New Years Eve 2011

I'm expecting a quiet New Years Eve. I worked today (and saw Alex Q), then returned home to a night with Lisa, Smiley, and Lulu  (YaYa is with a friend, Junie  w/ Grandma). We're making kiddie cocktails and having Papa Murphy's pizza w/ ice cream as a desert. At 9 or 10 we'll have "midnight" for the kids, then hit the margaritas. The highlight so far: walking to the gas station with Smiley and scoping out the neighborhood Christmas lights.

* Jenny McCarthy asked a soldier in Times Square what artist should be #1 all-time on Rockin' Eve and he said "New Kids on the Block". Lol it's my long lost twin!

* #19 on the countdown of Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve top 40 performances ever: NKOTBSB. Still waiting to see if NKOTB  proper cracks the top 15 . . .

* In case I don't get on the comp again before midnight, here's my one and only New Year's Resolution: to make 2012 better than the three years that preceded it. 2009 sucked. 2010 was one of the worst years I've ever had. 2011 was OK, but largely a clone of 2009. Enough of this sh*t. Time to get life rolling again . . .

Ya know how I said "11/22/63" would be the last book I read this year? Sadly, I am a man with no willpower. I just finished two books today. "Agent to the Stars" a comic sci-fi novel by John Scalzi (a name old J-Lander's should recognize), wandered off plot for a bit but was still worth a 'B', and "Angle of Investigation" by Michael Connelly, an ebook that's really just a novella's worth of Harry Bosch stories. I'd grade the first of the stories an A, the second a B, and third (surprise!) a mere C/C-.

Today's Weather

dec 30th, 2011, Milwaukee - steady rain and moderate temp all day. I say again, only mostly tongue in cheek: if this is global warming, I'm all for it.

Quote

"Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means." - Ronald Reagan

4 Films

"Jackass 3" - the funniest installment yet. Luvvved it.

"Another Earth" - slow and intellectual (what I call a 'Oriental' film, after the pretentious theater on the East side). But I liked it, and would recommend it.

'Faces in the Crowd', starring Mila Jovovich, is a thriller about a woman who survives a serial killer attack only to lose the ability to recognize faces, leading to a wee bit of a problem once the killer returns to visit. Standard fare, no better or worse than a C.

'Limitless' was silly but a lot of fun, and it didn't end as I thought it would (always a plus). I'd give it a B/B+

Margin Call

Whodathunk a film about a faulty algorithm and a bunch of stockbrokers who weep about 'only' making 1.4 million for a days work could be tedious and dull? Oh, that's right; anyone who's ever rented 'Margin Call' with Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore, and Jeremy Irons. Ditto "Freakanomics". Dull. Dull. Dull.

Congrats are in order

A hectic but productive day. We polished off BOTH Yaya and LuLu's expo projects (due Jan 25th) and did a diorama of a killer whale to accompany a book report of  Smiley's. It took a trip to Michael's, the Dollar Store, the floral department of Piggly Wiggly, and several hours, but they're done. Whew. Excuse me while Lisa and I pat our own backs.

RIP

Cheetah, the chimpanzee from the Tarzan flicks of the 30's, has passed away at the age of 80. RIP.

A Minor Blemish on my Record

I do not 'LIKE' Honda. If they went belly-up, good riddance. Yet Facebook claims I 'Like' them. How do I remove that blight from my reputation? I cannot find an 'unlike' button.

Boxing Day 2011 - House on the Rock

We spent the day at House on the Rock yesterday, putting the new GPS to good use. It was a blast, and the kids chose to melt down only at the end, leading to an embarrassing gift shop incident but wth, we were two minutes from the exit anyhow. As our family circle continues to shrink, maybe we'll treat this Christmas as the new tradition: breakfast and a movie on the 25th, and a trip somewhere on Boxing Day.

Jedi YaYa

A Great Christmas So Far

A great Christmas so far. We woke up, opened gifts, then sat down to a breakfast of french toast and sausage. In the afternoon we took the kids to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked", which was pretty entertaining. Not $52 entertaining, but hey, that's the cost of being a breeder. Afterwards we drove through CandyCane Lane a second time b4 coming home to settle in and play with our toys. :)

Our own GPS!

