We Don't Need No Water

Southern California is on fire again. I don't live where there is danger. I'm not going to be be evacuated. But, damn, it is nasty around here. It is hot anyway and the fire just north of where I live can only be making it worse. The air is heavy with smoke. Ick. *sigh* Alright, let that be the conclusion of the ranting portion of my post. I know, too, that me gripping in some way about temperature must grow old. (Yes, I haven't forgotten the broken air conditioning debacle you all had to put up at the beginning of the summer.)

Here let me show you this...

Here is Little Prince right just waking up after his little ear tube insertion this morning. Princess Diva sent it to me on my phone and it made me want to cry even though I knew he was okay. He just looks so sad and he is wearing a tiny hospital gown. I almost couldn't stand it.


Luckily she sent this one to me very shortly afterward. He is looking sweet and happy, as always. She said it seems like he can hear better already. We're all so excited they finally worked through the maze of bureaucracy to get this simple thing taken care of. You would not believe what they went through for the past year...

I hope you all had a good weekend and that you see a good week ahead of you. Anything special coming up? Ear tubes? Putting out fires? What is on your calendar?

This Musical Message is for Going Crazy

I Study Nuclear Science, I Love My Classes

I have just three words for you....Saturday. Scavenger. Hunt. Okay, now here are lots more words! This week's word, SHADES was chosen by the faaantastic Ananda Girl. My thanks to her and AlienCG for the quick, clean tag and release of this word. Nice job!

I was gonna get all original and awe inspiring. But somehow this week...I don't know. You know? There was this trip to Tar-jay, see? And there were these SHADES and all these little kids who love to give them a whirl..and will you settle for cute? Here are the very most cutest SHADES ever.

Little Prince, Crown Prince of SHADES.

Love Bug, lovely in SHADES.

Miss Personality, working it in SHADES.

Even their daddy, Kick Back Dude, can kick it like tae bo in some super classy SHADES.

I think I have enough SHADES here for now. Sorry to neglect the colors...and the trees...and the lamps...stuff like that. Now, if I ask nicely, can I see your SHADES? And check to see who Ananda Girl tags to pick for next week. Long live the game!

Friday 5 - Tolerance

I'm so tuckered out today. Of course I wouldn't neglect the world of the blog, not entirely! So, here is our Friday 5. Play along in comments or on your blog or in your head...but still comment!

1. How’s your tolerance for alcohol? My tolerance for alcohol is exceedingly low. Just takes a couple to get me very friendly, followed by very sleepy.

2. How’s your tolerance for noisy neighbors? There is a certain amount of noise that goes along with apartment living. Close quarters after all. Even in regular neighborhoods, your neighbors are right there. Mostly, I don't mind even when the noise amps up a bit. A pretty high tolerance for noise, in general. I've been lucky never to have to tolerate, like, aggressively noisy neighbors.

3. How’s your tolerance for physical pain? Well, maybe a little TMI, but I did give birth five times without an epidural. Still, as a rule, I would say my tolerance for physical pain is pretty low. Not a fan of pain.

4. How’s your tolerance for intolerant people? I am shockingly intolerant of intolerant people. Hypocritical. You betcha.

5. How’s your tolerance for bad music? Well, given the choice, good music is my preference. However, I don't mind a little bad music mixed in. It keeps things interesting. I'd say my tolerance for bad music is a gift. haha!



Thanks for participating, and have a tolerable weekend! Can't wait to see your SHADES tomorrow :-)

Mr. Lucky

It is still officially Thursday, at least in there here parts. Not that it matters so much, but I was just going to mention that yesterday, Wednesday, was Do Something Fun Day according the the Eclectic Calendar. And yesterday, Wednesday, I definitely did something fun and I wish to share it with you.

Yesterday was my last day of vacation. Or, as it was known here, "Get the Kids Back to School" Staycation. Yesterday was my special day. The kids were officially back in school as of Tuesday. So Wednesday, while I was not specifically on call anywhere I just completely relaxed at home. Had a nice long conversation with a buddy of mine, played around with Facebook stuff (which can be quite the little time suck, no?), and generally just lounged around. Felt great. I picked Handsome Lad up from school and took him to the skate park, visited with Girlie Girl for a bit...then I was off on my adventure.

