A few random thoughts concerning Christmas
-I still feel like a kid around Christmas time. I'm probably just as excited as my three year old. Been listening to Christmas music since mid November, got the Christmas lights up and tree bought early this year. So why did it sneak up on me so quickly? I got my shopping done, but only because I panicked. Maybe being into the spirit so early this year made it feel like there was more time. Dunno, hope to get that fixed next year.
-Man, you folks who don't like Christmas music REALLY don't like it. It's cool, but some of you are a little on the mean side. I've been yelled at and called names this year for playing/singing these songs. Hey, it's December, get used to it. You don't have to join in, but let the rest of us have our fun, okay? We can all keep Christmas in our own way.
-Speaking of, I'd like to address the parents who don't let their kids do the Santa thing. It's your business how you run your household and although I disagree I respect your decision. We could go back and forth on which is better or healthier for the kids and maybe there is no definitive answer. So while you all might not be wrong, you're not entirely right either.
Now, most people on the "no Santa" side are perfectly logical and tell their children not to ruin things for other kids. I have no problem with these people. But I notice more and more are getting this air of superiority about them and are being smug about it. I have witnessed people calling out parents of Santa believers in front of the kids. This is over the line and unacceptable. Remember that whole "peace on Earth, good will to men" thing? That applies here. Follow the rule, people. We're all peace loving big hearted elves at Christmas...but if you're gonna be an asshole you deserve what you get.
-Since I work in retail the question of what to say this time of year comes up. We are a store with mostly Christian employees and a large Christian base, but we are located in a largely Jewish area. If I know the customer or am wished a Merry Christmas first then the choice is easy. However, sometimes you want to do the expected holiday greeting but can't risk offending someone spending hundreds of dollars in your store. So I've been saying "Enjoy your Holiday." This way I'm being nice and noncommittal to play things safe, and it personalises the greeting as well. I think it could catch on.
-Some misconceptions about the Christmas story (Jesus, not Ralphie), cleared up as a public service:
1. The wise men were not there at the manger. It took them many months, if not years to reach Jerusalem. Pastor Mike Schreiner suggests you move the wise men about 200 yards away from the manger in your home Nativity scene for accuracy. I think that's a little much, but mine are on the far side of the mantle, just in case he comes by.
2. The wise men were not kings. They were astronomers. Wise men. Not sure how they became kings.
3.Oh, and there weren't necessarily three of them either. Three gifts are mentioned, not three people. In reality, the wise men were probably accompanied by servants, navigators and other traveling companions. Don't forget, these were important people coming to honor a new king. Their party would have been most impressive. Some estimates put the number at several hundred. No wonder Herod was nervous.
4. There probably wasn't a drummer there either. There may have been a long eared donkey, but no parent in their right mind would allow drumming anywhere near a baby who wanted to sleep. Not even Gene Kroupa.
-Looks like no white Christmas for STL this year. For an area of the country that is getting warmer in general and receiving less snowfall overall we've had a handful over the last 10 years or so. It's okay with me, I don't like snow, but I can see why people want one. It's traditional. Bing Crosby told us we should want them. And Irving Berlin told Bing, and he should know since he was Jewish and celebrated Hanukkah.*
-Best Scrooge performance ever? Alastair Sim. Followed closely by Scrooge McDuck (it's in his name, man!), Albert Finney, Michael Caine and then George C. Scott. In that order.
Alright, that's all I've got to say for now. Except this. Whatever your Christmas celebrations or traditions might be, try to remember others this year. And give props to Jesus Christ, without whom we'd just have another cold day in December.
Dave.
*Please don't misinterpret that as a racist joke, that's not the intent. I just think it's an interesting point.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
I'm Really and Truly Sorry
I have had absolutely no energy or time to devote to writing lately. I feel bad. I need the outlet, and a few people actually used to read this thing. Sorry. Christmas is coming, I'll probably have some thoughts on that. So that's something to look forward to. Haven't bought a thing yet, although my wife is done with her shopping as of last week. Oops. Gotta get to a mall.
I've said it before, I know, but I'll try and do better. Maybe if I get more sleep...
I've said it before, I know, but I'll try and do better. Maybe if I get more sleep...
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Brad Pitt Story
Haven't put anything up here for a while now, so I figured I should do something about that. I don't blog much anymore since Facebook has kinda replaced that in my life. I can just put a few sentences out there as soon as an idea hits my brain. I don't have to worry much about how to phrase my thoughts or worry about grammar or even be witty. Since we had three children in two years (twins if you're just stumbling upon this while google searching Brad Pitt) and my free time has all but disappeared the immediacy of Facebook appeals to me.
I put Brad Pitt in bold to make this page look important for anybody who surfs here by mistake.
I also have a music blog that I'm running and that takes up some of what I used to post here. Still, it's nice to have this forum and I really should do more writing. So I suppose this blog will be changing shape to become a catch all for whatever I don't have an outlet for otherwise, and cute stories involving the kids.
Like this one.
A few days ago, there was a picture of Brad Pitt in the newspaper. He had grown a beard for a movie role. Tessa, the three year old, asks quite innocently, "Is this you Dad?"
'Yes" I replied "that's totally me."
"No!" says Valerie, "That's not Daddy. Your mama didn't marry Brad Pitt." Then, in her sweetest, most saccharine voice she added, "I married someone even more handsome."
"Who?" Tessa asked.
I put Brad Pitt in bold to make this page look important for anybody who surfs here by mistake.
I also have a music blog that I'm running and that takes up some of what I used to post here. Still, it's nice to have this forum and I really should do more writing. So I suppose this blog will be changing shape to become a catch all for whatever I don't have an outlet for otherwise, and cute stories involving the kids.
Like this one.
A few days ago, there was a picture of Brad Pitt in the newspaper. He had grown a beard for a movie role. Tessa, the three year old, asks quite innocently, "Is this you Dad?"
'Yes" I replied "that's totally me."
"No!" says Valerie, "That's not Daddy. Your mama didn't marry Brad Pitt." Then, in her sweetest, most saccharine voice she added, "I married someone even more handsome."
"Who?" Tessa asked.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Here's More Stuff
So here's what's going on in Daveville.
1. Tessa has been enrolled in pre-school. She starts at Florissant Valley Child Development Laboratory Center. And no, she won'r be running through mazes for some cheese or creating monsters and potions. I think. It is a preschool that is staffed by both experienced teachers and college students doing grad work (hence the lab part). It is a mixed age class with cirriculum designed for the individual student.
Tessa is going two days a week. Valerie and I think this will be a fantastic opportunity for her. She needs to learn how to behave in a structured environment. We know that she is off the charts with her verbal abilities (seriously, she never stops talking!), there are always skills she can work on. We beleive the twice a week schedule is plenty for a three year old (she'll be with 4 and 5 year olds as well), and if all goes well she'll go five days a week next year. Exciting stuff!
2. Tomorrow evening I go to the eye doctor for the first time in about 24 years. I don't expect there to be any serious problems, but I'm preparing for glasses just in case. I have noticed a slight problem with distance vision at night, though it is highly irregular. Valerie noticed that I misread a few road signs while we were on vacation as well. Probably nothing, but it's possible that my eyes have been compensating for a problem for a while now and I just didn't notice. So I made an appointment with the local eye center.
So the question is, if I wind up needing glasses, wire rims or geek frames?
3. Getting closer to the Two Hangmen CD release. Just like to mention that whenever I can. It's taken a lot longer than anticipated due to some production problems but things are looking up. working on new tunes and our web presence too. It's gonna get exciting here soon...
4. So MTV is 30. I am 39. We both got older and less relevant at the same time.
And that's about it for now.
1. Tessa has been enrolled in pre-school. She starts at Florissant Valley Child Development Laboratory Center. And no, she won'r be running through mazes for some cheese or creating monsters and potions. I think. It is a preschool that is staffed by both experienced teachers and college students doing grad work (hence the lab part). It is a mixed age class with cirriculum designed for the individual student.
Tessa is going two days a week. Valerie and I think this will be a fantastic opportunity for her. She needs to learn how to behave in a structured environment. We know that she is off the charts with her verbal abilities (seriously, she never stops talking!), there are always skills she can work on. We beleive the twice a week schedule is plenty for a three year old (she'll be with 4 and 5 year olds as well), and if all goes well she'll go five days a week next year. Exciting stuff!
2. Tomorrow evening I go to the eye doctor for the first time in about 24 years. I don't expect there to be any serious problems, but I'm preparing for glasses just in case. I have noticed a slight problem with distance vision at night, though it is highly irregular. Valerie noticed that I misread a few road signs while we were on vacation as well. Probably nothing, but it's possible that my eyes have been compensating for a problem for a while now and I just didn't notice. So I made an appointment with the local eye center.
So the question is, if I wind up needing glasses, wire rims or geek frames?
3. Getting closer to the Two Hangmen CD release. Just like to mention that whenever I can. It's taken a lot longer than anticipated due to some production problems but things are looking up. working on new tunes and our web presence too. It's gonna get exciting here soon...
4. So MTV is 30. I am 39. We both got older and less relevant at the same time.
And that's about it for now.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Lake Geneva Photos
As promised and only five days late, here are some pictures from our trip to Lake Geneva WI. Sorry for the delay. Turns out this isn't the best format to display photos. There's no rhyme or reason as to why these are in the order they appear here. I'm also not sure why some seem to float out in space compared to the others, but this is the best I could do with the tools provided. Back to text next time.
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| Lake Geneva shoreline |
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| Black Point |
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| Me on the boat...""Merica!" |
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| Valerie and Ginny the Girafffe (Delavan) |
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| Brick Street Market-Delavan |
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| Pier |
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| Best. Salmon. Ever. |
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| Beach at Lake Geneva |
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Lake Geneva Blog #3
Sorry this is late, but I had problems with the Internet connection last night. Here's the rest of the trip.
Wednesday had a slow start as I was still feeling a little on the rough side from too much sun and not enough liquids. Classic, silly mistake I know, but there you are.
