It was another good day today - I kind of like having two days off in a row once in awhile. In the early afternoon we got a lot of cleaning and projects done around the house, like putting in the window A/C units. (sadly, one project involved getting rid of my dishwasher; more on that later). The older I get, the less enjoyable a day is unless I can finish the day saying something got done.
In the evening Schroeder and our mutual friend JJ came over with her daughter and we had a massive grill-out, followed by a movie for the grown-ups.
Dinner barely concluded before we had a freak storm. It was clear skies one minute, Wizard of Oz the next, then right back to clear skies. I saw a tree limb succumb to the wind across the street, but somehow missed a 15 second power outage that messed with my TV.
Anyway, I still found time to give Smiley a haircut today, and did it outside to minimize the mess inside the house. He and I had a rough day today, with us both rubbing each other the wrong way and saying some things we didn't mean. But you know what he left on my pillow before dinner? A sign, rolled up and tied with a blue bow, that said "I Love You". I got very choked up, I really did, and he made it all the worse by saying he did it so I'd have something of his to post on my cubicle wall. I love you little man!
Oh, by the way: for desert LuLu baked a cake. And by that, I mean she measured out the ingredients, mixed it, poured it into the pan and baked it without a single moment of adult help or supervision. Well done LuLu!
Here's a parody of The Hunger Games that YaYa and her friend posted on YouTube:
Well, two of them:
It was a good day in a good life. Knock on wood.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
When I was a kid I consumed - there's no better word for it - the 'Illustrated Classics' edition of every classic novel you can think of; ok, maybe not Tropic of Cancer. They weren't the hardcover version you see above, but stout little paperbacks that fit in your hand. On the left hand page, text; on the right side, a full page illustration.
They did a marvelous job of introducing me to literature and the construction of plot and character, but on the down side, given my published aversion to re-reading a book, I found it unnecessary to slog through 600 pages of the (actual)The Count of Monte Cristo to find out - again - that he gets his revenge.
Cue 2012, when I sat down, NOOK in hand, to finally read the full version of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
The verdict? Eh.
Look, I hate writing this because who gets brownie points for saying they don't like a masterpiece? Might as well say the Sistene Chapel's a doodle of monkey dung, no?
But . . .
I thought there was no coherent plot, just a jumble of loosely tied events. The novel seemed more a collection of anecdotes and sketches than a 'book'. I thought there were abrupt and jarring divides between material aimed at a young audience and that fit for adults. Worst of all, Twain (at that point in his career) seems to have no grasp on how to establish tension, or keep the reader at the edge of their seat. The characters emerge unscathed, then calmly sit down and tell you how they managed to get out of trouble. You never 'see' the action, and the reader is the worse for it. I mean, really now - the villain dies 'off camera'. Really???
After I worked out those points I poked around a little and discovered my complaints weren't unique. Certainly Twain improved over time (dramatically, I hope) but even if he didn't, the story itself and his talent for dissecting an event and coming to the heart of it were strong even at that point.
My honest grade, independent of its importance to literature: C+
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Smiley is not so smiley today . . .
Smiley has an abscessed tooth. It's his upper front tooth, the one that's been that's been discolored for most of his life due to a fall as a toddler. In a way it's a good thing it's on the way out because lately at school the dinkledorfs who pass for other people's children have begun to tease him about its appearance.
Anyhow, today he woke up in misery. He'd been nursing a headache, chills, nausea and lethargy since Monday, but we'd chalked that up to a flu bug that knocked LuLu out last week.
Given the urgency of the situation, Lisa tried to get him into the dentist but Dr. X's office refused to see him because we'd 'missed' his last appointment - meaning the day my sitter crashed my van taking the kids to his office, in a vain attempt to keep the appointment we'd been forced to make at the end of 2011 for the 'earliest available date'. Per the doc and his receptionist, my kids were now persona non grata and no longer his patients.
Lisa tried to reason w/ the receptionist and failed, so he wound up in the ER instead. He had fever of 101 and was given Tylenol and antibiotics. Meanwhile at work I used my break to call the dentist. Ten minutes later I had an appointment lined up for Tuesday morning, by which time the antibiotics will have brought the infection in check.
