Published writer, compulsive reader, Old School Whovian, Match Game enthusiast, NKOTB fan, data hoarder, and - surprisingly, given that list - married with four kids. Welcome to my take on life, fatherhood, entertainment, and whatever strikes my fancy. Enjoy!
Showing posts with label quote of the day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quote of the day. Show all posts
Friday, June 1, 2012
Quote of the Day
Whenever I think, "That person's clothes make him look like a circus clown," I tell myself, "Shut up, Tim. Maybe he IS a circus clown." - Tim Gunn
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Quote of the Day
"When you are getting kicked from the rear it means that you are out in front." Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Quote of the Day
"I don't mean to sound cold or cruel or vicious, but I am so that's how it comes out." - Bill Hicks
Monday, April 30, 2012
A Quote by Archbishop Fulton Sheen
"It is really not honor based on virtue which men seek today, but rather reputation, which is measured more by its width than its depth." Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Quote of the Day
The inability to forget is infinitely more devastating than the inability to remember," - Mark Twain
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Two Quotes of the Day
"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." - James Baldwin
"How often in life it is a truth that we have no time for our friends but all the time in the world for our enemies." - Leon Uris
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Quote of the Day
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion.- George Bernard Shaw
Monday, May 17, 2010
Quote of the Day
"Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil." - Jerry Garcia
Monday, May 3, 2010
See what I put up with? - Quote of the Day
Lisa and I enjoy watching shows on Discovery ID like Dateline, 48 Hours - basically any of the well-done network true crime shows. The cable reruns also come with the added benefit of being old enough for a nice postscript to be tacked on, letting you know where the case stands.
This weekend, Lisa missed the first ten minutes of an episode and asked me to fill her in on the details.
"Well, it's about a murder in Anytown. There's this guy, he looks like me, you'll see when it comes back on, he's leaving a gym when he's stopped and shot - "
"Wait, wait," Lisa said, interrupting me. "You said he looked like you?"
"Yeah." I said.
"Let me get this straight," she said. "He looked like you and he was coming out of a gym?"
She was grinning and I smelled trouble.
"Why was he there?" she said, "To deliver the mail?"
This weekend, Lisa missed the first ten minutes of an episode and asked me to fill her in on the details.
"Well, it's about a murder in Anytown. There's this guy, he looks like me, you'll see when it comes back on, he's leaving a gym when he's stopped and shot - "
"Wait, wait," Lisa said, interrupting me. "You said he looked like you?"
"Yeah." I said.
"Let me get this straight," she said. "He looked like you and he was coming out of a gym?"
She was grinning and I smelled trouble.
"Why was he there?" she said, "To deliver the mail?"
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Quote of the Day - March 31st.
I took the family out to Taco Bell for dinner yesterday. I don't care for the place, but the kids do and after all, the whole point was to celebrate LuLu and YaYa's report cards. I was worried on the way there; they'd been getting on my nerves in the 24 hrs prior. But the kids were well behaved so afterwards, on the spur of the moment, we took them to the lakefront. Sheridan Park, to be precise, the spot where I proposed to Lisa many moons ago.
It's a long, steep walk down the paved trail and there was some mild grumbling, but once we were on the beach the kids loved it. Oh, I wish I'd had a camera with me. It was one of those rare - very rare - ten minute periods when the family is together, no one is acting up, and we're all happy to be together. We collected rocks on the beach, took a few steps in the (frigid) surf, and sat on the concrete pier overlooking the water. Grand. Even better: for whatever reason, the walk back up was easier than the trip down.
Once we were back in the park proper the kids played on a playset, until YaYa announced she had to use the restroom. I few minutes later, with her swearing she was about to wet her pants, I gathered up the troops. LuLu was sitting atop part of the playset.
"C'mon," I said. "Let's go"
"Why?" LuLu said.
"'Cuz your sister has to pee."
"So take her over there [to the pavilion]"
"I did," I said. "It's locked."
Lu sighed and rolled her eyes. "Then uhhhhh, why doesn't she just go behind the bush and pee? It's what I would do."
It was my turn to roll my eyes. I helped her down.
"You're a classy chick Lu," I said. "Pure class."
It's a long, steep walk down the paved trail and there was some mild grumbling, but once we were on the beach the kids loved it. Oh, I wish I'd had a camera with me. It was one of those rare - very rare - ten minute periods when the family is together, no one is acting up, and we're all happy to be together. We collected rocks on the beach, took a few steps in the (frigid) surf, and sat on the concrete pier overlooking the water. Grand. Even better: for whatever reason, the walk back up was easier than the trip down.
