After completing a rather intense game of Jenga, which I won
T: Aww, I lost. I'm a loser Me: You're not a loser honey. You just suck at Jenga. T: What? Me: It's okay, not all of us are born awesome. Some just require guidance from those more awesome than themselves. Give yourself time. T: *appalled* MOMMY! Me: There's no shame in losing to me. T: Hey! I won FOUR TIMES at Daddy's! Me: Yeah but who were you playing with, your dad? Pfft.
I take solace in knowing that when my kids are teenagers and are going to hate me anyway, I will have fully earned it. I love getting this kid going.
I worry about the little one. I'm going to get phone calls about that one. To paraphrase Hank Hill (because I live to quote fictional characters. All the better if they are animated) - "That girl ain't right."
They are studying the differences between night and day:
Fill out Divorce Papers. Catherine, like I said, keep on me so I don't forget. You're not bugging me. It needs to be done.
Learn how to use my sewing machine
Pick up some smallish canvases for future paintings
Research eBay and other online auction/sale sites.
Visit library - find books on antiques and collectibles
Contact local places about art displays
Start sketches for project w/ mom
Look at cell phone plans - would like to get down to either a cell OR a land-line. If I can a good enough plan for the cell (with good long-distance) it should cost less than having the land line AND the cell.
Clean out car
Change guitar strings
Go through the girls clothes and get rid of too-small stuff.
Fill out divorce papers. I really don't want to be married anymore.
It hit me that I could be doing so much more with my time if I got my head into the game.
Me: Who told your brother he could have a Facebook? R: My mom did Me: Yeah, now I have to censor myself on there more than I already do R: *pause* You censor yourself? Really? Me: Yeah. R: Uhm, Wow.
I'd been carving you To see what form you'd take You were hiding in ivory I just wanted to free your shape
Bringing me down, its too quiet to breathe Who wants to hear their heart beat?
It's gotta be here In your spider-web alphabets Did I read it all wrong? Or have I just not gotten it yet?
You got what you want. You wanted release. Can you be appeased? Can you bring it all back to me? Bring it all back to me
Bringing me down,the obvious turned out to be true All that I couldn't see, how it was turning me on I don't want to pare you down No, I don't want to wear you down I don't want any more than what's here No, I don't want to pare you down
Well you got what you want. You wanted release. Can you be appeased? Can you bring it all back to me? Just bring Just bring it all back to me
It's all that I want It's all that I need It's all that I want
Bring it all back to me Bring it, give it, bring it
The irony, the irony, the irony. Oh Gord, it's like you know me.
Tierney: I have a joke for you mom Me: okay shoot. Tierney: What would you call a Santa Claus that farts a lot? Me: uhm... what? Tierney: Saint Farts-a-lot! Get it? Me: I get it. I wouldn't go on the road just yet, though, your act still needs some work. Tierney: I could have sworn that was funny. Me: I'm sure you believed it was hilarious.
Based on L.M. Montgomery's books, this show followed the life of Sarah Stanley, who is sent to live with her mother's family on Prince Edward Island after her father gets himself in some financial hot water and various legal troubles. The show eventually focuses less on Sarah (played by Sarah Polley) and more on the King family and other residents of Avonlea. This show was a sunday night staple in my family and a great period piece. I give special note to Michael Mahonen who played Gus Pike - one of my personal favorite characters.
It was often referred to as the anti-90210. Meaning, the kids were not glamorous, not rich, and most importantly, Not in their 20s. Name an issue, and these kids faced it. Drugs, teen pregnancy, AIDS, abortion, child abuse, eating disorders, they were all over it. The stars of the show were local kids and the show's producer, Kit Schuyler was previously a school teacher I believe. The Series finale, a full length tv movie titled "School's Out" has been compared to "The Empire Strikes Back" as far as having one of the best 'Downer endings'. I won't ruin it for you though. It also has the distiction of featuring the first and second actors to say Fuck on the CBC.
Vid includes wicked fight scene between Erika and Liz, who was mostly a cool character but was unusually self-righteous and bitchy when right-to-life issues came about.
This show just ended its run on CTV after about 6 seasons. I think out of the whole series, my favorite scene is still the very first scene of the first episode of the first season, which pretty much sets the tone for for the series. This is definitely one of those shows where you have to know the characters to get it. However, if you can find them, be sure to check out 'Hook Line and Sinker' and 'World's Biggest Thing' from season 1, and 'Doc Small' from season two.
Sketch comedy at it's very-near finest. Often cited as our Generation's Monty Python, the Kids (unlike other Canadian sketch comedies such as This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Royal Canadian Air Farce) shied away from political humor and focused on more absurdist humour. Some of my favorite regular characters include the Chicken Lady and Sir Simon Milligan and Hecubus.
The shows mentioned above are my personal favorites but some others worth mentioning include:
The Littlest Hobo - Airing in the late 60s up until the mid-80s, the littlest hobo was a German shepard that wandered the country helping people in need, then moving on to the next place.
This Hour Has 22 Minutes - Political/current events based news satire. Launching pad for Rick Mercer, who is often cited as Canada's answer to Jon Stewart (until he started whoring for the goverment during the 1-ton challenge.
The Hour - Weekly celeb/politico interview show, starring one of my very favorite ex MuchMusic veejays EVAR. One day, I will marry George strombolopoulous and have little strombobabies.
The Beachcombers IMDB synopsis - "The adventures of a professional lumber salvager and his friends in Gibson, British Columbia, Canada." Honestly, my parents used to watch this when I was a kid, and I never 'got it'.. but it just seems wrong to leave it off the list. It'd be like going to Paris and not visiting the Louvre.