Setting up a TomTom GPS our friend Chris got me for Christmas - thanks Entourage!

Candy Cane Lane

@candy cane lane w/ the kids

After Candy Cane Lane we stopped and visited with my parents for a bit, then returned home for dinner and my annual viewing of "It's a Wonderful Life". And yes, a s always, I teared up

Homemade Teacher Gifts . . and a Q-Tip and Yarn Tower LOL

Morning TV viewing

twice in the last ten minutes ABC News has had a typo on the ticker they're running on GMA. No one has spellcheck in NY?

later: poor Kelly Ripa, working at full speed to pull anything out of Rooney Mara. The woman has the personality of my ear wax.

11/22_63

Today I finished reading Stephen King's time travel thriller "11/22/63". It had plenty of tension filled moments, was chock full of historical detail (largely unadulterated by the needs of the plot) and in short it was a fun read. A. [note: this will probably be the last book I read in 2011. I think I'll take it easy and start up again in the new year]

Kim Jon II and Vaclav Havel

Kim Jon II, the leader of North Korea, is dead. He was a nut and a sabre rattler and has kept his country in the stone age for decades. Meanwhile Vaclav Havel, a longtime anti-communist activist, playwright, former Czech President and perennial contender for the Nobel Peace Prize has died at age 75. Any bets on which one will get more press?

A Good Day

Great sales (34) day at work. Also saw a lot of old co-workers: Mike Mac* Sarah, and Berta B. Sadly, however, the Sad Sack Slapjacks were eliminated from the consolation bracket with a miserable performance today. I finish the fantasy season at 6-9.

Smiley's new Smile!

Christopher Hitchens is dead. Enjoy the heat.

Done

Just finished and sent off one of my columns. I'll get to the next one after work tomorrow. Off to bed.

A Sh**ty Day Off

Sh**ty day off. I don't mind the rain and the gloomy skies - Iz down with dat - but I've had a headache, a nosebleed and an argument with Lisa that led to four and a half hours of wasted air in the middle of the day. Lu has a friend coming over and I reckon we should clean the house, but bleep that. I have four destructive, messy kids. No use pretending otherwise. 

Oh, I also have two columns to write and X-Factor voting to attend to. *melodramatic sigh* on the upside, I'm making bbq ribs for dinner.

Chris Rene sucks. Why he's still on X-Factor is beyond me.

I wish to formally wipe the last 23 hours and 58 minutes off the Tivo of my life. What a shit, shit day.

Kudos to Smiley for pronouncing his "Sh" sound worksheet correctly!

Fright Night

Redboxed the remake of "Fright Night" and wonder of wonders it's better than the original. The writing is sharp, blending horror and laughs in all the right proportions, and the acting is terrific (special nod to Anton Yelchin). Plus - drum roll please - DAVID TENANT, aka the Doctor, stars as vampire hunter Peter Vincent. Hell, even the *bloopers* on the DVD were worth the rental fee. A+

ISO

Anybody have a decent stollen recipe they'd care to share?

Hey Now

Yaya to her friend @ dinner, once she giggled at one of my jokes: "Please don't laugh @ his jokes Romy, it only encourages him"

I Can't Believe It

Well, If this doesn't say a lot about the crappy priorities of  the modern world. 

Smack my Head

Annoyed at a Catholic Facebook page that fell for an Onion article and railed against the imaginary project. Jeepers, way to make us look like idiots.

Try It

What I Learned Today: The english bits of 'Feliz Navidad' lends itself perfectly to a Dracula/Transylvanian accent.

I Hope it Was Enough

on the porch reading and watching Smiley play when a homeless man walked by w/ a shopping cart (1st x ever). I stopped and asked him if he was hungry and had Park bring him an apple and a pack of cookies we had just bought. I thought about giving him my untouched sub sandwich too, but in the end my belly won that fight.

