Postcards from South Dakota, Part 1

 Diego Luis has just returned from the mailbox and discovered a stack of postcards all addressed to him!  They are from his BFF Chance Victor, who is on vacation in South Dakota...

"Dear Diego, we made it safe to South Dakota and have been 

on the go since Day 1!  Our first stop was the famous Wall Drug."

"Daddy John called it a tourist trap, but I think he secretly liked it.

I met some interesting people there..."

Chance Victor: Pappy says if I give him 50 cents, he'll tell me

where the lost gold mine is!

Chance Victor: Oh! Hello, er, gosh, um, my goodness, aren't you cold?

"I even got to ride a jackalope!"

"After Wall Drug, we drove through Badlands National Park."

"The landscape is just beautiful and a little bizarre."

"Further along we came across some feral burros.  

Auntie 'Chell wanted to pet them!  Can you imagine?!

I stayed in the car."

Chance Victor's South Dakota adventures conclude next week!

Photo Bomb

The holidays are fast approaching, and, among other things, this means it's time to take those photos to send off to family and friends.  It seems like such a simple task, but alas, things are not always what they seem...

Anthony: Are you guys ready to have your picture taken?

Amita: Just about.  We have to find Dev.  Where can he be?

Amita: Remember, we're sending this photo to Auntie, so it has to be nice.

Did you have a talk with Dev?

Ravi: Sort of.  I had a sort of talk with him.

Amita: >Sigh<

Dev: Alright, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up.

Ravi: You're wearing that shirt?!?!

Dev: They're Christmas aliens.  'Close Encounters of the Merry Kind'!

Amita: Try again.

Amita: That's better.  Now Dev, Auntie is getting this picture, so you must behave.

Dev: I always behave.

Dev: I just can't help it that I'm simply more dazzling than you two.

Ravi: Good grief.

Anthony: Okay, on the count of three.  One, two, three, cheese!

Dev: TA-DAAAAAH!!!

Camera: >Click<

Patrick: Well, how did the photo go?  Did Dev behave?

Ravi: What do you think?

Patrick: He's remarkably consistent.  My logical side has to appreciate that.

Ravi: >Sigh< Your logical side doesn't have to deal with him.

Nothing Beats A Pair

 Daddy Steve: I love to dress my kids in coordinating outfits.

Valerie and Serena

Miguel and Sasha

Patrick and Ravi

Lulu and Lottie

Meghan and Holly Belle

Christian and Sabrina

Although some kids are resistant to this; mine are very good natured and like to please me.

Most of the time anyway...

Rhoda: Nope.  No way!

Tina Louise: But it would make Daddy Steve so happy.

Rhoda: Well, then, he can wear the dress.

Dog Days of Autumn

 After running around and getting his exercise in the backyard, Ribsy is relaxing in the doghouse and daydreaming about this dog's life...

Ribsy and his pet human, Chance Victor

His sister Denali, and her favorite human Pete Dakota

And his other sister, Annabelle and her boy BR

Of course, if Ribsy ever entered the Westminster Dog Show, he'd be...top dog!

Posh For Pie

 

Daphne: Why do you two look so glum?

Hermie: Uli sent us outside to pick flowers for the dinner table.

Rolf: But all flowers kaput!

Hermie: Woe to us. >Sigh<

Daphne: You don't need flowers to make a lovely bouquet.

Just gather up some colorful autumn leaves!

Rolf: Hmmm, really?

Daphne: Of course; it's all about living graciously in a pinch.

I'm a posh girl, so I know about these things.

Hermie: Vas ist 'posh'?

Rolf: A Russian soup?

Daphne: Never mind, dearie, just go get some leaves.

Hermie: Brrr, it's cold outside!

Daphne: Oh, this is excellent!  Now we can arrange them.

Rolf: Uli, here ist der Autumn bouquet.

Uli: Oh! Das ist sehr hübsch! I vill admit I am surprised by your creativity.

Rolf: Ve may have pie?

Uli: Ja, of course.

Hermie: Now ve know, Rolfie; 'posh' means pie!

David vs. Gregor

Resident art historian Giancarlo is lecturing some of the boys on Daddy Steve's newest garden acquisition...

Giancarlo: Can anyone tell me the name of the famous Italian sculptor

who created this wonderful statue of David?

Chance Victor: Ooh!  I know!  It was Mike Malangelo.

Diego Luis: ¡Bien hecho, papi!  Good job!

Kirwan Mahoney: Must have been a cold day in the studio.

Giancarlo: >Ahem<  

The artist's name was Michelangelo, an Italian of high renown during the Renaissance.

David is a symbol of youthful strength and beauty, and of the civil liberties

as embodied in the constitution of Florence.

Kirwan: He is aware that the symbol is wearing only his birthday suit, isn't he?

Giancarlo: >Ahem!<  

David was carved out of a single, massive block of marble.

When asked how he did it, Michelangelo is supposed to have said he simply 

carved out where David wasn't.

Diego: Un muchacho muy macho.

Kirwan: Un muchacho muy nude-o.

Giancarlo: >AHEM!!<

Later...

Giancarlo: I am surprised you did not join us, amico.

You like the history and art.

Nicholas Sahara: My dear Giancarlo, I've seen it before.

Giancarlo: Seen it...?  How?!? Papa Stefano just acquired it!

Nicholas: Oh, my parents have one.  In the courtyard of our palace back home.

Giancarlo: His parents have one?  

Mamma mia...I need una limonata...

Reeding Comprehension

 

Meghan: This wobbly table is driving me crazy!

Meghan: One of the legs must be short.

Holly Belle: Or perhaps there's a dip in the floor.  This can be a strange old house sometimes.

Come on, let's go find something to shim it up.

Holly Belle: This is the neatest workshop I've ever seen!

There's not one scrap of wood to be found.

Meghan: Uli was in here cleaning all day yesterday.

Holly Belle: Noah Conrad actually let her in here?!?

Meghan: Would you argue with Uli when she's got a mission?

Holly Belle: Fair point.  

Well, I know one place even she won't go in to clean.

Meghan: Shouldn't we ask the boys before we go in their room?

They always say it's a 'girl free' zone.

Holly Belle: Hmmphf.  I'll remind them of that the next time they're shrieking

about a spider that they want disposed of.

Holly Belle: They keep all kinds of bits and bob in this drawer.

Gosh, don't they ever fold their clothes??

Meghan: Frank was telling me the other day that clothes don't want to be folded

and we have to respect that.

Holly Belle: >Sigh<  What a weirdo.

Holly Belle: A-ha!  This will do the trick!

Meghan: That looks like it might actually be something.

Holly Belle: Nah, just some dumb little scrap of wood.

Goodness knows why they decided to save it.

Later...

John Martin: What are you looking for?

Gavin: The reed on my clarinet cracked, and I was sure I had an extra one in here,

but I just can't find it anywhere.  How can things just disappear?

John Martin: This can be a strange old house sometimes.