Happy Valentines Day!

What'd I get my wife for Valentines Day? 8 hrs home alone w/ four kids while I worked. But on the way home I did pick up 2 'Heart' pizzas from Papa Murphy's for dinner.

Were they good?

We wouldn't know. Our oven tanked so we couldn't bake them.

Then Junie wizzed all over the dining room and the bathroom.

And then . . . lol . . . moments ago, while cleaning off the dining room table, I tried to toss a plastic bowl into the sink from a room away (yeah, I know). Naturally I missed not only the sink but the doorway. It ricocheted and knocked Lisa's favorite painting off the wall and onto the floor, atop a pile of buttered noodles Junie had dropped. . . . Is it Monday yet?

Good times, good times.

 It looks like I'll need a new water pump for the Escort. Anyone have an idea about how much it'll cost? It's one of the few items I haven't had work on over the years.

Oh My Got

 The Junie is running around saying "Oh my Got" this morning & ignoring our efforts to switch to "Oh my gosh". I don't understand where she gets it. I'll swear like a drunk trucker, but I almost never use the Lord's name, even for that kinda stuff. Which isn't to say I'd be ok with her saying "you m.fer" - at least until she's four. Three at the earliest

Facebook Feb 1-2nd.

Feb 1st: I kinda dig the smell of skunk - from a distance. We drove by a skunk spray the other day and I mentioned this to Lisa. She said nothing for a moment and then quietly said "You know, there are a lot of things wrong with you."

regarding an article dealing with home invaders who kidnapped, raped and killed: "'Punishment is the way in which society expresses its denunciation of wrongdoing: and, in order to maintain respect for law, it is essential that the punishment inflicted for grave crimes should adequately reflect the revulsion felt by the great majority of citizens for them.". - Lord Justice Denning. These men deserve nothing less than death.

* Bumped Family Night up a day this wk. L supervised homework & worked on valentines cards w/ the kids while I made mock chicken legs and mashed potatos (ckn breast for me and L). Then, after dishes, L played scrabble w/ YaYa, while Smiley & I played memory & watched Wizards of Waverly Place w/ LuLu. Then Ginger went and... rubbed blue toothpaste all over the bathroom and herself, so we cleaned her up and sent her to bed.

My buddy Tre responded that toothpaste was better than poop. He jinxed us. A few days later she had an accident and smeared the stuff all over her window, door and wall. Thanks Tre!

* **** Tune in to NBC tonight @ 1235am ET to catch NKOTB performing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon! Check local listings for more info.**** It was a good, strong performance.

* Catholic scholar and mystery writer (the Father Dowling mysteries) Ralph McInerny has died. RIP.

I went on a bit of an Andy Kaufman video spree at this point. I'm not even a Kaufman fan, but I was in the right frame of mind.

Feb 2nd (regarding Sen. Harry Reid (D) taking undue credit in a Black History column: If they cared at all, his own people should've told Reid to STFU. Like he needed to look like an ass to the African-American community - again.

* "The future of American space exploration came into question on Monday as President Obama released his 2011 budget. . .The plan leaves many open questions about the future of U.S. space travel, includingIF AND WHEN NASA will EVER build rockets of its own again, when astronauts will return to space and in what kind of s...pacecraft." Shortsighted, and a betrayal of our children's future.

* WTH? Reuters ran an article on 'back door' taxes - allowing current credits to expire, increasing the tax burden w/out press or actually 'raising' taxes. Now, it's pulled, reading only "The story Backdoor taxes to hit middle class has been withdrawn. A replacement story will run later in the week".

* It's a huge night for TV. American Idol, Fringe, Dirty Jobs, the start of season 2 of Rupaul's Drag Race, a brand new Duggar episode, and of course my beloved Lost. It's a shame I'm in such a deep, dark depressive funk or this just might rank as one of the greatest nights EVAH.

my.youngest.is.possessed..... Lisa

What a Night

Got home from work @ 9. 

Lisa & I then had to deal with Junie who picked last night to scream, stomp her feet, & refuse to sleep in true 2 yr old fashion. We left her in her room to chill out, but that took 5 HOURS, lasting until 3 a.m. 

Then we woke up @ 6:45 to YaYa screaming like she was under attack. Y? "Where'd you put my school clothes?"

