Taylor's Tuesday Thanksgiving turkey tradition

So the kids can go to their other houses on Thursday the Taylors celebrate on Tuesday....you can't imagine how relaxing and peaceful Thanksgiving day turns out to be.

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Laser eye kitty

This is an untouched photo of steve

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A short visit with Olive

I went to visit little miss Olive after work on Friday. It was right before nap time. She was a little smiley but more content with just looking at things. I put her in our favorite snuggle spot and she just turned and stared at me in that same position for a good five minutes. It didn't matter if I was talking or not, she just stared.
After 15-20 minutes olive was more intetested in rating and sleeping then slobbering on her g'pa.
Megan turned down the lights and I think I feel asleep first. I think it was the midnight showing of Harry Potter talking with some help from the 5a shift I worked friday morning.

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Some people dress up as a Fireman for Halloween

And others get to dress up once a week (or more) and play fireman.
Friday was hoses day...rolling, unrolling, loading, unloaded, draining, folding, prepping, storing, linking, hooking up to the truck, unhooking from the truck, hooking up to a mock hydrant, unhooking from mock hydrant...everything you could do with a hose.






My job was photographer.
(I am helping with the calendar fundraiser and year-end slide show)
Yes, it rained all afternoon.

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Connor, showing his backward horse riding skills. No, I did not ride on the truck, nor was I thrown from the truck.



Connor, the company leader.




Some things I learned this day...

* Hoses are heavy - even without water

* There is a right way and a wrong way to handle and carry a hose

* There are many many hoses stored on each firetruck

* Rain is very wet - especially in the NW

It was a festive night at the Taylors - no ghosts though

We made caramel apples. We only made a couple of mistakes (it had been a while since we have made them). Mistake #1 - we did NOT use kraft caramels...what a pain to unwrap. Mistake #2 - we didn't put them in the cold to solidify the caramel. Mistake #3 - I ate one...it was super delicious.

Jennifer wants to be a nurse someday...here she is getting some proctice.

Connor's shirt say "Plays well with other"...a gift from his Aunt Lori

The Artist at work...carving the perfect pumpkin.

Would she have it any other way...I think not.

No band aids were needed tonight. That may be a first.

One of my favorite things about carving up pumpkins - the bucket-o-seeds.

Each pumpkin passed the light test...

This is my pumpkin, Cody's, and Jessica's

The EYE of SAURON

In progress...

All of them together - Jen, Connor, Mitch, Cody, and Jessica.

Tiger football comes to an end

This was part of the homecoming 'tailgate'. There were T-shirts to be purchased for $4. They were orange and the only thing they said was "HOMECOMING". No BGHS, No Tigers No BG.

Hot dogs, chips and a soda were sold for $2. See the picture post in my photo log.

Army recruiters showed up with a climbing wall. The high school tried to arrange for them to come but got no response...until the night of the tailgate. Last year they brought a climbing wall, but none of the students could use it - unless they were 18 or had parent consent. That would be why they school wanted to see if they were coming so they could get out parent consent forms...the wall was not even put up and erect - you can see it in the back ground.

Then there was the battle of the musics...Someone brought their truck and speakers and cranked out loud inappropriate country music (bad words and themes). The ASB kids asked them to leave and then they played radio versions of hip-hop songs. The country truck pulled across the street and pointed their speakers toward the tailgate party. All the "country" kids hung around the truck and all the other kids stayed at the official tailgate...

There was face painting, colored hair spraying, games and just hanging out.

That is my view from what we call the crow's nest...best seat in the house

The season isn't over but their home games are done, therefore my job is finished as announcer.

If you think this job was easy, you try and keep crowd excited about a game when your team is getting blown out my more than 4 touchdowns or 5 touchdowns or 6 like last night at the homecoming game the tigers lost by eight touchdowns.

Some "Mitch phrases" that I use to 'entertain' the crowd...

• More than one flag is thrown - "Yellow hanky parade"
• Hard hit - "Bob Jones with a meet and great at the line of scrimmage"
• Hard hit - "Bob Jones introducing himself - the hard way"
• Running back running up the field with a defender hanging on - "Bob Jones giving free piggy-back rides"
• Person with the ball spins to get more yardage - "Bob Jones twists and shouts for a 1st down"
• Defense jumps offsides and tries to get back - "They put their right foot in...they put their right foot out....and an offsides call -that's what it's all about"
• Officials having an on the field conference "And the officials are trying to agree where dinner is tonight"
• Swarmed upon and hit like a flock of Angry Birds (video game reference)
• Long yards to go for a first down (over 15) - "3rd down and a short taxi ride for the 1st"

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Rugger Rats...

Connor and I (plus a couple of his teammates from his Rugby team) went to a two day collegiate rugby sevens tournament.

