#@#$% Orioles

G*&&*amn Orioles tied the Yanks for first in the AL East. I'm so sick of that Bad News Bears wannabee Orange wearing one season wonders that I could vomit. Go away already.

Yanks rally to beat the Jays. A Texas win tonight earns them a post-season berth. They remain tied atop the AL East with three games to play . . .

.500. Finally.l

And with that I win my fantasy match-up, bringing my record up to 2-2. More importantly, I beat the commish aka Socialist, and that is a sweet and sassy thing.

The 1995 Project

I have been sorting through and organizing the hundreds - and I mean hundreds  - of letters, cards, notes, ticket stubs and receipts Lisa and I accumulated in 1995, the year we first met. It's nostalgic, certainly, but a little bothersome. As many of you might remember, there was a bit of a persistent bump in the road that year.  Whenever that subject came up many of my letters reek of ignorant (but sincere) rationalizations for my behavior, dismiss Lisa's objections as selfish, and, well, to put it plainly, in retrospect, I sound like an ass. While I've made up for it over the last 17 years it's still hard to read. I destroyed one of the worst of the bunch, but that pissed Lisa off, saying it's our shared history and not to be disturbed. Easy for her to say; my grandkids are gonna read this stuff and get the deeply mistaken impression that I'm not The Greatest Man Ever. How can she do that to them?

Costume Time

What costumes are your kids mulling over for Halloween? Who's already got the glue gun, sewing machine, and velcro on the ready? We've got a Cinderella, ninja, goth rag doll, and Katniss Everdeen in the works @ our house :) Large pumpkins at the pig $1.98 w/ card btw :)

- Lisa

A Blast from the Past - House on the Rock '95

Excluding my huge'90's glasses, my thin to the point of alopecia beard and my patented "this gray sweatshirt makes my belly look flat" method of dress, this is a swell picture.

This was taken on May 24th, 1995 at the House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wisconsin. It was my first visit to the place, but Lisa was a veteran and had recommended it, and good on her - I loved it.

It was on this trip that I bought her a lovely glass paperweight that still resides in our home today.

Note also my red winter jacket, which Lisa had absconded from me. I ordered that from a glossy advertisement in the Sunday paper, and gladly paid extra for my name to be embroidered on the chest. It was a different time, what can I say?

Yup

When I grow up I want to be Jim Stingl

Donald J Sobol

A belated RIP to Donald J. Sobol, the creator and author of the Encyclopedia Brown series that I gobbled up a kid. He passed away at age 87 on July 11th. :(

Welcome to 2003! pt 1

In 2003 I used my monthly planner to jot down very brief notes about my day - sometimes too brief. At times, reading over the list, I had no idea what a notation meant. So when it came time to type the notes up for posterity, I’ve added a ‘?’ behind my reports of those forgotten but apparently noteworthy events.

There are several significant milestones in the newborn LuLu’s life mentioned below; those events I’ve written in boldface.

You’ll also note that I spent a lot of time going out to eat and attending Brewers games. That seems so implausible, given my current financial standing, that I literally grew depressed almost to the point of tears after I typed it up.  Apparently, I had a lot more financial wiggle room in 2003 than I noticed at the time.

With that nonsense out of the way, welcome to 2003!

January 2003

Thursday the 2^nd: Grandma Clara turns 80

Friday the 3^rd: found out we’re having a girl!

Friday the 10^th: noon [appt] for Yaya

Sunday 12th - Grandma's (Clara) Bday Party 1:30 PM  in the Hospitality Inn Columns ballroom

Thurs the 16^th: Jaspare and Chris’ birthday’s

Sun the 19^th: Tastefully Simple Party

Monday the 20^th: Lisa 3 PM appt with ob/gyn

Wed 22nd - Lisa sick. I watch YaYa. [pediatrician] 1pm. Cafe Chili @ night.

