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July 30, 2006
But where do they keep the Hobbits?
This sign is on Hwy. 377 in Keller, TX. It never looked quite to me the way they indended it ...
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"Mama, it's good to have you."
Aren't little boys the best?
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July 28, 2006
Wisdom from the Young
My 10 year old just said to me: "It seems like people want to find more and more things to be offended about ... and yet they all want peace, and don't want anyone to fight."
Smart kid I've got there.
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Camelot!
I'm lazy in body, mind and spirit today. But at least I can post something to make you laugh!
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July 27, 2006
Jeff, this is for you ...
Please don't have any liquids in your mouth when you start this one up.
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July 26, 2006
Rock Show!
...for the vast majority of Suburban Americans between the age of 14 and 24 in the early 80s, when it was time to make out and you put Escape on the turntable, you were automatically spotted two bases. Honestly, if you didn't have a hand under a bra or massaging a button fly by the end of "Who's Crying Now," Steve Perry would stop what he was doing, fly to your house and then beat the crap out of you for blowing a sure thing. God forbid you actually flipped the LP, because then, baby, you were going home. There's an entire generation of white 22-to-25-year olds walking around today whose moment of conception is largely coincident to the second chorus of "Open Arms."
Ahem.
So, Monday it was our wedding anniversary. And, uh ... we went to see Journey, because our first date was to a Journey show (Raised on Radio). That fixes us pretty well into the middle of the above paragraph, doesn't it? Did I mention that the only band I was ever in, at the only gig we ever played, did "Open Arms?" (Me on keyboards.)
We would have felt like geezers at the show, except that everyone else there was a geezer too. Many had brought their kids.
The sound mix was terrible, but the show was great. Journey did everything you'd expect Journey to do, and Neal Schon gave a nice touch by starting off the show with a blistering rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Their new vocalist was ill, so we had a stand-in for the Steve Perry stand-in. He wasn't a bit like Perry, but he was energetic, sang decently well and was having a great time.
Journey was the first act. After that was Def Leppard, a band I sort of like - and by "sort of" I mean that my oldest child has pictures in his baby book of being carried around by Malvin Mortimer (tour manager) during soundchecks.
So yes, Journey was fun, it was our anniversary, etc., but we all know I plunked down the cash for the tickets and hired a babysitter I'd never met to go see Def Leppard.
The sound was terrible for both bands. The sound guys should be taken out and shot. All we heard was the distortion coming off the bass; I had to plug my ears to hear Cain's piano, or any guitar. But even so, I had a fantastic time. Lep can still pull off a rocking, energy-packed show that's just fun. And they did a cover of Sweet's "Hellraiser," which makes me really, really happy.
Can we go again? I want to go again.
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July 21, 2006
American History Garage Sale Find
I literally stumbled across some great American history books today: Volumes 1 and 2 of "Opposing Viewpoints in American History," published by Greenhaven Press.
No frills, here. Each book is over 300 pages of source documents, addressing key points of American history in chronological order (from reasons for and against colonizing America, to 1992 and the end of the Cold War). For example, Vol. 2, for the topic of the Great Depression and the New Deal, presents the following pieces:
• Henry Ford, from "On Unemployment," Literary Digest, June 11 & 18, 1932: "Self-Help Is the Best Response to Unemployment."
• Charles R. Walker, from "Down and Out in Detroit," in America Faces the Future, ed. Charles A. Beard, 1932: "Self-Help is Not Enough."
• Franklin D. Roosevelt, from his address to the Democratic National Convention, July 2, 1932: "America Needs a New Deal."
• Herbert Hoover, from a campaign speech delivered at Madison Square Garden, New York City, October 31, 1932: "Roosevelt's New Deal Would Destroy America."
Very little commentary accompanies these pieces, but what is there provides good questions for critical thinking and analysis. I haven't had time to read very far into the books, but so far the reader is left, in every case, to make up his own mind about the issue. For each article, titles for further reading are suggested.
I'd never heard of these books before. I picked them up for $1.00 each, and think they'll be very, very useful for high-school American history reading.
Posted by lynx at 10:12 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
A Little Scared
Yesterday, I pointed out to Griffin that Chris and Martin Kratt, of Kratt's Creatures/Zoboomafoo/Be the Creature, are real people. I can't tell you how excited he is. He immediately dictated a letter to send to them.
So today I surfed around for their address. I can't seem to find one. However, I did find a Kratt brothers' fan club web page. And that page led me to a Kratt brothers' fan club mailing list. I joined, figuring that someone there could get me the information I need.
This list has over 400 members. It generates over 100 messages a week. And the members are all grown women. Many of them are there for the sake of their kids, yes ... but many of them are not.