There were Div I and Div II teams present from the northwest...

16 team tournament that include representation from Oregon, WA, Oregon St, WA state, Idaho and teams from central WA and OR. The team that won was the team in PINK (they were honoring Breast Cancer awareness month).

Some teams dominated (scores around 52-0 and 49-0) while most of the matches were fairly close.

Rugby Sevens is a seven-a-side team instead of the traditional 13 or 15 member teams.

The tournament started with a 4-team 4 group round robin.

Then the top 3 teams from each group went on to play 'a lose your out' finale.

Also, with two 7-minute halves and a 4-minute half-time, the games went quick.

Chores, Jobs, works, cleaning, it's all the same...but more fun

This was one of our latest projects/FHE/craft time at the dinner table...


Part one was create a character. Even Cody made one. We dress it and each one of us 'made it our own'. Connor went for shock value...Cody was a strong man and wanted to be bigger than everyone else, Jessica is holding a cat, Jen has a cool button, and I am holding my droid


Then we divided he house into to different sections that each of us will be responsible for. Our resident artist created icon for each of the areas.

Now each week, everyone makes sure their areas are cleaned and taken care of...

MY new photo page...

I now have my own page...a photo a day MOSTLY from my cell phone


It's located at -------http://cellfishpics.blogspot.com


I put a a link from my other blog

Tiger football 2010

The crisp fall air has arrived and that means only one thing...football - OK, two things, 1. football and 2. Summer is gone and fall has arrived.

Another football season is now upon us and I find myself sitting in the crows nest, on Friday nights, announcing BGHS Tiger Football.

Things I like about being the football announcer -

• I get in free.
• I don't have to work in concessions
• I know I am better than the announcer I replaced - "And Battle Ground has first and ten on the 52 yard line" or "Great 17 yd run by Bobby Smith" (it was a pass to Billy Jones)
• Best seat in the house
• I get to sit by the offense and defense coordinators for both teams and listen
• At least once a year I get to sing the National Anthem
• Free Hot Chocolate - brought to me
• I get to help generate excitement
• I can serve my community

My totally favorite thing...Once a year the football officials throughout the state of Washington use blue flags instead of the standard yellow one - to be awareness to prostate cancer. Once a game I say - while the officials are bending over and picking up their flags - "As the officials bend over to pick up their BLUE flags let that be a reminder of prostate cancer awareness week."

Things I don't like about being the football announcer -

• Too many stairs to climb - where is the elevator
• The bathroom is sooooo far away -only one hot chocolate per game please
• The mediocre record each year
• The years when the student spirit is down. There are years where the students support athletics and then there are years that the student body lacks. This year is an up year (last year was the worst in the past 10 years)
• The score keeper likes to talk to me...while I am on the microphone speaking.
• 35-7 blow outs, but only if BG is on the losing end
• The "volume battle" with the dance team coach..."I can't hear it." ummm maybe because you are shut in a little booth above the speakers. Now the senior alum have bleeding eardrums

Baseball is over in Portland...forever

Baseball is gone...the season is over and the team is leaving. The baseball team owner took a big risk and thought he could convince the city to build a new baseball stadium in the middle of a recession. He committed to MLS (Major League Soccer). One of the league rules in MLS is that your soccer stadium is just that - a soccer stadium, not to be shared with any other sport.

The Taylor family went to 2 of the last 3 Portland Beaver Triple A baseball games. We only missed the third game because it was on Sunday.

I found a great deal weeks ago online - every ticket for the last three games - $1.00 each, even the reserved infield seats. Soooooo....I bought 8 tickets (the max number) for Saturday nights and Monday afternoons game. We had a blast

We will miss baseball in Portland. The nearest baseball game is now 2 hours away.

One cool thing I did learn was the my Droid does a complete panoramic photo shoot...I think I would rather have baseball.

Tonight's the Night...

I know, I know I have been a fail-blogger.

Tonight I have a window of time to get things going again.

It's like dieting...until you give it your direct attention and focus, it isn't going to happen.

By putting this out their I help motivate myself to get going again!

Post Toasties...

My name is Mitch and yes, I am a blogger...

Oh great wife and family of mine...
Below find 4 new posts....Wouldn't want you to stop at just one.

New Orleans DAY 1

I am out in New Orleans for a few days…My work travel buddy, Craig Nielson (also a friend of John Olsen's family) and I, are out here for a National Court Conference. We are manning a booth for our company – hoping to drum up more business. We are also visiting a potential client and spending time with a current client here in New Orleans. Our primary objective ---Eat some good southern Cajun food!

This Lois Armstrong met us at the airport. He stands about 15 feet tall.

And this is the impressive mural that was behind Lois (I thought Jessica would like to see this). The city is proud of their musical heritage and shows where ever you go.

