2004-05-28
Idle hands....
Another example of what happens when people have too much time on their hands. It's even somewhat appropriate for Memorial Day.
2004-05-27
Meow....
On one of our recent trips to Bed Bath & Beyond, Maryanne bought me a Kit-Cat Klock. It's an amusing piece of retro kitsch, and goes well in our kitchen. It's kind of fun to look at, and I find I can't help but smile at it, but Maryanne finds it vaguely creepy.
2004-05-26
2004-05-25
Shenanigans....
Have I ever mentioned I also hate Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY)? Check out his latest shenanigans. Luckily, The Wall Street Journal is there to expose him.
Hypocrites....
Do you still think campaign-finance reform was a good idea? Guess who was first to exploit the loopholes....
A sheep in wolf's clothing....
Author Harold Hough chimes in on John Kerry's dubious hunting credentials in this op/ed piece.
2004-05-24
Mawwiage....
I was unable to post for a few days while Maryanne and I were out of town for Caly's (my sister) wedding. In retrospect it would have been a good opportunity to test out posting by e-mail. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Maryanne and I made the trip to Sturgeon Bay on Thursday morning after our final closing for our house. The weather was pretty good, so I tried to get part of Mom's lawn mowed before the rehearsal. I accomplished what I wanted to, and was even able to say "Hi" to Aunt Mary and Uncle David before hitting the shower.
The rehearsal went well; everyone was able to find the Bridal Chapel with little difficulty. Afterwards it was off to the Nightingale for the rehearsal dinner. It turned out to be a lot of fun.
Friday were were mostly left to our own devices. Maryanne had an appointment for a manicure, so she and Mom drove in to town, and I took care of some other things around the house. Later the three of us met up with Aunt Mary, Uncle David, and Grandma A for dinner, then shared an after-dinner drink with Craig and Cynthia. Maryanne and I later met up with Adam, Sammie, and Jesse to hang out for a bit.
Things weren't looking too good Saturday morning, though as the weather was generally dismal-- the skies were overcast, and it had drizzled throughout the morning. Things cleared just in time to warm things up a bit for the preceremony photos, and then we made our way to the Bridal Chapel again for the ceremony. It went smoothly and quickly, and after some more photos we made our way to Stone Harbor. Caly had made arrangements with Carriages of Door County to get three carriages at Stone Harbor for the wedding party and families to ride to Leathem-Smith Lodge. The ride was fun, if a bit on the cool side.
Things were a bit chaotic upon our arrival. Guests were still arriving, and there was a tremendous hassle with the seating arrangements because someone with Leathem-Smith Lodge failed to follow directions. Everything got worked out though, and it turned in to a fun evening. It was nice to catch up with some people that I had not seen since my own wedding, and some people I hadn't seen for much longer.
The end of the evening brought its own frustrations as we tried to figure out the logistics of getting to our hotel room at Bridgeport, complicated by the fact that Mom's car was still there. We finally got it taken care of, though, but when the gift opening rolled around on Sunday, we were still exhausted. Unfortunately, Maryanne and I will have little time to recover this week, as we finish moving out of our old townhouse.
Throughout the weekend I thought of Dad's absence. There were reminders everywhere. Caly had included some words in her program, and had also chosen for one of her readings a passage written by Kahlil Gibran, an author whose appreciation we both learned from Dad. Aunt Mary passed on the necklace that Dad had given her for her 16th birthday. Caly had done me the honor of walking her down the aisle along with Mom, and later at the reception, dancing with her, in place of the father-daughter dance. I told her then that one of the first things I thought of when Dad passed away a year and a half ago was that he wouldn't be able to be there for her wedding. Later I danced with Mom, and she also mentioned how much she misses him. I know we all do.
Maryanne and I made the trip to Sturgeon Bay on Thursday morning after our final closing for our house. The weather was pretty good, so I tried to get part of Mom's lawn mowed before the rehearsal. I accomplished what I wanted to, and was even able to say "Hi" to Aunt Mary and Uncle David before hitting the shower.
The rehearsal went well; everyone was able to find the Bridal Chapel with little difficulty. Afterwards it was off to the Nightingale for the rehearsal dinner. It turned out to be a lot of fun.
