Those bad Germans

It looks like even back in 1880 some Germans did not do their fatherland proud in the USA. Young Julius Klinz who reportedly used morphine and hypodermic syringes also apparently forged the name of his employer. What is this world coming to?

Start them young

It is tough to tell what kind of music will be hip by the time Simon is a young adult but hopefully he can still appreciate the Ramones.

Pete

Pete walked 2 blocks today and that really wore him out. He barely made it back inside.

Happy Pi Day

Well not that kind of pi, nor is it a pie, but that is the closest thing that came to mind.

Little snuggler

Max is a bit under the weather and the best medicine is clearly daddy or mommy.

The man in the sky

Well, not really, but that was only an accidental shot if my phone.

The determined man

Little Simon knows what he wants and he wants it now.

Lick it

Well, this monkey will have to do quite a bit of licking if he wants to get to the fruit inside this ice. Get on it already.

Band Aid

It has been almost 30 years since the Do They Know It's Christmas video was made, and I still like that song today. Below is the "making of" the Band Aid video. Very cool

Christmas card outtake

The Christmas cards are all out of the house now, so we can finally reveal some of the outtakes. It was very hard to get both boys to look into the camera, and stay seated. :-)

Mopeds

In Europe quite a few folks like mopeds or scooters for transportation because they have great fuel economy, plus it is much easier to park them. In the USA though it seems that most folks who ride them do so because they either can't get a license or have lost it. Be careful out there.

Running through the masses

We did the mistletoe run in Winston-Salem, NC last Saturday with the boys in the Chariot stroller and it was a bit like running a slalom course. We started at the end of the almost 2,000 starter field for this popular 5k and passed many folks. So here is the video at 4x the speed.

A gas mileage experiment

This 23.1 mpg in the Ford Flex Limited with the Ecoboost was on a drive from Black Mountain, NC all the way to our house in Winston-Salem and we even had to stop for gas and to feed the boys along the way. But it was mostly highway. We usually drive this one downtown with the boys and then just under 16 is more the norm.

This was a mellow drive in the MINI Cooper S from our house in Winston-Salem to the Apple store in Greensboro. Over 33 mpg is certainly very nice for a fast car with a Borla race exhaust, but more typical is a 25 mpg average.

Berliner

I am not from Berlin and only have been to that amazing city for a few days, but one thing is for sure, I could and would enjoy a nice Berliner right now.

Late fall in NC

Fall is almost over but it is still decently warm here. And we are not complaining.

Eichbuehlfest

Wenn alles richtig mitspielt (vor allem das Wetter) werden wir wohl mit den Buben das Eichbuehlfest in Ostrach besuchen. Es ist schon ewig her dass ich mal da war.

Milkmaid

We all hate having no milk for the morning coffee or cereal, because either the milk has gone bad or we just have simply run out.  Well, thanks to smart technology and the Quirky Milkmaid that could become a thing of the past.

Lotus

Yesterday I saw a similar Lotus Exige cruising down the street and I could not help to smile at this sight. Beautiful and so impractical.

Edward Sharpe last night

Amy organized tickets to the Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros performance at The Fillmore in Charlotte, NC last night and we both had a great time.  Here is a little clip I shot with my iPhone towards the end of the show when they performed Home. 

Maurice Sendak

We are very sad that you left us. RIP

Spitzbuben

If you ever wanted to know what the words Spitzbube and Spitzbuben mean, just look below.

Spitzbube

Spitzbuben

Wheels

After a terrible pothole incident the Cooper S needed new wheels and Motegi it is. Sweet.

Edward Sharpe soon

Rumor has it that Amy and I are going to Charlotte on May 16th to see Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros live in concert. Thrilled to go there and see them for sure. Below you can see them performing on Late Night with David Lettermann.

Oh my

An almost 2 month run without a single post here. Wow, that is scary. But this blog will not be abandoned, and remember, it is safer to assume that I may know karate.

Schupfnudeln

My mom was very kind and sent us some Settele Schupfnudeln from Germany. This is one of the few bought dishes my mom actually approves of, and boy they are very delicious.

Flip flop

I am not talking about political banter here, but very unique casual footwear from Kusa. I think there will be quite a few envious looks in Abu Dhabi when I show up with these very cool flip flops.

Fighting words

Don't bring a knife to a gun fight or at least don't call out a competitor in an ad without considering the possible response.

Fünftausend

It is a very silly and simple milestone, but a milestone nonetheless.

Christmas in Columbia 2011

This year we ventured to Columbia, SC with Simon and Max so they could experience their first Hildreth family Christmas. Plus my mom has been here for a few weeks and also was able to join us for Christmas, a first for her too.

Amy very relaxed at her mom's house.

If we would have let her, Cheryl would have held both boys 24/7.

Checking out Columbia with my mom on Christmas Eve and we stopped for lunch at Andy's deli.

It is now Christmas morning and this was the first Christmas for my mom in America.

Georgia always looks very festive.

Amy is ready for Christmas.

Cheryl had prepared the tasty breakfast casserole with a bit of help from my mom.

Making sure the boys are never too far from Georgia.

My mom got this stunning scarf from grandmama Georgia.

A beautiful necklace for Amy combines her birthstone and the birthstone of Simon and Max.

Making sure that Amy finally has an image of dad and the boys.

Georgia is now fully digital with this IPad she got from various family members.

My mom got various South Carolina items from Ron and Amy incliding these delicious grits.

Beautiful wooden cutting board for Amy and I from Ron and Amy.

The morning after Christmas and Max seems to have aged quite a bit, mostly of course because of those britches.

Simon also looks like a little old man with this outfit.

It is Advent again

It is almost Christmas again and we are counting down the days with our hand crafted Advent calendar. By now we are on day 3 and since I get to eat the "odd days" it was my turn today. Yummy.

Usually we make quite a few of these for family and friends but this year our hands were full with the twins and we only mad a couple.

Oh my

We are so glad we have boys. :-)

Of course having girls would not mean putting up such a stupid stunt with them.

Thanksgiving 2011

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving at home in Winston-Salem and had a few friends over. We are especially thankful to have such great friends as Luke and Liz Burnett and Anna Miller and Greg Lee.

Liz and Luke brought these very nice flowers.

Anna Miller and her husband Greg Lee recently moved into our neighborhood and we are very glad they did.

Greg might have one of the coolest t-shirt collections and he is quite the chef. They brought a great pie, casserole and an interesting brussels sprouts salad.

Liz Burnett prepared an awesome Thanksgiving feast for us with an amazing salad, a delicious turkey, stuffed onions, superb mashed potatoes and lots more and even had time to hold Simon.

It was also great to have Luke Burnett here

Amy with Max after everybody had a meal

Bonding

A bit of bonding time with Simon, who seems to be very fond of dad's big nose. :-)