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!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
My Day
Not the greatest day in the world. A headache, a dinner out w/ grouchy kids, and some other schtuff that wasn't the greatest. But I did get a a call back from Chicago re: a potential job, thank God. In other news, I've decided to ditch the TV version of 'Dexter'. It is a good show, well acted/written, but I prefer the books. So why waste X amount of hours watching it when I could watch something I'll love?
March 30th - April 22nd
MARCH 30TH
So we get the van back, Lisa takes it out to go shopping, (forgetting her phone in the process) and I get to work on cooking dinner. Cue a phone call from a store's landline - the van's battery was dead and Lisa was stranded. LOL - gotta love life.
With the school play in the rearview mirror, this will be the first Tuesday in weeks we can finagle "Family Night". On the menu: an early dinner of ribs, baked beans, fresh cornbread, and steak fries. Then we'll play a board game or two, watch the DVR'd Kid's Choice Awards, and finish by Lisa reading a few chapters of Anne Frank to the girls while I read to the little ones. Then, adult time: AI, DWTS, Lost, V.
"What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do." - Aristotle
"Nothing makes you a better parent than getting rid of your kid(s) for a couple of days." - ZITS, 2007
5:27 PM - Dinner would have gone a lot better if a)Ginger hadn't dissapeared halfway thru the meal (not that we noticed) b) YaYa hadn't slammed down her milk cup in a huff, splashing it everywhere c) LuLu hadn't revolted everyone by wiggling a loose tooth for all to see and - last but not least: If Smiley hadn't forced himself to vomit TWICE at the table rather than *try* the beans or ribs. Sigh.
Word back from the garage. $600 to fix the Escort. Or, as they'd say in France "$600 I don't f*ing have."
APRIL 2ND - There's a big fire somewhere in the neighborhood. The street and our backyard are tinged with a drifting haze of smoke, the odor is quite strong in the house (we have the windows open), and sirens have been going off for a good five to ten minutes now.
I'm boiling six dozen eggs for our annual dyeing extravaganza. Then, its off the net for the rest of Good Friday - and from noon to three no TV, radio, computer or playtime here in honor of Jesus' sacrifice.
APRIL 5TH - Here's a comical Danny-esque moment, but courtesy of Lisa: She went out to the van, then sent the kids in saying the battery was dead. Oh, she was furious - all that $ we'd spent and now the alternator or battery was kaput! After a few minutes tho', I realized the keys she'd handed me, the keys for the van . . *weren't* for the van. Once I went out w/ the right ones, it purred like a kitten.
APRIL 6TH - A celebrity sighting this morning on 'Match Game '74' : Al Ferrara, a former L.A. Dodgers outfielder, appeared as a contestant. He stated his profession was "freelance piano dealer".
APRIL 11TH - It looks like the plane crash that killed the Polish President was another casualty of history. He was on his way to commerate Katyn, where 22,000 Poles were gunned down by Soviet secret police in WWII. The Russians have been assholish about it, and there is talk that demands to divert from the airfield were viewed as a political manuever, not a safety issue.
APRIL 13TH - Dear Lord it's like the perfect storm: DWTS, American Idol, Lost, Glee, V, 19 Kids and Counting- all new, all tonight. I can hear the Black Eyed Peas in my head: Tonight's gonna be a good good night . .
DWTS - sad the yummalicious Edyta is gone, but what a great hour of dance. AI - boring. Tim was good, Andrew needs to go. What's up w/ Ryan? He's jacked up & rude lately. Glee - great reset episode, bringing the core character conflicts back into play. Love the Vogue clip. Lost - like the Hurley stuff, p.o'd at Desmond for f'ing up Locke in the flash-sideways. 19 Kids - love when the Duggars and Bates get together.
APRIL 16TH - Watching "9 by Design" on Bravo, a reality show about two home designers in NYC who have six children and another on the way. It seems like a fun family and a loving marriage, and their design asthetic is very sharp. It's well worth watching.
I finished reading 'Matterhorn', a new novel about a Marine company in Vietnam. It's *very* good, but IMO not the definitive example of Vietnam War fiction; I think James Webb's 'Fields of Fire' impacted me more.
I also polished off "The Third Option', the 1st book I've read by Vince Flynn. It was good, but I think it was a 'tweener' - an installment in a series where the characters actions accomplish nothing but setting up the next book.
At work I met a customer who claims to be a psychic. She came up to me and said my aura was 'brillant' and 'stood out from across the store' and that I was a 'very old soul' who had lived 'many, many lives'. It's a shame I don't believe any of that schtuff. For once, it was nice to be complimented for something other than my looks and intelligence.
APRIL 17TH - Wanna feel like a hero? Take a call from ur daughter saying she was using Walgreen's phone because Mom ran out of gas & lost her phone & I have to pee but McDonald's locked their bathrooms & we're stuck & it's dark & I have to pee real bad. Then ride to the rescue & have the kids clap & cheer & call out your name. Think they'd feel the same if they knew they were stuck cuz I'd been too lazy to stop for gas earlier?