Mid morning we decided to branch out a little further and go to the town of Delavan, having exhausted most of our options in Lake Geneva. Delavan is about 25-30 mins. from town and is an interesting slice of small town America.
Delavan prides itself as being the 1800s Circus capital of the world. Somewhere in the 1850s and 60s, the town became the winter headquarters for both the Marble Brothers and the P.T. Barnum Circus, two of the most popular names in all circusdom. Though there are now just a few locals who carry on the tradition of circus performing the city still celebrates this history and has statues of circus animals along the town's main street.
The other interesting thing about Delavan to me is its apparently large Mexican/Spanish American populace. For an area of the country known to be settled by Swedes and Germans it seemed as though the majority of the shops were Mexican food, ranchero type western clothing, and many were based in Spanish culture. Nothing wrong with this, mind you, (I even liked some of the shirts in the clothing shop), it just struck me as a little odd.
But the reason we went to the city in the first place was to go to the Brick Street Market to buy some honest to goodness Wisconsin cheese. Not only do they sell cheese, sausage, beer and wine (how perfect can you get?), they serve lunch as well. We met a very nice lady named Laurie, who let us sample various cheeses and made suggestions according to our tastes. Our sandwich lunch (nice, light Summer type sandwiches by the way) even came with a cheese and sausage sampler she picked out herself. That kind of customer service wins the day every time. Naturally, we brought home some cheeses, a Parmesan soaked in Raspberry ale, and Antonella infused with sun dried tomato and rolled in basil. Normally we're not "Infused with" or "soaked in" people but this is seriously good stuff. As Laurie herself said, "This is Wisconsin, we don't make bad cheese." She also let me do a pick a six of New Glarus beer, which I will be happy to share with family and friends provided I see you before I drink it all.
After that it was back to the condo for a quick nap, 'cuz it's vacation, and then out shopping. We got some ice cream and brought home some fudge and caramel from a local shop, 'cuz it's vacation, and bought some t-shirts and trinkets for the kids. soon enough it was dinner time. And this is where we spent most of our budget.
The condos we stayed in are run by Holiday Inn (actually they bought out another company and have yet to renovate which they really need to do), but they are on the property of the Grand Geneva resort, one of those exclusive all inclusive type resorts. There are actually multiple resorts on the grounds, including one with a water park inside, a full service spa and gym with indoor and outdoor pool, and a man made lake plus two golf courses. Fancy shmancy, with the Holiday Inn condos barely registering on the map and stuck at the back of the property. Well, just because we could we ate at one of their restaurants, The Geneva Chophouse. Incidentally this used to be one of the first Playboy Clubs. No sense of that remains.
It's about what you expect. We were under dressed a little but it proved no problem (though they did check to make sure we were resort guests...). All of the items on the menu were served a la carte. The bread was served with three different spread choices, butter, sun dried tomato, and bleu cheese butter which tastes way better than expected. We had our choice of spring or sparkling water, but disappointed the busboy by choosing regular water. Our waiter was nice enough though he seemed to look down his nose at us a little, but he's probably like that with everyone.
As for the food, Valerie ordered a clam chowder which was full of creamy goodness, and lamb chops that she thought were absolutely wonderful. I skipped the salad and just ordered an 18 oz. strip steak with garlic butter shrimp. The shrimp was excellent and the steak was one of those huge cuts that are just sooo thick. I made a slight error in ordering medium rare, because it's my experience that often when I order medium, the steak comes back a little dry for my tastes. Well, I should have known by the type of place we were in that they'd get it right but I erred on the side of caution anyway. So the steak was a little too red for me, and sure, I could have sent it back to cook some more but they delivered exactly what I ordered so fair play to them. And it was delicious nonetheless. We also shared a cheesecake with chocolate ganache for dessert, which made Valerie declare that she will never eat cheesecake anywhere else ever again. So all in all a successful meal. Very pricey though. Let's just say that $20 would have been a conservative tip.
There is little else to tell. Today was a driving day, we picked up the kids and dog and are all back home. Tessa loved her gifts, the twins were indifferent to theirs, being one year old and all, but all were very happy to see us and come home.
This vacation was a nice getaway. Not quite as many options for entertainment as I would have liked but it was relaxing, and apart from a few showers Monday morning the weather was near perfect. Sunny and under 90 degrees all week, actually a little chilly at times, with little to no humidity. While I don't think we'll go back soon, I wouldn't cross it off the list of possibilities either. Overall, we had a good time. And I got a Piggly Wiggly t-shirt, so I'm happy.
Pictures tomorrow, I promise.
PS-Not a lot of people with the standard Wisconsin type accent, most who did have were older. I think it's dying out in that area as the kids didn't seem to noticeably have it. That's kind of a shame.
PPS-I'm like 90% sure Gene Simmons of KISS fame was staying at the resort between gigs in the area. Didn't meet him, probably for the best.
Wednesday had a slow start as I was still feeling a little on the rough side from too much sun and not enough liquids. Classic, silly mistake I know, but there you are.
Mid morning we decided to branch out a little further and go to the town of Delavan, having exhausted most of our options in Lake Geneva. Delavan is about 25-30 mins. from town and is an interesting slice of small town America.
Delavan prides itself as being the 1800s Circus capital of the world. Somewhere in the 1850s and 60s, the town became the winter headquarters for both the Marble Brothers and the P.T. Barnum Circus, two of the most popular names in all circusdom. Though there are now just a few locals who carry on the tradition of circus performing the city still celebrates this history and has statues of circus animals along the town's main street.
The other interesting thing about Delavan to me is its apparently large Mexican/Spanish American populace. For an area of the country known to be settled by Swedes and Germans it seemed as though the majority of the shops were Mexican food, ranchero type western clothing, and many were based in Spanish culture. Nothing wrong with this, mind you, (I even liked some of the shirts in the clothing shop), it just struck me as a little odd.
But the reason we went to the city in the first place was to go to the Brick Street Market to buy some honest to goodness Wisconsin cheese. Not only do they sell cheese, sausage, beer and wine (how perfect can you get?), they serve lunch as well. We met a very nice lady named Laurie, who let us sample various cheeses and made suggestions according to our tastes. Our sandwich lunch (nice, light Summer type sandwiches by the way) even came with a cheese and sausage sampler she picked out herself. That kind of customer service wins the day every time. Naturally, we brought home some cheeses, a Parmesan soaked in Raspberry ale, and Antonella infused with sun dried tomato and rolled in basil. Normally we're not "Infused with" or "soaked in" people but this is seriously good stuff. As Laurie herself said, "This is Wisconsin, we don't make bad cheese." She also let me do a pick a six of New Glarus beer, which I will be happy to share with family and friends provided I see you before I drink it all.
After that it was back to the condo for a quick nap, 'cuz it's vacation, and then out shopping. We got some ice cream and brought home some fudge and caramel from a local shop, 'cuz it's vacation, and bought some t-shirts and trinkets for the kids. soon enough it was dinner time. And this is where we spent most of our budget.
The condos we stayed in are run by Holiday Inn (actually they bought out another company and have yet to renovate which they really need to do), but they are on the property of the Grand Geneva resort, one of those exclusive all inclusive type resorts. There are actually multiple resorts on the grounds, including one with a water park inside, a full service spa and gym with indoor and outdoor pool, and a man made lake plus two golf courses. Fancy shmancy, with the Holiday Inn condos barely registering on the map and stuck at the back of the property. Well, just because we could we ate at one of their restaurants, The Geneva Chophouse. Incidentally this used to be one of the first Playboy Clubs. No sense of that remains.
It's about what you expect. We were under dressed a little but it proved no problem (though they did check to make sure we were resort guests...). All of the items on the menu were served a la carte. The bread was served with three different spread choices, butter, sun dried tomato, and bleu cheese butter which tastes way better than expected. We had our choice of spring or sparkling water, but disappointed the busboy by choosing regular water. Our waiter was nice enough though he seemed to look down his nose at us a little, but he's probably like that with everyone.
As for the food, Valerie ordered a clam chowder which was full of creamy goodness, and lamb chops that she thought were absolutely wonderful. I skipped the salad and just ordered an 18 oz. strip steak with garlic butter shrimp. The shrimp was excellent and the steak was one of those huge cuts that are just sooo thick. I made a slight error in ordering medium rare, because it's my experience that often when I order medium, the steak comes back a little dry for my tastes. Well, I should have known by the type of place we were in that they'd get it right but I erred on the side of caution anyway. So the steak was a little too red for me, and sure, I could have sent it back to cook some more but they delivered exactly what I ordered so fair play to them. And it was delicious nonetheless. We also shared a cheesecake with chocolate ganache for dessert, which made Valerie declare that she will never eat cheesecake anywhere else ever again. So all in all a successful meal. Very pricey though. Let's just say that $20 would have been a conservative tip.
There is little else to tell. Today was a driving day, we picked up the kids and dog and are all back home. Tessa loved her gifts, the twins were indifferent to theirs, being one year old and all, but all were very happy to see us and come home.
This vacation was a nice getaway. Not quite as many options for entertainment as I would have liked but it was relaxing, and apart from a few showers Monday morning the weather was near perfect. Sunny and under 90 degrees all week, actually a little chilly at times, with little to no humidity. While I don't think we'll go back soon, I wouldn't cross it off the list of possibilities either. Overall, we had a good time. And I got a Piggly Wiggly t-shirt, so I'm happy.
Pictures tomorrow, I promise.
PS-Not a lot of people with the standard Wisconsin type accent, most who did have were older. I think it's dying out in that area as the kids didn't seem to noticeably have it. That's kind of a shame.
PPS-I'm like 90% sure Gene Simmons of KISS fame was staying at the resort between gigs in the area. Didn't meet him, probably for the best.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Lake Geneva Blog #2
Sorry for the delay, but I got a bit too much sun yesterday and went to bed exhausted and a touch sick. Here's why.
