My Tax Final

My tax final is done. My analysis was strong and flowed easily enough (IMO) but I choked on the computations. I did not fail, I know that, and with luck someone imploded and the curve will be in my favor.

Hitler: Ascent 1889-1939 by Volker Ullrich

Meticulously researched, comprehensive in scope, scrupulously even handed, and imposing in length, this well written biography of Hitler from birth to the cusp of WWII is superb. I look forward to part two.

Junie's Ear and Adenoid Surgery

It's been a long, bad day. Junie spent five hours (!) at the surgery center today having her adenoids removed and yet more work done on her ears. Her left eardrum is now tissue paper thin and partially collapsed, which scared me, but the Doc acted like it was acceptable if not ideal.

Most of those five hours was just waiting for the surgery, but a good chunk was her bumpy recovery. She literally woke up swinging and had to be restrained.  Lisa and I were both desperately covering up a bad cold, which made the time uncomfortable for us too. Then a nap to try and shake this cold, a big argument with YaYa and now more Kleenexes and snot. Not the worst December 7th ever (duh) but ugh.

I just got word from the editor: the Journal-Sentinel will be running my Pearl Harbor piece tomorrow.

Happy St. Nick's!

 Happy St Nick's ya'll..... Enjoy your goodies 

Lisa

Didn't They Notice the Implication?

Re: The Toyota Corolla commercial that advertises lane assist features by showing independent women confidently singing "You Don't Own Me": you do realize what you're actually pushing is the idea that the women are inattentive drivers who would crash if not for the intervention of the car, thereby rendering their independence a lie?

Michael "Jim" Delligatti

 The creator of McDonald's iconic Big Mac has died at age 98. RIP. 

Bob Hope at Phu Cat

These are pictures of Bob Hope performing at Phu Cat Airbase in 1968. My Dad was in the audience, but these aren't his pictures; his Vietnam photo album is MIA in their apartment.

A Second YaYa?

I picked up YaYa early from school for an appointment. As per procedure, I called the school, spelled our name, verified my first name and gave my complete address to the woman. Ten minutes later a girl knocked on my car window. It was YaYa - just not MY YaYa. They sent out the wrong kid. When I went in to get it straightened out I wasn't angry (they aren't kindergartners after all) but I did get peeved when they excused it by saying Polish names all look the same. "Is that what you'd tell a Rodriguez when you send out a Gonzalez?" I said.

Some weird coincidences with the other YaYa tho: her Dad's name is Dan, she too goes by Gracie, and she lives on Arthur Ave, the same street I grew up on. "Maybe you ARE my Dad," she said.

Let It Go

Hillary has decided to join Jill Stein's Quixotic Wisconsin recount.

The Gym and Thanksgiving Results

Just back from the gym with Smiley. Today was the first time in his life he showered in a public setting, which was a big deal, so props to him. In other health news, I somehow lost 4 pounds Thanksgiving week, which obviously means I have a fatal tapeworm, bc it truly wasn't deserved. I'm nearing, but not at, my lowest weight of this century.

That's a No from Me

Congratulations on beating an equally inept team, falsely raising hopes for the year, and giving Mike McCarthy a chance to stick around and run us into the ground. But, you know, by all means celebrate all over Facebook.

Kudos to OSU

Excellent job by the Ohio State University Emergency Management Team (OSU_EMFP) in immediately notifying students & faculty via social media with the message: "Buckeye Alert: Active Shooter on campus. Run Hide Fight. Watts Hall. 19th and College."

Kudos to OSU, in particular for including the word "fight" in their message. May the days of quietly waiting to die - or watching scores of others die - be gone. Run if you can, hide if you must, fight if given the opening.

Duh

Romney is obviously the better choice for Secretary of State than Ivanka Trump. This shouldn't even be a discussion.

A Nightmare

I had a horrific nightmare. We visited a cursed house dedicated to some demon but outwardly normal. A child was burned alive, we (my family) stood in a boxcar w/ many others watching The Hunger Games, and I snuck a for sale sign on the lawn but a lady was quick to tell buyers the contract included service to the demon. Apparently it was a selling point. And LuLu had her iPod stolen in the dream, which she knows is my trigger. Best part? At one point I was covered by hundreds of quarter sized puppies. But I broke the spell and realized they were hairy spiders. Why is that good? I'm not scared of spiders, but my friend Tre. Even in the midst of this terrible dream I was just enough of an as**ole to snap selfies with the spiders and text them to him. LOL

Lights Out

Surprisingly good. I even jumped once in my seat.

Pumpkin Carving with Junie

Back in mid-October I took Junie to a pumpkin carving event at a nearby park. You carve a jack-o-lantern, leave it behind for a few days as the park celebrates Halloween, and then pick it in time for the actual holiday. 

 I didn't want to go. I was salty as heck about the 2015 event, when some folks in the neighborhood took it upon themselves to decorate their homes with (literally) dozens of jack-o-lanterns they swiped from the park. 

I don't cotton thieves. 

But obviously I went. Someone's taking the pictures, right? Unlike prior years the pumpkins were precleaned, which robbed us of the seeds, which ticked me off even more And it was pitch dark, and we had to carve it under the light on my cell phone. Which also annoyed me. But Junie had a blast. 

She carved a face on one side, her initials on the other.

Some of her friends were there and they "dabbed" and showed off for the camera. 

A few days later we picked up the pumpkin, avoiding the pumpkin grabbers, and proudly displayed it on our porch!

40 Years of TV Greatness

This month is the 40th anniversary of Jack Horkheimer's StarGazers TV show. It's original, longtime name of Star Hustler was abandoned with the rise of the internet when school search engines blocked sites with "Hustler" in the address.

I used to routinely watch these short, informative shows just as PBS was signing off for the night. Each one, of course, focused on things you could see in the night sky in the upcoming weeks.  I don't think I ever got to *see* any of the wonders he promoted, as the lights of the city wiped out everything dimmer than Orion, but it was still fun to watch. 

If I won the lottery

Where I would spend my money if I had enough to give away: dental and psychiatric clinics for children in Milwaukee, food pantry's, Catholic radio, local public television, and the Bay View Community Center.