Birthday party

Naturally, Minnesota Wolves didn't just decide to come to Maryland from Minnesota for no particular reason. He came for his 22nd birthday. Naturally, we held a birthday party at Chez Wolves. A number of family friends came over, and a good time was had by all. The highlight, though, was when the birthday boy cut the cake. Instead of just making the first slice, he went all in. As they say, hilarity ensued. The birthday boy was relaxed:

Then he was asked to cut the cake:

 Instead of simply making the first slice and deferring to more experienced cake-cutters, he kept going:

Things got ugly:

Really ugly:

Several more experienced people there -- his mother, his sister-in-law -- tried to salvage the cutting job, to no avail:

No, really:

So we just ate it:

The cake looked like the victim of a shark attack:

Fortunately, it tasted great, and everyone enjoyed it. Later, we burned a lot of wood and didn't really care what the cake looked like:

Life was good.

It can't be all work and no play, after all

Minnesota Wolves was here five nights. One of those, we had to leave for the airport at oh-dark-thirty. Three of the other four, we did one of his favorite things -- we burned a shitload of wood in the firepit:

Nothing like a little fire, I always say:

No shit, I put him to work

Having used Minnesota Wolves as labor to clean up my own house, I decided I should take him to The Farm and put him to work there, too. Naturally, I enlisted Cpl. Wolves, as well. Since we needed to dig two new beds to house the squash and the cucumbers, I decided I didn't want to dig those. Hmmm, what to do? Enlist young strong backs and weak minds, of course. Fortunately, they were willing:

They stripped the sod from two new beds:

Really, much faster than I expected:

I'm not saying they liked me for it:

I tilled one, then Farmer Tom tilled the other:

Naturally, I surveyed the progress of the early crops. Here we have some kale:

This is something like kale that isn't kale. Fuck if I know:

Spinach:

Radishes:

And the newly created beds (they look they same, so I just took one picture. I mean, really):

Those boys worked like field hands. Seriously, why else do you have sons?

Minnesota Wolves visited last week, and I put him to work

Minnesota Wolves came for a week for his birthday last week. I picked him up at BWI Sunday night (really, Monday morning) and we went from there. Monday, I put him to work. Mrs. Wolves wanted some kind of mildew-removing shit sprayed all over the damn place, so Minnesota Wolves got the call. He didn't seem to mind:

I made him do all the ground level stuff:

It worked pretty well. Always good to see the boy earning his keep:

I did the aerial stuff -- the second- and third-story shit -- since if I fell off the ladder and died, I would lose fewer years than him. It all worked out OK, though. Meaning I didn't die. We were just a couple men at work, leading to this:

More about his visit coming.

Bring me that baby!

Minnesota Wolves, my youngest, is coming to visit soon for his birthday. He recently sent along a picture of my granddaughter, who is clearly the cutest child on the face of the planet:

Wish he could bring her and her mother with him, but I am looking forward to seeing him.

Time marches on

As  of June 26, courtesy of Future Wolves and Minnesota Wolves, I am a grandfather. Future Wolves did the heavy lifting in bringing us Nataliya Kay:

She is a healthy 6 pounds, 3 ounces, 19 inches:

She is clearly the most beautiful baby girl ever born:

I can't wait to see her in person. Time marches on.

We got issues

Minnesota Wolves might live in Minnesota now, but he was raised in my household and is a Packers' fan. Future Wolves, a Minnesota native, was not and is not. She roots for, God help me, the Viqueens. I'm not sure how I feel about letting her into the family. On the other hand, she is toting around Wolves: The Next Generation, so I am inclined to be forgiving. It's not really her fault that she roots for the ViQueens. What else is there to do in Minnesota? Anyway, Minnesota Wolves and Future Wolves both have the same player's jersey: Brett Favre. Alas, Brett Favre played for both teams:

Yeah, she's wearing a ViQueens Favre jersey. His first year there was great, the second one somewhat less. Still, can't fault her taste in players. Teams? That's different.

A second Wolves Christmas

Minnesota Wolves and Future Wolves came to town on Tuesday from, oddly enough, Minnesota. Mostly they have fucked with my sleep cycle, but in a good way. Trying to get work in (reduced hours, of course) while spending time with them. Work lost. Anyway, Thursday -- New Year's Eve -- we had a second Christmas. Did stockings, presents, etc. One of the big issues was that Future Wolves is toting around Wolves: The Next Generation and is, alas, as a native of Minnesota, a ViQueens fan. This mandated our selection of certain of the presents. They like the stocking swag:

And Future Wolves even managed to smile when she opened the Packers bibs:

Minnesota Wolves like the bibs much more, as they tend to negate the ViQueens blanket someone in Future Wolves seems to have gotten Wolves: The Next Generation:

And did I mention the Packers onesies:

Future Wolves also gift-wrapped Minnesota Wolves, for herself, I guess:

As second Christmases go, pretty damn good. Getting ready to watch the Packers-ViQueens match-up, which means we have a game food post coming, too. Stay tuned.