(Always
remember...click small pics to see BIG pics!)
Again
as we did years earlier we find ourselves making small things BIG! In
this case it's a toy NASCAR racer. The package insists up to 300%
growth when left in water for
96 hours. After a full week in our scientifical jar of H2O we
gained just shy of 200%. Still, not bad!
Conquering the "Barrel of Monkeys" game. First the "sampler" game with
only 5 monkeys. Then we move on to the full size set with 14!
With that goal met, we move on to setting a world's record! Stay
tuned!
District
318 Superintendent Joe Silko always seems to be in for an interview on
Toy Day (see his famous Slinky video on the main Morning Mess page).
Today he was in just in time to try out the Mexican Pecking Chickens
toy.
It's
Halloween again! Leading up to the big day, Toy Day involved carving a
retro Minnesota Twins logo into a pumpkin. As you can see for the
most part, Erin's handiwork turned out OK. That and she looks
just a little scary with that big knife!
Everyone
needs Gogo boots, right? Well, maybe not everyone! A podcast listener was
inclined to provide us with some fashionable Gogo boots after hearing
of the loss of Tim's purple boots at halloween a few years ago.
By some miracle, they actually fit. Can you say "sweaty
legs"? Tim tried out the black patent while Erin tries the silver
and yellow patent.
These weren't exactly the right size for balloon animal making but we
could see that the basic idea would work even though these are jumbo
sized balloons. Tim claims his is a rocket launcher, Erin has a palm
tree (we think). A few scary moments but no injuries.
Ahh...remember
when you were a kid -- playing with the paddle ball set was so much
FUN! What the heck happened? As you can see Erin exudes
great confidence when it comes to handling the paddleball. Tim
appears a bit more, um, skeptical? Check out the pics and video!
Tim Edwards and Michael Davis go thumb to thumb in a round of pro thumb
wrestling!
The
definitive memento of a trip to a family reunion in Roundup, Montana:
As self proclaimed Captain of the Morning
Mess roller derby team, Erin takes to the parking lot on roller
skates. Oh, and by the way kiddies... I'm sure the CPSC would
require us to remind you that if you try this at home remember to wear
proper safety equipment.
After
a busy morning of metal detecting with the authentic National
Geographic metal detector we determine that it actually works, and that
most of what you find is garbage.
Tim dumps out the Frosted Flakes for analasis Erin
begins examination After a
close look-they look like FROSTED FLAKES!
It's
true! Shirt starts out this big.... actually
fits a grownup!
Toy
Day means FINGER PAINTING! (flashbacks to kindergarten)Ready
for the art gallery
It takes
both of us to lift a giant
pumpkin from Erin's pumpkin patch!Erin loves
Pirate Pumpkin!
What did kids play
with during the Renaissance? Remote control Jousters, of
course!
Honestly now, which mini-blind duster would you
rather use? The store version, or the Tim Edwards improved
version?
It's amazing the musical things you can do with the
Nose Flute, at Tim so deftly demonstrates!
Erin and some of
her rat friends.
Some people can
jump rope, some people can't. Tim can't. Not really
anyway.
Erin can jump rope.
Click
here to see Quicktime movie
proof!
As demonstrated above the inside
emergency trunk lock release actually works! Not only that but we can
confirm that the trunk light really does go out when you close the
trunk! Here you can see Tim showing the latch release,then the
hardest part...getting into the trunk, Erin shutting the trunk (and
enjoying it just a wee bit too much), and the thumbs up signal from
Tim that the release worked just fine! So those of you worried about
kidnapping or whatever, rest easy. It seems those releases DO work
just fine! And they glow in the dark! Just another test in the
interst of public safety from the KOZY Morning Mess! OH, by the way,
Erin was spared testing her trunk release because she has half a
household worth of STUFF in her trunk!
Erin tries out "Fit Flops" a complete workout just by
wearing these sandals! Check the warning on the close up!
About all we learned about playing
croquet is--the rules say you're suppose to wear white. That and if
we really played a full game, on a proper course, it would take us
about 6 days to finish.
Yes, it's true! With nothing more than a pencil and a
pocket knife a radio can be made from parts, cardboard, little wires
and some springy connector deelies!
See Erin defy gravity with the amazing Moon
Shoes!
Erin tries out the
"Fingerbeatz" device. Click here to
download a short Quicktime movie
demonstration!
We mark our Mess
Proclaimed "Star Trek Day" with Federation approved cake
Erin celebrates St. Patricks Day with her very own
named after herself shirt! (Or she's doing a Buddy Holly
impression)
If you had a hard time visualizing
the Deep Sea Drive-thru maybe this will help. Erin and Karen
assembling the set, oh of course a close up of our as yet un-named
octopus mascot! Click the little pics for big pics!