My ticket :-)

My friend Ceku invited me to go to a Chris Isaak concert with her. I couldn't have been much more excited...I lurve Chris Isaak. I headed out to meet her at her place. It is kind of downtown L.A. in the Crenshaw district. I wasn't sure how traffic would be. As it turned out, it was not bad at all and I made it with no trouble. We had plenty of time, so we went to dinner first at Panini Grill Deli. Just in case you were wondering I had the Penne with Arrabiata Sauce. Soooo good.

We got to the venue in plenty of time to pick up our tickets, which were at Will Call. The opening act was on - Susan Tedeschi, with whom I was not familiar. She was cool though, we caught the end of her set. We had pretty good seats, off to the side, but not too high. Unfortunately, we seemed to have somehow located the very most active row of people...up and down, back and forth...I have no idea what they were doing or where they were going, but they were terribly busy.

Then...Chris Isaak. What a great show. He and his band have been performing together a long time, have a lot of material, and are really good at making the audience feel intimately involved. Isaak did his thing where he walked about in the audience for a couple of numbers, which is fun to see. I think my favorite section of the set was when Chris and his band, Rowley, Kenney, and Herschel all sat up front together harmonizing their way through several songs, from old favorites to his awesome new stuff. I lamely tried to take a photo or two, but my dorky little camera phone doesn't really do it.

This is them, but only if you are able to take my word for it.

I had such a good time...I ♥ Chris Isaak's gorgeous Roy Orbison-y voice, all yearning and sweet. Ceku had to have herself a souvenir tote bag and tank tee. That stuff be expensive! I decided just to be content with my memories :-) As a bonus to the evening it just happened that the Kogi Korean BBQ truck was in her neighborhood between 10:30 and 1. People follow this thing on Twitter and show up where it does for the fun of it. I had a Kogi Dog...hot dog with kimchi. Yum :-)

Finally got to bed around 1, which is not particularly late for me...but today was my first day back at work and I was TIRED. But happy! There is nothing like an evening out with a friend and some awesome music. I hope you all have been able to do something fun this week too. But now...back to the grind....

I Know It's Only Rock n' Roll, But I Like It

Looks like...yes! It is another Choose and Defend Wednseday! Raaahhhh! The crowd goes wild! Ah, it is good to have a rich inner life :-) But, hey, anyway it is indeed time to Choose and Defend. This week, the Music Fairy is coming to give you a magical gift. One. But you have a choice. Two. So...what would you choose and why would you choose it. That is the game as we play it here.

What is the Music Fairy leaving for you?

An Unlimited Supply of Free Live Shows (Your Choice of Artists and Venues)
OR

THE Most Kickass Stereo System in the World (Your Choice of System)

There you go. Tell me all about it. Choose and Defend. Muchas gracias.

A Passion for Passion

This is a story that has been six years in the making, yet I will try to be as succinct as possible in the telling.

I met DR six years ago in a yahoo group about television and popular culture. We hit it off right away...possibly mainly over our shared amusement over another frequent poster who was (and still is, come to think of it) rather stick-up-his-ass-ish about any number of topics. Anyway, DR and I began corresponding privately and things very quickly got very cute. I think I can honestly say that I loved him almost immediately. I could see what a good man he was...kind, funny, honest...and when I saw his picture I went - Yeah, that's my guy right there. And I could feel how he cared for me. The problem? He lived in North Carolina and I lived in Southern California. The early intensity diminished. Sometimes, after awhile, it was hard to think of things to say. Distance isn't good for love. That is just reality. Or reality as I know it.

Still, we stayed connected in one way or another. We always wrote. We always had our little things to laugh about. I always felt my life was richer knowing he was there in the world. Three years ago, almost exactly, when he came this direction to visit his family we were able to get together for a few hours. I know I wrote about it on here. I loved seeing him, but of course we were right back where we started...3,000 miles apart and life goes on. And we went on too, in our way, keeping in touch, going through periods of great longing, but having to let that go. Crazy-making.

About a year ago DR made a move to Utah. It was actually romantically motivated...although by this time, I was not the object of the romance. You know what though? I have to be a little grateful. I would NEVER have asked him to move across the country for me. And the person he did move for ended up proving what a bad, bad idea that is. Okay, in this particular case anyway. It is unfair to generalize. But...there is DR, so much closer, and not so stoked to be there. And by this point we are talking, talking, talking...going over our stuff, this shared history we'd accumulated. When DR started talking about coming here to be near his family I will admit that the idea was alarming in some ways. After all this time, we could actually be together, have a relationship. But we kept talking...and I felt his genuine love, without any sort of pressure. It was there though, always.

