Now 6.022 x 10(-23)% More Journalish!

Well I must admit, nobody gave me any grief about discontinuing my monthly Dude updates once he reached age 2.  So either you are all great people and can cope with change, or you never gave two shits in the first place and didn't even noticed I had stopped.  Either way, I'm still unemployed, so who cares.

And with that, I do feel it's time for an update.  The biggest thing in the Dude's life now is his new day care.  As you may remember, his old one shut down last month.  Ever since we found out about it back in January, we had been so stressed out about him adjusting to a new facility, new friends, new teachers, etc.  What we did not anticipate is the insanity that would ensue during the two weeks between his old day care closing and his starting at the new one. 
We knew he thrived at school - the structure, the socialization...what we didn't know is how much he thrived on it.  Without it for two weeks, he became a raging monster at home (we would go out a lot, and he'd be fine, but back at home - yikes).  I think he set a personal record for "time-outs" in a week.  Not fun.  So needless to say, we were dying for this day to come, when he'd be back in his social, structured environment.

To get him ready for the change, 2 weeks ago we took him to the new school to meet his new teachers and see his new classroom, see his new playgrounds, and the swimming pools.  Last week we took him back again, and he sat in on "story time."  His lunch was provided at his old day care, but not this new one, so we bought him a firetruck lunchbox and gave it to him as a present last night, only fueling his excitement.  This morning he ran around the house saying "lunchbox!"  His mommy dropped him off this morning and reported back afterward - he was great.  He started playing with the toys in the room, showed his new teachers all the stuff we brought for him (diapers, extra clothes, his lunchbox, etc.), and barely noticed when mommy left.  She went to the gym and then came back to peek in on him - his class was in a gym themselves, and his teacher gave the thumbs-up.  He was playing and happy and we couldn't be more thrilled.  Life at home has been really tough these last 10 days or so, but I think having him back in school will make all the difference.

Other than that, his development continues at breakneck pace - he can carry on a conversation pretty well, without struggling for words or anything.  He has learned to say "gesundheit!" when someone sneezes, and then says "you're welcome" after the sneezer thanks him.  Most of you know he loved the Walking with Dinosaurs show, roaring at the dino-bots with glee.  We tried to let him stay up for fireworks on the 4th, but by 8:15 he was wiped out and there was no way he could stay up another hour to see them...there's always next year.

His cousin and family come to visit on Wednesday through the weekend, so he's been jumping around in anticipation for weeks.  And then we're going to CA on the 21st - my awesome grandma-in-law is taking the family on a 3-day cruise to Ensenada, plus we're staying with my folks for a few days prior, so we'll be gone a week.  The Dude is going to love the cruise ship - it has tons of stuff for kids, including a water slide and a whole day care center.  Plus grandma, in her infinite generosity, bought everyone a suite on the ship!  With a balcony!  Sweet...suite...sweet.

So that's about it for now...more updates to follow as necessary.  God bless.

