Just Another Day

After reading Mel's post , I was reminded of my short stint as a public library worker. As a lover of reading and all things books, I thought working at a library would be an earthly version of paradise. So I applied at a local district library, and promptly got hired as a page. Now the pages are the poor people you see out on the floor with the little carts, putting the books back on their shelves. Can I just say now that I loathed being a page with every fiber of my being? It was tedious, monotonous work. The only way I could tell the difference between the days was that the titles of the books changed. The worst was when I had to take a cart of children's books. I think one of the attendants derived great pleasure out of the look on my face when I arrived and had carts of children's books to place during my shift. Being so thin, it was possible to place close to one hundred books on a cart, as compared to most regular adult books, which could pack usually twenty, ...

So for a while, things were glum in Hubba-hubba's world. The Yankees were a good five games out of first place, and not looking like they would even win the wild card slot. With the Yankees in first place at the moment, he is feeling downright cheerful. When he holds Mr. Personality down and tickles him, he forces him to shout, "I love the Yankees, the Yankees are good, the Red Sox are bad!" When Mr. Personality's uncle bought him an Angel's hat and he wore it everywhere for a few weeks, Hubba-Hubba ruefully shook his head that since it was a gift, he couldn't exactly tell him not to wear it. Even though he practically wanted to rip it off his head. Yesterday I slightly disparaged the actual city of Boston, and Hubba-hubba beamed and stated he knew he married me for a reason. But, Mr. Personality is entering the age of being a bit too smart for his own good. He walked up to his dad this morning and made an announcement, with a twinkle in his eye. "I a...

So on Sunday Hubba-hubba and I had a rare Mr. Personality-free night. We went to see this band at the Hollywood Bowl . The Bowl is a SoCal landmark, the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, that I absolutely love. It is an outdoor ampitheater carved into the side of a forested hill. As the sun began to set, you simply had to look up to see the small clouds scudding across the sky illuminated to pinks and yellows. It was beautiful and relaxing, and I was looking forward to a wonderful night. The concert began and I am getting into the music, for it has been a very long time since we have seen this particular group perform live. They are actually better live than on CD. Rarely do you hear such awe-inspiring voices that are pitch perfect and in need of no assistance of any kind. And, they were even accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra. Talk about a great show. Another great thing about the Bowl is that they allow you to bring food and alcohol so that you can "picnic...

So there is a show out there that is capable of making Hubba-hubba and myself snort Diet Coke out our nostrils. I have been temporarily unable to breathe due to the laughing fits it has inspired. It has won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for best comedy. Yet 7th Heaven has managed to beat it in the ratings. I am talking about Arrested Development . Do yourself a favor and turn it on, TiVo it, DVR it, whatever. Heck, pop in a VHS for goodness sakes. I don't care what you have to do, just give it a try. Don't worry you won't know what's going on, the narrator takes care of all that for you. Keep an eye out for GOB, he is my favorite. Hubba-hubba's is Buster. And we both love Michael. Better yet, rent the season 1 DVD's and then watch the new shows. I enjoy this show immensely. It's the kind of show where you sit back after it is over and re-enact the show's funniest scenes. So, FOX on Monday night, you or your recorder of choice be there. I love thi...

So today is Mr. Personality's birthday. A while ago, I posted his birth story, and if you would like to read it, feel free . So much has happened since that C-section three years ago, and I was thinking about the kinds of foolish parenting ideas that were rattling inside my head during what I like to call the PP Era (pre-Personality, or gallons of pee-pee diapers, either one works). Let's stroll down memory lane of one highly naive parent-to-be. I will feed my child nothing but wholesome, organic food. Well, I didn't do too badly on the organic thing when he was an infant, but over time, it has been harder and harder. I do my very best to feed him all organic fruits and vegetables, but sometimes it just doesn't happen. I felt myself cringe inside when he had his first hot dog, but I just couldn't fight the powers (meaning Grandma, who shoves junk food at him as if every child's diet should consist of ice cream and chips). I will breastfeed my child. This ...

Why is it that children's toys are so firmly fastened into their boxes with various pieces of convoluted wire and tape that it takes longer to get them out of the damn box than to actually set them up? Am I the only person who hates book jackets, and takes them off at the first opportunity? What is the strange ESP that all young children possess that allows them to know exactly how urgent your need is to get out the door, and throw a tantrum directly porportional to that need? Why do I always have to be Jeff, the purple Wiggle ? I can tell you there are not many people in the world more diametrically opposite me in looks than Jeff. Are we irresponsible car owners because our car gets washed approximately twice a year? What is with the fact that I still break out occasionally at flippin' age 34? No one ever told me that it NEVER really goes away. Does it make me perfectly evil if I am secretly gloating that my SIL is having another boy, even though this is her 3rd attempt to ...

So on Monday night, a completely uncharacteristic lightning and thunderstorm pounded SoCal for a little less than twenty-four hours. Big deal, you say? Well, those kinds of storms are just not all that common here on the flatland section of SoCal. Up in the mountains and deserts, yes. Down, here, not so much. We just don't get this kind of weather here in September. September is part of the dangerous fire season, when the ground and plants are parched. September is bone dry, and hot. Instead, we got humidity and somewhat cooler weather, if only for a day or so. I was sitting at the computer when the first roll of thunder sounded off to the east. Was that really thunder, I wondered to myself. It had been so very long since I had heard thunder that I was sure that my mind was tricking me, turning the rumble of a large truck or motorcycle into the sound of nature. Another rumble and it was verified as thunder for sure. Then came the lightning, then the rain. I wasn't ev...