Smiley's 2nd Birthday Pictures from back in 2007!

 

NYE Sausage

Here's a great recipe Lisa suggested for New Year's Eve, and man, was it a hit!

You take two rings of one pound smoked kielbasa (turkey if you like, it doesn't matter), and cut them into bite sized circles. 

Add them to a slow cooker with a half cup of brown sugar, 3 cloves of garlic,  red pepper flakes, and add a cup of unsweetened applesauce.  Cook it on high for 3 hours, stirring frequently. 

Now, some notes: 

1,  3 hours is what they said to do online, but nuh-uh. Within 90 minutes it was pretty much done and we had it on "warm" the rest of the day.

2. You must use unsweetened applesauce, but all I had on hand were a pair of "lunch" sized snack packs, so I cut up and added a green apple. In my opinion it added positively to the dish, both in flavor and texture.

3. We added a smidge - and I mean a SMIDGE of a Thai seasoning and it was enough to make it the almost too hot for Lisa. I liked the kick myself. 

Try it yourself!

The Pest

Mind = Blown

I just realized that when I see Taylor Swift in June I will be as old as she was when I saw her live for the first time in 2011 - YaYa

Together Again

For six weeks our access to Angelcake's ashes were blocked by the placement of the Christmas tree in front of its shelf.  Now - finally - she and GusGus are reunited, as they should be. 

RIP

Note: Originally GusGus was in the white urn, Angelcakes in the brown. That's what you see here. That made no sense, given Angelcakes was pure white and Gus a common mackerel tabby. So after this picture was taken at Lisa's wise direction, I switched their urn, which now better identify with the remains they hold. 

Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift

For Christmas we bought the 4 kids - Swifties all - tickets to a candlelight tribute to Taylor Swift.

Tonight they journeyed there together, and by all accounts it was money well spent.

The venue was certainly GORGEOUS.

And aside from a tired, introductory joke about Swift's exes (followed, ironically,  by playing Lavender Haze, a song about get current six- year relationship), the show was a respectful and entertaining tribute.

I'm happy they enjoyed it, and even happier they enjoyed it together!

Lisa Marie Presley

Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis, has died at age 54 after cardiac arrest.

RIP

The Office Knickknacks Expand

The Pale Blue Eye

The Pale Blue Eye is a historical mystery set at West Point during the 1830's. A cadet is murdered and his corpse violated, and a noted constable, played by Christian Bale, is called in to investigate. He soon realizes he needs someone inside the Academy walls to help him, and he enlists cadet Edgar Allan Pole in his quest. 

Yes, that Poe. Yes, Poe really did attend West Point. 

The movie was atmospheric and engaging - up to a point. I think Poe's inclusion renders the story more of a novelty than it needed to be, and the odd witchcraft angle twists the film (briefly) into a 19th century  Da Vinci Code. 

I liked the movie, but its flaws are obvious. Watch it - if you don't have better things to do with your time. 

 

Jeff Beck

Legendary Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck has passed at age 78.

RIP

Life

the college experience of those working to live throughout their studies …. and the experience of those who have it paid for…. are so different. i am exhausted. i need this degree but i need to pay rent more. - YaYa

OMG This is one of LuLu's Friends!!!!

WISN: 

Milwaukee police are investigating the death of a 20-year-old woman late Sunday night in the Walker's Point neighborhood.

It happened at about 11:50 p.m. near South Third and Mineral streets.

Family identified the woman who died as Neimah Jones.

Milwaukee police initially said this was a fatal shooting investigation that was domestic violence related. They arrested a 22-year-old man at the scene accused of obstruction.

Right now, Jones' family, is looking for clear answers about what happened to her.

"She was a very outspoken, independent person. She would put me in my place, put anybody in their place," said Hiawatha Jones, Neimah's father.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's office told WISN 12 News they are investigating this incident as a probable suicide.

The End

That was a listless,  lousy way to end an emotional roller coaster of a season. 

Sigh. 

Fashion

The latest fashion design by Dem,  our exchange student. 

