Sillybands

Yaya and her sillyband collection

Our kids aren't allowed to wear them to school...they were "banned"

Media

Watched the first two episodes of Carnivale; I liked it, & will add the rest to my Netflix list. Still loving the hell out of the BBC "Life on Mars". The kids liked "The Last Song" but I didn't see more than 5 minutes of it. Wish i could say the same for "MacGruber", which was piss-fing-poor even by SNL movie standards. We could only stomach 15 minutes before throwing the DVD out the window.

Halloween Fittings

Fitting for Yaya's Fallen Angel costume

A test run of Ginger's Halloween costume

A Busy Day

A busy, productive day. LuLu had dance in the AM, while Smiley went to Home Depot's kid class w/ grandma before heading to her house for a sleepover; then some grocery shopping and a trip to pay the Cricket bill. We spent 3-4 hrs this PM cleaning the office (I discarded ~50 bks - ouch!), the pantry, & washing dishes; then visited w/ our friend Chris before watching "The Last Song" w/ the girls & making milkshakes.

Am I bovvered?

To my (happy) surprise, my oldest girls not only asked to watch the vid clips i posted on FB earlier [of Catherine Tate] but declared themselves big fans of 'Lauren Cooper' and her tagline "Am I bovvered?". As late as a few minutes ago Lu recited the line, which inspired my own Junie to walk up to me and say "You not bovvered Daddy, you not bovvered"

An Update on Bella's Fat Cat

According to a Bay View Compass article YaYa brought home, Bellas Fat Cat 's food license expired JUNE 30th, & they were ordered closed to the public on July 14th - yet they were seen serving customers as LATE AS SEPT 1ST. Any chance of them reopening is kaput now that the truth is out, & I just drove by and saw a "for lease" sign in the window.

TV Tidbits

Watched the pilot for Psych. I enjoyed it but found the characters too flippant; I think I can safely cross this show off my netflix list.

Rumor is Glee is planning a NSYNC episode, which I think is bull---t. I like NSYNC, but if they pass up NKOTB in favor of mere pretenders to the throne, count me as an ex-Gleek.

Big Love

We just finished watching Season 4 of Big Love . . whoa Nelly! That is a Damn Good Show.

Flash Forward by Robert J Sawyer

I've finished Flashforward, the Robert J Sawyer novel that was supposedly the inspiration for the short lived series. 

El boringo, w/ a thin plot, little action, and enough science jargon to fill a txtbk. Blech. C-

Bow to Him!

Arod hit his 30th homer of the year tonight - to go along with 122 RBI's! That's the 13th season in a row he's reached the 30 dinger plateau. Well done sir. You are the best of the best, and I bow to you.

TV Night

I'm loving Hells Kitchen! They HAVE to keep Raj - that nut is a pip!

A day late, but what the hell: I didn't love the Glee Brittany episode. There were some laughs, sure. Yet overall I thought it was poorly written and oddly constructed, w/ the music forced into place as an afterthought. Yawn. Plus, what's with the wheelchair kid joining the football team? Must this show ALWAYS push political correctness to the point of absurdity? It's wearing thin.

Ooooo, Big Love season 4 is getting juicy!!

Raising Hope continued to impress, but the Wilde something or another w/ Keri Russell is running its gimmick into the ground. It'll be gone by the end of November.

Ramona & Beezuz

For family night yesterday we surprised our oldest 3 by taking them to see 'Ramona & Beezuz' @ the budget showhouse. It was a great family movie, w/ a contemporary urgency to the plot, great acting and best of all true to Bev Cleary's characters. A+

Dexter is Delicious by Jeff Lindsay

I've finished 'Dexter is Delicious', the newest of the series (#5) that inspired the hit show. Well written w/ an interesting plot, & very enjoyable.

Smiley and Junie at Dance!