Friday were were mostly left to our own devices. Maryanne had an appointment for a manicure, so she and Mom drove in to town, and I took care of some other things around the house. Later the three of us met up with Aunt Mary, Uncle David, and Grandma A for dinner, then shared an after-dinner drink with Craig and Cynthia. Maryanne and I later met up with Adam, Sammie, and Jesse to hang out for a bit.
Things weren't looking too good Saturday morning, though as the weather was generally dismal-- the skies were overcast, and it had drizzled throughout the morning. Things cleared just in time to warm things up a bit for the preceremony photos, and then we made our way to the Bridal Chapel again for the ceremony. It went smoothly and quickly, and after some more photos we made our way to Stone Harbor. Caly had made arrangements with Carriages of Door County to get three carriages at Stone Harbor for the wedding party and families to ride to Leathem-Smith Lodge. The ride was fun, if a bit on the cool side.
Things were a bit chaotic upon our arrival. Guests were still arriving, and there was a tremendous hassle with the seating arrangements because someone with Leathem-Smith Lodge failed to follow directions. Everything got worked out though, and it turned in to a fun evening. It was nice to catch up with some people that I had not seen since my own wedding, and some people I hadn't seen for much longer.
The end of the evening brought its own frustrations as we tried to figure out the logistics of getting to our hotel room at Bridgeport, complicated by the fact that Mom's car was still there. We finally got it taken care of, though, but when the gift opening rolled around on Sunday, we were still exhausted. Unfortunately, Maryanne and I will have little time to recover this week, as we finish moving out of our old townhouse.
Throughout the weekend I thought of Dad's absence. There were reminders everywhere. Caly had included some words in her program, and had also chosen for one of her readings a passage written by Kahlil Gibran, an author whose appreciation we both learned from Dad. Aunt Mary passed on the necklace that Dad had given her for her 16th birthday. Caly had done me the honor of walking her down the aisle along with Mom, and later at the reception, dancing with her, in place of the father-daughter dance. I told her then that one of the first things I thought of when Dad passed away a year and a half ago was that he wouldn't be able to be there for her wedding. Later I danced with Mom, and she also mentioned how much she misses him. I know we all do.
2004-05-19
2004-05-18
You're our only hope....
Can Starwars Episode III be saved? Christopher Bahn shares his ideas on MSNBC.
Intestinal fortitude....
Check out this interesting op/ed piece from Mark Holmberg of the Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch.
2004-05-17
Dark and light....
Last week I was able to finish reading Bram Stoker's Dracula. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though for some reason found the ending a little less climactic than I had hoped.
Thus, today I started on Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace. Wallace's writing style thus far is a little long-winded, but some of the theological ideas presented so far have alone been worth the time.
Thus, today I started on Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace. Wallace's writing style thus far is a little long-winded, but some of the theological ideas presented so far have alone been worth the time.
2004-05-14
Oh say, can you see!
This guy's got a lot to sing about, and not because he sounds a little like Darius Rucker.
2004-05-12
A few moms short....
The National Review also chimes in on the "Million Mom March" courtesy of Daniel J. Flynn.
2004-05-11
No substance or style....
I dropped "The Big Picture" comic strip from my comics page, along with some other strips. The other strips I dropped hadn't been updated since I added them. The reason I dropped "The Big Picture," though, was because it had really stopped being funny. Now, before you get on my case about not all comic strips being funny, let me explain. I'm really not sure what "The Big Picture" was supposed to be in the first place, other than a sounding board for its artist, Lennie Peterson. While that still isn't a problem, it became increasingly offensive and less entertaining to me. The final straw was Peterson's attitude regarding people who would e-mail him disagreeing with his opinions: he called them "stoopid."
I seem to remember an expression something to the effect of "Why offend people with style when you can offend them with substance?" Well, "The Big Picture" lacks both, but most importantly, it started lacking substance a long time ago.
I seem to remember an expression something to the effect of "Why offend people with style when you can offend them with substance?" Well, "The Big Picture" lacks both, but most importantly, it started lacking substance a long time ago.
2004-05-10
Movin'....
