Fx4: Austin Powers? No, Mini-Me!

If you've been hanging around here for long, you know that The Scribe Family is a Swimming Family. Aside from the fact that we all think Michael Phelps is a supreme jackass, we still have to admire his accomplishments in the pool. And professional athletes aside, we're all mighty proud of our neighborhood's summer swimming program.

The kids ~ and sometimes their goofy parents ~ show their spirit in many ways. Some paint their faces. Some dress up for Disco Day. The Scribes recently hosted the 3rd Annual Girls Swim Team Sleepover, featuring about 50 little girls crammed in the basement.

We raise money every summer with a swim-a-thon for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. One of our team members is a survivor. We are family.

Take a look at the snap above. Those are our summer coaches, including Ella Numera Dos. Then take a gander at the snap below, shot on one of our theme days.

Can you say Mini-Me? I know Candid Carrie can. She's sponsoring these Superior Snaps as part of her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta.

Aloha, OBX!

Thought I'd take a double-turn again today, with Travel Tip Thursday & Writer's Workshop. Tx3 is brought to you by Pseudo, who lives in Hawaii. Since she resides in Paradise, I guess she wants to see how the rest of us schlubs live? Wx2 is brought to you by Mama Kat. Today's prompt: How will you enjoy your last days of freedom (aka summer)?

We called her Edith Bunker. Not because she was goofy & gangly & spoke in a grating falsetto, although she did have a pretty high-pitched warble. No, we annointed her with the name of Archie's spouse because she ran like this:

Ella Numera Una had a hustle in her bustle. A hitch in her gettalong, as we say in Tejas. And we noticed it the most when we went to the beach in Duck, North Carolina.

Mr. Fairway shot that snap in 1988, our first time at Duck, toward the north end of the North Carolina's barrier islands. We've returned at least every summer since then to The Outer Banks, or OBX, as the natives know them. We've also visited at Thanksgiving, and in December, as the Nor'easters begin to blow. But we've never missed a summer in 21 years.

We can't tell you how many times we've been down to Duck since that first sojurn, but the kids will tell you we're not tourists anymore.

"Call us visitors," Una says.

"Aw, we're more than visitors by now," pipes up Ella Numera Dos, who first visited the OBX when she was 5 weeks old.

No, that's not our tag. Just a snap we snagged in the parking lot of the local market. Tommy's. One of the reasons we keep returning, although the prices are too steep and the coffee's often cold. You see, we were with Tommy from the start. He & the Scribe Family both started their love affair with Duck, NC in the late '80s.

Of course, Dockside 'n' Duck is another reason. Steamed crabs to go. Every kind of fish you'd have a hankerin' for, right off the boat.

Or it could be the sunsets. And eating ice cream on the boardwalk overlooking the Currituck Sound at Sunset Ice Cream. We've been with them since the beginning, too.

We get a lot of reading done.

And sometimes the grownups have one too many "adult beverages." But while Duck doesn't have the waves of Maui or the white sand of Sanibel Island, the kids always find a way to get their boogie on.

This is all, I suppose, the roundabout way of saying that we're headed down to Duck in a week or so. Mrs. Scribe will be filing dispatches from the road, of course. And that's the way we'll be spending the rest of our summer vacation.

BTW, Principal Man, fie on you and Our Humble High School. I may never come back.

Dancing with the Stars? Or, Here Comes the Boogie

Kevin Heinz & Jill Peterson's wedding. St. Paul, Minnesota. July 20, 2009.

Well, Isn't That Special?

No, it wasn't the Church Lady, but Preston over at Me and the Blue Skies who posted a delightful meme the other day. Here's the dealy-0:

Preston gave me 5 special words that are supposed to relate to moi. My assignment? To meditate upon these gems & then explain them in a meaningful way.

Oh, and there's another part to this meme. After I'm done explaining, my readers are allowed to get in on the fun. If you'd like to participate, leave me a comment, & I'll give YOU 5 words. Which you will then explain on YOUR blog. And so on & so forth.

Let the fun begin! Preston gifted me with some winning words (remember...I'm a high school English teacher, so I know from words)! They are: Adventures, Cooking, Satire, Writing, and Photography. Here goes nothing...

Adventures
Labeled in red, because I am ~ really, truly ~ an adventurous person. Or at least I like to think so!

