Pleep Says There's No Place Like Home

Pleep had a lot of time in the car to check out weird stories on the internet. Plus he was still upset after losing a close match to the 805 Doyers and dropping back to third place. Peggy & Ed nearly left Pleep in the hotel because he was ranting about the Cubs vs. Cardinals game. Between the rain delay at the Yankees game and the screw-up by the Cardinals, the Monkeybutters lost their comeback chances. Delete told him to get over it and get in the car.

The story that caught his attention was about the giant paper mache shark that ate the bronze surfer sculpture near San Diego. Evidently the sculpture is not very good and no one in the area likes it. The local surfers keep doing things to it and the most recent event was the construction of a 16 foot great white shark eating the surfer. Pleep was in total agreement with the shark and thinks the statue is not very good.

We hit home on schedule at 2:45 central time. After unloading the car, Peggy & Ed headed to the car wash and grocery store. Pleep and Delete did miss the beach but were happy to be back in Kansas. They were surprised to see a new relative, Leoni Generali, who was on hand to welcome them back home. Pleep was impressed with Leoni's logo wear and is trying to convince Leoni to let him try the shirt on. Delete wants to convene a meeting to discuss the house rankings in Kansas and Florida. With Carnicelli due back in town next week, Delete feels it is important to make certain everyone knows where they stand.

Pleep Wants To Go Wild At Wild WIngs

After 3 weeks on the beach, Pleep & Delete have declared themselves to be official Beach Bums. They were very pleased to see the beer of the month at the Deck Down Under was Beach Bum Blonde Ale. Departure this morning was promptly on schedule at 6:58 am EDT. We hit the Georgia border at 10:00 and Pleep assumed his monkeybutt position. Georgia is a high alert area due to the large percentage of bad drivers. Delete thinks Georgia may have the worst drivers in North America.

After the 360 miles of bad driving in Georgia, we hit the TN border right on schedule at 3:30 EDT. Entering Tennessee, Pleep started lobbying Ed again for a detour to either Jack Daniels or George Dickle Distillery. No luck on either count. Then Pleep started making a list of all the places in Tennessee he would like to visit: Grand Ol Opry, Dollywood, Country Music Hall of Fame, Alvin York's birthplace, etc. Delete spent time trying to download one of his favorite Gary Cooper movies, Sargent York, but didn't have any luck. Arrival in Paducah is on time for 6:45 pm CDT. Pleep spent his time googling restaurants and found a Buffalo Wild Wings. He likes their commercials and told Ed they have a good drinks listing. Ed told Pleep if he shut up about the distilleries there was a good chance he would at least get to eat something besides peanut butter wraps.

Time To Bid Daytona Beach Shores Adieu

After watching everyone else depart, the time has come for us to head back north. Pleep and Delete were in charge of the checklist to make certain everything is properly cleaned, secured and otherwise made ship shape. It is a long list but this way nothing should be left undone.

With the last of the laundry in the washer, the refrigerator cleaned out, and all the doors save one secured, Peggy and Ed are heading out to the balcony for a farewell cocktail and the sunset. Everyone is already looking forward to the return trip in October. We hope to see more visitors then including David & Patti and Mike Power. We will also be taking reservations for July 2011. The Parkers and Tammy and Kate Kapeller are likely to return. In the meantime, Pleep is planning his visit to Chicago for the air show and again for the big Ida & George Joint Birthday Bash.

Pleep & Delete Sad to Say Farewell To Parkers

Pleep was up early to spend his last time with Ida, Beau, Harry and Oscar. He noted that Ida actually spent more time in "The Chair" working than she did eating, sleeping or at the beach. Ida was grateful to have a comfortable chair with at least a view of the ocean while she whiled away her hours working. Oscar set his bed up at the side of the chair and periodically would get in Ida's lap just to check out the work activity.

Beau and Harry slept in after their long day on the beach and the final 36 holes in the Parker Invitational Miniature Golf Tournament (match play). Harry ended up the winner although Beau did manage another hole-in-one. After his morning constitutional and breakfast, Oscar headed into the boy's bedroom/tv room to see if he could roust them. No luck so he settled back in for a nap.

