So the boys and I are sitting here trying to decide on what movie to watch. I know it is late, but hey, it's summer. But instead of watching a movie I find myself being forced to watch George Lopez on Nick. Golly, do they love this show. I wish I were 10 again, when silly things like walking garbage makes me roll on the floor in laughter. How long has it been since YOU laughed like that?
What makes you laugh? Here are a few things on MY list:
1. Baby giggles -- or that whole body laugh of a 4 year old
2. Brian Reagan on ANYTHING, but my personal fav -- "Uh, mom, remember Kevin? You know how his arm USED to bend like this?..."
3. Really good comedies like Arrested Development and The Office
4. Inside jokes
5. When my sisters snort-laugh, or even better when Claire makes fun of them for snorting and does it in the process
6. Anything Eddie Izzard does (see this post) Nothing funnier than a man in heels
7. The original production of Bad Cops expertly written, directed, filmed and acted by three big goobers circa 1997
8. The Poppy Dance
9. My hubby -- still... after all these years....
Maybe I'll come up with a few more tomorrow... anyone want to add a few?B
7/21/08
7/15/08
The Power of the Jedi, women and COMCAST
OK, so our friend Robert has fully mastered his Jedi powers when it comes to getting good customer service. I seem to lack that ability. Last week I learned that our analog cable plan costs the same as digital cable with a box. So I figured, why not get the box? If I want to get a pay per view movie I can, and that might save some gas money, right? Well, after 4 calls to CS to set up the box, it was set up -- except for a few little quirks. My last CS rep said that I had an old box and they could send a new one to me, or I could go pick one up.
In the effort of creating a paper trail to back up my non-existent Jedi Power, I called again today to complain about the quirky box. The conversation goes as follows:
"Welcome to Comcast. How can I help you?"
"I have a new box and it is very quirky. Could you please reset it from your end?"
"How long have you had it?"
"Only a few days, but it is..."
"Oh I see, You have an outage in your area, why don't you call back when it is working."
"Sir, I don't have an outage in my area, I am looking at my cable right now on 2 tv's one through your box and one analog."
"Well, my system says there is an outage, I am sure that is what is wrong with your box. Please call back."
"Sir, I am looking at cable tv right now."
"Let me check for you.... Hmmm, you do have cable." [DUH!]
"Can you please reset my box, it is very quirky and seems to have a mind of it's own. Either that or I am going to return this one and get a different box."
"You don't want to do that right now, wait a few days, it will get better." [REALLY??]
"Excuse me?"
"Wait a few days, it will get better. That box you have, does it have a clock on the front?"
"Yes..?"
"You don't want the new box, it doesn't have a clock in the front."
"And, why would I want that?" [I really wanted to know-- some big cable company secret maybe??"
"Because it is easy to see the time. Just wait a few days and it will get better."
OK, correct me if I am wrong, but does electronic equipment "get better" when it is not working properly? When the company gave me an old box to begin with? I would really like to cry sexism here because I KNOW if my friend Robert or my husband had called they would not have been told to keep the old crappy thing because it is easy to tell the time -- or that it would get better in a few days! Am I being just a bit too sensitive? Anybody else come across a situation like this?
In the effort of creating a paper trail to back up my non-existent Jedi Power, I called again today to complain about the quirky box. The conversation goes as follows:
"Welcome to Comcast. How can I help you?"
"I have a new box and it is very quirky. Could you please reset it from your end?"
"How long have you had it?"
"Only a few days, but it is..."
"Oh I see, You have an outage in your area, why don't you call back when it is working."
"Sir, I don't have an outage in my area, I am looking at my cable right now on 2 tv's one through your box and one analog."
"Well, my system says there is an outage, I am sure that is what is wrong with your box. Please call back."
"Sir, I am looking at cable tv right now."
"Let me check for you.... Hmmm, you do have cable." [DUH!]
"Can you please reset my box, it is very quirky and seems to have a mind of it's own. Either that or I am going to return this one and get a different box."
"You don't want to do that right now, wait a few days, it will get better." [REALLY??]
"Excuse me?"
"Wait a few days, it will get better. That box you have, does it have a clock on the front?"
"Yes..?"
"You don't want the new box, it doesn't have a clock in the front."
"And, why would I want that?" [I really wanted to know-- some big cable company secret maybe??"
"Because it is easy to see the time. Just wait a few days and it will get better."
OK, correct me if I am wrong, but does electronic equipment "get better" when it is not working properly? When the company gave me an old box to begin with? I would really like to cry sexism here because I KNOW if my friend Robert or my husband had called they would not have been told to keep the old crappy thing because it is easy to tell the time -- or that it would get better in a few days! Am I being just a bit too sensitive? Anybody else come across a situation like this?