A truly exhausting weekend began Thursday as I prepared for our big move into our new house. I finished the painting, and got things cleaned up just in time for the cable guy to hook up the cable. It was then off to the town house to get showered for the concert that evening: Aerosmith, with Cheap Trick opening. It was a good show, and piqued my curiosity regarding Aerosmith's new album, Honkin' on Bobo. The only downside is that the Kohl Center is not a good place to hold a concert; the acoustics were terrible. I really could have used a set of earplugs.
Friday, then, was the big move, and as Caly and Jim were in town for the concert, they stayed for a while to help us. We also had some help from Jenni, and from Maryanne's dad, Jim. We were able to make two big trips before reaching the point of needing to get stuff put away before we could move anything more. We finally got sick of things just in time to head over to Narf and Pauline's for what turned out to be a birthday dinner for me.
Saturday it was more of the same, with Maryanne's coworker Sue helping us this time. The weather was inconsistent, so we weren't able to use the truck. We filled Maryanne's car and Sue's car, and then went back to make one more trip with Maryanne's car. We went to Sears to buy a lawn mower; that's a story in itself! Later we grabbed some dinner from New Orleans Take Out. Much of the remainder of the day was spent unpacking and putting things away, especially in the kitchen.
Yesterday, Sunday, we loaded a few things into Maryanne's car as were were again expecting inclement weather. Afterwards we took a trip to Target and a trip to Menard's to get some sundries for our new house. After unloading the car, we spent more time again unpacking before Helen and Jim picked us up so we could take Helen to Laredo's for a Mother's Day dinner. Maryanne and I then did some grocery shopping before heading back to Stoughton for yet more unpacking.
In a way it's nice to be back at work so we don't have to pack and unpack. We have a lot to do yet, though, but it's getting to the point where I just want to throw things in boxes so we can start cleaning.
Friday, then, was the big move, and as Caly and Jim were in town for the concert, they stayed for a while to help us. We also had some help from Jenni, and from Maryanne's dad, Jim. We were able to make two big trips before reaching the point of needing to get stuff put away before we could move anything more. We finally got sick of things just in time to head over to Narf and Pauline's for what turned out to be a birthday dinner for me.
Saturday it was more of the same, with Maryanne's coworker Sue helping us this time. The weather was inconsistent, so we weren't able to use the truck. We filled Maryanne's car and Sue's car, and then went back to make one more trip with Maryanne's car. We went to Sears to buy a lawn mower; that's a story in itself! Later we grabbed some dinner from New Orleans Take Out. Much of the remainder of the day was spent unpacking and putting things away, especially in the kitchen.
Yesterday, Sunday, we loaded a few things into Maryanne's car as were were again expecting inclement weather. Afterwards we took a trip to Target and a trip to Menard's to get some sundries for our new house. After unloading the car, we spent more time again unpacking before Helen and Jim picked us up so we could take Helen to Laredo's for a Mother's Day dinner. Maryanne and I then did some grocery shopping before heading back to Stoughton for yet more unpacking.
In a way it's nice to be back at work so we don't have to pack and unpack. We have a lot to do yet, though, but it's getting to the point where I just want to throw things in boxes so we can start cleaning.
2004-05-05
Socially mature....
Earlier this week I was finally able to finish David Copperfield. Whew!
Coincidentally, about a week and a half ago, Maryanne and I helped Narf and Pauline move. After calling it quits for the day, we were able to relax and have some conversation. That conversation turned to highschool English classes. Pauline mentioned her revulsion over the graphic scenes of All Quiet on the Western Front, and the conversation eventually turned to Charles Dickens.
Pauline remarked that highschool students usually aren't socially mature enough to handle Dickens, and considering the only Dickens I had read in high school was Great Expectations as a freshman, that was probably correct. Fast forward several years, and here I am having completed not only David Copperfield, but The Old Curiosity Shop as well. Being (presumably) more socially mature, I'm better able to see Dickens' social commentary interwoven in his tales. While his dialog doesn't seem very natural by today's standards, his characters are so vivid that you inevitably find yourself rooting for the protagonist. Fortunately, his work usually has a happy ending, if by degrees, that makes reading his books enjoyable. I'm at least able to feel that way now without overanalyzing the story.
I've begun reading Bram Stoker's Dracula, and find myself thinking of the 1992 film version featuring the direction of Francis Ford Coppola and a top rate cast. I'll probably revisit it at some point, but I think I'll wait until I'm done with the book.