Now that everyone has departed, Pleep and Delete are very lonely. The place is far too quiet. Pleep misses the long discussions about the more esoteric baseball rules and fantasy baseball strategy. He was especially pleased to join in the discussions about next year's play where actual cash money might be involved.

The weather has been spot on the entire time. Rain is finally forecast for tomorrow which might be a nice break. Plus, Pleep pointed out it won't be as tough to be cleaning if it is raining outside. Finally, Pleep has determined his final rankings for the Florida condo. He awarded first place to Oscar for being best behaved furry friend and cutest. Then he ended up with a three way tie for second between Kate, Beau and Harry. All the teenagers were well behaved, tidy, and did not break any of the house rules. Delete pointed out that Pleep always favors pets and children over adults. Ida came in third and Perry Parker was at the bottom. Pleep says Perry did fine in the condo but he did not think the truck was very tidy. Delete lobbied hard in Perry's behalf noting pick-up trucks from cattle ranches never are very tidy.

We are already planning next summer's visit and hope everyone can return. Once the Daytona Beach Cubs 2011 schedule is posted, the Parkers can decide to hit either Belly Buster Monday or Thirsty Thursday.

Pleep Insists Boys Celebrate National Junk Food Day

Pleep was enjoying watching Golic rant about college athletes breaking NCAA rules when Greeny pointed out it was National Junk Food Day. He immediately diverted his attention to breakfast choices and suggested a trip to acquire Krispy Creme was in order. When he arrived at the Publix, he checked out the Krispy Creme display and then headed over to the bakery section. The Publix baker was just putting out fresh, hot glazed and chocolate glazed donuts. Pleep decided those were a much better choice than the Krispy Cremes . He wasn't certain what kind of donuts Beau & Harry preferred so he ordered up 6 regular glazed and 2 chocolate covered. As it turned out, they like all types and made quick work of a good number.

After Ida put in the mornings work, everyone headed to the beach and pool to enjoy the last day. The waves were really perfect today. Continuing the Junk Food Day celebration, the crew headed down the beach about 3/4 of a mile to the lunch truck. Pleep was very impressed with Beau and Harry's ability to eat burgers, fries, and chicken strips. After a short rest, the boys headed into for more body surfing and spent about 3 hours catching waves. After finally coming in from the beach, they decided more water time was in order and they jumped in the pool. After playing around, swimming laps, and generally enjoying the pool, they finally came out and did a bit of reading. They were hoping the ice cream truck would drive by and help with the junk food consumption but no luck.

Pleep suggested that after all that exercise a small snack might be in order. Beau thought the Kettle Sea Salt chips would be the perfect accompaniment to his study hour with the next chapter in the California Drivers ed program. The boys have been discussing what the would like to do for the final night in Daytona Beach. Goofy golf is high on the list for a rematch. Last night even though Beau made 3 holes-in-one he lost to Harry. Last night at the Thai restuarant the boys enjoyed chicken satay and Wai Wai Noodles. Beau had shrimp and Harry had beef. The dinner choice is Boondocks on the intercoastal where Beau is planning on continuing his shrimp fest with shrimp scampi and garlic bread.

Oscar was very happy to rejoin the crew and will no doubt cry a bit when he gets left behind on the dinner excursion. Pleep and Delete hope they can help keep him company but neither one of them is very interested in joining Oscar in his box.

Pleep Loves Reading With The Parker Boys

After the Steak 'N Shake fest, Harry and Beau came home to hang out and read. Harry ended up falling asleep with his book. His long nap concerned Pleep. He thought it might mean Harry would be up all night watching tv.

After a big pizza party on the deck, everyone headed in and Beau picked out a movie to watch. The selection was 27 Dresses. Pleep was very concerned about Beau and Harry watching chick flicks. It started to make more sense when Delete observed that Ida made certain to point out what bad girl behaviors the one sister was exhibiting and how they should not plan on dating any girls like her. Beau and his mother cashed in before the end of the movie but Harry, Pleep and Delete toughed it out to the end.