Do you remember my 4th of July post? I alluded to snagging "an awesome viewing venue...on the Capitol steps" for the Big Fireworks Bang on the National Mall. One thing I didn't explain ~ Ella Numera Dos & her Madre (that would be moi) attained that superior spot by nefarious means.

Because of post-9/11 security, especially near our national treasures like the Capitol, policemen (and women) are posted all over the dang place. And they've roped off the steps on the west front of the Capitol for senators & other political types. No one sits their bum on those steps until they clear security. And they have to be pretty special to clear security. It's almost like the velvet rope at one of those clubs in Beverly Hills.

Your Humble Scribe, of course, is an old Capitol Hill hand. The convo with the cop went something like this:

Your Humble Scribe: Officer, we're meeting someone from Senator Webb's staff on the steps over there.

Officer: You'll have to call him and have him come down to get you.

YHS (dials cellie; calls herself, pretending to try to get in touch with the Senator's staffer): Sorry, officer. No can do. No service (holds up cellie for the good officer to inspect, as if he could confirm her statement). Oh, wait! I see him over there (starts waiving madly in the direction of the steps).

Officer: Do you see him? Where is he? Can he come down to get you?

YHS: Right there...see the balding man in the khakis & blue shirt, about halfway up the steps on this side (Note to readers: DC is full to busting with serious-looking wonks who fit this description)? There he is (continues waving madly)! Hellllooooooooowwww!! Over heeeeeeeerrrrreeee!!!

At this point, the balding gentleman in the khakis & blue shirt spots Your Humble Scribe's pantomime and...get this...wait for it...Starts. Waving. Back. And beckoning. There definitely was some beckoning going on. From a stranger. In khakis & a blue shirt.

Officer: Well, there's quite a crowd, ma'am. And since that gentleman on the steps seems to know you & all, please come forward. Watch your step. Enjoy your evening.

YHS (grabbing Ella Numera Dos): Thank you, officer! Happy 4th!!

Let's just say that we didn't sit with the balding gentleman in the khakis & blue shirt. But we did have a great seat for Aretha Franklin. And Big Bird, who was pretty much interchangeable with the Queen of Soul that nite. Oh, and the fireworks were awesome!

Cooking
All I can say is, I love to eat! In the past year or so, I've gotten into baking. Take a gander at the recipe for Entrancing Peach Pie, or perhaps Aunt Julie's Blueberry Pie. Both fruits are in season right now.

But, being a Tejana & all, I also love my food muy caliente. Lost River Chili comes to mind. And a tip for those of you sweltering down South this summer:

Take hot showers & eat really spicy food. Then 105 in the shade won't seem so toasty.

Satire
Anything Your Humble Scribe has written about Principal Man could be considered satire, if it weren't so dang serious (as a heart attack) at the same time. And don't forget that entire week in May, featuring sad, slightly satirical, but oh-so-true, adventures from Our Humble High School. But the Runaway Trucker Post might qualify, too.

Not quite up to Mark Twain's satirical standards, but my weekly Silly Sunday Sweepstakes is often a hoot-&-a-half!

Writing
I love to write. I am, after all, the self-proclaimed Superior Scribbler. I've been putting words to paper since before I learned to talk. That's my high school journalism teacher, who taught me everything about everything, writing-wise.

Blogging is the perfect outlet for my passion. I set the agenda, I make the assignments. I (sometimes) edit the copy. In a perfect world, I'd get pay to do this. Any takers?

Photography
Ella Numera Dos really has this corner covered. So do Ella Numera Una & Aunt Julie. But I love showcasing Superior Snaps, as those of you who follow my Silly Sunday Sweepstakes know. Ella Dos snapped the above in San Fran. It's part of her juried competition...Please go vote! And I know a picture-perfect image when I see one...except, of course, when I don't!

OK, Scribe Fans...I had a lot of fun today. Wanna take a turn? Let me know, & I'll send YOU your 5 winning words!

Ice Cream Trumps the Texas Longhorns

Meet Soccer Boy. He loves ice cream so much that he started a tradition when we join his family at the beach every summer. Ice cream for breakfast.

Yes, you read that right. The kid loves ice cream soooooooooo much that he was even willing to stop wearing his beloved Texas Longhorns T-shirt long enough for his Mom to wash it...as long as she provided him with a cone for breakfast, first. Of course, that first cone evolved into a week-long, annual deal. Well, ice cream contains calcium, doesn't it?

