Todd and Marci Schaffer joined us this weekend at the cabin. We were awarded with the warmth of long-time friendships as the Cooks joined us for dinner on

[Read more →]

Yes, once a year Steve digs out the tights and pointy ears and dresses up as Santa’s number-one elf. It makes for a long day once I get the Halloween walls (which double as Santa’s workshop) put away in the garage. But it makes for a great

[Read more →]

Check out Animoto for making free 30 second videos like this one. I think I might start using these on McClellandfamily.com.

[Read more →]

Here’s the gag:

You: “Hey, you’ve got updoc on your face.”

Them: “What’s updoc?”

You in your best Bugs Bunny voice: “Nyaaa, not much. Want a carrot?”

We’ve all heard that one before, and we’ve all told our best friends that we once knew a guy who had

[Read more →]

Office Max understands viral marketing. Less-so this year since they’ve dropped about nine-tenths of their holiday marketing site. Nonetheless, neighbor Staci pointed out this deliciously fun site last year (unfortunately we only have a screen-grab to show for it) and we loved creating our own elf’s…ahem…elves. We only wish they would

[Read more →]

And all three were in the last two weeks… Before we get to my costume pictured here, I should talk about the quasi-immoral things I’ve done with dolls in our haunted houses over the years. They’ve been mutilated, spray-painted,

[Read more →]

The phone conversation that I had on the drive home from work today began with a 30 second pre-recorded message which repeated for about 2 minutes. Then went something like this… Operator: “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” Me: “I just observed a vehicle nearly cause 3 accidents in the span of about a minute.” Operator: “Really? […]

[Read more →]

Despite the recent movement to promote kids who aren’t perfect (there’s even a book), Lisa and I will sit back and glow with pride after our parenting skills paid off last week. Emily came home Sunday night and received a phone call that she had been selected for

[Read more →]

The Foster/Syme development group recently purchased the Royal Gorge cross-country ski resort along with a ton of other land around Serene Lakes (where our cabin is) including the bottom of the lake. When they revealed their plans which include 950 condominiums and single-family homes, a lot of people at the public meeting drank the Kool-Aid with a “Please, may I have some more.”

[Read more →]

The one year that I wasn’t able to play #1 Elf at my employer’s Christmas breakfast (due to budgetary constraints, I imagine) I discovered this seasonal web site. It’s called Elf Yourself, and unfortunately I’m too late to tell my bosses to do just that.The one year that I wasn’t able to play #1 Elf at my employer’s Christmas breakfast (due to budgetary constraints, I imagine) I discovered this seasonal web site. It’s called Elf Yourself, and unfortunately I’m too late to tell my bosses to

[Read more →]