@#^&%

The Marquette Basketball Team visits the School

Before I forget: a few weeks ago my two oldest came home ecstatic that the Marquette basketball team visited their school. YaYa was impressed by Robert Frozena, while LuLu thought Jimmy Butler (who gave her an autograph) was the nicest guy in history.

This isn't an Improvement

Want to knows something crappy about the new FB? Say there's someone you don't want knowing your business, but you have a mutual friend. When ur friend comments on *your* post, it shows up on her wall. That means ur business is out there for the world to see. Not a huge deal, but annoying

The Snowstorm of Feb 9th and 10th

This past Tues/Wednesday featured a pretty decent snowstorm. I don't have the final tally but original predictions were for 10 to 14 inches of 'lake effect' snow, and I think we came close. School was never cancelled, and the roads were never very bad (by Milwaukee snowstorm standards), but it was still a chore to clear it all. Not so bad in the early stages, as the temperature was mild and the snow light and dry, but in the evening the wind picked up and this morning, after the storm, the temperature dropped.

These are a few pictures Lisa took while I was clearing the alley. I love this first picture:

Me and Ginger

Throwback: 3rd Grade

 Dated June 7, 1983. I'm second from the right in the second row from the top, wearing a Brewers cap and an a red, white, and blue polo LOL

It was the end of 3rd grade, and our teacher Mrs. Kusch (sp?) invited us all out to her house for the day. 

New Zhu-zhu

I just showed Smiley an ad for the new generation of Zhu-Zhu pets and he freaked out. He started hopping up and down and sounded like he was going to hyperventilate. Man he loses those toy hamsters!

LOL Tim

 "Jackie O would NOT have camel toe" - Tim Gunn

 My oldest wants me to put her up for adoption.....ugh....she's never been one to be short on the drama - Lisa

Lost "What Kate Does"

I think yest.'s episode of Lost ("What Kate Does") was a big improvement over last week, even if it did center around Kate, who I find predictable & dull (when in doubt, run. When certain, run anyway). Note that Claire's ultrasound was dated a month after the Sept crash of 815 in the org. timeline. So . . is this a true alt timeline, or has something manipulated the group AFTER the crash? And what is the "darkness"?

Facebook'ing the end of January

Jan 30th: Lisa took the girls to their Mardi Gras dance last night, coming home at 10:30 on an adrenaline high. L and I then watched 'This is It'. Commercialization of MJ's death? U betcha. But seeing his obsession to detail and the pure grace of his moves was worth it. And his voice . . . Sh*t. If MJ's voice wasn't a gift from God nothing is.

Obama had another wonderful idea: to meddle with the format of how college football decides its champion: I stand by a belief in never letting the urgent crowd out the important, but this is neither. There's bigger things to worry about in Washington than whether or not Boise State has the opportunity to win a NCAA championship. Seriously, Mr. President - speaking not as a Republican but as a citizen - why is this even on the radar?

* Big news in the book world: MacMillan has asked Amazon to raise the price of ebooks it offers; not only have they refused, Amazon has now dropped all MacMillan books from its site. This also includes Mac. imprints Farrar, Straus & Giroux, St. Martins Press & Henry Holt.

Jan 31st: Came home from work and watched 'Ghost of Girlfriends Past' w/ Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Lacey Chabert and Michael Douglas. MUCH better than I feared. It's a fun romantic comedy and very enjoyable. Well worth the rental.

*(saw) A preview of Oliver Stone's sequel to "Wall Street". I liked the original but is there a story worth repeating here? More likely it's just an excuse for Stone to practice his heavy handed preaching. 1 thing: if Gekko spent 23 years in prison for insider trading, while you can serve much less for murder or rape - what a f'ed up system.

* Just finished polishing a piece I wrote, went to send it and the word processor crashed. Now, no trace of the file remains - no file, no anything. It's like someone took an eraser to it. F**k.

* Lousy day, lousy mood. Among other things our oven now refuses to heat up. Sha-it. the oven works, but temperamentally

* Watchin the season premiere of the Duggars on "19 Kids and Counting" and juggling my DVR schedule to accomodate the return of Lost.

Facebook Jan 28-29th

Jan 28th: J.D. Salinger has passed away. RIP. Still, let me be honest: I'm one of those readers who felt Catcher in the Rye was vastly over-rated, and that Holden Caulfield was a spoiled brat.

* How to be a Bad Parent to an 8 yr old: After school, YaYa was ecstatic. "Dad, I got a hundred on my math test!" she said. To which I immediately responded: "How?? Did you cheat?!"