I think Soccer Boy's record for this particular T was 8 days in a row, but who's counting? He got his ice cream & his Mom got a clean T-shirt. He might have even consented to a bath after he was done with the cone.

Those sweet gals over at 5 Minutes for Mom put out the word recently about an ice cream photo contest. The Grand Prize Winner will win ice cream for a year ~ plus all the accoutrements. So I am shamelessly...SHAMELESSLY...putting my nephew on the Front Lines. To win a photo contest. But you know I love yummy deals like this, right?

And don't you think this Snap is pretty Superior? Those big blue eyes. That tousled hair. The little drip coming off the bottom of the cone. No wonder the T was a candidate for the Clorox!

But it's all about the ice cream. And Soccer Boy, of course. I promise to share. On my honor. The Girl Scout Oath & all that janx.

And speaking of photo contests, don't forget to vote for Ella Numera Dos...Thank you for your support!

Silly Sunday Sweepstakes: Quadruple Bypass?

Ella Numera Una concludes her Eurotrip Guest Posts with this quaduple take on Mrs. Scribe's Silly Sunday Sweepstakes. And while you're here, don't forget to vote for Ella Numera Dos!

Hey there, Scribe Fans! Thought I'd put a different kinda "spin" on Madre's Sx3 today, by giving you 4 Superior Snaps to choose from.

You know what to do, correctamundo? Take a gander at all 4 Superior Snaps. Then, conjure a caption for 1, 2, 3 or even all 4! Tippy-type your captions in the comments section of this post. And that's all there is to it! My Mom doesn't have anything tangible to give you this week. Just her love & appreciation for giving us all a good giggle...and what could be better than that?

Listen, I've really enjoyed my week here at The Scholastic Scribe! When I guested in March, I had no clue I'd be back again so soon! Thanks for having me, and as they say in Italy, ARRIVEDERCI, ROMA!

Photo #1: An X-rated postcard in Florence

Photo #2: Nuns & priests gather in front of St. Peter's in Vatican City.

Photo #3: During our Mediterranean cruise, the cabin staff folded our towels into little bunnies each day!

Photo #4: During the Barcelona leg of our Eurotrip, we saw tourists (not us!) taking in the sights via Segway.

Well, They're NOT the Christmas Breasts!

OK, Scribe Fans...time for 6-Word Saturday, brought to you by Cate at Show My Face. Today, Ella Numera Una gives us her take on the beaches of the Riviera. Una finishes off her week in Scribe Land with our Silly Sunday Sweepstakes tomorrow...stay tuned!

I saw lots of European boobs.

There, I said it. My 6 words.

Beaches in Europe are very different from beaches in the US. Europeans must be less worried about nudity, because there are topless women, of all ages, all sizes, all shapes, all ethnicities, EVERYWHERE.

Not that I was not prepared for it, because I've heard the European beach stories, yadda yadda, but seriously, everywhere. And not that I have a problem with it, either. I referred to this in my earlier post about Barcelona, and Cannes, France was no different.

After taking in the sites of Cannes (which is really just a bunch of ritzy hotels and fancy stores, and the theater that hosts the annual Cannes Film Fest) we spent the rest of the day on the beach. The beaches in Cannes are gorgeous!! And we saw lots of boobs. And Speedos.

Definitely NOT The Christmas Breasts. Seriously. Hey, 6 more words, huh?

Editor's Note: Ella Numera Dos, who just started the photoblog MOO, recently created a photography book that caught the attention of the folks over at the People's Choice Awards. Please vote for her here. Thank you for your support!

The Leaning Tower, David & Friends from College?

Ella Numera Una & her Eurotrip Guest Posts focus in on Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta Finish today!

After Rome, we stopped in Livorno, about a 2-hour train ride from Florence. Florence. Is. Amazing.

We waited in line at the Galleria Accademia to see Michelangelo's The David. Only a 45-minute wait! Although you aren't supposed to take photos inside, I secretly snapped this one.

Wandering the streets of Florence, we stopped outside of Il Duomo. As I was turning around to continue our journey, a very, very blonde boy came around the corner, someone who looked very familiar, followed by a girl with short curly hair. The pair are two I recently graduated with about a month ago!! In a college smaller than my high school, what are the chances of running into two of your classmates in Italy?! It was definitely a right place, right time thing.

