delicious and otherwise. Movies were watched. Classes attended. Gifts received, thank you notes written, checks not necessarily cashed. Time is marching on. Parents still run after us with cameras, but mostly not successfully, but not from lack of trying--we're just younger and faster than them so we can photobomb at will. So, without further ado, here's some snaps from that last couple of months.

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 This appears to me on the X-Country team. Uh, heh heh, this was after I ran the race, one of the last races of the season. So, I run in my skimpy track suit, which you will not see in pix on this website if I have anything to say about it. But, if you sent $5 to my dad, he'll probably send you the race-ier (ha ha) ones).

 Hail the conquering hero. Now, with so much red, how could we be happy? Well, there's a lot of land, but not as many people. Thank goodness.

 Is this election over yet? Can I start listening to the radio again?

 We win, we win, we win! Now on to something important.

 Like roasting marshmallows in the shabbat candles. Shh, don't tell any religious people who might stone us for our belief, and because we're in WA, as of now getting stoned is legal, but I don't think that's what they had in mind.

Another day, another magic game with Noah and Aviv.

 One thing I (Willie) did on chanukah was to make the smallest possible origami hopping frog. This is not a photoshop trick, I really made it.

 Quiet determination and a fixation on the impossible--that's my middle name.

 He's just blowing smoke--his middle name is Scooter. Okay, I'm blowing smoke, well, carbon dioxide gas from the dry ice in the bucket. We always look forward to early morning deliveries from Affordable Kosher because of the blocks of dry ice in the box. Fun fun fun.

 Back to the happy time of present presentation. Rip, shred, maul.

 I like the hallucinogenic glasses best. I must be getting older or live in WA where, did we mention, getting stoned is now legal?

 Oh Willie, I have a surprise for you--we made our own sriracha sauce from a recipe that papa found on a nice cooking website. It turned out pretty well, but next time we'll use less vinegar and maybe a little more heat.

 It's our old friend Thorin Cherry-shield (okay, it's really Ellie in Purim disguise). Mommy texted her all kinds of Thorin quotes for her to use on the admiring masses at the Megilah reading.

And Teddy helped her get her armor together.

 Now if only I can figure out how to use that armor against annoying brothers, then maybe I could get some rest around here. First he's popping up from around corners, then he hides in my bed. Time for me to get one of those stun-gun flashlights from Meritline.com. That would teach him a thing or two.

 Little does Teddy know that I have a forcefield around me consisting of teenage mucous and toot-smells that is impenetrable by mere battery powered stun devices. My personal stun repellant is ME! Ha!

Why me (sez Teddy)? What did I do to deserve this?

Copyright 1997-2013 by the Berman Brothers, Willie and Teddy. All rights reserved.

10/14/2012

Okay, so the worker bees did go on strike as far as producing this periodical, but they were busy in the sukkah and with all that ushpizen stuff. Seemed like there were different people coming thru the sukkah everyday what with it actually being sukkot and all, and coupled with papa's birthday, and his baseball team getting into, then out of the playoffs, and homework and running and everything, life is very busy as per usual. So, without further ados, here's the pix

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 First night of sukkot, where it is usually raining and miserable, and this night was perfect, as would be the next 7--no rain, no dew, no nuthin but occasional mosquitos trying to bite our ankles.

 This year we put up an actual sign explaining the sukkah (and the 'occupy front yard' sign) so neighbors would know what all the whooping and hollering was about and that they should join us if they saw us in there.

 First night dinner was good too--hot and sour hunan chicken for those of you keeping score at home.

 Kippot didn't quite make it to the table, so we had to make do with what was on hand--that's what our ancestor's leaving egypt would have done, so we were pretty comfortable with that.

 Sez you, fool. I think I look dorky in a napkin, but such is life sometimes.

 We didn't hear any cars swerve out of control when they caught sight of the wonder of the sukkah at night, but we're pretty sure there must have been some wild gawking nevertheless.

 First actual day of sukkot, papa was out bright and early to make a bracha on a stuffed lulav and etrog--he says that it is more environmentally responsible to use the stuffed one year after year but we think he's just too cheap to shell out $40 for a big lemon and a bunch of branches. To each his own.