Lisa was happy with my result but royally P.O'd about who got the result, calling it a clear example of gender bias. I am not sure I agree, at least as she defines the issue. I do not think I automatically earned more respect (in this situation) because I'm a man, but I do think that had push come to shovel they would much rather have dealt with an angry Mom than a similarly irate (very large) man.
But -
I wasn't there in person, and I never raised my voice or did anything other than firmly but kindly plead my case. In this case - and perhaps it is only in this case - I don't think my gender had anything to do with the result. Instead, I think this can be chalked up to the fact that I can be a very persuasive, very disarming guy when I need to be, and with Smiley's health on the line this was a time when I 'needed to be'.
Besides, a bit of a damned if you do/damned if you don't, when you think about it. Lisa's all about admiring masculinity and the archetypal father figure, but when you fit that image you get blasted.
Ech. Life. :)
Anyhow, today he woke up in misery. He'd been nursing a headache, chills, nausea and lethargy since Monday, but we'd chalked that up to a flu bug that knocked LuLu out last week.
Given the urgency of the situation, Lisa tried to get him into the dentist but Dr. X's office refused to see him because we'd 'missed' his last appointment - meaning the day my sitter crashed my van taking the kids to his office, in a vain attempt to keep the appointment we'd been forced to make at the end of 2011 for the 'earliest available date'. Per the doc and his receptionist, my kids were now persona non grata and no longer his patients.
Lisa tried to reason w/ the receptionist and failed, so he wound up in the ER instead. He had fever of 101 and was given Tylenol and antibiotics. Meanwhile at work I used my break to call the dentist. Ten minutes later I had an appointment lined up for Tuesday morning, by which time the antibiotics will have brought the infection in check.
Lisa was happy with my result but royally P.O'd about who got the result, calling it a clear example of gender bias. I am not sure I agree, at least as she defines the issue. I do not think I automatically earned more respect (in this situation) because I'm a man, but I do think that had push come to shovel they would much rather have dealt with an angry Mom than a similarly irate (very large) man.
But -
I wasn't there in person, and I never raised my voice or did anything other than firmly but kindly plead my case. In this case - and perhaps it is only in this case - I don't think my gender had anything to do with the result. Instead, I think this can be chalked up to the fact that I can be a very persuasive, very disarming guy when I need to be, and with Smiley's health on the line this was a time when I 'needed to be'.
Besides, a bit of a damned if you do/damned if you don't, when you think about it. Lisa's all about admiring masculinity and the archetypal father figure, but when you fit that image you get blasted.
Ech. Life. :)
Saturday, May 12, 2012
The Family Corleone
I am a longtime fan of Mario Puzo's The Godfather and the universe it inspired. I rank the film as my 2nd favorite movie of all time, while the book holds the unique record of being the only - the ONLY - book of the hundreds I've read that I've re-read more than once.
(Er, it actually might be the only adult book I've re-read period. Why re-read a book when there are thousands waiting to be read for the first time?)
I was looking forward to reading The Family Corleone by Ed Falco, a prequel to the original novel that was authorized by the Puzo estate and supposedly based on an unpublished GF4 script by Puzo himself.
The verdict? Eh.
It's not awful, although I fear any Godfather work carries with it built-in brownie points that prohibit a failing grade. The book is centered around the years '33-35 and the mafia war that brought the Corleone's to prominence. The war was mentioned in the original novel at some (moderate) length, and I was eager to read about it in more detail.
Unfortunately, the book was bogged down by several anachronisms - one literally on page one - , coupled with characters who felt compelled to reference the few pop-culture cliches of the era - you know, to establish "setting" - and who run around talking like dime store hoods. They also voice a ton of vulgarities in Italian (enough that Falco included a glossary in the back), which is probably realistic but comes off as a bit contrived between these covers.
There's also a glaring editorial error on the inside cover. Above an an organizational flowchart of the New York families is a title reading "Names and Families" - only it mistakenly reads "Games and Families".
Sigh.