A 112 year old yearbook has been found at MHSA. Note the error in the headline -unless I'm missing something 'highs' school is a boo-boo.
Argh, the link doesn't post pretty. Anyhow, an Australian cookboo has been recalled for a recipie that includes 'freshly ground black people.' Yes, they meant pepper, and yes, it was a typo. Yikes, what an oopsie.
We rented and watched Britany Murphy in 'Deadline', in large part because I wanted one last hurrah with my late, great List of Five-er. It was a boring movie w/ a bad script, and while she looked super fine in her crack-a-licious way, at the same time she also seemed very sickly. It might have been the character, but IMO and Lisa's, there was a certain sheen of "Time's Running Out" on her face.
"NJ man charged with purposely vomiting on 11-year-old girl, father during Phillies game". Classy.
Less than one hour until the U.S. premiere of Matt Smith's debut as the Doctor - followed by an all new hour of Graham Norton! [dabbing tears of joys from my eyes]. 'Tis a wonderful world, innit?
The verdict on Matt Smith's Doctor? He's no Tennant - let's make that clear - but he is well and truly The Doctor. I'm going to like this kid. Moffat's script was strong, there were some great lines, and new companion Amelia (Amy) Pond is surprisingly hot; think Leela but with red hair and wearing a policewoman uniform. It's going to be a great season.
APRIL 18TH - "George Washington racks up 220 years' worth of late fees at NYC library for 2 unreturned books". Both books were due Nov 2, 1789.
You know what (irrationaly) irks me? Ads that say "Reason # 61 Widget is better." I understand you want to give the impression there's a gazillion reasons your product/idea is better, but I dare you, I double dog dare you, to list 60 other reasons - and if you can, why the hell aren't you telling me the #1 reason? Isn't that what I'd most like to hear?
APRIL 21ST - Madonna + Glee = the best hour of American TV last night. Well done! Unfortunately, the Bowersox love caused AI to run over their time, which in turn cut off the last few minutes of Glee. #%#$ I'm seriously close to ditching AI this season. If I wanted to be bored by folks with bad teeth & dirty hair I'd watch Celebrity Rehab.
Lost - trumped by Glee last night, but still a great hour of TV. PseudoLocke is wrong. Jack is not 'with' him; his refusal to leave the island is clear evidence he's Locke's foe. And it looks like Sayhid may just be redeemed. Unless the rules of fiction writing have changed, he lied when he said he murdered Desmond. The plot thickens.
If you ever find yourself trapped in my house starving to death, fear not. After emptying the fridge and the pantry, and sacrificing the cats/turtle/fish, just rummage throught my couch. Last night I found whole slices of pizza and forgotten bags of Christmas cookies, along with scissors, knives, and several screwdrivers.U know, on 2nd thought, try the couch *before* eating my pets.
Would like to borrow, w/ a guaranteed return w/in a week: 1. a copy of "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' 2. CD of "Middle Cyclone" by Neko Case. 3. Glee soundtracks (someone - cough Anne cough - was supposed to get me a copy, but there ya go) 4. One MILLION dollars. I'll need that last one for more than a week tho'.
If you want a good laugh, pick up "Emails from an A**hole" by John Lindsay. I made the mistake of reading this at work and laughed until I damn near pis**d my pants. Ah, who are we kidding? I did tinkle. But just a little bit. You could barely even tell. I hope.
Fireworks at the dinner table. YaYa sassing Lisa, Lu taunting YaYa, Smiley refusing to try his food, Ginger wandering off and shedding her clothes for no reason. For the first time ever we sent the kids to bed without supper - each and every one of the ungrateful little mooches. By 6:15 they were in bed for the night.
APRIL 22ND - Just finished the novel 'Snuff' by Chuck Palahniuk, the author of 'Fight Club'. I'll spare you most of the details and just say its about an attempt to film the world's largest gangbang, w/ a paternity issue thrown in for good measure. It was entertaining, although after awhile the subject matter begins to wear on you. I did guess the 'twist' of identity at the end, so points to me.
It was the first 20-0 game in the bigs since 1900, and a great victory for the Brewers.
If you ask someone why their cause is important, why does it matter *to me, to us, to the world* and they begin by saying "Well, uh, it's a microcosym for. . ." I call bullsh*t. If you can't string together 20 words to justify your belief in X or Y or Z, shut up and go home.
With the 23rd selection in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Packers have selected OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa
Congrats to Seth Aaron Henderson on winning season 7 of Project Runway! It was a well deserved win, as he presented a really unique, eye-catching collection. A fitting end to a good season - certainly better year than that LA monstrosity aka Season 6.
So we get the van back, Lisa takes it out to go shopping, (forgetting her phone in the process) and I get to work on cooking dinner. Cue a phone call from a store's landline - the van's battery was dead and Lisa was stranded. LOL - gotta love life.