February 2003

Thurs the 6^th: Dan water aerobics

Monday the 10^th: job interview [for who?] at 4 PM

Tuesday the 11^th: Toddler playgroup 9-10 AM

Wednesday the 12^th: 1:45 PM appt with ob/gyn + glucose [test] 6PM Aerobics

Thurs the 13^th: toddler group

Thurs the 14^th: todder group 9-10 AM

Friday the 28^th: Dan [what?] 11:15

March 2003

Sunday March 2^nd:   Barney! [live show downtown] After Barney cake for Katie.

Thursday March 6^th:  Stacey’s bday. Sleepover.

Monday the 10^th: Ob/gyn appointment 2:30 PM – ask for records

Friday the 21^st: Swizzlers? [restaurant]

Saturday the 22^nd: Bucco [Di Beppo’s restaurant] 4:00 w/ Mom [Jeanne] for Dan’s bday

Sunday the 23^rd: Stacey’s bday party

Monday the 24^th: car seat [buy a second one?]

Tuesday the 25^th: Los Mariachi’s [restaurant]

Friday the 28^th: 1 PM Dan doc appt

Monday the 31^st: We take YaYa to see the 3 PM showing of The Piglet Movie at South Shore, cost $5.50, theater Left 9. YaY’s 1^st ever movie!

April 2003

Friday the 4^th:  10:30 Walmart pics

Saturday the 5^th: Bucco @ 4PM for Dan’s Mom’s bday

Sunday the 6^th: Pancake breakfast [w/ Easter bunny] and from 12-230 Skate University skating party [for who?]

Monday the 7^th: 2:30 PM ob/gyn

Tuesday the 8^th: last day of playgroup

Wednesday the 9^th: 3 PM ob/gyn

Tuesday the 15^th: Lisa – haircut

Wednesday the 16^th: 1PM pediatrician for YaYa. Anthony and Nina? [playgroup friend (Anthony) of YaYa). Question mark original] Bucks game 7:00 (Dan, Jonah)

Thursday the 17^th: Easter egg dyeing

Friday the 18^th: baby shower 11:30

Easter Sunday the 20^th: Church. Arthur Ave 4/4:30 pm

Tuesday the 22^nd: Stacey’s baptismal anniversary (kitty and card)

Wednesday the 23^rd: ob/gyn at 3:15PM. 6-8 open house at flat ?

Saturday the 26^th: Tre tuxes

Sunday the 27^th: favors and invites at Pam & Tre’s

Monday the 28^th: oil change

Tuesday the 29^th: playgroup at 9 AM

Wednesday the 30^th: 2:45 ob/gyn

May 2003

Thursday the 1^st: playgroup 9 am

Tuesday the 6^th: project and snack for YaYa’s class

Wednesday the 7^th: 2:45 PM ob/gyn

Friday the 9^th: Pick up slide @ 2 PM

Saturday the 10^th: Mindy’s class @ 8 am.

Sunday the 11^th: Dan’s Mom’s house and hospital then eat at Bamboo House

Tuesday the 13^th: Playgroup

Wednesday the 14^th: 2:30 ob/gyn

Thursday the 15^th: tuxes with tre. Dan’s class at 7 pm

Friday the 16^th: Fish fry Sioux and Dave @ 5-7:30? (? Original)

Saturday the 17^th: Dave – videogames, movie? Sprint (? Original)

Sunday the 18^th: 3 PM manicure/pedicure for Lisa and Jeanne

Monday the 19^th: Chuck E Cheese for YaYa

Tuesday the 20^th: playgroup

Thursday the 22^nd: ob/gyn 1:15 PM playgroup 9-10

Friday the 23^rd: Movie

Saturday the 24^th: 4PM BBQ w/ Mom and Jaspare

Wed the 28th: LuLu's due date (marked with a blue colored heart). 8 am ob/gyn

Thurs the 29th: Olive Garden; library with YaYa

Friday the 30^th: Finding Nemo opens. Yaya went with grandma (Jeanne) to Southgate to see Nemo!

