?

This . . . HAS to go down in history as the oddest New Years Eve of my life.

In Which I Bully A Man for Lulu

A grand abuse of my power: I went with LuLu to Goodwill for her to look at CD's and this guy was camped out in front of the shelves, perched on a chair and unwilling to let her have a looksee. Why would you not move for a kid to have a look? 

 So I stood next to him. No glare, no words, just a benign look on my face and 6'3 and 300# invading his personal space. He silently got up and slunked away -  but I made him leave the chair.

Ironic

Make it Make Sense

Only in Wisconsin: it's negative 10 degrees F, and your first thought when you see a guy in a zippered coat, hat, gloves, and scarf is, no lie, "Wus"

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.

Not Good

Woke up from a nap in an empty house to a sound right out of a ghost story.  I checked the house, all secure. (Not counting the loud spirit.) #ALittleRattledNotGonnaLie

Sick

I can't shake this cold. I was fine Tuesday, couldn't talk last night, today the voice is back but I'm nearly deaf in my right ear. Tomorrow I'll be able to hear but probably go blind. F this merry go round.

Brrrrr

Doctor Who Special and a Suggestion

The Christmas special/regeneration episode. Mild spoilers. Overall a well done, entertaining episode. David Bradley shined as the First Doctor, tho as with all multi-Doctor episodes the current one takes the lead. A shame really, as Bradley deserves more time in the role. Naturally NuWho had to dump on the classic show by painting 1 a sexist - as I recall, he disliked all humans equally but was hardest on Ian - but at least they made sure Bill stayed dead. Good on them for that. I'd grade this one an A-

For those of us with taste,  a suggestion to the #BBC: you have a working First Doctor set.  You have David Bradley in the stable,  and a "new" Penny and Steven.  Go ahead and make some new First Doctor episodes within his timeline.  Then look into hiring Shawn Pertwee to recreate some Third.  #please

Aaaarghhh

You want government in charge of healthcare? Go wait in line here and see what magic government can do to f up a simple process. If you still say yes, you need help. Serious help.

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

Christmas Gifts

Lisa decided to let the family open all the gifts this afternoon,  with the backdrop of a beautiful afternoon snowfall setting the scene.

A funny moment: Parker thought he was buying Olivia Slap a Wonder Woman poster, but that "WW" on the tag was followed by an "E." lol

None of the clothes I got for Christmas fit, not even the Sons of Anarchy shirt. They would have a month ago, but I've fallen off the diet wagon and packed on fifteen pounds. "Make them your goal clothes," LuLu said. 90% of my wardrobe is now "goal clothes" thank you, that's enough of that.

Christmas Eve is Here!

Christmas Eve is here!

(Merry?) Christmas Eve

 Woke up to my back out, a severe headache. my monthly and enough snow to shovel.... I'm trying to be positive but. Ugggh... Merry Christmas Eve to all, i guess.... Whatever.. Lol - Lisa

Need Some Cookies

 I need some frosted cut out sugar cookies in my life but don't want to make them..... Lol - LIsa

Glider

Smiley you are a wanna be glider lol  - Lisa

A Great Moment

I'm sitting in a clean house (thank you LuLu), with a beautiful tree surrounded by presents, with Bing Crosby playing in the background, and this macho man is literally crying. I love Christmas. I love it.

ps. The biggest, most successful and influential pop star of the 20th century? Bing fing Crosby. #MyBoy

A Wonderful Moment

I'm sitting in a clean house (thank you LuLu!), with a beautiful tree surrounded by presents, with Bing Crosby playing in the background, and this macho man is literally crying. I love Christmas. I love it.

I Feel Ya Bear

Christmas Card

To all: your Christmas cards have been received with thanks and appreciation.  But barring a miracle Team Slap won't be sending out our annual card for the first time this century. Time just got away from us.  Don't cross us off your list -- we'll be back next year. :)

A Gift From YaYa

Although our tree, as always,  looks beautiful,  I've been complaining that I miss the smell of a real Christmas tree this year.  So YaYa  surprised me with an early gift: a quality balsam scented candle!

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.

A Great Gift!

My friend Tre got me a wonderful Christmas gift -- a Milwaukee Road sign,  employer of my paternal grandpa and great-grandpa.   Then he insisted on posing with it for this post.  What a narcissistic prick. Jk Lol

Zoinks

Not my MO to s$it where I eat,  but holy crap is Lisa in a "I hate Dan" mood.  Time to invent some errands.  Errands far, far away from home.

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

53,000 Times

There should be an extra zero at the end of that number.  Ingrates ;)

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.

Enough with the "I Want"

I'm sick of the all the requests from the kids. It's seven days before Christmas. I don't care if you need insulin to live, you better damn well hold off from asking until you're sure it isn't under the tree.

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 Last Jedi

Smiley and I just saw Last Jedi. I thought it started out painfully hackneyed and chained to every SW cliche. 40 minutes in I went to the restroom, saw there were 90 minutes left, and felt a sense of dread. And then, surprisingly, it became a good movie - even great by the standards of the (non-Empire) series. The audience seemed rather let down, but I'd grade it a B.

Grrr. Spoilers

Some ahole just posted what I consider a huge spoiler for the new SW movie - smack in the middle of an unrelated, non-SW post! I may have to Greedo the stupid SOB.

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.

Maybe

Me: I'm going to quit FB at the end of the year. 

Lisa: Never going to happen.  You love arguing,  and you're an attention who*e.

'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.

The Results in Alabama

RE: Alabama.  Sure,  I'm upset a Democrat won (pending potential recount) - the country is worse off with another one in D. C.  But as far as Moore himself,  if you look back through my FB you'll find, well before he was a Senate candidate, that I called him a lousy jurist who put personal belief over the law.  I doubt that would have changed in D. C.  Should've run Luther Strange.

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

It Was

It  WAS murder, plain and simple.

 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

The Good Attendance Party

I took Junie  to a good attendance party at her school tonight.