Here's my problems with the plot. I think there's a pretty wishy-washy lead up to the war; not that there wasn't violence and disagreement, but I'm still not clear how this drew every family into conflict. Nor do I think Vito's little speech with Luca was nearly enough to establish his loyalty, and the Irish subplot was pointless. Worst of all, the 'war' seemed more like the invasion of Grenada -some people got hurt, but it lasted a blink of an eye.
And Falco messes with established cannon. Luca killed Capone's thugs with an ax, and one choked to death on his gag in fear. Not here. Vito himself was ill at ease with Luca - not here. Sonny was corrupted by seeing his father kill Fanucci - there's a different victim here. Rescuing Tom Hagen was an act of selfless piety - not here.
Screw that.
I'm not one of those idiots who spent page after page blasting Mark Winegardner's literary sequels of the last decade. I enjoyed them, even if I didn't love what they did to Tom Hagen. But I honestly thought this was a mediocre novel that lacks Puzo's grim brilliance.
I grade it a C.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Six months.
It's been nearly six months since my last post here on Slapinions. Yikes.
That's not to say I haven't been writing. I post like mad on Facebook, occasionally (ok, rarely) on Twitter, and since we last saw each other I've had work published in three Wisconsin newspapers. If you're a long-time reader, by all means, follow me in the world of social media. You may not be entertained, but at least you'll never have to wonder where I am.
But back to Slapinions . . .
It's been an up and down six months, full of some crushing lows and great rebounds. I've started a new job (and kept the old one part time) and things *seem* to be on the upswing [knock on wood]. The kids are doing great, if by great you mean healthy and happy and wildly annoying, and we've added a new addition to the house. No, not another spawn, a cat named Gus-Gus that we got for LuLu from the Humane Society.
There's a whole lot more to say about the last six months but the mere thought of thinking about those 180 days, much less writing about 'em, seems like too much of a chore. Eventually I'll repost my FB updates here and you can catch up in due time if you care (and if you do, my word you need a hobby)
Meanwhile, in lieu of actual content, let me just say a few words about some books I've read recently.
Seth Grahame-Smiths' Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter left me torn. On one hand I greatly enjoyed the novelty of the premise for about 3/4's of the book (Lincoln's life as we know it was nothing compared to the bitter,life-long war he waged against Vampires, many of whom wished to keep slavery intact to ensure a plentiful supply of food). And then . . .then it became woefully apparent that it was just a novelty, a cheap little means of piquing your interest in hopes that you finish the book before you realize the author has very little content, and only a hint of style, to offer you. Grade: C
(book #33 of the year)
It's been nearly six months since my last post here on Slapinions. Yikes.
That's not to say I haven't been writing. I post like mad on Facebook, occasionally (ok, rarely) on Twitter, and since we last saw each other I've had work published in three Wisconsin newspapers. If you're a long-time reader, by all means, follow me in the world of social media. You may not be entertained, but at least you'll never have to wonder where I am.
But back to Slapinions . . .
It's been an up and down six months, full of some crushing lows and great rebounds. I've started a new job (and kept the old one part time) and things *seem* to be on the upswing [knock on wood]. The kids are doing great, if by great you mean healthy and happy and wildly annoying, and we've added a new addition to the house. No, not another spawn, a cat named Gus-Gus that we got for LuLu from the Humane Society.
There's a whole lot more to say about the last six months but the mere thought of thinking about those 180 days, much less writing about 'em, seems like too much of a chore. Eventually I'll repost my FB updates here and you can catch up in due time if you care (and if you do, my word you need a hobby)
Meanwhile, in lieu of actual content, let me just say a few words about some books I've read recently.