I'm not sure what happened. Maybe it was his patient reassurance. The fact that in one way or another, we've loved each other for the past six years. That we now have a shot at real and profound happiness together. I let down my guard, letting myself love and be loved. Right now, we're still apart, but not really. We're together and if you check my right hand column you'll see the countdown clock for when we will be able to actually be in the same place at the same time. This is a very 21st Century love story. But it is a love story all the same. And that was not very succinct....but I tried.

A Passion for Fashion

Here are the lovely laura b. offspring, off to their first day of school.

Girlie Girl seems to go goofy in front of the camera :-) She did seem somewhat excited to be heading back to the fray.


Handsome Lad looking stylish in the great outdoors. Not quite so psyched to be returning to the educational salt mines....


Is that some kind of hereditary head tilt? Hm. Anyway, now you know that if you want to look and feel awesome you should be wearing plaids and jeans. Word.

What do you wear when you want to look good? What about when you want to feel good? Same thing? Or not?

Stop the Insanity!

Whew. I have been enjoying my vacation like crazy. I truly needed this time away from work. But I feel like I have been kind of running non-stop the whole time, so far. Not that this was entirely unexpected. I mean, this was a "Get the Kids Back to School" Staycation. And that is always a very involved process...and rather expensive. Did you know a high school yearbook will set you back $75 nowadays? It would be even more than that if you didn't also have your $55 ASB card. Oh well...not really genuinely complaining. It was much worse the one year my three oldest sons were all at the high school. That must have been the year I sold off that one kidney...

Saturday was an especially busy day as Kick Back Dude and Princess Diva threw a combined birthday party for the babies, as their birthdays are only about three weeks apart.











Love Bug turned 2 August 10 and Little Prince will be 1 August 29.

That was a lot of fun, but it made for a really action packed day. Plus, that evening I got a last minute phone call from KBD and PD. They were having a little date to go see Inglourious Basterds and they kindly invited me along. I guess I was the chaperon, although I think I am way too late there. :-) In any case, I was so happy to be invited as I really wanted to see that movie. It seems to be inspiring lots of discussion...but you know me, I am no movie reviewer. I will just say that I found it quite thrilling. Prime Tarantino goodness.

Anyway, tomorrow is Back to School. After getting them off, my mom and I will have our annual celebratory breakfast. We've done it every year, often with my sister in attendance too, starting when Kick Back Dude entered Kindergarten. For years we dragged the remaining toddlers along with us, still happy to have one or two or how many ever back into school. And all the mommies are out, eating and smiling and talking slightly hysterically. Awesome.

Tomorrow's post? Probably will include a lovely photo of the wearing of the first day of school ensembles. But also, I would like to share with you a little love story. Stay tuned.

This Musical Message is For A Preposterous Hypothesis

For You I Bleed Myself Dry

Last week's tag and choice went so beautifully! NoRegrets tagged AlienCG first thing Saturday morning and he quickly came up with this week's word...YELLOW. Good job, you two! Very efficient. I like the word, too. It makes me think of that Coldplay song...uh, YELLOW...which I loved in the day and still love! I also like how YELLOW can be used as a way of saying someone is cowardly. It is more fun to call someone a YELLOW bellied cur than to just straight out say, "you coward!" Plus, of course, I like the color YELLOW. Everything from a barely YELLOW cream to a deep buttery YELLOW to screaming neon YELLOW. It is all good. YELLOW feels warm and energizing. But let me get on with it here...yes, I hear the sighs of relief :-)

Here is my YELLOW:

This YELLOW vase is the very first thing that Girlie Girl, Handsome Lad, and I bought that was meant especially for our new place about 15 months ago. We found it at the thrift store. Girlie Girl picked it up and said that we could decorate our whole new home around it. She liked the YELLOW and the nice blue stripe around the top. We all agreed it was perfect.

Here is where the YELLOW vase lives in our new new home. It is on the kitchen window sill and I gaze past it as I wash the dishes. We never did exactly decorate around that vase, but it still fits in perfectly. And it will always be special to me. Almost like a symbol of me...or the kids and me...in our new happy freedom.

I am looking forward to seeing what YELLOW means to the rest of you. Also looking forward to seeing who AlienCG will tag and what will come next!!! Look at the stars...look how they shine for you.