Joe always seems to
be the lucky one stopping in on TOY DAY! On Slinky day, he even
demonstrates his skill in slinkying, AND singing the Slinky jingle!
Click his picture for a short but excellent video clip!
School
Superintendent Joe Silko once again takes time from his busy morning
to join in on Toy Day, seen here with the amazing dancing chicken.
Yes, we're doing the "Chicken Dance"
Erin intently
assembles her Pirate set. Most excited about the working canon, which
actually we have yet to see actually shoot anything!
Boomeranging
was
interesting. Tim's booms kinda came back, except the building got in
the way..onw is STILL on the roof!
Tim & Erin
model "Mauer-Burns" celebrating the infamous sideburns of Twins
player Joe Mauer.
Here are the 2
"Billy the Creepy Eyed Doll" snapshots. Headboard diving And here we see the
80's fashion statement known as "Crochet"
Even better than
inexpensive toys, are FREE toys. Such as these nifty head toppers
from Long John Silvers. Oh, and no, we're not re-enacting a scene
from "The Shining" (redrum, redrum), those are our pirate
hooks!
As the Curb Feelers
entertain at the 2006 Minnesota Wild Road Tour in Grand Rapids, Erin
takes a moment to teach Marc Chouinard of the Wild how to play
"Louie, Louie" on the bass guitar.
Not sure what's going
on here, but there appears to be some confusion on Erin's part. See
more photos from several Wild Road Tours on the KOZY Photo Album
pages.
Sometinmes cheap toys are the best
toys. Hard to beat a 98 cent hula hoop. Of course, you have to be
able to hula it. Near as we can tell that's not possible. Even State
Senator Tom Saxhaug couldn't hula any better than we could.
SAVE OUR
WORMS! Don't let the poor worms
and nightcrawlers die a needless death! When you find them in the
parking lot or on the sidewalk baking on the asphalt, drowning in a
puddle, and afeared of being squished by tires, pick them up and
gently return them to the lawn! it just makes the world a better
place for everyone!
You thought the 3D
fad had passed! Vinnie and the Stardusters were featured on the
morning show today, and their record came in a keen 3D comic book,
with the necessary 3D glasses of course. Only trouble is, after
reading for about 3 minutes, the 3D effect makes one feel
carsick!
Yes, it's a rousing game of
Hopscotch. We're not really sure who won, but neither of us fell down
and it sets things up for a more serious match in the near future.
Tim seems to have balance problems on the rock retrieval, while Erin
demonstrates pretty decent form and a great dismount. If you'd like
to play hopscotch click
here for the actual rules of the
game, and if you'd rather EAT Hopscotches, click
here for the recipe!
Now you can see
just how teensey these are. Erin shows off her freshly constructed
pirate ship and fort. Ships, forts, teensey dice that were too small
to photograph..all in a little baseball card size package. Fun for
the entire family, as long as they're 8 or older!
Tim prepares to
"crank up" the original 1926/1927 version of "Are You lonesome
Tonight" on a genuine Victor Talking Machine Victrola. Yes, this is
the same song Elvis redid 30 years later.
Tims birthday gift
arrives...special delivery from Veneuzela..a genuine talking (more
like ranting) Hugo Chavez action figure!
Ready to celebrate St.
Patricks Day, decked out in our festive outfits, and Erin with her
"Leprechan" shoes and good luck socks!
Tim stands ready
to
fire the Stink
Blaster! Our official advice is
don't buy one! The smell is awful, and it takes about 3 days of
constantly washing your hands to get rid of the smell. Stay Away!.
Although, would make a great gift for your annoying next door
neighbors kids!
It seems that "The Thing" is a man made of
rock from the Fantastic
Four movie. Tim picked up the hands
and feet set at our local Goodwill store, intent on springing it on
Erin on toy day. Here, Erin demonstrates the attractive Rock feet,
and District 318 School Superintendent Joe Silko (who innocently
stopped in for an interview, having no clue he'd be talked into
modeling) shows off the fierce look of the rock fists!
Actually, we had
hat day a long time ago, took this long to getting around to posting
a photo! Salute!
Here is the tale of the kids (age 8)
NASCAR Lego set. Erin figures she can just quickly assemble the
teensey parts while in the studio, soon it becomes a matter of moving
to the bigger workspace and conducting an intense study of the
instructions. Finally, the set is put together!
Can you
believe it? Erin is already @%*$% years old! Tim gives her these
lovely pony tail holders....from 1965...to celebrate the
occasion!