After the big french toast breakfast, everyone headed to the pool and beach. Beau and Harry had a great time body surfing followed by a little time in the lounge chairs with their books. Because teenage boys require regular feeding, the group headed to Crabby Joe's on the pier for a late lunch. After showering up, everyone got their books back out. Pleep is especially enjoying Beau's book by Sean Hannity, Deliver Us From Evil. Pleep and Beau love to watch Hannity together too.

The plan for tonight is still be debated but goofy golf, Thai food and adult beverages are all likely.

Oscar Tops House Rankings & Parkers Enjoy The Beach

Pleep has awarded Oscar the top rank in the Florida condo. Pleep liked the way Oscar stayed off all the furniture and found a nice place under the coffee table to hang out. The final thing that clinched it was when Oscar put himself to bed. Pleep was very impressed and thinks the kenneling concept would be a good one to apply to children too. This morning Oscar headed off to the VIP Pet Resort for a couple of days. His stay there will include time in the agility course and a nice bath. Delete thinks Oscar is going to miss him but may be happier to have other dogs to play with and a nice play area.

Perry and the boys had a great time playing in the surf Sunday. They did body surfing and made good use of Kate's pink boogie board until it broke. After a full day in the water, the group headed out for dinner at the very popular Deck Down Under on the intercoastal. It was a perfect night for outdoor dining with a nice breeze and the dolphins showed up just as we were leaving. Because Perry was going to have to leave in the morning, Ed gave him a nice driving tour of the island down to the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse and up to J.D. Rockefeller's mansion, The Casements, in Ormand Beach.

Perry and Harry made one last trip to the beach for body surfing on Monday morning. While they were enjoying the waves, Beau started his online drivers education program. He has to complete about 30 hours of coursework and chapter tests before he can take the final test to receive his learners permit. Pleep and Delete were going to take it with him but Pleep decided he was never going to be able to reach the pedals. When he saw Harry reading Lord Of The Rings he decided that might be a better way to spend the 30 hours.

The crew headed out to drop Perry at the airport and then swung into the Daytona 500 Experience. After seeing the line to get in and the entrance fee, Beau and Harry voted not to spend their time or money. Ida decided at stop at Steak 'N Shake was required. She wanted to relive one of her many waitress experiences. The boys liked the idea of steak burgers and ice cream products but were a bit reluctant to listen to all the Steak 'N Shake stories. Ida was a bit shocked at all the additions to the menu. Even though they had added salads, Ida stuck with the cheddar steakburger. Harry went with the cheddar bacon burger despite the fact that the group had eaten a pound of bacon at breakfast. Pleep was very impressed to hear Beau order the Absolutely Plain Burger. Both Pleep and the waitress thought Beau was ordering a burger with a side of Absolut. Beau had to explain there was no vodka involved; it is a condiment, garnish free burger.

The lunch ended milkshakes and a trip to the claw machine. The boys gave the shakes a great review and no one won anything in the claw machine. Pleep is amazed at the consumption capacity of teen age boys. He was comparing them to Kate who was a very light eater. The discussion for dinner tonight is pizza. Beau noted that he really likes pizza and is planning on eating a lot of it. Pleep suggested a long walk on the beach should be required after everyone has a nap.

Parkers Scout The Daytona Beach Cubs & Coady Bitrhday Gift

The Parkers arrived around 4:00 and unloaded the Ford pickup truck. Pleep was happy to reconnect with Oscar who quickly settled in after his long day in the car. Pleep enjoyed having 3 of the owners from opposing teams so he could discuss the Monkeybutters spectacular winning streak. The Commish pointed out the MBs performance so far this week left a lot to be desired and thinks Pleep may have been distracted by the visiting teenage girl. Harry told Delete that he has his sights set on first place. Harry hasn't been in first place in a long time and is antsy to return. Everyone warned Pleep that Chase Muller (owner of the 805 Doyers) was working very hard to win this week as he is tired of losing to middle schoolers and does not want to lose to a moose and a monkey.