Once we were back in the park proper the kids played on a playset, until YaYa announced she had to use the restroom. I few minutes later, with her swearing she was about to wet her pants, I gathered up the troops. LuLu was sitting atop part of the playset.
"C'mon," I said. "Let's go"
"Why?" LuLu said.
"'Cuz your sister has to pee."
"So take her over there [to the pavilion]"
"I did," I said. "It's locked."
Lu sighed and rolled her eyes. "Then uhhhhh, why doesn't she just go behind the bush and pee? It's what I would do."
It was my turn to roll my eyes. I helped her down.
"You're a classy chick Lu," I said. "Pure class."
Monday, March 15, 2010
Signs your daughter knows you too well
On Sunday night I picked YaYa up from her friend Meadow's house. On the way home, needing garbage bags and cat food, I pulled into a store's parking lot.
"Dollar General?" she said. "Do we have to go here *every* day?"
"Yeah, actually, we do," I replied. "I like this store. And you wanna know why?"
Before I could voice a reason, serious or silly, she beat me to the punch.
"One," she said, counting on her fingers. "Good food. Two, low prices. Three, cute cashiers."
And then she zig-zagged her head sideways like "Oh, yeah, I went there".
"Well," I said, and was struck silent for a moment. "Yeah, actually that pretty much sums it up."
"Dollar General?" she said. "Do we have to go here *every* day?"
"Yeah, actually, we do," I replied. "I like this store. And you wanna know why?"
Before I could voice a reason, serious or silly, she beat me to the punch.
"One," she said, counting on her fingers. "Good food. Two, low prices. Three, cute cashiers."
And then she zig-zagged her head sideways like "Oh, yeah, I went there".
"Well," I said, and was struck silent for a moment. "Yeah, actually that pretty much sums it up."
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Quote of the Day
I had a bittersweet moment with YaYa today.
After school we braved the gray, rainy afternoon to deliver her Girl Scout cookies in the neighborhood. I don't know why, but she asked if I would carry her home on my shoulders. No, I said, an answer I repeated several times over the course of our walk.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because we're both getting too old for it," I said.
But, a block from home I gave in and put her on my shoulders.
"It's kinda scary up here," she said. "It's been a long time."
"It'll probably be the last time too kiddo," I said. "You're getting too big for this."
"I know," she said.
"Does that make you sad?" I asked.
"Yeah, kinda. There's a lot of 'last times' lately. This year was the last time I could go to the pumpkin farm at school, it's the last piggyback. A lot of things are ending."
"That's just part of growing up baby. There's gonna be more and more things that are the 'last time' for you as a kid. But there's going to be a whole lot more 'first times' to balance it out. You'll see."
"I guess. Will you still buy me a pumpkin though? I don't want to see LuLu and Ginger do their's if I don't have one."
"Sure," I said. We were climbing my front porch steps.
"You should tell Mom to take a picture Daddy," she said. "This is the last time you'll give me a piggyback ride."
And that pretty much kicked me in the gut.
"Wellll," I said. "Maybe it won't be the 'last' time just yet."
After school we braved the gray, rainy afternoon to deliver her Girl Scout cookies in the neighborhood. I don't know why, but she asked if I would carry her home on my shoulders. No, I said, an answer I repeated several times over the course of our walk.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because we're both getting too old for it," I said.
But, a block from home I gave in and put her on my shoulders.
"It's kinda scary up here," she said. "It's been a long time."
"It'll probably be the last time too kiddo," I said. "You're getting too big for this."
"I know," she said.
"Does that make you sad?" I asked.
"Yeah, kinda. There's a lot of 'last times' lately. This year was the last time I could go to the pumpkin farm at school, it's the last piggyback. A lot of things are ending."
"That's just part of growing up baby. There's gonna be more and more things that are the 'last time' for you as a kid. But there's going to be a whole lot more 'first times' to balance it out. You'll see."
"I guess. Will you still buy me a pumpkin though? I don't want to see LuLu and Ginger do their's if I don't have one."
"Sure," I said. We were climbing my front porch steps.
"You should tell Mom to take a picture Daddy," she said. "This is the last time you'll give me a piggyback ride."
And that pretty much kicked me in the gut.
"Wellll," I said. "Maybe it won't be the 'last' time just yet."
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
A Danny Quote
One night last month a small group of our friends was sitting in my living room. Everyone was a little tipsy, and the mood grew melancholy. One by one folks started voicing their biggest regrets: that they never finished college, that they 'wasted' years on John Doe, that this error happened or that opportunity wasn't taken.
