Cancelled

With air temperatures expected to hover around negative 9 degrees F, I've cancelled our Polar Bear Plunge. I can't justify risking the health of LuLu and Stacey. We'll get back to it next year, God willing.

Boxing Day 2017

For TeamSlap's annual Boxing Day trip we drove 80 miles down to Barnaby's in Arlington Heights. I remember going to the Milwaukee location as a very small child and thinking the woman in the stained glass was attractive. They closed in MKE 35 years ago or more, so when I heard another location existed it went on the bucket list. The pizza today was great, the burger so-so, the fish fry gawd awful. Lots of fun tho. Afterwards, a spending trip at a IL Walmart. Happy Boxing Day!

Christmas Cookies

 Had to make them myself but my craving is finally satisfied. Next year, someone please gift me some cookies! - Lisa

Two Christmas Beauties

I'm just gonna drop these beauties here..

Merry Christmas

Sigh. Yup.

 

Gifts

I visited my Godson today to give him our Christmas presents.

Good on Poland

Along with Canada, Mexico, and Australia, Poland refused to vote against the US today at the UN. Kudos to my ancestral homeland. Given the scars forced on them by the German Holocaust, they should move their embassy to Jerusalem as well.

Aunt Missy

The Aunt/primary caregiver of our niece/Goddaughter in Arizona died today at 34. Things are a mess here right now, as we try and make arrangements to fly LuLu down there to be with her and represent Team Slap. RIP

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen. May almighty God bless us with His peace and strength, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

As of 6pm, our Christmas shopping is complete. You're welcome American economy.  #PatrioticDuty

This Christmas

I think there's one Caucasian in the whole movie, which is fine if the reverse wasn't considered damning. An enjoyable adult Christmas movie.

My Thoughts on 3 Famous Books

Three grossly overrated books of the 20th century: Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, Brave New World. Gatsby had some panache, but it still makes the list. BNW is remembered for its message but it's written like a bad high school assignment. Rye just sucks, like that phoney Holden.

The Midnight Line by Lee Child

The newest Lee Child novel features a mellower,  slightly more introspective Reacher -- he only kills one person,  IIRC,  albeit inventively -- as he tracks down the owner of a West Point class ring. As always with Child,  it's worth the read.

The Wishing Tree

Yesterday we donated forty dollars in gift certificates to the Wishing Tree at church, and all I keep thinking is  "I hope they got to the kids and no one stole them after Mass." Paranoia,  my old friend,  I won't miss you if you leave me.

'Corn Snowman

 Girls love their 'corns.... - Lisa

(the unicorn snowman made by Junie and her friend Tia)

Barney Miler

Still one of the best sitcoms. Ever.

True Detective S2

I've just finished the much-maligned second season of this anthology series. It is different than the first,  but taken on its own is a fine, well acted story that was worth watching.

My Day

My first day of Winter Break? A snowstorm, a sore hip, one kid calling me stupid, another saying they hate me, a doctor's appointment, and strep throat. I almost prefer Finals.

Enough!

I am not a grammar Nazi, but if one more of you write "loose" when you mean "lose," we're gonna have issues.

So my youngest was talking about who everyone has a crush on in her school... And the common crush was "Ben". She asked who the boy was who was most crushed on when I was little. I said it was a toss up between Gary Locke and Peter Chappy. She wants to know what they look like now. Any of my old classmates have the info? - Lisa

 That empty feeling of swallowing your unhappiness when the same person makes you feel unimportant for the millionth time. For the betterment of the majority. Always. - Lisa

Drumline Competition

 With Lisa and YaYa, watching PD perform at the city drumline competition at MHSA. We were asked to lead the way here, but, uh, as Lisa said about her driving:

Wanna lead the caravan?.... "sure, i drive there almost everyday, have two kids at the school"....next scene.... I take a wrong turn ...lol smh

3 Years Gone

I didn't say anything because Lisa was having a hard enough day as it was,  but yesterday marked the 3rd anniversary of her Dad's passing.  RIP Dennis.  You are missed.

Happy St. Nick's!

Happy St Nick's everyone!

 Thanks Dan for coming through for the kids when I couldn't. I appreciate you. - Lisa

A Sad Anniversary for my Dad

Today's the anniversary of the death of both of my Dad's Grandpa's,  and his Mother (each in different years.) As a result he gets awfully anxious about his own health around this time. I offered to take him to lunch (he refused) but I called and checked up on him all the same.