With the school play in the rearview mirror, this will be the first Tuesday in weeks we can finagle "Family Night". On the menu: an early dinner of ribs, baked beans, fresh cornbread, and steak fries. Then we'll play a board game or two, watch the DVR'd Kid's Choice Awards, and finish by Lisa reading a few chapters of Anne Frank to the girls while I read to the little ones. Then, adult time: AI, DWTS, Lost, V.
"What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do." - Aristotle
"Nothing makes you a better parent than getting rid of your kid(s) for a couple of days." - ZITS, 2007
5:27 PM - Dinner would have gone a lot better if a)Ginger hadn't dissapeared halfway thru the meal (not that we noticed) b) YaYa hadn't slammed down her milk cup in a huff, splashing it everywhere c) LuLu hadn't revolted everyone by wiggling a loose tooth for all to see and - last but not least: If Smiley hadn't forced himself to vomit TWICE at the table rather than *try* the beans or ribs. Sigh.
Word back from the garage. $600 to fix the Escort. Or, as they'd say in France "$600 I don't f*ing have."
APRIL 2ND - There's a big fire somewhere in the neighborhood. The street and our backyard are tinged with a drifting haze of smoke, the odor is quite strong in the house (we have the windows open), and sirens have been going off for a good five to ten minutes now.
I'm boiling six dozen eggs for our annual dyeing extravaganza. Then, its off the net for the rest of Good Friday - and from noon to three no TV, radio, computer or playtime here in honor of Jesus' sacrifice.
APRIL 5TH - Here's a comical Danny-esque moment, but courtesy of Lisa: She went out to the van, then sent the kids in saying the battery was dead. Oh, she was furious - all that $ we'd spent and now the alternator or battery was kaput! After a few minutes tho', I realized the keys she'd handed me, the keys for the van . . *weren't* for the van. Once I went out w/ the right ones, it purred like a kitten.
APRIL 6TH - A celebrity sighting this morning on 'Match Game '74' : Al Ferrara, a former L.A. Dodgers outfielder, appeared as a contestant. He stated his profession was "freelance piano dealer".
APRIL 11TH - It looks like the plane crash that killed the Polish President was another casualty of history. He was on his way to commerate Katyn, where 22,000 Poles were gunned down by Soviet secret police in WWII. The Russians have been assholish about it, and there is talk that demands to divert from the airfield were viewed as a political manuever, not a safety issue.
APRIL 13TH - Dear Lord it's like the perfect storm: DWTS, American Idol, Lost, Glee, V, 19 Kids and Counting- all new, all tonight. I can hear the Black Eyed Peas in my head: Tonight's gonna be a good good night . .
DWTS - sad the yummalicious Edyta is gone, but what a great hour of dance. AI - boring. Tim was good, Andrew needs to go. What's up w/ Ryan? He's jacked up & rude lately. Glee - great reset episode, bringing the core character conflicts back into play. Love the Vogue clip. Lost - like the Hurley stuff, p.o'd at Desmond for f'ing up Locke in the flash-sideways. 19 Kids - love when the Duggars and Bates get together.
APRIL 16TH - Watching "9 by Design" on Bravo, a reality show about two home designers in NYC who have six children and another on the way. It seems like a fun family and a loving marriage, and their design asthetic is very sharp. It's well worth watching.
I finished reading 'Matterhorn', a new novel about a Marine company in Vietnam. It's *very* good, but IMO not the definitive example of Vietnam War fiction; I think James Webb's 'Fields of Fire' impacted me more.
I also polished off "The Third Option', the 1st book I've read by Vince Flynn. It was good, but I think it was a 'tweener' - an installment in a series where the characters actions accomplish nothing but setting up the next book.
At work I met a customer who claims to be a psychic. She came up to me and said my aura was 'brillant' and 'stood out from across the store' and that I was a 'very old soul' who had lived 'many, many lives'. It's a shame I don't believe any of that schtuff. For once, it was nice to be complimented for something other than my looks and intelligence.
APRIL 17TH - Wanna feel like a hero? Take a call from ur daughter saying she was using Walgreen's phone because Mom ran out of gas & lost her phone & I have to pee but McDonald's locked their bathrooms & we're stuck & it's dark & I have to pee real bad. Then ride to the rescue & have the kids clap & cheer & call out your name. Think they'd feel the same if they knew they were stuck cuz I'd been too lazy to stop for gas earlier?
A 112 year old yearbook has been found at MHSA. Note the error in the headline -unless I'm missing something 'highs' school is a boo-boo.
Argh, the link doesn't post pretty. Anyhow, an Australian cookboo has been recalled for a recipie that includes 'freshly ground black people.' Yes, they meant pepper, and yes, it was a typo. Yikes, what an oopsie.