Unkwown

Tonight, after the "30 Minutes . ." dud, we put in Liam Neeson's "Unknown". I liked it. A little long, a little improbable, but entertaining and with an imaginative little premise. B+

A Nightmare

Went to bed 'round midnight, woke up at 4:04 from a nightmare bad enough that I promptly went downstairs and hurled. Great night.

Atlas Shrugged Pt 1

i watched "Atlas Shrugged Pt 1" yest. Objectively, it was an ok film that struggled at times to find enough action to warrant its length. Subjectively, it was great to see a film that correctly warns of a near future where the governments whims trump private property, free markets, and worst of all initiative. Lisa stated a few times that "that could never happen". Wait and see. Wait and see.

30 Minutes or Less

We rented the DVD for '30 Minutes or Less' from Netfix. Aptly named film. We made it all of ten minutes before giving up on this mindless turd.

A Celebrity Sighting

Saw Chester Marcol today (Packers kicker from '72-80)

Adele

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British singer Adele made Billboard history on Friday when she became the first female singer to be named top artist, have the top album, "21," and score the top single, "Rolling in the Deep," all in one year.

X-Factor

en route to wrk, arguing about yest X Factor result w/ two Simon hatahs. Some people . . .

Who said I'm Difficult?

out to eat w/ Lisa. Well, she's eating, I'm sulking. I was told it is too early 4 lunch fare, and so I refused nething but coffee. Listening now to Lisa's commentary about how difficult I am and how I better not be facebooking . . .

Jerry Robinson

Jerry Robinson, the creator of The Joker, Robin, Two-Face, Alfred, and other staples of Batman lore is dead. He was 89. RIP.

Some People

en route to wrk, arguing about yest X Factor result w/ two Simon hatahs. Some people . . .

When Tribal Sovereignty Challenges Democracy: American Indian Education and the Democratic Ideal

@ my Dad's request I read and offered my opinion on "When Tribal Sovereignty Challenges Democracy: American Indian Education and the Democratic Ideal" by K Tsianina Lomawaima & Teresa L McCarty [Amer. Educational Research Journal Summer 2002 V30 #2). I agree with the authors that tribal education is far below par and needs to change, but found much of the paper a simple recitation of ills. More time on proposed solutions might have been nice. In short, no different than most papers I read in Education.

Paul

Just finished watching "Paul" a comedy about two Brits on a road trip across America who pick up an alien on the lam. I liked it quite a bit until after the halfway point, when people started being killed and/or shot (uh, it is supposed to be a comedy, right?) and they tossed in a senseless, typically Hollywood attack on Christianity. (how, uh, exactly does the existence of an ET disprove God? Wouldn't a universe full of intelligent species evolving independently lend weight to the idea of ID at work?) C+

Pujols to the Angels

BREAKING NEWS: Albert Pujols is going to the Angels - 10 years, $250 million. Booyah. The Central just a whole lot friendlier for the Brewers.

The Rocker

BTW, our movie last night was "The Rocker" with Rainn Wilson as a guy who spends 20 years in a funk after being dumped by a band on the brink of superstardom, only to get a second chance behind the kit for his nephew's band. I expected the movie to be awful and was pleasantly surprised. It isn't going to resonate in my heart forever or anything, but it was a moderately funny, mildly sweet feel good story.

Feast of the Immaculate Conceptio

Just back from Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It felt good - I needed that. Now a quick breakfast and off to work . .

Quote

William Temple replied to his critics who regarded answered prayer as no more than coincidence, “When I pray, coincidences happen; when I don’t, they don’t.”

 - David Watson, Called & Committed, (Harold Shaw Publishers, Wheaton, IL; 1982), p. 83

Fingers Crossed

Trying to vote for Melanie Amaro but all circuits are busy . . . Good on you America. She's a star.

Harry Morgan

Harry Morgan (aka Col. Potter on MASH) has died at age 96. RIP sir, I enjoyed your work.

The Journal-Sentinel just asked me to do an extended column for publication on Christmas Day. Quoting the email from the editor: "You seem to have a knack for writing holiday columns with just the right feel." Flattered and all, blah blah, but mighty sick of being good enough to be sought out for publication and yet never considered for regular work.