And then it was my turn. I sat there woefully underemployed, with a van that doesn't run, a gutter that needs replacement and a degree I don't use. And I thought, I really truly thought "Don't blow this off. Think hard and be honest. Deep down what's my one, most troubling regret of the last 35 years?"
After a moment it came to me, this deepest, most painful, most honest regret. And so I voiced it:
"I wish" I said, and sighed. "I wish I could rap."
And then it was my turn. I sat there woefully underemployed, with a van that doesn't run, a gutter that needs replacement and a degree I don't use. And I thought, I really truly thought "Don't blow this off. Think hard and be honest. Deep down what's my one, most troubling regret of the last 35 years?"
After a moment it came to me, this deepest, most painful, most honest regret. And so I voiced it:
"I wish" I said, and sighed. "I wish I could rap."
Monday, January 25, 2010
What have I been up to - well, let's take a look shall we?
This past Sunday the local paper included a short bio of me as I began a second term as a community columnist. Since it described me as a 'prolific blogger since 2004', I'm a bit embarrassed to see that it's been three weeks since my last post.
Let's see, what's happening in my world . . I'm still poor, there's that . . . I had some (very) minor outpatient surgery just before New Years, so minor only a handful of people were aware of it, and all would have been fine if the stitches hadn't made a habit of re-opening in the weeks since . . .and I've facebook'ed a lot. I don't prefere the site over a blog, per se, but I do enjoy the "get in, get out" nature of the beast.
Anyhow, for the time being let's get you up to speed with a summary of my Facebook updates.
* * * * *
New Years Day: Listening to the Glee soundtrack on the computer, with Joe Mac's new album playing in the dining room, while Dance Your Ass off is on the TV and the Twilight Zone and Doctor Who marathons are recording on the DVR . . how I ever got laid, much less married, escapes belief.
Our turtle tank was just shattered, sending water across the floor. Franklin is OK, but I guess I'll have to spend my morning looking for a cheap tank to replace his home
[on the firing of Texas Tech coach Mike Leach] The link includes a blunt interview with Mike Leach, where he tells it like it is about the James' family. Here's hoping Texas Tech has deep pockets, because Leach is going to take them to the cleaners.
January 2nd: I'm proud that my two oldest are sad (and a bit concerned) that David Tenant's time as the Doctor is coming to an end tonight.They know far more about the show and its characters than I ever could have guessed, even ID'ing an episode after seeing one scene. Nice to know I've done something right.
The Ginger's Godfather, who we haven't seen in over a year, just called to say he's on his way over to drop off a gift for her. Yikes - and us, with a turtle in the bathtub and Chinese takeout half-eaten in the living room. [He brought over a wonderful gift - an annual family pass for the zoo, including parking!]
Worked until midnight, came home and watched the very well done Tennant finale and the premiere of Demons (yawn), then had to crawl into Smiley's bed for 5 hours of sleep because my two youngest girls were sprawled next to Lisa in our bed- and rule #1 is, and always will be, never wake a sleeping baby/toddler. Ever.
* * * *
DORK QUOTE OF THE DAY, CIRCA JAN 3RD:
Me (to the kids, quoting one of David Tenant's favorite phrases): "C'mon, hurry up. Allon-zee! [sic]"
Lisa: "Don't you mean 'Geronimo?"
This was a good-natured barb, using the new Doctor's catch-phrase to ram home the point David Tennant was gone.
* * * *
January 4th: The Journal editor just called my cell while I was grocery shopping and asked me to stay on for another year, through the first part of 2011! Hot dog!
After school I took my two oldest girls to help organize my Godson's nursery, as he's due to arrive home in less than a day. My girls were poite, helpful, eager to work, and kept their cool. I was very proud of them both!
QUOTE: "To days to come, and all my love to long ago"
January 5th: Not the greatest afternoon. The girls were pissy that a kibosh was put on their chance to see the newborn and it went straight downhill from there, plus Smiley was in a mood. Still, we sat down to french toast for dinner and Family Game night continued (3rd week in a row now) but it was stressful, very stressful.
BTW, for anyone unsuccesfuly calling our house: no, the home phone isn't disconnected. The fourth-born dumped a whole jar of pickle juice on the telephone base/answering machine, ruining it. It's replacement will have to wait until payday, if then.
