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Saturday, October 25, 2008

Brandon Crisp, Barrie Ontario

Evenin' boys and girls.

Here's a little somethin' to make you go hmmmmm.

Down there on the right somewhere of the blog is the traffic tracker thingy-whatsit. And, on that lil' beastie, I can see where folks are comin' from. Get this into ya: the MOST popular google search phrase that people find Scrubbie's blog from is the phrase "why kids hate their parents" or variations of that same phrase. I ran a couple of layouts showing the horrible things we do to our kids like dressing them up in goofy outfits and such with the titles "Why kids grow up hating their parents" (or somethin' like that) and voila - the google engines flag the blog as a result.

And, the hits are coming from all around the world. Seriously.

Makes me wonder why are people searching that phrase so often?

So - if you are stoppin' by for a visit - drop me a note and let me know what prompted you to search that phrase. I am interested.

On a similar note - allow me to do a Scrubbie Aside for a moment.

BRANDON CRISP: Yes - you Brandon. I was hoping you might stumble across my blog when googling your name. Ya, I google mine quite often - just to see what comes up. Listen - I totally understand the whole X-Box thing. And, I totally understand gettin' pissed off with the parents for shutting you down. I have a 12 yr old kid here who goes ballistic when I tell him he's off messenger or whatever.

By now it's no secret that takin' off from home for such a long period of time has really spiralled out of control and your name is plastered all over the news everywhere. People are out in droves trying to find you bud. Personally - I'd be freakin' out with even the idea of headin' home again and having to face all that.


But
- and you knew the BUT was coming when you started reading this... But, despite yanking the X-Box and despite ANY fallout from taking off - you have parents and friends and family who no doubt love you to bits and only want to know that you are safe and not in the hands of some freak or worse.

You don't know me from a hole in the ground. And, maybe that might just be the right thing. I am offering to help you get home Brandon. Or at least to let people know that you are ok. I am just a regular slob living in suburbia Ontario but I do have a voice and I certainly don't mind using it to help you here.


The only important thing is that you end up safe and sound. I ran away once. Figured it was the best way to punish my parents. I didn't last as long as you.


Brandon - if you are reading this - send me an email to scrubbiescraps@gmail.com and tell me how to get in touch with you. Also - send me a code word. The code word will tell you that it is in fact me who is talking to you. We will figure it out from there.
OR - call the police department at (705) 725-7025. If that number is long distance from where you are now - call 911.

Believe me - people are going to be way happier to hear from you than will be angry.

It's time to go home.

Ok folks - thanks for that aside moment.

UPDATE: NOVEMBER 6-2008
Readers of my blog - as you know, yesterday the body of a teenage boy was discovered that is believed to be that of Brandon Crisp.

I am not deleting the post written above as this blog is meant to reflect who I am and what is going on with me. When writing the above entry - I was reaching out in the only way I knew I could at that time.

I am including this addendum, however, to express my deepest condolences to the Crisp family and to all those whose lives were touched by this young man. These are difficult days for the Crisp family and for all parents as we collectively look at our own children and ask ourselves - "What would we do?"


February 19, 2009

Evenin' all. Well - the saga continues I'm afraid.

Moments ago - I received an email notification of some comments left in response to a comment posting left by someone else. I have since removed all comments regarding this post.

The language used in the last post was too strong to leave here. For the poster - I apologize for removing your comment so abruptly. And, I understand your reaction to the anon comment left by someone. Perhaps it is more my fault for not paying attention to the comment and returning to it after Brandon's passing. For that - I am truly sorry.

For any other readers of this particular posting - I would ask that from this point forward, if you wish to leave a comment - please do so knowing that Brandon's parents, family and friends may well read your comments. Please be sensitive about what you say as the pain that these folks feel today is surely as strong as it has ever been.

I certainly wish to respect everybody's right to express their opinion and I am confident there are forums for you to do so. However, in this very tiny corner of the internet, I would rather only those words that provide comfort, solace and compassion to the Crisp family and their friends be the words that are seen.

Once again - to the most recent commentor - my apologies to you for neglecting to review the comments and remove anything that may have offensive. I am very sure that anyone who thought negatively of Brandon at the he left home felt the pain that we all did when it was learned what happened to him.