Sat 31st - Pam's wedding shower 2PM

June 2003

Sunday the 1^st:  Elliot’s graduation. 1PM Brian and DeLaura’s baby shower

Monday the 2^nd – tux fitting 4PM

Tuesday the 3^rd: Sammy Sosa is caught using a corked bat

Wednesday the 4^th – LuLu is born! J

Sunday the 10^th: 9pm channel 71 - madonna

Wednesday the 11^th: Jaspare and Jeanne’s anniversary

Thursday the 12^th – umbilical cord falls off; 1^st bath. Pick up mindy @ 3:30. 6-8PM Chuck E Cheese for Caitlin’s bday

Sat the 14^th – Eric and Kris’ wedding reception

Monday the 16^th – LuLu’s 1^st bus ride! Nina and Anthony 5ish

Wed the 18^th – LuLu doc 22” 9# 15 oz [1^st visit to Pri**o]

Thurs the 19^th – Lu and YaYa’s 1^st bath together! Jolene 1ish? [? In original]

Friday the 20^th: 1:30 PM appt at Walmart Vision @ Southgate. 3PM tux fitting

June 21^st – Tre’s bachelor party. Esperanza’s 3^rd bday @ Jackson park

Thursday June 26^th – poop incident (I think this is when YaYa chose to decorate the wall of her room in her poop). Mindy’s party 7pm.

Friday the 27^th: Tastefully Simple party 6PM. Mindy’s party at 11:30-3:30PM

Saturday the 28^th: Lisa gets hair cut and dyed “by Robbie” at 1PM

Monday the 30^th: noon-3 Children’s Day [Summerfest]

Quote

"Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare." --Japanese Proverb

On Football and Dance

Left a voice mail message on Pete Goddell's office line (1-212-450-2027). Pointless, but whatever.

"Any player/coach in Seattle that really thinks they won that game has zero integrity as a man and should be embarrassed." ~T.J. Lang

With one backup WR lost to a non-call by a replacement ref (Darrius Heyward-Bey), I've decided to replace him with another player forever linked to the idiots in stripes - Golden Tate. Sure he's dishonorable and I hope his soul rots in purgatory, but meanwhile I'll make use of him.

Ok, enough football for now. On to more important matters: the season premiere of the All-Star Season of Dancing with the Stars. It's a crock of shi*t that Joey McIntyre wasn't invited back, for starters. Beyond that everyone but Pam Anderson did well, although I note that most of the stars have gained significant weight since their last appearance. Anyhow, GO BRISTOL!

Battleship

Just finished watching 'Battleship', and yes, I did go at midnight to rent it the minute it came out on Redbox. I thought it was a swell movie, with lots of action and an endearing cast of characters that populated a pretty tight storyline.  MUCH better than your standard shoot 'em up, and while it isn't Oscar material, I'd grade it a personal A and an objective B.

Junie with the Grin

Christmas Morning 2011

We worked hard to make Christmas special in 2012, putting extra thought into our gifts and scraping together what we thought was an impressive and memorable bounty for the holiday. In some cases we bought presents as early as the summer, so as to take advantage of off-season prices. 

Note: yes, I know. Christmas is not about the presents, but about Christ, and family. Agreed. But it also the one time of year we get to go overboard on the kids, and frankly, Lisa and I both enjoy giving gifts.

Anyhow, by late Christmas Eve the presents were in neat little stacks around the living room; Yaya's by the television, Smiley's by the loveseat "Mom's Perch", and the two youngest girls gifts sat by the fireplace.

Come morning, the kids actually obeyed our steadfast rule: come down dressed well enough for (casual) pictures, or do not expect to open any gifts :)

We opened the gifts round robin.

Ginger opened her dolly

Smiley opened his red 'brag' vest for Cub Scouts

LuLu opened her Justin Bieber perfume!