The whole crew headed out to Jackie Robinson Ballpark for the Cubs vs. Fort Meyers' Miracles (MN Twins) game. There was a charity auction at the game which Ida, Harry & Beau were very excited to see. Pleep was very pleased that so many famous (and former) MBs had autographed merchandise including Brandon Webb. Harry made a strategic investment move and picked up a baseball signed by all the players currently on the Yankees AA team. He also successfully won his bids on a couple of very special items for Tyler Coady's birthday gift. Pleep has been sworn to secrecy but he thinks it could be the best birthday gift Tyler will ever get. It is a good thing the Parkers were successful during the auction because in typical Chicago Cubs style, the DB Cubs gave up 7 runs in one inning. There was a brief Cubs rally in the bottom of the 7th but not enough to make a difference. The real highlight of the night was Ida getting to talk to Cubby. While she was doing that, a small child approached her for her autograph but she told him she didn't sign autographs. Pleep thinks the kid thought Ida was someone famous because she was the only adult Cubby was hanging out with.

Pleep Misses Kate & Prepares For Parker Onslaught

Even though Kate repeatedly beat him at Chinese checkers, Pleep misses hanging out with her and Tammy. He did think their seat assignments - ED - were humorous. After much consideration, Pleep and Delete decided that separate house rankings were indeed the right answer. At this point, Pleep has awarded first place to Kate with Tammy as a close second. When asked why Kate got first place, Pleep confessed it was because he always favors the younger ones versus the parents.

The arrival of the Parker family plus Oscar has Pleep a bit concerned. He is already preparing the list of rules to review with everyone. The one thing in his favor is Ida. He thinks she will keep things well in line. Delete was sorry to learn that Harry has developed an ear infection which will restrict his ability to swim and enjoy the beach. On the plus side, Delete thinks it may mean more time walking on the beach, reading at the pool and a few rounds of goof golf.

Pleep Rants About All Star Game

Pleep is not a fan of the All Star game. He thinks the concept is fine but doesn't like the risk of injury to one of his players. He was ranting about it all morning until Delete told him Jose Reyes would not actually be playing in the game. Things quieted down until Mike & Mike started talking about the rules and how the winner gets home field advantage in the World Series. That set him off again. He agrees with Golic that it should not count or if it is going to count then rather than mandating a player from every team, only the very best players should be played. Delete decided the best way to divert Pleep's attention and make the evening game more interesting was to bet on the outcome. Pleep liked that idea and is now busy trying to reach John Martini to see what the betting line is.

Delete & Pleep Compete For Kate's Attention

Delete spent some time teaching Kate the finer points of blogging. He thinks it is an important skill set because it requires her to exercise technical, creative, and editorial talents. He was very pleased when she spotted a number of mistakes, especially one in the post's headline. Delete is hoping that if he can get Kate up to speed she may start blogging more about him. He is secretly hoping she starts her own blog starring him and that he can attract more viewers than his pesky sibling.

Pleep and Delete were very sorry to see Kate head out to the movies with Georgia boy and his family. They decided to sit right at the front door and wait for her to return. Kate explained to them that it would not be polite for them to bug her with text messages while she was at the movie. Pleep reluctantly agreed and added that she would have her phone turned off anyway. Even though they normally hit the bed by 7:30, they stayed up until she returned. Kate could hardly get in the door but she thanked them for being so thoughtful.

The weather cooperated again today with just a brief shower in the the middle of the day. Kate hit the beach early and spent time at the indoor pool during the rain. Having a bit of a jealous nature, Pleep decided to keep a close eye on things and got out the binoculars, which were too heavy for him. He had to solicit Delete's antlers to support his gazing. In addition to watching Kate enjoy the day, he spotted a large group of dolphins and a very special '69 red Camero convertible. Kate, Delete and Pleep all seem very tired from all the activity. No naps will be permitted because, if he naps, Pleep has a tendency to stay up all night watching bad tv.

Kate Digs Hole & Finds New Friend

Last night Kate had everyone convinced we needed to go to the beach and re-dig the hole from the prior night. With an assist from Pleep and Ed, it didn't take as long. The purpose of the project was to pose a picture of Kate reminiscent of the days when she was shorter than her mother. Plus, Kate was hoping that the nice boy from Georgia she had met earlier in the day would show up and help. He was staying in a neighboring condo so we thought there might be a slight chance. Pleep suggested that perhaps her odds on that would have been better if she had given him her cell number.