And a royal %&* to the White House. The ABC Special Report on the photo op, er, 'security meeting' today wiped out the last third of a great Dr. Phil epidsode. What nerve! Any chance I'd ever vote for that guy is now sooooooo gone. ;)
January 6th: Tonight, in the course of half an hour we moved YaYa and the Ginger into new rooms; very half-ass results but whataya gonna do in 30 minutes? YaYa and Lu are now roomies, while Ginger's on her own in YaYa's old room. I objected to it because it feels like rewarding Ginger for making nights hell, but she's actually taki...ng the new digs as a punishment - screaming her head off as we speak.It's actually gone well since then, with all parties adjusting quickly.
January 7th: "The Ginger" - woke up today proud of "my 'oom". Good. Maybe she won't cry and scream until 10:30 like she did last night. Like all my kids she's used to sleeping in a dark room, but the new surroundings scared her.
Saw two movies last night, "Hangover" which I loved, and "Paranormal Activity". For the latter, what Lisa said: it's not half as scary as a day with our kids. Yawn. Aside from the Danny-girl lead, there was no reason to watch - and she not only remained clothed, she wore a bra to bed each night :( A waste of a rental.
January 8th: Still stuck @ home, w/ 14-15 inch snow drifts up and down the alley. We're mid block, and it'll take a while to dig out. Mucho thanks to Anne U. for picking up my girls and getting them to school today!
January 10th, the day the Packers lost in OT in the playoffs: That was a great 2nd half to watch, even if it was interrupted by Smiley throwing up Hot Fries for about two minutes (wicked to watch - A+ for effort little dude!) and the Ginger peeing on her Elmo couch. I no longer care who wins it all, so long as Hillbilly is sent packing next week. Oh, and memo to my sister - howsabout not giving a four year old an entire package of hot fries before sending him home to his pa :)
January 11th: In this article Mark McGwire admits steroid use, to which I say . . . Yawn. Not only is it old news, I'm damn sick of folks blasting MLB for steroids while conveniently giving the NFL a pass
Later, Goose Gossage called for steroid users to be banned from the Hall of Fame: This, from the yahoo who thought it was a good idea *not* to walk Gibson in '84. If you want all the 'cheaters' out of Cooperstown, start w/ Gaylord Perry and Don Sutton for mucking w/ the ball. And make sure to stay off my lawn, you young wippersnappers!
Later, Ferguson Jenkins got in the act: Take your own advice. Seeing as you pitched high on coke, speed, weed, etc. go and apologize to all the hitters you 'wronged'. Better yet, how about you just STFU.
January 13th: Thank God American Idol is back, or I'd be stuck with only a 100 hours of DVR'd TV per week . . I joined the Facebook page of Andrew Fenlon, the guy who pissed off Kara, btw. Nice to see Posh Spice, aka longtime member of my List of Five, is a nice human being. To which my wife's cousin Delaura responded: REALLY? Your list of 5? Would you feed her first?
As our culture and our nation continues its slide into full Suckassyness, one bastion of our grand past still stands tall: The Match Game. Where have you gone Gene Rayburn, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you (woo woo woo). To which my wife's cousin Brian responded: you know...i thought I was a dork. I'm passing the torch my friend...passing the torch!
January 14th: Vanessa Wolfe's time on American Idol was enough to break your heart. She's very attractive, talented, and down to earth, but was so beaten down and low on confidence I could barely watch. That line about not wanting the judges to 'look down on her' was gut wrenching. I hope she's not eaten alive in Hollywood. I'll be rooting for her.
January 15th: Wednesday Lu called from school saying her stomach felt 'mushy', and w/in a day all the kids were down w/ it. It seems to be a quick 24-48 bug (3 are over it) but YaYa just puked all over my newly cleaned dining room floor. Dangnabbit.
True, the top two designs were great, and the group seems much more talented than the horrific LA season. Still, I wasn't very inspired by the season premier of Project Runway, even if it does feature a Milwaukee native. Has it jumped the shark, or was I just in the wrong Mood (nudge-nudge) when watching the episode?
January 16th: Happy Birthday to my stepfather-in-law Jaspare, who turned 72 today, and Lisa's friend Chris. Also - congrats to the Colts, and a thank you to the Saints for knocking off the Cards. It was a crappy day and included being called off of work and losing a day's pay. But at least I got to attend Jaspare's very nice birthday party at Paulo's pizza!
January 17th: Not much time this morning, but I needed to make my position clear: for the first (and hopefully the last time) in my life, I'm going to be rooting for a Cowboys win. And, if in the process, Hillbilly winds up with a wee bit of an owie, I'm cool w/ that too. I'm just sayin' The Cowboys got creamed.