Bereft is a novel by Chris Womersely set in rural Australia at the conclusion of WWI. Ten years ago Quinn Walker fled his hometown on the night his 12 year old sister was raped and murdered, leaving his family and community thinking he was the killer. Now a grown man with a face disfigured by war, he has returned in secret, but for what reason? To avenge his sister? To confess? And what of the mysterious young girl he meets in the woods, the girl who seems to know secrets far beyond her years? It's a strong, well done mix of literary fiction and thriller, with a hint of the supernatural thrown in, all written with wonderful style. Grade: A (book #32 of the year)
(book #33 of the year)
I rented Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol thinking that it would be white noise on the TV while I puttered around doing this or that. You know what? I was an idiot. Not only was this a good film, it was a GREAT action film, with exotic locales, nerve-wracking stunts and great fight scenes. Color me impressed! Grade: A+
And finally, the most important review of the evening:
The tamales at the local Piggly Wiggly are sinfully delicious. :)
I hope you are all happy and well,
Dan
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Thanksgiving 2011
This year work and whatnot ('whatnot' including family that didn't return our calls re: dinner plans) conspired against a traditional sit down dinner. So instead, after work, we hightailed it down to Kenosha, about a 40 minute ride, to dine at Golden Corral, an all you can eat buffet we'd noticed on a prior road trip.
The price, even while inflated for the holiday, was reasonable. For six people it was $54, far less than I would have paid for all the fixin's at home.
The place was packed, and we g0t there only an hour before it closed, but we were seated quickly and as a buffet the food was immediate. I stuck exclusively to dinner fare - meatloaf, potato, broccoli, roll, etc - while Lisa had a salad before hitting the dinner section.
The kids on the other hand . . . well, they ate some protein and some veggies at our insistence,
but mainly they just raided the dessert table. They were ecstatic over the sight of a chocolate fountain
Oh, and cotton candy. Did I mention they liked that?
We had a blast. Hey, I even impressed Lisa, stepping in and saying something to a couple who bullied their way into the restaurant as it closed. How rude - what, the staff doesn't deserve to go home and spend time with their own families?
I think we'll dine out again for the holiday, and maybe even at the Golden Corral!
FB - the end of October
October 23rd
10 years ago today - at 4:20 pm to be precise - the first of the Four Greatest Kids Ever was born, inaugurating me as a Dad. Happy Birthday YaYa, and welcome to the Double Digits!
"Pujol's 3HR performance last night was awesome, and one of the best WS shows ever. But best of all time? Hell no. Albert - 3 HR in a blowout of a series tied at one, and he recorded an out. Reggie: 3 HR on 3! pitches in a WS clincher won by a score of 4-3. As usual, my YANKS retain their glory and surpass the rest of baseball. REGGIE, REGGIE REGGIE!"
October 25th
15 years ago today, on what was the 25th anniversary of the UN's misguided expulsion of Taiwan, Lis and I were married. Thanks for putting up w/ this dork for 15 years Sinatra. Xoxo
Maggiano's for lunch today, courtesy of an anniversary gift card from my sister (thanks Katie!), followed immediately by a flat that necessitated a new tire. Then, with no sitter, we picked up the kids from school and retired to a night of X-Factor, some Smirnoff, and a McRib. Now we may/may not rent "Horrible Bosses" from Vudu. Not exactly a TMZ worthy day, but a decent way to pass an anniversary.
October 27th
Redbox is raising their daily DVD rental fee to $1.20. Bluray and game rental prices will remain the same."
Muslim students at a Catholic University are claiming the presence of crosses violates their 'human rights'. What crap. Nope, it's not a master plan to colonize in reverse. No sirree.
October 28th
"I finished reading "Double Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay, but don't feel up to a review right now."
October 29th
"We had a great time at the school Halloween Hoopla. Lauren even won the costume contest in her age bracket for her "Uni the Unicorn" outfit!"
"Breaking News: CNN is reporting 13 US Servicemen KIA from a suicide attack in Afghanistan . . ."
October 30th
"Heading to Kenosha, listening to Lisa and the kids sing along to Adele. Lu loves her."
"out for a walk w/ Smiley and Ginger"
October 31st
"Over the weekend I finished reading "Tension City: Presidential Debates from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain" by Jim Leher. A memoir of his own time as a pres. debate moderator, the book offers nothing new to anyone familiar with history. While the point of the book is to stress the importance of Presidential debates, it actually proves the opposite, giving ample examples of how appearance and one-liners triumph over substance."
"half an hour ago i was ready 2 kill these kids . . .now I can't stop beaming over 'em"
"@ dance studio waiting 4 the kids. Took the opportunity to take a brisk 32 min walk."
