Safe at Home (Arndts) 3: No penguins were harmed in the making of this thread

[Carm_88]

Guys, come on! It's a double birthday.  I think if they ever started taking pictures at the table like normal people, we'd all start looking for the aliens.

[formergothardite]

Does Mama Arndt ever not braid her hair? 

[Letgo]

I was unable to watch the entire video of Rick explaining the "plot" of VV. Could someone explain how the character of Elizabeth Easterly supported herself as she walked around town with her basket bringing food and joy to the elderly? She passed up a career in the nearby cities, but did she have a job in the rural area in which she lives? Or did she live at home with her parents? Is that what VV is really about? Propaganda to persuade other adult children to live safe at home with mom and dad forever?

[JenniferJuniper]

1 hour ago, Letgo said:

I was unable to watch the entire video of Rick explaining the "plot" of VV. Could someone explain how the character of Elizabeth Easterly supported herself as she walked around town with her basket bringing food and joy to the elderly? 

Not to mention that while it's explained that the people she's bringing food to in her tiny little basket are elderly and shut-in, why does Ms. Easterly do everything on foot?  Why doesn't she drive, like Meals on Wheels?  Not only could she bring more food, she could visit more people.

Come on, Rick, flesh this out or I will choose to assume she lost her license due to excessive DUIs.  

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

Does anyone else thinks that photo looks like Mom and Dad are forcefully holding the birthday boy in the chair?

[Howl]

Please please please, can we salute @IReallyAmHopewell and @church_of_dog and title the next Arndt thread "Safe at Home (Arndts) 4:  Penguin's Progress"?  Please.  It would make me happier than it should! 

[GreyhoundFan]

I think the Arndts need to take a detour to Maryland: "Always wanted to pet the penguins? This zoo will let you."

Spoiler

On a recent Monday afternoon, I was crouching on the floor of the Maryland Zoo, carefully stroking the feathers of a 2-year-old African penguin named Eddie. Then I felt something behind me. I swiveled around and found another penguin, Hope, tugging at my jacket's brass buttons. Meanwhile, Eddie was trying to grab my jacket's front zipper.

No wonder penguins almost drove Mr. Popper crazy.

The Maryland Zoo at Baltimore has been home to a colony of African penguins since 1967 — long enough that the zoo's on the verge of hatching its 1,000th chick. For most of that time, a moat or pool kept the penguins away from visitors. But when the penguins moved to a new enclosure a few years ago, the zoo began offering what it calls Penguin Encounters, a behind-the-scenes tour that allows visitors to meet “penguin ambassadors” and costs about $50, which supports the Maryland Zoo's breeding program for the endangered species.

The 30-minute "encounters," offered a few times a day depending on the season, are every animal lover's dream: a chance to get up close to the flightless birds without being separated by fences or barriers, and even pet one.

A group of up to eight visitors enter the penguins' carpeted home and sit on a long bench while zookeepers offer insight on the zoo's breeding program and the penguins' diet and social behavior. It can be hard to focus while there's a small free-range herd of black-and-white birds waddling around the room. They're like overstimulated toddlers, constantly distracted by anything shiny or dangling. As Sarah Talbot, an animal keeper who leads the Penguin Encounter tours, talked, a little one squeezed between her feet and plucked at her shoelaces and the folds in her cargo pants. Another disappeared under the bench and began investigating guests' shoes and pants.

The seven penguins who live in the Penguin Embassy are all female, ranging in age from 2 (Eddie) to 9-year-old Winnie. They're chosen for their temperament and comfort level around humans: Talbot says that “some of them are like dogs in a penguin suit.” And they've got plenty of personality: Eddie is the most rambunctious and curious, while the slightly older penguins, such as Lilly and Peach, are more calm and responsive to attention.

Talbot taught us about penguin grooming, called preening: Penguins need their feathers in top condition to be waterproof and windproof. Because they can't reach the feathers on their backs, they take turns preening one another with their beaks. When humans gently pet the penguins there, Talbot said, it's no different than if it were being done by another bird. “Preening is a very good thing in penguin society. If you do that, you're really paying it forward.”

After the talk, the visitors and penguins moved out into a yard next to a small pool, where the penguins continued to ham it up, moving around in duos or a larger group, snuggling up to visitors, “posing” for endless selfies and photos, and letting us preen them.

While petting is encouraged, visitors aren't allowed to pick up the penguins; touch them in the wrong place, and you'll find out why. “People always joke that they'll steal a penguin,” Talbot said, “and I'm like, You would not make it 10 feet. There'd be a lot of pecking involved.”

One of the most common questions, Talbot said, is whether visitors can feed the penguins. “You can hold a fish in front of them, but nothing's going to happen,” she replied, noting that, for example, Winnie will eat only the fish given to her by one particular keeper.

You can, however, watch the penguins feast. If you make reservations for the morning Penguin Encounter, arrive early for the daily 10:30 a.m. feeding, when dozens of birds cluster on Rock Island and keepers feed them whole fish by hand. The afternoon feeding is at 3:30 p.m., an hour after the day's last Penguin Encounter ends, so you'll have time to wander around the zoo before it begins.

Including the price of zoo admission, the experience actually costs $2 per minute. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

...

I could see much excitement amongst the man-boys. How many videos would they take?

[formergothardite]

How young is the youngest Arndt now? 

[usedbicycle]

1 hour ago, formergothardite said:

How young is the youngest Arndt now? 