Our client works for the courts at Jefferson Parrish 24^th judicial court. The west has counties, the south has Parrishes. This is the statue in front of his building . It is a HOT and humid day here today. ( 90+ degrees and 85+% humidity). Who would enjoy living in this every year? Well, the food may be worth putting up with a little heat. Every time I went outside it felt like my underwear shrunk-wrapped to my body and I sealed it in with a layer of Mitch sweat.

This is our booth that we set up for Thursday's conference. Craig is the sales guy and I am…the stand up comedian…or the nice friendly face that draws them in.

there was another giant Lois Armstrong the Sheridan Hotel that was hosting the conference…He's everywhere.

We ended the evening with a stroll down Bourbon St. There was music blaring from every open door/window - the bars and resturants had mostly live bands, while the shops piped out recorded music. There were people trying to give you a 'coupon' to go into their establishment and I even had the luxury of a brief conversation with a 'lady of the night' (more like a man dressed like a lady). The whole street experience was like no other and is one that I will most likely never be experienced again. It is amazing that people 'want' to come here and their view of Bourbon St as a happy fun place. I can't even imagine what Mardi Gras is like. This is the down season and the street was alive with tourist.

The live music was an awesome and mostly positive experience, but not one worth everything else that surrounds it. The highlight of the street adventure was a brass band (10 or so teenage boys) playing some peppy jazz... an ending on a very positive note.

My Hotel - Holiday Inn expressed

Is it ever good to stay in a hotel that used to be called "Security Homestead Assn". I guess I feel safer. We parked our car out front, checked in, and the clerk told Craig that because he is a platinum member that there is valet parking. When we got up, our car was still there. We were told that they stopped doing the valet parking a couple of months ago and we would have to move said car. It sat in a No Parking Zone all night. No tickets.

There is a big Youth Catholic convention in town and there are literally 100s of teenagers walking around town wearing these green backpacks. A few of them decided to have a mini-meeting just outside my hotel room at 6a in the morning. Normally, that wouldn't be an issue, except for the fact that we arrived at the hotel at 1a and didn't getting to sleep until 2:30a that same morning. An extra hour would have been nice. Also, in this picture is my travel buddy Craig. He is in the window below the blue awning working out.

How many hotels do you know have a pool on the 6^th floor? I thought that was pretty cool…UNTIL

I saw the size of the pool – it can't be any bigger than 10x30 feet…with a max depth of 4 feet

This room wins the funniest room I have ever been in. Yes, those are windows that reach to the 3 foot mark off the floor. They must have been hanging out with the 6^th floor pool. I thought who can look out of a window that is 3 feet off the ground. I got on my hands and knees, opened the window and saw – the parking lot structure just a few feet away. I think the sun hits the window no more than one hour a day. Another strange HI Express factoid in the land of Jazz...there is NO cold water that flows from the tap. I can take a "cold" shower that is as warm as one I would have in Battle Ground. Makes for an interesting late night quick drink...

Winner Winner Crayfish Dinner...

We visited a client that works down at one of the Parrish (County to you, Parrish to the south) Courts. We asked for a place with good food. He told us of a 'hole in the wall' place next to a Comfort Inn…said it was the best food in the area - menu is on the wall with only a few choices (I think there were 5 boiled/Cajun selections and 6-7 fried choices (the same fish just prepared differently) with a handful selections of a sides. We shared 3 lbs of crayfish, a pound of shrimp, a couple of smoked sausages, corn on the cob and we each had a bowl of Gumbo. It truly was delicious…

Even though the area is known for voo-doo, this is not 'finger of a witch'. Crayfish eating was educational. Pull of the head, squeeze and suck. Then pinch the tail and pull out the meat…works and looks like miniature lobsters. The Cajun spice was just short of HOT. The corn was good and spicy.

Yes, I play with my food…The big crayfish battle…I won – many times

This is what all the work is for…a little piece of tail meat (see knife/fork for size comparisons).

This is my friend and travel buddy Craig Nielson – holding the tray of 'empties'. It was a tasty treat – everything was good.

Here lies some tall stories...Neat structures of New Orleans

These are just some of the skyscrapers that I was impressed with…either their structure or design or just catching my eye. I thought the window pattern was impressive.

What would it be like to have an office or condo on one of the top four stories – great view and maybe a deck (couldn't see if there was railing or not.

This was the top of a tall building. Hey, let's make a really tall building then put a cake topper on it…with pillars…and make it white.

This reminded me of a taller version of the old field house on CSU campus.

This was a drive by photo…it was the crème de la crème…SUPER DOME. We drove right past it when we drove from the airport to the hotel late at night and it was too dark to photograph then. This was the closest we've been since.