A Big Night! (Katy Perry)

Guess where Lisa and Junie are tonight? 

The Autopsy of Jane Doe

 Highly touted. Highly overrated. A waste of our time.

Regarding John Hockenberry

NPR's John Hockenberry is accused of sexual harassment. Two issues: one, he's paralyzed from the waist down so there is no physical threat that can be associated with the charges. Not that that would excuse boorish behavior  Second, from the sample that was read on the radio, the accusation stems from benign emails he sent asking a woman out on a date. Unless there's more, how is this charge be taken seriously?

Jim Nabors

RIP Jim Nabors. He died today at age 87.

Stunning News from NBC

NBC has fired longtime Today show host Matt Lauer for inappropriate workplace behavior.  Wow.

Why Cokie?

Cokie Roberts, longtime ABC reporter, said it was well known among female reporters that it was dangerous for a woman to get in an elevator alone with some members of Congress (alluding to Conyers and Franken, if her comment related to the conversation.) Uh. . . You are REPORTERS. Why did you choose to suppress that story??

Grrrrr

By their own admission,  our mortgage company mistakenly deleted records of our homeowner's insurance coverage,  resulting in a pissy little letter that they have since apologized for sending.  None-the-less I am spending part of my morning having to obtain proof of my policy so they can correct their own mistake.

Happy Death Day

I just watched this with Lisa . Groundhog Day but with murder. This was a hoot - fun, chill, and a classic in the making. See it!!

Justice League

A very good movie,  IMO, and bordering on great when it wasn't involved in cosmic fisticuffs.  Affleck is the perfect Batman,  like it or not,  and thank Poseidon we finally have an Aquaman that doesn't look and act like he enjoys the spandex a little too much.  Spoilers prevent me from saying more,  but it looks like Zach Snyder finally got it right.

A Dream

Last night I dreamt that we took possession of my paternal grandparents' home, fully furnished. When Lisa and I toured it it was huge, a product of the dream, but the whole night I was keeping quiet about the fact that the next day was a mandatory bar exam (which I went to on a few hours sleep). 

Then I was at an outdoor lumber yard and involved in something shady, and spent part of the dream in a police interview. Don't worry, I ain't no 🐀. 

Then back to a dinner party at our "new" house, where I confronted my Dad's friend Jim, absent forty years, about his long silence. In the dream he claimed to be the mayor of Mequon and we discussed a predicted demise of Toys R Us.

Honestly.

WTH Zuck!

Facebook put an anti-Semitic sponsored ad in my feed (alleging Jews tricked us into WWI.) Get your damn act together Zuck.

I Guess It's Snowing

Yes, Facebook friends, it is, in fact snowing. Thank you for documenting it ad nauseum.

WTH

Courtney Cox and David Arquette,  his producers at the time,  admit to dealing with a non-consensual masturbation incident with Louis C. K.  *in 2005.*  Both had far more clout than he did,  so tell me this: Why did they join the teeming masses of Hollywood stars content to allow predators to roam at will? Does anyone in Hollywood have a conscience??

100 Years Ago

100 years ago today Lenin unleashed a political system that led to the murder and suppression of tens of millions.

Two Toms!

 Aargh! We found another inflatable turkey in our basement, so we switched it out with the new one I foolishly bought last night.

Yuck

 Nice of Hollywood to stop molesting and raping each other long enough to mock prayer and tell us how to vote in the wake of the Texas church shooting. #IAppreciateYourGuidance

Thanksgiving Tom!

We took Halloween Tigger down and put up a brand new Thanksgiving turkey!

Honestly

My Facebook is cluttered w/sponsored ads for Scientology, atheism, liquor, and crappy ebooks. I liked the app better when the Russians ran it.

Champions!

Congratulations to the Houston Astros for winning the World Series!

Reformation Day

As Lisa is Lutheran, I am compelled to point out that today is the 500th anniversary of the day Luther allegedly nailed his 95 Theses to a church door, starting the Protestant Reformation. (He sent the letter that day, but probably posted it on the door in mid-November). So, from a die-hard Catholic, and for the first and last time in my life: Happy Reformation Day.

