It was a sad day in the Van Hook home yesterday, we awoke to find our family with one less member than we had the night before.  Kennedy is fine, but Redfin, our Beta fish was not so lucky.  I had noticed over the past week or so that he just seemed to be swimming at the top of his fish bowl, well I would not technically call it swimming, it was more like floating, which brought back childhood memories. 

You see my Mam-maw (Grandmother) does this dead man float thing whenever we go swimming, she can hold her breath for like 4 minutes and she just floats face down in the pool for 4 minutes at a time, its pretty freaky.  It always messed with my head, even though I knew she was just “relaxing” I always wanted to throw a football at her or hit her with a pool noodle just to make sure everything was still good, but just as I would start to rear back with the football or a noodle she would role over onto her back and continue floating around the pool. 

I tell you this because that’s exactly what our fish has been doing this last week, and every time I would flick the bowl, Ol’ Redfin would freak out in a seizure-esk panic attack, swim two laps around the top and then dead-man float some more.  Well, yesterday morning Ol’ Redfin was no longer chillin’ at the surface level, instead he was floating with his face in the rocks, with his tail fin sticking straight up like a flag pole.  I flicked the bowl but there was no response, just a red fish-stick.  It was a sad day, a “travesty” as Rachel would say, the loss of such a great life, Ol’ Redfin.

From there we discussed the burial arrangements, I suggested we give him the proper burial and flush him, while Rachel suggested we feed his remains to the 3 stray kittens running around our culdi-sac.  After a drawn out heated debate of about 42 seconds I won and we proceeded to flush Ol’ Redfin, but not before Rachel recited the Sinners Prayer.  It was a touching moment, I even think I saw a tear in Rachel’s eye (although I believe it was because she was laughing so hard) either way it was moving.  Redfin you will be missed.

Please do not call PETA on the Van Hook family, the following picture is just a memorial in his remembrance.

I’m Out

What’s happenin’ everyone?  Quick blurbs then I must head out of here.  Today will be a picture show, fun for the eyes and easy for the blogger.  First up we have Trunk or Treat @ the Gathering 08′.  In the following picture you will see ARMY man Zavona and Evalyn Johnson (me dressed up as an older woman).  If anyone has a pic of me and my hot granny wife from that nite let me know.

Next up we have the Jr. High Hikers Association.  Featuring the Fisher family, Kenny, Conor, Kelsey and Mrs. Cheryl, the greatest hiker extraordinaire ever Jared, as well as the snowball king Caleb and his grandfather and last and least, me.  We hiked to Charlie’s Bunyan last week.  Tomorrow we conquer Andrew’s Bald.  It was a good hike, 8 miles and no one fell off a cliff or died, so it was an excellent day.

Next on the photo tour is my beautiful baby girl Kennedy.  Her and mommy had a Christmas photo shoot yesterday, here are a few of the results.

To end the photo tour we stop in the hood and check out the Green Gang @ the Van Hook’s. 

That is the end of this post.  Wish us luck tonight, we will have a house full of Jr. High boys, burping, farting, dirty socks and enough energy produced to power the entire state of Tennessee for 6 months.  Check you guys later.

I’m Outie.