The Senate voted to increase the debt by $1.9 trillion: From the piece: The measure would put the national debt @ $14.3 trillion — more than $45,000 for every person in the United States. And the debt is increasingly held by foreign nations such as China. The measure passed 60-39 under ground rules insisted upon by Republicans that required 60 votes to pass it.

* My sister just called to say Jay Leno's on Oprah, doing an "aw shucks, I didn't mean to screw over anyone" schtick, perfected circa 1992. Never fear Jay, your AARP audience will stand by you. I thanked her for the info, but I've got no interest in boosting Oprah's ratings.

* That's it folks. MPTV will no longer be featuring daily episodes of Mr. Rogers. By the time of my grandchildren it will known only through second-hand recollections. RIP Neighborhood of Make Believe.

Avatar neared Titanic on the all-time revenue chart: Because someone asked me about this very subject . . . if you account for inflation and the rise in ticket prices, Avatar would have to double its current gross to approach Titanic, and would have to rake in 1.5 BILLION to match Gone with the Wind.

Jan 29th: My five favorite TV Shows are Lost, Project Runway, Match Game, Doctor Who and American Idol. BTW, if you were going to flesh out my list of TV shows: Twilight Zone, Dirty Jobs, MASH, Friends, Barney Miller, Naked Science, Seconds from Disaster, Air Emergency, As the World Turns, Chuck, The Dish, Launch my Line, One Step Beyond, Demons, Life is Worth Living, The Prisoner (original), Unsolved Mysteries, Beyond Belief, Cake Boss, Rupaul's Drag Race, Medium, 19 Kids and Counting, etc.

* Today's random, taken out of context, overheard conversation, this time at a local restaurant: "Just shut up and put your meat in the hole".

* Doctors volunteering in earthquake stricken Haiti were under fire for pictures of them drinking: Poor judgement and indiscrete. Yet their work was 'excellent' - & keep in mind they're not giving breast implants to movie stars, they're helping quake victims in the middle of chaos and carnage. Give them a break, and bury the PC bullsh** that might cost them their careers.

* This being Doppelganger week, I asked Lisa what celebrity I resembled. "Dante from Clerks," she said. Duh - I was even called Dante for a bit when the movie was big, and neither one of us has a chin. "That, or a really, really fat Ben Affleck."

Why Hasn't MPS Cancelled School?

On our way out the door to go to Ginger's playgroup, snowstorm be damned. But I still can't believe MPS chose to stay open, not with 14 inches expected to fall.

UPDATE

MPS cxl'd school halfway through the day for @ least the 2nd x this yr. WTH - either have the foresight to close in the AM or the courage to ride it out. Even tho' the girls attend Catholic school, I went & picked them up. I think we're housebound for the rest of Tuesday.

My Life according to Facebook Jan 25- 27th

Jan 25th: Pissy Dan says - I know some people here have Bluetooth's, but I have to say it. If I'm in line with you, and you're yakking into thin air on that thing all la-di-da, obnoxiously loud and pretentious, know this: if it wasn't for my good looks making jail a liability, I'd put you on the ground.

Later that day I find out actor Pernell Roberts has died: What lousy, lousy news. True (albeit dorky and lol) story: in high school typing class we were instructed to type out a letter to someone of our choosing. I wrote a fan letter to Pernell Roberts.

Jan 26th: Father Gene Jakubek, a beloved Milwaukee figure who left the city in 1989 after admitting to an affair with a woman, has passed away. He was 87. Among other things, Jakubek was the founder of Father Gene's HELP (Happiness for the elderly, lonely and poor). I still remember going with my Dadto donate clothing to that o...rganization. He did a lot of good in this town. RIP Father.

Here's a rule of life as true as any in physics. No matter how long your ride - 10 min, 30, eight hours- you can count on a radio station playing a great 7 or 8 minute opus when - and ONLY WHEN - you are 2 min or less from your destination. I haven't heard the end to Bohemian Rhapsody or LA Woman in years.

I finally (!) found a new tank for the turtle, dang near a month after his old one shattered. It's as big as his old tank/smaller than his temp. digs, but he seems happy. Smiley and I found it at Goodwill for $5, and stopped to get Franklin a 'welcome home' meal of live crickets as a treat.