YaYa got her Nose Pierced

got my nose pierced today - YaYa

WTH Junie?!!!

Junie was eating on the couch and got crumbs on the seat. I told her to clean it up, and then, from experience, told her "And that doesn't mean brush it onto the carpet." I left for a second, came back, and you know what she was doing? SHOVING THE CRUMBS INTO THE CRACK OF THE SEAT CUSHION. WTH?

Sons of Anarchy

I've finished season three. It wasn't my favorite. The whole Belfast excursion played out like a (violent) comic book, and too much of the season was handcuffed by the events of the previous finale. S3's finale to tho, nearly salvaged the year. My word, that episode was good.

Thieves

Smiley called my attention to some kids in the yard. When I came out the back door and barked they dropped whatever they grabbed and booked it down the alley. As there's only one redheaded, freckled black kid in the neighborhood, it wasn't difficult to track him home and speak to his grandfather.

Differing Opinions

Whatever else happens, at least the f'ing Red Sox have been eliminated.

My teacher said if the red soxs won he would buy us pizza. So no it's not great  - LuLu

Driving with YaYa

I drove solo with YaYa last night. She did fine, but I am not constitutionally suited to driving with any student driver: this fact is so well known that YaYa  actually complimented my performance at the end of the ride, instead of the other way around! 😂

The Return of the Hip

After a week of tranquility the hip roared back overnight. No sleep, an icepack , and a Sons of Anarchy marathon = my Sunday night. Feels better now, so we'll see.

Homecoming

I was very proud to see Lulu attend her school Homecoming Dance Friday night (technically, the Fall Ball, as they don't have a football team). I haven't had a chance to ask her about it yet, but she texted me these pictures and said she had fun!

For Sale (or gifting)

We are replacing each of the kids bed frames. One is a solid wood loft bed with plenty of storage drawers. Another is a Bilt Rite dresser and headboard. A third is a masculine brown frame with bookcase headboard. I'm not looking for a lot, but we'd like something, but if your needs are pressing a gift is not out of the question (we've been there). Let us know

If Words matter, then the should matter

You're not a terrorist unless your violence is committed to further a political aim. Quit trying to shift the definition for your own agenda. Post all the memes you want, until/unless it's shown the Vegas killer had a political goal, he's not a terrorist. He's just a murdering a$$hole.

What an Idiot

Dumbest FB comment of the day: a man received a final "I love you" text from his dying spouse, a victim of the Vegas shooting. A woman commented on the article that the wife was selfish and that she (the commenter) would expect her spouse to call, not text, such a sentiment. FU lady.

Tom Petty

RIP Tom Petty

update: Hold up - TMZ and Rolling Stone are now reporting Tom Petty is still alive.    

 " LAPD says information about Tom Petty’s death “was inadvertently provided to some media sources,” says it has no details"

Update 2: I've been burned before, but it appears Tom Petty has now truly passed. RIP

:)

The kids are not parrots of my views; more often than not they swallow the indoctrination of this society whole. So trust me when I say it was from his own heart that Smiley penned a school essay against the NFL protest of our flag; he was the only kid in class not to ape the party line of his teachers. #proud

So Bay View

How the Bay View nutters on Facebook view local politics:

A Procedure on the Hip

Having a procedure to reduce the hip pain

Update on the hip procedure: it was an X-ray guided cortisone shot into the ball of the joint, and I watched it live on a screen in front of me. Contrary to how it was advertised, it was painful as hell, but the local they gave me kicked in (after) and I enjoyed a blissful couple of hours with the hip of old. Now it's sore, but we'll see if things improve. September was more or less wiped out from the pain, and I'm looking forward to getting back to (my) normal.

The Vegas Shooting should not be exploited for gain

I'm reposting this, NOT out of partisanship, but to call attention to stupidity (from any side) in the wake of this tragedy.  

Quoting HRC on Facebook today: 

"The crowd fled at the sound of gunshots.

Imagine the deaths if the shooter had a silencer, which the NRA wants to make easier to get."

Yeah, I'm pretty damn sure no silencer was going to muffle the sound of what is reported to be a fully automatic rifle with a theoretical firing speed of 700 rounds per minute. 

I know Emmanuel Rahm's mantra of "every media tragedy is a [political] opportunity", but sometimes,  just be a human f-ing being.