We rented and watched Britany Murphy in 'Deadline', in large part because I wanted one last hurrah with my late, great List of Five-er. It was a boring movie w/ a bad script, and while she looked super fine in her crack-a-licious way, at the same time she also seemed very sickly. It might have been the character, but IMO and Lisa's, there was a certain sheen of "Time's Running Out" on her face.
"NJ man charged with purposely vomiting on 11-year-old girl, father during Phillies game". Classy.
Less than one hour until the U.S. premiere of Matt Smith's debut as the Doctor - followed by an all new hour of Graham Norton! [dabbing tears of joys from my eyes]. 'Tis a wonderful world, innit?
The verdict on Matt Smith's Doctor? He's no Tennant - let's make that clear - but he is well and truly The Doctor. I'm going to like this kid. Moffat's script was strong, there were some great lines, and new companion Amelia (Amy) Pond is surprisingly hot; think Leela but with red hair and wearing a policewoman uniform. It's going to be a great season.
APRIL 18TH - "George Washington racks up 220 years' worth of late fees at NYC library for 2 unreturned books". Both books were due Nov 2, 1789.
You know what (irrationaly) irks me? Ads that say "Reason # 61 Widget is better." I understand you want to give the impression there's a gazillion reasons your product/idea is better, but I dare you, I double dog dare you, to list 60 other reasons - and if you can, why the hell aren't you telling me the #1 reason? Isn't that what I'd most like to hear?
APRIL 21ST - Madonna + Glee = the best hour of American TV last night. Well done! Unfortunately, the Bowersox love caused AI to run over their time, which in turn cut off the last few minutes of Glee. #%#$ I'm seriously close to ditching AI this season. If I wanted to be bored by folks with bad teeth & dirty hair I'd watch Celebrity Rehab.
Lost - trumped by Glee last night, but still a great hour of TV. PseudoLocke is wrong. Jack is not 'with' him; his refusal to leave the island is clear evidence he's Locke's foe. And it looks like Sayhid may just be redeemed. Unless the rules of fiction writing have changed, he lied when he said he murdered Desmond. The plot thickens.
If you ever find yourself trapped in my house starving to death, fear not. After emptying the fridge and the pantry, and sacrificing the cats/turtle/fish, just rummage throught my couch. Last night I found whole slices of pizza and forgotten bags of Christmas cookies, along with scissors, knives, and several screwdrivers.U know, on 2nd thought, try the couch *before* eating my pets.
Would like to borrow, w/ a guaranteed return w/in a week: 1. a copy of "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' 2. CD of "Middle Cyclone" by Neko Case. 3. Glee soundtracks (someone - cough Anne cough - was supposed to get me a copy, but there ya go) 4. One MILLION dollars. I'll need that last one for more than a week tho'.
If you want a good laugh, pick up "Emails from an A**hole" by John Lindsay. I made the mistake of reading this at work and laughed until I damn near pis**d my pants. Ah, who are we kidding? I did tinkle. But just a little bit. You could barely even tell. I hope.
Fireworks at the dinner table. YaYa sassing Lisa, Lu taunting YaYa, Smiley refusing to try his food, Ginger wandering off and shedding her clothes for no reason. For the first time ever we sent the kids to bed without supper - each and every one of the ungrateful little mooches. By 6:15 they were in bed for the night.
APRIL 22ND - Just finished the novel 'Snuff' by Chuck Palahniuk, the author of 'Fight Club'. I'll spare you most of the details and just say its about an attempt to film the world's largest gangbang, w/ a paternity issue thrown in for good measure. It was entertaining, although after awhile the subject matter begins to wear on you. I did guess the 'twist' of identity at the end, so points to me.
It was the first 20-0 game in the bigs since 1900, and a great victory for the Brewers.
If you ask someone why their cause is important, why does it matter *to me, to us, to the world* and they begin by saying "Well, uh, it's a microcosym for. . ." I call bullsh*t. If you can't string together 20 words to justify your belief in X or Y or Z, shut up and go home.
With the 23rd selection in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Packers have selected OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa
Congrats to Seth Aaron Henderson on winning season 7 of Project Runway! It was a well deserved win, as he presented a really unique, eye-catching collection. A fitting end to a good season - certainly better year than that LA monstrosity aka Season 6.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Facebook - March 23rd - 29th
MARCH 23RD
i @ 2:30 I heard somebody mucking around downstairs & there was Ginger, digging in the fridge. From that point until 4:45, she cried, screamed begged to go to the bathroom, & decided to 'read' in bed. Finally we erased nearly a decade of parenting rules and tossed her in bed w/ us, where she made a habit of shaking us awake whenever we nodded off. It was the worst night since, whew, probably since Lu was a baby.
As usual, Ginger was up at quarter to seven. Only now, as we are on the verge of leaving for her weekly playgroup, has she fallen asleep for a nap. Which means I either wake her up and invite hell into my life, or dissapoint Smiley, who gets off the school bus on Tuesdays yelling "Paygloop today?".