Plans for Family Night: BBQ chicken with a baked potato bar (salsa, sour cream, bacon bits, etc), followed by either a card game or door-to-door for Girl Scouts. Later, AI. Right now tho' Lisa is volunteering at YaYa's play practice for the 1st time, and I expect some rookie hazing. I give YaYa a 50/50 chance of NOT forcing Lisa to give her up for adoption.

Quoting Lisa's FB: [YaYa]has reached her goal of selling 150 boxes of Girlscout cookies! I feel redeemed for a pitiful showing last year (we didn't sell any!). She told the last house "I only have 3 more to sell and then I can go home!"....and the lady bought it! (it was the truth, but part of me thought, why didn't we... think about that line earlier!)

Jan 27th: Family Night went as planned (for once!) and all was well. My take on AI: Avril was an immature brat and a waste of airtime, Katy Perry was stunning, headstrong, and should be invited back, and this show is doomed once Simon leaves. BTW, "This isn't a Lifetime movie" (Perry) was one of the best lines I've ever heard fr...om an AI judge not named Simon.

"Not ironic?? This is like O. Henry and Alanis Morissette had a baby and named it This Exact Situation!” - from Archer, a great adult cartoon on FX

refering to pop star Ke$ha, who sings TikTok: Clear something up for me Ke$ha. Everybody gettin crunk crunk, boys trying to touch ur junk junk, now the dudes are lining up cuz they heard u got swagger, but u kick em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger. Have u looked in a mirror girl? Why would YOU waste your time on a Jagger look-a-like?

Then again, I do love a woman who brushes her teeth with Jack. :)

Should I be worried?

Is it wrong that when I saw a picture tacked above my daughter's bed that said "school prepares you for the real world....which also bites" I kinda was proud that she's got the gist of life down? LOL....I mean the resignation that things will be hard but you keep going anyway? Or should I be worried that at 8 she's already showing signs of my "glass is half empty" genetics? hmmmm.... - Lisa

The Vomiting Bus Passenger

Worked all day, didn't even know the outcome of the SB until minutes ago. Congrats N.O.!

Meanwhile, my Dad took YaYa rollerskating. On the bus trip back a drunk woman got on, stumbled, fell, and then began vomiting blood. The bus was evac'd by police and they stood in the cold for an hour until a replacement bus arrived.

A Slight Edge towards New Orleans

Re: the Super Bowl. I have no dog in this fight, so I'm good with either team getting the W. NO's a better story, no question, but as a Favre basher I recognize that another ring for Manning - one more than Brett - gives him even more ammo in 'best of' discussions. So . . . slight nod towards Indy.

It's a Wonderful Life

LuLu is cute as can be, asleep on the couch, Junie is coloring at the dining room table, and I can hear YaYa singing along upstairs to the soundtrack of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. Me? I'm sitting here with a smile on my face because it's the little moments that make the day worthwhile.

Got Booze?

 Sleepover for LuLu tonight.....always interesting. Got booze? j/k~!

- Lisa

The Economy Sucks

Our neighbor (the good one) just surrendered his Harley and had it towed away. He lost most of his income in '09 w/ the P. Cudahy fire. I went out to talk to him thinking the bike was going in for repair & he couldn't speak beyond telling me the bare bones . . Shitty. He's a good joe.

Dang Tim

On his weekly Project Runway blog, Tim Gunn called Milwaukee native Anna's piece "one of the lowest points in the history of the show". Ouch. It's a brutally honest blog and worth a read.

Caught!

 Whoa, was that Smiley I saw at 3 pm running to Lisa's car with no shirt or shoes?!! - Uncle George D.

Me: [hangs head w/ shame] yes. I was heading into the shower when Lisa called to ask me to bring out LuLu's Daisy vest, so I sent Smiley in my place. It was a five second trip outside - how was I to know you'd be driving by!

Boo Hoo

I'm sick of all the cliched sob stories on American Idol. Every contestant grew up poor and unloved, had cancer and got pregnant with a Martian baby while working three jobs. At this point I know longer buy any of it at face value. I want proof - birth certificates, payroll records, hospital bills, sworn affidavits. Otherwise, shut up and sing.

And by the way . . . 

"The time has come to lip-sync . . . FOR YOUR LIFE! And remember - don't F**k it up!" How is it that Rupaul's Drag Race doesn't get more press? Watch the show already.

51 Years

RIP Buddy. The world's a crappier place for the last 51 years without you.