After Florence, we took the train back through Tuscany and stopped in Pisa. Here's my only snap of Tuscany from the train. Aren't sunflowers so pretty?

Pisa is a pretty touristy place, but it was totally worth seeing the tower, which actually leans! I decided to push back.

Oh, They're Still Talking About that Dead Priest. Do You Think He Smells?

Ella Numera Una continues her Eurotrip series today with a contribution to Pseudo's Travel Tip Thursday and Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. The topic: If you had the time and money...what charity would you help raise awareness for?

Baba, my maternal grandmother, lived down the street. She was our go-to babysitter when Mom had to run errands, our after-school picker-upper, an excellent lemon cake-baker, and much, much more. We would go to the park, go to the National Gallery where she worked, go shopping, go to the theater, pretty much go anywhere. We were very well-traveled young women.

Baba was diagnosed with Alzheimer's when I was in high school. We still continued to go on our adventures, but slowly, I began to notice changes. First, she couldn't go to the grocery store by herself. Then, we began parking her car at our house. Eventually, she sold her rowhouse in D.C. for an apartment next door to my Aunt and Uncle. When we would go to visit, she was always the same, bright-eyed and tremendously opinionated, but remembering my age began to become a problem.

You are probably wondering why my relationship with Baba has anything to do with my recent trip to Rome. Actually, a lot!!

We decided to get a tour guide in Rome so we could catch as many sights as possible. We saw Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon, the Coliseum. After eating lunch at a cafe ~ mmmmmmmmm, more pizza! ~ we hopped on our "coach," as our tour guide referred to it, and headed for St. Peter's Basilica.

With a tour guide, you get the complete, detailed rundown of everything historical, worthwhile, consequential or remotely interesting. As we were wandering around St. Peter's, we came across a man enclosed in a glass case, dressed in Papal robes.

The exchange between the tour guide and me went something like this:

Tour Guide: "And this is Pope John XXIII." He was embalmed and placed up in St. Peter's shortly after his death. Pope John Paul II will be placed in the Basilica in the fall. He is wearing a wax mask for obvious reasons."

Me: "Wait, this is the real guy? Like the real Pope? Really him? (Obviously confused as to why a man who has been dead for more than 30 years is lying in a glass case next to my leg).

Tour Guide: "Yes ma'am, the real Pope John XXIII. Not the fake one."

I had to take a picture immediately, and upon my return to the United States, this was the first photo I showed my Mother from my Eurotrip.

Me: "Look Mom, it's a dead priest."

Mom: "A real dead priest?"

Me: "Yes, a real dead priest, not a fake one. Baba would be so proud."

Okay, I promise we aren't crazy. We aren't dead people-crazed, nor are we Catholic. So, what's with the fascination with the Pope?

Shortly after Pope John Paul II's death in 2005, Baba was at our house for the afternoon, to give my Aunt some time to herself. After school I came home to find Baba on our couch, watching the news, which was covering Pope John Paul's death. With her age, Baba had become a tad confused, and usually things had to be repeated 3 or 4 times. While my mom made dinner, Baba and I watched the news, which got a little repetitive.

As the newscasters talked about the Pope, Baba questioned things out loud. She repeatedly referred to Pope John Paul II as the "dead priest" and did not understand why the news continued to talk about his death. She also didn't seem to understand why all these people were walking past the Pope, who was lying in state at the Vatican.

In Baba's opinion, "the dead priest" would probably be pretty smelly, since he had died some days before.

I tried to explain to Baba that "the dead priest" was actually the Pope, and it was a big deal that he had just died. But she just didn't seem to care. Every so often my Mom would come in to check on us, and ask what we were watching. The general response from both of us was, "Oh, you know. Just more about that dead priest."

This is one of my favorite memories of Baba in her later years. I don't remember it because I thought she was crazy, but because she was still the same person ~ not ever afraid to speak her mind. It's something that is filed away with the lemon cakes, the shopping trips, and the musicals, and whenever I think about it, I still laugh.

So, to answer the question at the beginning of this post, if I had the time and the money, the charity I'd want to raise awareness for is The Alzheimer's Association. For Baba. And for the dead priest.

"I Think There's a Dead Person Over There..."

Ella Numera Una brought you Spring Breakdown in March. She's guesting again this week; here's Post #3: Pompeii

I know the title of this post seems a little insensitive, but it's the quote that sticks out to me the most from my Eurotrip.

