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

Captain America

Normally I find superhero movies tedious at best, and usually nothing more than an excuse to spend $ on f/x instead of a script. Not so with 'Captain America', which I greatly enjoyed. The emphasis was on the story and the character (of the man, not the 'hero') and I thought it was well done start to finish. I even enjoyed the '40's visuals and look forward to seeing more of Cap. (Smiley and Lu also enjoyed the film, tho' Yaya  ducked out halfway through).

Regis's Finale

watching Regis' last show. Two minutes in and I'm damn near tearing up

Lisa's Arrangements

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)" by Mindy Kaling

Today I finished reading "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)" by Mindy Kaling ('Kelly' from 'The Office'). It's funny and I enjoyed it, but it was nowhere near as good as Tina Fey's offering. Check it out.

Friends

LOL'ing through an episode of Friends (the one where Ross meets Phoebe's future husband - "Chandler watches shark porn!")

Quote

"A thought which does not result in an action is nothing much, and an action which does not proceed from a thought is nothing at all." - Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Accused at 17 and The Craigslist Killer

Awhile back we rented "Accused at 17" a TV-movieish DVD about a 17 year old framed for murder after her revenge against a rival goes too far. It was ok, but nothing I'd watch a second time. Also, a coupladays back we rented "The Craigslist Killer", a good if unexceptionable take on the famous case. A) Dude was a media creation. One murder in Boston and he's national news? C'mon B) he wasn't very good at it. If there's one thing I respect it's competency, and thus he earns an F.

Chained

After work/dance/X-Factor I rented "Chained" an Aussie film set in the '70's. Jules is a mid-level mob guy who's given control of a brothel that deals in women forced into sexual slavery. His conscience starts to get the best of him, putting him at odds with his bosses. Horrible reviews on the web, just awful - but I liked it. I really did. Sure, it had flaws and the accents were so strong that at times I had to resort to the subtitles (which were only in Spanish!) to understand the dialogue. Still, Paul Murphy was great as Jules, and I liked the character a lot. Worth the price of a Redbox rental, for sure.

Yay!

Junie is line leader for 'galloping' @ dance 2day!

Semi-Celebrity Sighting

Today I sold a Nook to former Brewer Jerry Augustine, who was buying it for a woman who will care for him after upcoming surgery. I also sold one to Ms. Charney's husband (as a gift for her).

Back and Forth with LuLu

(yesterday, en route to dance)

LuLu: When I grow up I'm going to be a teacher. I'm gonna go to college. 

Me: Really? I kind of hoped you'd grow up to be a drug dealer slash bank robber.

LuLu:  (w/out missing a beat): No, that'll be my summer job . . .

NKOTB on Regis

i love Donnie Osmond. And Regis Philbin.

New Kids clip just played on Regis, the earliest act showcased today by nearly a decade!

Insidious and a True Story

'Insidious' is a mighty scary movie, at least until they devote the last fourth of the film to some new-agey rigmarole and end on a note right out of a teen horror flick. Nice to see Darth Maul's still acting tho'. 

Anyhow, true story: Lisa was less than horrified by the film's demon, because a year or two before she met me she flipped down the visor of her car and saw *that* face reflected back at her in the mirror, as if it was in the back seat behind her. She screamed, as you'd expect, but there endeth the anecdote.

Me and My Junebug

A Great Sunday

We had a memorable Sunday. We slept in for a change, then after a nice breakfast headed off to Sue B's to take some great family pictures at her new studio. Then, since the kids were so good, Lisa and I treated them to a dinner out at Romine's before returning home in time to catch Sunday Night Football. A great day all around!

Pain

I want it noted that I have long rebelled against the molly-coddled hypochondria of my youth, to the point where I go too far the other way (Good luck finding a bandage in this house sissy.) But . . . the heel spur in my left foot is hellish. At the best of times it's a dull ache, but lately the pain rates as 'hideous'. It's affecting the way I stand and the way I walk, which in turn is hurting my back, ankle & leg. The whole damn limb looked/felt like a mangled mess after a full day's work the other day. Ugh. Ugh.

Smile for the Camera!

Sports

If the Dodgers sign Matt Kemp to an 8 year/$160 million contract, as is likely the case, then they're bleepin' morons.

Also - I had a 30 point lead going into tonight's Packers game . . . and courtesy of Aaron Rodgers, I have now *lost* this weeks fantasy matchup. 'Tis worth it, to watch Aaron pick apart the Vikings on MNF. (and there's still much of a quarter to go)

Lisa Composes a Poem

For Halloween, Lisa had to compose a nursery rhyme for Junie to take to school to accompany her (award winning) unicorn costume. Here it is: There once a unicorn named Uni/She was cute as can be, but puny/Wherever she went, she galloped so slow/her friends laughed and called her looney

The Beaver

Last night we watched Jodie Foster's "The Beaver", a stunning examination of the impact mental illness has on a family. It's the rare script I wish I could take credit for, and Mel Gibson's nuanced performance was spellbinding. He is a man of incredible talent, & kudos to Foster for thumbing her nose @ the powers that be and casting him. A++

Pearl Harbor Christmas: A World at War December 1941 by Stanley Weintraub

I finished reading "Pearl Harbor Christmas: A World at War December 1941" by Stanley Weintraub. It's an account of the first month the US spent in WWII, and while it was a decent read I'd classify it as "History Lite" (think a one hour PBS special, as opposed to an in-depth, well sourced treatise). 

Anyhow, I did enjoy the breathtaking story of the "Robert E Peary", a freighter that escaped Japanese detection in the Pacific, survived fierce friendly fire, and managed to limp into Port Darwin, Australia nearly intact.

Smiley and his lady

Smiley and his "wife" of two years, Tempe

Gizmo

Gizzie ~ How odd to think this cat out lived Maddie , Cocoa and everyone else !! Stolen any ham lately :) - Katie 

My Four

Five Chiefs: A Supreme Court Memoir by John Paul Stevens

I finished reading 'Five Chiefs: A Supreme Court Memoir' by retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. I learned a lot about the workings of the court, but it was so dry that it seems doomed to be forgotten.

X-Factor

watching X Factor

Oops

Graphic seen on ABC Nightly News w/ Diane Sawyer: 'Choas reigns on Campus' (sic). Sctuff like that didn't happen when Peter Jennings was alive, let me tell ya.

A People of Hope: Archbishop Timothy Dolan in conversation with John L. Allen Jr

I finished reading "A People of Hope: Archbishop Timothy Dolan in conversation with John L. Allen Jr". It's a book length interview w/ Dolan on many of the issues concerning the Church today. A great read, tempered by Allen's tendency to insert pop culture references into his commentary. I love Dolan's theory of "affirmative orthodoxy" btw.

Elecktra Luxx

Watched "Elecktra Luxx" a film about a recently retired porn star, an adoring blogger/fan, a cheating housewife, and a dead rock star. You'd think it would be raunchy and vulgar, but you know what? It was kind of sweet, and oddly Catholic. Really. A respect for the unborn, an emphasis on love and relationships, and even sincere prayers to the Virgin Mary. An entertaining if odd little film.

I honestly never thought I'd see the day

Penn State has fired Joe Paterno . . .

Some Pics from School