Tuesday started off with breakfast at a nearby diner called Claw's (which instantly made me think of the Motorhead song, RIP Wurzel!). I don't normally do joints like this for breakfast, just lunch and dinner. And later in the day I remembered why. Anyway, it was unremarkable except that they didn't serve on plates, everyone got styrofoam to go containers, even if you were seated. Ans they had really good french toast sticks.
Next up was Big Foot State Park. The charge to come in was 10.00, but it allowed for all day access, and supports nature so that's good. The park itself though wasn't quite worth the fee. They had hiking trails, but most of them were under a mile. the longest one being 1.9. The trail we were on was bug infested to the point where spray had little effect and looked like it had been made by guys driving their jeeps through the woods. It led to a lagoon which was nice enough, and very clear. There were also camping sites and bathrooms that are better left unmentioned. We did one loop and left. I suppose if one lives nearby the all season pass might be worthwhile, but overall I was unimpressed.
Next we decided to try and drive around the perimeter of the lake and see what all was there. Well, lots of houses and eateries mostly. A few schools. Golf course. That's about it, nothing much to make us curious. The shops out here are kinda weird. they are either trinkety t-shirt shops or high end retailers catering to bored rich people. Underwhelming. Nice views of the lake though.
So then it was back to the condo to change and head back out to our side of the lake. First was lunch at a sandwich shop called Potbelly's. Best name ever. Apparently a chain, but not one by us St. Louisans. Sandwiches were very good, not too big or too small. They have live music, a la coffee shops, but none playing while we ate. Yummy food, good choice.
Next up was the beach. Yep, a beach on the lake. Sand and everything, basically a minute version if the ocean. Swimming in the lake proved a little bit difficult as the current was quite strong. My arms and legs actually hurt We did some swimming and some sunning. I don't think I could make a day of it like some people do, but it was fun.
Showered, changed and back out to dinner at the Red Geranium restaurant. We weren't quite sure what we were in for upon seeing the decor. Think of an elderly female relative and her floral wallpapered house. That's it, you've got it, except geraniums. So we ordered and hoped for the best. And what we got was the best. After a salad and delicious spinach and artichoke dip, I was served the best salmon I have ever had. A slight sear on the outside and extremely tender inside. Served with butter and lemon that enhanced the natural flavor but neither the fish or lemon was overpowering. Absolute perfection. The mixed squash and asparagus were also excellent. This was followed by a desert of Boston Creme Cake that was wonderfully decadent. The Red Geranium serves first class food at a middle class price. Worth more than we paid. An interior decorator's nightmare, but a favorite of local foodies.
As far as night life here, there is none to speak of. One must travel for that, we couldn't even find a convenient local movie theater. So we decided to try and find a mini golf course open. We landed at Paradise mini golf. The interesting thing about this course is that the owners run it from their home. The guy's back yard is huge, so instead of whining that he couldn't get lake front property he opens this course. Genius. The course itself is 18 holes. Some holes are quite challenging, some are fun ones where you hit your ball into a tube and it comes out on the other end either very near or very far from the hole. No windmills or gimmicky crap, but a nice big waterfall feature running through the center of the course. Quite enjoyable. Valerie beat me by two strokes. Rematch?...
So that was yesterday. We brought spray on sunblock which works well, but is difficult to put on your face. My head is kinda pink and I don't feel all that well today. It will probably be a slow day today, doing laundry and packing. maybe one excursion, but just taking it easy for the last full vacation day. Once again, pics coming soon, though we didn't seem to have the camera with us at the appropriate points yesterday. We'll fix that this afternoon.
See you soon.
Tuesday started off with breakfast at a nearby diner called Claw's (which instantly made me think of the Motorhead song, RIP Wurzel!). I don't normally do joints like this for breakfast, just lunch and dinner. And later in the day I remembered why. Anyway, it was unremarkable except that they didn't serve on plates, everyone got styrofoam to go containers, even if you were seated. Ans they had really good french toast sticks.
Next up was Big Foot State Park. The charge to come in was 10.00, but it allowed for all day access, and supports nature so that's good. The park itself though wasn't quite worth the fee. They had hiking trails, but most of them were under a mile. the longest one being 1.9. The trail we were on was bug infested to the point where spray had little effect and looked like it had been made by guys driving their jeeps through the woods. It led to a lagoon which was nice enough, and very clear. There were also camping sites and bathrooms that are better left unmentioned. We did one loop and left. I suppose if one lives nearby the all season pass might be worthwhile, but overall I was unimpressed.
Next we decided to try and drive around the perimeter of the lake and see what all was there. Well, lots of houses and eateries mostly. A few schools. Golf course. That's about it, nothing much to make us curious. The shops out here are kinda weird. they are either trinkety t-shirt shops or high end retailers catering to bored rich people. Underwhelming. Nice views of the lake though.
So then it was back to the condo to change and head back out to our side of the lake. First was lunch at a sandwich shop called Potbelly's. Best name ever. Apparently a chain, but not one by us St. Louisans. Sandwiches were very good, not too big or too small. They have live music, a la coffee shops, but none playing while we ate. Yummy food, good choice.
Next up was the beach. Yep, a beach on the lake. Sand and everything, basically a minute version if the ocean. Swimming in the lake proved a little bit difficult as the current was quite strong. My arms and legs actually hurt We did some swimming and some sunning. I don't think I could make a day of it like some people do, but it was fun.
Showered, changed and back out to dinner at the Red Geranium restaurant. We weren't quite sure what we were in for upon seeing the decor. Think of an elderly female relative and her floral wallpapered house. That's it, you've got it, except geraniums. So we ordered and hoped for the best. And what we got was the best. After a salad and delicious spinach and artichoke dip, I was served the best salmon I have ever had. A slight sear on the outside and extremely tender inside. Served with butter and lemon that enhanced the natural flavor but neither the fish or lemon was overpowering. Absolute perfection. The mixed squash and asparagus were also excellent. This was followed by a desert of Boston Creme Cake that was wonderfully decadent. The Red Geranium serves first class food at a middle class price. Worth more than we paid. An interior decorator's nightmare, but a favorite of local foodies.
As far as night life here, there is none to speak of. One must travel for that, we couldn't even find a convenient local movie theater. So we decided to try and find a mini golf course open. We landed at Paradise mini golf. The interesting thing about this course is that the owners run it from their home. The guy's back yard is huge, so instead of whining that he couldn't get lake front property he opens this course. Genius. The course itself is 18 holes. Some holes are quite challenging, some are fun ones where you hit your ball into a tube and it comes out on the other end either very near or very far from the hole. No windmills or gimmicky crap, but a nice big waterfall feature running through the center of the course. Quite enjoyable. Valerie beat me by two strokes. Rematch?...
So that was yesterday. We brought spray on sunblock which works well, but is difficult to put on your face. My head is kinda pink and I don't feel all that well today. It will probably be a slow day today, doing laundry and packing. maybe one excursion, but just taking it easy for the last full vacation day. Once again, pics coming soon, though we didn't seem to have the camera with us at the appropriate points yesterday. We'll fix that this afternoon.
See you soon.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Lake Geneva blog #1
So as you're all aware, Valerie and I are in Lake Geneva Wisconsin this week for a getaway. The kids are at their Grandparent's house and doing well from what we hear. Following is a collection of thoughts about the events so far.
*Yesterday was "Travel Day". The trip from St. Louis should only take about 6 hours or so. However I decided to take a slightly different route and avoid the toll roads, which are the most annoying idea ever for out of state travelers. Those who live nearby can purchase a pass and zip right through, which is fine, but the rest of us have to dig for change and I just don't want the hassle. So as a result it added about 30 minutes to our overall time, but we went through some neat little towns that haven't changed much since 1956 (which, according to the signs was the one and only time the town were the state basketball champs, thankyouverymuch). Pretty cool. Except I don't think they are used to cars as a lady with her children stepped right out into the street and I almost hit her. A police car then turned on its lights...and gave her a warning. Nice.
What we didn't plan on was the traffic we encountered on the way. Highways narrowed down to one lane are not your friend. they added at least another 45 minutes, so with the stop for lunch it became an eight hour drive. We'll be smarter on the way home.
*Valerie has a cold. Not a severe one but enough to feel a little out of sorts. She's powering through, though, and we're making it an early night so we can have lots of fun tomorrow.
*Took a lake/mansion tour today. Lake Geneva is huge. It is a spring fed lake, so all the water comes up through the bottom, and as the bottom is all sand the lake is pretty clean. Much nicer than Lake Of The Ozarks. All houses along the shoreline are owned by business people. There are some lots available, in the three million dollar price range. For a Summer home. So, you know, something to consider.
The lake itself is beautiful though. And quite active as well. The water was much more choppy and turbulent than expected. Our boat (used to be a tender boat from the Navy, which transported soldiers from the aircraft carrier to the shore) rocked up and down a lot. Nice breeze though and quite enjoyable.
*We toured a mansion from the 1800s called Black Point, named after the Black Oak trees that lined the property, and have subsequently all died. Anyhoo, Conrad Seipp was a German immigrant who made a fortune as a beer baron and built a huge Summer home on Geneva Lake. Four generations of stout German women kept the house up and all furniture and belongings are original to the house. The mansion was gifted to the State of Wisconsin and is kept up exclusively by donations and tours. So we helped preserve history today. Yay us.
The house was quite beautiful, and the family stories interesting enough. One of the daughters was named Clara, but went by Tessa. Okay, that's only interesting to us but it's my blog so deal. The only complaint I had was that the guide seemed to go on a bit too long about minute trivia, but had little or no answers to questions fielded by the group. Admittedly, the rest of the group were all bored, slow moving and slightly deaf retirees with idiotic questions, but she should have been prepared for that. There are several of these tours available, but I think one Victorian mansion per vacation may be my limit. I think taking the tour boat across the lake to Black Point and back was the way to do it. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the house was on the South side of the lake, which is the hotter side, and also the elevated side. There were 120 steps up to the house from the shore. So we got our exercise as well.
