100 Years of Oreo

 Today is the 100th birthday of Oreo cookies. All hail!

Success

 A successful Tiger meeting today, with the kids doing color wheels and magic tricks. I had a third project ready, but we ran out of time - always a good sign.

2 Movies

Two films last night before retiring by 11. 'Beneath the Darkness' a 'thriller' (yawner) starring Dennis Quaid, who seemed to either be off his game or so nauseated by the script he decided to ham it up. We didn't even finish it. Then on to "Shut up Little Man" a documentary about the audio recordings two guys made of their argumentative and violent alcoholics. I don't see the appeal of the tapes, but the documentary was entertaining, if a little prone to reading to much 'art' into the candid vulgarity. B.

Smiley's Birthday!

We just got back from Smiley's 7th birthday party! We held it at LIGHTSPEED, a go-cart and Lazer Tag center that occupies the former Allied Pools building at Coldspring & 27th. It's a brand new business that opened on the 1st, and the kids had a blast. We played two games of LazerTag, had a party room to ourselves, and had a free go-gart ride for Smiley. They need to organize themselves better, but again this is a mere four days after they opened. Lu's already talking about having her bday party there in June. Stop in and take a look.

What Can I Say?

Lisa, on my status update about the exam: I would've hated you if we'd gone to school together. Who refuses to use the book during an open book test? I'd have stolen your lunch money. Seriously, who does that? 

LuLu:  (looking confused): I have

YaYa: Yeah, me too. 

LuLu (bewildered): Uh, if you know the answers, why do you need to look in the book? It just takes longer that way. 

(silence in the car) Lisa, to me: Your kids suck.

Three Movies

3 movie marathon w/ Entourage last night, and I'm afraid they were all mediocre. 

"Dream House" with Daniel Craig: I guessed the big twist a few scenes in, and while it still had a ways to go after the reveal, it was never very special. 

C. "The Thing" - like the first two versions, only with a lot of CGI that ruins the suspense and adds needless gore. 

C. "Hugo" - it was fine, but the story never moved me and the look was too Polar Express. Plus Sasha Cohen sux. B/B-

Junie on the Phone

Today being my sister Katie's birthday, I had the kids call and wish her well. Before we put Lauren on the phone LuLu warned her that she'll talk forever. 

Most people assume we're being cute or exaggerating when we say that, but Junie will talk non-stop FOR AN HOUR OR MORE if you do not intervene. I have personally taken a 45 min car ride with her and never had a moment to interject a word. Not a word. I'm not sure she even breathes during her monologues. 

Anyhow, according to my phone my sister lasted 9 min 42 sec listening to Junie ramble, then surrendered and hung up. No matter; Junie continued to speak into the dead phone for another ten minutes before she noticed. {shakes head}

Angelmaker by Nick Hardaway

Tonight I finished an e-ARC of "Anglemaker" by Nick Hardaway [publication date 3/20/12].

It's the story of Joe Spork, the son of an infamous but beloved gangster, who tries to live a good and peaceful life as a clock maker. Unfortunately, his family's past includes the construction of a doomsday device centered around mechanical bees, and things begin to go poorly for our hero.

It's a "modern world collides with secret steampunk" set in London, and features a 90 yr old female super spy, mysterious monks made out of metal, and a dastardly villain worthy of a movie serial, the horrid Opium Khan.

It's a rollicking adventure, but Hardaway will have to tighten up the construction a wee bit before he earns an A from me: B/B+

 Our lights went out twice in this snowstorm.

 Folks, I guess my status updates have given the impression I'm worried about the job, or intimidated by the casualty rate among the new-hires. Not so. I'm doing fine. It just boggles my mind that 7 people have been cut out of such a small group. I didn't expect that. That's all. But thanks for the well wishes anyway

Warning: Obnoxious smarty pants bragging ahead. Not only did I score only one wrong on the final (on a subjective question I still believe I got right), but I was also the first one done in the class. Oh, did I mention it was an open book/notes test, and yet I refused to use either? Holla.

Another trainee is gone, leaving 12 of the 19 to take the final training exam tomorrow.