Now, I will admit, it doesn't hurt to have the kids watch a show that is both educational and easy on the eye. I was amused but fine until I shared this news with Jeff, who asked if, since there's such a large fan base, I had found any fanfic yet. Ack!! And now that whole idea of "Kratt Brothers fanfic" is in my head and it's expanding, like space jelly ... help!! Make it go away! I swear I only wanted an address!
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Rambles
I took the older boys to the dentist yesterday. My kids' teeth are awful. We don't have dental insurance, and this is all going to cost an insane amount of money.
Moving on.
The high today is supposed to be 80. Yes, 80. The forecast calls for mid-80s to high 70s for the rest of the week. Wow. The winter here might kill us, but I sure do like this summer. This is berry-picking weather, which is good because the 9 pounds of blueberries we picked a week ago are all gone. We didn't make them into pies or turn them into jam or freeze them - we just ate them. Need more. I don't look forward to trying to support this berry habit once the season is over.
In other news, I seem to have found a real, live babysitter, which means that we are about to go out, to a rock concert. I can't even remember the last time we went to a show. My bones creak when I think about it. All I know is that shows were definitely cheaper then. This better be good.
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July 20, 2006
Can you spot the civilian?
This kind of thing is vital to keep in mind whenever you hear about civilian casualties in the Middle East. The rules have changed.
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Dead Baby Birds
Twice now we've found dead baby birds on our driveway. And I do mean baby; They probably hadn't hatched yet. We find them with no signs of their shell, or anything else. The first was already dead. The second, poor thing, was still alive. We assumed there was nothing we could do; it didn't even have feathers.
What's going on? This doesn't seem to be cat behavior. What is taking the eggs and leaving baby birds on our driveway to die?
Posted by lynx at 11:43 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
July 19, 2006
NYT to Reduce Size by 5%
I say, why stop there?
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July 18, 2006
Another Clue to the Grumpiness
I re-started Weight Watchers this week.
I do well on Weight Watchers, but at some point I just get tired of counting and stop. Then the weight starts to creep back up, so I start again. This time I thought I'd do something different: instead of counting points, I decided to try their Core program.
On Core, you don't count points. You eat as much as you like, off of the "Core" list. Okay. The Core list is not bad. It contains eggs, dairy products (fat free), lean meats, oatmeal, grits, fruit, vegetables, veggie burgers, beans, one serving per day of rice/pasta/potatoes, all things I like to eat. Sounds fine. No problem. Let's go! And so I jumped, feet first, off that bridge.
I didn't give it much thought, you see. I dislike feeling hungry, so I was seduced by that "eat all you want" shtick. But what I failed to realize was that the Core list makes no allowances for sugar.
Yes, that's what I said: No sugar. None. Okay, fruit, but we all know that fruit doesn't really count. The list does allow for fake sugar, but I don't eat fake sugar (or fat-free cheese).
By dinnertime tonight my family was in mortal peril.
Yes, I know I'm addicted to sugar. I know that the crankiness came from detoxing, and my body is better off without the stuff anyway. But the flesh is very weak, and I want a doughnut so badly I'd almost sell a child for one.
And it is true that the Core plan allows for 35 points a week of non-Core foods; believe me, that would not be enough. It might be enough if I also exercise EVERY DAY so that I could eat activity points too. I have to have enough to account for some bread now and then, and chocolate, and, of course, the wine. I know, the idea is that you fill yourself up with the Core food, so that you need only small amounts of the bad stuff. It's a nice idea. We all know the truth.
I'd give it another day or two, but I think my husband is probably ready to give me IV glucose while I sleep.
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Dead Man's Chest
Brian mentioned it down in the comments. Yes, we saw it. And afterwards Jeff and I turned to each other and said, "Oh, it was "Back to the Future II!"
It's not nearly as good as the first one. The best part was the ending (if you haven't seen the movie and plan to, just stop reading right now and go on with your life). Barbossa was such a great character in the first movie; I'm so glad he'll be back. For the life of me, though, I can't figure out how Barbossa is still alive, but the Monkey is undead. What gives?
Aidan and I thought the stunt directors must have a hamster hangup. First the stars ran in the hamster ball, then on the hamster wheel ...
The only quotes we added to our repertoire were "Hide the rum!" and "Squawk! Don't eat me!"
So, disappointing movie. I have hopes for the third one, though. Maybe Barbossa has invented a flux-capacitor and we'll get to go through movie I again.
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July 17, 2006
What happened?!
The kids have been begging for a "Summer Break." Okay, fine. We're on Summer Break. So today they scattered off to play games with each other.
Leaving me to do ...