In other words, 12.  rmstraus  and I celebrated our 12-year anniversary yesterday, she in Florida and me home with our marital offspring, the dog and the Dude.  Oh well, it's fine...we don't have the cash for a fancy celebration right now anyway, and it's not like the 12-year is a super special one, so we'll make up for it when I get gainful employment...eventually.
But I thought it would be interesting - to me - to look back and see how ridiculously different our lives have become in the last dozen years.  In the great span of time, 12 years is a nanosecond, a microscopic piece of lint poop on the smallest amoeba in a petri dish.  But it certainly allows for a wealth of change.
12 years ago we lived in Santa Barbara, CA.  12 years and 3000 miles later, here we are in Small-bany, NY. 
12 years ago I worked in the television production industry.  12 years later, I'm barely working. 
12 years ago rmstraus  worked for a floral delivery service.  12 years and one Ph.D later, she is a college professor. 
12 years ago we lived in a tiny one-bedroom apartment.  12 years later, we own a modest home. 
12 years ago we had to live vicariously through friends and families who had dogs, to satiate our own yearning for one.  12 years later, we have the best and most tolerant doggy ever. 
12 years ago, having a child was further from our minds than anything - going to church, protesting gay rights, joining the Republican party, committing ritual suicide, and shooting moose semen into our veins were things closer to our minds than having a child.  12 years later, well...I won't reiterate what I've posted about for the last two years.
12 years ago none of our close friends or similarly-aged family members were married or had children.  12 years later, almost everyone of them is married and has at least one child (or one on the way). 
12 years ago we didn't eat fish.  12 years later, we eat it once a week. 
Um...12 years ago I didn't have gray hairs...uh...I didn't wake up with odd pains in various parts of my body every now and then...um...12 years ago I didn't have to mow the lawn, and frankly I liked it that way...ok, running out of things here...oh, 12 years ago we were 24 years old.  So if my math is correct, that would now make us...36?!  Oh crap.  This is getting depressing.
Ok, let's end on a good note.  12 years ago I knew that I was marrying the greatest woman on the planet.  I also knew that 12 years later we'd still be married, as I know that we'll still be together in another 12 years, and another, and another, etc.  Happy anniversary, sweetie. 
Now get your ass home so I can sleep in!

Yes, it's the family fun favorite for everyone - my recent movie grades. As always, assenting and dissenting opinions are welcomed, with owners of the latter knowing that they are wrong. Enjoy.

Slumdog Millionaire - A
Charlie Wilson's War - A-
Traitor - B
Frost/Nixon - A
Star Trek - A- (saw it in the theater! 1st theater movie for me in 18 months!  The last one was the next movie on the list.)
The Simpsons Movie - B+ (I felt I had to see it again, and I think I liked it more than the first time.)
Choke - B+
The Spirit - C-
Miracle at St. Anna - B
Frozen River - A-
The Wrestler - A-
Gonzo - B+ (about Hunter S. Thompson, not the Muppet)
Changeling - B+
Vicky Cristina Barcelona - B+
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - C+
Wanted - B-
Milk - A+
The Visitor - B+
Hamlet 2 - C-
Max Payne - B-
Pineapple Express - C-
Religulous - B+
Body of Lies - C
WALL-E - B+
Burn After Reading - C+
National Treasure: Book of Secrets - C
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - B-
Tropic Thunder - C
Hellboy II: The Golden Army - B
Hancock - B-
The Dark Knight - B+
Get Smart - C-
The Reading Room - D

Hey, two posts in a row, who'd-a thunk it? Anyway, as many of you know I have been a constant complainer about the driving abilities of the people in the Capital Region of New York. Since moving here almost 4 years ago, I have maintained that the drivers here must be the worst in the country. Well guess what?

http://gothamist.com/2009/05/20/survey_finds_ny_state_has_worst_dri.php

Congratulations will be accepted in the form of comments on this post. Thank you.

