December 27, 2022: Dorks & Dragons

Noah and Ursula bump into Adam and Duke whilst out shopping. Noah asks the boys, "Hey, what'd you get?" Adam smiles and says, "Warhammer!" while Duke replies, "D&D!" Noah says, "Cool!" but Ursula is less impressed and tells her brothers, "D&D is for dorks." Duke retorts, "Yeah? So when are you gonna start playing?"

  Duke might well call Ursula‘s bluff about D&D… although she probably doesn’t quite have the attention span for it yet. (Or at least I don’t think I had my brief foray into D&D til at least grade 6… and I still might not have enough attention span for Warhammer 40K, though it sounds fun … Read moreDecember 27, 2022: Dorks & Dragons

December 23, 2022: Noah’s Gift Bags

Noah is sitting at his computer when Ursula approaches him, carrying a roll of Christmas wrapping paper. She offers, "Daddy, I'll wrap your presents for you if you give me ten dollars." Noah smiles and replies, "That's OK, honey. I used gift bags instead; they're more efficient." Ursula scowls and shakes the roll of paper at Noah while telling him, "Presents are better when they're wrapped." Noah rolls his eyes and tells her, "Presents are the same whether they're wrapped or bagged." Not giving up, Ursula retorts, "No, they need to be well-wrapped. Y'know, 'presented'?" Noah grins and asks, "And you'd thinnk that even if you weren't asking me to pay you to wrap?" Ursula replies, "What's that got to do with it?"

  Ursula‘s entrepreneurialism runs aground on Noah’s obsession with efficiency. Listen, kiddo: you can’t build a successful business just on your family and friends. (This one was inspired by an episode of Nightwave Radio from earlier this week wherein the host, Mersh, was talking about using gift bags and some of the people in his … Read moreDecember 23, 2022: Noah’s Gift Bags

December 21, 2022: Happy Solstice!

The Thorsens are all gathered around the Christmas tree, celebrating the winter solstice and Yule by opening their presents from Granny Thorsen and "Odin." Baby Valerie is playing with the ripped up wrapping paper and Ursula has opened her presents: an iPad from "Odin" and a hand-knit sweater from Granny Thorsen. She smiles and says "Weird how Odin's handrwriting looks so much like Granny Thorsen's..." Noah stands behind her and scowls at Duke and Adam, with his finger over his lips shushing them. Duke says nothing and Adam says, "Freak coincidence, sis."

  Christmas is still a few days away, but Yule/the solstice is today, aka the day the Thorsens open presents from Granny Thorsen… er, “Odin.” Wait til Ursula notices how Santa’s handwriting is the same as Grandma Agnes‘. (We also see Granny Thorsen’s first name in the runes: Hrefna. And yeah, she wouldn’t write “from” … Read moreDecember 21, 2022: Happy Solstice!