Thank-you all for visiting.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Urination Consternation

Dolls that pee.

Let me just say that again. Dolls that pee.

Yes, yes, yes - I am sure there is a whole psychology behind it and I am sure there are parents that will swear up and down that it helped teach their little ones that peein' in the pot is better than just letting it rip anwhere/anytime... but... Dolls that pee. C'mon. That is just... well, it's just.... EEEWWWWW.

Perhaps it's the testes talkin' here - but GI Joe... we all knew he would take a leak in the forest when necessary, but we don't need to see his willy sprayin' for us to know it's happenin'. Dolls that pee are simply wrong. R-O-N-G wrong.

So - Fri night. The wife and I have relocated her studio upstairs. She is no longer in the engine room. The good ol scrappin' puter though - still in the engine room. So, now Scrubbie's lonely when going forth to create. The wife and I did talk about putting a webcam up on her puter and one on my puter down here - that way we can still lookie lookie and chatty chatty. Until then, it's yelling through the ductwork for us.

HOW YOU DOIN' HUNNY?

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Happy Birthday Jayden

Happy Birthday to You!

Happy Birthday to You!

Happy Birthday dear punk wild child who drives me insane on a regular basis and is growing up way too fast and thinks that being told you have pretty eyes by the girls at school is a merit badge to wear on your chest and plays too many practical jokes on his dear parents making them age just way too quickly....

Happy Birthday to Youuuuuu!

Yep - it's the kid's 12th today.

At this very moment, 12 years ago - the kid was in the neo-natal ICU at McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario on one side of the hospital and the wife was out cold, hooked up to lots of machines that go ping on the other side of the hospital. I had been awake for 2 and a half days and walking like a zombie from one side of the hospital to the other every hour wondering if both or either were going to make it through the day. Yep - good times all 'round. hehehe.

But, as you now know - everyone did and everyone is well. Makes you kinda thankful, don't it?

So - the kid wants a birthday brownie tonight rather than a cake. So be it. And, the kid loves Taco's and Nacho's. So... it's broccoli for dinner tonight. That'll make his eyes pop. *snicker

Well - I really should make a global statement here: Son... I couldn't be more proud of you and I love you with all my heart. Happy Birthday boy. Happy Birthday.

Dad.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Caught with my shorts down. Figuratively speaking, of course.

The kid's birthday party is on Saturday and rather than hit the local dollar store for a set of really lame looking invites or just running off some flyers on the ol' printer at home - I whipped up this 4x6 photo using some of the handy dandy techniques from digiscrappin' and voila - really awesome invites for the kid and his punk friends. And, with a trip to the local cheap print place, I ran off a whack of them for only a buck ninety eight! Cheap and really good lookin!!! (The invites - not me)

So - regular scrubs will notice that it is shorty after 8pm local time here in Ontario Canada and it is a Wednesday night. Huh? Why is that significant? Oh - c'mon now... think. Think. Ok Ok - Knight Rider is on right now. And, Scrubbie's in front of the puter baring and sharing with you rather than sitting in front of the tube and diggin' that way kewl car! Shocking, ain't it?

May I share somethin' with ya'll? It is frackin' cold outside! Brrrrrrr. Don't like it. No sir - don't like it at all. Got up early this morning and hit the gym at 5:30. Lordie Lordie - had to scrape the windows on the go-kart and everything! There's no gettin' round it kids - old man winter is bearin' down.

So - get this (he says as a local politics aside...): Today, there is a brew-ha-ha in the news about one group of locals saying that infrastructure - specifically water availability in our region - is sustainable with projected growth to 2035. And, this area is bustin at the seams already. BUT - and here's the big BUT - every summer, we are under police lockdown to not water lawns, wash cars or even sweat too much due to water shortages. The ban lasts from practially snow melt to snow fall. So - Scrubbie asks: if we have oodles of the wet stuff to ensure that everyone can have a bath and take a drink with our population bursting from the 200K now to the projected 500K in 2035 - why, if I spill a drop on a Tuesday when my watering day is Wednesday, do the rent-a-cops come round and give me a ticket? Hmmmmm? You can see my dilemma here. Sure - I'm a guy and it is all black and white to us - but c'mon, really...

