Pirate Mission

On a secret mission that will live in infamy, El Chindo, that's me, and TallGirl and Deet did set sail to Knøtt's Beπy Farm to carry out the Captain's orders. You've never seen a more determined lot.

So with our long boat ashore, and our orders clear, we snuck our way past their battlements and into their lair to see if the rumors of stolen treasure were true.

A great mountain of booty was there to be had and our hosts, unsuspecting of our alliances, were generous and gladly shared a bit of their own treasure with us, your most humblest of pirates.

Though well fed and cheered by the loot, we were still determined to blend in, crocodile grins and all, in the hopes that they would let slip and show us the treasure we suspect were stolen from out o' our own beloved Captain's locked and guarded cache.





And then...




How, in Neptune's name, could this be true? It be far too horrid a tale to be believed?

We sat stunned, in sad disbelief. Yet we'd seen it with our own good eye...







Snøøpy is a pirate.






It was a sad crew what set sail fer home that night. And though we're known fer a bit o' pirating ourselves, we'd hoped these bedtime tales of stolen treasure would have never had to come true.

Yer mate,

El Chindo


To find out more about the world's greatest Pirate Rock Band, travel thissaway to meet Captain Bogg and Salty.

My Weekend of the Gone Girls

Guest Poster - Deet, Age 5

Hi. My name is Deet. Last weekend my Mom and my sister were at Big Bear, so me and my Dad had fun adventures til midnight!

Me and my dad went on a really really really long drive that I got annoyed with.

My dad couldn't catch the pictures I was taking cause he was driving. So I just took pictures all day.

He drove me on a really long trip. and I wanted to go home, and I was all, "nothing could keep me from wanting to go home except Chuck E. Cheeses."

I really wanted to go home until I saw that he was taking me to Disneyland, then I was all, "nothing could stop me from going to Disneyland. Not even Chuck E. Cheeses."

I love going to Disneyland with my dad... alone. Can you keep that a secret?

We went on Pirates of the Caribbean 2 times!! And we got stuck in a video game called Buzz Lightyear. And we shot into a black hole for reeeeeals. Well not for reals, but it was just Space Mountain. And we went to the guns thing at Adventureland. I don't usually shoot things but this time I got the rabbit hole and the light sign. {whistle whistle whistle}

We stayed til midnight. I was tired but I lasted.

The next day, gramma took us to a pumpkin patch.

I bungee jumped so high that I could almost see the beach! It was cool.

Then, I saw the most spookiest really spooky spooky haunted house. I cried cried I mean cried the whole time. The people said it was a "Not Very Scary" Haunted House. Just because they told us it was fake doesn't mean it's not scary. My Dad said that they should tell people it IS scary.

My Dad told me he was sorry that he took me in that haunted house. I said, "It's okay." Just never take me to that haunted house Again. Ever.

We had lunch at Flooky's. The one that's close. You know the one you sing Jingle Bells in? Aw, just kidding. The food was good. Really good french fries and hot dogs.

Then, we went to the most coolest car show. I thought it was gonna be a cool show where the cars did tricks and stuff, but they just bring their cars there to show off.

One guy, my Dad's cousin Ben, took us for a ride in a really cool car. when I say cool I mean really cool.

We went and got milkshakes at Del Taco.

Then we went to see the model airplanes fly at the model airplane park. One was like a rocket. It did stunts. It went close to the ground. If I had an arrow on this blog to show you how close to the ground it went I would show you that it went all the way to the bottom of the screen. Well, not touching. Sorta.

After that we went to see real airplanes fly at, what's it called? The 94th Aerosquadron at the Van Nuys Airport. We saw only a couple planes. Not stunts. Just landing.

There was a big blown up wall there. And there was a little thing where they put a little flower at. And there was jeeps, really cool ones. Army jeeps. I sat in one. And there were cannons.

Then we took dinner to Verns house. I played drums. Isn't that cool?

I never played drums except for that one time.

At night we slept in the same bed. We watched a couple Strongbad cartoons the second night.

The girls came home. I still like spending time with my Dad AND the girls because they're my family.

tha tha tha tha that's all for now folks.

Love,

Deet

Diners and Dogs

"One more life that I could touch in some small simple way
Or one more light that I could shine
To show someone the way
Or one more sure word of encouragement
To say to one more soul
Oh Lord please won't you save me one
One more day
- The Lost Dogs

My Dad is going to have open heart surgery tomorrow to replace a valve. He's tired, and a little nervous (I think), but he's ready.

It's unusual for my Dad to just hang out with the guys. He's usually out encouraging the sick, or sharing a kind word, or shining the lighthouse of God's love, or resting his heart in preparation for another funeral, or loving on my Mom. So, he usually replies, "I'd love to, but I think I'd better stay. You boys have a good time."

But a couple weeks ago, he said yes. Me and my dear friends Jeff and Bryan took him to see our favorite group, The Lost Dogs. We had a pre-concert snack of onion rings and cheeseburger minis at a diner. Then we stayed out late, rockin' Pasadena.


I know it was tough keeping up with us, bad heart and all, but I'm glad my Dad came with us.




"Fat on the bacon
Wool on the lamb
Flies in the ointment
Murder in the ham
Hardened hearts and arteries
Salt block in the Spam
Lord save us all from this Bad Indigestion"
- The Lost Dogs

It's a good thing he's having heart surgery tomorrow. Those cheeseburgers were lethal.

My Cousin Mickey

Hey Y'all. Here's your introduction to my cousin Mickey.

She can take a joke.



She can sing.



She loves family like no one else.

It's amazing to me that, although we see each other so rarely, she acts like we've lived next door all our lives.

It was great to see you and your family again this weekend Mickey. My family looks forward to staying in your slice of heaven when we're out Texas way.