A nice day so far. My cousin Mary and her husband stopped by to see the house and visit over lunch, then @ 4 we had bunk beds delivered and set up for the girls (yay Craigslist!). Sure the Dark Side won the NFC game today, and the Chargers are down 10-7 right now, but I'm sure we can end the day as nice as it started . . . The Chargers lost.
January 18th: I posted a very cocky status update on how I refused to come to YaYa's aid w/ her missing book report. It turns out I was wrong. She did it, Lisa took it to proofread, and the Ginger used it as an art project. So . . .yeah. I threw my kid to the wolves.
January 19th: Worst. Headache. Ever.
I took my two oldest to the dentist this morning. LuLu was very dramatic &the dentist asked me to leave the room so he could scold her w/out a 300# man glaring at him. YaYa, vet of many stiches, bore her cavities with stoic defiance. & good news: the 2 teeth loosened in a stumble at her Godfather's house are due out an...yhow. I'd been worried they were adult teeth.
Call me dumb here, but when Mountain Dew 'Throwback' heavily advertises "Made with Real Sugar!" . . WTH is the stuff in the 'normal' can?
Not a great night post-dinner, as Family Night gave way to tons of homework (although Lis taught Lu Uno). We've got plans to watch American Idol on the DVR, Pandorum on DVD, and hopefully cheer a Brown win in Mass., but I'm not holding my breath for any of it.
Whoo-hoo! Multiple sources are now calling the Massachusetts race in favor of Scott Brown! Ted Kennedy's old seat now belongs to a Republican!
January 20th, news of Robert B Parker's death breaks: The Times has a much better obit for RBP than the Globe. "Robert Brown Parker was a large man of large appetites that were nonetheless satisfied with relative ease. He was as unpretentious and self-aware as Spenser. All he needed to be happy was his family and writing,” she said. RIP
Wife Swap would be a better show if they actually 'swapped' wives. Just an observation.
So it's official, Leno will resume The Tonight Show in March. Yawn. Make no mistake, he'll still have a sizeable audience, even after being (re)outed as a douche. It'll be an ancient, gray haired audience that is the bane of advertisers, but they'll still tune in. (I'm a Conan O'Brian fan and am proud to say I saw both the first and last Conan Tonight Show episodes)
Anyone from St. Adalbert's remember Gilly? Until a few mintutes ago I hadn't thought of him in (easily) 20 years. Apparently, they did. I got quite a response from my grade school classmates. Gilly was a toothless old man in a knit cap who served Mass and did odd jobs around our school. He spoke in pure gibberish and was unintelligible at the best of times. He passed away sometime around the end of my years there (1988)
TO BE CONTINUED . . .
Let's see, what's happening in my world . . I'm still poor, there's that . . . I had some (very) minor outpatient surgery just before New Years, so minor only a handful of people were aware of it, and all would have been fine if the stitches hadn't made a habit of re-opening in the weeks since . . .and I've facebook'ed a lot. I don't prefere the site over a blog, per se, but I do enjoy the "get in, get out" nature of the beast.
Anyhow, for the time being let's get you up to speed with a summary of my Facebook updates.
* * * * *
New Years Day: Listening to the Glee soundtrack on the computer, with Joe Mac's new album playing in the dining room, while Dance Your Ass off is on the TV and the Twilight Zone and Doctor Who marathons are recording on the DVR . . how I ever got laid, much less married, escapes belief.
Our turtle tank was just shattered, sending water across the floor. Franklin is OK, but I guess I'll have to spend my morning looking for a cheap tank to replace his home
[on the firing of Texas Tech coach Mike Leach] The link includes a blunt interview with Mike Leach, where he tells it like it is about the James' family. Here's hoping Texas Tech has deep pockets, because Leach is going to take them to the cleaners.
January 2nd: I'm proud that my two oldest are sad (and a bit concerned) that David Tenant's time as the Doctor is coming to an end tonight.They know far more about the show and its characters than I ever could have guessed, even ID'ing an episode after seeing one scene. Nice to know I've done something right.
The Ginger's Godfather, who we haven't seen in over a year, just called to say he's on his way over to drop off a gift for her. Yikes - and us, with a turtle in the bathtub and Chinese takeout half-eaten in the living room. [He brought over a wonderful gift - an annual family pass for the zoo, including parking!]
Worked until midnight, came home and watched the very well done Tennant finale and the premiere of Demons (yawn), then had to crawl into Smiley's bed for 5 hours of sleep because my two youngest girls were sprawled next to Lisa in our bed- and rule #1 is, and always will be, never wake a sleeping baby/toddler. Ever.
