Monday, January 28, 2008

Snow, Ant farms, other stuff



We woke up to a inch or two of snow today, which or course meant "no school". People in other parts of the country where they get "real" snow must think we are the biggest wimps in the world. "Oh no! An inch of Snow!! Cancel school!!!" Course this may be for good reason because people around here just cannot handle driving in the snow. This morning I saw a car turned sideways and stuck in a driveway with a woman and her two kids standing beside it looking perplexed about what to do next. I was thinking "Good lord, if you can't even navigate out of your driveway then please don't get out on a actual road - you'll get us all killed!" This is why I have a 4-wheel drive truck. Yes, I know, you don't actually need a 4x4 vehicle 360 out of 365 days of the year here, but when you do...it's awesome. And all of you 2-wheel drivers need to get outta my way!!


Now for a completely different subject: Ant Farms. My sister Cheryl (Aunt Cheryl) gave my boys ant farms for Christmas and I have now become totally obsessed with them. It's soo cool! The ant farms have this blue jello-like stuff that the ants tunnel through. I was amazed at how quickly they get to work, only minutes after dropping them in the just started going at it. They rip out chunks of the stuff and carry it to the top - very team work oriented. One ant will chew off a chunk, turn around and give to another ant, then that ant will take it part way up the tunnel and give it to another ant and so on. In the picture below you can see all the little white chunks of this jello stuff they have bought up to the top. If an ant happens to die (which is inevitable) one of the ants will pick up the ants body and bring to the top where it will eventually be buried. Every day I wake up and go check the ant farm to see what kinda progress they have made. I discovered one thing I don't like about the ants though - they bite. I was trying to get a dead one out and a live one escaped and while I was trying to recapture it the little son of a gun bit me! Pretty sure these are "fire ants" because that's what my hand felt like. Amazing that such a little thing can pack such a powerful bite.


Other than that, nothing much new. We have our annual superbowl party next weekend and Suzie will be in London on business so I'll have to figure out what to feed everyone on my own...hmmm, maybe Top Ramen!

4 comments:

Jen said...

Man, we had only a slight dusting of snow this morning so I had to drag my butt to work. Glad to hear the boys are enjoying their ant farms. Kind of appropriate that "Aunt" Cheryl gave it to them.

Such a bad pun.

Jaime said...

Cool ant farm!! One easy recipe for SB is meatballs:

1 bag of meatballs from costco
3 bottles of kraft honey BBQ sauce
1 can dole chunk pinepple

Mix together and throw into a crock pot for about 4 hours and stir occaisionally. They are the best meatballs I've ever had too! Go G-men!

Barry said...

I am sooo gonna do that! Them meatballs sounds yummy.

Cheryl said...

Jen is right, ants from an aunt, I hadn't thought of that, but yes, very appropriate. Now I am trying to come up with something that rhrymes with uncle.