Archer - Season Two

I finished season two of Archer on Netflix. Lisa doesn't dig it, calling it 'vulgar', but I think it's one of the funniest, best written shows out there. The episode where Archer goes on a rampage against the Irish mob ("The Placebo Effect" was wicked good, btw. A.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

YaYa has been bugging me for months to take her to the Hunger Games movie (opening March 23rd) and to see what all the fuss is about I read the book by Suzanne Collins. The verdict? To my chagrin it's a pretty damn good read, with a good mix of action, character and chaste romance. I'm actually kind of looking forward to the movie now. Huh. Whodathunkit? Grade: B

All react

Patriot Acts

Today I finished reading another Greg Rucka novel in the Atticus Kodiak series, "Patriot Acts". For the +/-'s of the book see my review of his last one, as there's little difference in the flaws and triumphs of the book. I will say that I'm consistently annoyed by authors who paint gov't's, business, etc as evil and act disgusted by their violent acts, while ignoring the fact that the protagonists - and by proxy the author's wallet - thrive on acts just as violent, and often more unconscionable. The 'bad guys' in this one crushed a Communist revolution in Latin America (egads!) while the 'good guys' once burned a reporter alive and cut strips of flesh off a man just to make him scream. Hypocrisy anyone? Grade: C (tho' the writing deserves a solid B)

Hey if no list for Smiley's birthday comes by early this week...UNDERWEAR is in his future '! And we remember what happened that one Christmas! !! Also tell me yours .... you might just end up with underwear - Aunt Katie

Smiley and the Prism

Smiley's been begging for a coin-counting bank for weeks, and we finally gave up on waiting 'til his bday and agreed to get it today. So how does he wake me up this morning?

By asking for a prism instead.

"Dada, if you buy it I can play with light, and bounce it and divide it and make colors on the wall." He was more detailed than that, explaining the whosit and whatsit involved. It was enough of a presentation that we agreed (plus it was 7 am, and I wanted to get back to sleep). Come ten o'clock we were at American Science and Surplus buying him a prism.

This, on the heels of him spending two weeks poring over YaYa's books on space, watching Nat Geo docs on the cosmos and drawing both constellations and galaxies on scratch paper

The Walking Dead by Greg Rucka

 On Thursday I finished reading "The Walking Dead" by Greg Rucka. Yes, the title is confusing and out to be changed, because it's not a zombie book. It's a thriller, the 7th of the Attitcus Kodiak series. I've been a fan of the series for over a decade, but I can't say I'm in love with the abrupt change in direction it's taken. Atticus started out as a professional bodyguard/bouncer with a foster child in his care. Now, he's a globe trotting fugitive trained as an elite assassin. Uh . . . ok. Still, Rucka has a great style that makes up for many flaws - such as having a plot that could double as the movie "Taken". Grade: B/B-

Elmo and Me

 Last night we watched "Elmo and Me" a documentary about the life of Elmo's puppeteer Kevin Clash. It's a great story, w/ Clash creating his first Muppet at age ten while living in a distressed Maryland neighborhood referred to as "Chocolate City". By 18 he was a star of a local TV show, and soon caught the eyes of the legendary Jim Henson and Kermit Love. The part that got me the most were the scenes of Clash training the French cast of Sesame Street, where his talent and passion were on full display. That, and a scene of a dying child meeting Elmo as her last wish; that part choked me up. Grade: A

 Ryan Braun won his appeal and won't be suspended!

 Today is the 17th anniversary of the day Lisa and I met

Business Closings

 soref's carpet city just went out of business, acc. To jsonline

the Rosebud and Times theaters are also closing their doors . . As Appliance World did a few wks back

 

A Short Update

The new job is going fine, but I've never made a habit of talking about it online and I probably won't change now :) (but feel free to ask me privately). So far though it's just training and book learnin' in a classroom setting, so there's not a whole lot to discuss anyhow. 

In other fronts, tonight was my Tiger Cut den meeting. The thrust of the meeting was communication & manners, which was fortuitous: I failed to communicate well & they were shy on manners ;) Actually, by the midway point I found my groove and the meeting picked up steam. (and the kids were actually pretty good). Still below par tho', but maybe the kids learned a thing or two.

2 Pics