*Food time!
Breakfast today was at the Egg Harbour Cafe. The restaurant is a regional chain with multiple locations in Illinois, one in Wisconsin, and one in Georgia for reasons I can't possibly fathom. Quite a large selection, most involving fruit which I am against on principle. I had a combo with bacon, eggs sunny side up, and pancakes. The bacon was fried to perfection, and my eggs nearly perfect. The pancakes though, well, they were... wheat. Not bad necessarily, but not what I wanted.Still, a good meal overall.
Lunch was skipped, so we had dinner at Popeye's on Lake Geneva (not the chicken chain). It's a decent theme restaurant with a nautical theme and a little too much pride in their Rotisserie Grill. Our appetizer chicken wings were fantastic. Breaded with slight spice, and surprisingly tender. Valerie had a wonderful clam chowder and the 1/4 rotisserie chicken, which was probably the way to go. My choice was ribs. Not bad by any stretch but the sauce was a sweet sauce with a slight mustardy feel, and really thin. Not a fan of that style sauce, but it worked.
*I am currently enjoying a bottle of Fat Squirrel Nut Brown Ale by the New Glaus brewing company, based in Milwaukee. It is quite smooth and not heavy at all with a surprisingly sweet hazelnut flavor. Highly recommended if you get the chance to sample one. Also I bought it from the Sinebrink's liquor inside the Piggly Wiggly which is just too awesome.
Okay, wow, that was a little long. I'll try to economize tomorrow, maybe type before I start drinking. I'll post pictures soon. See you tomorrow night.
*Yesterday was "Travel Day". The trip from St. Louis should only take about 6 hours or so. However I decided to take a slightly different route and avoid the toll roads, which are the most annoying idea ever for out of state travelers. Those who live nearby can purchase a pass and zip right through, which is fine, but the rest of us have to dig for change and I just don't want the hassle. So as a result it added about 30 minutes to our overall time, but we went through some neat little towns that haven't changed much since 1956 (which, according to the signs was the one and only time the town were the state basketball champs, thankyouverymuch). Pretty cool. Except I don't think they are used to cars as a lady with her children stepped right out into the street and I almost hit her. A police car then turned on its lights...and gave her a warning. Nice.
What we didn't plan on was the traffic we encountered on the way. Highways narrowed down to one lane are not your friend. they added at least another 45 minutes, so with the stop for lunch it became an eight hour drive. We'll be smarter on the way home.
*Valerie has a cold. Not a severe one but enough to feel a little out of sorts. She's powering through, though, and we're making it an early night so we can have lots of fun tomorrow.
*Took a lake/mansion tour today. Lake Geneva is huge. It is a spring fed lake, so all the water comes up through the bottom, and as the bottom is all sand the lake is pretty clean. Much nicer than Lake Of The Ozarks. All houses along the shoreline are owned by business people. There are some lots available, in the three million dollar price range. For a Summer home. So, you know, something to consider.
The lake itself is beautiful though. And quite active as well. The water was much more choppy and turbulent than expected. Our boat (used to be a tender boat from the Navy, which transported soldiers from the aircraft carrier to the shore) rocked up and down a lot. Nice breeze though and quite enjoyable.
*We toured a mansion from the 1800s called Black Point, named after the Black Oak trees that lined the property, and have subsequently all died. Anyhoo, Conrad Seipp was a German immigrant who made a fortune as a beer baron and built a huge Summer home on Geneva Lake. Four generations of stout German women kept the house up and all furniture and belongings are original to the house. The mansion was gifted to the State of Wisconsin and is kept up exclusively by donations and tours. So we helped preserve history today. Yay us.
The house was quite beautiful, and the family stories interesting enough. One of the daughters was named Clara, but went by Tessa. Okay, that's only interesting to us but it's my blog so deal. The only complaint I had was that the guide seemed to go on a bit too long about minute trivia, but had little or no answers to questions fielded by the group. Admittedly, the rest of the group were all bored, slow moving and slightly deaf retirees with idiotic questions, but she should have been prepared for that. There are several of these tours available, but I think one Victorian mansion per vacation may be my limit. I think taking the tour boat across the lake to Black Point and back was the way to do it. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the house was on the South side of the lake, which is the hotter side, and also the elevated side. There were 120 steps up to the house from the shore. So we got our exercise as well.
*Food time!
Breakfast today was at the Egg Harbour Cafe. The restaurant is a regional chain with multiple locations in Illinois, one in Wisconsin, and one in Georgia for reasons I can't possibly fathom. Quite a large selection, most involving fruit which I am against on principle. I had a combo with bacon, eggs sunny side up, and pancakes. The bacon was fried to perfection, and my eggs nearly perfect. The pancakes though, well, they were... wheat. Not bad necessarily, but not what I wanted.Still, a good meal overall.
Lunch was skipped, so we had dinner at Popeye's on Lake Geneva (not the chicken chain). It's a decent theme restaurant with a nautical theme and a little too much pride in their Rotisserie Grill. Our appetizer chicken wings were fantastic. Breaded with slight spice, and surprisingly tender. Valerie had a wonderful clam chowder and the 1/4 rotisserie chicken, which was probably the way to go. My choice was ribs. Not bad by any stretch but the sauce was a sweet sauce with a slight mustardy feel, and really thin. Not a fan of that style sauce, but it worked.
*I am currently enjoying a bottle of Fat Squirrel Nut Brown Ale by the New Glaus brewing company, based in Milwaukee. It is quite smooth and not heavy at all with a surprisingly sweet hazelnut flavor. Highly recommended if you get the chance to sample one. Also I bought it from the Sinebrink's liquor inside the Piggly Wiggly which is just too awesome.
Okay, wow, that was a little long. I'll try to economize tomorrow, maybe type before I start drinking. I'll post pictures soon. See you tomorrow night.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
This post has nothing to do with Hall and Oates
I don't know why I can't seem to keep this blog up anymore. Facebook and the music blog have kinda replaced this blog, but I still want to keep it active so here we are. Let's do some updatin'!
1. So my rib has more or less healed. The constant pain is gone and it only hurts when I make a lot of big movements, do some heavier lifting, and sometimes late at night. So that's good.
2. Valerie had some surgery recently but got through just fine. She's going to be recovering for another week or two here at home, but all is well.
3. My new band with my brother, Two Hangmen, is on a slight hold due to some processing delays in the manufacture of our first EP/CD. We should be up and running soon.
4. Going on vacation soon (mid-July) to Lake Geneva Wisconsin. I'm getting excited about it. Lake Geneva is about one hour outside of Milwaukee so the plan was to spend a day in the city, but the more I look at the resort and town we may just stay where we are and go for a slightly more relaxed time.
5. Okay, getting serious here. I am going to be 39 in one month. That's one year until 40 and I have a goal to hit 40 in the same shape as I was at 35. Not a huge stretch, I'll grant you, but certainly better.
Lots of things have attributed to my current position. My rib injury for one (no reason it should have been that bad), general age, most of the folks I work with are very health conscious and exercise regularly and their influence is rubbing off. Also, I just don't feel good anymore. Part of it is my lack of sleep and a mentally draining job, but I'm just so damn out of shape. Actually I'm fairly round, which is technically a shape...but I digress.
I weighed myself last week and was shocked, shocked I tell you, to find out that I weigh only 210 lbs. Just a few years ago I weighed 135, but was thinner and had more definition. Which all means that the muscle has gone away and I have replaced it with fat. Like by roughly two pant sizes fat. Unacceptable.
So the focus will be shifting to fitness throughout the next year (and beyond!). There will be some dietary changes though I am an unabashed foodie so I'm not promising too much here, just a few smarter choices. After vacation, of course, 'cause why ruin that? But mostly I'll be doing some more physical stuff. Long walks/jogs. Push ups and crunches (too fat for sit ups). I'm also considering meeting a few times with a personal trainer to get a routine established for my body and my needs. Told ya...serious.
Again, I'm not going for super athlete here, and I'm going to be starting off slow over the next few weeks. So do me a favor and keep talking to me about it okay? Don't be rude or condescending, but a word of encouragement or two and checking up on me now and again will really help. I have to do this for my own health and for my family as well.
You know, after vacation.
Okay, that's enough for now. Tomorrow is Father's Day and I plan on eating poorly and being lazy. Ooh, and cake. Always cake on Father's Day. I'll eat better on Monday, promise.
Until next time,
Dave
P.S. There is a "before" picture taken by yours truly, but I have decided to spare you that. Unless I can show an awesome after picture down the road. Even then, it's 50/50.
1. So my rib has more or less healed. The constant pain is gone and it only hurts when I make a lot of big movements, do some heavier lifting, and sometimes late at night. So that's good.
2. Valerie had some surgery recently but got through just fine. She's going to be recovering for another week or two here at home, but all is well.
3. My new band with my brother, Two Hangmen, is on a slight hold due to some processing delays in the manufacture of our first EP/CD. We should be up and running soon.
4. Going on vacation soon (mid-July) to Lake Geneva Wisconsin. I'm getting excited about it. Lake Geneva is about one hour outside of Milwaukee so the plan was to spend a day in the city, but the more I look at the resort and town we may just stay where we are and go for a slightly more relaxed time.
5. Okay, getting serious here. I am going to be 39 in one month. That's one year until 40 and I have a goal to hit 40 in the same shape as I was at 35. Not a huge stretch, I'll grant you, but certainly better.
Lots of things have attributed to my current position. My rib injury for one (no reason it should have been that bad), general age, most of the folks I work with are very health conscious and exercise regularly and their influence is rubbing off. Also, I just don't feel good anymore. Part of it is my lack of sleep and a mentally draining job, but I'm just so damn out of shape. Actually I'm fairly round, which is technically a shape...but I digress.
