Imagine my surprise when I got a package last week and inside was a present with a tag that said…

To: The Wieners

From: Tucker

Before I tell you what was in the box, I think it is necessary to give you a little of the back story…

Tucker didn’t really send the box – his “mom” did.

Hip and Cool Friends

Hip and cool seems to be a recurring theme. With my sister. With my cousin.

And this is a tiny preview of how long I’ve known Tucker’s hip and cool mom.

Take in all that is hip and cool in that picture.

Kerri is my oldest friend. Even though she is a year younger than me.

We met in the 4th/5th grade combo class we were in together way back when.

Kerri and I spent a lot of time together and we were quite the fashion plates.

Exhibit #1

Okay, so really Kerri’s mom was hip and cool because I think these were all her clothes. I don’t remember having white go-go boots but Scary Baby would really like those if I had saved them!

Exhibit #2

We were in charge of the record player while my hip and even cooler sister and her friend sang to The Carpenters at a festival in town. Karaoke before karaoke was cool.

Hip and Cool Dads

Our dads played golf together.

As you can see, Kerri’s dad was ultra hip and cool.

Side note: I hear he still grills a mean chicken. He did blackened before blackened was cool. Except it wasn’t hot and spicy it was just black as in burned. And then made us eat it. Always a fond memory. Hi Dean!

I lived in Rockford, Michigan from 3rd grade through 7th grade and have some of my best growing up memories there.

I went back and visited Kerri a few years ago and Rockford is just as charming as I remembered.

One of my most favorite places is this one…

The Corner Bar was a totally appropriate hangout for kids and adults. See the order window? That’s so kids could order without having to go in the smoky bar. Not that we didn’t spend hours in there with our dads.

Plaques line the walls with wiener hot dog eating records.

Chili dogs aren’t the most photogenic food but I’m telling you right now if you are ever near Rockford, Michigan you MUST have a Corner Bar hot dog.

Okay, thanks for indulging my trip down memory lane – it was related to wieners in a very roundabout way.

Back to the gift box Kerri sent which really was for our wiener dogs.

It contained these adorable homemade dog treats.

Crazy cute little dog crackers/biscuits/treats made with earthy crunchy ingredients fit for human consumption. I encouraged Roger Leroy to try one but she wouldn’t.

Look at the cute names with all the healthy ingredients listed.

Even better, Kerri and her niece do it all for the American Cancer Society.

I’m helping her launch a dog blog and I’m encouraging her to turn this into a profitable business with a portion of her dog treat empire going to charity.

I’ll keep you posted and maybe in the next few months you can all order adorable and delicious dog treats too!

Sabu and Dudley give them 5 stars and love them.

Thank you Kerri for sending the wiener dogs the fun treats! Thanks too, for continuing to be my oldest friend.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Or not.

First, I have to confess that I am addicted to Dancing With The Stars and like to watch both episodes on Tuesday so I can see who gets voted off.

If you don’t watch it, this post will mean absolutely nothing to you so go ahead and click off now.

PhilBillPaul has no interest in this show. I have to review the good, the bad and the ugly with my mom or my friend Toni in North Carolina.

Last week I couldn’t stop myself. I had to send Toni a text about a contestant who I really don’t know much about.

Nothing against him or snowboarding but who’s with me on this one?

Louie’s resemblance to an…

Oompa Loompa

disturbs me a bit every time he dances.

Toni agreed and text back “Member of the Lollipop Guild”

I knew she would get it.

Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory is one of my favorite movies of all time.

Every time he starts dancing, I start humming…

Oompa Loompa doompety doo
I’ve got a perfect puzzle for you
Oompa Loompa doompety dee
If you are wise you’ll listen to me

Side note: I’m rooting for Donny Osmond because I appreciate a white man from my generation being able to dance.

And in full disclosure I loved, loved, loved the Michael Jackson tribute last night because we wore his albums out back in the day when he was a young black man.

These are just my personal opinions and of course, I’d love to hear yours if you are a fan of the show.

Which I’ve always thought should be called “Dancing With The Stars Who Are Sometimes Not Stars or Have Never Been Stars.”

Next week tell me if you start singing “Oompa Loompa” when Little Louie (whom I’m sure does not want to be called Little Louie or Oompa Loompa or Oompa Louie or Oompa but I can’t stop myself) starts dancing.

Photos from here and here. Lyrics from here.

Does the word retired mean that we will be more tired than we are now even though we have not retired yet?

I thought of this as PhilBillPaul and I drove back from North Carolina late Sunday after playing 36 holes of golf and thinking of ways we can move there before we retire.

Especially since we probably can’t retire until we are around 95 and by then we’ll probably be too old and {re}tired to even play golf…

36 holes of bad golf is still better than no golf.

Even though I can barely move my right arm because playing golf a few times a year moves muscles I didn’t know I had.

Um yeah, it’s official. We are old.

And tired.

I’m hoping PhilBillPaul will stop wincing with sound effects whenever he moves because he hurt himself playing on Sunday–he plays less than I do. And he’s older than me.

In spite of that…

Great food, friends and fun made for a perfect weekend.

Thanks Toni & Randy

What did you do over the weekend?