Gophers Before
Christmas 2005


EVENT: Gophers Before Christmas
DATE: December 17, 2005
PLACE: Osthimer House, St. Ann's Hospital Emergency Room, Chili's, skating rink, Big Boy
This was to have been our fourth annual Christmas outing to the zoo, but Josh's clumsiness changed all that. Instead of the zoo we went to the emergency room to keep Josh from bleeding to death. With that taken care of we got dinner at Chili's and went ice skating, where Josh hurt himself again. Another trip to the ER fixed him up and dessert was had at Big Boy before dispersing for the night.

Attending Gophers: Jeff & Erin Osthimer, Josh Gulch, Phil Dake, Paul Arquette, James Malcolm, Charles Meyer, Katy Murray, Sean Murray, Devin Collins, Kellie Sieler, Felicity Powers, and Daniel (Something). Ian Malcolm was around earlier in the day, too.
He is *so* not Mexican, you can tell from the sissy pastel bandana We started out the day playing some Dungeons and Dragons at the Osthimer pad.

Josh took this opportunity to take some pictures in Katy's sombrero for the Twelve Josh in Hats Before Christmas.

They ran on the sixth day before Christmas.

The two photos in this gallery are bonus pictures!

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
VIDEO FILE - Click to view Josh does a little dance while Jeff tries to get him to focus on the game.

VIDEO FILE

Click to view
Running time: 2 seconds
File size: 705kb

Video Credit Josh Gulch
Dang kid, get a comb or something Little known fact about sombreros: they tend to mess up one's hair.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
Katy does this sometimes, we can't say why Katy gets into a festive spirit with her nerdy impression of Rudolph the reindeer.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
I've had nightmares like this Following the injury to Josh's thumb and the loss of his other hand to applying pressure, Ian tries to help Josh stay alive by feeding him soup.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
And all the helpless passengers within Josh opens the hangar doors for the incoming airplane.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
Make your own slurping sounds It was really good soup! But everyone said it was time to go to the hospital before Josh could finish. A real pity, that.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
There should be exciting theme music here Jeff driving to the emergency room. How terribly dramatic.

Photo Credit Charles Meyer
Nobody's died yet!  Good job! Katy and James give the sign of a job well done as Erin and Josh enter the ER.

Photo Credit Charles Meyer
Not that anyone held that against him, but you know Josh Josh was quickly admitted, but still had to wait around for over an hour before he was treated. This is a bad picture in that he looks like he's about to break into tears. It's just frustration and stress with the knowledge of possibly ruining the plans for the evening.

Photo Credit Charles Meyer
Josh rolled a one today Not having proved themselves to be big enough nerds, the party began playing D&D in the waiting room.

Photo Credit Charles Meyer
That's Mister Midshipman Hornblower, to you! While everyone else plays the game, pitting their characters against one another in battle, Josh tries to relax with a volume of Horatio Hornblower.

Photo Credit Charles Meyer
Golly, are they! Charles and Katy are too cool to be confused as die-hard fans of Leave it to Beaver. But really, they are.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
Waiting, hoping for the screams to begin Felicity and Daniel showed up just before Josh was called back, Devin and Kellie arrived before he got back. We do not know the child in the foreground.

Photo Credit Sean Murray
Why does this look like a screencap from a Seinfeld episode? Josh returns with his thumb wrapped up. He didn't need stitches after all! He also got a tetanus shot, which is the true spirit of Christmas.

Photo Credit Sean Murray
Sharing scarfs is a behaviour in civilized cultures It's Felicity! At the mention of Josh not having a scarf of his own, she offered to share her's, which was a generous thing to do!

Photo Credit Erin Osthimer
She might be calling Katie to tell her about the scarf thing and Katie's all like WHAT Felicity takes a call while Josh gives Devin a look for saying something foolish.

Photo Credit Erin Osthimer
Like quit trying to make comparisons This was taken so Josh had inspiration to write more fan-fiction about ... uh, Philippe and Erín. No relations to these two, you pervert.

Remember: it could be worse.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
YOU WILL EAT THIS PEPPERMINT AND YOU WILL THINK THAT IT IS GOOD YOU WILL TELL ME THAT IT IS GOOD PEPPERMINT Charles maniacally forces a peppermint stick upon Josh. Josh accepted it in fear.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
Erin may be looking at a bug on the back of Josh's head, but she won't tell him about it Josh got to be surrounded by the ladies! Not only that, but his camera was being fussy.

Photo Credit Sean Murray
I'm putting my money on the Phil Jeff is taken aback, possibly from Sean's camera, possibly from Phil to his left, possibly from the hand reaching towards his throat.