11:27 am - Dangnabbit. Smiley's at my elbow begging to go. Not gonna wake up Ginger, I'm too "tired to put up with her at the moment. As a sub for the playgroup I offered to take Smiley to the store later to replace some play-dough Ginger ruined, but Smiley just looked sad and said he didn't want anymore because Ginger would just "woon it". Gotta find some way to rescue this day, I've wasted half of it already.
4pm - I've turned the day around (knock on wood) in the past four hours. Met up with my friend Tre & ran an errand with our kids, at long last had our van taken in for service, ironed out some bills, have a turkey & mashed potatoes cooking on the stove, and played w/ the kids outside. I even have a subject for a new article, which I hope to hammer out before the day is through. Yay Dan-Dan.
7pm - Allright, I'll say it: Gaga will be this era's Madonna, provided she can stick around and adapt over time. I'm not a huge fan of this song [Telephone], but the video . . . I haven't seen a woman's prison this hot since Linda Blair was made to, uh, 'befriend' Bridgette Nielson in 'Red Heat'.
I didn't RTA {about Dancing with the Stars) and I don't care if you do either. I linked it just for the pic of Shannen Doherty, an on-again/off-again member of my List of Five since the days of 'Our House' and 'Heathers
Curious George - believe it or not - has its origins in a Jewish couples escape from the Nazi invasion of France.
He who allows himself a rest will fade into oblivion - Vasari
MARCH 24TH
My nephew got his temps today, so I picked him up from the DMV, took him to St. Adalbert's cemetery and put him behind the wheel. By the time we left his driving was much smoother, and he learns fast. Congrats Jonah!
I stopped at a gas station before work. After paying I turned around to leave, in the process throwing my shoulder into a woman who was close enough to reach in and tickle my prostate.She stumbled backward and down to one knee. I apologized and went through the motions of concern, but really - learn the value of personal space - how small of a turning radius did she expect a 300# man to have?
RIP to Stuart Kaminsky and actor Robert Culp
MARCH 25TH
Late last night we watched "The Fourth Kind", a quasi-documentrary about people being abduced from their beds by aliens at 3 in the morning. We were asleep by one a.m. No lie: at nearly three on the dot I sat straight up in bed, convinced I heard Lauren mucking about. I went through the dark house, only to remember the movie when I looked at the time. I promptly retreated to my bed and hid under my blankie.
RE: BLOCKBUSTER'S TROUBLES: Good. Here's hoping you go painfully into the good night, courtesy of Netflix, PPV, and Redbox. Maybe you shouldn't have acted like the biggest corporate bully ever while you enjoyed your monopoly.
This road must lead somewhere/is it somewhere we want to be? - Yann Martel
My DVR has been on the fritz, screwing up the taping of Lost (sob), Dr. Phil, and many others. Time Warner has now agreed to bring out a new, larger capacity DVR today. That means I'll have to reprogram the 84ish shows we have scheduled to tape, lose Smiley's bday wishes on Sprout, *and* Dear God - we'll lose the four or five hours of NKOTB footage we have stored. I may just cut my wrists.
1 of the few memories I have of my paternal Grandma, who died when I was 7, is of arguing w/ her that I had never-ever, in my whole life, slept. Minutes later I was asleep on her basement floor :) Today, Smiley picked up the torch. He does not sleep, he doesn't dream. When I pointed out that I ck on him when I go to sleep he claimed he's "a'way fakin'" & gestured that he props his eyelids open. The circle is complete.
3pm - Cable guy just left. My DVR was bad, and so was all the line running into the house. I could swear I saw that line installed, spankin' new, in 2007, but he claims it was 15 years or older. So it was 2 hours of drilling, running line, and climbing poles in the alley. The kids were awful & Lisa had to finagle the car out of our spot around the Cable van, which meant going into the neighbors yard & then out. Fun.
Anybody in Milwaukee know of a good, reliable - *and cheap * - place to have a sewing machine serviced? The arm by the bobbin isn't catching the thread to complete the loop; er, that's my layman's explanation for it anyway.
YaYa came in the door from play practice sporting a drawn-on beard and mustache. Smiley caught sight of her, cocked his head to the side, thought a moment and asked "Gwacie . . . you a boy now?" W/out annoyance, she answered "No Smiley, it's fake. My character in the play is a boy." "Oh," he said, "O-kay" and walked away.
Helen Keller once said "Gahhgrrr berkic dahhh errr waa waa!".... It's as true today as it has ever been - Carlos Harmon
MARCH 26TH - YaYa is en route to opening night of her mesmerizing portrayal of Raja in Kipling's 'The Jungle Book'. Break a leg kiddo!
Congrats to Tennessee! Normally I bleed Big 10, but in this instance my respect for Bruce Pearl trumps conference loyalty. A heck of a game, start to finish.
