Latest progress on the landscaping project. Got some back filling done and some plants in. Also a little mulching done.

Tristan built Alice an 'Elsa' castle. I think it looks more like Stonehenge but I didn't say anything.

Tristan in his new outfit.

2014/10/13 10:00 It is Monday morning. I used to dread Monday mornings. That was before I retired. After I retired I realized it wasn’t Mondays I hated but rather it was my job. Once you are no longer toiling for the Evil Empire Mondays aren’t too bad at all. I had a nice weekend. Friday night Robert and I took the kids to Taco Bell for dinner. After we ate we met Karen at the Rescue Mission and did some thrifty shopping. Tristan picked out some new outfits. He was so impressed with his new clothes that he asked if we could go out to dinner Saturday night so he could wear one of his new outfits. So, Saturday night we went out to dinner at the Olive Garden. On Sunday I worked on my front landscaping project while the kids played. That afternoon we went to the movies to see “The Box Trolls”. We took Alice which was a mistake. She still isn’t old enough to sit through a movie in the theater. The movie was quite good though. I liked it.

This little girl loves her Daddy.

2014/10/05 18:00 Alice and I went to Tim Horton’s this morning to get donuts. We brought a dozen home. I think Tristan ate four donuts. Alice had at least two. Alice brought five pairs of sunglasses to Tim Horton’s. She changed glasses a few times.

Little girl fashion.

Four generations of Tennant men. Me with my Dad, my oldest son, and my grandson; yesterday at the Cheescake Factory in Destiny Mall.

2014/10/05 9:30 We went to the Cheesecake Factory restaurant in the mall yesterday for Karen’s birthday. We went at three in the afternoon figuring that it wouldn’t be so busy. Wrong. The mall was packed. It was hard to find a parking spot. We had to wait about forty-five minutes for a table. This was our first time at this restaurant in this location. Karen and I had been to the one in Rochester once. The food was okay, the portions were too large, and I think it was a bit pricey. I don’t know that we will hurry back there.

Progress pictures.

2014/09/28 23:00 Sunday was spent getting some pumpkins, and then visiting Beak and Skiff apple orchard.

Exploring the Syracuse Inner Harbor. Checking out the new construction.

Bike riding in the parkway.

Playing in Bamma's Jeep.

Tristan next to a replica of an Asian elephant skull.

Checking out the tigers.

New stuffed animals from the gift shop. Tristan with his lemur and Alice with her flamingo.

Posing on the elephant. Happens every time we go to the zoo.

Waiting for the zoo to open. Getting a little sun.

Tristan embraces the new technology.

Alice is still old school; playing a game on the antiquated paper menu.

Alice loves corn-on-the-cob.

2014/09/28 08:00 It was a busy day yesterday. Unfortunately Karen had to work. Robert had a chess tournament to go to. The kids and I dropped Robert off for his chess meet and then we went to the zoo. We got there before the zoo opened and we had to wait out front. Tristan taught us how to play a game he had learned at zoo camp. The game was called sharks and anemones. Alice made some changes and called it sharks and mermaids. Once we were into the zoo the kids were in charge. They have been to the zoo so many times that they know where everything is. “Follow me, Pop”, said Alice. After a nice time at the zoo we stopped by the Syracuse Inner Harbor on the way home. Ran around there a little bit. When we got home the kids rode bikes for a while.  Tristan and Alice played at driving Karen’s Jeep and we had Little Caesar’s pizza for dinner.

2014/09/27 08:00 Last night Karen had a girl’s night out. Robert, Michael, the kids, and I went to Chili’s for dinner. The restaurant now has a tablet computer at each table. You can order stuff and pay your bill on the tablet. It’s a new technology. We’ll see. I am going to take the kids to the zoo today.

I shot this selfie in the Landmark Theatre - I call it 'two beauties and the beast'.

2014/09/24 23:00 I took two of the most important ladies in my life, Karen and Adison, to see the musical "Beauty and the Beast" at the Landmark Theatre tonight. We ran into Theresa and Danielle there.

Alice ate two whole corn-on-the-cobs.

2014/09/21 22:00 Incognito on a Sunday afternoon. Out shopping and the paparazzi will never recognize me with these shades on.

With my friends at Solvay Bank and my winning two dollar bill.

So very cool.

Emerging from the corn maze.

A great way to pick apples.

Hayride after the corn maze.

We walked through the pumpkin patch to get to the corn maze. No sign of the Great Pumpkin.

The corn maze was massive.

The kids love the giant tube slides.

Massive apple slingshot!!

2014/09/22 15:00 Guess who just won SU basketball season tickets. That would be me! Solvay Bank just opened their new branch in Dewitt and as part of the grand opening Jim Boeheim himself pulled the serial number for my two dollar bill and I won the tickets. Awesome. Been a customer for over thirty years. Shop local and buy local.