YOUR Post

Since I am on vacation, I thought I'd leave the posting to you guys today. Please, in comments, tell us the story of this picture. Anything from a simple caption to a novella ;-)

A Non-Vacating Vacation

Today is the first day of my annual traditional "Get the Kids Back to School" vacation. I like to take a few days before and a couple days after they get back to school. It is a little transitional thing that helps me...if not them anymore :-) Anyway, we will have some time to get our supplies together and just hang out before we all get caught up again in our more hectic school year routines. My kids start school next Tuesday, the 25th. Girlie Girl is a Junior and Handsome Lad is in 7th. Un-fricking-believable. The babies of the family! Geez.

I really needed some time away from work, back to school excuse or not. I like my job, but I am tired. I don't take much time off, because I like to let it build up so that at Christmas time I can sell back a couple of weeks and help to fund the holiday. So....these seven days (five that are actual vacation days) are pretty special to me :-)

I do plan to have some down time for my very own self, so I picked out a few books to bring home with me. I've got The Book of the Moon by Rick Stroud, My Little Red Book by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff, and Nose Down, Eyes Up by Merrill Markoe. What would I do without books?

Still, I will be around these here parts :-) You won't be rid of me THAT easily! I hope that you will join me in simply relaxing as we enter, what feels for me and others, I'm sure, like the true New Year. In case you have forgotten, here is what relaxing looks like...I'm hoping that some of you will be willing to share with me in comments how you relax. Tips and tricks appreciated. xo

Speak Up, Ya Bums!

This Choose and Defend Wednesday features a choice selected by everyone's favorite blogger, Tara! It is a bit of a divisive issue...a bit controversial. I have seem people practically come to blows over this one. But I think it needs to be asked.

Which is the correct way to hang your toilet paper roll?

Over
OR

Under

Everyone has an opinon about this. What is yours? Tell us which way it is done...and perhaps more importantly, tell us why. Choose and Defend. I sense that the time is right for an honest discussion about this issue. Thank you.

Hey There, Slick!

Here is something fun to do, if you ever get bored. It happens to me on occasion. So, here I am hanging out in a fancy cocktail lounge in the early 60s. I think I am about to get the Don Draper treatment. Nice.
Mad Men Yourself. But only if you aren't afraid to be the cat's pajamas.

And Now, For My Impression of...

Thought I would check the Eclectic Calendar to see what was happening today. I found out that today is - Do an Impression of Robert DeNiro in the Mirror Today (Robert DeNiro’s Birthday – 1943) That's awesome, right? So, I did my impression, actually sitting right here at my desk. And it wasn't so much a straight DeNiro impression...more like DeNiro doing Travis Bickle...you know it...You talkin' to me? You must be talkin' to me... It was brilliant, I assure you. The thing is, you don't have to be too brilliant for people to be able to recognize who and what you are attempting to impersonate. Those lines, spoken a certain way, are instantly recognizable.

There are certain movie lines and characters that seem to be universally recognized. Then there are the lines and characters that may be less well known, except amongst you and your people. For example, in my family our limited ability to actually BE funny causes us to quote lines from movies to each other and laugh our asses off. One of our favorite movies, full of quotes, is Cable Guy. One of our favorite lines comes from Matthew Broderick as Steven Kovacs trying to let the Cable Guy down easy...You're a very nice guy, but I just don't have any room in my life for a new friend. I mean, I know it doesn't sound funny when you just read it, but you have to picture us saying it to each other in our Cable Guy quoting voice. Um. Yeah.

Anyway, I bet most of you have other resources to amuse your friends and family. But say you were like me and you wanted to throw out a line, do an impression if you will, that was sure to kill...what would you go to? You mean, let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it's me, I'm a little effed up maybe, but I'm funny how, I mean funny like I'm a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh, I'm here to effin' amuse you? Did you get that one? Didja? Yeah :-)

This Musical Message is For the Universe (and Cartoons!)

Open Your Eyes and See, What We Have Made is Real

NoRegrets is getting quite a reputation amongst those who participate in the Saturday Scavenger Hunt :-) If you ever read through the list of words, cataloged for us by AlienCG, you will note the words next to her name tend to be quite interesting and challenging! This week's word is a great addition to her list...XANADU. Ideally, that word would make you think of Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. And then maybe you'd think of the monumental song by Rush, based heavily upon that poem. And it did make me think of that, almost immediately...but most immediately Olivia Newton John and ELO started playing in my head. There was roller skating involved and I had to believe we were magic. It was a beautiful moment...*sigh*

Okay. So, once I arose from that little fugue state, I tried to think of an idyllic, exotic, or luxurious place that I would have pictures of...and since I don't travel much (read: at all) I thought I'd have to get a bit non-traditional with my choice. Upon reflection though, I realized that something has recently come into my life. A space that does feel, if not quite exotic, slightly luxurious, and sometimes exceptionally idyllic. I present to you...