MARCH 27TH - In addition to my earring, back in place after yrs, I also used Lisa's lhair dye to highlight my hair Thurs night. It adds body & dimension to what was already a stunning display of God's workmanship. I *wanted* to rough up the goatee by dyeing it blood red or growing it long enough to split and double-braid, BUT . . I guess, like my proposed Match Game logo tatoo, that's it's just *too cool* for Lisa to handle.
My Dad and I went to YaYa's play tonight and she did great - a lot more lines than I thought she'd have! Good job baby girl!
Congrats to the Pius Lady Popes for taking the Division 1 State title - and ending a drought that went on far too long!
MARCH 28TH - Every yr or two I'm drawn to studying the battle of Stalingrad, and it's that time again. I just finished Beevor's 'Stalingrad', a solid study of the battle that emphasizes the Kessel over the horrific urban warfare of Aug-Nov. Of course the Wermacht needed to be stopped, but the 6th Army deserved a better fate than what awaited them in Stalin's hands - & they certainly deserved a better General than Paulus.
Congrats to Duke and Coach K! Hot Dog! I'm only sorry Tenn couldn't outlast MI State, but man those were two great games (even if my viewing was interrupted by the Smurfs, Yo Gabba Gabba, and Caillou). I'll go on a limb and predict a Duke/MI State title, w/ my allegiance going to Duke.
MARCH 29TH - "Have you ever paused to compare your own blessed lot with a fool's?/Can't you see how fortunate you are?/ [in grief] You have worn yourself out through ceaseless striving/you have filled your muscles with pain and anguish/And what have you acheived but to bring yourself/one day nearer to the end of your days?" - The Epic of Gilgamesh Book X
In America Sports, "Villian" and "Much Hated" simply mean "Damn Good" and "Consistently a Winner".
re: the discovery of the remains of Errol Flynn's son: I'm genuinely happy for the Flynn family, although I'm sure it's a bittersweet day for them. Sean Flynn, a well respected combat photographer, disappeared in SE Asia in 1970. You've probably seen the story on TV, or read about it in books on Vietnam, even if you've forgotten the name. It appears - although testing needs to be done - that his remains have finally been returned.
Caption under a pic of the USS Arizona, from the 1941 Army-Navy Game program booklet, dated November 28th 1941 - a week before Pearl Harbor - : "A bow on view of the U. S. S. Arizona as she plows into a huge swell. It is significant that despite the claims of air enthusiasts no battleship has yet been sunk by bombs."
"Only the gods live forever. Our days/are few in number, and whatever we acheive/is a puff of wind. Why be afraid then/since sooner or later death must come?" Epic of Gilgamesh Book III
I've finished reading the Epic of Gilgamesh, a poem written ~1750 B.C. in what is now Iraq. It's the tale of a heroic king who arrogantly angers his gods, who then strike down his only friend and equal. It is a story of friendship and loss, of the value of living life to the fullest and, pervesely, of the futility of human life. Powerful stuff, even from a distance of 4000 yrs.
Dr. Phil is playing in the living room; the Dr. Phil 'Family' to be precise. Question for the FB world -does anyone know what happened to the Mormon 'Dr. Phil Family' he used to help each week? The family w/ the hot, 'Danny Girl' Mom who had an affair w/ a man of a different race, got knocked up, gave the baby up for adoption and then finagled financial help from the adoptive parents? They just went AWOL. What gives?
Finally FINALLY got our van's transmission replaced after five months!! Of course, good w/ the bad, as I was pulling into the shop my Escort went belly-up. I had to push her in from the median and leave her in the parking lot. Lisa's bummed, but the way I look at it, that car was in need of work for a bit - 'twas nothing but the Grace of God that she held out until that moment. That'll do pig. That'll do.
i @ 2:30 I heard somebody mucking around downstairs & there was Ginger, digging in the fridge. From that point until 4:45, she cried, screamed begged to go to the bathroom, & decided to 'read' in bed. Finally we erased nearly a decade of parenting rules and tossed her in bed w/ us, where she made a habit of shaking us awake whenever we nodded off. It was the worst night since, whew, probably since Lu was a baby.
As usual, Ginger was up at quarter to seven. Only now, as we are on the verge of leaving for her weekly playgroup, has she fallen asleep for a nap. Which means I either wake her up and invite hell into my life, or dissapoint Smiley, who gets off the school bus on Tuesdays yelling "Paygloop today?".
11:27 am - Dangnabbit. Smiley's at my elbow begging to go. Not gonna wake up Ginger, I'm too "tired to put up with her at the moment. As a sub for the playgroup I offered to take Smiley to the store later to replace some play-dough Ginger ruined, but Smiley just looked sad and said he didn't want anymore because Ginger would just "woon it". Gotta find some way to rescue this day, I've wasted half of it already.
