Cleaning Junie's Room

We just cleaned Junie's room. She really is 1/2 of the 'bookends'  - like YaYa, she's a hoarder. Unlike GC, however, LK also destroys. 

One drawer had 1/4" of rice crispies; another was coated with orange kool-aid powder she rubbed into the wood. 

Spilled nail polish & paint. 

Broken toys.

Rotten apples. 

Broken CHINA.

 It took two 13 gal. garbage bags + 2 laundry baskets and 2 LAWN & GARDEN bags to clean up the mess.

[Ok, to be fair 1/2 of the garden bags were devoted to toys I jettisoned, so I guess *that* doesn't' count.]

online comment: LOL, so did LK scream as you cleaned?

reply: no, she was content to see her servants at work.

YaYa's Silly Bandz

This picture, taken October 3rd, is of YaYa's silly bandz collection. Silly Bandz are thin elastic bracelets/rubber bands that are manufactured in different shapes - cars, animals, and the like. They're peaking in popularity right now and are highly collectible in elementary schools, where they're traded like baseball or Pokemon cards.



As you can imagine, they aren't quite as popular with teachers :)

Facebook - May 1st thru the 7th

MAY 1ST

Not to decide is to decide.

I'm 12 ft into digging a 2ft deep/30 foot long drainage trench w/ no shade in sight. Anyone want to come over and help? For gosh sake's I'm a fat guy - I'll have a heart attack any second

"When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." - C.S. Lewis

The [BP] oil spill in the Gulf is horrendous, & the enviornment will suffer needlessly. But to those who claim this is *the* reason to abandon drilling: unless you live w/out a car, plastics, lawn mower, etc - YOU NEED OIL. We can continue to delude ourselves that letting other countries pump oil for us is somehow saving Mother Earth (?!), but its not. Plus all the economic & security reasons . . .

Just finished watching "Victory of the Daleks", ep. 3 of this season of Dr. Who. It features Winston Churchill, a devilish Dalek plan, and Spitfires (!) in a dogfight around the moon LOL. Grand. Good to see the new team jettison Davie's obsession w/ stamping out the Dalek race; this ep. made it clear the Daleks are back & here to stay.

Rented a movie but Lisa's already asleep & I'm pooped from digging. I might call it a night. Got a lot done in the yard (but not everything) the kids went to Home Depot for the monthly project w/ Grandma J, Lu went to a swim party, & we set up the sandbox & pool. Tonight Smiley's the only kid home. We've enjoyed the heck out of our 'quality' time w/ him. Life is good. It'd be better with $, but it's good all the same.

MAY 2ND

Helen Wagner, the actress who's played Nancy Huges on 'As the World Turns' since 1956! has passed away. She was 91. RIP.

I'm trying hard not to be the snarky pre-2009 Danny, but the populace isn't making it easy. Before work I waited in a 7 person line at a convenience store. Along comes an elderly woman, who cut in front of 4 of us with her Hoveround. She shot us a glare and *announced* that she is elderly & hence will assume that spot. Hey, lady, why does it matter to you how long you wait in line? You've already got a seat.

MAY 3RD

Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them. - Reagan

‎"What people say behind your back is your standing in the community." - Edgar Watson Howe

Unions in Greece are threatening to strike rather than agree to curtail gov't spending. BTW, I skimmed an article in yesterday's NYT claiming that part of the problem is that Greek citizens hide much of their income from the tax man, presumably leading to a short change of gov't funds. Of course, if taxes were fair there would be less societal acceptance of the cheating. Or not.

On this day in 1791 Poland established Europe's first national constitution - only the second such document in the world (after our own). Konstytucja Trzeciego Maja

LuLu just called from school asking for her inhaler. I know people from my school days are rolling their eyes and remembering me as a hypocondriac (sic), but things change. I've missed two days of work in 12 yrs, & while I'll keep the kids home to go see a concert or a ballgame, I'll be damned if they'll stay home for any illness that isn't fatal. But her asthma/allergies are becoming an issue . .BTW, her inhaler was in her backpack, right where I"d put it. She just hadn't seen me put it there.

‎"This'll be OK. I'll just do the thresome tonight, then break up with her. Bit ungentlemanly that, but then it's a threesome. Not exactly Romeo & Juliet, innit?"

The [Modjeska) youth theatre group has folded. YaYa audtioned for them a few years ago, and we have fond memories of several of their productions. Ugh. Dangit.

MAY 4TH

This morning's [tongue in cheek] status update from a FB friend & local cop: "I met a 14-year-old girl on the Internet. She was clever, funny, flirty and sexy, so I suggested we meet up. She turned out to be an undercover detective. How cool is that at her age?!"

lU had trouble breathing when she woke up & so they were late for school. The secretary gave them detention when I dropped them off, which set YaYa off in tears. Whatever. My kids have served more detention than all the members of the Breakfast Club put together. I consider it almost a badge of honor at that school - if you avoid it altogether you are,IMO, a meek and servile tool of the Man.

