Vacation Report: Day One #2

Located in scenic Riverside Park in Wichita, KS, next to the yoga practicing flag corps (at least they were there when we went) one can find a set of great standing stones reminiscent of mighty Stonehenge. In fact it is a solar calendar, very similar to the more famous English landmark. On the Solstice and Equinox days of the year the noonday sun supposedly shoots through a large metal eye perched atop one of the stones and illuminates different colored glass stones embedded in the ground. Our timing being slightly off (as seems our lot) we missed any spectacular display. But it makes one anticipate another more timely roadtrip, just to see if it really works! We can, however, imagine having to wade through a crowd of candle-carrying Wiccans and new-age dudes in tie-dyed shirts in order to see anything when the time comes!

Vacation Report: Day One #1

We're back from the Great Potato Run of '08 commonly known as our vacation. Along with our honorary Duncan Ashley P., we made a whirlwind tour of 7 different states! This week I'll be posting highlights from the trip, so sit back and pretend you're riding in the van on a seemingly endless trip across our great country. See the sights. Hear the stories. Smell the smells. You know the ones... coming from the back seat after days on the road!

Picture it: Monday June 2, 2008. Wichita, KS. Our first stop brings us to a host of statues on the streets scattered higgledy-piggledy, depicting everyday ordinary people and animals doing everyday ordinary tasks. But in one city square a larger scene plays out. The counter at a diner reminiscent of an old-time soda shop.


In fact here's what Wikipedia says about it:

The first organized lunch-counter sit-in for the purpose of integrating segregated establishments began in July 1958 in Wichita Kansas at Dockum Drugs, a store in the old Rexall chain. In early August the drugstore became integrated. A few weeks later on August 19, 1958 in Oklahoma City a nationally recognized sit-in at the Katz Drug Store lunch counter occurred. It was led by NAACP youth leader Clara Luper, a local high school teacher, and local students. It took years but she and her students integrated Oklahoma City eating establishments. Today, in downtown Wichita, Kansas, a statue depicting a waitress at a counter serving people honors the sit-in.

On The Road Again!

Despite the quickly rising prices for gas, we're still planning the Great Roadtrip of 2008 beginning Monday June 2. We'll be making various classic roadtrip stops, including the Scalp of Custer's Nephew in Wichita, Lincoln's Head in Laramie, Wyoming and the World's Tallest Mennonite but we'll also be stopping by a little place called Mt. Rushmore where some kook sculpted some Presidents' heads. But the highlight of the trip is Preston, Idaho where one of the greatest movies of all time was filmed: Napoleon Dynamite.

When we get back we'll be updating everyone on the sights and sounds of the trip here on the blog. It'll be like you went with us. Except you won't have to pay for the gas...

Random Image of the Week #1

Cassie & Friends... in 3D! You'll have to get your 3D glasses for this one!

Hey Batta Batta Batta!

On May 17 Nici wrote:

Cooper had his first t-ball game this morning! Crazy he's old enough to be playing sports!! It was pretty cute. No one knew what they were doing and all the kids were running to the wrong bases and fighting over the ball. Just wanted to share some pics! Hope everyone is doing well.

Factoid of the Day!

There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet.

Congratulations Alex!

Image provided by soonerguys.com!

Dance Revolution!

Cassie Rocks! That's all there is to it. Alcott Middle School had their Spring Choir concert Friday night and Cassie Duncan was one of the highlights as she performed the Tutti Frutti ala Little Richard, Michael Jackson's Thriller and the robot to Mr. Roboto! I taught her everything she knows...

Best Comic Movie Ever?

Could Iron Man, the newest live-action movie release from Marvel Studios, be the best comic book movie adaptation of all time? In order to take claim to one of the grandest no-prizes of them all, it would have to best among others: Spiderman (2002), X-Men (2000), Batman (1989) and (some would say the grand-daddy of them all) Superman (1978) starring Christopher Reeve. Comic book movies have been rather hit and miss throughout their fairly long cinematic history (Captain America appeared on the big screen as early as 1944 not to mention pulp magazine's The Shadow, et al). I was sorely disappointed in the recent attempts at bringing my favorites from childhood to the filmgoing public, the Fantastic Four. Sure, they were fun movies, and the sequel did a great job at portraying the cosmic Silver Surfer, but in the end they missed the mark. Don't even get me started on the Surfer's boss, Galactus!

Perhaps my allegiance to the Fantastic Four was its ultimate downfall. Since the movie-makers didn't match my ideal FF - they were doomed to fail. Maybe that's why I loved Iron Man so much. Yeah, I was a comic book geek as a kid - and a Marvel Comics comic book geek to boot - but Iron Man was never one of my favorites. I pretty much stuck with the FF. So I don't know what they messed up in the new film adaptation starring Robert Downey Jr. in the title role. Ignorance is bliss and Iron Man rocks!