"kim kardashian filed for divorce today - after a whopping 72 days of marriage"
10 years ago today - at 4:20 pm to be precise - the first of the Four Greatest Kids Ever was born, inaugurating me as a Dad. Happy Birthday YaYa, and welcome to the Double Digits!
"Pujol's 3HR performance last night was awesome, and one of the best WS shows ever. But best of all time? Hell no. Albert - 3 HR in a blowout of a series tied at one, and he recorded an out. Reggie: 3 HR on 3! pitches in a WS clincher won by a score of 4-3. As usual, my YANKS retain their glory and surpass the rest of baseball. REGGIE, REGGIE REGGIE!"
October 25th
15 years ago today, on what was the 25th anniversary of the UN's misguided expulsion of Taiwan, Lis and I were married. Thanks for putting up w/ this dork for 15 years Sinatra. Xoxo
Maggiano's for lunch today, courtesy of an anniversary gift card from my sister (thanks Katie!), followed immediately by a flat that necessitated a new tire. Then, with no sitter, we picked up the kids from school and retired to a night of X-Factor, some Smirnoff, and a McRib. Now we may/may not rent "Horrible Bosses" from Vudu. Not exactly a TMZ worthy day, but a decent way to pass an anniversary.
October 27th
Redbox is raising their daily DVD rental fee to $1.20. Bluray and game rental prices will remain the same."
Muslim students at a Catholic University are claiming the presence of crosses violates their 'human rights'. What crap. Nope, it's not a master plan to colonize in reverse. No sirree.
October 28th
"I finished reading "Double Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay, but don't feel up to a review right now."
October 29th
"We had a great time at the school Halloween Hoopla. Lauren even won the costume contest in her age bracket for her "Uni the Unicorn" outfit!"
"Breaking News: CNN is reporting 13 US Servicemen KIA from a suicide attack in Afghanistan . . ."
October 30th
"Heading to Kenosha, listening to Lisa and the kids sing along to Adele. Lu loves her."
"out for a walk w/ Smiley and Ginger"
October 31st
"Over the weekend I finished reading "Tension City: Presidential Debates from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain" by Jim Leher. A memoir of his own time as a pres. debate moderator, the book offers nothing new to anyone familiar with history. While the point of the book is to stress the importance of Presidential debates, it actually proves the opposite, giving ample examples of how appearance and one-liners triumph over substance."
"half an hour ago i was ready 2 kill these kids . . .now I can't stop beaming over 'em"
"@ dance studio waiting 4 the kids. Took the opportunity to take a brisk 32 min walk."
"kim kardashian filed for divorce today - after a whopping 72 days of marriage"
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
A Walk in the Park with Smiley and Ginger
Over this past weekend I took my two youngest for a walk to a friends house, only to divert to the park when my friend was called away. We spent quite a bit of time enjoying the sights, especially the pond at the center of the park.
They greatly enjoyed playing on the rocks at the edge of the water.
It was a very nice walk, and a great time with two great kids.
They greatly enjoyed playing on the rocks at the edge of the water.
It was a very nice walk, and a great time with two great kids.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
My Week
October 16th
"Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon died today in an Indy car crash. RIP"
"Not the biggest sports story of the night, I know, but I just lost my fantasy matchup. My team matched its projected total, finishing at 97.3 points, but my opponent, alas, notched 119.68. CIN did great for me (23.5 pts) but that $@# Hillis went out w/ an injury after running all of 14 yards, and as usual my WR corps earned #'s worthy of the 1905 Rutgers squad. 2 - 4 now on the year, loser of 3 in a row. Not good. Not good at all."
"What a lousy, emphatic end to the Brewers season. All allegiance now to the Rangers nation, in hopes that they can send the Cards home without a ring. Memo to future Brewers teams, only half tongue in cheek: avoid playing the Cardinals in best of seven series. It doesn't appear to be our forte."
October 17th
"i just met Tom Oslowski, a scout (currently for the Tigers) who was responsible for Darrin Erstad being drafted by the Angels"
"Sunday we watched "Vidal Sassoon: The Movie" a documentary on the life and career of the innovative tycoon: his rough childhood (including years in an orphanage) his service in the Israeli armed forces, his innovative hair salons, his media presence and his continued influence in the industry. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and finished it with a new respect for Sassoon. Available to stream via Netflix."