7/12/08
scenes from a Saturday
Me, checking grey roots in the car vanity mirror. "Hey look, I can get my hair in a ponytail. I didn't think it was that long!"
Ryan, from the back seat. "Don't do that mom. I don't like your hair in a ponytail."
"Why, because you can see the grey?"
"No, because you look like you just got out of prison."
And this child thinks he's going to marry some one someday....
Ryan, from the back seat. "Don't do that mom. I don't like your hair in a ponytail."
"Why, because you can see the grey?"
"No, because you look like you just got out of prison."
And this child thinks he's going to marry some one someday....
RIP Rocky
Sad day today. Rocky Aoki has passed. He is the founder of Benihana and was apparently quite an unusual character. Olympic wrestler, insider trader, wives and mistresses, speedboat accident, suing his children...Do a quick google search.
Why mention this? Well you see, my hunny and I have a history with Benihana. For some reason he has always LOVED this restaurant. Doesn't matter that it is not really Japanese food. His uncles blamed it on the fact that he spent many summers in Hawaii thanks to IBM Golden Circles and his mother's art shows (tough life, huh?). Who knows really. But Benihana is where we went on our first date -- I should have know something when the maitre-d greeted him by name. Apparently, I wasn't the first woman he charmed with flying knives and raw meat. In fact, the other day my daughter and I were talking about Dad's love of "Chop Chop" as the kids call it. I mentioned that I married his VISA debt from Benihana. She was shocked, "You had to pay for Dad taking out other women?" Ah, love...
Here we are the summer after Denise and I graduated. He had another year left of architecture school. Gotta love that Miami Vice jacket and gold bracelet. No wonder he stole my heart.
We have celebrated birthdays, new jobs, anniversaries, times when the kids were babysat at Church so we could Christmas shop-- but we went to Benihana with friends instead... Now to be fair, it is not always Benihana, sometimes it is a local mom and pop teppanyaki restaurant, but it all started with Benihana. Twenty years, 4 kids and many friends later -- it's not too bad a start.
Why mention this? Well you see, my hunny and I have a history with Benihana. For some reason he has always LOVED this restaurant. Doesn't matter that it is not really Japanese food. His uncles blamed it on the fact that he spent many summers in Hawaii thanks to IBM Golden Circles and his mother's art shows (tough life, huh?). Who knows really. But Benihana is where we went on our first date -- I should have know something when the maitre-d greeted him by name. Apparently, I wasn't the first woman he charmed with flying knives and raw meat. In fact, the other day my daughter and I were talking about Dad's love of "Chop Chop" as the kids call it. I mentioned that I married his VISA debt from Benihana. She was shocked, "You had to pay for Dad taking out other women?" Ah, love... Here we are the summer after Denise and I graduated. He had another year left of architecture school. Gotta love that Miami Vice jacket and gold bracelet. No wonder he stole my heart.
We have celebrated birthdays, new jobs, anniversaries, times when the kids were babysat at Church so we could Christmas shop-- but we went to Benihana with friends instead... Now to be fair, it is not always Benihana, sometimes it is a local mom and pop teppanyaki restaurant, but it all started with Benihana. Twenty years, 4 kids and many friends later -- it's not too bad a start.
Dancing Liquid
OK, so I am not a homeschooler, but I have been know to do fun science experiments with my kids. Ooblek is always one of them. Check this out, very interesting use of sound and the non-Newtonian properties of cornstarch and water.
Link via Neatorama.com
7/10/08
Sororities and helicopters
OK, this month's Oprah had a great article on Helicopter Parents. Sorry, no link, the web site is not as thorough as one might think. It was a pretty decent article highlighting how today's parent is micro-managing and controlling, to even their adult children. The author sited parents who asked to have the job offer and benefits package sent to them when their college graduate is offered their first job. My favorite was a woman that drove 2 hours EACH WAY to do her son's laundry at college!
So, we all know that I have struggled in the past with not hovering. I try. And, actually, I thought I had been doing fairly well. I went to orientation, did the parent meetings alone, "made" Claire walk several blocks with her suitcase (the outrage! Just ask her, I am sure she will share the evil mother stories!) and sign herself in to the dorm. I thought I had been a pretty cool mom.
So today a woman calls me, for her daughter, asking for a sorority rec. She mentioned her daughter is up doing summer semester and would I write the rec for her for AXO** Some small talk ensued about college etc. and I explained how I like the fact that Claire is going to a smaller school and I feel that they are really reaching out to the parents to ease the transition. Somehow this turns to the conversation to, of course, the helicopter parent. How it is such an outrage that parents are pushing their way in to their young adult's college life -- e-mailing professors etc. etc. My excitement about the extra help I felt I was getting started to dwindle. (DAMN SELF CONFIDENCE) Yes, I understood. I shouldn't worry about whether laundry was free or not (it is at Claire's school!!). I hung up the phone feeling like a first time parent, fumbling all over the place.
