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Ch-, Ch-, Ch-, Changes and Return of The Mantel™

mr. big dubya — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:56:00 +0000

You know how you can tell you haven’t blogged at a particular place in a long, long while? When you can’t type the address. That’s how it was just moments ago as I was trying to come here and post. I felt like some octogenarian lost at the mall who can’t remember where he’s lived the past 60-some-odd years. Granted, I’ve been here only four-and-a-half, but you get the idea. And I think that fact as helped me make a decision I’ve been contemplating for a while now.

When I started blogging back in 2005, it was with the idea that I would focus on becoming a father and all that entailed. Little did I know at the time that I would join – nay, be a founding member of – ~~one of~~ the premier dadblog on these tubes. Granted, although a lot of the writing I did here strayed far and wide from the father-focused topics, I still considered mr. big dubya essentially a “dadblog.” But that really has changed over the past several months. Yes, I am a dad, but the blog itself has really become a place for me to share with you pieces of who I am in addition to being a father. And I think that’s the direction it’s going to take from now on. Sure, there may be stories that involve Li’l Dubya, Li’l Dubyette and Li’lest Dubya, but the focus here will no longer be on them. I know, I know, you really want to hear about Li’l Dubs singing Gonna Make You Sweat while he pees (is that dope enough? Indeed.), but I just can’t do that. So I will confine most of my fathering stuff to DadCentric where it belongs – I’ve always been conflicted about what goes there and what stays here anyway, now it’s easy.

One thing I will do, however, is a Mr. Big Dubya’s Bloggers’ Mantel™ 2009. This will be the 5th and final year of The Mantel™. Just to re-cap:

I will once again be the Internetoweboblogosphere’s (aka The Tubes) holiday mantel and post the ubiquitous holiday cards for all to see, admire, laugh at and add thoughtful comments. If you’d like to participate, please send a picture or a scan of your card — if you send a pic, just let me know what greeting you’d like to include and what nom de plume to use; if you send a scan, let me know if you want me to doctor it to hide your true identity. Depending on how creative I get, I may try something different this year, but knowing how incredibly lazy I can be, I’ll probably just end up posting them like I did last year.

So, just send along what you’d like taped to The Mantel™ to mrbigdubya at gmail dot com. I’ll start posting them as they arrive (props to those who have already sent one in you eager little beavers you). And, just because I still think this pic is hysterical, I thought I’d share it yet again. Li’l Dubs wants your pictures:

There you have it: a new direction for this blog and the return of and subsequent farewell to The Mantel™. So, send in those pics and let’s go out with a bang not a whimper.

Throw your arms around the world at Christmastime

mr. big dubya — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:07:00 +0000

Wow – this Christmas season has flown by. Honestly, I don’t know where the hell the days have gone. Well, here it is Christmas Eve and I’m posting the last of this year’s cards. Thanks to everyone who decided to have some fun and send theirs in – it was nice to have some old friends up on the wall and even nicer to welcome some newer faces.

As you enjoy the next couple of days with your friends and family, please do me a favor and take a moment to remember the troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Western Europe, the Pacific and anywhere else around the world. The holidays can be quite a lonely time for these men and women in uniform; I’ve had my share of Christmases far from home with nothing but a lot of booze and some Rankin/Bass movies. Sure, it sounds like a good time, but it can be downright depressing. So, just think about them for a moment and if you run into one, offer to buy him or her a drink or just say, “Thanks.”

Before I get to the cards, allow me to offer some wishes to the readers – yes, for you long-time readers, this is from an ancient DadCentric post.

To our Spanish speaking friends: Feliz Navidad!
For our visitors in Denmark: Glædelig Jul!
If your spending the holiday in a coffee house in Amsterdam: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!
Know Esperanto?: Gajan Kristnaskon!
French and French-Canadian: Joyeux Noel!
Celebrating at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich?: Froehliche Weihnachten!
To the lucky bastards on Maui: Mele Kalikimaka!
To Bjork and the other members of the Sugarcubes: Gledileg Jol!
To my wife’s peeps on the Emerald Isle: Nollaig Shona Dhuit!
Any Italians in the house?: Buon Natale
For the Classical Studies majors: Natale Hilare
To the Polish who are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day (j/k): Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia
My friend Adrian is Russian, so to him I say: Srozhdestovm Kristovim!
Any fans of Dylan Thomas?: Nadolig Llawen
How about Pennsylvania Germans? Anyone?: En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr! (damn, I’m tired just typing that)
For AdventureDad and his family: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År
MetroDad: Sung Tan Chuk Ha
What would Jesus say?: Edo bri’cho o rish d’shato brich’to!
Finally, Shane McGowan says it best: Happy Christmas your arse

