The Blog is Not Dead!! Also: Hell Freezes Over when Jake's iPhone fails to live up to expectations.

After an extended hiatus, probably due to psychological problems, the Gundy blog is now back. Back in business! The following pictures were taken at the epic Gundersen family mega-triumvirate-birthday party on Sunday for Mills, Shauna, Steve Sr., and some other people we don't know (collectively referred to as "the people") who all suspiciously timed their Birthdays to fall on August 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, and 17th. I say suspiciously timed because Gundersens do not usually like a lot of individual "attention" and typically shy away from the limelight (except for Leonard, who poses majestically for pictures on command). I think all the August Gundersens probably got together in a birthday conspiracy and rigged the party system in an effort to avoid individual celebrations. But your obvious attempts at deflection are fooling nobody, people!

In other news, Jake's iPhone, used to photographically capture the joyous occasion, took terrible pictures. Jake's precious iPhone does everything like sing, dance, act, and help you find locations to bury the dead bodies, but it takes crappy pictures. Check it:

Jen & her man-friend, Loren Zo. Aunt Karen called him a Brad Pitt look-alike, and he says he'll accept that. The evening featured frequent ghost stories meant to send Zo running and screaming, but he passed the family scare test with flying colors. Jen -- thumbs up. This picture also features that we strictly enforce a mandatory flip-flop only party-footware policy.

This picture above demonstrates when Leonard was telling Connie about how dumb Lindsay Lohan was to turn down that role in this summer's blockbuster, "The Hangover" and Connie of course is surprised because she isn't in the celebrity gossip loop like L-fish is. But Connie shouldn't be surprised. Lindsay is obviously in no position to make good decisions right now.

That Lindsay! Such a dummy!

This blurry picture above is the ONE photo that we all wanted to turn out. It's Leonard's look of blue steel, or heavy thunder, or whatever his signature move is. I can't believe how badly this iPhone thing let us down in this critical moment. Aargh!!

Steve and Karen. This was just after they heard from Connie about how Justin broke his ankle carrying his girlfriend down the stairs. What a wuss, I know!! Below are Marilyn and Steve. Steve obviously continues to relish the comment Marilyn made about the Polynesian man that she hired the other day to trim some hedges in her yard.


Finally: Shauna and Jake on the couch. They were acting pretty normal at the time. This is unusual, however.

If I may say, this was one fun party and one that should definitely be repeated in the future. If it takes almost a year to post another entry documenting said party, well so be it, because that's just how we roll! Therefore, in order to tide you over to the next Gundersen shindig, below is photographic proof that Jake actually likes, no, LOVES, pug dogs. See who is snuggling in his lap as he works on his computer? That's right: Rumble.

It's almost too much cuteness to handle. Gundersens and pugs, oh my!

The Smore Gundersens The Better!

Hotdogs and smores... need I say more! It's party time!

It's all about Gundersens and food! We will take care of the hotdogs & fixins, smores stuff & smore sticks. Please bring a potluck side dish and your happy selves!

Time and Place:
Date: Sunday, October 26, 2008
Time: 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Location: Big Cottonwood Canyon

We will meet at the parking lot at the mouth of Big Cottonwood so we can drive up together and find the perfect location for smores. We can adjust the time/location if needed.

Party Time! Excellent!

Hey everybody! Jake is turning 30 in about a week. So I am having a little party for him at our house. Since his actual birthday is on Tuesday, Sept. 2nd (the same day as Salma Hayek's) we didn't want there to be a conflict between the two so the party will be on Monday, September 1st (Labor Day) at 5:00 pm.

Location: 1021 E. Wilson Street
Time: 5:00 pm
Date: September 1, 2008 (Monday)
Dinner: Pizza! And chocolate cake. Yum. Jake's favorite.

No gifts please. Just bring your sunny Gundersen dispositions.

Riley's Thoughts on being Knocked Up, Pet Heaven, and Social Injustices

As some of you already know, Riley the pug is knocked up. In her unwed condition she felt a lot better spending the next 9 weeks plus puppy whelping time in seclusion. To keep you updated check out her very own blog for news.

http://rileythepug.blogspot.com/

More Gundersen Stories

Knowing that one story would only whet your appetite for more, I gathered together all the stories that Grandpa Wilford Gundersen told to John Madsen about 4 decades ago or so. (The only story I left out was the one told by Grandpa's 2nd wife Sophia. She told an odd little story about her first hustand. Let me know if you're crazy to hear that one too ... and I'll post it.)

I personally love these stories. Mostly I guess because one of my favorite childhood memories was listening to my dad Tom tell stories. In my mind I can hear my little girl voice whining, "Dad, tell me a story ... tell me a story." I'd whine until he'd start up a story for me. It would most often be about his childhood ... about William Penn School; about wrestling with his brothers; about playing in his grandpa's (Thomas Gundersen's) barn up on Gundersen Lane when he thought his grandpa wouldn't catch him at it; about dreaming he could fly and then testing his theory by jumping off the shed behind his house almost landing on a picket fence; about falling off a wagon pulling a plow, landing in a small low point in the field & being run over by the plow (resulting in the loss of an ear). His mother Ingeborg put the ear back on ... and did a pretty good job of it. Dad would always lean down at this point of the story to show me a closeup of his ear. All I could see were a few deep scars beind the ear to show what had happened. Sometimes he would draw a picture for me. He was a good artist -- he liked drawing horses and birds. Anyway, once his story started I was mezmerized ... and I always ended up laughing. Not just a little laugh. But that kind of uncontrollable laughter that wouldn't stop.

Grandpa Wilford's stories remind me of dad's stories. Dad's stories were usually a little lighter and as I thought much funnier; and his voice was a little higher pitched. But, all the same, the style is very similar. So when I listen to these stories, I'm also hearing dad's voice telling his stories. And I love it.

We started the fast!

This is just to report that Jake and I have officially started the family fast. We did it in true Gundersen style, by eating a Rhubarb Crisp made from Connie & Leonard's backyard rhubarb plant. It was so delicious. If I was a rhubarb crisp, I would definitely eat myself.

The Penguin of Death

Remember when Jen gave us the Penguin of Death? Well, I wish I had him RIGHT NOW. Because I am listening to an online CLE to keep my law license current for Indiana. And I want to kill myself. It's so boring.

Here's a sample: "The notice data you see on the website are things like the name and address of all the operators on the site or a designated operator, how the operator is using the information, how it is disclosed, and verifiable consent is an email with digital signature from a parent, a credit card used in connection with the transaction, blah blah blah BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!!!"

I spent $40 for this nonsense. If the Penguin of Death was here, and not sitting in my bookshelf four miles away, then he would put me out of my misery in at least one of 412 different ways.