But this Thanksgiving, the family (and I, tsk) enjoyed some time at the Grinch-themed ICE! exhibit at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, and it was downright enjoyable—cold, but enjoyable. Seriously, these sculptures were impressive; take a look:

Who-ville and all its inhabitants were painstakingly created by a crack team of Chinese ice sculptors. Apparently, local boys can’t get the Grinch’s glare just so—or they demand health insurance and hourly hot chocolate breaks. Either way, the imported labor should be commended.

My in-laws also had a blast, evidenced by their brazen attempts to monopolize the ice slide:

The photo above is of one of our first ultrasounds, and I’ve used my fancy photoshoppin’ skills to point out a couple of labels I believe were entirely unnecessary. Perhaps, if I had viewed the screen and exclaimed, “Honey, you’re sprouting peas” or “Look at the size o’ that critter,” these would be warranted.

Oh, I know these things can be confusing. My reaction to our first experience in the booth was a series of questions, including—but not limited to:

• Won’t she cramp up in that position?
• What’s that stuff you’re … ?
• Am I looking through a tunnel?
• When does “The Dark Side of the Moon” start playing?

Still, I didn’t think I needed some labels telling me where the baby was and that objects may be bigger than they appear. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate the help, but sheesh …

Ralph is, as it turns out, my stepfather and an all-around great guy. He’s also a former teacher and living history participant, thus explaining the get-up in that photo. This month, however, he’s also the voice talent for the Boerne Wild West Day television commercial.

The firm I work for has had the pleasure of creating and managing most of the marketing and PR for the event, and one of the sponsors donated some air time. That meant, of course, that we needed a commercial. In, oh, about four days.

We couldn’t turn down that kind of challenge, but it did put us in a bind for footage, artwork, music, and such. I ended up using art we had created for the website, stills and footage supplied by Enchanted Springs Ranch (the event host), and stock music for background.

But what of narration? Finding good voiceover talent is a difficult task, and we simply didn’t have time to listen to hundreds of demo reels. Ralph was my ace in the pocket, however, as he’s got a great voice for Western-themed work and experience behind a microphone. We recorded the script in my home studio; a few days later, what you see below was broadcast around the Hill Country.

You can read more about the making of the commercial (and other marketing materials) here.

It’s hard to believe Moz has reached that age. She’s still talkin’ and kickin’, in fact, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she made it past 100. She’s one tough woman. Seriously, when you’re a pistol-packin’ county commissioner, nobody should bet against you.

Again, happy birthday, Moz. Next year, let’s go skydiving.

So, despite the state’s best efforts to keep us from moving along, it’s happening. Our newest timeline puts us in the house some time in January, which gives us a few more weeks to dread the move. Man, moving stinks.

And I have the credentials to say that. After all, I moved Jamie darn near 20 times while we were dating. Indeed, I can’t even remember what some of her apartments looked like. That probably says something about my memory, but … what was I saying?

I’ll keep everyone updated as we move along.