Yes, three updates, I think. We'll see how it goes.
First, my employment situation...here's where I stand: on my two feet. Hahaha. But seriously - I am still doing the part-time marketing assistance for a realtor. It's ok - some days are fun, I get to use my creativity for something useful...other days are somewhat boring and dull.
The business development for the media company is really not going anywhere, and I don't think I'll be doing it much longer. I only have one potential client so far, and I just don't feel like I have the drive to do that kind of work...it's almost like "cold-calling" and that 'aint for me. But I had to give it a shot.
In the pipeline: oil. Again, hahaha. But seriously - I had an interview on Monday for an admin gig at a big accounting firm. Normally I wouldn't have bothered applying, but they pay quite well for an admin position, and I know a few people at the company and they all say it's a great place to work. Here's the weird part about my interview: she didn't ask me any questions. Yeah, I know. All she asked was for me to tell her about myself, and what my duties were at my last job. She spent the rest of the time describing the job, the company, and giving me a tour of the place. So either it was just a screening interview, or they plan on offering me the job. It was odd.
I also have an interview on Friday at the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence for an Executive Program Assistant. I'll tell them I have an offer from the Coalition FOR Domestic Violence and see what they say. Bad idea? Ok. They don't pay as well as the admin job, but the work should be more interesting. We'll see.
It looks like I'm still in the running for the Executive Secretary job at SUNY Cobleskill, an A&T school about 30 miles from Albany. It would be a commute (an Upstate NY commute anyway) but I know people who work there and they say it's really cool. And they pay well and have great benefits. So again, we'll see. Job searching is so much fun! Yeah! No.
But the most exciting news is that I am going to have my first PAID photo shoot! A woman I know has her own pie company, she's doing very well, and wants new photos of her products for her website and for ads...and she asked me to take the shots! Woohoo! So next Wednesday I will be able to say I am a professional photographer. And maybe I'll get a free pie too.
Ok, perhaps the most exciting news is actually this - the Dude is going poopy and pee pee on the potty! In adult-speak, he is urinating and emptying his bowels in the proper receptacle. He's not at the point where he's telling us he has to go and then uses the toilet, but we have been putting him on the seat and then he'll go! He's getting dinosaur stickers as a reward each time. Very cool. We can't wait to free up the money in the diaper budget for other things.
Ok, that's enough. Thanks for reading. Coming soon - a new Internet Flicker Shows post. Yes, Christmas is coming early, I know...you lucky devils. Bye.

It's been 25 days since my last blog post, which I think is a new record for me. Not that I've been any kind of prolific blogger, but I think 3 weeks was my old record for not posting. To what do I attribute this drought of online expression, you may (but probably don't) ask? Well I think it has to do with a little website that starts with an F, ends with a K, and in the middle is "aceboo."
Facebook has become a very regular thing for me, and anytime I am inspired to impart any personal updates or interesting tidbits, whereas I would previously post them right here, I now find myself going to Facebook instead. And after a few months of this, I have come to a conclusion: Facebook is totally lame.
It is self-indulgent, self-important garbage. I realize that saying this (and everything else that follows) is condemning my own actions, but like alcoholics, the first step is admitting you have a problem.
At first I did recognize that Facebook has some value - I was able to touch base with 15 of my 6th grade classmates, including our teacher. We all agree that our class was quite special, and we all remember it fondly. So using Facebook to say hi to all those people was really neat.
However, the honeymoon is over, and now the only use I see for the site is so that people you know can tell you what they just did, felt, experienced, etc.
"I'm going shopping." "I just watched the ball game." "I ate a cookie."
Have we become so bored as a society that this is how we need to fill our time?
Exhibit B: the fairly new "Pick Your Five" survey on Facebook. You pick your five favorite movies, concerts, beers, animals, vacation spots, candies...anything. Then all your friends can be made aware that you love the movie "Flubber." Great.
Exhibit C: the quizzes. "What fantasy creature are you?" "What Beatles song are you?" "What city should you live in?" More pointless information that is decided by a paragraph of code, all to let your friends know what flavor of bubble gum best defines you.
Let me reiterate that I am completely guilty in participating in these activities - I even created my own "Pick Your Five" survey (although I would like to point out that mine was semi-intellectual, in that it asked for your top 5 favorite words in the English language. Not surprisingly, no one else took my survey. It's much less brain-consuming to pick your top 5 childhood cartoons).
So am I going to stop Facebooking? Probably not. In fact, I have my blog set up so that whenever I post, it makes a note in Facebook for all my friends to see. I guess it's a good way for me to stay in touch with those people that I don't see in person very often. But it's almost like a gory car accident - I don't want to look, but I cannot turn away.
I would also like to point out my lack of irony when I said earlier that Facebook was self-indulgent, self-important garbage. Because this post is exactly that (maybe without the garbage part). But again, recognizing the problem is the first step toward overcoming it. Feel free to point out my hypocrisy and deconstruct my arguments until there's nothing left but viscous cranial goo - I won't be offended.
And with that being said, see you on Facebook soon.

