The World of Hank and Bobby Hill

Originally, the title of this posting was going to be "Day 9" as in, this is Day Nine of my Sixteen Days of Vacation. However, my journalistic instincts were aroused and I thought that it was a better headline to describe what I've been doing for nine days rather than just highlight the number of days.

Like most TV shows, I don't really follow them until my boys start watching them and telling me that they are really funny. My instinct is to not watch any TV -- except for baseball and football games, of course.

I think it was last Christmas that the boys introduced me to the animated TV show, "King of the Hill." I didn't necessarily think it compared with something as well done as Seinfeld, but there were episodes that had their moments. For instance, when Bobby (who is perpetually 12 years old) decides that to defend himself on the playground he will simply kick other boys in the groin. His dad (Hank an ex-high school football star) tries to tell his son that kicking someone in the "fellers" is dirty pool. However, Bobby kicks his Dad. The story has probably lost something in translation here, but believe me, it's very entertaining TV.

Just as Seinfeld introduced me to "living in New York City", the Hills have introduced me to living in "Texas". I also like it when Bobby's mother tells us that she was raised in Montana.

So now lets fast-forward to this Christmas. Scott bought season one. Generally season one is a little experimental and when it comes to animation, this is no exception. The people -- who aren't drawn very well anyway -- look like a couple of first graders drew them. But what the hay...I've got nothing better to do so I easily devour the first 16 or so episodes that make up season one.

Then Christmas Eve arrives and, lo and behold, Derek receives season two from his brother Scott. Well, I've still got nothing going on as it snows every other day here now...and the couch is feeling ever so comfortable. In a day or two, the boys and I have devoured the next 24 episodes, which are season two. The drawings are getting better and the characters seem a little more familiar with their lines.

So after devoting so much of my past nine days living with Bobby and Hank Hill, the question is sure to arise, "Are you any better for it?"

I'm probably not any smarter, but I do find the genre of "Texas" humor starts to grow on you. I also like the "conservative" slant that the writers have. They, like me, think that a lot of the problems hyped by the media and activists are simply bogus claims made by people who wouldn't be happy if they were hung with a new rope. (By the way, that's a Montana phrase, not a Texas phrase I learned from King of the Hill).

So, my life for nine days has been pretty much like this...open the door and get the paper while trying to judge how much snow has fallen. Eat breakfast and complete the crossword puzzle. Go fire up the snowblower and clean my driveway and the two driveways to the east of me. Come in for lunch and see if the boys are up. If they are, we can retire to the couch for an afternoon of King of the Hill. Then it's suppertime and dessert is often followed by some King of the Hill. Perhaps, we'll mix it up here with a game of Skip-Bo or Scrabble. Then dad heads to bed at 8:30...and there is pinochle till about midnight. I go to to bed and then the routine begins again.

Ah, the lazy, crazy days of Christmas vacation. Only seven more days left to go. It's hard to believe that years of hard work by the voice actors, animators and writers can be swallowed up in mere days by the Van Dykes. Since no one else reading the blog is probably familiar with Hank and Bobby...how about letting us know what you are doing to pass the time during the holidays.