October 19th
"when the pressure builds too high, even volcanoes boil over, and they are made of stone. (You) are made of slightly softer stuff - Jeff Lindsay"
October 20th
"Happy Bithday Sinatra! Xoxo"
"CNN headline: "Gadhafi is dead, according to Arab sources. CNN has not confirmed the reports." FOX's less sensationalist headline: "Conflicting Reports That Gadhafi has been killed or captured". Yay Fox for doing your job right . ."
[he was dead, murdered on camera by NATO supported rebels]
"Don't argue with an idiot, others might see you and not recognize the difference"
October 21st
"Obama, actively in re-election mode, is as we speak announcing a full pullout of US troops from Iraq. CNN, oddly enough, led off by reporting this is the result of a failure to negotiate a plan to have some troops remain in-country to train Iraqi forces. Just as well. We'll need the troops for Libya, East Africa, and everywhere else our resident Nobel Peace Prize winner wishes to kill known bad guys and replace them w/ heretofore unknown bad guys."
"i see Barnes and Noble bought Borders' Facebook accounts, and B&N is now posting under the "Borders" name. Welcome to a monopoly."
October 22nd
Busy day of errands and shuttling the kids around town. Went to Yaya's volleyball game, picked her up from a bday party, got lu ready for camp, etc
"playing little red riding hood w/ Ginger"
"(Ginger, running her fingers along a wrinkle) Daddy, why you got stripes on your forehead?"
"Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon died today in an Indy car crash. RIP"
"Not the biggest sports story of the night, I know, but I just lost my fantasy matchup. My team matched its projected total, finishing at 97.3 points, but my opponent, alas, notched 119.68. CIN did great for me (23.5 pts) but that $@# Hillis went out w/ an injury after running all of 14 yards, and as usual my WR corps earned #'s worthy of the 1905 Rutgers squad. 2 - 4 now on the year, loser of 3 in a row. Not good. Not good at all."
"What a lousy, emphatic end to the Brewers season. All allegiance now to the Rangers nation, in hopes that they can send the Cards home without a ring. Memo to future Brewers teams, only half tongue in cheek: avoid playing the Cardinals in best of seven series. It doesn't appear to be our forte."
October 17th
"i just met Tom Oslowski, a scout (currently for the Tigers) who was responsible for Darrin Erstad being drafted by the Angels"
"Sunday we watched "Vidal Sassoon: The Movie" a documentary on the life and career of the innovative tycoon: his rough childhood (including years in an orphanage) his service in the Israeli armed forces, his innovative hair salons, his media presence and his continued influence in the industry. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and finished it with a new respect for Sassoon. Available to stream via Netflix."
October 19th
"when the pressure builds too high, even volcanoes boil over, and they are made of stone. (You) are made of slightly softer stuff - Jeff Lindsay"
October 20th
"Happy Bithday Sinatra! Xoxo"
"CNN headline: "Gadhafi is dead, according to Arab sources. CNN has not confirmed the reports." FOX's less sensationalist headline: "Conflicting Reports That Gadhafi has been killed or captured". Yay Fox for doing your job right . ."
[he was dead, murdered on camera by NATO supported rebels]
"Don't argue with an idiot, others might see you and not recognize the difference"
October 21st
"Obama, actively in re-election mode, is as we speak announcing a full pullout of US troops from Iraq. CNN, oddly enough, led off by reporting this is the result of a failure to negotiate a plan to have some troops remain in-country to train Iraqi forces. Just as well. We'll need the troops for Libya, East Africa, and everywhere else our resident Nobel Peace Prize winner wishes to kill known bad guys and replace them w/ heretofore unknown bad guys."
"i see Barnes and Noble bought Borders' Facebook accounts, and B&N is now posting under the "Borders" name. Welcome to a monopoly."
October 22nd
Busy day of errands and shuttling the kids around town. Went to Yaya's volleyball game, picked her up from a bday party, got lu ready for camp, etc
"playing little red riding hood w/ Ginger"
"(Ginger, running her fingers along a wrinkle) Daddy, why you got stripes on your forehead?"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)