Lost

I liked this weeks episode of Lost, but we learned little other than the ID of the Smoke Monster. The A-bomb worked to create a separate timeline, but I'm not buying the 'everything would suck anyhow' storyline (not the case for the hundreds of dead, no?) . . .and that's that. Jack's broken, so this season will be about his redemption.

RIP Buddy

I hate to do three video posts in a row, but I cannot, in good conscience, fail to mark the anniversary of Buddy Holly's death. RIP Buddy. This world has been a crappier place without you these last 51 years.

A Big Night of TV

It's a huge night for TV. American Idol, Fringe, Dirty Jobs, the start of season 2 of Rupaul's Drag Race, a brand new Duggar episode, and of course my beloved Lost. It's a shame I'm in such a deep, dark depressive funk or this just might rank as one of the greatest nights EVAH.

Family Night

Bumped Family Night up a day this wk.

L supervised homework & worked on valentines cards w/ the kids while I made mock chicken legs and mashed potatoes (ckn breast for me and L).

Then, after dishes, L played scrabble w/ YaYa, while Smiley & I played memory & watched Wizards of Waverly Place w/ LuLu. Then Ginger went and rubbed blue toothpaste all over the bathroom and herself, so we cleaned her up and sent her to bed.

P.S. **** Tune in to NBC tonight @ 1235am ET to catch NKOTB performing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon! Check local listings for more info.****

You Know . . .

 I kinda dig the smell of skunk - from a distance. We drove by a skunk spray the other day and I mentioned this to Lisa. She said nothing for a moment and then quietly said "You know, there are a lot of things wrong with you."

Season Premiere

Watching the season premiere of the Duggars on "19 Kids and Counting" and juggling my DVR schedule to accommodate the return of Lost.

Just finished polishing a piece I wrote, went to send it and the word processor crashed. Now, no trace of the file remains - no file, no anything. It's like someone took an eraser to it. F**k.

Ghost of Girlfriends Past

Came home from work and watched 'Ghost of Girlfriends Past' w/ Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Lacey Chabert and Michael Douglas. MUCH better than I feared. It's a fun romantic comedy and very enjoyable. Well worth the rental.

Our Oven

Lousy day, lousy mood. Among other things our oven now refuses to heat up. Sha-it.

 Now my oven isn't working, because I needed just one more fricken thing! ugh! - Lisa

Charlie Brooker - How to Report the News

Just to tie in with my recent rant about television news: watch this Youtube video. In less than two minutes time the cliched structure of any and all TV reporting is identified and skewered. It's more sad than funny, when you think of how many people
gobble up TV news as their primary source of information.



h/t Badger Blogger.

 Soooooo bored! - Lisa

Mardi Gras Dance

Lisa took the girls to their Mardi Gras dance last night, coming home at 10:30 on an adrenaline high. L and I then watched 'This is It'. Commercialization of MJ's death? U betcha. But seeing his obsession to detail and the pure grace of his moves was worth it. And his voice . . .  Sh*t. If MJ's voice wasn't a gift from God nothing is.

Grrr

This being Doppelganger week, I asked Lisa what celebrity I resembled. "Dante from Clerks," she said. Duh - I was even called Dante for a bit when the movie was big, and neither one of us has a chin. "That, or a really, really fat Ben Affleck."

I"m Sure it Doesn't Mean *That*

 Today's random, taken out of context, overheard conversation, this time at a local restaurant: "Just shut up and put your meat in the hole".

Party at the Fed! - Hayek vs Keynes

Ladies and gentlemen, and variations thereupon, F.A. Hayek vs John Maynard Kenyes - the ultimate rap battle.



Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist
- Keynes

Complete Lyrics:

We’ve been going back and forth for a century
[Keynes] I want to steer markets,
[Hayek] I want them set free
There’s a boom and bust cycle and good reason to fear it
[Hayek] Blame low interest rates.
[Keynes] No… it’s the animal spirits


[Keynes Sings:]


John Maynard Keynes, wrote the book on modern macro
The man you need when the economy’s off track, [whoa]
Depression, recession now your question’s in session
Have a seat and I’ll school you in one simple lesson


BOOM, 1929 the big crash
We didn’t bounce back—economy’s in the trash
Persistent unemployment, the result of sticky wages
Waiting for recovery? Seriously? That’s outrageous!