Then I realized the reason she called in the first place...who is going through rush again??
Helicopter parents.
We all have different parenting styles. What are your thoughts on this one? Has our need to create safe play enviroments (no more staying out til the street lights come on)caused us to be a generation of parents who over-schedule our children? Where else can this lead but to continuing to have total hands-on when they reach their teens and adulthood? When does it end?
So, we all know that I have struggled in the past with not hovering. I try. And, actually, I thought I had been doing fairly well. I went to orientation, did the parent meetings alone, "made" Claire walk several blocks with her suitcase (the outrage! Just ask her, I am sure she will share the evil mother stories!) and sign herself in to the dorm. I thought I had been a pretty cool mom.
So today a woman calls me, for her daughter, asking for a sorority rec. She mentioned her daughter is up doing summer semester and would I write the rec for her for AXO** Some small talk ensued about college etc. and I explained how I like the fact that Claire is going to a smaller school and I feel that they are really reaching out to the parents to ease the transition. Somehow this turns to the conversation to, of course, the helicopter parent. How it is such an outrage that parents are pushing their way in to their young adult's college life -- e-mailing professors etc. etc. My excitement about the extra help I felt I was getting started to dwindle. (DAMN SELF CONFIDENCE) Yes, I understood. I shouldn't worry about whether laundry was free or not (it is at Claire's school!!). I hung up the phone feeling like a first time parent, fumbling all over the place.
Then I realized the reason she called in the first place...who is going through rush again??
Helicopter parents.
We all have different parenting styles. What are your thoughts on this one? Has our need to create safe play enviroments (no more staying out til the street lights come on)caused us to be a generation of parents who over-schedule our children? Where else can this lead but to continuing to have total hands-on when they reach their teens and adulthood? When does it end?
7/9/08
A night with the girls, a day with a snake
You know, you would think that having family close that we would be doing stuff together all the time. In reality, this is not the case. Monday night however we of the "young generation" were treated to dinner by the two matriarchs. And it was a fun night by all -- all be it an early night (dinner at 6 home by 8:30). I am worried that soon we will be going to the "senior special"-- dinner at 4 and an extra quarter if you want blue cheese dressing....(love me mom...)
The night was filled with raucous laughter, a few snorty laughs, and lots of family humor. Who knew that Irish girls could be so fun - with no alcohol for the majority of us? So we girls from 19-68 shared some laughs, some good natured teasing and a few discussions on the origin of everything. And yes, Bree if you wait til we are all dead to write the tell all book, who will laugh? I say we each write our own version and see how they compare. (Wait, there may be an idea there... think about it)
All morning I have wandered around trying to think of a really good topic to blog about. OK, I did some stuff.** Then I decided that since I am not getting paid to blog, nor am I getting a grade (my two greatest motivators in a past life) then I am just going to sit down and write. If it is boring, then my 5 readers (ah, I mean friends,) will stop.
**Oh, and by saying did some stuff, I did some STUFF! Procrastination Queen here finally tackled the pile of rotted out railroad ties that have been lying at the end of the driveway for A YEAR. I cleared out the old wood, shoveled out the dirt and crap that was there and blew off the driveway. In my attempt at being super mom, I WAS talking on the phone while simultaneously shoveling. In my attempt at being a true southern belle I did not stop said conversation when I discovered a snake coiled up in the wood pile and promptly chopped it into 5 pieces with a shovel. I know that snakes are good and eat bugs and mice, but in my 5 second surveillance of the situation I was positive that the 10" long baby snake had a triangular head. And we all know from Jeff Corwin that that means VENOMOUS. So I pulled a Grandma Joyce and chopped it up. Yea me!
Now, for those of you who don't know me well, please know that this industrious outside landscaping job has come at the expense of anything inside. There are dirty dishes in the sink, a washing machine full of clothes that needs to be tossed in the dryer and large tufts of dog hair that are beginning to resemble ferrets under a breakfront in the kitchen. But tonight when hubby gets home he will notice all the work I did for him --or notice the railroad ties in the middle of the driveway waiting for the boys to drag them to the curb on yard trash pick-up day.
I didn't EVER say I was perfect!
7/3/08
The joys of summer
Hard to imagine that I grew up in a house full of women. This summer it seems that testosterone is dripping off the walls. I know I should get used to it because come Aug.22 my girlie will be be gone, and I will be left with my bodyguards.
6/16/08
New week
So, since June 7th a lot has happened. What a week we had! I still can't work some of it out in my head, but maybe that is better. I think I do better "putting out fires". I am good at that one, and so is Rhett.