Photo Credit Sean Murray
Get it because it's candy LOL Man, Paul just hasn't a care or a clue what's going on. James lets us all know that Paul is a nerd.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
VIDEO FILE - Click to view Charles does something while holding a knife to Paul's throat, waiting for the picture to be taken but not knowing that Josh was actually taking video.

VIDEO FILE

Click to view
Running time: 22 seconds
File size: 3.5Mb

Video Credit Josh Gulch
Josh spent his entire life waiting for somebody to do that Phil told the waiter to surprise him with his order. Anything the kitchen wanted to make, so long as it was under ten dollars. Phil was very happy with what he got. It was some sort of chicken sandwich.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
She is the protagonist It is entirely possible that Josh is looking very intently at Erin's ear. Or he might be talking to Jeff behind her back. Regardless of whichever it is, Erin plays a crucial role in this photo.

Photo Credit Sean Murray
It's sort of a kink in some societies, too Charles and Devin are Katy Drinking Coffee groupies. It's a new fad.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
It's funny because he wasn't alive when that movie was new because he's so young Devin attempts to phone home. He has his Reeses and is ready to go.

Photo Credit Sean Murray
He does not lack the adamantium, though Phil does his very best Wolverine impression, but he lacks the swanky yellow and black bodysuit.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
And really, who could blame her? Devin outdoes Phil by using both hands. Kellie tries her best to ignore him by getting some gum.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
It's like watching a Ronald Reagan film Before leaving Chili's, James, Charles, Katy, and Devin had to pose with the monkey cowboy.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
Pressure is a tricky thing, a girl once said Pressure differences nearly sucked Charles out of the car on the way to go ice skating.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
Josh has wobbly ankles Here we are trying to ice skate! Or rather, here Josh is getting tips from Jeff because he was doing so poorly at the sport.

Why is that child laying on the ice?

Photo Credit Sean Murray
Josh did not perform to Coach Jeff's expectations Josh breaks down into pleads for Jeff to understand why he isn't skating very well.

Photo Credit Sean Murray
Phil always loiters in the background near Paul ... why is that? Josh wasn't the only one having difficulties. Paul wasn't faring so well either. Eventually though Josh reinjured his thumb and quit, insisting that everyone finish up the final fifteen minutes before closing.

Photo Credit Sean Murray
It keeps clicking, but he knows not why We eventually did wind up at Big Boy's before the night was out! Paul, as per usual, is surprised by the camera.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
Katy ain't got no class Katy is the Whipped Cream Hitler!


... What more can I add to that?

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
It does look pretty good -- the ice cream I mean Erin enjoys her ice creamy dish. That's how you eat ice cream, yes!

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
Jeff eats all paranoid like Jeff has some as well. God yes, eat that mother lovin' ice cream.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
The black helicoptors finally stopped circling This is the ultimate conclusive proof that Sean Murray is capable of smiling. Let the naysayers rot in despair.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
Sean isn't usually so purple, but it may be artistic license Compare that to Phil's interpretation of Sean as drawn on a placemat.

Artwork Credit Phil Dake
Paul is scary sometimes Usually I spend some time fixing red eyes and adjusting the brightness and sharpness. I thought this worked better by not touching it.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
Meanwhile, Paul bites his fist Felicity, Charles and Daniel played some Magic, because they're old skool like that.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
Felicity has all the best cards, you know Felicity won the game, effectively kicking everybody's butts from here to Brussels in the process.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
Not that you really were caring or anything It's been a while since you last saw Josh, so here he is. I know you care.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
The plots begin James tells Charles how badly he lost to Felicity. Daniel mutters that she will rue the day.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
Dozens of dinners ruined by unchained nerdery Jeff and Charles spar outside Big Boy, performing parts of their lightsaber routine. Everybody in the restaurant stopped what they were doing to watch them.

Photo Credit Sean Murray
Like who brings their own choir The battle continues. The choir was overpowering at this point. It was really something, let me tell you that.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
It's all killing younglings and drinking wine anymore Jeff and Charles continue to go at it. You see, one of them is the chosen one, but nobody can remember who it is.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
James is the Pie Bearer to Charles ... it's serious business James solemnly presents a pie to Charles as Felicity adjusts her hat. It's time for everybody to go home. Maybe they'd like to try going to the zoo before Christmas? And I mean actually making it to the zoo this time.

Photo Credit Josh Gulch
Return to Gopher Gatherings

Engaged December 19, 2005 | Updated December 19, 2005