4pm - I've turned the day around (knock on wood) in the past four hours. Met up with my friend Tre & ran an errand with our kids, at long last had our van taken in for service, ironed out some bills, have a turkey & mashed potatoes cooking on the stove, and played w/ the kids outside. I even have a subject for a new article, which I hope to hammer out before the day is through. Yay Dan-Dan.
7pm - Allright, I'll say it: Gaga will be this era's Madonna, provided she can stick around and adapt over time. I'm not a huge fan of this song [Telephone], but the video . . . I haven't seen a woman's prison this hot since Linda Blair was made to, uh, 'befriend' Bridgette Nielson in 'Red Heat'.
I didn't RTA {about Dancing with the Stars) and I don't care if you do either. I linked it just for the pic of Shannen Doherty, an on-again/off-again member of my List of Five since the days of 'Our House' and 'Heathers
Curious George - believe it or not - has its origins in a Jewish couples escape from the Nazi invasion of France.
He who allows himself a rest will fade into oblivion - Vasari
MARCH 24TH
My nephew got his temps today, so I picked him up from the DMV, took him to St. Adalbert's cemetery and put him behind the wheel. By the time we left his driving was much smoother, and he learns fast. Congrats Jonah!
I stopped at a gas station before work. After paying I turned around to leave, in the process throwing my shoulder into a woman who was close enough to reach in and tickle my prostate.She stumbled backward and down to one knee. I apologized and went through the motions of concern, but really - learn the value of personal space - how small of a turning radius did she expect a 300# man to have?
RIP to Stuart Kaminsky and actor Robert Culp
MARCH 25TH
Late last night we watched "The Fourth Kind", a quasi-documentrary about people being abduced from their beds by aliens at 3 in the morning. We were asleep by one a.m. No lie: at nearly three on the dot I sat straight up in bed, convinced I heard Lauren mucking about. I went through the dark house, only to remember the movie when I looked at the time. I promptly retreated to my bed and hid under my blankie.
RE: BLOCKBUSTER'S TROUBLES: Good. Here's hoping you go painfully into the good night, courtesy of Netflix, PPV, and Redbox. Maybe you shouldn't have acted like the biggest corporate bully ever while you enjoyed your monopoly.
This road must lead somewhere/is it somewhere we want to be? - Yann Martel
My DVR has been on the fritz, screwing up the taping of Lost (sob), Dr. Phil, and many others. Time Warner has now agreed to bring out a new, larger capacity DVR today. That means I'll have to reprogram the 84ish shows we have scheduled to tape, lose Smiley's bday wishes on Sprout, *and* Dear God - we'll lose the four or five hours of NKOTB footage we have stored. I may just cut my wrists.
1 of the few memories I have of my paternal Grandma, who died when I was 7, is of arguing w/ her that I had never-ever, in my whole life, slept. Minutes later I was asleep on her basement floor :) Today, Smiley picked up the torch. He does not sleep, he doesn't dream. When I pointed out that I ck on him when I go to sleep he claimed he's "a'way fakin'" & gestured that he props his eyelids open. The circle is complete.
3pm - Cable guy just left. My DVR was bad, and so was all the line running into the house. I could swear I saw that line installed, spankin' new, in 2007, but he claims it was 15 years or older. So it was 2 hours of drilling, running line, and climbing poles in the alley. The kids were awful & Lisa had to finagle the car out of our spot around the Cable van, which meant going into the neighbors yard & then out. Fun.
Anybody in Milwaukee know of a good, reliable - *and cheap * - place to have a sewing machine serviced? The arm by the bobbin isn't catching the thread to complete the loop; er, that's my layman's explanation for it anyway.
YaYa came in the door from play practice sporting a drawn-on beard and mustache. Smiley caught sight of her, cocked his head to the side, thought a moment and asked "Gwacie . . . you a boy now?" W/out annoyance, she answered "No Smiley, it's fake. My character in the play is a boy." "Oh," he said, "O-kay" and walked away.
Helen Keller once said "Gahhgrrr berkic dahhh errr waa waa!".... It's as true today as it has ever been - Carlos Harmon
MARCH 26TH - YaYa is en route to opening night of her mesmerizing portrayal of Raja in Kipling's 'The Jungle Book'. Break a leg kiddo!
Congrats to Tennessee! Normally I bleed Big 10, but in this instance my respect for Bruce Pearl trumps conference loyalty. A heck of a game, start to finish.
MARCH 27TH - In addition to my earring, back in place after yrs, I also used Lisa's lhair dye to highlight my hair Thurs night. It adds body & dimension to what was already a stunning display of God's workmanship. I *wanted* to rough up the goatee by dyeing it blood red or growing it long enough to split and double-braid, BUT . . I guess, like my proposed Match Game logo tatoo, that's it's just *too cool* for Lisa to handle.
My Dad and I went to YaYa's play tonight and she did great - a lot more lines than I thought she'd have! Good job baby girl!
Congrats to the Pius Lady Popes for taking the Division 1 State title - and ending a drought that went on far too long!