* * * *
DORK QUOTE OF THE DAY, CIRCA JAN 3RD:
Me (to the kids, quoting one of David Tenant's favorite phrases): "C'mon, hurry up. Allon-zee! [sic]"
Lisa: "Don't you mean 'Geronimo?"
This was a good-natured barb, using the new Doctor's catch-phrase to ram home the point David Tennant was gone.
* * * *
January 4th: The Journal editor just called my cell while I was grocery shopping and asked me to stay on for another year, through the first part of 2011! Hot dog!
After school I took my two oldest girls to help organize my Godson's nursery, as he's due to arrive home in less than a day. My girls were poite, helpful, eager to work, and kept their cool. I was very proud of them both!
QUOTE: "To days to come, and all my love to long ago"
January 5th: Not the greatest afternoon. The girls were pissy that a kibosh was put on their chance to see the newborn and it went straight downhill from there, plus Smiley was in a mood. Still, we sat down to french toast for dinner and Family Game night continued (3rd week in a row now) but it was stressful, very stressful.
BTW, for anyone unsuccesfuly calling our house: no, the home phone isn't disconnected. The fourth-born dumped a whole jar of pickle juice on the telephone base/answering machine, ruining it. It's replacement will have to wait until payday, if then.
And a royal %&* to the White House. The ABC Special Report on the photo op, er, 'security meeting' today wiped out the last third of a great Dr. Phil epidsode. What nerve! Any chance I'd ever vote for that guy is now sooooooo gone. ;)
January 6th: Tonight, in the course of half an hour we moved YaYa and the Ginger into new rooms; very half-ass results but whataya gonna do in 30 minutes? YaYa and Lu are now roomies, while Ginger's on her own in YaYa's old room. I objected to it because it feels like rewarding Ginger for making nights hell, but she's actually taki...ng the new digs as a punishment - screaming her head off as we speak.It's actually gone well since then, with all parties adjusting quickly.
January 7th: "The Ginger" - woke up today proud of "my 'oom". Good. Maybe she won't cry and scream until 10:30 like she did last night. Like all my kids she's used to sleeping in a dark room, but the new surroundings scared her.
Saw two movies last night, "Hangover" which I loved, and "Paranormal Activity". For the latter, what Lisa said: it's not half as scary as a day with our kids. Yawn. Aside from the Danny-girl lead, there was no reason to watch - and she not only remained clothed, she wore a bra to bed each night :( A waste of a rental.
January 8th: Still stuck @ home, w/ 14-15 inch snow drifts up and down the alley. We're mid block, and it'll take a while to dig out. Mucho thanks to Anne U. for picking up my girls and getting them to school today!
January 10th, the day the Packers lost in OT in the playoffs: That was a great 2nd half to watch, even if it was interrupted by Smiley throwing up Hot Fries for about two minutes (wicked to watch - A+ for effort little dude!) and the Ginger peeing on her Elmo couch. I no longer care who wins it all, so long as Hillbilly is sent packing next week. Oh, and memo to my sister - howsabout not giving a four year old an entire package of hot fries before sending him home to his pa :)
January 11th: In this article Mark McGwire admits steroid use, to which I say . . . Yawn. Not only is it old news, I'm damn sick of folks blasting MLB for steroids while conveniently giving the NFL a pass
Later, Goose Gossage called for steroid users to be banned from the Hall of Fame: This, from the yahoo who thought it was a good idea *not* to walk Gibson in '84. If you want all the 'cheaters' out of Cooperstown, start w/ Gaylord Perry and Don Sutton for mucking w/ the ball. And make sure to stay off my lawn, you young wippersnappers!
Later, Ferguson Jenkins got in the act: Take your own advice. Seeing as you pitched high on coke, speed, weed, etc. go and apologize to all the hitters you 'wronged'. Better yet, how about you just STFU.
January 13th: Thank God American Idol is back, or I'd be stuck with only a 100 hours of DVR'd TV per week . . I joined the Facebook page of Andrew Fenlon, the guy who pissed off Kara, btw. Nice to see Posh Spice, aka longtime member of my List of Five, is a nice human being. To which my wife's cousin Delaura responded: REALLY? Your list of 5? Would you feed her first?
As our culture and our nation continues its slide into full Suckassyness, one bastion of our grand past still stands tall: The Match Game. Where have you gone Gene Rayburn, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you (woo woo woo). To which my wife's cousin Brian responded: you know...i thought I was a dork. I'm passing the torch my friend...passing the torch!