Once the hole was dug, everyone helped bury Kate in it. Ed helped insure she was firmly cemented in by ferrying water back and forth from the ocean. Unfortunately, the only thing he had was the small pink shovel. Pleep made a lot of noise about Ed and the girly shovel but was careful to stay out of range. During the ferrying process, Pleep snuck in a picture session with Kate and Tammy. Everyone was very pleased with the result; Kate only reached to Tammy's shoulders. It was a bit like the Tim Conway gig where he played the short people. Pleep pointed out that while Kate did indeed appear to be shorter, it was easy to see that something was wrong based on where Kate's waist was in relation to her mother.

The weatherman predicted rain for the afternoon, so everyone headed out to the beach early Sunday morning. Plus, Kate thought there might be a small chance or running into the young man. Upon hearing he was from Georgia, Pleep aptly nicknamed him "Georgia Boy" and admonished Kate that the wise girl usually asks for the boy's name. Fortunately for everyone, Georgia Boy, whose name turned out to be Adam, promptly appeared and joined in the daily hike. Kate and Adam abandoned the walkers at the 2 mile mark, heading back to his family setup on the beach. Pleep observed that Kate finding a new friend was very lucky for Tammy. It meant that Tammy did not have to get up every 10 minutes to boogie board, run around on the sandbar, swim etc.

The afternoon thunderstorms finally materialized around 2:00 and everyone had to scurry indoors. Kate's project this evening will be to start pulling the dried, dead mollusks out of the shells. Pleep pointed out that the smell on the deck was not pleasant so he really wants her to get things shaped up.

Pleep Boogies In Daytona & Kate Makes Carnicelli Happy

Kate made a trip to Walgreens in search of beach toys. She ended up with a boogie board and a Princess shovel. Pleep and Delete asked her if they could play too. Kate gave them lessons in boogie boarding before she headed out to the surf. Pleep said it was very similar to the Superman maneuver he always makes when passing through Metropolis, IL.

It was another perfect day with long beach hike where Kate found several mollusk shells. The only problem is the mollusks were still inhabiting them. Being rather squeamish, Kate made her mother and Peggy pick them up and carry them back to the condo pool deck. There were a few screams when she saw the mollusks coming out of the shells but everyone made it back. Then, putting the shovel to good use, Kate placed all of them in the shovel and poured in fresh water. Pleep insisted it all go in a vat of beach water when everyone came upstairs. He can't wait until everything is dead and dried out. Pleep is taking bets that Kate will really start screaming when Ed gives her the pliers and sends her to the deck to pull the dead parts out.

After receiving an email from Carnicelli alleging that Kate was leaving towels on the bathroom floor, Pleep decided he better check up on things in the guest bath. The bad news for Carnicelli was the towels were all nicely hung up and there was no water on the floor. The good news for Carnicelli was Pleep discovered that Kate had left her bathing suit in the sink. This caused Pleep to award Kate a couple of demerits. Delete is currently arguing on Kate's behalf saying Kate was being very tidy leaving the suit in the sink rather than the floor or tub. He claims that Kate knew her mother was going to be showering so she didn't want her to have to deal with the wet suit. Being more of a skeptic, Pleep is waiting to hear what Tammy has to say before he makes his final ruling.

A Perfect Day On The Beach

While waiting to pick up Kate and Tammy, Pleep insisted a trip to the Daytona Ale House was in order. He spent most of his time there admiring the snazzy Harley Davidson and the largest assortment of vodka's he had ever seen. Everyone arrived on time and quickly settled in to vacation mode.

Because the flight didn't arrive until 11:20 pm and no one made it to bed until after 1, Pleep decided to be nice and let Kate sleep in past 8:00 am. He was very happy when she finally got up because he knew she was going to hang with him on the living room couch. He started drumming up ideas for shenanigans for the day.

The weather continued to cooperate - full sun, no clouds and a great breeze off the ocean. The group made a couple of nice beach walks and Kate had a great time spotting shells, crab parts and other marine life. She always made certain to make her mother turn over the crabs to make sure they were indeed dead. When everything came up from the beach, Pleep showed Kate how to mix up a bleach solution to soak everything to insure nothing would survive and stink up the house.