My own bed, in my own room. My XANADU. Enough of a stately pleasure-dome for laura b., for now. And all should cry, Beware! Beware!

Thank you for lounging around here with me in my XANADU. Are we supposed to tip the fanners / grape peelers? haha! I am greatly looking forward to seeing all of your visions of XANADU. The neon lights will shine, I'm sure :-) Make sure to check in with NoRegrets to find out who will be tagged for next week!

Friday 5 - Ugly

U! G! L! Y! You ain’t got no alibi! I'm feeling all moody and emotional today, so why not get a little ugly too? :-) If you'd like, I invite you to play Friday 5 with me. You can post it on your blog or just answer in comments. Or comment, but it doesn't have to be about Friday 5! Just say hi...I always like that and could use the company.

1. What’s so ugly it’s kind of cute? I don't know...a lot of things actually...usually animals. And maybe this tiny man on YouTube named Ping Ping that Girlie Girl and Handsome Lad like to watch...

2. What’s the ugliest article of clothing in your wardrobe? Probably the tie dye shirt that I wear EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND. It is my comfort shirt...but I'm pretty sure it might be ugly from the outside.

3. What’s the ugliest car on the streets today? I am not into the aesthetic of cars all that much, so I'm not sure what is considered ugly. The ugliest environmentally are probably, like, those huge Dodge Rams that get under 10 mpg.

4. Under what circumstances are you most likely to whip out your ugliest behavior? Usually when my feelings are hurt. If I get weird and ugly on you, please realize I am hurt...not that it is an excuse...it is a reason, I guess.

5. Which of the United States of America has the ugliest shape? This question made me laugh. I had to look at a wikimedia map showing the state outlines. Then I decided Maryland kinda freaks me out. haha! I also thought about how soothing it might be to live in one of those really square states, like Wyoming or Colorado :-)

Thanks for playing, and have a beeeeautiful weekend! I am really looking forward to visiting everyone's personal XANADU tomorrow.

My World and Welcome to It

I have had cartoons on my mind this week...thank you, AlienCG. Something kept coming to mind and I don't think it quite fits in with Cartoon Appreciation Week, but I thought I'd mention it anyway...as obviously this memory is begging for my attention :-)

For one season in 1969/70 there was a partially animated show called My World and Welcome to It. It was a sitcom, in some ways typical, but based on the humor and cartoons of James Thurber, although by the time this series was created Thurber had been dead for about 8 years. The show featured a Thurber-like writer called John Monroe, played by William Windham. He had his normal work and family life, but often had these fanciful imaginings portrayed in line style cartoons. The animation for the series was done by DePatie-Freleng, who were also responsible for the Pink Panther cartoons. I would have been six when this show aired and I remember being fascinated by it!

I loved Thurber's drawings and his humor...and as an adult learning more about Thurber, I have come to appreciate him ever more. I mean, in 1929 this guy wrote a spoof of sexual psychology manuals with E.B. White (you know...Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web!) Thurber himself wrote several children's books, including Many Moons and 13 Clocks.

I learned later that My World and Welcome to It, lead to the 1972 Jack Lemmon film, The War Between Men and Women. I haven't seen that in a long time, but if I recall it had that similar charm and it definitely had the distinctive, Thurberesque animations. I also later learned that CBS repeated My World and Welcome to It during the summer of 1974 and it turned up occasionally on local stations, most recently in the early 90s on Chicago's WGN. Since then this clever series has vanished. Since I feel like I remember it so well, it is possible that I may have seen it in 1974, but definitely not since then. I would SO buy the dvd if they would issue it.

I can't help but wonder if I had this show in the dark corners of my mind when I named this blog originally (My Boring Life...Welcome to It). Anyway, I guess this show is one of the legions of one season wonders. I know I have a few favorites in that category, including Wonderfalls, Freaks & Geeks, and Undeclared, just to name a few. Do you have a show that is especially memorable from your childhood? Do you have a favorite one season masterpiece? Tell me about it!