January 14th: Vanessa Wolfe's time on American Idol was enough to break your heart. She's very attractive, talented, and down to earth, but was so beaten down and low on confidence I could barely watch. That line about not wanting the judges to 'look down on her' was gut wrenching. I hope she's not eaten alive in Hollywood. I'll be rooting for her.
January 15th: Wednesday Lu called from school saying her stomach felt 'mushy', and w/in a day all the kids were down w/ it. It seems to be a quick 24-48 bug (3 are over it) but YaYa just puked all over my newly cleaned dining room floor. Dangnabbit.
True, the top two designs were great, and the group seems much more talented than the horrific LA season. Still, I wasn't very inspired by the season premier of Project Runway, even if it does feature a Milwaukee native. Has it jumped the shark, or was I just in the wrong Mood (nudge-nudge) when watching the episode?
January 16th: Happy Birthday to my stepfather-in-law Jaspare, who turned 72 today, and Lisa's friend Chris. Also - congrats to the Colts, and a thank you to the Saints for knocking off the Cards. It was a crappy day and included being called off of work and losing a day's pay. But at least I got to attend Jaspare's very nice birthday party at Paulo's pizza!
January 17th: Not much time this morning, but I needed to make my position clear: for the first (and hopefully the last time) in my life, I'm going to be rooting for a Cowboys win. And, if in the process, Hillbilly winds up with a wee bit of an owie, I'm cool w/ that too. I'm just sayin' The Cowboys got creamed.
A nice day so far. My cousin Mary and her husband stopped by to see the house and visit over lunch, then @ 4 we had bunk beds delivered and set up for the girls (yay Craigslist!). Sure the Dark Side won the NFC game today, and the Chargers are down 10-7 right now, but I'm sure we can end the day as nice as it started . . . The Chargers lost.
January 18th: I posted a very cocky status update on how I refused to come to YaYa's aid w/ her missing book report. It turns out I was wrong. She did it, Lisa took it to proofread, and the Ginger used it as an art project. So . . .yeah. I threw my kid to the wolves.
January 19th: Worst. Headache. Ever.
I took my two oldest to the dentist this morning. LuLu was very dramatic &the dentist asked me to leave the room so he could scold her w/out a 300# man glaring at him. YaYa, vet of many stiches, bore her cavities with stoic defiance. & good news: the 2 teeth loosened in a stumble at her Godfather's house are due out an...yhow. I'd been worried they were adult teeth.
Call me dumb here, but when Mountain Dew 'Throwback' heavily advertises "Made with Real Sugar!" . . WTH is the stuff in the 'normal' can?
Not a great night post-dinner, as Family Night gave way to tons of homework (although Lis taught Lu Uno). We've got plans to watch American Idol on the DVR, Pandorum on DVD, and hopefully cheer a Brown win in Mass., but I'm not holding my breath for any of it.
Whoo-hoo! Multiple sources are now calling the Massachusetts race in favor of Scott Brown! Ted Kennedy's old seat now belongs to a Republican!
January 20th, news of Robert B Parker's death breaks: The Times has a much better obit for RBP than the Globe. "Robert Brown Parker was a large man of large appetites that were nonetheless satisfied with relative ease. He was as unpretentious and self-aware as Spenser. All he needed to be happy was his family and writing,” she said. RIP
Wife Swap would be a better show if they actually 'swapped' wives. Just an observation.
So it's official, Leno will resume The Tonight Show in March. Yawn. Make no mistake, he'll still have a sizeable audience, even after being (re)outed as a douche. It'll be an ancient, gray haired audience that is the bane of advertisers, but they'll still tune in. (I'm a Conan O'Brian fan and am proud to say I saw both the first and last Conan Tonight Show episodes)
Anyone from St. Adalbert's remember Gilly? Until a few mintutes ago I hadn't thought of him in (easily) 20 years. Apparently, they did. I got quite a response from my grade school classmates. Gilly was a toothless old man in a knit cap who served Mass and did odd jobs around our school. He spoke in pure gibberish and was unintelligible at the best of times. He passed away sometime around the end of my years there (1988)
TO BE CONTINUED . . .
Monday, August 24, 2009
Quote of the Day
It's been a fun weekend. You wouldn't think so. I worked both days, I cut the grass, and Lisa and I tackled cleaning the fridge. But I repeat: it was still enjoyable. A large part of that was going AWOL from the computer. I scanned Facebook once in a blue moon, but never for more than a few minutes, and I didn't check my email at all.
Ahhhh. Peace.