As any Ritter house guest knows, Pleep is a stickler for rules and closely inspects bedrooms and bathrooms. He was very pleased to see that Kate took herself immediately to the shower and did not stop to sit on any of the furniture. Because it is her first day, Pleep granted waivers on assembling all the pillows back on the bed. She also did a very good job securing her beach towels and cleaning up the coolers. It is early days yet but the Carnicelli position could be in jeopardy. Pleep said if Kate can get Ed on a boogie board she may shoot up in the rankings.

First House Guests Due To Arrive

It's been another fabulous day in Daytona Beach Shores. It did hit 90 today but the breeze was very nice and now the temperatures have dropped. Pleep is enjoying a great night on the deck and is very excited about the arrival of the first house guests.

In preparation for the visitors, Pleep insisted Ed and Peggy dust, vacuum and generally spiff up the place. Plus, several loads of laundry were run through the new washer & dryer. Pleep's favorite feature of the new equipment is the musical notes played at the completion of a cycle. He much prefers the pleasant "ring tone" to the large buzzer noise for most other machines. He said it doesn't disturb his napping.

The guest room is all ready. Pleep is a bit concerned that Kate will have issues getting all the pillows back on the bed and in the right order. Getting the duvet folded properly may also prove to be a challenge. At this point, Pleep has decided not to include the Kapellers in the Ritter House ranking until he meets Kate and determines if she is going to be a regular fan. Rumor has it that Carnicelli is worried Kate may buddy up to Pleep and pass him in the house rankings. According to Carnicelli, "Pleep seems to favor the teenagers. I'm already in a hopeless race against Dan Carvill. If Pleep falls for Kate's charms, he may move her and her mother both up higher than me. I can only hope to stay ahead of Mel Carvill."

LG Means More Than Life Is Good On The Beach

Being a very clean monkey, Pleep was pleased to take delivery of the new LG front load washer and dryer. Of course after the Sears men hauled out the old stuff, Pleep insisted the Hoovermate get fired up and the entire area spruced up before the new machines came up the elevator. Pleep studied the owners manual and thinks delicate/handwash is the right cycle for laundering monkeys & moose. Of course, he insists Delete be the first one to test that theory.

Because the machines were LG, Delete kept trying to figure out where the tv buttons were. He liked the LG Plasma and LCD tvs in the other areas and thought being able to watch tv while dealing with laundry would be perfect. Pleep tried to explain that LG makes a lot of things besides tvs but Delete was not happy when he learned there were no tv options on the laundry appliances.

Now everything is fully operational. Pleep and Delete are ready to entertain the first official guests, Tammy and Kate Kapeller, who are due to arrive late tomorrow. Peggy and Ed will be heading to the Deck Down Under tonight to celebrate the new appliances and hopefully mark the end of the buying. The final furniture items are scheduled to be delivered Monday. This will also be cause for celebration.

Alls Well That Ends Well

As the sun set this evening, things were looking a lot better than earlier in the day. First, Ed woke up to issues with the high def boxes hooked up to the tv sets - no audio on set and missing channels on the other. After a call to Brighthouse, service was scheduled for midday. Then the washing machine developed issues and the calls to Sears started.

By the time the Brighthouse tech had both sets working, Ed had decided that it did not make much sense to pay for the service call plus repairs on the washer & dryer. He used the time waiting for the tv repair to be completed to research his options on laundry. Plus, as Pleep pointed out, we hadn't had any major expenditures in the last 72 hours and to be patriotic, we really should continue to fuel the Central Florida Coast economy. After a very nice visit with the salesperson at Sears, we arranged for the purchase of a new front load washer and dryer. Delivery is scheduled for tomorrow. How great is America - you can arrange for everything, have it installed and the old stuff hauled away all in under 24 hours.

Pleep enjoyed the sunset period on the balcony where the temperature had dropped from the 90's to the mid 70's with great breezes off the ocean. Of course, cocktails were in order and everyone enjoyed watching the action on the beach. Pleep insisted that Ed have a couple of beers with him to toast the evening. He is looking forward to the installation tomorrow and getting everything ship shape for the first real visitors on Thursday. Ed is just looking forward to the possibility of no more repairs, replacements or cleaning.