David is 15. Three more years and the compound will be fully comprised of adults. Maybe 50 years from now it'll turn into a nursing home.

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

50 years from now the oldest Arndts will be pushing 90.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

18 minutes ago, usedbicycle said:

David is 15. Three more years and the compound will be fully comprised of adults. Maybe 50 years from now it'll turn into a nursing home.

 

WOW. Something really "wrong" is going on there. All those guys and no sex? [Not slighting women!] Just wow. Surely one could take one of the Maxwell girls? I know! I know! Steve would find them too liberal. But maybe ONE could be sacrificed? She's "only" a girl and the Arndt name could die out, right??? [Steve? Think about it bro....]

[usedbicycle]

31 minutes ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

50 years from now the oldest Arndts will be pushing 90.

That's my point! Hire a full-time nurse for the houseful of aging men (and Wizzy). It seems very cost-effective.

[ElToro]

On 17/01/2018 at 10:08 PM, formergothardite said:

Sadly, we will most likely not ever learn the answers to these questions because Vine Valley is the movie that will always be being filmed, but will never actually be finished. 

More unanswerable questions:

Why was the beardy man just standing staring at the boy on the log like something out of 'Deliverance'? 

Why oh why were they lovingly giving a pumpkin a bath?

Why do I find myself strangely attracted to all the Arndt man-boys when they are playing ball? They are just so rugged.... and godly... It brings out the heathen in me....

[JenniferJuniper]

15 minutes ago, ElToro said:

Why do I find myself strangely attracted to all the Arndt man-boys when they are playing ball? They are just so rugged.... and godly... It brings out the heathen in me....

Well-built, athletic, endlessly cheerful and.....

Virginal.  Perhaps that's part of the allure?   

[catlady]

34 minutes ago, ElToro said:

More unanswerable questions:

Why oh why were they lovingly giving a pumpkin a bath?

is the pumpkin supposed to be a substitute baby for the godless professor?  so far, that's the only reason i can think of for giving it a bath.

[onekidanddone]

4 hours ago, catlady said:

is the pumpkin supposed to be a substitute baby for the godless professor?  so far, that's the only reason i can think of for giving it a bath.

Maybe there is a whole fetish world of bathing fruits and vegetables?

 

 

[JenniferJuniper]

On 1/16/2018 at 8:25 PM, Suz8710 said:

I feel like the guys just let Dad run wild with his nostalgic fixes and maybe show their support via an occasional "like" from their personal fb accounts. 

I think this video may prove your point.  Rick dragged Mark out to an old church ruin where he spends a very long time fantasizing about it.   It's up for interpretation of course, but Mark seems pretty much disinterested and almost bored, although he does try to tell his father what he wants to hear.   I suspect that's how they always deal with him.  Warning:  This is an exceptionally boring video, even by Arndt standards. 

Spoiler

 

 

[Carm_88]

The biggest question is why Luke wouldn't get out of the car?  

[Gobsmacked]

Rick is a frustrated wannabe historian/ TV presenter, rooting around old ruins and keeping up a running commentary. (I only lasted 3 mins).

Think Tony Robinson et al on "Time Team".

[onekidanddone]

31 minutes ago, Gobsmacked said:

Rick is a frustrated wannabe historian/ TV presenter, rooting around old ruins and keeping up a running commentary. (I only lasted 3 mins).

Think Tony Robinson et al on "Time Team".

2:16 was as far as I could deal. "Young people in love".  Really? How many of your sons have fallen in love, moved out and shacked up? What is that you say? None? Yea, thought so. Sweet Rufus on a cracker that man skives me out.

[JermajestyDuggar]

On 1/22/2018 at 2:10 PM, formergothardite said:

Does Mama Arndt ever not braid her hair? 

I'm quite jealous of her hair. If that was my hair, I would wear it down more. 

[Suz8710]

Is this the Arndts 2.0? Maybe #14 will be their Mary-Elizabeth...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5354649/Family-expecting-14th-child-wont-sex-is.html

ETA: I did notice that at least one of their sons is engaged...maybe this family can show Rick & Cathy how it's done.

[quiversR4hunting]

53 minutes ago, Suz8710 said:

Is this the Arndts 2.0? Maybe #14 will be their Mary-Elizabeth...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5354649/Family-expecting-14th-child-wont-sex-is.html

ETA: I did notice that at least one of their sons is engaged...maybe this family can show Rick & Cathy how it's done.

Their kids also go to college and go to school and church (Catholic, not at home). The Ardnts homeschooled, right? But yes, this family could really show the Ardnts a few things!

[Black Aliss]

On 1/23/2018 at 12:50 PM, ElToro said:

More unanswerable questions:

Why was the beardy man just standing staring at the boy on the log like something out of 'Deliverance'? 

Why oh why were they lovingly giving a pumpkin a bath?

It's like David Lynch and John Waters dropped acid together and came up with this script while they were high AF

Quote

Why do I find myself strangely attracted to all the Arndt man-boys when they are playing ball? They are just so rugged.... and godly... It brings out the heathen in me....

They are rather well-built. But there's something about their facial expressions. Kind of an "I just had my brain washed and I can't do a thing with it."

[Howl]

1 hour ago, Black Aliss said:

It's like David Lynch and John Waters dropped acid together and came up with this script while they were high AF

My brain just exploded, but in a good way.  There was a shower of glittering confetti and then multi-colored shooting stars, I was suddenly on top of a mountain and it was like Divine had never died.  I'm at peace with it all now.