Well, this is it. And by “it” I mean this is the last regular monthly post about the Dude. He is the big 2 today, hard to believe as it is. But I don’t see the point in posting at regular intervals anymore – I will update when it is warranted, but he’s basically developing like any normal toddler (as normal as my offspring can be). And so today’s post will be a reflection on my two years as a father.
Two years ago, life changed so drastically and well more than I could have ever imagined. We thought the infant stage was rough – getting up every two hours, doing laundry on a seemingly hourly basis, dodging powerful urine streams aimed at my face, hoping that my wife’s breasts weren’t horribly mangled during feedings, and cleaning up various forms of bodily excretions all the time.
And then after a year, the infant stage seemed easy. Then came the mobility, the independent desires, the struggle with meals, and the frustration over not being able to communicate.
Then suddenly at 18 months, pure joy. That’s not to say that the first 17 months did not have their joyous moments – far from it. I loved singing him to sleep (now he tells me “no singing, daddy”), I loved that we could go out to eat without incident, I loved being able to walk him in the stroller without complaint, I loved watching each new discovery he made, learning to crawl, learning to walk, learning to be nice to his doggy…but at 18 months, he seemed to advance from baby to little boy. His vocabulary exploded (as is normal at that age), and he really was amazing and fun to just hang out with.
Months 19 through 23, however, seemed to be steamrolling toward that dreaded and mystical stage known as the “terrible two’s.” But again, that’s not to say that during the past 4 months he hasn’t been great…just not as much as at 18 months.
And now here we are at 2 years – and thank god I can finally stop referring to his age in months! Here’s the last development update: he knows his colors and his shapes, he is using casual expressions like “Nah,” (instead of “no”) and “Sure!” and “I love it!” His palate is coming around – last week he ate Singapore-style curried noodles, and he wolfed down some chicken sausage with garlic and onions. He has a fascination with bridges and airplanes, and loves the library. But most amazingly to us (and I don’t know if this is normal or not – we’re going with not), he can count to 20 almost perfectly. He likes to skip 12 for some reason, and he sometimes mixes up the order between 13 and 19, but we think he’s a genius. Not that we’re biased.
So after 2 years I can honestly say that all the crying, pooping, sleeplessness, laundry, crying, lack-of-social-life, illness, and crying has been 100% WORTH IT.
I love my boy with all my heart and soul. He amazes me every moment of every day. He makes me laugh more than I ever thought a toddler could. Being able to have a conversation with him is more exciting and far more interesting than most of the conversations I have with other people. And nothing makes my heart soar more highly than getting an unsolicited hug from him, or hearing him scream ecstatically “Daddy daddy daddy!” when I pick him up at daycare.
I remember thinking shortly after he was born about how my priorities changed, that the only thing I cared about anymore was that my son was happy, no matter what. After 2 years, that feeling hasn’t waivered one bit. I feel awful when he feels awful, and I am truly the happiest guy in the world when he is happy. I know one day he will read all this crap and be embarrassed beyond reproach…at least until he has a child of his own…if he chooses to do so…no pressure, leave him alone, jeez!
So, happy #2 little buddy, dude, etc. If you keep this up, you’ll make us give you a sibling soon. Yikes.

It seems that no matter how rooted an institution is these days, and how insulated it would be against a recession, no one is safe.
Apparently the Postmaster General told Congress yesterday that the USPS is going to run out of money this year, unless they get some extra government funding.
Really. REALLY? The postal service is running out of money? Forgive my ignorance, but WHA???? Come on. How is this possible? Are people not mailing things anymore? Really? Does that mean FedEx and UPS are experiencing record increases in business?
And isn't the USPS's normal solution to financial woes to just raise the price of a stamp by 4 or 6 cents?
The PG proposed reducing mail delivery service to 5 days a week to help save millions of dollars. Fine, I don't think people will miss their Saturday mail too much, but I can't believe this is necessary.
So what am I missing here? Anyone?