I'm done w/ the ditch for today, or more precisely the 10 ft part of it that runs in the narrow gap between my shed & the neighbors fence. Good news there - the neighbor came out and said his fence was encroaching on my lot by 14", and asked me to help him move it this weekend. So, if I don't finish by then, I'll have a lot more elbow rm to dig .

P--s on you AI for running overtime AGAIN and cutting off the end of Glee. Buy a g'damn watch already.

RIP Ernie Harwell

MAY 5TH

You know how I know Glee is a great show? Because every Wednesday morning I wake up to take the kids to school, think of the show I watched 12 hrs before, and break into a huge grin.

Cinco De Mayo is so different in this neighborhood. Back on Mitchell Street it was parties & fireworks & guys stalling traffic by driving around w/ huge Mexican flags hanging out of their cars and leaning on their horns. Here, there's not a whisper. I much prefer it, of course, but we did do one half-a*s but well intentioned nod to the event: the family enjoyed the take home Taco buffet from Taco Bell. BTW, if you think "going to Taco Bell had nothing to do with Cinco De Mayo", nuh-uh. Lisa pimped the idea all day as a cheap way to feed the family and discuss the holiday, and I finally caved. Not so cheap either, when feeding 6 people.

MAY 6TH

*spoilers* I finally got around to watching this weeks Lost. THREE principal characters killed off in a single episode - what other show would have the ba**s to do that? The death of the Kwon's was moving, as was Jack's last speech with Locke in the hosp.It was good to see Sayid shake off the 'fugue' - and wonderful to hear Jack named, however unofficially, as Jacob's successor. Wow.

Grim Reaper by Steve Alten will be released 10-10-10 *AND* will feature Bridgett, a friend of mine, as a character (two characters, actually) Leigh Nelson and Bridgett Deem. Her family Doug, Parker, and Autumn will be characters as well. You can pre-order copies now from Barnes and Noble!

MAY 7TH

Borders enters the E-Reader fray with the Kobo, priced $90 less than B&N's Nook.

[on the retirement of local newscaster Mike Miller] Danny Trivia: In 2005 I was late for a flight to DC and hurried down the aisle of a packed plane. I whacked Miller in the head with my carry-on as I passed him. He was clearly annoyed. Later when he saw me at an invite only GOP dinner he did an actual, classic double-take. That was the first and last time I've seen that action outside of a cartoon.

Where war and woe and wonder/Have been known frequently/And by turns bliss and despair/Have changed places suddenly

3 of My Kiddos As We Wait At Dance

quote

"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." - Carl Sagan

Franklin's Still MIA

I cleaned the toys off the lawn & raked it all. I moved their playhouse & everything in it. I went through the compost pile. I trimmed the weeds by the trampoline. i moved the trampoline itself and searched underneath. No Franklin. Maybe he skedaddled 'neath the shed, but if he did he's SOL. Lisa wants to think he's quote "truckin'" end quote on down to Humboldt's pond, & I guess we'll let that myth stand. :(

Kinky Boots and LaRoux

In other, happier news: Saturday Lis & watched "Kinky Boots", a Brit film about a man who inherits his father's failing shoe factory & tries to save it by making custom made boots for drag queens. Surprisingly non-camp, the film is predictable but sweet and entertaining. We also picked up LaRoux's album; other than the techno 'Bulletproof', the CD is very mellow, not at all what we expected.

Quote

It is wise to remember that you are one of those who can be fooled some of the time -  Lawrence Peter

Facebook - the end of April

APRIL 23RD

Smiley hooked his hands like a cat on the prowl & said "Claws it" over & over. He then started grabbing his, er, junk, still saying 'Claws' & pointing at the TV. 'Go pee," I said. "No!," he said, "Claws it 'en pee." "Pause the TV?" I said. "Yeesssss!" he said, & ran to the john. He gets his point across somehow/someway. He may not be able to speak well, but he apparently has the rhyming thing down pat.

‎"We have to believe in free will. We have no choice." - Isaac Bashevis Singer

APRIL 24TH

I had big plans in the yard for this day off, but it's been rainy and dreary all day. Lisa took lulU hiking with the Daisy scouts, YaYa is camping w/ the Brownies, Smiley is w/ Grandma, and Ginger was content with having the 2nd floor to herself. So I've spent *hours* watching the NFL Draft and finishing 'God's Spy', a novel by Juan Gomez-Jurado. Not the morning I had planned, but I'll take it.

‎"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison

Read Smiley "Just a Bully" ( G & M Meyer). I expected the PC "Boy is bullied, he stands up to him, Bully is Exposed as Coward & Backs Down". Nuh-uh. He FIGHTS him, wins, becomes a cool kid, & the bully becomes a target himself. More realistic, but yowsas, is that always a good thing? While you're at it, for 'realism' why not have him knock up his girl & get a job under the table to avoid paying child support? Jeesh.

Since the Nook has a built in MP3 player and access to Barnes & Noble's inventory, here's a little idea. Wouldn't it make a whole heapin' helping of sense for a user to be able to purchase and download music or whole albums to their Nook?