There is an episode of the cartoon Kevin Spencer called Bruno Gerusi Must Die that I wanted to post a clip of, as it involves a hostile takeover of American network television as hatched by Beachcombers star Bruno Gerusi, who has been living in the Spencers wall. Alas I couldn't find a good clip, so I leave you here.
I love my kids, for sometimes they can really make me chuckle.
My youngest while getting dressed, sings this interesting rendition of Santa claus is coming to town
"He sees you when you're sleeping
He sleeps you when you're not asleep
He sees you when you're naked
And when you're going to the washroom
Santa claus is coming in his underwear"
Ugh.. With the holiday season approaching rapidly, I'm finding I have little to no spirit for it this year.
I wish I had some good excuse for disliking this holiday, such as a wholly dysfunctional family and such that fights all the time so I spend my christmas merely putting up with them and praying for it to be over. No, that's not the case at all. Actually, in honesty, I LIKE my family. They're pretty awesome people, and I'm glad to be a part of it.
So why the hell am I so bummed out about it all?
Guilt. That's about the gist of it. The kids, I hate saying no to them. I don't spoil them by any means, and I'm not one to give into their every whim. I just can't stand it when it starts to feel like I have to say 'No' to EVERYTHING because I'm trying to A) keep the bills paid and B) have something for them under the tree for Christmas this year.
I sat down with both the girls (but mostly the oldest because she not only understands better, but also seems to have a greater need) to show them our budget - how much comes in, and how much goes out every month. I don't know if it entirely got through to them, considering the amount left over every month, the amount that marks 'panic-time' for me, seems like a FORTUNE to a kid that gets two dollars a week for an allowance.
I let the 'money' and 'material' issues become too much, I know. And I KNOW that's not what it's all about - I know all the good stuff about family and friends and love and sharing and caring.. but I wish I could bypass all the other crap. Because the guilt and feelings of inadequacy as a provider really really make it friggin difficult to enjoy all the 'good stuff'.
Somebody spike me an egg nog, knock me upside the head with a Yule log and bring me Bing Crosby's head on a platter.
I'm in the playground of an elementary school and there are people milling about all over the place. Out of the corner of my eye I spy a former flame, who I had been off and never-quite-on with for quite sometime. My first instinct is to flee, safe under my cloaking device, but in a moment of illogical empathy and understanding I decide to say hello.
Disarming my cloaking device I approach him. Within moments, I'm regretting my decision and wish I had my cloaking device again so I could sneak away. I find myself disappointed and vaguely disgusted with the self-absorption and arrogance, not to mention the lack of remorse or even recognition for harm done in the past. Instead I feign a need for the bathroom, and duck around a portable and make my escape.
Later, I am on a break from work and taking my daily walk. The point of view is sketchy, I am looking only at my feet as I carefully make my way along a steep embankment. My eyes close and flutter open - I am suffering a case of narcolepsy. I wake in front of the Bay Street building, looking up at the darkened glass and realizing that not only have I been sleepwalking through town, I've also Rip-Van-Winkled myself right through the five-o-clock whistle, and everyone has gone home for the night.
Just as I start to panic, wondering how I'm going to get home with my keys locked in the building, I happen to notice them hanging from a nail near the entranceway. On one hand, I appreciate the gesture, however on the other I know this means that my absence has definitely been noticed.
It is daylight again, early winter, and I'm back in the Bay street lot with a couple of non-recognizable friends. I run up the street to meet up with a very Irish looking young guy - red hair (in dreads and a kerchief) very pale, freckles and a sort of fu-manchu type facial hair. It seems my faceless friends are trying to set me up with this gentleman. He has a sort of adventurous 'back-packing through the mountains' type air about him. However, he also seems completely disinterested in any type of conversation with me, and walks along rather stoically, responding only with the occasional grunt.
Back at the lot we're met by a friend from far away and his wife and new baby. I'm quite excited to see them, it's been a while. While we are all socializing, night falls suddenly and a snow whips up out of nowhere. the group of us decide to take shelter in a small indent in the side of the building.
This is what I've wanted and it's happening here, now. Sweet merciful Christ. I can feel tears of happiness springing to my eyes. I'm joyous. My heart feels like it's going to explode. All the pain, frustration, confusion is wiped clean with a few simple sentences. The wait has paid off. The time has come today (young hearts will go their way). My mind races with the possibility of things to come. In all my life, I've never felt such excitement for the future, never so high.
It's dark. I'm alone in my bed.
Oh No. No. Dammit, no. NO.
I remember the scene and pick out details, all the little details that didn't quite make sense.
Yes. *sigh*
Close my eyes, try to sleep. I want to go back, I want to go back.
Returning to sleep I'm rewarded only with a bizarre mishmash of images and scenarios that can only be described as odd.
A friend's former flame asks if he can 'call' me - I am conflicted.
Picking my children up from their dads, the couple that used to live there are creating a fantasy world out of Legos. There's a popular sitcom playing on the television, but today's episode features hardcore nudity (and No, it's not The Simpsons) so I try and shield the childrens eyes and hurry them out.
I'm in a Zellers, and having made one small purchase, I try to bypass the huge crowds by going through the vestibule to get to the registers, and I am stopped and accused of 'stealing' a Discman that is A) quite obviously used and B) a good ten years old. I'm told to pay for it despite my argument that I've not only bought it somewhere else, that I also bought it second-hand. The other employees cheer as the first berates me.
I let the 'money' and 'material' issues become too much, I know. And I KNOW that's not what it's all about - I know all the good stuff about family and friends and love and sharing and caring.. but I wish I could bypass all the other crap. Because the guilt and feelings of inadequacy as a provider really really make it friggin difficult to enjoy all the 'good stuff'.