Every time I start to seriously doubt that there's any good left in the world, something like this comes along:

BANGKOK (AFP) – A Thai fireman turned superhero when he dressed up as comic-book character Spider-Man to coax a frightened eight-year-old from a balcony, police said Tuesday.
Teachers at a special needs school in Bangkok alerted authorities on Monday when an autistic pupil, scared of attending his first day at school, sat out on the third-floor ledge and refused to come inside, a police sergeant told AFP.
Despite teachers' efforts to beckon the boy inside, he refused to budge until his mother mentioned her son's love of superheroes, prompting fireman Sonchai Yoosabai to take a novel approach to the problem.
The rescuer dashed back to his fire station and made a quick change into a Spider-Man costume before returning to the boy, he said.
"I told him Spider-Man is here to rescue you, no monsters are going to attack you and I told him to walk slowly towards me as running could be dangerous," Somchai told local television.
The young boy immediately stood up and walked into his rescuer's arms, police said.
Somchai said he keeps the Spider-Man costume and an outfit of Japanese television character Ultraman at the station in order to liven up school fire drills.

Now if only there were a Financial Rescue Man....

Ok people, enough fooling around. Let's get down to the nuts and bolts...or, just the nuts.
Pistachio nuts, to be specific. I love pistachios. Love 'em. But this weekend I did something I've never done before - I bought a can of "pistachio kernels."
Essentially, these are shelled pistachios. Roasted, salted pistachios sans shell. Sounds ok, right? But after eating several handfuls with dinner last night, I felt something was missing...I don't know. Maybe pistachios taste better when you shell them yourself. Maybe putting the effort into it makes the reward that much sweeter.
For some reason, these pistachio kernels did not taste 100% like the pistachios you shell yourself. What gives? I tried to make the analogy with peanuts - yes, I love peanuts salted in the shell...but do they taste any better than a jar of Planters'? Not to me. Maybe it's the brand of pistachio, but I'm leaning toward the "work-for-your-reward" theory.
Please, open your brain to me and share your thoughts on this pressing, difficult issue. Thank you.

No, it's not about that horrible Jim Carrey movie. Our little Dude turned 23 months on Sunday, which means that this will be the last time I refer to his age in "months." There will be no "2 years and 3 months" or any of that crap. Come April 1st, he's 2. He's 2 until October 1st, when he'll be 2 and a half. And that's what he'll be until April 1st again. So there.
It's been a good month for him. His verbal skills are quite extraordinary - we're assuming - as he is talking almost exclusively in complete sentences now. His memory is pretty amazing as well, and he's learning numbers and letters really well.
Our recent trip to Denver has solidified his status as a seasoned traveler - he loves airplanes, especially the take-off part. I also see a young Albert Pujols in the making - at his cousin's house in Denver he tried out the t-ball equipment, and he can smack that ball! Someone get A-Rod's cousin on the phone for me.
I think the most entertaining thing about him now is his facial expressions - he will make the cutest impish face you've ever seen. And he has a great "holy crap!" face too.
Garage doors are on his list of cool things to look at - he loves watching them go up and down, and he was thrilled to operate one himself at his cousin's house.
So that's about it for our little boy-going-on-man. We can't wait until the weather finally warms up (which will be August at this rate) and he can run around outside all weekend. See you in 25 days or so.