Junie the Businesswoman

Junie has started a slime business at school, earning pocket money every day. The other night she had me seal little nickel-sized bags with a lighter, like some second rate pot dealer. lol

Is ISIS responsible for Vegas?

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the shooter in Vegas, but that smells like bullsh**.

A Debate

LuLu just cut the lawn and couldn't get the mower started. 

Lu: Just start it for me Dad. 

Me: No, no, I'm all for gender equality. 

Lu: That doesn't apply to some stuff. 

Me: Yeah, and I notice that "some stuff" is whatever is hard or dirty. 

Lu: Whatever. It doesn't begin to make up for the centuries of oppression at the hands of men. 

me: LOL. Go spin that crap to a liberal who cares. Nutter. Now try.

The Massacre of Mankind by Stephen Baxter

I just finished this authorized sequel to the H.G. Wells classic "War of the Worlds."  It's told in Wells' style and tone, and stays true to the chronology and now-archaic science of the original.  At 453 pages it's long,  and frankly the brief forays into foreign lands could have been cut,  but by and large it's a dandy of a book.

Goodbye Taurus (#1)

Yesterday I sold my Ford Taurus,  having upgraded to a model a year newer,  with 95k fewer miles.  (see pic). I remain grateful for the two years of service I got from the old Taurus, which Thomas G and Kelly G sold  to me for only $100 at a time when we really needed a second car.

Life Goes Fast

With Junie at a campout and Smiley at Grandma's, only my two older girls were home -and each quickly left to spend Friday evening with a boy. Life is changing :)

An Opinion

When the attribution for your weird ass ideas start with "I once read a post . . ." then you are part of the problem.

Maybe

"I think you enjoy people hating you. Maybe you should be a defense attorney," Lisa said. 

"That's not true at all," I replied. 

A minute later: "I think I'll write a fan letter to OJ Simpson tonight, maybe invite him for a home cooked Thanksgiving meal."

Lisa: "See?"

Hugh Hefner

RIP Hugh Hefner, aged 91, founder of Playboy. I salute you sir.

Frustration

And.....my new tweezers and nail polish remover is gone again..... I'll go around hairy with jacked polish but I bet I know two teen girls who will have perfect arches and manicures. Ugh..... Frustrated. - Lisa

LOL

Editors, Please

Why reporters need attentive editors. RE: Aaron Judge: "He is the fourth player in Yankees history to hit 50 home runs in a season, joining Babe Ruth (four times), Mickey Mantle (twice), Roger Maris and Alex Rodriguez."  Hmmm. That adds up to five in my book.

It

Smiley and YaYa went to see "It" today.  Smiley reported it was creepy but not scary; YaYa liked it but wasn't swept off her feet.  I had tickets in hand to see it with Lisa last week but cancelled because of the hip.  Lisa later saw the film with her friend JJ and gave it a positive review.

Stand for the Flag, or Lose my $

This Ain't Fall Weather

The prior record was 92 degrees in 1937. 

Swim

@ Riverside High Swim meet for YaYa

A Fact to Recite with Pride

In 1430, King Władysław II Jagiełło of Poland granted the Privilege of Jedlnia, which proclaimed, Neminem captivabimus nisi iure victum ("We will not imprison anyone except if convicted by law"). This revolutionary innovation in civil libertarianism gave Polish citizens due process-style rights that did not exist in any other European country for another 250 years. - Wikipedia

Goodbye, gentle steed

I've sold our Freestar.  It was a pain in the butt at times,  but it took us to Ohio,  Chicago,  House on the Rock, Cave of the Mounds, work, school, and a thousand dr visits/Scout events/dance classes.  And while it didn't save the hip,  two tons of Ford steel made sure that's all that was lost.  Go in peace my van, and thanks for your service.

Trump at the UN

A great quote from a great speech.

Handy-Man

Tonight I disassembled our dishwasher, replaced the hoses and hose assembly, and put it back together - correctly. This, despite the peanut gallery saying "you'll break it" and "you'll wind up calling Eric." 

I did, in fact, call Eric, but only to borrow some tools. All these haters that mooch off me can go jump in the lake.

Our New Car!

We bought a new (to us) car today, a Ford Flex. It's our eighth Ford in the last 22 years (three of which we still own at this writing. )