God bless you.

The Martin Family Song

A tribute in blue.

Life Is Satisfying

If this is as good as it gets, I guess I'm good to go.

There For Us

My Father loves his children; always has, always will.

And as we give him more and more grandchildren, his love has more places to go and grow.

What A Nut

Here's my Dad in some of his most outrageous moments.

Fisher Of Men

My Dad has had the unique experience of doing God's work his entire life. See here how he has risen to the challenge and accepted the call to fish for the souls of men.

Long Life of Love

This is a tribute to the romance that has characterized my parents' marriage for more than 36 years.

California Son

The first in a series of slideshows from my tribute to my Dad, Fred Martin, on his 60th birthday.

Der VolksWagen Beetle Turns 60

Sitting at a restaurant table in Munich in the summer of 1932, Adolf Hitler designed the prototype for what would become the immensely successful Beetle design for Volkswagen (literally, the "car of the people"). In an era where only the most economic elite possessed cars, Hitler believed that all people should be able to own a car and additionally thought that a smart design could allow for reliability, enjoyment, and vacation travel.

Hitler gave his design to the head of Daimler-Benz, Jakob Werlin, and stressed its importance. "Take it with you and speak with people who understand more about it than I do. But don't forget it. I want to hear from you soon, about the technical details. You know what will happen to you if you don't."

The Führer in a KdF-Wagen in 1944, near the Wolfsschanze, East Prussia.

A handful of civilian-specific cars were produced, primarily for the Nazi elite, in the years 1940–1945, but production figures were small. A total of 669 wartime Kommandeurwagens were produced until 1945, when all production was halted due to heavy damage sustained in Allied air raids on the factory.


After the war, British army officer Major Ivan Hirst was ordered to take control of the heavily bombed factory, which the Americans had captured. His first task was to remove the unexploded bomb which had fallen through the roof and lodged itself between some pieces of irreplaceable production equipment; if the bomb had exploded, the VolksWagen's fate would have been sealed. Hirst persuaded the British military to order 20,000 of the cars, and in August 1946 the factory began producing 1,000 cars, now dubbed 'Beetles', a month.


Production of the beetle grew dramatically over the years, with the one-millionth car coming off the assembly line by 1954. The Beetle had superior performance in its category with a top speed of 72mph and 0-60mph in 27.5 seconds. The engine fired up immediately without a choke and could only be heard in the car when idling. It had excellent road-handling for a small car. It was economical to maintain and, for many, a joy to drive.


During the 1960s and early 1970s, innovative advertising campaigns and a glowing reputation for reliability and sturdiness helped production figures to surpass the levels of the previous record holder, the Ford Model T, when Beetle No. 15,007,034 was produced on September 18, 1971. By 2002 there had been over 21 million produced.


The Beetle has been regarded as something of a "cult" car since its 1960s association with the hippie movement; and the obvious attributes of its unique and quirky design. From 1968 to 2005, a pearl white 1963 fabric sunroof Beetle with racing number "53" and red, white, and blue stripes named "Herbie" played a starring role in Disney's The Love Bug series.


To this day, in it's 60th year, the Beetle is regarded as one of the world's most beloved and respected automobiles. Very few 60 year-olds have had such a rich history and endured to the level of the beetle without losing their broad appeal. 60 year-olds around the world dream of inspiring in the youth of today with whimsy, caring and good old-fashioned reliability like the classic beetle. It is a rare 60 year-old who can give so much joy to so many people, remaining tough in the face of difficult times and taking little back in return.

If that 60 year old exists, I'd like to meet him.


Happy Birthday Dad.

The Twins

Though she may be often staring down the barrel of trouble and mischief,


and he down the barrel of a box of bon-bons,


Though he often cares for the sick,


and she steals their fruit,


they are never dull, and never duplicated!

Happy Birthday Double Trouble!

Russian River

"May God give you luck and may the fish of the great sea face you."
Irish Blessing

I spent a great couple days fishing with my brother on the Russian River on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska.

A jolt of energy that began in the lip of a giant rainbow trout traveled through the fly and up the line and down the rod into my hands. I'm still shocked. I'm still amazed.


When I released each of these beautiful creatures back into the rushing river, I felt their smooth bodies resume the liquid undulation that keeps them moving upstream. I still feel that movement. I still feel the shock.

That Special Place

She's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then when I see her face
She takes me away to that special place
And if I stare too long
I'd probably break down and cry
- Guns N Roses

Happy Birthday sweet child o' mine!

I love you.

(when thinking of your baby and all she is to you, you sometimes have to dig into the 80s love ballads to find the right words)

Ne'er Do Well Cads

Follow Me

You lift up my spirits, you shine on my soul
Whenever I'm empty, you make me feel whole
I can rely on you, to guide me through, any situation
You hold up a sign that reads, "Follow me."


You give me direction, you show me the way
You give me a reason, to face every day
I can depend on you, to send me to, any destination
You hold up a sign that reads, "Follow me."

Down the track of lonelines, down the path of love
Through the words of heartache, to the end
On the shores of sorrow, where the waves of hope crash in
The perfect place for me to find a friend.

You lead to places, that I've never been
Uncovering secrets, that I've never seen
I can rely on you, to guide me through, any situation
You hold up a sign that reads, "Follow me."
- Paul McCartney

In a world full of distractions and dangers all competing for the attention of our children, we must each learn to lead well. When fathers lead well, when we model good behavior, when we live what we speak, and when we are willing to sacrifice for their good, our children will be compeled to follow.

When we're looking for someone to follow, Jesus says, "Follow me."

When our children need a leader, we too must say, "Follow me."

When our children follow us to Jesus, we have become good leaders indeed.