I weighed myself last week and was shocked, shocked I tell you, to find out that I weigh only 210 lbs. Just a few years ago I weighed 135, but was thinner and had more definition. Which all means that the muscle has gone away and I have replaced it with fat. Like by roughly two pant sizes fat. Unacceptable.
So the focus will be shifting to fitness throughout the next year (and beyond!). There will be some dietary changes though I am an unabashed foodie so I'm not promising too much here, just a few smarter choices. After vacation, of course, 'cause why ruin that? But mostly I'll be doing some more physical stuff. Long walks/jogs. Push ups and crunches (too fat for sit ups). I'm also considering meeting a few times with a personal trainer to get a routine established for my body and my needs. Told ya...serious.
Again, I'm not going for super athlete here, and I'm going to be starting off slow over the next few weeks. So do me a favor and keep talking to me about it okay? Don't be rude or condescending, but a word of encouragement or two and checking up on me now and again will really help. I have to do this for my own health and for my family as well.
You know, after vacation.
Okay, that's enough for now. Tomorrow is Father's Day and I plan on eating poorly and being lazy. Ooh, and cake. Always cake on Father's Day. I'll eat better on Monday, promise.
Until next time,
Dave
P.S. There is a "before" picture taken by yours truly, but I have decided to spare you that. Unless I can show an awesome after picture down the road. Even then, it's 50/50.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Update time
It has been a long time since I did any blogging. Since I last checked in, Melody and Patterson had their first birthday (and Patterson took his first steps!). So yay twins.
On the personal side I have been sidelined a bit. First was a sickness that I couldn't shake for a little over two weeks. Nasty chest/head infection and a sore throat that all but stripped me of my voice. And then, just as I was getting better I went and fractured my rib.
I was running in the rain and took a spill on concrete. Landed on my elbow and side and got the wind knocked out of me for a minute. It hurt pretty bad at first, my elbow being the worst of it. Over the next few days however, the elbow felt better (lots of nasty bruises though) and the chest began to feel much worse. So I went to the doctor and got the fractured rib diagnosis.
For those who have never had this injury, I will do my best to describe it. The following is a list of things that hurt when you have a rib fracture:
Standing, sitting, reaching, bending, walking, talking, breathing, laughing, sneezing, coughing, watching television, typing. lifting, eating, drinking, reading, going potty, driving, and anything involving even the slightest physical activity.
The following is a list of what doesn't hurt with a rib fracture:
Sleeping.
It's been about two weeks since this happened and I am feeling better, The rib (7th rib, left side) doesn't hurt constantly anymore, just when I move it too much. I suppose the 400 milligram Ibuprofen and Vicodin have helped, but I've been weaning myself off of them here over the last few days and things are going pretty well. Some days are better than others but it's getting there. The doctor said that my fracture is minor and should take about six weeks to heal, give or take. All I can say is that if this what a minor fracture feels like, an official "broken" rib must hurt like hell.
So that;s been my life here recently. Oh, yeah, and Jake went to the vet because he was scary sick, even the doctor thought it might be really bad. So after a freaked out dog, stressful morning, some missed work, and $375.00 he's perfectly fine and it was no big deal. Which on one level is kind of annoying, but I'm glad he's okay.
See you soon.
P.S.-In the intrest of honesty and integrity, when I said I was running in the rain, I wasn't out getting healthy or anything, I was carrying McDonald's across a parking lot and trying not to get wet. Sounds better the other way.
On the personal side I have been sidelined a bit. First was a sickness that I couldn't shake for a little over two weeks. Nasty chest/head infection and a sore throat that all but stripped me of my voice. And then, just as I was getting better I went and fractured my rib.
I was running in the rain and took a spill on concrete. Landed on my elbow and side and got the wind knocked out of me for a minute. It hurt pretty bad at first, my elbow being the worst of it. Over the next few days however, the elbow felt better (lots of nasty bruises though) and the chest began to feel much worse. So I went to the doctor and got the fractured rib diagnosis.
For those who have never had this injury, I will do my best to describe it. The following is a list of things that hurt when you have a rib fracture:
Standing, sitting, reaching, bending, walking, talking, breathing, laughing, sneezing, coughing, watching television, typing. lifting, eating, drinking, reading, going potty, driving, and anything involving even the slightest physical activity.
The following is a list of what doesn't hurt with a rib fracture:
Sleeping.
It's been about two weeks since this happened and I am feeling better, The rib (7th rib, left side) doesn't hurt constantly anymore, just when I move it too much. I suppose the 400 milligram Ibuprofen and Vicodin have helped, but I've been weaning myself off of them here over the last few days and things are going pretty well. Some days are better than others but it's getting there. The doctor said that my fracture is minor and should take about six weeks to heal, give or take. All I can say is that if this what a minor fracture feels like, an official "broken" rib must hurt like hell.
So that;s been my life here recently. Oh, yeah, and Jake went to the vet because he was scary sick, even the doctor thought it might be really bad. So after a freaked out dog, stressful morning, some missed work, and $375.00 he's perfectly fine and it was no big deal. Which on one level is kind of annoying, but I'm glad he's okay.
See you soon.
P.S.-In the intrest of honesty and integrity, when I said I was running in the rain, I wasn't out getting healthy or anything, I was carrying McDonald's across a parking lot and trying not to get wet. Sounds better the other way.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Friday Tornado and FCC
On Good Friday, the St. Louis area was pummeled with severe thunderstorms and at least two tornadoes. Over 750 homes were lost. The airport had to be shut down for at least a day to recover from damage. Miraculously, no fatalities or serious injuries were reported. I'd like to think that God spared lives on purpose this weekend. Easter weekend is the celebration of Christ's resurrection. It is God's gift of salvation and ultimate gift of grace. He's still in the grace giving business and proved it this weekend. Even though the storms still came, God looked after His people.
Having said that, yes, there was a tremendous amount of damage. That number of 750 just includes homes, not mentioning the many businesses that either suffered damage or were completely destroyed. Thoughts and prayers go out to all affected of course, but one specific story hit close to home.
Ferguson Christian Church lost their entire sanctuary roof to the tornado. Just gone. One can stand in the sanctuary, look straight up and see sky. Pity, it was a very pretty church. All gorgeous wood planks and beams intertwined to make up the high vaulted ceiling. Gone. The reason it affects me so much is because I used to be a member-in fact I was both baptizeded and married in that church.
We haven't attended for some time, but thought that one day when the kids were a little older and could grasp it we'd attend a service to show them where we got married. Might not happen now. Ferguson is a small congregation without much funds, so the possibility of their rebuilding is probably going to be based on how good of an insurance plan they have. Even if they do rebuild, I have a feeling that they probably won't use the same plan. Maybe they will, but for some reason I doubt it.
Anyway, as I said, we haven't attended for a few years now. We left under not the best circumstances, but it had nothing to do with the congregation at large,who are good people, or Pastor Stacey Garner who is a fine man. The elders of the church made a decision which directly negatively affected my family and we wasted no time in leaving. The doors were nowhere near our butts on that one. I hesitate to go into further detail as I don't want to speak where it's not my place, but I will state that church elder ship can be a grand thing that carries on traditions and brings people together, but if given too much free reign, not kept in check and given too much power, it can be a destructive tool of the enemy.
Still, that's all in the past. I no longer hold a grudge (last paragraph notwithstanding) and have forgiven the parties involved. They did what they thought was right, misguided as they may have been.
It makes me sad, though, that there is a part of my life that's different now. Sure, the church is just a building , I know, but buildings can be just as much of an emotional trigger as an old photograph, a song, or faded letter found in an old trunk. I am sadder still for those who call FCC their church home. It must be difficult to process on an emotional and spiritual level. And there's a long road ahead to recovery.
My heart goes out to the good folks over at Ferguson Christian Church. In the coming weeks as more info becomes available I will try to find a way to help. Until then, they are in my prayers.
Having said that, yes, there was a tremendous amount of damage. That number of 750 just includes homes, not mentioning the many businesses that either suffered damage or were completely destroyed. Thoughts and prayers go out to all affected of course, but one specific story hit close to home.
Ferguson Christian Church lost their entire sanctuary roof to the tornado. Just gone. One can stand in the sanctuary, look straight up and see sky. Pity, it was a very pretty church. All gorgeous wood planks and beams intertwined to make up the high vaulted ceiling. Gone. The reason it affects me so much is because I used to be a member-in fact I was both baptizeded and married in that church.
We haven't attended for some time, but thought that one day when the kids were a little older and could grasp it we'd attend a service to show them where we got married. Might not happen now. Ferguson is a small congregation without much funds, so the possibility of their rebuilding is probably going to be based on how good of an insurance plan they have. Even if they do rebuild, I have a feeling that they probably won't use the same plan. Maybe they will, but for some reason I doubt it.
Anyway, as I said, we haven't attended for a few years now. We left under not the best circumstances, but it had nothing to do with the congregation at large,who are good people, or Pastor Stacey Garner who is a fine man. The elders of the church made a decision which directly negatively affected my family and we wasted no time in leaving. The doors were nowhere near our butts on that one. I hesitate to go into further detail as I don't want to speak where it's not my place, but I will state that church elder ship can be a grand thing that carries on traditions and brings people together, but if given too much free reign, not kept in check and given too much power, it can be a destructive tool of the enemy.
Still, that's all in the past. I no longer hold a grudge (last paragraph notwithstanding) and have forgiven the parties involved. They did what they thought was right, misguided as they may have been.
It makes me sad, though, that there is a part of my life that's different now. Sure, the church is just a building , I know, but buildings can be just as much of an emotional trigger as an old photograph, a song, or faded letter found in an old trunk. I am sadder still for those who call FCC their church home. It must be difficult to process on an emotional and spiritual level. And there's a long road ahead to recovery.