My Thoughts

Former IL Gov Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison today on corruption charges. Blech. I'm all for punishing the guilty, but to my mind imprisoning someone for a non-violent crime seems like a waste of resources. Stab someone, rape, murder, even risk someone's death (by drunk driving or by carrying a weapon during a crime) and by all means lock 'em up, but short of that there have to be more cost-effective & intelligent solutions.

We Remember

70 years ago today my maternal grandparent's were on a date at the Riverside Theater. The movie was stopped, the lights came on, and an announcement was made that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. They both knew my Great Uncle Leo (grandma's brother) was stationed there that morning. He was part of the crew of the USS Vestal, moored alongside the Arizona. Luckily, he survived, but of course 2000 Americans did not. To all the men at Pearl that day, thank you for your service. We'll always remember.

The Falling Dishwasher

When I picked up LuLu nd her friend from Arts & Crafts Club today after work, a full size dishwasher, some five gallon buckets, and other junk fell off the back of a truck driving directly ahead of us. I saw it about to fall and so we avoided it all, but the guy took off without stopping and I took off after him, exchanging some words at a stop sign a half mile away. There's nothing else to the story, except to say Lu and her friend, being 8, thought it was the greatest trip of their lives.

I Luv Them!!

St Nick's

St Nick's morn went well, with everyone in a good mood and loving their stockings. Booklights, winter caps (featured), dry erase boards, an outfit, a book (doll for Junie), candy, and odds and ends. A good haul and as I said they loved it. Lisa got makeup and a nice candle. Heck, I got a new pair of slippers myself.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

We just finished watching "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". It was much, much better than your average comedy/rom-comedy, Kudos to Segel for a funny, well-crafted script that made the characters real and complex, each with their own flaws and strengths. I was really impressed (and the great cast didn't hurt). A + (Lisa was less keen on it, but ya ain't hear to read her opinions, are ya?;)

St Nick is Coming!

The stockings are full and laid out by the fireplace. An unintentional compliment from the kids tonight: one of them asked why we bothered with the stockings since "there's always too much to fit in them anyway". For that, a big thank you to Lisa, who I swear works all year long to compile an impressive hoard of goodies for the holidays.

Tiger Cubs

Dan this reminds me of you in cub scouts - my Mom

It's Finally Working

After two days and four calls AT&T got my internet up and running again. No word on what the 'line trouble' was, or why it took repeated calls for the automated repair system to iron it out. Still, for AT&T, a banner day.

They Suck

After two days and four calls AT&T got my internet up and running again. No word on what the 'line trouble' was, or why it took repeated calls for the automated repair system to iron it out. Still, for AT&T, a banner day.

The Smurfs

I just finished watching 'The Smurfs'. It is what it is, a not unpleasant kids movie w/ a nostalgic hook for the grown-ups. NPH, as is his norm, rocked.

And?

yes, its a grim 48 degrees or so w/ wet pavement, a steady wind and gray skies. And yes, I'm sitting in the rocker on my front porch reading. What of it?

Bad Title, Great Script

2x now we've seen the pilot of Fox's 'I Hate My Teenager'. Dumb title, talented acting and a WONDERFUL LOL script. The screenwriter has talent to spare.

The B10 Championship

watching the big ten championship game w/ an inquisitive and attentive Lu

Congrats to the Big 10 champion Badgers! What an ugly, unimpressive W (it all comes down to a punter!) but we'll take it. On Wisconsin baby! CU in the Rose Bowl!

$$%#@%@#% AT&T

the net is down @ home (yes, bill is pd) AT&T says its a line problem, which is a euphemism for "AT&T sucks donkey bal*s, always has always will"

Yaya and LuLu and their first "real" school Dance!

Tonight my girls had their 1st 'real' school dance and both were dressed to the 9's and wore corsages their Mama made them @ the floral shop. They had a great time!

Lookin' Sharp!

Our Tree is . . . .Gone.

Unbelievable

There's some fool on Craigslist looking to hire a writer to do a 6 or 7 page psych paper. The payment terms? FIFTEEN dollars. Yeah, maybe if it was per page buddy. Here's a term you may find helpful when writing that paper all by your lonesome: go f--k yourself.

