Category: Random thoughts

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A weekend of family … and a return from the dark side

Just returned from Minnesota about an hour ago.  The 3-hour trip home was rather uneventful, aside from two VERY tired boys screaming for about half the time.  I stopped at a Casey’s and bought enough snacks to feed a small army; that seemed to make them forget about fighting for a bit.

I’m sad to say that I was a participant in Black Friday, but I’m happy to say that, without a doubt, that was the last Black Friday that I will ever participate in.  Continue reading “A weekend of family … and a return from the dark side”

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The remains of the fall

Well, it’s happening — at this very moment, in fact.  If I look at the radar for my neck of the woods, I see it: the blue churning mass of precipitation that means SNOW.  It’s always a peculiar feeling the first time that blue blob appears on the radar; I feel a strange compulsion to go out and load up on groceries and scented candles.  I suddently wonder if K Mart has a sale on fleece blankets.  I have to fight the urge to make a gigantic-sized batch of chili, which would come darn close to hitting the spot right now. Continue reading “The remains of the fall”

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In for the long haul

Contractor update:  Still waiting.  Insert MP3 of crickets chirping here.

On the plus side, however, we have a new door to our garage.  Previously we had a plywood door that made a satisfying SLAM when it closed — satisfying, that is, if I was angry about something.  The sound was not so satisfying when the kids decided to play a game that involved Spider-Man (or whatever character) going in and out of the garage in quest of the latest Bad Guy.  Nothin’ like a Saturday afternoon of BAM … BAM … BAM! Continue reading “In for the long haul”

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The generation gap

I teach a cinema class at my high school, and it’s always interesting to watch the reaction that they have to movies that are widely considered “classics” — that is, movies that appear on the American Film Institute’s Top 100 list.  There are some movies that I absolutely love that will bomb with them.  Rear Window is one of them.  I think just watching Jimmy Stewart on screen with Grace Kelly is entertainment for a couple hours.  My students, however, grow bored with the slow pace and lack of scene changes with the film and it ends up being one of the worst rated movies by them.  Besides, when modern remakes come out that are better able to hold their attention, like Disturbia, is there a point to watching the oldies?  I seem to think there is.  But then again, I’m old. Older than they are, anyway. Continue reading “The generation gap”

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An excuse to be lazy

Today is a rainy, cool, September morning.  One of those morning where, when you wake up and hear it’s raining, you feel perfectly content to stay in bed for the entire day.  It’s also one of those days where you feel as if you could be extremely productive doing one of those long put-off projects such as organizing photos or cleaning out closets.  You can’t go outside, so the options are limited.  Apparently, this type of weather tends to bring out the ultimate creative instincts in my boys.  Although this day makes me feel like a lazy pile, I also realize (now, anyway) that these are the types of days where I have to be extremely vigilant. Continue reading “An excuse to be lazy”

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