Wouldn't You Know It

For years Lisa has had to hunt and scrape to put together the light blue tree she desired. No more. Finally, as with most things, our culture has caught up to her taste.

LOL

Isn't it disgusting what you can buy at Wal-Mart nowadays? ;)

Creepy

The airline finally delivered Lisa's bag. But someone went through it.  Stuff is mixed about and somebody pinned a button featuring the kids - normally on her cosmetics bag - to one of her blouses. #creepy

Just to be Clear

I've said it many times, but since they don't seem to believe me, let me be clear: having thrown all my funds into Disney, this Christmas will be lean. There will be no dollar store gifts, IOU's, or "hug coupons", but it may very well be recession era-crappy job lean.And I think our annual Boxing Day trip is nixed..You went to Disney World, you went on a cruise, you spent time on foreign soil. You're lucky kids. Don't expect me   to feel bad for ya. :) So consider yourself officially, publicly forewarned. 

25 Years Ago Today

Today is the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

I grew up with the Wall as part of my world and my consciousness, to the point where I still get freaked out that it only stood for three decades, not thirty. 

Seeing it fall - not because of war but instead because of peaceful reform - wow.  A powerful moment, for the 15 year old Dan, and for the world. 

The Return Flight

The flight into Milwaukee

Kovalev - Hopkins

Kovalev-Hopkins tonight, the boxing equivalent of Yankees-Red Sox at the start of this century. It should be a doozy.

Life at Warp Speed

#TeamSlap resumed real life at warp speed. Nine hours after our return we left for dance class, music and voice lessons, some grocery shopping, and dropped Smiley off at Train Fest with Tre. Lisa's luggage is still missing btw

Oh btw - thank you for re-electing Scott Walker in my absence. You made me proud Wisconsin.

Bahama Style

YaYa's new do. Her sisters have them too, but apparently they didn't "borrow" my phone for a selfie like their sister.

Return Day

1. We have arrived in Orlando to find our flight - excuse me, the first leg of our flight - doesn't leave for EIGHT hours. The fee to change the flight is $1800. We can't even check our bags for four hours.  I have four children. This will suck.

2. Screw it. Superdad saw a Hyatt sign in the airport and rented a room for the next eight hours. I dread coming home and checking my bank balance. I may cry. My mortgage company may cry more when I can't pay them. But let those bankers keep my kids at an airport for 8 hrs. Then they'd understand lol

3. Everyone is either asleep or watching Flea Market Flip.

4. I have blisters on my feet and toes. My left ankle hurts and is swollen. My right hip and left knee ache. I have scrapes on my arm, a cut on my hand, bruises on my chest and I'm exhausted. And yes, it was fun.

5. YaYa and I both had our cameras going non-stop throughout the trip, and Lisa pre-paid for Memory Maker, which gets you every professional shot at WDW. Once I lost wifi I stopped supplementing all of the above with phone pics, but fear not: I plan on breaking the internet with all our pics once we're home.

6. Just touched down in Atlanta. Just a note: the last row of a 717 is a noisy place - and no window!

7. Nerves frazzled. We took four kids across a continent and part of an ocean. Who wouldn't be frazzled? Whoever picks us up should bring booze as a welcome home gift! Lol

8. Home safe and sound but the airline lost Lisa's bag.

Our Rooms on the Disney Dream

Our stateroom (we had two)

The Bus Ride to the ship and our arrival aboard the Dream!

Our arrival on the Disney Dream

   

Epcot with YaYa

Boring "memory bookmark" post here. 

At Epcot YaYa and I stopped at the Coca-Cola exhibit, where a boy "tricked" me into trying the incredibly bitter Italian soda called Beverly. I was going to pretend it was yummy, but it was so awful I had to spit it out. Yuck. It's like their atoning for Fascism by punishing themselves with bad soda. 