2014/09/21 12:00 We went apple picking yesterday at Abbott's Farms. I was coming down with a cold and by the time we got home I was feeling totally under the weather. I slept most of the rest of the day and a lot of this morning.

My little Alice with her new Elsa shirt and her Elsa doll. I asked her why she likes Elsa so much and she said, "Because she can make her own castle".

2014/09/19 22:00

2014/09/18 22:00 I am sure that I will be sore tomorrow. I got some more work done today on my front yard landscaping project. The scope of the work continues to increase as I get more and better ideas. I cut some stone today. I have a special masonry blade that I put on my circular saw. At first it was a little scary but after a few cuts I felt better. I use a full face shield as the saw kicks out a lot of dust. The pavers that I am using are 17 x 17 and they are thick. They are heavy enough that I say I will be sore tomorrow.

Everything is better when there are Tiki mugs involved.

Former squirrel prison; now just a dirty fireplace.

Pictures of the SWAT team, a shooting victim, and the paramedic first responders at the Knights Inn in Danvers; home base for the Northeast Tiki Tour. Photos from local news media.

2014/09/14 19:00 I got back from Massachusetts and the Northeast Tiki Tour (NeTT) today in time to take my two most favorite little rugrats to dinner. We went to Wendy’s and had chicken nuggets, chili, and lemonade. The cuisine and beverage were very different from what I experienced on the NeTT. The only similarity is that we were drinking out of Tiki mugs.

2014/09/12 10:00 I am leaving soon for Massachusetts and the Northeast Tiki Tour (NeTT). But first I had to help with a squirrel rescue this morning. A few months ago, and by a few months I mean at least two, a squirrel fell down the chimney and got trapped in the fireplace. I guess it couldn’t climb back out the way it came in. My son Robert took pity on the squirrel and started feeding it and giving it water. We tried once or twice to get it out but with no luck. Once the squirrel came out but the dog was there. There was complete chaos as the dog chased the squirrel around the living room with Karen standing on the couch screaming “kill it”. The squirrel made it back to the safety of the fireplace. Robert wanted to try again to free the squirrel this morning. We put the dog downstairs and then opened the front door and the glass screen to the fireplace. The squirrel made it out of the fireplace and found its way out the front door. We live on a cul-de-sac and the squirrel ran across the parkway and it was leaping like a gazelle. That was one very very happy squirrel. Freedom is a wonderful thing.

2014/09/11 22:00 I am leaving for Massachusetts tomorrow. I am going to be on the Northeast Tiki Tour bus on Saturday. I will be staying at the Knights Inn in Danvers tomorrow night. My motel made the news today.

The drinks were indeed cold; and super delicious.

2014/09/10 10:00 I got up much earlier today than I usually do. I got up early this morning so I could have breakfast with my grandson at his school. The school was celebrating National Grandparent’s Day with the breakfast. Karen, Tristan’s grandmother, who he calls Bamma, went with me. National Grandparent’s Day was actually on September 7th this year. The holiday is celebrated each year, since 1978, on the first Sunday after Labor Day. There were a lot of old dudes at the breakfast. I feel so young, and I look pretty good, so it was hard for me to relax. I kept thinking someone was going to tell me, “Sir, I’m sorry this is just for grandparents and you’re obviously too young to be here.” There was really only one hot looking grandma there and luckily she was with me. We had a nice little visit with Tristan.

Bamma enjoying a Grandparent's Day breakfast with Tristan.

2014/09/08 17:00 There will be a Harvest ‘super-moon’ tonight. There are typically twelve full moons each year. Each of the full moons has a name originally bestowed upon it by the Native Americans. The original Americans marked the passage of time with a Lunar calendar. The name of the moon placed it in the correct season. The full moon in September is the Harvest moon. The full moon in October is the Hunter’s moon, etc. The Lunar cycle is 29 days and so the dates of the full moons change every year. Also, on occasion, because the Lunar cycle is shorter than our Solar calendar a season may have four full moons instead of three. This extra full moon in a season is called the Blue moon. The full moon is called a ‘super-moon’ when the full moon reaches its closest point to Earth in its orbit. The moon looks larger. I feel pretty good today. I feel like maybe I am headed in the correct direction once again. I have spent some time floundering about and not really accomplishing the things that I wanted. I feel like maybe all that is about to change.

Bob and his friend Khan Tiki Mon.

Bartenders for the evening were Joanne and a visitor from Nebraska, not Omaha, apparently traveling on some kind of a Tiki work visa. Excellent service with a smile and super delicious cocktails.