My friend said this to me while we were trying to dodge several tourist groups at our first stop in Italy. We spent the day in Naples, and took a short train ride to see Pompeii, the city destroyed by Mount Vesuvius. Pompeii was super-interesting, with many of the buildings, art, and even people preserved from the eruption over 2,000 years ago.

And of course, even though we suffered through one of the hottest days on our trip (record highs of more than 100 degrees), and Pompeii has absolutely no shade, it was an experience I'll never forget!!

We walked and walked again...walking seems to have been a "theme" of our two weeks in Europe, even though we spent half of that time on a Mediterranean cruise!

I know that today is Wordless Wednesday, but I felt everything needed a little explanation. Can't wait to see you tomorrow when we go to Rome (and do as the Romans do)!

Narak Iktar Tard! Or, "The Maltese Falcon"...NOT

Ella Numera Una, who did her Spring Breakdown for The Scholastic Scribe in March, is guesting again for her Madre this week. Today she takes a look at Short-Shorts, Grandpas and "Gladiator."

Valletta, Malta, was the first stop on our cruise after spending a couple days in Barcelona. I actually didn't know that Malta existed, much less was its own country, until a couple days before we arrived! I guess you learn something new every day.

Malta ended up being one of my favorite stops on our trip, and I would love to go back someday and explore the island more. Well-known for its fortresses used for protection against the Ottomans, and its ruling class of Knights throughout the Middle Ages, Malta is definitely an historic experience.

The country's most famous tourist destination, St. John's Co-Cathedral, was one of the most beautiful churches I saw in Europe (and trust me, I saw a lot of churches). I think the highlight of our visit to St. John's was the lovely skirts we were given to wear because our shorts were too short.

I think the other highlight of my Maltese experience was definitely the grandpas wandering the street, speaking intensely with each other in plazas, or just hanging out. Apparently, Malta is home to lots of older folks, just from what I saw, and they have nothing better to do on a Tuesday in July than just chill throughout the city. They were so cute!!

Valletta was small enough for us to tour in one morning, by foot, and it has some amazing views. As the ship left the port, everyone was on the decks taking pictures. That was when our cruise director decided to inform us that Valletta was actually the backdrop for several movies about Ancient Rome, because of the similarity of the ruins and there are a lot fewer people! We sailed by the set that was used for both "Gladiator" and "Troy" and I would have to say, if I didn't know it was Malta, I would have thought it was the Coliseum!

Unfortunately, though, we saw neither Russell Crowe nor Joaquin Phoenix. Drat!

As the title of my post says, "Narak iktar tard." See you later!! (in Maltese). Look forward to catching up with you tomorrow for our first day in Italy. Mmmmmmmm, pizza!

¿Dondé Está Mis Pantalones?

This week The Scholastic Scribe presents

Ella Numera Una in her second turn as a Guest Blogger!

So I'm sure you all were enthralled and amazed by my mother's ability to "sneak in" to the VIP section at the fireworks at the Capitol on the 4th this year. To say the least, I have to admit I was a bit jealous, because 4th of July has to be one of my favorite holidays; but my Mom kindly reminded me, "Well, you were in Europe." Indeed I was, Mom, and would have to say that I rather enjoyed my unconventional 4th of July in Barcelona, Spain.

A little background info before I get too wrapped up...one of my best friends, ever since the 1st grade, got a Mediterranean cruise as a gift for college graduation. Pretty sweet gift, no? The best part is that I was selected as the friend to tag along on this wondrous adventure. I had never been to Europe before, so we've been talking about this trip ever since last October. Well, it finally came!

Our first stop on our Eurotrip was Barcelona, and all I have to say is that in my second life, I'm going to return to Earth and live in Spain. Barcelona is amazing!!

The 4th of July was our second day in Barcelona (third if you count the day we slept in our hotel room after 20 hours of traveling). Barcelona is a very walkable city, so there was no need for us in-shape 22-year-olds to take the Metro or a cab on our all-day adventures.

We grabbed lunch at the Placa Reial, strolled along the beach in Barceloneta (talk to me another time about my European beach experiences!!!), took the Transborador Aeri across the port to Montjuic (and a tram over the Mediterranean is truly an experience), and spent the afternoon into evening exploring the mountain. That came with, lots, and lots, and lots of walking. I have 6 blisters on my left foot to prove it.