Water For Elephants

"Water for Elephants" surprised me by being a darn good, non-weepy romance set during the Great Depression. Robert Pattison, aka Twilight boy, proved to be more than just a pretty face, and Renee Witherspoon very nearly convinced me she had one. A-

Moving Malcolm

"Moving Malcom" is a film about a guy who's devastated when his fiance (Elizabeth Berkeley) leaves him at the altar. A year later she calls him - but only to ask if he could help her elderly Dad move while she's out of town. It's more of a mild drama than a comedy, but enjoyable either way. B.

Kudos to Pres. Obama

Kudos to Pres. Obama for correctly praising Bush's efforts on behalf of AIDS prevention/treatment in Africa. Said the President: "I believe that history will record [Dubya's] Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief as one of his greatest legacies," he said. "That program -- more ambitious than even leading advocates thought was possible at the time -- has saved hundreds of thousands and thousands and thousands of lives, spurred international action, and laid the foundation for a comprehensive global plan that will impact the lives of millions." Thank you, Mr. President, for your honesty.

Quote

I love you more than tongue can tell - a saying of Robin Bush (daughter of George and Barbara, sister of Dubya) who died of leukemia at age 3. The family never forgot the saying, adopting it and using it often since her death a half century ago. It appears in private letters between father and son reprinted in 'Decision Points'.

judy Lewis

The secret illegitimate daughter of Clark Gable and Loretta Young; I  just saw her speak on a documentary a few months back. RIP.

NPH

Neil Patrick Harris rocks. He should take Regis' gig. He's a natural.

But I  just got called off of work because of slow sales (was 'on call'). That won't hurt my Christmas shopping. Not at all, no siree.

Becoming Chaz

Long day. As a nightcap we watched "Becoming Chaz", a documentary that followed Chaz Bono through the 1st year of his transition from a female to a male. Excepting the morbid title music, it was a happy if not carefree window into his life, made all the easier to accept by his likable personality and the presence of his quirky girlfriend. Read between the lines of the doc though, and you'll come away certain that the relationship btwn Chaz and Cher is tenuous (if loving), and that he is far more accepted by his father's side of the family. It's Lisa's opinion that this has as much to do with Cher's reaction to Chaz's weight and non Cher-ness  as his gender. I think it's a good point.

The One and Only!!!

Changes in the Mass

I went to the school Mass today, the first featuring the 'new translation', and it was a mess. Nothing sounded 'right', everyone was stumbling over lines, I was reflexively answering w/ the 'old' responses, some kid got stagefright and couldn't do his petition, the Communion lines got inexplicably turned around and out of order, and the guest Priest was so dry I think he sleeps in a dehydrator. Geesh. You'd think after 2000 years we could put on a better show . . .

The Priest

If you can overlook the anti-Catholic bigotry (some things never change in America - Al Smith says hello) 'The Priest' is a pretty good sci-fi popcorn movie. Sure, it's nothing more than a mash of The Searchers and every two bit vampire flick, but its entertaining, and in the end that's the #1 goal of any film.

Thanksgiving 2011

This year work and whatnot ('whatnot' including family that didn't return our calls re: dinner plans) conspired against a traditional sit down dinner. So instead, after work, we hightailed it down to Kenosha, about a 40 minute ride, to dine at Golden Corral, an all you can eat buffet we'd noticed on a prior road trip.

The price, even while inflated for the holiday, was reasonable. For six people it was $54, far less than I would have paid for all the fixin's at home.

The place was packed, and we g0t there only an hour before it closed, but we were seated quickly and as a buffet the food was immediate. I stuck exclusively to dinner fare - meatloaf, potato, broccoli, roll, etc - while Lisa had a salad before hitting the dinner section.

The kids on the other hand . . . well, they ate some protein and some veggies at our insistence,

but mainly they just raided the dessert table. They were ecstatic over the sight of a chocolate fountain

Oh, and cotton candy. Did I mention they liked that?

