Mitski Listening Party

In celebration of one of his favorite artists, Mitski, releasing a new album "The Land is Inhospitable and So are We," Smiley went to a listening party at Lilliput records, along with Junie and one of her Core Four, Kevin. 

A Walk with the Boys

Smiley and I went on for a walk with the doggos, in large part to gather Pokemon lol

Bon Appetit

Let it be known throughout the land:

This meal, imagined and financed by Lisa, and cooked by Smiley, is the bomb diggity.

Smashed red potato drizzled with oil and baked with fresh parmesan, a side of grilled mushrooms and onions, and hand to heart, cube steaks so tender you could have poured them into a cup and drank them like wine. 

Bravo!

First Day!!!!!

The big man had his first day of college today (although his second class was canceled due to the unusually high temperature.) 

Good Luck Smiley! YOU GOT THIS!!

In Which Petco fails us and loses my trust

So I decided to take Sawyer to get his rabies update a clinic at Petco, and brought Huckleberry along for a nail trim. Thankfully, Smiley agreed to go with, because otherwise I would have been soooo bleeped LOL

There are many lousy things to forget about the Covid years, but the protocol that was set up by vets to deal with it was something not only worth remembering but worth continuing into the present day. You'd call or text the vet from the parking lot when you arrived, but then wait in the car with your pet until it was your turn. If it was an end-of-life procedure, you could accompany your pet inside; if not, you handed off your pet and waited outside until they were done. 

Easy peezy, no contact, no fuss. 

Petco, on the other hand, chose to line up a bunch of dogs for this clinic, all strangers to one another, up one one aisle and down another. While you waited, hoping your dog didn't freak out on the dog ahead of him, or vice versa, you had to deal with idiotic parents that ALLOWED their kids to touch strange dogs without asking (and even asked to pose for a picture with them - this was the PARENT asking mind you!), and heat, and impatience, and dogs reacting to the sounds of other dogs getting treated . . . what a mess. 

Thankfully, Smiley took Huck to the groomer there for his nails, then kept him busy 95% of the time Sawyer and I waited. Quite unlike him, Sawyer was well behaved and chill, that is, until the vet got ahold of him. 

From the jump the vet was nervous and skittish, and her fear wafted off her. Sawyer (again, not the norm) reacted without violence or misbehavior, merely trying to break free. Time and again the vet would dramatically drop the syringe on the floor and jump backwards like she was avoiding a striking cobra. 

Wrong profession for you ma'am. Wrong profession. 

In the end she gave up. Just quit. Said she couldn't do it and we should go elsewhere. 

W. T. H. ????

Epic fail Petco. Epic fail. 

Hospital Gowns, Battered Cod, and a New 'Do

Disregard the hospital gown, as nothing was wrong. I was just in for a colonoscopy/endoscopy ordered by my doc because of my age. And no, I'm not as happy to have a camera up my bum as I appear here lol

I had been spooked by a bunch of people warning me the lead up to the procedure  aka the colon cleanse, was torturous. I didn't think it was bad.  Tiring, and I developed a headache from being dehydrated, but that's it. By the time Smiley drove me to the 10am procedure, I just wanted it over and done. 

Unfortunately, the guy in front of me in the queue passed out when getting his IV  - don't get me started on what I think of him - and delayed my time on the table. So I sat in a hospital gown and watched the Simpson's "Dome" episodes while they fanned and doted on the first guy. 

An hour later I woke up from the anesthesia, was told I was good to go for the next ten years, and sent on my way via a ride from Lisa. 

Anyhow, the moral of the story is, if you're an old man like me, listen to your doctor and get the procedure.

*****

After a few hours recovery at home, I took Junie for a haircut and styling at a salon on the East side. 

Here's the before pic: 

The "during" pic: 

And the after: 

Then, not having eaten anything for 46 hours at that point, I feasted on a fish fry from Saraphinos, while Junie had pizza. 

Lunch at Egg & Flour

Yesterday Lisa, the two youngest, and her Mom ate a late lunch/early dinner at Egg & Flour, the restaurant of hometown Hells Kitchen contestant Adam Pawlak.

The food looked great. Carbonera and bolognese, meatballs, bread, salad ... it figures, since I wasn't invited! Lol

Vigilance

Yesterday Smiley sent me these photos of our doggos diligently protecting our homestead.

The dangerous subject they were watching? THIS guy:

Some Fresh Art

A Long Time Coming

By choice, I have not had dark meat in close to forty years.  Today, bc my son took a good chunk of the day to cook it for dinner, I had my first drumstick since I was a kid.  Not bad honestly - not nearly as "moist" as Mom described it.  Good job Smiley!

Good Job Smiley!

Proud of the fact that all 3 of my adult children see voting as an important responsibility. Today was Smiley's first time.

Edit: He had to vote early, he will be out of the country. - Lisa

Kahuna!

 Pics by Smiley

It's Smiley's 18th!!

Happy Birthday my *adult* son! Xo Stół Lot!!!

Paint & Play

So yesterday evening Lisa and I (and, independently, YaYa and her BF) went to see Smiley's art show at his school. 

Now I  thought it was to be an exhibition of visual art work - you know, painting on a wall, sculptures on a pedestal. Nope. It was something far better, a combination of art, music, and game. 

A music major would perform a solo piece of classical music, while a single art major would stand in the front of the room, canvas to the crowd, and paint a piece in only the time provided by the music. When it was done, so was the painting. When it wasn't their turn to paint, each art student would complete the same task at their seat, but with dry media. 

Smiley painted to "Watashi No Uno" accompanied by a great pianist who was at our house for Halloween, as she's a friend of Dem's. 

After the intermission the six art students rotated out, and he jointed us to watch the rest of the show. 

After the show each drawing was up for sale for a $5 donation to the school, and we took home 5 - two of Smiley's (the dual faces and the flowers), a sarcastic Shrek work that he thought was hilarious, a drawing by his ex CeeCee (which we gifted to her) and a drawing of a woman in the woods the we all admired. 

Good job man! We're proud of you!!

* some pics courtesy of Yaya