After seeing the Castel de Montjuic (which was used as a war prison), the gardens, and the Olympic Stadium from the 1992 games, we finally decided to take a break outside of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. MNAC is famous for its exhibits of Catalonian art, but even more so for the fountain that sits outside, La Font Mágic, or Magic Fountain. The fountain performs daily for visitors with different patterns, waterfalls, etc.

Little did we know that as the sun goes down, a more-than-colorful light display illuminates the water and Celine Dion recordings play to accompany the fountain's wooshes. So we had a 4th of July, in a foreign country, complete with a pseudo-fireworks display!! Definitely one of the highlights of my time in Barcelona, even though it's a city that I could go on and on and on about (as you can see).

Thank you all for stopping by today; please drop by again tomorrow to hear about Valletta, Malta, home to the movie sets of "Troy" and "Gladiator"!!! (And I bet you didn't know that).

Adios!!!

Editor's Note: Ella Una clearly has a silly streak, similar to her madre, Señora Scribe. The titles of this week's posts will reflect said silliness.

Sx3: It Takes Balls to be a Golf Groupie...

Greetings & Salutations, y'all, & Happy Silly Sunday Sweepstakes! I'm trying a video for your Sx3 viewing pleasure today. Not quite sure how this will turn out, but hope to get a few gigles out of it, at any rate.

Your Humble Scribe presents a vid captured from the site of Tara R. She had some cryptic comments to make recently about golfers & golfing. Since I'm married to the notorious Mr. Fairway & in honor of this weekend's British Open & all, thought I'd make this vid our Sx3 selection for this particular Sunday.

You know what to do, right? Take a gander at this Superior ~ and hilarious ~ video, and conjure a caption. Then, tippy-type said caption real quick-like in the comments section of this post.

Of course, you won't win anything tangible today for all your hard work. Just Mrs. Scribe's love & adulation & naturally, a chuckle or 2 or 3. We hope to get some great shots off today. As they say in the game, "FORE!"

Blazing Saddles

A Classic Convert's not always cool.

Mr. Fairway & I met in college. He was the Older Man (a grad student), who had a classy 1972 Impala convert. I loved him for his mind ~ I swear! ~ not his cool car.

I moved back home to Texas after graduation, & Mr. F. followed about a year later. In mid-July. With that Sharp Mind & that Classic Convert, what was not to love?

Big Apple Red, with a black vinyl interior & a black top. And no AC. In Texas. In mid-July.

We were Newspaper Types back then in the old days. I worked days. He worked nights. His Upper Midwest sensibilities couldn't figure out who built the blast furnace in his classy car.

"I go to work at 2 p.m., & it's 105 degrees outside. When I get off at 11, it's still 90."

"Dude, you live in Texas now."

"Yeah, but who freakin' lives in a place that's still 90 freakin' degrees at 11 freakin' o'clock at night?" Oh, & I'm pretty sure he didn't use the word "freakin."

"Dude, who drives a car like that in Texas in the summertime?" With a stick-to-the-butt black vinyl interior, I might add.

Apparently, even a Classic Convert isn't cool enough. But Cate at Show My Face is. She sponsored this message.

On My Honor...It's Fx4 Time, I Swear!

These 2 just returned from Europe. A Mediterranean cruise, if you want to know the truth. And they promised me a week's worth of guest-blogging, starting next Monday. That's what they get for going off to see Michaelangelo's David & not inviting moi!

Mom & a couple of 22-year-olds. Do you think they would have let me tag along?

Yeah, right.

They do grow up. That's all I'm gonna say, 'cause I way too tahrd (Texas-speak required on days like this) to say much else.

Well, I could say one more thing. I'm plumb wore out from trying to get the little lady on the right ready for the next chapter in her life. Lots of jackassin' goin' on around Scribe Land.

A word of sage advice for those of you with Brownies & Cub Scouts at home...

When you snag their snaps at the swearing-in ceremony, make sure you shoot a keeper. And if you happen to catch your little bundle of joy asleep at the switch, as I did, make sure you root that Superior Snap out 16 years later so you can post it on your blog.

And then we can all have a good laugh, huh?

Sorry. Not as funny as Vodka Mom. Nor could I ever approach the cleverness of Candid Carrie, who's bringing you her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta today...