We had a blast. Hey, I even impressed Lisa, stepping in and saying something to a couple who bullied their way into the restaurant as it closed. How rude - what, the staff doesn't deserve to go home and spend time with their own families?

I think we'll dine out again for the holiday, and maybe even at the Golden Corral!

My (Current) Facebook Profile Pic

FB - the end of October

October 23rd

‎10 years ago today - at 4:20 pm to be precise - the first of the Four Greatest Kids Ever was born, inaugurating me as a Dad. Happy Birthday YaYa, and welcome to the Double Digits!

"Pujol's 3HR performance last night was awesome, and one of the best WS shows ever. But best of all time? Hell no. Albert - 3 HR in a blowout of a series tied at one, and he recorded an out. Reggie: 3 HR on 3! pitches in a WS clincher won by a score of 4-3. As usual, my YANKS retain their glory and surpass the rest of baseball. REGGIE, REGGIE REGGIE!"

October 25th

15 years ago today, on what was the 25th anniversary of the UN's misguided expulsion of Taiwan, Lis and I were married. Thanks for putting up w/ this dork for 15 years Sinatra. Xoxo

Maggiano's for lunch today, courtesy of an anniversary gift card from my sister (thanks Katie!), followed immediately by a flat that necessitated a new tire. Then, with no sitter, we picked up the kids from school and retired to a night of X-Factor, some Smirnoff, and a McRib. Now we may/may not rent "Horrible Bosses" from Vudu. Not exactly a TMZ worthy day, but a decent way to pass an anniversary.

October 27th

Redbox is raising their daily DVD rental fee to $1.20. Bluray and game rental prices will remain the same."

Muslim students at a Catholic University are claiming the presence of crosses violates their 'human rights'. What crap. Nope, it's not a master plan to colonize in reverse. No sirree.

October 28th

"I finished reading "Double Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay, but don't feel up to a review right now."

October 29th

"We had a great time at the school Halloween Hoopla. Lauren even won the costume contest in her age bracket for her "Uni the Unicorn" outfit!"

"Breaking News: CNN is reporting 13 US Servicemen KIA from a suicide attack in Afghanistan . . ."

October 30th

"Heading to Kenosha, listening to Lisa and the kids sing along to Adele. Lu loves her."

"out for a walk w/ Smiley and Ginger"

October 31st

"Over the weekend I finished reading "Tension City: Presidential Debates from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain" by Jim Leher. A memoir of his own time as a pres. debate moderator, the book offers nothing new to anyone familiar with history. While the point of the book is to stress the importance of Presidential debates, it actually proves the opposite, giving ample examples of how appearance and one-liners triumph over substance."

"half an hour ago i was ready 2 kill these kids . . .now I can't stop beaming over 'em"

"‎@ dance studio waiting 4 the kids. Took the opportunity to take a brisk 32 min walk."

"kim kardashian filed for divorce today - after a whopping 72 days of marriage"

No Higher Honor by Condoleezza Rice

I FINALLY! finished "No Higher Honor", the White House memoirs of Condoleezza Rice. Don't get me wrong, I think Rice is a heck of a stylist and the subject matter was compelling, but I think I'm burned out on political bios for the duration of 2011. Plus at 750 pages of meticulous detail it's a bit on the "not light reading" end of the scale.

Update

I've clinched a win in this week's fantasy game (and w/ one player left on the field Monday night, no less), bringing the Sad Sack Slapjacks to a 5-7 record. It *should* be 6 up, since I lost a game by less than a point, but I digress . . . You know the lousy part of this is I'm playing myself right out of a berth in the Toilet Bowl. If I'm not making the playoffs, the consolation tourney is the destination of choice, but I'm not about to sabotage my team to get there.

Value Village = Score!

Found at Value Village tonight: optical USB mouse $2.50. Dress pants, new, in my size (!) $2 Suit coat, dress shirt, dress shoes for Parker: $6 1970's pictorial bio of Jimmy Carter: 50 cents 2 kids books for Lauren: a quarter each. Sweatshirt for LK: $2. OTOH, the cost of a 1/2" Mondale-Ferraro button was an outrageous $2, and I refused to pay the price. Haughty ba*tards.