It won't last. At Lisa's request, I'm going to briefly return to politics in the next few days and spell out my objections to nationalized health care. That should be fun, dontcha think?
Anyhow, I took the kids to church this weekend, the first Mass that was celebrated by a new priest at the congregation where I was married. During the Mass Smiley fidgeted, asked me questions at full volume, and did his best to drive me batty. Then, the kicker.
During the homily he looked over at me with mischief in his eyes, smiled his Danny/Devil smile, and tossed a missalette into the pew in front of us. I was on him in a nanosecond, and in response he explained himself using an 'outside voice' that could have been heard on the moon.
"JESUS BORING!"
Ugh. Sometimes kids are . . . well, sometimes they're just as frustrating as dealing with grown-ups.
Ahhhh. Peace.
It won't last. At Lisa's request, I'm going to briefly return to politics in the next few days and spell out my objections to nationalized health care. That should be fun, dontcha think?
Anyhow, I took the kids to church this weekend, the first Mass that was celebrated by a new priest at the congregation where I was married. During the Mass Smiley fidgeted, asked me questions at full volume, and did his best to drive me batty. Then, the kicker.
During the homily he looked over at me with mischief in his eyes, smiled his Danny/Devil smile, and tossed a missalette into the pew in front of us. I was on him in a nanosecond, and in response he explained himself using an 'outside voice' that could have been heard on the moon.
"JESUS BORING!"
Ugh. Sometimes kids are . . . well, sometimes they're just as frustrating as dealing with grown-ups.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
How Hannah Montana taught us about Ozzy Osbourne
When I'm in the car I play a simple game with the kids. When a song comes on the radio, I ask them the name of the artist, and if it's one they're familiar with, the name of the song too. I figure it's never too early to start their pop culture education.
So the other day I was in the car with YaYa when Crazy Train came on. I asked her the name of the artist, and as expected she didn't know. I answered Ozzy Osbourne, figuring tossing in the name Randy Rhodes was probably too much detail. She asked who he was.
"I think you've seen him before," I said. "You know those World of Warcraft commercials where the guy says he's the prince of darkness?"
"No," she said.
I was stumped for a second.
"Wait," she said. "Isn't that the guy on Hannah Montana?"
"What?" I said. I was confused. "No, he isn't on that show."
"Not, like, him, but the guy Jackson dressed up as that one time?"
Jackson, of course, is Hannah Montana/Miley Stewart's brother on the show, played by 32 (!) year old Jason Earles. And sure enough, it came to me: in an episode where Hannah is trying to avoid a music critic, her brother dresses up as Ozzy to distract him.
And you know what? It was a pretty dead-on imitation.
"Yeah, you're right," I said. "He was pretending to be Ozzy. That's the guy."
"Oh," she said. "He seemed cool. He talked funny though"
There you have it. The tools of education are everywhere, even in a ridiculous skit on a Disney Channel sitcom.
So the other day I was in the car with YaYa when Crazy Train came on. I asked her the name of the artist, and as expected she didn't know. I answered Ozzy Osbourne, figuring tossing in the name Randy Rhodes was probably too much detail. She asked who he was.
"I think you've seen him before," I said. "You know those World of Warcraft commercials where the guy says he's the prince of darkness?"
"No," she said.
I was stumped for a second.
"Wait," she said. "Isn't that the guy on Hannah Montana?"
"What?" I said. I was confused. "No, he isn't on that show."
"Not, like, him, but the guy Jackson dressed up as that one time?"
Jackson, of course, is Hannah Montana/Miley Stewart's brother on the show, played by 32 (!) year old Jason Earles. And sure enough, it came to me: in an episode where Hannah is trying to avoid a music critic, her brother dresses up as Ozzy to distract him.
And you know what? It was a pretty dead-on imitation.
"Yeah, you're right," I said. "He was pretending to be Ozzy. That's the guy."
"Oh," she said. "He seemed cool. He talked funny though"
There you have it. The tools of education are everywhere, even in a ridiculous skit on a Disney Channel sitcom.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Quote of the Day
LuLu came up to me with her piggy bank in hand. "Daddy, do you and Mommy have lots of money?" she asked.
I was so touched. Clearly she was going to offer us her hard earned nickels. What an angel.
"No honey, we don't," I said.
"Too bad, I do!" she said, and jiggled the bank in front of me before running off laughing.
I was so touched. Clearly she was going to offer us her hard earned nickels. What an angel.
"No honey, we don't," I said.
"Too bad, I do!" she said, and jiggled the bank in front of me before running off laughing.
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