Just in
case a couple of Santa's reindeer conk out...replacements stand by to
make sure the toys get delivered. blinking noses provided by a
concerned listener.
A potpourri of pics here!
First, Tim actually not wearing a grey shirt, Erin with the 99 cent
studio Christmas tree (it appears tinsel is not needed with an
aluminum tree), and Toy Day finds Erin with her long time friend
Seymour the Monkey.
Yes,
it's
true...the "New Relations" from Cedar Rapids, IA really did play
guitars made out of car mufflers. Think I'd kid ya about something
that inmportant?
It's
"Shocking Roulette" the newest game to take the world by storm! This
electrifying game asks those who dare to insert their finger. The
button is pressed, the lights ro 'round..the machine bleeps and
bloops...falls silent for a few tense moments..then....ZAP...and one
player gets an electrifying shock! Not a
game for the faint of heart....or anyone with a pacemaker! If ya
really want one, send me an e-mail and I'll tell you where you can get your
very own!
Reconstituting Lizards
and Aliens!
Toy day found us with
dehydrated lizard and aliens that, when left in water would grow to
600% their original size! Be sure to stop by again to see if it
really worked!
As you can see the
creatures start out rather small. Closer scrutiny shows that once
submerged in the tanks, nothing much really happens. The jars are
then moved and set aside to grow.
Erin has a closer look at
Phil the Lizard, Ian the Alien awaits to awaken from his sleep, and
Tim takes a moment to ponder the meaning of life.
So may have asked
us...."How are Phil and Ian"? After a week of growing they've
expanded quite nicely!
A very busy toy day!
Tim brings the Hot Wheels Crash Test and finds another member of the
Playmobil figure set. Erin brings the latest in Star Wars trinkets,
the Luke Skywalker watch (Tim still says he looks like Ringo on the
package) And the Chewbacca spinning thingie. Tim's review of the
latest Hot Wheels "Really wimpy compared to the Hot Wheels stuff we
had when I was a kid."
Erin cleans out her
closet and finds her winter hat from shen she was three years old!
GAME ON!
With
the Spongebob vs. Sandy Karate set! Erin pretty much kicks Tim's butt
on this game!
Erin takes time from the hectic
morning schedule to play with the Dracula playset
Erin looks on as vicious
captive field mouse struggles in vain to escape from this complex,
hand crafted mouse capture device consisting of Good Housekeeping and
a Coca Cola drink glass. Don't try this at home.
You can always count on "Toy Day"
(every Wednesday) for loads of fun. Like exciting action figures such
as these. (click the little pics for BIG pics)
The little Playmobil guys are attacked
by the huge prehistoric man with the optionally bulging chest. One
member of the little contingent is beheaded...Erin promptly mounts
his head on a pencil, whilc Tim gathers the survivors for a frontal
attack on the evil doer.
Celebrating Flashbulb day. Quick portraits taken with a
vintage camera and genuine "portable sunshine" old fashioned
flashbulbs. Even Kenn took a moment to mug for a snapshot, and Erin
showed her skill at snapping Tim's picture.
For you camera buffs: Camera was a 1955 Argus A-Four. Film
was Efke 25 black and white. 5B flashbulbs (I didn't think anyone was
quite ready for the light from the Press 25's yet). Exposure 1/25 at
f:22. Film developed in Kodak HC-110 (not my first choice for this
film, but it was handy), scanned in an Olympus film scanner. There.
That's probably more than anyone wants to know!
While you're listening to Healthwatch....Tim is
sneaking donuts
Erin actually wearing SHOES! (They're so restrictive ya
know)
Erin cuddles with Dippy a "plague free" bunny left by a
listener. While Tim has a few words for Potty Elmo. Things like this
happen on Toy Day every Wednesday
Erin
begins examination 
After a
close look-they look like FROSTED FLAKES! 
actually
fits a grownup!
Toy
Day means FINGER PAINTING! (flashbacks to kindergarten)
Ready
for the art gallery
It takes
both of us to lift a giant
pumpkin from Erin's pumpkin patch!
Erin loves
Pirate Pumpkin!
What did kids play
with during the Renaissance? Remote control Jousters, of
course!
Honestly now, which mini-blind duster would you
rather use? The store version, or the Tim Edwards improved
version?
It's amazing the musical things you can do with the
Nose Flute, at Tim so deftly demonstrates!
Erin and some of
her rat friends.
Some people can
jump rope, some people can't. Tim can't. Not really
anyway. 
Erin tries out "Fit Flops" a complete workout just by
wearing these sandals! Check the warning on the close up!
Yes, it's true! With nothing more than a pencil and a
pocket knife a radio can be made from parts, cardboard, little wires
and some springy connector deelies!