I had a real plan any fool can understand
The advice, real simple—boost aggregate demand!
C, I, G, all together gets to Y
Make sure the total’s growing, watch the economy fly


We’ve been going back and forth for a century
[Keynes] I want to steer markets,
[Hayek] I want them set free
There’s a boom and bust cycle and good reason to fear it
[Hayek] Blame low interest rates.
[Keynes] No… it’s the animal spirits


You see it’s all about spending, hear the register cha-ching
Circular flow, the dough is everything
So if that flow is getting low, doesn’t matter the reason
We need more government spending, now it’s stimulus season


So forget about saving, get it straight out of your head
Like I said, in the long run—we’re all dead
Savings is destruction, that’s the paradox of thrift
Don’t keep money in your pocket, or that growth will never lift…


because…


Business is driven by the animal spirits
The bull and the bear, and there’s reason to fear its
Effects on capital investment, income and growth
That’s why the state should fill the gap with stimulus both…


The monetary and the fiscal, they’re equally correct
Public works, digging ditches, war has the same effect
Even a broken window helps the glass man have some wealth
The multiplier driving higher the economy’s health


And if the Central Bank’s interest rate policy tanks
A liquidity trap, that new money’s stuck in the banks!
Deficits could be the cure, you been looking for
Let the spending soar, now that you know the score


My General Theory’s made quite an impression
[a revolution] I transformed the econ profession
You know me, modesty, still I’m taking a bow
Say it loud, say it proud, we’re all Keynesians now


We’ve been goin’ back n forth for a century
[Keynes] I want to steer markets,
[Hayek] I want them set free
There’s a boom and bust cycle and good reason to fear it
[Keynes] I made my case, Freddie H
Listen up , Can you hear it?


Hayek sings:


I’ll begin in broad strokes, just like my friend Keynes
His theory conceals the mechanics of change,
That simple equation, too much aggregation
Ignores human action and motivation


And yet it continues as a justification
For bailouts and payoffs by pols with machinations
You provide them with cover to sell us a free lunch
Then all that we’re left with is debt, and a bunch


If you’re living high on that cheap credit hog
Don’t look for cure from the hair of the dog
Real savings come first if you want to invest
The market coordinates time with interest


Your focus on spending is pushing on thread
In the long run, my friend, it’s your theory that’s dead
So sorry there, buddy, if that sounds like invective
Prepare to get schooled in my Austrian perspective


We’ve been going back and forth for a century
[Keynes] I want to steer markets,
[Hayek] I want them set free
There’s a boom and bust cycle and good reason to fear it
[Hayek] Blame low interest rates.
[Keynes] No… it’s the animal spirits


The place you should study isn’t the bust
It’s the boom that should make you feel leery, that’s the thrust
Of my theory, the capital structure is key.
Malinvestments wreck the economy


The boom gets started with an expansion of credit
The Fed sets rates low, are you starting to get it?
That new money is confused for real loanable funds
But it’s just inflation that’s driving the ones


Who invest in new projects like housing construction
The boom plants the seeds for its future destruction
The savings aren’t real, consumption’s up too
And the grasping for resources reveals there’s too few


So the boom turns to bust as the interest rates rise
With the costs of production, price signals were lies
The boom was a binge that’s a matter of fact
Now its devalued capital that makes up the slack.


Whether it’s the late twenties or two thousand and five
Booming bad investments, seems like they’d thrive
You must save to invest, don’t use the printing press
Or a bust will surely follow, an economy depressed


Your so-called “stimulus” will make things even worse
It’s just more of the same, more incentives perversed
And that credit crunch ain’t a liquidity trap
Just a broke banking system, I’m done, that’s a wrap.


We’ve been goin’ back n forth for a century
[Keynes] I want to steer markets,
[Hayek] I want them set free
There’s a boom and bust cycle and good reason to fear it
[Hayek] Blame low interest rates.
[Keynes] No it’s the animal spirits

'Rasslin Lessons

This afternoon I laid down for a short nap with Smiley and woke up to some odd news when Lisa announced she would be taking Smiley and LuLu wrestling that evening.

Wrestling? WTH? For several minutes there I actually thought I was in a dream, but no, it was true. Their school offers wrestling classes at a nearby high school, but turnout has been so low that one of the parents called us and asked the kids to volunteer.

A chance to do something different, learn a new skill, and get some physical activity on a day that featured bitter cold and a harsh wind? Okeedokee.

