The Hales FREE Petting Zoo!!!

So, Brady and I have created a petting zoo for the ENTIRE neighborhood and anyone else who walks from far far away to visit these exotic creatures.  You don't need to ask us permission, be under adult supervision, even if you are like 4 years old, and it is completely free.  DOn't even worry about what I need to be doing at the time.

The zoo consists of only two animals.  Yuki and Kaze, our pugs.  We have to let them outside on their little leash things so they will go potty, as we say.

This is when the zoo has the most visitors at the attraction.

I had SIX kids over yesterday while I was trying to get Kaze to poo.  Was there an adult in

 sight?  Of course not, that's just silly.  Four of them spoke mostly Spanish and would not STOP picking up the dogs.

We thought it was annoying enough, and then we met the little devil across the street.  Poor Brady woke up to Kaze's cry and let the puppies out to do their business at about 6:45 AM.  Brady hopped in the shower for work, while I continued to sleep, until about 3 seconds later someone rang our doorbell.  I went to Brady asking if he was expecting someone.  Nope.

Was it the cops?

Was it Santa?

Was is the Cable Company?

Nope. It was little, tiny Maria just ringing our doorbell, (TWICE).

What??!?!?!??!!  Are you kidding me?  

Don't come over, don't ask me questions, don't follow me around and DON'T TOUCH MY DOGS.  

Oh, and don't become like your completely absent parents.

Laura

I Love the 80's 3D

Brady answers first, Laura answers second, if there is no second response, she agrees.

Favorite Movies:

1. Gladiator/Pride and Prejudice

2. Cinderella Man/Harry Potter's

3. The Bourne Series/What Dreams May Come

4. 3:10 to Yuma

5. V For Vendetta/ Moulin Rouge

Comments: Laura realizes that all of her movies are girly, or meant for children under 12 years old.  These movies are not favorites as far as "life changing" goes.

Brady admits he may have a slight man crush on Russell Crowe... or Ben Wade.

Favorite Musical Artists: (We had to extend our list because we like lots of different music.)

1. Jimmy Eat World/Eric Whitacre

2. Thrice/Anything 80's 

3. Blink 182 etc./ Janis Ian

4. Third Eye Blind/ Shiny Toy Guns

5. Receiving End of Sirens etc./ The Dear Hunter

6. Strung Out/ Angels and Airwaves

7. Coheed and Cambria/ Jimmy Eat World

8. Brand New/ Damien Rice

9. Moneen/Straylight Run

10. Death Cab For Cutie/ Franz Liszt

Comments: Laura is all over the place. Brady likes all things present.

Favorite TV Shows:

1. Family Guy

2. Sports Center/ America's Next Top Model

3. The Office/ Iron Chef America

4. Cold Case Files/ Animal Cops Houston

5. Unsolved Mysteries/ The Office

6. Intervention

7. Man Vs. Wild

8. ENTIRE DISCOVERY HEALTH NETWORK

9. To Catch a Predator/ 30 Minute Meals with Rachel Ray

10. Reno 911/ Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee

Comments: Laura loves the food network.  If there was a spot beyond #1, we would have put Family Guy there, because it is 45 points beyond the next show.  We live for it. Sad.

Favorite Books: (Not religious, duh. We love the bible, blah blah.)

1. Confessions of an Economic Hitman/ Harry Potter's

2. Grapes of Wrath (Steinbek)/ Anything Jane Austen/Bronte Sisters

3. How to Win Friends and Influence People/The Sun Also Rises (Hemingway)

4. Freakonomics/Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet)

5. 1984 (Orwell)/ Kahlil Gibran and T.S. Eliot (some fantastic poets)

Comments: Brady hates fiction aka imagination.  Laura LIVES in her imagination... and at Hogwart's.  (You muggles can't see Hogwart's.)

Favorite Childhood Toy

1. Nintendo/ Slip-n-Slide

2. Ninja Turtles/ Skip-It

3. He-man/ Ribbon Dancer

4. GI Joe/ Game Boy 

5. Trampoline

Comments: We grew up at different times. Laura used toys that are STILL cool now. Try to imagine Brady now with his Ninja Turtles.

Favorite School Classes

1. Current Economic Problems/Band

2. History of Rock-n-Roll/ Math 1050

3. Foundations of Business Thought/Music Theory

4. Marxian Economics/Aural Skills

5. History of Latin American Economic Development/Woodwind Practicum

Comments: How did we EVER get married?

Favorite Person:

1. Laura/Brady

2. Adam West

Blame it on bad luck?

After the washer broke two days ago I really sat down to think about all the high ticket items we've owned this year that bit the dust.  I'm starting to wonder if there is some bad luck involved or sheer negligence... I'm leaning toward the latter. Here's the list:

30 Gig Ipod Video: $250

Ipod Mini: $150

Nokia Phone: $100

1998 Honda Accords Transmission: $2,400

1998 Ford Escort Battery, Alternator, Tie rod ends: $600

Apple Ibook G4 Laptop: $1,200

GE washer: $100

Amount of money this year wasted on broken goods $4800

Priceless

Public Notification

Laura HATES Michael Moore and thinks he should rot in some pit in the bottom of a septic tank.

-

laura

Sicko

Is the grass really greener on the other side? I'm really starting to believe so. I just watched SiCKO; It's pretty much life changing. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thinking outside the box.

--by Brady

The Art of Being Poor

First of all, if there are any clever things that anyone has already thought of, please respond, because we are becoming desperate.  

Money has not really gone our way this month, or come our way... or come at all... and we are currently living on PANCAKES.

We frantically searched our barren cupboards to come up empty handed, or at least until we really opened our eyes.  

I was given about 1 billion pounds of pancake mix for my bridal shower.  And the expensive ingredients I must add to this mix you might ask?

WATER.  NEWS FLASH. WATER=FREE.

We said a prayer of thanks for having our eyes opened... to all the pancake mix.

Everything's going to be okay.  Everything's going to be okay.

Laura

PS. I got TONS of syrup and jam with the mixes too, I knew you were thinking a had to buy more... BUT NO!!

PPS. We already clip coupons, don't list that as a suggestion

Road rash please

So I played softball on Saturday for the first time in about two years and despite not playing in so long I did ok. During the course of the game I must've had a complete lapse of judgement however because at one point I decided that it would be a wise idea to slide into second. I am now left with a beautiful oozing raspberry burn just below my right knee. Yeah, being safe at second wasn't really worth leaving my top two layers of epidermis there on the field

-by Brady (I know you might have thought those smooth, tan, shapely legs belonged to Laura)