In retrospect, the day seem like a waste. After a morning spent on the NFL draft I dropped Lu off at a bday party, bought some soda, then returned home to watch a) Bucks-Hawks b)Lakers-Thunder c) bits of STL-SF (MLB) and d) an all-new Doctor Who. YaYa did watch Dr. Who w/ me, so I suppose that counts as 'bonding'. That salvages part of the day, right?

[re: Hawking's warning against contacting aliens] I would agree that it's short-sighted and dangerous to seek out a species w/ technology far more advanced than our own. Life isn't Star Trek. But that's not going to stop people from trying.

APRIL 25TH

‎"It's always a big day tomorrow. We've got a time machine. I skip the little ones." - Matt Smith's Doctor

[re: The Dr. Who episode "The Beast Below"] I have to revise my opinion of the episode. I missed some of Soffat's subtlety yest., and on a second viewing it really develops Smith's portrayal while telling you something about the Doctor himself. Matt Smith's quite good; more of a 'Old Soul' than Tennant, but with a dry and enjoyable sense of humor. I like him. I'm not digging his sonic screwdriver tho', or the high varnish look of the Tardis exterior.

Ladies, if your Facebook status is "It's Complicated" it's really not. It's simple, you have a sh*tty boyfriend/ husband, and you're co-dependent.

I think the joke [an allegedly anti-Semitic joke by National Security Advisor James Jones) is pretty funny. Common sense says there was no intent to malign Jews, since it was told in front of a pro-Israel group. There is a serious f*ing lack of humor in the world today; it's PC this, PC that. The Obama administration has been less than grand to Israel and they deserve criticism for that; but as for this joke - what the f* ever.

APRIL 27TH

The word I can never, ever seem to spell correctly: convenient

Productive day off so far. Wrote & submitted a piece to the Journal, spent some time w/ Lisa, took Ginger w/ me to Home Depot, just got done patching some cracks in our sidewalk and . . .well, sh**, I don't know the construction vocab: redoing a 3x3 square of 100 year old concrete that had cracked and caved in. Now, pending a disaster in the drying process, it looks as good as new. [fingers crossed]

Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they can't be separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes between them." - (Adam Smith) I used this quote in the best man toast at my sister's wedding.

YaYa and I had an argument this afternoon that matched one I had with my parents almost thirty years ago. Subject matter, volume, regrettable angry statements, you name it - it was eerily word for word at points. Afterwards she lost the glasses she's had for ONE day (found them later). We're good now but sh*t. That was depressing. On the plus side, the column I wrote this morning was accepted by the Journal.

AI was surprisingly good, wasn't it? From what we saw (we missed Mike's song) the weakest performance was Bowersox, and she wasn't 'bad' at all. There may yet be hope this season. OTOH, DWTS minus Kate just wasn't worth it. We fast forward-ed (sp?) it this week. Sigh. Maybe if Edyta was still on the show . . .

i Lisa watched today's Oprah on the DVR. In one segment a woman was happy to say she'd signed Oprah's ridiculous "contract" to ban cell phone use in a car (even w/ hands-free sets). How did the viewer break her 'habit'? Why, by cranking up the volume on her radio to eleven and singing along as she drove. Because THAT isn't more distracting than carrying on a conversation.

APRIL 28th

My latest column will appear in tomorrow's Journal-Sentinel. I'll post this again later just to be obnoxious, but you've been warned - buy one!

APRIL 29TH

We sent Lu to school today in her full Daisy Scout uniform. An hour later she called us from the office; there is no Daisy meeting today and she sticks out like a sore thumb. Oops. It's certainly not our worst error tho'. A couple of years back we sent both girls to school dressed to the 9's for Pajama Day and, well, I think you can see where this story is going :)

If you do the things you need to do when you need to do them, then someday you can do the things you want to do when you want to do them

Just finished putting a new (well, 'new to us') storm door on the back door. Now if only I'd remembered to buy a closer for it . . .

C'mon really?? This week the UN elected Iran to its Commission on the Status of Women, handing a four-year seat on the influential human rights body to a theocratic state in which stoning is enshrined in law and lashings are required for women judged "immodest." What a world.

APRIL 30TH

Richard Dawson on Match Game '74: "[Brett Summers] doesn't drink as much as she did. We slowed her down - we bent her funnel."

Saigon fell 35 years ago today.

Franklin is MIA

I came home from work to find that the kids had taken Franklin, our pet turtle, out in the yard to play. They *also* went to bed w/out taking him back inside. With the possum prowling around, I'm not sure he was even around to be found by the time I was done w/ work, but I scoured the yard w/ a work light and an extension cord. No luck. He's still MIA. He's been part of the family since Feb '05, predating Park. Damn.

BAM! Baby!

Congrats to my Yankees for advancing to the ALCS!!!! WOO HOO!!!! Only 8 more wins 'til #28!

Ooof

Early this morning, near midnight, I pocket texted my supervisor endlessly for nearly 15 minutes, prompting her to write me a pleading yet snarking message to stop. Bet that'll go over well on my next review.

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.

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.

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.

My Farmville Home

The Junie

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.

Record Time

Rejected from a prospective employer less then 24 hrs after applying........DAMN! Now that's a record breaker for me. - Lisa

Quote

Every problem has a solution, except for those that do not.

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.

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 ;)