Ah yes, the joys of toddler-dome. With a rapidly developing sense of independence comes a will to dominate all life within ones environment. Such is the case with the Dude, who is 22 months old today. And while the majority of the time is still quite nice, the minority segment is getting a bit larger than it was a few months ago.
He really wants to do things on his own now; "I'll do it" is his latest oft-used phrase. Of course most of the time the "it" he refers to is something he cannot/should not be doing. But he doesn't know that, and for some reason, he won't accept our explanation to that effect. This usually results in a squirming/sitting tantrum, lasting anywhere from 2 to 20 minutes. The good news about a long tantrum is that after it's over, he's calm and awesome! Silver lining, folks, silver lining.
He wants to "help" a lot now, like with the laundry or with cooking dinner. Sometimes that's good, other times not so much...like if you are under any time constraints. But it's nice that he wants to be involved.
As you may have read on rmstraus's post, he will be in a new school starting hopefully in June (but definitely in September). And while we are upset that he has to move, the new place has a gym and a swimming pool that we can all use whenever we want now (yes, we have to pay for the membership even though he's not in the school yet...genius). So today we took him swimming, and he loved it...you might even say it went swimmingly...ha.
Those of you who saw the sledding photos know that he has no fear...he even went down the hill by himself a couple of weeks ago. Oh, the hospitals are going to get to know him very well...they might even have to name a line of casts for him.
I can't believe he'll be 2 in two months...wait a minute - yes I can. We visited a friend last week who just had her 3rd child. The new one was 4 days old, and we went to see them. I seriously cannot remember the Dude being so small...I know from photos that he was, but the physical memory is gone. He liked seeing the baby, and even tried to give her some popcorn. Every now and then his memory will fixate on that and he'll say "Baby...popcorn."
I guess they call this "growing pains" - it's wonderful to see him become more and more like a big boy and less of a baby every day, but the emotions it brings is sometimes more aggravating than when he was 4 days old, and just ate, slept, and cried.
And so it goes...see you next month.

...you might be after checking out these items. The first is a recipe for what must be the worst thing imaginable for a vegetarian, and possibly frightening for even a carnivore:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/dining/28bacon.html?no_interstitial

The next is a really really funny letter to Virgin Airlines owner Richard Branson, in response to his meals on a recent flight. Make sure you scroll through the photos so you can see what he's referring to:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/4344890/Virgin-the-worlds-best-passenger-complaint-letter.html

Catchy title, eh? I suppose I should explain it. That's my vulgar way of saying that I felt rather gay and feminine yesterday, despite my male genitalia. Oh, I should explain further? You bet!
I watched a movie called "Jersey Girl." Now this was a movie that I barely remember even existing. It came out in 2004 - I had no idea what it was about, I don't know a single person who saw it, and I don't recall hearing anything about it from any media source. The only thing I remembered about it was that Kevin Smith wrote and directed it. I am a Kevin Smith fan, for the most part. So the fact that I barely remember that this film was ever made should tell you how completely oblivious I was to it. In fact, if the Independent Film Channel hadn't been showing it yesterday at the exact time that the Dude went down for a nap and I needed to kill a couple of hours, I may never have mentioned this movie at all, ever, in my lifetime.
So now that you have the back story, I will tell you that I really enjoyed the movie. But here's the thing - it is, for all intents and purposes, a chick flick. And I quite liked it. Which sort of bothered me when it was over. Because I don't like chick flicks. In fact, I make it a point not to see them. So my internal dialogue went like this:
"Ok, why the hell did I like that movie? Well, George Carlin was in it, and not just for comic relief. He had a semi-prominent role as Ben Affleck's dad, and was actually a charming and endearing character in the film. It definitely had some Kevin Smith-style humor, fraught with pop culture references and such...though not in the fashion of Clerks or Mallrats or his other films. And it was a little sappy and corny, but not over-the-top so. Liv Tyler, in a rare non-Elvish role, was decent enough. It was less than 2 hours long, which is always good for a non-action movie..."
But all this didn't satisfy me. And then it hit me - I knew why I liked it so much. I'm a dad. The movie is about dads and their love for their children. It's no wonder I never expressed any interest in the movie when it came out, and if I had for some reason seen it before, say, 22 months ago, I probably would have gotten bored and not cared much for it. But I felt so sympathetic to the characters and related to all the emotions involved, that it made me flush with estrogen and allowed me to really enjoy it.
I'm curious if any of you non-dads have seen it, and what you thought of it. Call me after Dancing With the Stars is over.

Well I'm sure that I'm the only one posting about this today, lucky for you. I just watched my president - I haven't been able to say "my" president since 1992 - take the oath of office. His speech was terrific - maybe it seems like he's a good speaker because of what we have to compare him to over the last 8 years...a useless doorknob who can't put two sentences together without sounding like a bumbling jackass.
But it was inspiring nonetheless, and while my typical cynicism remains, it's hard not to be optimistic right now, with these closing words from his speech:

"So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
'Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it).'
America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."