Downey plays a perfectly greasy Tony Stark, military arms manufacturer and billionaire playboy who finds a conscience after being kidnapped by terrorists. He wreaks vengeance on the evildoers in the most awesomest costume/machinery ever. Tony Stark is Iron Man.

Is it better than the Fantastic Four? Tons! Spiderman? Obviously! X-men? Batman? Easily! But is Robert Downey Jr. in titanium alloy armor better than Christopher Reeve in spandex? All I can say is: Go see Iron Man and find out for yourself!

Graduation

Alex is graduating on Friday, May 9, at 7 pm at the University of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium; and also participating in the College of Arts and Sciences convocation at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 10. He will receive his B.A. in Economics. Ya'll come to whatever you can.

(The above photograph depicts the current college graduate attire -- a "business casual" of sorts).

Garfield Minus Garfield

If you want to see something downright hilarious and yet depressing and macabre at the same time, check out Garfield Minus Garfield in which the old standby Garfield comics are reproduced... without Garfield. Jon, his owner, comes across as a sad manic-depressive schizophrenic... a hilariously sad manic-depressive schizophrenic!

Thanks to Sam at work for directing us to this one!

Factoid of the Day!

The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.

I'm Still Here! Where are you?

This blog runs hot and cold! We do a fairly good job of keeping up appearances for a couple of months and then it's silent for months on end! Well, I'm going at it again. If nothing else, I'm planning on posting a ridiculously random image at least every week! So keep an eye out for future posts and add something yourselves!

BTW - check out the Daily Pressman at digitalgraphicsinc.net. I work nights - and when it gets late I tend to doodle...

Hello?

Is there anybody out there?

Either life's been way too busy or we just stink at this blog thing!

Labor Day Labors

Over Labor Day weekend, we made a trip to see the Lawton clan and did some clamboring over the rocks on top of Mt. Scott. Thought we'd share some photos of the trip!

Wilburton, OK: Est. 312 million years ago!

My job seems to either run hot or cold, feast or famine. I'm either struggling to get everything done or there's nothing to do at all. On those dry days, when I'm left to my own machinations, I participate in that tried and true time-killer: web-surfing. With no real destination in mind, in a stream of consciousness kind of way, I ride the world wide web waves of information, looking for meaningless bits of trivia, mindless yet entertaining video clips and the like. I invariably find myself searching the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom - Wikipedia. That generally sets me off somewhere else and so forth.

Today was just such a day and here's one nugget I found in my meaderings that peaked my interest:

Iron Cup from Oklahoma Coal Mine, 312 million years old.

On November 27, 1948 the following statement was made by Frank J. Kenwood in Sulphur Springs, Arkansas. "While I was working in the Municipal Electric Plant in Thomas, Oklahoma in 1912, I came upon a solid chunk of coal which was too large to use. I broke it with a sledge hammer. This iron pot fell from the center leaving the impression mould of the pot in the piece of coal. Jim Stall (an employee of the company) witnessed the breaking of the coal, and saw the pot fall out. I traced the source of the coal, and found that it came from the Wilburton, Oklahoma, Mines. According to Robert O. Fay of the Oklahoma Geological Survey, the Wilburton mine coal is about 312 million years old. What advanced civilization or visitor was creating or using iron pots in our past more than 300 million years ago?

Has anyone heard of this before? I thought the only "mystery artifact" in Oklahoma was the Heavener Runestone - but looks like Wilburton has its own with this iron pot. It's news to me! 60 year old news, but news nonetheless!

Talking Cat

Factoid of the Day!

Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.

Dr. Loveless I Presume?

This one's for Greg and anyone else who watched The Wild Wild West as a kid.

Clickie Clickie

Factoid of the Day!

Armadillos can walk underwater.

The Thunder Rolls

Being a non-practicing comic book geek (yeah I plan on seeing the newest Fantastic Four movie again and I'm working on designing my own FF boardgame but I haven't bought a comic book in years... honest!) the latest from the Marvel Bullpen really got me excited! Not because they're relaunching an old Marvel standby, Thor the god of thunder or that Dr. Donald Blake will be returning as the thunder god's alter-ego but because they're setting it all in Oklahoma! That's right, Thor is now an Okie! Here's a quote straight from the Marvel press release:

"Normally, we'd think that a god would have a grand return. Perhaps descending from the heavens into the middle of Times Square or onto the White House lawn. In this case, the God of Thunder lands in a fairly unexpected place--Oklahoma. It seems odd that Thor would choose this destination for his springboard back into action, but JMS says that it's only natural. "In classical mythology, you could be crossing an open field and come across a god...Diana, Hercules, Thor, they weren't removed from the human world, they were right there amongst us," he professes. "I wanted to go back to that model, for both the contrast it gives us and a sense of how the gods fit in to our own lives. And there's a specific reason for Oklahoma that can be found by anyone looking to do a little historical legwork...." The clues are out there, so stopping by the library on your way to pick THOR #1 is highly recommended."

