Angel Wants to Help with Dishes

 

Russell Johnson and Dave Madden

 RIP 'Gilligan's Island' Professor Russell Johnson, age 89, and Dave Madden of 'The Partridge Family', who I knew as a regular on 'Alice', age 82.

Real Chili

 Real Chili, last week

Looks good enough to eat

 

An Update

In response to questions about LuLus foot: she's still wearing the boot and still on crutches, which we refer to as her "cripplesticks." She can't walk to and from school, which annoys me, and her school has 3 floors and no elevator, which annoys her. My annoyance is FAR more important ;)

LOL

When she texts from her tablet wisenheimer LuLu uses the following signature line: "OJ (not the killer)"

Our Evening

It was a pseudo-Olive Garden night here. Homemade pasta fagioli and zuppa toscana with a big salad and breadsticks, followed by the season premiere of American Idol.

Dallas Buyers Club

If you have a chance, *please* see "Dallas Buyer's Club". Matthew McConaughey - who shed 40 pounds for the role - plays Ron Woodroof, a real-life, homophobic electrician who was diagnosed with HIV in 1985 and went on to become an advocate for AIDS patients, smuggling non-FDA approved medicine into Texas until his death of the disease in 1992. It is a powerful, emotional film, and Matthew McConaughey is superb. I can't give it enough praise.

Old School LuLu

Old school LuLu in a girl scout t-shirt and pigtails. 

Lu's Fort

I LOOOOVVE This

Lisa hung up this sign in the bathroom in honor of Junie's precious mispronunciation of it as "bat-room." I hope she never stops saying it that way :)

Fingers Crossed

Glad to read that a baseball strike is almost a near-certainty in 2016, given the behind-the-scenes reaction to Selig and his goons within the player's union. It won't be *about* A-Rod, but he'll be the straw that broke the camel's back. Here's hoping the entire 2016 season is wiped and that it serves as a fitting bookend to Selig's reign of terror.

I'm Furious

A-Rod has been suspended for the entire 2014 season. I'm done with MLB for the year, if not longer. They won't get one dime from me.

18 Days

By my count, the kids have been off for Christmas break (including the two days lost to the Polar Vortex) a grand total of 18 days. We should all be so lucky.

Yakutat on TV

Lisa and I are watching "Hotel Impossible", and lo and behold they are visiting Yakutat, Alaska, home of my good friend Fred Bryan. FANTASTIC scenery, but the lodge/restaurant they are revisiting (having helped it get on its feet a year ago) is . . . .uh . . . yeahhhh. I'I don't think we'll be staying there on any visit to the 49th state.

EDIT: actually, by the end of the show the housekeeping and customer service issues were addressed (again), I think successfully, and it looks like a decent place

Anytime Now

 Yes, yes they are the wind beneath my wings but these kids can get back in school ANYTIME now....i promise to bundle them up (no duct tape this time)

- Lisa

Not Sure the Cold is Worth the Press It's Getting

I've been out and about running errands twice today, and while it's damn cold I have to say, it ain't worth the hype.* 

*the exception being for the homeless, who I hope are in shelters, and the poor souls stuck on a bus stop

A TV Review

Listening to the Centerpieces debate and break down an episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender for the zillioneth time. I've been in college English classes with less insightful, strident analysis. Andddddd, now that I typed that, they are raising their voices and threatening to brawl. Sigh.

You Are My Sunshine

A small wall plaque Lisa bought for YaYa. She used to sing the song to her when she was little and it became Lisa's nickname for her.

Small World

While stocking up at the grocery store for the Freeze of '14 (damnit food prices are rising, aren't they? Gonna have to pick one of the kids to cannibalize soon), I ran into my Godfather's sister-in-law, a woman I used to chat with at BN. It turns out - she had never mentioned it - that she is a '93 grad of Marquette Law, did "poorly" (less than a B) in her first year Contract class WITH THE SAME PROFESSOR I had, and is now a successful lawyer that specializes in contracts. Huh. Small world :)

Cold Day

MPS has closed Monday due to cold weather, extending Christmas vacation an extra day for the kids. For all you West coast/southern people who whimper when it's 50 degrees - we're expecting a HIGH of negative 13F with a wind chill of -22F.

I Don't Blame Them

MPS has closed Monday due to cold weather, extending Christmas vacation an extra day for the kids. For all you West coast/southern people who whimper when it's 50 degrees - we're expecting a HIGH of negative 13F with a wind chill of -22F.

Aint I Pretty?

How would I rate 2013?

2012 SUCKED, so there was little chance 2013 wouldn't improve on its predecessor. Even had the bar been higher, I'd rank 2013 as one of the good ones. Employment was steady, everyone was healthy, we made some improvements around the house, I started law school, and we avoided the 3D's - death, divorce, and dismemberment - always a good thing. I hope 2014 continues the trend, and I hope the year rocks for you and yours. Happy New Year everyone!

James Avery

RIP James Avery, aka Uncle Phil from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". He was 65