Frost/Nixon and Page One

Tonight after work we watched "Frost/Nixon", a dramatization of David Frost's interviews with the 37th President. It's a great film and very compelling, and the acting was top notch. Grade: A

BTW, I think I failed to mention we recently watched the doc "Page One" about the NY Times. I get off on anything related to publishing so I enjoyed it, BUT even I have to admit it got damn boring and lost its way well before the end. Of note: I was alarmed at the scene where NBC's Brian Williams is exposed 'inventing' a hook out of whole cloth, to the professional disgust of the Times reporters. Wow. Grade: B/B-

Bruno

after work I watched 'Bruno'. I did LOL @ some bits but generally it fell well short of equaling 'Borat'. Too many scenes w/ too many people who seemed in on the joke. C/C-

A Doctor's Visit

@ the pediatrician w/ LuLu and Junie  Lis asked me to call in an appt for today and, thinking they'd be closed after the holiday, said 'sure'. Grumble grumble lol

Kids are fine, total waste of time at the doc. A cold, with a brisk hacking cough, but despite the fact that its lingered for two weeks they have no temp and no sign of any infection. Mollycoddled nonsense, it was. ;) Got home, cleaned the living room and kitchen. Kids lost the remote and earned my wrath, now I'm stuck going to work in two hours and no ability to watch tv in the meantime. 

Everything Must Go

After dinner the kids were excited to watch the Ice Age Xmas special on the TV upstairs, while Lis and I hunkered down to watch "Everything Must Go" with Wil Ferrell. It's the story of an alcoholic who loses his job and returns home to find his wife has changed the locks & left all his belongings on the front lawn. W/ nowhere to go, he takes up residence on the lawn. It's a sad, melancholy film brightened by a few smiles from Ferrell (who does a great job here). We both liked it a lot, with Lisa commenting on how it didn't gloss over the 'complexities of adult life'. Grade: A

The Turkey is in the Oven

w/ Lisa gone for the morn & me wrking 2nd, the kids & & are making a 13# turkey. Smiley helped me clean it and cut citrus & apples for the cavity, Junieput butter under the skin and rubbed olive oil on the outside, LuL salt/peppered & gawked @ the neck, and YaYa, well, she sat on the computer. She will be responsible for cking its progress.

Some of Lisa's Floral Work

Grey Gardens

This morning we watched "Grey Gardens" a film based on the life of Jackie O relatives Edith Beale and her mother, whose descent into squalor and poverty was documented in a famous documentary of the mid '70's. It's a sad but hopeful little film, bouncing back and forth from the wealth and dreams of the earlier decades to the dung filled house of later years, but never surrendering the certainty of better times ahead. Very enjoyable.

A Great Day

Nov 23rd, the day B4 Thanksgiving, and I'm sitting on my front porch reading, Junie on my lap, enjoying the sun. This weather is truly something 2b grateful for.

Tim Cusprin

I just got a big shock when I ck'd JSOnline. Tim Cuprisin, former TV columnist and a FB friend, has passed away @ 53. RIP Tim, I valued your columns.

Super 8

I eagerly rented the JJ Abrams flick "Super 8" today. The verdict? Disappointment. I loved the cast, especially the kids, and really enjoyed watching the internal conflicts between the characters. OTOH, I thought the sci-fi plot was thin and incredibly 'been there, seen that'. Sadly, the latter took up the bulk of the film, leaving the human element to waste away into a footnote. C-

MVP!

Congrats to MVP Ryan Braun!

2 quick sports notes: A) not only did I win my fantasy matchup in wk 11, I took "Biggest Blowout" for the 2nd time this season, whupping my opponent by 36.79 points. B) a lot of buzz on the 'net that Matt Kemp should've taken the NL MVP. Yeah, no, although it wouldn't have been a tragedy. True, this was a career year for the guy, but he walked away w/ a ridiculous 8 yr contract to show for it. Hmph. Readers of 2019 take note: as you read this, Matt Kemp is bagging groceries at your local A&P. He's not going to maintain this level for long.