YaYa opened a pair of Taylor Swift CD's

Momma opened up a 45 piece set of flatware (she'd kill me if I showed you the picture I took that morning)

I opened my remote boat (aka remote caddy) WHICH, I might add, I used the dickens of before it broke mid-year

Ginger opened up a stuffed pink doggy and a carrying tote/cage for it

Smiley opened a Power Rangers fighting dress up set complete with mask and sword

Lu got some clothes with her dance studio logo

YaYa got a stuffed owl (she's very into owls)

Momma opened two 12 piece clear glass dinnerware sets

Smiley gave me an ornament he made at school

Ginger got some princess dress-up clothes

Smiley opened some underwear (they all got a package, and crayons too) and Lu got Justin Bieber trading cards

YaYa got an archery certificate

Then, one of the best presents I've ever gotten: a 1st edition Nook from Barnes and Noble!

Smiley got a Ninja sweatshirt

each of the kids got a braided hemp rosary

while YaYa got a Taylor Swift tour CD/DVD

I got Lisa a collapsible backscratcher, while I got a streaming Netflix player that I would soon donate to the kids for use on their TV

Ginger opened a set of earings and necklace

YaYa got some books

Smiley opened up a Pokemon battle toy

LuLu got fuzzy blue slipper boots with a glittery peace sign on the side and a copy of the game "Guess Who?"

Smiley aka 'the flower and garden guy" got a Chia Pet "Shrek"

I bought Lisa a sewing basket and a bottle of Perry Ellis 360

I got a cribbage set (and no one to play it with)

Ginger got pink rain boots that she'd been dying for, and a tea set!

YaYa got dance studio apparell too

Lu got a lamp (IIRC, this is the one that would later wreak havoc with us on the night of the Hunger Games premiere)

Smiley got the game "Hoppers Jr."

Ginger got a journal and a set of six Fairy Angels

YaYa got an owl ring and necklace

Smiley got 'battle armour' for a Zhu Zhu pet

Lulu got a "Tear up this Book" journal and a Lauren Alaina CD

I got an electric razor!

Ginger got slippers

Smiley got a jumbo Bakugan coloring book

Ginger got a My Little Pony book with a set of figurines

Lu got a Selena Gomez journal

YaYa opened a snowboard, which we bought for her months in advance and hid in the basement rafters. We thought it'd be  a great hit, but of course the winter of 2011-12 featured barely any snow at all! She also got a fashion journal.

Here's Ginger's dance studio apparel

Smiley got a Pokemon DVD and pocket guide

Lu got a notebook decorated with hearts and a Justin Bieber picture book!

Ginger opened a $25 gift cerfticate to Build a Bear!

Smiley got a six piece twin bed set for his room

LuLu's big gift - a digital drum kit! She'd been asking for a drum kit for months. Alas, her love affair with the kit lasted all of a few days before she came up with excuses as to why it wasn't good enough, and we didn't we buy her a real set, etc. :(

Ok, this next gift was such a big hit it deserves a post of its own - YaYa got her very own 1st edition Nook!

Then my big gift to Lisa: a Nook Tablet and case. I thought she could check her mail, read magazines, and surf the web all from the Perch, since she considered it a bother to go into our messy office. She loved it! But sadly so did the kids, who steal it at every opportunity. She rarely sees it. :(

When I first glanced at these pictures, I felt in hindsight that it was a big waste of money and that precious few of the gifts were ever used. Upon review, I was wrong. The adult gifts - the Nooks, the Netflix streamer, the razor, the perfume, flatware, etc - were spot on. Yes, the sewing box fell apart soon after but that wasn't my fault; it was pricey enough to last, trust me.

Of the kids stuff the Build A Bear GC, the Nook, and the pink rain boots were steady producers, but I'd say the other gifts (except the before mentioned drum kit) earned their money.

Anyhow, that was our Christmas morning. Later in the day we treated the kids to a movie, going to see Alvin and Chipmunks: Chipwrecked in the theater.

Hope your Christmas was just as fun!