Oh hey, W...before you go back to Texas, one last thing, and I promise this will be the last time I say it...today:
Go fuck yourself.

A personal streak of mine has come to an end, and while I'm not overly upset about it, I am a bit disappointed.
Since 1977, I have seen every James Bond film in the theater. Here's the list:

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979)
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Octopussy (1983)
A View to a Kill (1985)
Never Say Never Again (1985)
The Living Daylights (1987)
Licence to Kill (1989)
GoldenEye (1995)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
The World is Not Enough (1999)
Die Another Day (2002)
Casino Royale (2006)

I was hoping to add the latest one, Quantum of Solace, to the list and keep the streak alive, but due to the holidays and a lack of free time, and now the fact that the film is no longer playing anywhere near Albany, the streak will come to an end.
I have very fond memories of seeing most of these films...the first few I saw at a drive-in, and the Spy Who Loved Me of course introduced the Jaws villain, who I thought was pretty cool (and a little scary for a 5-year-old). I saw The Living Daylights in London, several months before it came out in the States...that was neat, seeing Bond with British film fans.
I remember seeing Licence to Kill (probably the worst Bond film) with my good pal amo2761 at a drive-in in Woodland Hills - probably the last time I ever went to a drive-in. The Subway sandwiches we were eating were more entertaining than the movie.
I suppose that Quantum could get re-released at some point, maybe at a midnight showing or something and then I could technically revive the streak, but I doubt it.
Try to go on about your day without crying for me too much.

Ok, I'm a couple days late for the monthly Dude update, but now I can incorporate all the good juicy stuff from our trip out west at the same time. Hooray.
So yes, the Dude is 21 months old today...1/4 of a year from being 2. Yikes. 2! That's insane. But I suppose it makes sense, seeing how he's been alive for almost two years.
They say that 3 is the new 2, but for us, it's all new anyway. He is definitely starting to add a bit of the "terrible" into his personality, but for the most part he is disgustingly adorable and fun. He is really starting to talk well, putting words together and asking what everything is, and then repeating it. His memory is astounding - he'll point to something his mommy touched three days ago and say "mommy," he remembers people's names and when he sees them in a photograph days later he still remembers. He is great at saying "thank you," often unsolicited, and "please" is getting into the vocabulary as well. We don't have anything to compare him to, but he seems brilliant to us.
He had a great trip to CA. He did well on all the flights - a little whining here and there (but who doesn't on airplanes), and no meltdowns at all. He is in love with all his grandparents, and to a lesser extent his aunt and uncles...but most of all his cousin Asella (felonious_gunk's daughter). She's 3, and the two of them caused quite the ruckus all over southern CA. They were so cute together. And while he doesn't know about Santa yet, he sure knows about presents. He's a greedy little bugger, but the mountain of loot he got this year should tide him over for a few weeks.
As for us, it was an exhausting trip again, schlepping lots of bags and a toddler around the 3rd largest state. But we did get 3 nights off, thanks again to the babysitters (aka "grandparents"). We got to eat a lot of food we don't have here in the Northeast, like Frida's in L.A., which has Mexico City-style food....fantastic! Of course we had the obligatory In N' Out, which the Dude got twice and ate his burger like a big boy...we're so proud. We also had good Thai food in L.A., and went to Claimjumper and BJ's in San Jose, which we hadn't had since we left CA...good stuff.
The weather in San Jose was relatively cool with some rain, but in L.A. it was in the upper 60's and low 70's and non-stop sunshine...which felt great after having three days of shoveling snow right before I left. When we left Burbank airport it was 73 degrees, and when we got to the Albany airport it was 7. Yikes.
I had a very nostalgic experience in L.A. - I got to drive for the first time since probably before we left. And after living with the horrible, horrible drivers here for 3 years, it was a welcome change. Driving down Pico in moderate traffic, for some reason, made me feel really good. There's a weird intensity about driving in L.A., and apparently I've missed it. My adrenaline kicked in, and I was - safely - weaving in and out of lanes like an old pro. Some claim that L.A. drivers are bad, but I disagree. They may not be the most skilled, but you learn to anticipate their moves...there's a controlled chaos about it, and maybe it's because I've been removed from it for over 3 years now, but I found it very soothing and comforting. Even sitting in traffic on the 405 (yes, "the" 405!) didn't annoy me (for the first 10 minutes...then it got annoying). It was fun, but I can wait until next year to do it again.