So at 5:30, Lisa took them down the road and let loose. Smiley was terrified beforehand, while Lu was eager for a fight. Go figure. By the time they got there both were gung-ho.







Mind you, Smiley isn't ready for the WWE quite yet. He was pinned during one game they used in training and promptly stood up, teary-eyed, and announced that the other boys were "all mean".

LuLu was matched up against a very good friend, a girl who just happens to be the daughter of an ex-wrestling coach.









LuLu did her best to pin her . . .



But that ended poorly - and quickly too!



When they returned LuLu had a headache and claimed she didn't want to do it again, and Smiley claimed he had a good time but was done for a lifetime. Nuh-uh. They're going back next week, and YaYa will be joining them too.

Anyway, for now - good job!

And now, our guest blogger - YaYa :)

This was the story I wrote for the Expo at my school. I hand wrote it in a hardcover book and drew pictures on each page and on the cover. I got an A (98%) and my teacher wrote:

"[YaYa] Your book is very neat. I can tell you worked hard on this and cared about your story. Maybe you'll be a famous writer someday!! :)"

* * *

"Ivana and the Blizzard"

About the Author: [ ] was born on ---. She loves animals and reading. Her Dad always tells her how you can be safe in an emergency. That is why I wrote this story.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Ivana said.

"Almost!" her Mom said. Ivana, her little sister Eve, and their Mom were going to their Uncle Rob's house for a Christmas party.

"It is going to snow hard" Eve said.

"It sure is," Ivana said.

Then suddenly there was a big thump and the car stoppped. "Is everyone OK?" Ivana's Mother said. "Yeah" Eve and Ivana said together. "I bettter get out" Ivana's Mom said, getting out.

"Nothing is wrong with the tires," said Ivana's Mother, "Maybe the alternator is dead!".

"Better call Uncle Rob," Ivana said.

"Great. My cellphone is dead!" her Mom said.

"Are we going to miss the Christmas party?" Ivana said, looking up from her book.

"We will wait awhile and see if anyone comes" Ivana's Mom said.

Hours went by. "Mom I don't think anyone will come" Eve said. Just then, a car came down the street. "Sir!" Ivana's Mom called, but the car did not stop.

"Let's go in the car," Ivana said. "Maybe someone will come."

"Well for now, why not play a game," Ivana's Mom said. "Like In Gramma's Attic."

"OK, I'll start," Ivana said.

A long time passed. "This game is getting boring," Eve said. "It's so cold in here," said Ivana. After awhile, their Mom said, "Now we're out of gas." "It will get very cold fast," said their Mom. "Maybe if we walk for awhile there will be someone."

They started walking. It was very cold. Their teeth chattered. Then a house came into shape. "Maybe that's Uncle Rob!" Ivana said. "No," Ivana's Mom said. "I dont' think we're close to where he lives, but we can ask the person there for help."

When they were on the porch Eve went to ring the doorbell. A man answered. "Hello," he said. "Hi Eve, Ivana and Kate."

"Uncle Rob!" all of them shouted.

"Come join the party," Uncle Rob said. "Hi Ivana," their cousin Macy said.

The girls told their Uncle Rob all about what happened. "But why didn't you just walk here earlier?" he said.

"I thought you lived on Arthur Ave, not Elm" Ivana's Mom said.

"I do, this is Arthur Ave, you must have made a wrong turn!"

They all laughed. "Merry Christmas!" Ivana said.

THE END.

--
Posted By PrincessYaYa to The Monkey House at 1/28/2010 04:36:00 PM

No Thanks

 My sister just called to say Jay Leno's on Oprah, doing an "aw shucks, I didn't mean to screw over anyone" schtick, perfected circa 1992. Never fear Jay, your AARP audience will stand by you. I thanked her for the info, but I've got no interest in boosting Oprah's ratings.

The humor . . .it's an acquired taste

How to be a Bad Parent to an 8 yr old: After school, YaYa was ecstatic. "Dad, I got a hundred on my math test!" she said. To which I immediately responded: "How?? Did you cheat?!"

A Question

Clear something up for me Kei$ha. Everybody gettin crunk crunk, boys trying to touch ur junk junk, now the dudes are lining up cuz they heard u got swagger, but u kick em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger. Have u looked in a mirror girl? Why would YOU waste your time on a Jagger look-a-like?

Quote

 "Not ironic?? This is like O. Henry and Alanis Morissette had a baby and named it This Exact Situation!” - Archer