See Erin defy gravity with the amazing Moon
Shoes!
Erin tries out the
"Fingerbeatz" device. Click here to
download a short Quicktime movie
demonstration!
We mark our Mess
Proclaimed "Star Trek Day" with Federation approved cake
Erin celebrates St. Patricks Day with her very own
named after herself shirt! (Or she's doing a Buddy Holly
impression)
Joe always seems to
be the lucky one stopping in on TOY DAY! On Slinky day, he even
demonstrates his skill in slinkying, AND singing the Slinky jingle!
Click his picture for a short but excellent video clip!
School
Superintendent Joe Silko once again takes time from his busy morning
to join in on Toy Day, seen here with the amazing dancing chicken.
Yes, we're doing the "Chicken Dance"
Erin intently
assembles her Pirate set. Most excited about the working canon, which
actually we have yet to see actually shoot anything!
Boomeranging
was
interesting. Tim's booms kinda came back, except the building got in
the way..onw is STILL on the roof!
Tim & Erin
model "Mauer-Burns" celebrating the infamous sideburns of Twins
player Joe Mauer.
Here are the 2
"Billy the Creepy Eyed Doll" snapshots. Headboard diving 
And here we see the
80's fashion statement known as "Crochet"
Even better than
inexpensive toys, are FREE toys. Such as these nifty head toppers
from Long John Silvers. Oh, and no, we're not re-enacting a scene
from "The Shining" (redrum, redrum), those are our pirate
hooks!
As the Curb Feelers
entertain at the 2006 Minnesota Wild Road Tour in Grand Rapids, Erin
takes a moment to teach Marc Chouinard of the Wild how to play
"Louie, Louie" on the bass guitar. 
Not sure what's going
on here, but there appears to be some confusion on Erin's part. See
more photos from several Wild Road Tours on the KOZY Photo Album
pages.
SAVE OUR
WORMS! Don't let the poor worms
and nightcrawlers die a needless death! When you find them in the
parking lot or on the sidewalk baking on the asphalt, drowning in a
puddle, and afeared of being squished by tires, pick them up and
gently return them to the lawn! it just makes the world a better
place for everyone!
You thought the 3D
fad had passed! Vinnie and the Stardusters were featured on the
morning show today, and their record came in a keen 3D comic book,
with the necessary 3D glasses of course. Only trouble is, after
reading for about 3 minutes, the 3D effect makes one feel
carsick!
Now you can see
just how teensey these are. Erin shows off her freshly constructed
pirate ship and fort. Ships, forts, teensey dice that were too small
to photograph..all in a little baseball card size package. Fun for
the entire family, as long as they're 8 or older!
Tim prepares to
"crank up" the original 1926/1927 version of "Are You lonesome
Tonight" on a genuine Victor Talking Machine Victrola. Yes, this is
the same song Elvis redid 30 years later. 
Tims birthday gift
arrives...special delivery from Veneuzela..a genuine talking (more
like ranting) Hugo Chavez action figure!
Ready to celebrate St.
Patricks Day, decked out in our festive outfits, and Erin with her
"Leprechan" shoes and good luck socks! 
Tim stands ready
to
fire the Stink
Blaster! Our official advice is
don't buy one! The smell is awful, and it takes about 3 days of
constantly washing your hands to get rid of the smell. Stay Away!.
Although, would make a great gift for your annoying next door
neighbors kids!
Actually, we had
hat day a long time ago, took this long to getting around to posting
a photo! Salute!
Can you
believe it? Erin is already @%*$% years old! Tim gives her these
lovely pony tail holders....from 1965...to celebrate the
occasion!
Just in
case a couple of Santa's reindeer conk out...replacements stand by to
make sure the toys get delivered. blinking noses provided by a
concerned listener.
Yes,
it's
true...the "New Relations" from Cedar Rapids, IA really did play
guitars made out of car mufflers. Think I'd kid ya about something
that inmportant?
It's
"Shocking Roulette" the newest game to take the world by storm! This
electrifying game asks those who dare to insert their finger. The
button is pressed, the lights ro 'round..the machine bleeps and
bloops...falls silent for a few tense moments..then....ZAP...and one
player gets an electrifying shock! Not a
game for the faint of heart....or anyone with a pacemaker! If ya
really want one, send me an e-mail and I'll tell you where you can get your
very own!
GAME ON!
With
the Spongebob vs. Sandy Karate set! Erin pretty much kicks Tim's butt
on this game!
Erin looks on as vicious
captive field mouse struggles in vain to escape from this complex,
hand crafted mouse capture device consisting of Good Housekeeping and
a Coca Cola drink glass. Don't try this at home.