The book, so far, has seemed to do a better job of being creepy, as in the case of Renfield, and depicting the feeling of futility that Jonathan Harker experiences.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it.
Coincidentally, about a week and a half ago, Maryanne and I helped Narf and Pauline move. After calling it quits for the day, we were able to relax and have some conversation. That conversation turned to highschool English classes. Pauline mentioned her revulsion over the graphic scenes of All Quiet on the Western Front, and the conversation eventually turned to Charles Dickens.
Pauline remarked that highschool students usually aren't socially mature enough to handle Dickens, and considering the only Dickens I had read in high school was Great Expectations as a freshman, that was probably correct. Fast forward several years, and here I am having completed not only David Copperfield, but The Old Curiosity Shop as well. Being (presumably) more socially mature, I'm better able to see Dickens' social commentary interwoven in his tales. While his dialog doesn't seem very natural by today's standards, his characters are so vivid that you inevitably find yourself rooting for the protagonist. Fortunately, his work usually has a happy ending, if by degrees, that makes reading his books enjoyable. I'm at least able to feel that way now without overanalyzing the story.
I've begun reading Bram Stoker's Dracula, and find myself thinking of the 1992 film version featuring the direction of Francis Ford Coppola and a top rate cast. I'll probably revisit it at some point, but I think I'll wait until I'm done with the book.
The book, so far, has seemed to do a better job of being creepy, as in the case of Renfield, and depicting the feeling of futility that Jonathan Harker experiences.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it.
Retro chic....
I've come to the conclusion that the people at Food Fight, Inc., the owners of several restaurants in the Madison area, including Monty's Blue Plate Diner and Delmonico's, have a penchant for the retro. Delmonico's and and Monty's both feature art deco decor, the former being swanky and the the latter being delightfully colorful. It turns out they also own the Hubbard Avenue Diner in Middleton, which also features the same delightful WWII-era art deco style, even when just seen from the outside. While browsing their website I found similar styles in some of their other restaurants, though some of the decor could be said to be Arts & Crafts influenced.
2004-05-04
Checks and balances....
In a way, I'm glad Maryanne and I are moving out of Madison because of things like this. Leave it to a bunch of power-grabbing, bleeding-heart liberals to try to usurp power.
2004-05-03
Invaded!
Maryanne and I had some company this weekend; our friends Adam and Sammie and Barret and Jenny came for a visit Saturday morning and stayed until Sunday afternoon. It was a pleasant weekend; next time some kind of itinerary would be in order, though. The weather was beautiful Saturday. We had lunch at Monty's Blue Plate Diner, then decided to check out the Celebrate Madison festival at the Monona Terrace. It seemed a bit disorganized, but we got to try some bocce. As were were leaving a bunch of demonstrators showed up, carrying signs about peace. We discovered they were a bunch of Socialists. Socialism might look good on paper, but it doesn't work too well, so while they certainly had the right to peacably demonstrate, I also didn't want to stay and listen to it.
Afterwards we decided to head to State Street. The parking ramp was insane, as the downtown area was inundated with students finishing their semester, many of which were visibly drunk. We were able to spend some time on the Memorial Union Terrace eating ice cream. We later picked up some Papa Murphy's pizzas for dinner, and I unfortunately burned the crust on one of them. We spent the evening playing Trivial Pursuit.
Sunday started off with snow, but had melted by the time we finished breakfast. Everyone departed sometime in the early afternoon, leaving Maryanne and me some time to load up my truck, and her parents' car, and take some boxes over to our new house.
Afterwards we decided to head to State Street. The parking ramp was insane, as the downtown area was inundated with students finishing their semester, many of which were visibly drunk. We were able to spend some time on the Memorial Union Terrace eating ice cream. We later picked up some Papa Murphy's pizzas for dinner, and I unfortunately burned the crust on one of them. We spent the evening playing Trivial Pursuit.
Sunday started off with snow, but had melted by the time we finished breakfast. Everyone departed sometime in the early afternoon, leaving Maryanne and me some time to load up my truck, and her parents' car, and take some boxes over to our new house.
Call to arms....
Members of the House of Representatives create the Congressional Second Amendment Caucus.
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