My heart goes out to the good folks over at Ferguson Christian Church. In the coming weeks as more info becomes available I will try to find a way to help. Until then, they are in my prayers.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Just the Stats, Ma'am
Family:
Sick kids in house: 2
Sick Dads in house: 1 (but much better)
Healthy Moms in house: 1
Healthy Kids in house: 1 (though subject to change)
Meds:
Prescription meds for kids: 2
Prescription meds for Dad: 4
Meds for Dad with Codeine: 1 (and it's a good one)
Animals:
Dogs in house: 1
Cats in house: 1
Fish in house: 0 (natural causes, she hadn't tried suicide for about 4 years now)
Lawn:
Weeds: A bazillion
Grass: Not so much
Food:
Chocolate Easter Bunnies: 2 (but not for long)
Giant Chocolate Easter Bunnies: 1 (also not for long)
Real Food: Who cares man??? There are Chocolate Easter Bunnies!!!!
And that's the report for today.
Sick kids in house: 2
Sick Dads in house: 1 (but much better)
Healthy Moms in house: 1
Healthy Kids in house: 1 (though subject to change)
Meds:
Prescription meds for kids: 2
Prescription meds for Dad: 4
Meds for Dad with Codeine: 1 (and it's a good one)
Animals:
Dogs in house: 1
Cats in house: 1
Fish in house: 0 (natural causes, she hadn't tried suicide for about 4 years now)
Lawn:
Weeds: A bazillion
Grass: Not so much
Food:
Chocolate Easter Bunnies: 2 (but not for long)
Giant Chocolate Easter Bunnies: 1 (also not for long)
Real Food: Who cares man??? There are Chocolate Easter Bunnies!!!!
And that's the report for today.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
My Daughter (The Two Year Old) Criminal
Okay, this one needs some back story.
For those who may be unaware Strawberry Shortcake (an uber-popular line of toys and cartoons from the 1980's for girls) is back. Tessa has discovered Strawberry on DVD and loves her, her friends and their adventures. The lone boy in the series is named Huckleberry Pie. Tessa really loves Huckleberry. In fact, it's possible that she has the two year old equivalent of a crush on ol' Huck. I'd be lying if I said it didn't disturb me a little, but then I remembered Daphne from Scooby Doo and thought that it's maybe not so weird after all.
Here's the thing, though. Tessa calls Huckleberry her brother. At first we thought that "brother" was the only relationship she understood well enough to put her little crush into. But I don't believe that's really the case, I think this goes deeper. You see, Tessa was going along, minding her own business when BLAMMO, she gets new twin siblings. Now, Melody is Tessa's sister, and Tessa is Melody's sister. Melody has a twin brother named Patterson, but...where's Tessa's twin brother? Yes, she knows Patterson is her brother too, but shouldn't Tessa have a twin brother as well? It's a little confusing to her. So Tessa is just trying to process and make sense of her life through imaginative play, which is common enough. This will all surely fix itself in time.
I told you all of that that so I can tell you this.
On Tuesday, Valerie took Tessa and the twins to JC Penny for a little shopping after work. Valerie told Tessa that she was buying some shirts for Patterson, y'know, Tessa's real brother. Tessa replied that she was going to buy a shirt for Huckleberry. Cute, right?
Well, fast forward to Saturday morning. Valerie took the kids for their weekly Library visit and, upon exiting the library discovers a strange article of clothing in the bottom of the stroller. Her first thought was that when our babysitter Kristin borrowed the double stroller the other day maybe she did some shopping and left a tee shirt for her son in the basket.
The conversation went something like this:
"Tessa, did Miss Kristin take you all shopping this week?"
"No."
"Huh. Well why is this in the stroller?"
"I bought a shirt for Huckleberry, Mommy."
I didn't actually see Valerie's face, but I'm pretty sure I know what it looked like. Valerie was completely unaware of the shirt being in the stroller, and left without paying for it or giving it back or anything. So now her two year old daughter has stolen a shirt, and she's an accomplice. Great.
Valerie called me at work, and we decided that obviously the shirt had to go back, and that Tessa should go along so that she could maybe learn something from this whole ordeal. So a few hours later I get the following text:
"Tessa apologized to every woman in the store-even the headless mannequin. All is forgiven."
Before they got there, Valerie explained how they had to go back to Penny's because Tessa took something without paying for it and they had to return it, and Tessa had to say she was sorry. So to every woman they encountered at the store Tessa said. "Are you Penny? I'm so sorry..."
And that was Saturday afternoon.
P.S.-I know I said I'd talk about the animals, but this was too good not to share. Pets next time.
P.P.S.-I had to explain to a lady at church today that Tessa doesn't have a brother named Huckleberry and we're not expecting one either. Just imaginary. She then informed me that there are twins in her family too, and the older siblings made up imaginary twins as well, so I guess this really is normal. Nah, it's still pretty weird.
For those who may be unaware Strawberry Shortcake (an uber-popular line of toys and cartoons from the 1980's for girls) is back. Tessa has discovered Strawberry on DVD and loves her, her friends and their adventures. The lone boy in the series is named Huckleberry Pie. Tessa really loves Huckleberry. In fact, it's possible that she has the two year old equivalent of a crush on ol' Huck. I'd be lying if I said it didn't disturb me a little, but then I remembered Daphne from Scooby Doo and thought that it's maybe not so weird after all.
Here's the thing, though. Tessa calls Huckleberry her brother. At first we thought that "brother" was the only relationship she understood well enough to put her little crush into. But I don't believe that's really the case, I think this goes deeper. You see, Tessa was going along, minding her own business when BLAMMO, she gets new twin siblings. Now, Melody is Tessa's sister, and Tessa is Melody's sister. Melody has a twin brother named Patterson, but...where's Tessa's twin brother? Yes, she knows Patterson is her brother too, but shouldn't Tessa have a twin brother as well? It's a little confusing to her. So Tessa is just trying to process and make sense of her life through imaginative play, which is common enough. This will all surely fix itself in time.
I told you all of that that so I can tell you this.
On Tuesday, Valerie took Tessa and the twins to JC Penny for a little shopping after work. Valerie told Tessa that she was buying some shirts for Patterson, y'know, Tessa's real brother. Tessa replied that she was going to buy a shirt for Huckleberry. Cute, right?
Well, fast forward to Saturday morning. Valerie took the kids for their weekly Library visit and, upon exiting the library discovers a strange article of clothing in the bottom of the stroller. Her first thought was that when our babysitter Kristin borrowed the double stroller the other day maybe she did some shopping and left a tee shirt for her son in the basket.
The conversation went something like this:
"Tessa, did Miss Kristin take you all shopping this week?"
"No."
"Huh. Well why is this in the stroller?"
"I bought a shirt for Huckleberry, Mommy."
I didn't actually see Valerie's face, but I'm pretty sure I know what it looked like. Valerie was completely unaware of the shirt being in the stroller, and left without paying for it or giving it back or anything. So now her two year old daughter has stolen a shirt, and she's an accomplice. Great.
Valerie called me at work, and we decided that obviously the shirt had to go back, and that Tessa should go along so that she could maybe learn something from this whole ordeal. So a few hours later I get the following text:
"Tessa apologized to every woman in the store-even the headless mannequin. All is forgiven."
Before they got there, Valerie explained how they had to go back to Penny's because Tessa took something without paying for it and they had to return it, and Tessa had to say she was sorry. So to every woman they encountered at the store Tessa said. "Are you Penny? I'm so sorry..."
And that was Saturday afternoon.
P.S.-I know I said I'd talk about the animals, but this was too good not to share. Pets next time.
P.P.S.-I had to explain to a lady at church today that Tessa doesn't have a brother named Huckleberry and we're not expecting one either. Just imaginary. She then informed me that there are twins in her family too, and the older siblings made up imaginary twins as well, so I guess this really is normal. Nah, it's still pretty weird.
Monday, March 14, 2011
St. Patrick's Day
Thursday, as we all know, is St. Patrick's Day. This is one of my favorite holidays as I get to celebrate my heritage by listening to some great traditional (and not so traditional) Irish music, eating corned beef and those little potatoes, and drinking Guinness Stout. Actually, I do that stuff a lot but in March I get to be loud and proud.
Yes, yes, I know the last name isn't particularly Irish, but we do know that there's lots of Irish blood in the family. My mother's side of the family, the Johnstons, is very Irish. Dad's side is a little more mixed but there's lots of Irish there too. It's a little harder to trace my Dad's genealogy because some of the records have never been translated to English, but we know through oral history (a very Celtic practice) that before Germany, Holland and Wales we were in Ireland. And due to some digging about the origin of surnames I've come to find out that "Brink" is believed to be a popular European derivative of "O'Brieren". Can't get more Irish than that folks.
Now, I'm not going to be able to attend any official celebrations this year. The kids are too young to take to any of the parades here in the St. Louis area, and two happened Saturday anyway. The real celebration is on St. Patrick's Day itself in Dogtown (a largely Irish neighborhood). The Hibernians parade is the best one as it's all representing local clans and Irish based organisations. Also, inside St. James The Greater church is a corned beef lunch, lots o' Irish type drinks, and a good Irish folk band called the Irish Aires. It's a good time, shame I can't go.
Nope, I have to work Thursday, and even if I could go I'm not sure about taking the kids down there. So I've got to make my own fun. Mostly I'll be listening to some traditional folk music(drinking songs), and a modernized version of that as well. There have been quite a few bands over the years to blend traditional Irish/Celtic music with their own songs and a frenetic energy. Three stand head and shoulders above the rest and if I have to tell you then you really need to do your homework. I am of course speaking of The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly.
I shall also probably watch some "Father Ted", a hysterical British sitcom about three priests on an island just off the coast of Ireland. I'll also try to fit in "The Quiet Man"(classic movie) and the Food Network has a special on Bobby Flay in Ireland that looks interesting.
And then for our St. Patrick's Dinner I'm going to do the cooking. We're actually going to make the dinner the night before as Thursday won't allow us the time for a big meal. But I'll be making Corned Beef in Guinness, with potatoes and carrots. We're not big on cabbage in this house, I'll eat it other places to be polite, but I'd rather have the other veggies. The recipe is fairly simple, so hopefully I don't screw it up royally. It sounds delicious so I'm going to give it a go and maybe we'll get a new traditional meal. And if not, well, I'm sure there'll be some beer left over...