Meat coming out of the 'big green meat machine'. I heard the 'big green meat machine' is also sometimes referred to as 'Bev's Hawaiian vacation'. Honestly the best brisket I have ever had and that includes some briskets that I paid good money for.

Every body loves Bob's meat in their mouth. I had a turkey that was divine, bacon wrapped chicken legs, spam sliders, and of course the brisket. Chicken, pork, and beef is referred to as the Old McDonald hat trick at Bob's Tiki Bar.

When the sun went down the Tiki torches were lit.

Bob's garden was looking awesome.

There was a great turnout for Tikipalooza this year.

"Welcome to Tikipalooza". The neighbors didn't complain about the port-a-potty or the pink flamingos. Nobody broke anything and nobody brought any zombies with them and so Tikipalooza will return again next year.

Through the sale of commemorative glasses and raffle tickets two hundred dollars was raised for the Easter Island Foundation. It was somewhat embarrassing as I won four of the door prizes. It was my lucky night. 

2014/09/07 10:00 I was in Rochester yesterday to attend Tikipalooza 2014. It was my second time at Tikipalooza. Tikipalooza happens once a year at Bob’s Tiki Bar; ‘where the meat is smoked and the drinks are cold’. It was a perfect day for it. There was no rain and it was cool and comfortable.

It was very crowded at the fair. I got to see the NY State DEC aquarium. I hadn’t been able to get
the grandkids in to see the fish on my previous trip to the fair.

I got my picture taken with Apple and Corn. Karen was snapping the picture and she told Apple to
smile. It was a funny thing to say, but also a little cruel. I don’t think Apple has any choice but to smile. Imagine going through life with only one emotion ever visible on your face. It makes me sad to think of it.

2014/09/01 23:00 Today was Sunday and the first day of September. It was also Labor Day and the last day of Summer. Karen, Adison, and I went to the Great NY State Fair. It was the final day of the fair and it was dollar day. Just one dollar admissions.

The rants, rambles, and ravings continue; a new hope?

khan tiki mon's rants and rambles v.8.67

Adison on Halloween.

2014/10/18 19:00 We went to a birthday party for Emma Dellomorte today.

2014/10/26 10:00 

The squirrels enjoy the pumpkin buffet.

Here is a picture I snapped of Crazy Al while I was at the Hukilau in June. We were on the Jungle Queen cruising Fort Lauderdale’s intracoastal waterways. Crazy Al had his Molokai Maiden mug.

2014/10/02 16:00 I have been waiting anxiously for what seemed like a very long time for my Molokai Maiden mug to arrive. Today the postman made my day when he delivered my Crazy Al Molokai Maiden mug. I couldn’t be more satisfied. 

Playing and posing inside the giant tractor wheels.

It was an absolutely beautiful day at the Beak and Skiff apple orchard.

Hourigans is just about the best place to get pumpkins. We get them here almost every year.

We went to Dinomania at the MOST (Museum of Science and Technology) today. But first we had lunch on the front porch.

Alice wasn't too sure about the animatronic dinosaurs.

Alice looks like a little wallflower in this picture.

Alice and Danielle playing together.

Michelle and her Dad with Alice.

2014/10/31 23:00

2014/10/25 20:00

2014/10/17 23:30 I took Tristan and Alice to see Michelle's son Ben play football. The kids had a good time.

2014/10/26 20:00 We enjoyed our annual excursion to the Zoo Boo today.

2014/10/03 12:00 It is the month of October. As of October 1st my old website, hosted by Verizon, is no more. Verizon purged it all from the internet. The new website is way better and Go Daddy has been way better to work with than Verizon ever was. I have been having little bouts with anxiety the last few days. I have been feeling very unsettled. Today I feel much better. I don’t know what causes these feelings and I can’t predict them. I am headed out now to work on the landscaping project in front of my house. The project keeps increasing in scope the more I work on it. I am going to run out of good weather pretty soon. I have so much I want to finish before the snow starts to fly.

​This is a throwback picture that I lifted from my friend Marina that shows the inspiration behind the Molokai Maiden mug. The picture was taken in the Molokai bar inside the legendary Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale.

2014/09/29 22:30 Robert and I went to the movies tonight to see “The Equalizer”. I paid for the tickets and we went to the theater and discovered we had been sold the wrong tickets. Robert went back to the ticket counter and told the girl she had sold us the wrong tickets. Honest mistake and no big deal. She said no there was no mistake. She had sold us the tickets she thought we wanted. Robert said, “You sold us tickets for a movie that is half over? Well, I do have to get up early tomorrow. Could you sell us tickets for a movie that is already over?”

Playing inside the giant spider web.

Pictures can't convey just how happy Alice was riding the pony.