Now for the last of the cards for The Mantel™ 2008. And for the last time, I fire up the ol’ Yule Log:

Now, the cards.

Thinking Monkey

Aunt P, Tall Guy & Wonder Mutt

Thanks everyone – have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year! And thanks, Jason, for paying off your debt – I’m looking forward to hitting the Samichlaus.

OK, I have my "thinking tuque" on

mr. big dubya — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 16:34:00 +0000

So the Dubyas had a Kickin’ Ass with Rankin/Bass party yesterday. Notable attendees? Clare’s Dad, et.al., the mayor, Little Bear and sundry others. Not a bad turnout despite the weather. It is, once again, snowing but we have plenty of food, plenty of beer and football – just what a Sunday should be.

This is a short post – it is Sunday after all and I’m sure most of you have better things to do than read my drivel. But I’m still getting pictures for The Mantel™ so, while I have a moment, I thought I’d get them up. There’s still time to get your pics to me – I’ll do this until Christmas Eve so send them along to mrbigdubya at gmail dot com.

Ok – like the Ohio Players, I give you Fire:

And now for the cards:

Clare’s Dad

DC Urban Dad

Pet Cobra – who’s the man for picking Samichlaus as payment on a bet

Ok – that’s enough for today – again, still plenty of time to play. What are you waiting for?

I WANNA TRANSFORMER FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!

mr. big dubya — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:09:00 +0000

Last week I posted about my abnormal obsession with finding the perfect tree. I suppose that’s the first step in recovery – admitting that you have a problem. And I do, I really do have a problem. Case in point: Last weekend we were invited to an open house hosted by one of the families at daycare. They’re some great people who, I have found, share our sense of humor and way of looking at parenting – in short, they’re our kind of people. They host this party every year and as part of the whole shindig – plenty of beer, a roasted pig, lots of laughs – they also invite guests to cut down a tree. They have a pretty extensive tree farm and are happy to have guests leave with one. I was pretty excited about the whole thing. Finding the right tree with the kids, breaking out the saw, cutting it down, dragging it out of the woods; it had a whole Currier & Ives feel to it that I was looking forward to. So Little Dubs and I traipsed into the woods and began inspecting the trees – a forestful of trees. I will say they all were gorgeous – beautiful trees that would get anyone in the Christmas spirit. But they wouldn’t do for our house. Well, maybe if we had 12′ ceilings or a wide room where nice fat, round tree would look especially nice, but the room where our tree goes? Unfortunately, not so much. So, the following morning, I drove to our local nursery where I have bought a tree for the past five years and inspected each and every one in the racks and finally settled on a 7.5′ tree that was too full and fat to fit through the netter. Yes, that’s right. I passed on a free tree and instead shelled out some cash for the one currently in our living room.

I know, I know. It’s just not right.

Now, why else am I here? Oh, yeah, The Mantel™. I’m hoping some of you are just procrastinating and intend on sending your cards soon. I’ve got three more for today, but it seems like it’s slowed down a bit. It’s either that or my mailman has been hitting the nog lately and has been remiss in delivering the mail. I like that latter, I’d hate to think none of you want to participate this year.

Well, keeping the tradition alive, here’s the Yule Log in all its fiery glory:

And, now the cards from those bloggers you know and love:

Misfit Hausfrau (I, for one, love this card)

The Holmes

Honea Express (and the ever-present Disney theme – Whit has some sort of Mouse fetish – he’s getting help though)

Thanks to the bloggers who have participated so far. There’s still time for you to get yours up on The Mantel™ – I’ll do this until the last card comes or Christmas Eve – whichever is first. Just send your pic to mrbigdubya at gmail dot com. Don’t be a Scrooge – get those cards in.