So, two pieces of background info first: (a) My dad is notorious for giving bad gifts to my mom. For birthdays, anniversaries, whatever it is. (e.g. the huge clothes drying rack, the bouquet of flowers that looked like an antenna was sticking out of them, etc..), (2) my mom loves loves loves(tm) and collects Snoopy stuff - like old cartoons and movies and little snow globe things and all that shit.

Anyway - this one day, my dad and I are in the car on the way up to New Hampshire when he asks me whether he thinks my mom would like a wooden statue of Snoopy for her birthday. Now I'm thinking a little, you know, 2 or 3 ft. statue - like knee high, maybe a little higher - to put in the garden or something and I'm still thinking this is a stupid idea. I mean, my mom collects Snoopy stuff and all, but a wooden statue? Who needs that?

So, her birthday comes and goes - no incident. It's not until 5 months later, while I'm home for Thanksgiving break, that my dad wakes me up early one morning looking for me to help him move my mom's anniversary present (my mom was out running at the time and we needed to move this thing before she got home). Anyway - I get out of bed, throw on my shoes, go outside and see this pick-up truck here to delivery this 8ft wooden carving of Snoopy laying in the flat bed.



Now my dad is running around all excited trying to get this thing in position so we can carry it into the backyard and strategically place it in front of the kitchen window. My mom is supposed to see it when she comes back from her run, be all surprised, then fall in love all over again with my dad over her complete splendor of the Wooden Snoopy. While he's all giddy, I'm there thinking that not only is this is most ridiculous thing I've ever seen, but my mom is going to HATE it.. 8ft tall!! Look at the pictures! Who need's this thing?!



Anyway, the story ends as you may have expected it to.. my mom comes home (the Wooden Snoopy strategically placed in plain view from our kitchen), lays her eyes on the thing and is like, "What the hell is that?!". My dad, all excited and explaining how some woodsmith in NH custom carved the beast, blah blah blah; my mom wondering what the hell she's going to do with the thing and how she'll hide her shame from the neighbors. It ended up sitting in our backyard for a year or so, and is now another piece of art hanging in our garage (next to little sister katie's old ice skates and my brother's stolen street signs). If anything, it makes for a pretty good story.


Me, rob and MF...