Okay, have a happy St. Patrick's day however you spend it. Back soon with an update on the animals.
Yes, yes, I know the last name isn't particularly Irish, but we do know that there's lots of Irish blood in the family. My mother's side of the family, the Johnstons, is very Irish. Dad's side is a little more mixed but there's lots of Irish there too. It's a little harder to trace my Dad's genealogy because some of the records have never been translated to English, but we know through oral history (a very Celtic practice) that before Germany, Holland and Wales we were in Ireland. And due to some digging about the origin of surnames I've come to find out that "Brink" is believed to be a popular European derivative of "O'Brieren". Can't get more Irish than that folks.
Now, I'm not going to be able to attend any official celebrations this year. The kids are too young to take to any of the parades here in the St. Louis area, and two happened Saturday anyway. The real celebration is on St. Patrick's Day itself in Dogtown (a largely Irish neighborhood). The Hibernians parade is the best one as it's all representing local clans and Irish based organisations. Also, inside St. James The Greater church is a corned beef lunch, lots o' Irish type drinks, and a good Irish folk band called the Irish Aires. It's a good time, shame I can't go.
Nope, I have to work Thursday, and even if I could go I'm not sure about taking the kids down there. So I've got to make my own fun. Mostly I'll be listening to some traditional folk music(drinking songs), and a modernized version of that as well. There have been quite a few bands over the years to blend traditional Irish/Celtic music with their own songs and a frenetic energy. Three stand head and shoulders above the rest and if I have to tell you then you really need to do your homework. I am of course speaking of The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly.
I shall also probably watch some "Father Ted", a hysterical British sitcom about three priests on an island just off the coast of Ireland. I'll also try to fit in "The Quiet Man"(classic movie) and the Food Network has a special on Bobby Flay in Ireland that looks interesting.
And then for our St. Patrick's Dinner I'm going to do the cooking. We're actually going to make the dinner the night before as Thursday won't allow us the time for a big meal. But I'll be making Corned Beef in Guinness, with potatoes and carrots. We're not big on cabbage in this house, I'll eat it other places to be polite, but I'd rather have the other veggies. The recipe is fairly simple, so hopefully I don't screw it up royally. It sounds delicious so I'm going to give it a go and maybe we'll get a new traditional meal. And if not, well, I'm sure there'll be some beer left over...
Okay, have a happy St. Patrick's day however you spend it. Back soon with an update on the animals.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Update
Wow, been a while. Got a little busy over at Words About Music. Sorry for the neglect here. Let's get going.
-----
So the kids have all been sick over the past two weeks. Bummer. Patterson had it the worst with the fever and congestion. Tessa's fever was bad too, she's still on the Amoxocylyn (y'know, the pink stuff they give to kids).
And then there's Melody. She only got a little cold and as a result her brother and sister got more attention. So, not to be outdone, she got a pretty nasty butt rash. Very competitive, that girl.
Everybody's pretty much over it now and on the mend. Just in time for allergy season to start next month. Yay!
-----
For anyone who doesn't know, we have finished recording the Two Hangmen EP and are in the mixing stages of the music. Next we need to build up a web presence, finish packaging for the hard copy versions of the EP, and start scouting gigs. I'm excited about this project. Most of the songs we're doing are holdovers from Blue Tattoo. That band had quite a dense sound, looking back, and these versions are a bit more scaled down. But that's a good thing. Somehow in the process of condensing them the songs have been given room to breathe and flesh themselves out so actually sound more dynamic and alive than before. Sometimes less really is more. No offense to the guys in BT on that, I thought that band was great, but this is better.
-----
In other baby news, Melody is close to walking already. She also has two teeth. Patterson is right behind her on both counts. She seems to do stuff first and then he gets it a few weeks later. Except when it comes to eating. Patterson has been feeding himself Cheerios for like a month or so now, and Melody got it over the weekend. Well, if there's one thing us Brink men can do it's eat.
-----
I had to use this dash device because the "three" on my keyboard is broken and seems to be an impossible fix.
-----
Let's finish with a Tessa story.
Last week we were watching Sesame Street and Harvey Fierstein was on. He was singing "Everything's Coming up Noses" poorly, and in a high register, while putting noses on faces of Muppets. Now, we all know Harvey's as gay as the day is long, and this was no exception. Here's my daughter's take.
Tessa: Daddy, that lady is singing about noses.
Me: Yes he is.
Tessa : She's funny.
Me: He sure is sweetie. He sure is.
-----
And that'll do it.
P.S.-Don't send me any messages about how prejudiced I am, that's not what that last bit is about. I actually like Fierstein. "Torch Song Trilogy" is brilliant. But it was interesting to me that even a two year old who doesn't know the first thing about sexuality picked up on it and procesed that info the only way she could. And it was funny. So there.
-----
So the kids have all been sick over the past two weeks. Bummer. Patterson had it the worst with the fever and congestion. Tessa's fever was bad too, she's still on the Amoxocylyn (y'know, the pink stuff they give to kids).
And then there's Melody. She only got a little cold and as a result her brother and sister got more attention. So, not to be outdone, she got a pretty nasty butt rash. Very competitive, that girl.
Everybody's pretty much over it now and on the mend. Just in time for allergy season to start next month. Yay!
-----
For anyone who doesn't know, we have finished recording the Two Hangmen EP and are in the mixing stages of the music. Next we need to build up a web presence, finish packaging for the hard copy versions of the EP, and start scouting gigs. I'm excited about this project. Most of the songs we're doing are holdovers from Blue Tattoo. That band had quite a dense sound, looking back, and these versions are a bit more scaled down. But that's a good thing. Somehow in the process of condensing them the songs have been given room to breathe and flesh themselves out so actually sound more dynamic and alive than before. Sometimes less really is more. No offense to the guys in BT on that, I thought that band was great, but this is better.
-----
In other baby news, Melody is close to walking already. She also has two teeth. Patterson is right behind her on both counts. She seems to do stuff first and then he gets it a few weeks later. Except when it comes to eating. Patterson has been feeding himself Cheerios for like a month or so now, and Melody got it over the weekend. Well, if there's one thing us Brink men can do it's eat.
-----
I had to use this dash device because the "three" on my keyboard is broken and seems to be an impossible fix.
-----
Let's finish with a Tessa story.
Last week we were watching Sesame Street and Harvey Fierstein was on. He was singing "Everything's Coming up Noses" poorly, and in a high register, while putting noses on faces of Muppets. Now, we all know Harvey's as gay as the day is long, and this was no exception. Here's my daughter's take.
Tessa: Daddy, that lady is singing about noses.
Me: Yes he is.
Tessa : She's funny.
Me: He sure is sweetie. He sure is.
-----
And that'll do it.
P.S.-Don't send me any messages about how prejudiced I am, that's not what that last bit is about. I actually like Fierstein. "Torch Song Trilogy" is brilliant. But it was interesting to me that even a two year old who doesn't know the first thing about sexuality picked up on it and procesed that info the only way she could. And it was funny. So there.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Cute Valentine's Story
In the spirit of Valentine's Day, here's a recent exchange between me and my two year old daughter Tessa.
Tessa said to me, out of the blue, like she does: "Daddy, you married Mommy."
"Yes, sweetie, I did."
Then she thought for a moment, looked me square in the face and said "And Mommy married you?"
"Yeah, honey, that's what everybody says..."
Tessa said to me, out of the blue, like she does: "Daddy, you married Mommy."
"Yes, sweetie, I did."
Then she thought for a moment, looked me square in the face and said "And Mommy married you?"
"Yeah, honey, that's what everybody says..."
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Season's Over
Well, another NFL football season is in the books. The Green Bay Packers are our new champions. I don't particularly like the Packers (and I like their fans less) but I must admit that it was a good game they played this evening and a well deserved win.
So now I become relatively sports free for a while. I don't care for baseball or basketball. I can take or leave hockey. I mean, I'll watch from time to time but I don't usually go out of my way to watch a hockey game. Can't stand Nascar. Don't even mention golf. Nope, not much going on that holds my interest in the sports world.
There are a few exceptions though. I do like soccer and try to watch when I can, but most games are on when I'm at work or asleep. Especially English Premiership games. I do enjoy American soccer as well but again, the games are hard for me to find.
My other interests are in the somewhat lesser watched sports. I do like to watch the smaller sports like X Games type stuff or those sports like beach volleyball that you only see in the Olympics. Sometimes ESPN2 puts that stuff on. World's Strongest Man competitions are cool too...when they bother to televise them. I also like women's tennis...and not for the short skirts either. Women tennis players just seem to care more and be more into the match than men do.
Ooh..it's also almost time for PBR bull riding to start up too. Laugh if you want to but it takes some skill to ride a bucking bull for 8 seconds. It's man vs. nature, very primal. I've seen many riders get seriously injured trying to tame these beasts. Not really sure why they want to, but it's strangely entertaining to watch them try.
And that's about it for my sports viewing for a while. Mostly hit and miss stuff that isn't easy to follow.
I already miss football. Bring on September.
So now I become relatively sports free for a while. I don't care for baseball or basketball. I can take or leave hockey. I mean, I'll watch from time to time but I don't usually go out of my way to watch a hockey game. Can't stand Nascar. Don't even mention golf. Nope, not much going on that holds my interest in the sports world.
There are a few exceptions though. I do like soccer and try to watch when I can, but most games are on when I'm at work or asleep. Especially English Premiership games. I do enjoy American soccer as well but again, the games are hard for me to find.
My other interests are in the somewhat lesser watched sports. I do like to watch the smaller sports like X Games type stuff or those sports like beach volleyball that you only see in the Olympics. Sometimes ESPN2 puts that stuff on. World's Strongest Man competitions are cool too...when they bother to televise them. I also like women's tennis...and not for the short skirts either. Women tennis players just seem to care more and be more into the match than men do.