MARCH 28TH - Every yr or two I'm drawn to studying the battle of Stalingrad, and it's that time again. I just finished Beevor's 'Stalingrad', a solid study of the battle that emphasizes the Kessel over the horrific urban warfare of Aug-Nov. Of course the Wermacht needed to be stopped, but the 6th Army deserved a better fate than what awaited them in Stalin's hands - & they certainly deserved a better General than Paulus.
Congrats to Duke and Coach K! Hot Dog! I'm only sorry Tenn couldn't outlast MI State, but man those were two great games (even if my viewing was interrupted by the Smurfs, Yo Gabba Gabba, and Caillou). I'll go on a limb and predict a Duke/MI State title, w/ my allegiance going to Duke.
MARCH 29TH - "Have you ever paused to compare your own blessed lot with a fool's?/Can't you see how fortunate you are?/ [in grief] You have worn yourself out through ceaseless striving/you have filled your muscles with pain and anguish/And what have you acheived but to bring yourself/one day nearer to the end of your days?" - The Epic of Gilgamesh Book X
In America Sports, "Villian" and "Much Hated" simply mean "Damn Good" and "Consistently a Winner".
re: the discovery of the remains of Errol Flynn's son: I'm genuinely happy for the Flynn family, although I'm sure it's a bittersweet day for them. Sean Flynn, a well respected combat photographer, disappeared in SE Asia in 1970. You've probably seen the story on TV, or read about it in books on Vietnam, even if you've forgotten the name. It appears - although testing needs to be done - that his remains have finally been returned.
Caption under a pic of the USS Arizona, from the 1941 Army-Navy Game program booklet, dated November 28th 1941 - a week before Pearl Harbor - : "A bow on view of the U. S. S. Arizona as she plows into a huge swell. It is significant that despite the claims of air enthusiasts no battleship has yet been sunk by bombs."
"Only the gods live forever. Our days/are few in number, and whatever we acheive/is a puff of wind. Why be afraid then/since sooner or later death must come?" Epic of Gilgamesh Book III
I've finished reading the Epic of Gilgamesh, a poem written ~1750 B.C. in what is now Iraq. It's the tale of a heroic king who arrogantly angers his gods, who then strike down his only friend and equal. It is a story of friendship and loss, of the value of living life to the fullest and, pervesely, of the futility of human life. Powerful stuff, even from a distance of 4000 yrs.
Dr. Phil is playing in the living room; the Dr. Phil 'Family' to be precise. Question for the FB world -does anyone know what happened to the Mormon 'Dr. Phil Family' he used to help each week? The family w/ the hot, 'Danny Girl' Mom who had an affair w/ a man of a different race, got knocked up, gave the baby up for adoption and then finagled financial help from the adoptive parents? They just went AWOL. What gives?
Finally FINALLY got our van's transmission replaced after five months!! Of course, good w/ the bad, as I was pulling into the shop my Escort went belly-up. I had to push her in from the median and leave her in the parking lot. Lisa's bummed, but the way I look at it, that car was in need of work for a bit - 'twas nothing but the Grace of God that she held out until that moment. That'll do pig. That'll do.
The Time Traveler's Wife
We watched "The Time Traveler's Wife" tonight. I don't regret the 90 minutes we spent watching it, but I'd rate it slightly less than average. Still, an OK 'pass the time' - no pun intended - flick.
Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindvist
I've finished "Handling the Undead" by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindvist. Yes, superficially it's a zombie novel, as the dead do rise, but that label does it a disservice. The dead are not violent, active, or even aware; the story is not about them, but about how their appearance affects the relationships and emotions of their loved ones. It's a damn good novel, and well written.
Rule #1 for the Modern Filmaker
Rule #1 for the thriller/action/horror filmmaker: in the first act you must either explain why the protagonist's cell phone isn't working, or conspire to destroy/lose it before the action starts. If you don't, four minutes into the flick the audience is wondering why the dummy doesn't just call 911.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Record Time
Rejected from a prospective employer less then 24 hrs after applying........DAMN! Now that's a record breaker for me. - Lisa
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
A Nightmare
Last night a nightmare woke me up at 3 in the morning. I was absolutely convinced that Whoopi Goldberg had died, and woke Lisa up to tell her. Why my subconscious would give a sh** about her passing is still under investigation.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Grumble
4X this school year my oldest three have been late for school because Junie's bus can't make up its mind if it wants to be 10 min early or 20 min late for the scheduled pickup. %$%#
Dad and Lu Time
After work, w/ the other kids off at dance or Girl Scouts, I took LuLu to Tenuta's for a kiddie cocktail and an order of garlic bread (1/2 price before six folks). As usual she was a chatterbox as we sat at the bar, and it was a good time. She's a good kid, she really is. Short, but good ;)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
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.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
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.
Friday, October 1, 2010
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.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
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-
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
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+
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