So that was that. Back to the cold, the snow, the job...bleh. We do get one more night out tonight for rmstraus's b-day, thanks to the babysitter (aka "the babysitter we have to pay"). Until next month, happy new year, y'all...17 days 'til Barack.

It's snowing heavily here in the Empire State's Capital today...but at least I can look forward to heading home and finding my family there waiting for me...or NOT.
Nope, my beloved bride and our beloved son fled the snow-covered region just in time, leaving for beloved CA yesterday. I will follow on Monday, but that means it's just me and the dog for 4 days. On the one hand, I will miss them terribly....on the other hand, I won't. Uh - let me clarify: I won't miss getting up early, I won't miss diaper changes, I won't miss dinner-time hissy fits...and now here's what I won't miss about the Dude...hahahaha.
But seriously, I'm looking forward to quality time with the dog, and lord knows she's going to enjoy the uninterrupted attention and lack of unpredictable toddlers.
My plans? Well, besides the obligatory orgy with hookers and cocaine, I have chores and errands to do, which it now seems will include shoveling a good 6-8 inches of snow. Also, I have a few Netflix flicks that I am looking forward to watching with the surround sound at full blast - normally I have to turn the volume way down for fear of waking sleeping children and annoying working/reading/grading wives.
So I am looking forward to the relatively dry and warm CA climate come Monday...time to dust the ol' shorts off. If I don't see you beforehand, Merry ChrismaHannaKwaanzaKah.

Just a quick joke from last night's "30 Rock" to start your Friday off:
Tina Fey asks Jack (Alec Bladwin) if he knows the Postmaster General -

JACK: Yes I do, but we had a falling out a few years ago over the Jerry Garcia stamp. If I want to lick a hippie, I'll return Joan Baez's calls."

It's been over 4 months since the last update - I know you've been drooling for another one, so here 'tis. As always, erroneous and wrong opinions are welcome.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - A
The Happening - C-
Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - D *(see comments below)
30 Days of Night - B-
Iron Man - B+
Death of a President - A (and not just because of the subject matter)
The Forbidden Kingdom - B-
Sex and the City: The Movie - C-
The King of Kong - A- (not King Kong - read carefully)
Baby Mama - C
Hitman - B
Sunshine - C (to be honest, I cannot for the life of me remember anything about this film...hence the C for "average")
The Condemned - D+
In Bruges - A
Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay - B-
Halloween (the Rob Zombie version)- B+
Ocean's Thirteen - A-
A Streetcar Named Desire - A
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - B-
Rescue Dawn - B

* This was absolute garbage. What a way to ruin a franchise. Aliens? Come on. And the supposed "bad guys" are what - psychic Stalinists? Oooh, scary...they want to turn everyone into (gasp) Communists! Oh no, lord help us, please Indy, stop Cate Blanchett and her horrible Eastern European dominatrix stereotype character.
My suggestion that would have made this a good film: cut out the psychic stuff and focus on why Stalin was a bad guy. Then make the "treasure" the actual city of El Dorado, so we might really want Indy to stop the Stalinites from getting control of all that wealth during the cold war...hell, maybe even have some plutonium buried underneath El Dorado, and that builds up the nuclear/cold war aspect even more.
But aliens? Aliens who "know things?" God...what a rip-off.
South Park did an episode showing how the kids were so traumatized by this film, that they actually believed they saw Spielberg and Lucas raping Indiana Jones. I completely understand what they mean now.