I love this photo, it was so high on his feet...trying so hard....my cutie! - Lisa

LOL

Not the appropriate response to your wife's complaint: Tonight the brunette Danny-girl from across the street knocked on my door, introduced herself, and asked to borrow our blender. I obliged. "Don't you think that's ballsy," Lisa said. "Knocking on a stranger's door and asking for their blender?" To which I replied: "Did you *see* her???

We're OK

Hi, sorry to worry anyone. We're all healthy, if not wealthy and wise. Mid June to the present has been . . . less than the highlight of my life, and I haven't had the gumption to sit and type anything more than the 400 character cap of a Facebook post.

I'll try to post pics and an extended update here soon.

Regards and best wishes,

Dan

Johnny Appleseed in person!

 Smiley wearing the Johnny Appleseed cap he made in school

LuLu in the Park

Some pics at the war memorial in the park 

TV

We just started Season 4 of Big Love. No spoilers please, but I can't help thinking Bill is ignoring his true calling. He is destined to be the One True Prophet of Juniper Creek. 

Also - I'm a new fan of 'Big Bang Theory' (~1/2 way into season 1). I love Sheldon, but Lisa doesn't seem as adoring of the show. Mayhaps a past as a dork helps breed empathy.

I've also begun watching the original BBC series "Life on Mars." LOVE it.

 Also nearly done with Season 1 of "How I met your Mother". While I love Barney (NPH rocks!) I think the actor playing Ned dragggggggs the show down. I dig it, but overall I have to grade it a B-

The Eternal Question

I don't understand why step 2 of the job application process was to upload my f**king resume, while step 3 and 4 is to replicate it by typing in endless fill in the blanks. What was the point of asking for the resume in the first place??????

You Don't See that Everyday

70-3 at Camp Randall??? For a second I didn't realize it was a football score. 

Anyway, David Garrett [a classical violinist who plays renditions of rock songs]  is performing on channel 10 as of this writing. Ck him out. I like his album but I recognize it's a gimmick. If he wants to elevate the commercial appeal of his instrument, then he should compose pop/rock music for the violin, instead of just adapting old hits.

Good Advice? Or no?

Why I am not employed by the UN: 

Smiley & I were raking leaves when he told me a boy in his class was 'mean' and hitting other kids. 

"He ever hit you?" I asked.

Smiley shook his head. "Naw, not 'et".

 "Huh," I said. "Well, if he does, beat his fu*king ass. Then tell your teacher."

In Which I Get Too Upset at a 30 year old Movie Review

I just read an online review of the 1982 version of 'Annie', a movie my ma took her Brownie troop to see back in the day. The reviewer was appalled by the "foul" language and called it far too adult and "risque" for her (presumably obnoxious) children. WTH?! When you have whackjobs like that for a parent, you're sure to wound up knocked up at 15 and herp ridden by twenty. Get a freakin' life.

update from 2024: Sigh. Language, Dan. Language. 

Some Great Photos of the Youngest Three

The Crew, minus YaYa (she's at Grandma's).

ooooh, I just love him! -Lisa

Lu channels Woodstock 

Taking the kids to the park in their wagon.  It is official: Smiley has outgrown his helmet. 

that's our kids, hold the helmet, not wear them, lol - Lisa 

Jeez people, bleep her shoes. She wouldn't wear 'em, and chose to walk to and from the park barefoot, and play barefoot as well.

Some TV

Wed evening we watched the premiere of "The Whole Truth". We were not impressed, finding it nothing more than a cookie cutter courtroom drama. C. OTOH, Hell's Kitchen was great fun, in large part because of the fine cast of piss poor, ghetto-riffic cooks they've cobbled together this season. B+

Also - I've finally finished watching the last of this season's Dr Who. Just this morning I voiced skepticism over the season's overall story arc (the 'cracks in time') but I'm happy to say Moffatt pulled it all together quite nicely. So, for the yr: a great new Dr, quite possibly the hottest companion ever (Amy), the first married couple/companions in the show's run, and a 1st rate writing team - I'm psyched for Season 6!