Ok - you got me. Knight Rider - I'm taping it.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Hump Day tomorrow.

Hey there Scrubs - Whasssup?

No pics tonight. But didn't want you to think I'd forgotten about you entirely. Scrubbie's had his hands full the last couple 'a days. The kid had his first soccer practice last night. Was good. Bein' in the Great White North - of course the kid plays indoors through the winter. It was deeelightful let me tell ya. You see - the wife and I have this track record with the kid where when we go out for soccer nights... it ALWAYS rains or is freezing cold or some wild weather system is coming on. It was getting to be a great joke. And, even last night for soccer - it was cold, it was rainy - generally blech. BUT - we were INDOORS! Hooray! And, we were at the nice complex. There are two locally and for the last 5 years of indoor soccer, we played at one park but now we are at the newer one. It doesn't smell like feet! WOOHOOOOO!

Still have to deal with odd folk though. Very odd. It's a varitable blogging cast of characters! I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for ya and bring you the update on some of them.

Scrubbie is sore tonight. For the last couple 'a days, the wife and I have been relocating rooms in the house. She didn't like having to share space with the kid and his punk friends while she was scrappin'. Can't blame the ol' dear. So - we have been moving some rooms 'round so that she has her own space. It's been two days of travelling up and down stairs. Forget the gym and naked guy - this has been my workout. Scrubbie's gonna have Hulk legs by time this is done.

Enough. Time for a cuppa tea and to sack out for the night. Have to travel tomorrow for work. Not far - just a car trip. THANK GAWD for GPS. I get lost going to the bathroom.

Whoops - the wife just felt my forehead and says Scrubbie's warm. Dang.

By the way - outside at my place today - the first few fluffs of snow. Don't that just put a knot in your knickers.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Fish.

Fish.

I hate fish.

Hate the smell of 'em. Hate the look of 'em. Hate the feel of 'em.

Don't eat 'em. Don't like to be near 'em. Think they're just nasty in every which way and then some.

I really cannot describe the extent to which I detest fish. Loathing is far too subtle. Suffice to say - I hate fish. Icky I tell you... just plain icky.

You get the idea, right?

My bro-in-law, however, likes fish. He likes to go fishing. Odd boy. He went fishing on Saturday before hittin' my place for dinner with the fam. And this is a picture from the day. Looks like JR was havin' fun huh?

So - another weekend has wrapped up. The wife is still in Toronto through. Hmmmmm. I am hoping the late arrival home means that she was extraordinarly successful at the Creative Festival. She and gal pal/business partner, the Joodster, were there today with the official launch of the wholesale side of their biz - In A Pinch Designs. The wife tooted off this morning with all the media stuff in hand and ready to launch. Honey - if you are reading this remotely - I made Beef Stew and I made Lasagna - both are in the fridge ready to be nuked. Come home soon.

The kid has been draggin' more of his pre-pubescent punk friends around the house lately. This weekend, in particular, was like a drive-in 'round here. Scratchy sounding voices, facial features that they haven't grown into yet - you know what I mean. Anyway - Dan the Man and Bawbee, that Colton, Bing and Bong - they were all floatin' 'round at one point or another. Mostly another. The last of them left here about an hour ago. I managed to get the kid into the shower to wash off a weekend of filth. Shoved him off to bed to read for awhile. And, I gots the puter to myself once again. WooHoo!

Haven't digiscrapped in a bit - gotta git goin' on that. Scrappers love them freebies. Yikes. So, looks like I'll have to put a couple of things together and get them up here.

That's it for now - gotta go and get the Tea ready for the wife when she comes home to regail me with tales of Scrappers and Scrappin' in the big city. Then - it looks like Scrubbie's hittin' the 24 hour Wal-Mart to snag some shin pads for the kid before the first soccer game tomorrow. You ever go shopping at the WalMart when the night-crawlers come out. Let me tell ya kids - tiz a scary thing. Last time I went there - there were gals and fellas crawling around there in their jammies. Kinda creeps me out just a little bit.

Oh - hey... did I mention that I think fish are the devil's spawn? Ok - just wanted to make sure.

Ciao