Adam Rich

Adam Rich, best known for playing Nicholas on my Mom's favorite Eight is Enough,  died yesterday at age 54.

RIP

A Potential TV Appearance for the DanDan

This morning interviewed by WTMJ TV 4, donating our  Christmas tree at a neighborhood event that will use it to mulch the community gardens. I said on-air that Lisa gave me the idea,  and better yet I twice mentioned that it was a 9.5 footer lol

Kahuna on the Landing

 

OMG Girl

These are the messages Junie sent midday Wednesday. Excuse her language, which I would yell about - if I wasn't too busy laughing LOL 

I’m going to kms deodorant flung on my pants earlier and it dried and it deadass looks like either bleach or cum stains all over my pants

Omfg I just licked my finger to try to get it off and instead it rubbed hot Cheeto dust on it

It’s red

I’m actually gonna leave

I got some of it off by hand sanitizer

.

White Noise

 White Noise is the Netflix adaptation of the postmodern, US National Book Award winning novel of the same name by Don DeLillo.  Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, and Don Cheadle share top billing.

Now, with a pedigree like that, you expect a movie to be a little stiffer than the norm, and less concerned with entertainment than with making a point about the human condition. Weekend at Bernie's this ain't. 

That said, I think it still made a good effort to keep the viewer, if not happy, than at least willing to stick around for the ride. 

Jack and Babette are a married couple in charge of a large blended family - he is on his 5th marriage, and she is not far behind - and while they are madly in love, both with each other and their children, death is constantly on their minds. They worry about it. They fear it. They talk about it.  They avoid talking about it. And so on. 

When a train accident creates an "airborne toxic event" in their sleepy little college town, the family hits the road to flee, and begin to confront their fears, not altogether successfully. 

The movie is told in three narrative blocks: the lead up to the train accident, the escape from the "event", and a 3rd block devoted to a jarring departure from the first 3/4ths of the movie. 

The acting was top notch, right down to the child actors playing the kids. I enjoyed the movie (my last of 2022) but it is, undoubtedly, an acquired taste and not for everyone.  I'd grade it a C+.

* * * 

In closing I pause to express an irrational complaint I have about the film:

It is set in the mid-1980's a fact that is contextually established by the clothing, music, cars, and product packaging. Maybe it won't be enough to identify the era if you're watching it from the year 2345, but it should be more than enough clues for decades to come. 

Yet, for a film that tries to immerse itself in the subtlety of human thoughts and fears, they hammer the setting home with an  obvious, out of sync bit of dialogue that was jarringly out of the blue [my apologies if this isn't verbatim]:

"I can't believe how long its been. I started the program in 1968, and here it is, sixteen years later!"

Groan. 

THE Doggos

50 Years Ago Today

50 year years ago today, for a whopping $8.8 million dollar investment, George Steinbrenner bought my beloved Yankees. 3 years later he returned them to the World Series; a year later they notched the first of *SEVEN*World Series Championships under his watch (to go along with 2 Stanley Cup's as owner of the NJ Devils). I don't believe even a fraction of that success would have come without the chaotic mess that so often defined Steinbrenner's reign. 

Say what you want - the man knew how to win. 

Happy Purchase Day!

Prayers needed for Damar Hamlin

The NFL has temporarily suspended the Bills-Bengals Monday Night Football game after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field after what looked like a routine tackle .CPR was administered on the field and Hamlin was transported to the hospital.

 I can't imagine the game resuming tonight. 

Please offer your prayers for Hamlin and his family. 

She would have been 100 today

My late Busia/Little Grandma, Clara Zolinski, would have turned 100 years old today. 

It's been 16 years and I still miss you Grandma. I love you. 

RIP.

NYE Traditions

Watched a video of a friend's nye celebration and there were balloons they stepped on at the stroke of midnight. Unlocked a childhood memory. Forgot we used to do that. We should do it again.

- Lisa

2022 Highlight

my singular highlight of 2022 was seeing Jeff Goldblum perform in Vegas - YaYa