Ooh..it's also almost time for PBR bull riding to start up too. Laugh if you want to but it takes some skill to ride a bucking bull for 8 seconds. It's man vs. nature, very primal. I've seen many riders get seriously injured trying to tame these beasts. Not really sure why they want to, but it's strangely entertaining to watch them try.
And that's about it for my sports viewing for a while. Mostly hit and miss stuff that isn't easy to follow.
I already miss football. Bring on September.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Well...
...I'm sick of the snow.
Tessa knows, and can sing, a Justin Bieber song.
The dog is back to eating his own poop.
Valerie's iPod got stolen.
But on the plus side...
We had a lot of good family time this week.
Patterson is getting closer to moving and has learned to feed himself.
We are all healthy.
And there's a new Motorhead album out next week.
So, all in all, it evens out...and I'm a pretty happy guy.
Tessa knows, and can sing, a Justin Bieber song.
The dog is back to eating his own poop.
Valerie's iPod got stolen.
But on the plus side...
We had a lot of good family time this week.
Patterson is getting closer to moving and has learned to feed himself.
We are all healthy.
And there's a new Motorhead album out next week.
So, all in all, it evens out...and I'm a pretty happy guy.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
New Blog Is Up
So my new blog, "Words About Music" is up now. Click on the link to see it. Pretty bare bones so far, I have some ideas to spice up the cosmetics but they'll come with time.
Thanks for visiting. I've got more to post soon, maybe while we're all snowed in.
Your pal,
Dave
Thanks for visiting. I've got more to post soon, maybe while we're all snowed in.
Your pal,
Dave
Saturday, January 29, 2011
This Week's Update-New Stuff
As mentioned last time, I have started a new music based blog. Coming up with a name was difficult. I tried to be clever about it. I tried being funny (or punny I guess). I tried referencing songs/albums by my favorite artists. I tried pretty much every suggestion people made to me. They were all either taken, or there was something too similar out there. So I finally decided to stop being clever and just go with the straight forward, obvious title. It's not the best but the name short and to the point (unlike this post). Ready for the name?
"Words About Music."
That's it. There ya go. Nothing's up yet but there will be content soon so check in over the next few days.
Some family news:
Today Tessa went with Mommy and Grandma to see Sesame Street Live. She had a wonderful time. She was well behaved, participated when prompted and came home spouting some of the dialogue between Oscar and Elmo. Her highlight was that the seats were close to the stage so when the characters came out into the crowd she got a handshake from Grover, a high-five from Telly monster and a hug from Prairie Dawn. Awesome. And I have yet to meet anybody from the Drive-By Truckers.
And in other news: I have been forgetting stuff lately. Mostly small stuff. Except for Thursday when I forgot to feed the twins. Okay, I didn't entirely forget to feed them. I just forgot the supplemental bottles in between regular feedings. I gave them the high-chair stuff, just not the bottles. Y'know...the stuff I've been feeding them since day one. And I was actually wondering why the kids wouldn't sleep and were fussy all day. Everybody's fine, so it's kinda funny but definitely not a proud dad moment.
And that'll do it. Bye.
"Words About Music."
That's it. There ya go. Nothing's up yet but there will be content soon so check in over the next few days.
Some family news:
Today Tessa went with Mommy and Grandma to see Sesame Street Live. She had a wonderful time. She was well behaved, participated when prompted and came home spouting some of the dialogue between Oscar and Elmo. Her highlight was that the seats were close to the stage so when the characters came out into the crowd she got a handshake from Grover, a high-five from Telly monster and a hug from Prairie Dawn. Awesome. And I have yet to meet anybody from the Drive-By Truckers.
And in other news: I have been forgetting stuff lately. Mostly small stuff. Except for Thursday when I forgot to feed the twins. Okay, I didn't entirely forget to feed them. I just forgot the supplemental bottles in between regular feedings. I gave them the high-chair stuff, just not the bottles. Y'know...the stuff I've been feeding them since day one. And I was actually wondering why the kids wouldn't sleep and were fussy all day. Everybody's fine, so it's kinda funny but definitely not a proud dad moment.
And that'll do it. Bye.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Sunday Update
1. Remember that experiment I started in September to see if I could get by with only cutting my hair twice a year? Well, I can't. Got it cut short this week. I still have my hair, it's just too thin to pull off the long thing anymore. Started looking kinda goofy, so it's back to the short style. Experiment failed.
2. However, a new experiment is about to begin. I have been putting together ideas for a new music based blog. I think I've decided on a name (thanks to my brother who suggested it), and I'm playing with the structure and content now. Hopefully it'll be up soon and I'll post a link here for anyone interested.
3. Okay, T.V. Viewers and People Of Impeccable Taste, sing along if you know it:
"Alan Bra-dy
A-A-A-lan Bra-a-a-a-a-a-dy
A-alan Brady
.....BUDDY SORRELL!"
Ran into an awesome sale at Barnes And Noble last night (buy 2 DVD get 1 free) and purchased seasons 1-3 of the Dick Van Dyke Show. I haven't seen them for sale anywhere recently and jumped at the chance to grab these sets up. The Dick Van Dyke Show is without question one of the funniest television shows of all time (easily top 5 for me). It has been out of National syndication for a few years now, but they'll always have a place on my TV set. Super excited for this one.
4. Speaking of last night, thanks to Dad and Susan for watching the kids so Valerie and I could go out together sans children for once.
5. The babies are getting more mobile. Patterson is close to crawling and Melody will be walking within a month. I may never sit or have peace again.
6. Recording on the oft-mentioned "Two Hangmen" project begins soon.
And that's about it.
Oh yeah, almost forgot:
J!E!T!S! JETS! JETS! JETS!
2. However, a new experiment is about to begin. I have been putting together ideas for a new music based blog. I think I've decided on a name (thanks to my brother who suggested it), and I'm playing with the structure and content now. Hopefully it'll be up soon and I'll post a link here for anyone interested.
3. Okay, T.V. Viewers and People Of Impeccable Taste, sing along if you know it:
"Alan Bra-dy
A-A-A-lan Bra-a-a-a-a-a-dy
A-alan Brady
.....BUDDY SORRELL!"
Ran into an awesome sale at Barnes And Noble last night (buy 2 DVD get 1 free) and purchased seasons 1-3 of the Dick Van Dyke Show. I haven't seen them for sale anywhere recently and jumped at the chance to grab these sets up. The Dick Van Dyke Show is without question one of the funniest television shows of all time (easily top 5 for me). It has been out of National syndication for a few years now, but they'll always have a place on my TV set. Super excited for this one.
4. Speaking of last night, thanks to Dad and Susan for watching the kids so Valerie and I could go out together sans children for once.
5. The babies are getting more mobile. Patterson is close to crawling and Melody will be walking within a month. I may never sit or have peace again.
6. Recording on the oft-mentioned "Two Hangmen" project begins soon.
And that's about it.
Oh yeah, almost forgot:
J!E!T!S! JETS! JETS! JETS!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Grumpy New Year
Another New Year is upon us. Winter makes me grumpy. So here's a list of stuff that I've been annoyed by lately.
1. People who come into a crowded room on a freezing cold day and say "Brr" loud enough for everyone to hear. Okay, first of all "brr" is not a word. Call me crazy but I'm pretty sure that in the English language you need vowels to have a word. "Brr" is just a noise. Don't make noises at me. Also, what's the point of saying "Brr" to begin with? Do these people think that they're actually doing us some sort of service by using this non word as way of informing us that it's cold outside? We all know. It's cold. Shut up, move on.
2. Guys who upon first meeting me call me chief. This has happened at work three times in the past month. I don't like it. Chief, really? I'm okay with most generalities so call me something else. Like "guy", "pardner", "man", "dude", "buddy" or "pal" would all be fine. Or, here's an idea, how about "sir?" These are all things I would be comfortable calling you upon our first meeting. Unless you call me "chief ." Then I will call you "jackass."
3. Okay, this one is Internet specific. anyone who comments on a thread (usually about movies) with the following: "___________ does not exist in this dojo." If that's the most intelligent thing you can come up with...if that's as funny as you get then you don't deserve the Internet.
Wow, that was a short list. This was supposed to be a longer posting. Maybe that should be #4.
After re-reading this for spellcheck and editing I feel it only proper that this post be dedicated to George Carlin. you can't shake your influences.
1. People who come into a crowded room on a freezing cold day and say "Brr" loud enough for everyone to hear. Okay, first of all "brr" is not a word. Call me crazy but I'm pretty sure that in the English language you need vowels to have a word. "Brr" is just a noise. Don't make noises at me. Also, what's the point of saying "Brr" to begin with? Do these people think that they're actually doing us some sort of service by using this non word as way of informing us that it's cold outside? We all know. It's cold. Shut up, move on.
2. Guys who upon first meeting me call me chief. This has happened at work three times in the past month. I don't like it. Chief, really? I'm okay with most generalities so call me something else. Like "guy", "pardner", "man", "dude", "buddy" or "pal" would all be fine. Or, here's an idea, how about "sir?" These are all things I would be comfortable calling you upon our first meeting. Unless you call me "chief ." Then I will call you "jackass."
3. Okay, this one is Internet specific. anyone who comments on a thread (usually about movies) with the following: "___________ does not exist in this dojo." If that's the most intelligent thing you can come up with...if that's as funny as you get then you don't deserve the Internet.
Wow, that was a short list. This was supposed to be a longer posting. Maybe that should be #4.
After re-reading this for spellcheck and editing I feel it only proper that this post be dedicated to George Carlin. you can't shake your influences.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Still Here
Haven't done this for a while. Been all Facebook-y. I have stuff to say but not much time to say it in. The babies don't give me a lot of time on my own, and when I do have it I'm usually doing chores. Which I'm about to go do now. Although I hear Melody crying in the background so...
Gotta go. Just checking in. Back soon.
Gotta go. Just checking in. Back soon.
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