"Ted", WE just call him "Ted"

Ted was in Jim's Boy Scout Troop, (Troop 10, Newport Beach California, he was "Teddy" back then).

He attended Newport Harbor High School with Jim and yours truely. His sister was a cheerleader.

He was gorgeous, a perfect example of the insanely, jaw dropping, excuse me while I wipe the drool from my chin, specimens at my High School. And... he was a drama geek. I mean GEEK! They would patrol the halls, always in packs of 8 or more, too loud, too in your face.

I despised them. AND I WAS A BAND GEEK.

For me to judge the beautiful people, seems almost criminal, but you really had to experience this band of thespians invading your personal space and you'd be right there with me, bandy geeky and all, wanting them hurt.

Here's some Ted Trivia:

Ted was the captain of the water-polo team in college.

Member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Took a 16-year-old Brooke Shields to her Dwight Englewood senior prom in 1982.

He was in Love Boat and Happy Days.

(I LOVE this one!) "Patron saint" of the website "Jump the Shark" (a phrase describing an event in a TV show that marks the start of the show's decline) because of his frequent roles as a fresh or a replacement character shortly before the termination of many shows.

Before taking the role of Jefferson D'Arcy on "Married with Children" (1987), he played Peggy's husband in a Christmas fantasy episode in which Al wonders what life would have been like if he had never been born.

Ted McGinley, but we just called him "Ted"

Trains

My husband is downstairs right now, ripping apart his train set. You read that right. He is 50+ and he has a train set. I might add, it's a kick-ass train set.

Over the years, he's employed the family to contribute. Sarah and Josh installed a lovely

white-trash trailer. It has a car on blocks and is on the "wrong side of the tracks". (Duh)

Scott constructed a warehouse that is so detailed it deserves a good inspection.

There is a baseball field, a cemetary with mourners and an open grave. There are cars and trucks, some in the aftermath of a crash.

A haunted house sits on the hill and there is even a hobo's cave near the train tunnel.

All in all, it's pretty cool.

But read the beginning of this post again and you'll see, HE IS RIPPING IT APART!

Cause, you see folks, he is his father... His dad always had to have a project and Jim is just following his genes.

It's time for a new train layout. The kids and grandkids can't wait to get down and dirty composing the new and improved one. Trust me, it's a good thing!

(Good grief, I hear wood splintering, that can't be good...)