Then it was on to the Japanese exhibit where we saw a drum performance and bought her kimono. I got some sushi but she refused to try it; however, a passerby humorously offered to try it instead.

At my insistence we watched a performance of "The Spirit of America"' where we saw a ledger accounting for 500 slaves  (I'll always remember the phrase "increase (in inventory) by birth"). I loved the bookstore next door btw but they wanted 900 for a framed autograph of Bush 41!

*I broke the clip on my pedometer squeezing into one of the chairs in the auditorium :(

I wanted fish and chips but it was legitimately cold as heck so we headed back. A guy came up to Yaya and asked her where she was from. He was bundled up and she was in shorts and a tank top. When she said Milwaukee he said "Ah, that explains what you're wearing. I'm from Florida and this is miserable for me"

A great time with a great girl. :)

My New Bookworm

LuLu has brought a book everywhere.

IMO

I think it was a catastrophic act of negligence for the government to allow Ebola patients to return to U.S. soil.

Finally, it's gone!

It's done. I went to a private dentist this morning and was seen by a junior associate who chatted with me about law school. In the end not one but *two* teeth  were pulled, with the second one a surprise to all, but deemed necessary by the doc while I was in the chair. I objected b/c I was paying out of pocket and didn't want to double the charge. 

"Shut up," ther dentist said. 

"I'm serious, I don't have another $200 to spare -"

"Dan, SHUT UP before my boss hears. I'm going to pull it.. As long as he doesn't see it  we're good. If he does . . . whatever, it's done and you already have your receipt."

"Wow. Thank you."

"No problem. Marquette looks out for Marquette, you know?"

So apparently my exorbitant, soul crunching law school tuition has already done me *some* good in the world.

Congrats!

Got accepted into the dental hygiene program🙏 - my niece Caitlin

Agony

I waited nearly five hours at Marquette, and in the end they WOULDN'T pull the tooth, instead putting me on antibiotics and telling to get it yanked once the infection clears up. What $%##% B.S.

In Which Tooth Pain Makes Me an Ass

I've lost a crown and the tooth below is badly cracked - plus my gum is swelling and the pain is rather nasty. Naturally, I am having the run around with my insurance and I fear, in the end, I'll just wind up waiting in line at Marquette for emergency treatment. Spare me your 'helpful' comments suggesting this doctor or that, or this course of action instead of X - it's all crap, total crap, and all just the bitterest proof that the system is, as advertised, horribly flawed.

Raise My Glass

I spent most of the day mucking around with a research project for Legal Writing that *still* isn't finished. What a pain in the keister. A pox on it Now, I'm sitting with Lisa, getting ready to watch a movie - and drinking a mudslide in honor of Carlos H. IIRC, it's his favorite drink.

Gird Your Loins

Grumbling about Who

I'm not sure I'm fond of this season of #DoctorWho. I don't mind an older Doctor. Or a grumpy Doctor. Or a Doctor annoyed at humanity. Or a Scottish Doctor I strain to understand - but so far he's a little bit too much of "all of the above" for my liking. Plus, what's with all the black students in London? If you take the show at face value, England has a larger minority population than Watts, not to mention the fact that no one in Cardiff appears to be heterosexual.  WTH?

Quotes

Anything is possible, but not anything is reasonable.

Winter Prep

It's been a wonderfully productive day off so far

 #TeamSlap prepped the backyard for winter. Smiley and I cleaned out part of the shed, put away the patio furniture, the double swing, the BBQ and the hose, and when that was done we took out the snow equipment. LuLu cut the lawn while LK raked the leaves. Then OJ and I took an axe to a tree that's taken up residence behind the shed. (Princess YaYa got out of work by being at grandma's) Afterwards we took the oldest girls to their first Cadet meeting, I paid the electric bill, and then LK and I walked the mile or so home. 

Following that PD and I changed both furnace filters and took out all the window A/C's. 

Now, we have to start dinner.

Halloween Decorations

From a neighborhood walk today