Good news... my sister moved here last week. Yea She-Ra! We are very excited to have her here for the year that her hubby, Rob is in Iraq. Boo War! (I know that sounds so juvenile...give me a break... the brain is mush this week). Rob will be in the Baghdad Embassy for a year. He has promised to do all his running on a treadmill and will never leave the Embassy or his trailer...Please keep him and his family in your prayers. War sucks.
Good news...I have a tentative job offer to teach special ed on a provisional certificate next year. I feel like the dog that caught the school bus. The minute I heard that Rhett lost his job I went into overdrive -- guess it worked. Even though I was working part-time last year, this will be an adjustment for sure. Please keep me in your prayers. Come on, after 4 kids, years of substituting what can they throw at me that would really make me blink??? Other than becoming my friend Rachel's
least favorite profession in the world.. will she still talk to me ? (:))
Good news...Ryan is off a Boy Scout camp and was really excited to be there. No car sickness, no groaning, no tears at all. I could barely get him to stop by and give me a hug before I left. The best part was that it had already been paid for and the only cost to us at the moment was $6 for some water shoes and about $20 so he could buy some snacks etc. Claire is teaching Celtic Camp this week and I am left with only 2 kids for most of the week-- and it is really weird!!!! One of which is STILL SLEEPING....ugh!
Good news...in a tough economy, Rhett has an interview with a firm tomorrow, a possible business venture opportunity and a brother and my best friend on his side when it comes to bringing out the legal pit bulls. Let's hope that some honey works first.
Good news...we are all healthy, last week despite everything else crappy, we celebrated Rhett's birthday, our 20th anniversary and father's day. We have our faith, great friends and family and MOST IMPORTANTLY our sense of humor!!
So there you have it. There is lots of good in the world today.
And if you need a little reminder of some father's day love check out this post . Yesterday I was telling "the fam" about a billboard that I saw that simply said, "Have you been a father today?" and had a picture of a man napping on a sofa with a toddler sleeping on his chest...and my dad teared up. Thank you dad for always being there and willing to show your feelings to the crazy girls in your house and thank you Rhett for being the wonderful man that your are.
Monday, the start of a new week!
Good news... my sister moved here last week. Yea She-Ra! We are very excited to have her here for the year that her hubby, Rob is in Iraq. Boo War! (I know that sounds so juvenile...give me a break... the brain is mush this week). Rob will be in the Baghdad Embassy for a year. He has promised to do all his running on a treadmill and will never leave the Embassy or his trailer...Please keep him and his family in your prayers. War sucks.
Good news...I have a tentative job offer to teach special ed on a provisional certificate next year. I feel like the dog that caught the school bus. The minute I heard that Rhett lost his job I went into overdrive -- guess it worked. Even though I was working part-time last year, this will be an adjustment for sure. Please keep me in your prayers. Come on, after 4 kids, years of substituting what can they throw at me that would really make me blink??? Other than becoming my friend Rachel's
least favorite profession in the world.. will she still talk to me ? (:))
Good news...Ryan is off a Boy Scout camp and was really excited to be there. No car sickness, no groaning, no tears at all. I could barely get him to stop by and give me a hug before I left. The best part was that it had already been paid for and the only cost to us at the moment was $6 for some water shoes and about $20 so he could buy some snacks etc. Claire is teaching Celtic Camp this week and I am left with only 2 kids for most of the week-- and it is really weird!!!! One of which is STILL SLEEPING....ugh!
Good news...in a tough economy, Rhett has an interview with a firm tomorrow, a possible business venture opportunity and a brother and my best friend on his side when it comes to bringing out the legal pit bulls. Let's hope that some honey works first.
Good news...we are all healthy, last week despite everything else crappy, we celebrated Rhett's birthday, our 20th anniversary and father's day. We have our faith, great friends and family and MOST IMPORTANTLY our sense of humor!!
So there you have it. There is lots of good in the world today.
And if you need a little reminder of some father's day love check out this post . Yesterday I was telling "the fam" about a billboard that I saw that simply said, "Have you been a father today?" and had a picture of a man napping on a sofa with a toddler sleeping on his chest...and my dad teared up. Thank you dad for always being there and willing to show your feelings to the crazy girls in your house and thank you Rhett for being the wonderful man that your are.
Monday, the start of a new week!
6/7/08
Eddie Izzard- Do you have a Flag?
Eddie Izzard has to be one of my favorite commedians, and now I really like him in As I am coming off a week of teaching middle school religious ed, I have spent the evening looking at silly stuff. This clip is perfect, it joins legos and my favorite funny guy (after my husband of course!) I love this commentary--on England. OK so I am a bit biased...
What I really wanted to post was the Darth Vader Canteen but since the language makes it "R" rated, I decided just to strongly encourage you to watch that one as well as it is MUCH FUNNIER! (and perfect for my testosterone-lego filled-Star Wars nuts filled-house.
Good night, I am off to la la land finally.
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