Hmm. Well, let's see. Still haven't really made friends here yet, so no friends to see. And one in particular isn't answering her phone. Ahem.
This isn't my house, so there's no "improving" to do. And no garden. I finished my book, and have not yet chosen another. Nothing calls. It was too hot to go anywhere fun. So ... oh, boy. That left the joy of housework. Yeah, great day this was.
Days like this are wonderful when you have a purpose with which to fill them. Sometimes, if you're not careful, you get caught without one. Then the day stinks, as you wander aimlessly through the house pushing at dust bunnies. Even housework can be a purpose, when your mind is there, in that place. Needless to say, mine was not.
I work hard to avoid this. I hate aimless. I hate marking time.
I could have blogged one of the more time-consuming blogs I've been saving up. I started to, several times, got too angry and gave up. I'm incubating what is promising to be a wildly unpopular opinion on marriage and the mommy wars. Getting angry and giving up, though, wastes a great deal of time.
We are so not doing this again. Tonight I bought my first Costco membership, and used it to buy amazing quantities of salt and baking soda. Tomorrow I will buy the sacrificial chicken to mummify. Then I'm going to Michael's, where I will buy - noooo, I take it back! There's a Dick Blick in Dearborn. Fine, I will go to Dick Blick and buy all the art supplies my checkbook can stand. If the big boys want to run off and play their games all day, the little boys and I will do art.
But still, I am at loose, aimless ends. I need friends, or a house/garden to work on, or school to direct, or a city full of museums to explore. My kids will revolt if I take them to pick any more berries.
Who would think that sometimes the Summer Break is hardest on the Mom? Mom needs to find a life.
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Who Knew?
The Crib Chick uses the same vocabulary program I do.
Posted by lynx at 8:32 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
July 15, 2006
Don't Eat the Chicken
Another, um, benefit to driving through Arkansas is the number of chicken farms we pass. The great majority of the ones we see provide chicken to Tyson, and, presumably, raise the chickens to Tyson's specifications.
Let me tell you, those chicken farms stink. They rival the stench of the paper mill in Ashdown. They are truly horrible, disgusting, stinky places to pass on the road.
We passed one or two Pilgrim's Pride chicken farms as well. They did not stink. We were very close to an independent chicken farm, which used the same type of chicken houses. It did not stink.
If you could smell what we have smelled, you would never touch Tyson chicken again. I know it's cheap, but trust me, you can do better. Check with your local farmers and buy some nice, local, free-range chicken. It costs a little more, but your body will thank you, and so will the people driving those highways in Arkansas.
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July 14, 2006
And by the way ...
is there some arcane secret to popping popcorn on a gas stove to which I am not privy? Every time I try, the popcorn cooks so slowly that it burns before half the kernels are popped. I'm using olive oil and medium heat. What gives? This always worked perfectly on my electric stove.
Posted by lynx at 10:16 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
You know it's going to be a bad day when ...
you burn the breakfast so badly the smoke alarm goes off.
I should learn to bring my computer into the kitchen. Or maybe not read blogs while I cook. There's a whole generation of kids growing up with internet meals - the food Mom scrounges together after she's either surfed too long to fix the meal, or she's surfed too long and burnt it.
I said earlier that I was turning into my mother, but she would never do what I do to that poor, innocent toast.
Posted by lynx at 9:19 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
July 13, 2006
We're Home!
Highlights of the trip:
1) The Indianapolis children's museum. Wow. It's not only huge, but it actually has content. We meant to go for an hour or two (to see dracorex hogwartsia). We stayed six, only left because they made us, and didn't see everything. Their dinosaur exhibit rivals that of many "real" science musems, including a working fossil lab and docents who really know their stuff AND can talk to children. It was a brilliant balance of real science, hands-on activities, and playscapes. I'd like to live there. My children would, too.
2) The Parthenon in Nashville, especially if you walk into it while you're in the middle of reading the Odyssey.
3) Baseball in Memphis on the Fourth, followed by a naturalization ceremony and fireworks. What more can you ask for, on the Fourth?
4) The house sold!
5) Swimming in a river full of tiny frogs, tadpoles, fish, and five kids intent on catching every single one.
6) Kids who can sing in Romanian (Chipul tau si dragostea din tei, Mi-amintesc de ochii tai.)
7) Kids who won't take their noses out of books, even if the books are "Star Trek" paperbacks.
8) Wild rabbits and deer that feel so safe they don't leave the field when you walk by - and parents who live next to a national forest.
9) "Macbeth" with Scottish accents.
10) Friends. Yeah, I remember friends ...
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July 2, 2006
Vacation
We're off on vacation today (I think). Don't have too much fun while I'm gone.
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