What it Means to be a Democrat by George McGovern

In the interest of fairness, I tried reading George McGovern's new book "What it Means to be a Democrat". I made it through 19 pages. I quit not because I disagree with him (I knew I would going in) but because he came off as a nutter. It is one thing to value your party, to be proud of it, to champion its goals - quite another to put it on a pedestal and make it clear, in only a handful of pages, that It Can Do No Wrong. Honestly, it came off as creepy political porn. Yuck. Maybe I'll give it another go, just to see if the Kool Aid wears off along the way . . .

Good Luck Melanie!

X Factor tonight: Melanie Amaro has a smooth, powerful voice. I've always found her attractive, but tonight, w/ that Carribean accent and her devotion to Christ, she is 1000x yummier.

3 Films

But, courtesy of Netflix's mail service, we did have a double feature today. 1st up: 'Just Go With It', a comedy about a man who has his assistant to pose as his ex-wife to help him land a girl. The plot is ridiculous and has holes big enough to fit a truck through sideways, but oddly enough, I liked it. It was surprisingly funny, and there was a noticeable and sweet on-screen chemistry between Adam Sandler and Jennifer Anniston (whodathunkit?)

2nd course: The Queen, starring Helen Mirren. The Queen and newly elected PM Tony Blair navigate the public's perception of the monarchy in the wake of Princess Di's death. I thought it was a superb movie. I like that they don't shy away from the idea/(fact?) that Di's private persona was directly at odds with the image she manipulated in the media. I love how the film traces Blair's building indignation w/ the attacks leveled against his Queen, and his rise to defend her. A+

Oy, almost forgot a film we watched over the weekend: "Good Neighbors". Set in an apartment building in Quebec while a serial rapist/killer is on the loose, it follows 3 neighbors who hit it off but who may - or may not - each have their own dark secret. Lisa found it boring, I thought it was quirky and entertaining, if a bit light on action, plot, motive, and . . .well, a lot of things. Plus Jay Baurchel's voice gets on my nerves. C+

About the Blu-Ray player . . .

I should mention that my my brand new Sony Blu-Ray player, purchased in March, took a dump last month. No one dropped it, manhandled or otherwise harmed the thing, it just went kaput. Sony's response? They'll fix it, sight unseen, for a flat fee - of $110, $15 less than the cost of it new. FU Sony, rest assured the replacement will not come w/ your name on the box (when I can afford it). Meanwhile I can no longer stream my beloved Netflix, and have been in mourning ever since.

Thank You!

A big thank you to Lisa and the girls for coming by the Tiger den meeting and helping us put together a special gift for all the Mom's and Dad's!

Thank You!!

A big thank you to Lisa and the girls for coming by the Tiger den meeting and helping us put together a special gift for all the Mom's and Dad's!

Selfies by Junie

A Headscratcher

markers the kids linked together and posted over the office door for reasons unknown

Take Me Home Tonight

Natch, the 1st x I can watch a Packers game start to finish they struggle (but take away the win, may Carlos Harmon spend the night weeping). Last night Lis & I watched "Take me Home Tonight", a rom-com starring Topher Grace. Despite mediocre reviews, we both liked it a lot (and the soundtrack rocks!). Bonus - the bonus content on the DVD, which we rarely watched, was LOL & worth the rental cost alone.

And . . . 

thanks to Vincent Cruz and Desean Jackson's performances tonight on SNF, I've notched a win in my fantasy league (and I still have a player left on the field tomorrow night). 4 and 7 on the year. Yay me. (smirk).

Selfies of Junie

Watch Out!

whoo-ee LuLu is a pill today

Kiss Me Deadly

I just finished watching "Kiss Me Deadly" a 1955 Mike Hammer film considered a masterpiece of dark, paranoid noir. (recently released on Criterion, it was playing on PBS) True to its reputation, the characters are dark, brooding, sadistic, and lacking any moral center. Damn good film. And the ending - YIKES! 66 years later and I honestly think the last four minutes are among the most frightening you'll see. The sound effects alone gave me the willies!

Some of Lisa's Floral Designs