Trilby and Willie and family came in one night--happened to be at the same time the A's were beating up on Texas, so papa's attention was straying from normal conversation points. Typical.

 The next night was papa's birthday, and the only conversation could possibly be what form the rice krispy treats would take. Turns out papa just copied Teddy and made the same 'cake' that Teddy had, one chocolate, one plain. That's fine--now gimme some before I gnaw your arm off, tubby.

MY CAKE! You'll get nothing and like it. Bunny ears.

 Lets see if this cute sideways pose gets me some cake. It worked--hey mikey.

LeeAndra was next on the schedule having completed her yearly trip east to help Auntie Iris with high holidays in Sharon, MA.

 When we were up at Bruce and LeeAndra's place for the cosmic gathering 25th wedding anniversary there was a kid that really liked papa's propeller hat and he remembered that I had one that I wasn't using anymore so LeeAndra took it back with her to Denman to make a little guy really happy.

Good thing papa pulled out his A's hard hat because he took their loss like a ton of bricks. He's still in mourning so don't mention baseball til pitchers and catcher report, or February 15th to the uninitiated.

In the meantime, we watched his loser football team fumble away another game just today. For fun during an exciting moment, I came in with this tank top stuck on my head--it's size 3T which means it's extremely small, but papa said he'd help me get it on if I wanted. That was all the challenge I needed and now here's visual proof that I fit into the clothes I wore when I was 3. Now give me back the jeans you pilfered from my drawer last summer.

Copyright 1997-2012, The Berman Brothers, Willie and Teddy. All rights reserved.

9/23/2012

Okay, this is where we apologize for not posting for so long. It's so hard to find good help these days. Summer ended. School started. Willie is running x-country. Teddy is studying hard for his B.M. next June. New Year happened, with a day off from school over our protests. Another day off with no eating coming up this week. It's just one holiday after another these days. Thankfully, holidays mean special food. Last week we got barrel smoked tri-tip (and Willie professed his love for papa, but it was probably the tri-tip talking), and we had apple and honey and today we set up the sukkah frame, even though it isn't yom kippur yet, papa wanted to get a head start on building it, and it wasn't raining at the moment and the football game had not started yet, so off we went to build.

Anyway, you'll see the sukkah in all it's glory next Sunday, if the workers don't go on strike, which is a distinct possibility.

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 While Willie was at camp, we went up to Baker Lake to visit our friends and brought dinner--yummy burgers and sausages.

 And Mexican Coke, with real cane sugar!

 Speaking of sugar, mommy made whoopie pies, and we helped a lot.

 Ya, I know what you're thinking--we probably just helped eat them, but you'd be wrong--we were right there in the trenches during all phases of production. From baking to filling.

Mmmmm, filling. I just want to eat it now right off the knife. Can I? Can I? Can I? How about now? Can I?

Sneaking some FILLING! Now? Can I?

 You're working me to the bone. Nobody will believe that we actually put up with all this child labor without any reward. Now? Can I?

 NOW!!!!! MUST EAT WHOOPIE PIE!!!!! MUNCH MUNCH SQUISH CHEW SWALLOW!!!!!

 What is they doing in the basement, precious? They looks like they is having funs.

PAPER SHREDDING--MORE GREAT FUN!!! Paper in--DESTROY!!!!!!

 Oil break or paper shredder is a sad machine.

 MUNCH MUNCH SQUISH CHEW SWALLOW!!!!! Wait a second--that's no whoopie pie.

 Shhh, no one must know what has just occurred here. Besides, no small animals were harmed in the previous chewing incident.

 Who you calling a small animal?

 This looks like we have an exceptionally deep couch based on both of us being able to sit side by side in the wrong direction next to each other. Or maybe we are just so svelte that we just fit naturally. Or Willie is getting crushed into the cushions. Kind of like the frog in the boiling water where you start it in cold water and then slowly increase the heat. Then, before you know it...

No more frog. It's magic.

Copyright 1997-2012, The Berman Brothers, Willie and Teddy. All rights reserved.