Noah's Archipelago - Noah Thorsen: Rock 'n' Roll House Dad

December 30, 2022: New Year’s Resolutions

December 29, 2022December 30, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Ursula and Noah are sitting on the living room rug, still building Lego, while Ruth and Agnes are sitting on the sofa behind them. Ruth is knitting and Agnes is holding baby Valerie. Ruth asks Agnes, "Any New Year's resolutions, Mom?" Agnes replies, "Yes, Frank needs to exercise more." Agnes then grins and looks at Noah and asks Ruth, "What resolutions are you assigning yours?" And Noah frowns in response. Ruth has a nervous grin, laughs, and replies, "Well... I think Noah ought to read more books." Furious, Noah retorts, "I prefer audiobooks. Y'know, while I'm busy doing all the work around the house? I listen to 3 books a week." Ursula then pipes up, grinning, "Wait, did you just say you can listen to books instead of read them?" Confused, Noah answers, "Yes?" Ursula then asks, "Why didn't you tell me that was an option?!?"

Hmm… they have audiobook versions of Garfield anthologies? Anyway, wonder if Frank knows he’ll be exercising more in 2023… Share on FacebookPost on XSave

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December 29, 2022: Lego and Pizza

December 28, 2022December 29, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Noah and Ursula are sitting on the living room rug, assembling Ursula's Lego Goat Boat. Ursula says, "I'd have so much more time to build Lego if it weren't for all the homework." Noah, busy pushing pieces together, echoes her: "Yep. I'd have so much more time to build Lego if it weren't for all the housework and cooking." Ursula senses an opportunity and asks him, "So you admit we should order pizza more?"

Ursula has a point, but I doubt Noah will give in on the pizza front. Also, I like how Ursula seemingly assumes that as soon as they graduate from school, the only thing stopping them from building Lego stuff is the time spent cooking rather than ordering pizza. Share on FacebookPost on XSave

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December 28, 2022: Ursula Needs A Hobby

December 27, 2022December 28, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Ruth and Ursula are in the embroidery aisle of a hobby store. Ruth is holding out a unicorn embroidery kit and says, "What about this kit, honey?" Ursula is disinterested and, without even looking at it, says, "Dunno, don't care." Ruth turns to pick out a different kit and says, "Oh, c'mon, it's time you got a hobby. Embroidery, for example." She then smiles and tells Ursula, "It'll make you a more rounded person." Ursula looks annoyed and replies, "I already draw. I don't have time for other hobbies, especially with all the math homework." Ruth crosses her arms and groans. Meanwhile, a grinning Noah comes up, bearing a model kit to show Ursula, saying, "They don't have any tanks, Ursula. Want an F-14 instead?" Ursula replies, "I guess so. No Viking ships?"

Looks like Ursula already has hobbies, just not the ones Ruth was hoping for. Share on FacebookPost on XSave

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December 27, 2022: Dorks & Dragons

December 27, 2022December 27, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

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

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Boxing Day

February 7, 2024December 26, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Noah fondly remembers Boxing Days past. I don’t think I ever did the A&B Sound Boxing Day madness, or if I did it was looking for CDs later that afternoon, long after the hardcore dudes had already gone home with their new stereos and TVs. My brother says he used to go line up … Read moreBoxing Day

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Merry Christmas!

February 7, 2024December 24, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Ursula is kneeling on the floor next to Grandma Agnes' Christmas tree while baby Valerie plays with the discarded wrapping paper from the opened presents and Agnes sits in a chair drinking cocoa. Ursula asks Agnes, "Grandma, how come Santa's tags have your writing on them?" Agnes concocts some BS answer: "Well, Santa's very busy with delivering presents so he doesn't have time to fill out all the tags." Ursula next asks, "Why don't the elves write the tags?" and Agnes tells her "Elves can't read and write, dear." Ursula counters, "That's not what Granny Thorsen says."

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Noah’s Gift Bags

February 7, 2024December 23, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

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 moreNoah’s Gift Bags

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Ginger-boardwalk

February 7, 2024December 22, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Noah, Ruth, and Ursula are in the kitchen/dining room making gingerbread houses... well, Ruth made a gingerbread house, Ursula made a gingerbread church, and Noah is putting the finishing frosting touches on a gingerbread Coney Island covering the entire dining table, complete with midway, Ferris wheel, carousel, and candy cane rollercoaster. Noah is licking his lips and thinking, "Almost finished my gingerbread masterpiece: Candy Cane-y Island... Now to protect it from being devoured by Ruth and the kids." Meanwhile Ruth is scowling and thinking, "Guess we're eating in the living room for a while..." and Ursula is glaring at Noah and thinking "Show off!"

Noah goes overboard with the gingerbread… why build a house when you can build Coney Island? Er, “Cane-y Island”. Share on FacebookPost on XSave

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Happy Solstice!

February 7, 2024December 21, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

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 moreHappy Solstice!

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Sail On

February 7, 2024December 20, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Glen is working on the engine of a '70s muscle car while Adam leans over and holds a flashlight for Glen and Ursula is complaining about Noah's Viking homeschool: "...and he still expects me to row the distance from Denmark to England!" Adam, mostly ignoring his little sister just mumbles "Mmmhmm." Glen says to Ursula, "You do know Vikings mostly sailed rather than rowed, right?" Shocked, Ursula says, "Wait, what?!?" Adam grins and says, "She knows now." Furious, Ursula asks, "I rowed a whole half a mile for nothing?!?" Glen rolls his eyes and says, "Well, there's always that whole exercise thing..."

So it falls to Glen to let Ursula in on how the Vikings really got around. And we find out Ursula hasn’t gotten very far towards “England” anyway. Share on FacebookPost on XSave

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