More here.

So go out and pick up the latest Thor comic book and see how they portray our home state (I imagine pens are at the ready for the letters page already) and see what adventures may be occuring in our own backyard!

UPDATE: Greg has a subscription! We expect full updates on any interesting developments in the story!

Factoid of the Day!

Trying something new to keep activity on MuchAdoAboutDuncans lively. Today we're starting the Factoid of the Day!

Today's Factoid of the Day is:

The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.

This has been your Factoid of the Day!

New Look

Hey! I like the new look. When we have time, we'll post pictures from the Fourth.

Hey! They Even Celebrate the 4th in Wagoner, Too!

Despite missing out on the Lawton Festivities this year (shame on us and shame on you if you missed as well!) we did manage to blow some things up in Wagoner. That's what America's independence is all about, right? And no, we don't condone the handling of live fireworks despite standing idly by while friends of the family (and honorary Duncans) Ashley & Bobby shoot off Roman Candles. But it makes for a heck of a photo opportunity!





Despite their recklessness, it was Cassie who limped away with the most injuries for the day with ash burns, shrapnel from a year-old smoke bomb that beaned her in the head and a cat scratch. Okay, the cat scratch wasn't necessarily an explosive-related injury but it still hurt!

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N In The Summer Sun!

Thought we'd post some holiday snaps. Wink wink. Nudge nudge. For those not in the know - we made a long arduous roadtrip to sunny Ft. Walton Beach, Florida last month just to bask in the sun (and avoid a sunburn at all costs) and frolic in the surf of the Emerald Coast. A good time was had by all despite one day of rain (it IS Florida after all) and a very expensive restaurant choice (avoid Captain Kidd's in Destin, FL at all costs)!

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has been in Lawton the last week and half. The Westbrook family has a father who was paralyzed in Iraq. Also a son who was paralyzed in a car accident. Their old home was demolished by a Ft. Sill tank. A new 4,000 square foot home was built to acommodate two week chairs. The eposide will air April 15th.

Left to Right: -- Preston who spend the entire week in Lawton working on the home. -- The Westbrook family going into the home for the first time. -- Ed went down the entire line of specators signing everything handed to him. -- Ty riding in with the calvary. -- Move that Bus! (you wouldn't believe how many times the crowd said that, and the number of times it was filmed).

Flashback: Old Pictures vs Negatives

Negatives have it hands down over printed photos. I had scanned in a number of photo albums. Pictures had faded over time, cracked, faded, missing pieces. Scanning in the negatives you find new colors or missing details. Details around the picture that were not there in the printed photo. Negatives also provide sharpen pictures than the original printed photos.

Top photo is from 1949 with Mom and her dog Shortie.
Bottom photo is Mike and Gail from Christmas Day 1961.

Jordan, Ashley, and Hailey Birthday Bash

The birthday bash was moved to Saturday January 27th, 2007. Last week we had a couple of inches of ice on the ground. The 27th started out with rain. Mid morning we had snow and by the afternoon the sun came out for a few minutes. Jordan and Ashley had previously opened presents on their actual birthday and also helped Hailey open her present. They now think every day is their birthday and want to know where the presents are.

In Loving Memory

Rosie Duncan
2004-2007

We Have A Wiener!

It was a hard fought battle between well equipped opponents. But at long last there is a victor in the First Annual Duncan Family College Bowl Blowout! We all picked our favorites, through long thought out processes, weighing the pros and cons of each team. Which quarterback had the accuracy and quick-wittedness to rise above the rest? Which defensive line was an unstoppable wall of grit and muscle? Which mascot was the cutest?

Then the games began. In the beginning it looked like the girls had the upper hand. Melissa and Julie started out strong, picking the first 15 or so match-ups with almost unerring accuracy. Even Jordan held her own with the best of them in the beginning. Would these girls proof to know more about this manliest of sports than the boys? Hunter and I particularly languished in the bottom ranks. But we vowed to make a comeback as the bowl games stacked up.

And sure enough after all was said and done, when the dust had cleared, our final winners of the highly coveted Duncan Family No-Prize for picking the most winners in the 2006-2007 Duncan Family College Bowl Blowout are Mike D. and Eric H. with 21 correct picks! Congratulations boys! You'll be receiving what's coming to you soon!

We won't mention who came in dead last... sniff sniff.

And Still More . . .

The third one is a picture of our live nativity outside our church. I'm Mary and Cassie is an angel . . .talk about typecasting!

Yet more Christmas Pics

More Pics

Christmas Pics

Here are some pics from Christmas! All from the new camera!!!