According to Google, the words for today are:
otiose: ineffective; also being at leisure; also, of no use.
aspersion: a damaging or derogatory remark.
pablum: something (as writing or speech) that is trite, insipid, or simplistic.
I don't know, but maybe Google is trying to tell me something?
Over twenty-one (!?!) years of obviousness and nonsense.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Monday, May 08, 2006
My life in one word? CRAPTASTIC!
You might think that this title is an ill omen. But you would be wrong.
It's fantastic because we've really been making a concerted effort to get outside as much as possible lately. We've been cutting the grass, laying down mulch, pulling weeds, planting a few flowers, swinging the kids on the swings, taking walks, getting Sarah to ride her bike . . . heck we even tried to fly a kite a week ago (with unsuccessful results).
This sudden outdoorsiness is due to the fact that 1) the weather has been great, 2) we NEED the exercise, and 3) the girls are at a good age for getting outside.
Last year at this time, Grace wasn't nearly as ready and willing to get outside, run, swing, and play as she is now, which makes it so much easier to get out in the backyard and have fun.
Also, we've made some connections to other neighborhood families with young kids, encouraging the girls to get out there and be social.
It's all good.
But, it's also crappy. And that is because Grace moved from daytime pullups to big-girl panties over the weekend. She has done surprisingly well--about as well as Sarah's recent improvements on bike-riding. Grace successfully did her duty while at daycare on Friday, so we promised that she could move to panties the next day. She promptly woke up on Saturday morning, went to the bathroom herself, and put on her own pair of panties. She only has one accident all of Saturday--a day in which Lynda took them out of the house for a few hours, away from the bathroom.
She did have a few accidents on Sunday--minor ones, really--and one mishap at daycare today. But, all in all, she is making the transition remarkably well. It must be a function of her age. When Sarah was being trained, we did it at a much younger age (practically a year or more earlier) due to the militant efforts of our old daycare. She was fully trained at the point that Grace is now, but it was more stressful.
We've taken a more laid-back approach to Grace's scatalogical development--due mostly to the fact that a) I wasn't going to do it single-handed last year while Lynda's mind was in Texas and b) our current daycare didn't give a crap, really.
But we did as many parents do--we learned from mistaken assumptions made with the first child, dealt with our inadequacies and taken it easy the second time around.
Poor Grace will probably grow up to be a dope-smokin' hippie due to this, but hey man, them's the breaks.
It's fantastic because we've really been making a concerted effort to get outside as much as possible lately. We've been cutting the grass, laying down mulch, pulling weeds, planting a few flowers, swinging the kids on the swings, taking walks, getting Sarah to ride her bike . . . heck we even tried to fly a kite a week ago (with unsuccessful results).
This sudden outdoorsiness is due to the fact that 1) the weather has been great, 2) we NEED the exercise, and 3) the girls are at a good age for getting outside.
Last year at this time, Grace wasn't nearly as ready and willing to get outside, run, swing, and play as she is now, which makes it so much easier to get out in the backyard and have fun.
Also, we've made some connections to other neighborhood families with young kids, encouraging the girls to get out there and be social.
It's all good.
But, it's also crappy. And that is because Grace moved from daytime pullups to big-girl panties over the weekend. She has done surprisingly well--about as well as Sarah's recent improvements on bike-riding. Grace successfully did her duty while at daycare on Friday, so we promised that she could move to panties the next day. She promptly woke up on Saturday morning, went to the bathroom herself, and put on her own pair of panties. She only has one accident all of Saturday--a day in which Lynda took them out of the house for a few hours, away from the bathroom.
She did have a few accidents on Sunday--minor ones, really--and one mishap at daycare today. But, all in all, she is making the transition remarkably well. It must be a function of her age. When Sarah was being trained, we did it at a much younger age (practically a year or more earlier) due to the militant efforts of our old daycare. She was fully trained at the point that Grace is now, but it was more stressful.
We've taken a more laid-back approach to Grace's scatalogical development--due mostly to the fact that a) I wasn't going to do it single-handed last year while Lynda's mind was in Texas and b) our current daycare didn't give a crap, really.
But we did as many parents do--we learned from mistaken assumptions made with the first child, dealt with our inadequacies and taken it easy the second time around.
Poor Grace will probably grow up to be a dope-smokin' hippie due to this, but hey man, them's the breaks.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
IF _____, then GOTO _____
I experienced one of the lasting effects of the 2000 presidential election . . . other than this and this.
Nope, it was this.
Since I grew up with this, this, and this, using one of these wasn't difficult at all.
Of course, there were those around me that grew up with this and probably this that were having trouble and complaining.
But I was okay.
The screens were clear, easy to read and understand, you could see a paper trail being generated as you made your selections, and you could even confirm your choices before finalizing.
The first time I ever participated in one of these events, back in Georgia, I used on of these.
We've come a long way since then, but really, yesterday was one of these.
Nope, it was this.
Since I grew up with this, this, and this, using one of these wasn't difficult at all.
Of course, there were those around me that grew up with this and probably this that were having trouble and complaining.
But I was okay.
The screens were clear, easy to read and understand, you could see a paper trail being generated as you made your selections, and you could even confirm your choices before finalizing.
The first time I ever participated in one of these events, back in Georgia, I used on of these.
We've come a long way since then, but really, yesterday was one of these.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Random bits
A few (likely) unrelated items to relate tonight.
If I had found a way to make it fit my theme of last night's post, I would have said something about Stephen Colbert's "performance" at the White House correspondents dinner. But, it didn't fit the theme and now the story is several days old. In the blogging universe, this means that the event in question is as extinct as a pterodactyl. If I had stuck while the story was hot, I might have had something to say that was relevant and you might have wanted to read it. Such is life.
You can read more about it here anyway.
In slightly more relevant news (though maybe relevant to only a select few), Dr. Actually forwarded this notice to me today at work. It left me breathless, speechless, and slightly nauseous. The potential train wreck that this Star Trek movie could become is (maybe?) approaching the level of Star Trek V: The Crappy Movie that Never Truly Existed. Only and I mean ONLY the presence of J.J. Abrams could make this movie even remotely hopeful. But I don't know . . . I mean, if he gets Jennifer Garner is some green Orion woman outfit, then, well, maybe I'd go see it.
In other movie news--thanks to Entertainment Weekly's Popwatch website, there is a more fleshed out trailer for Superman Returns. I was going to go see this movie anyway (June 30), but it looks even better now. As pointed out, Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor has a manic, zany quality that looks very much like Gene Hackman's version (which is appropriate since it is set in the chronology between Superman II and Superman III.
The point is, it looks good. You can check out the trailer for yourself here. It's worth the download wait.
In a related note, when Sarah watched the trailer with me tonight, she asked me:
"Is Superman like Spider-Man?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
She replied, "I mean, does she [Lois Lane] always gets into trouble?"
I laughingly replied, "Yes, she does."
I am glad that she has already understood the essential nature of the girl in the superhero comics genre.
If I had found a way to make it fit my theme of last night's post, I would have said something about Stephen Colbert's "performance" at the White House correspondents dinner. But, it didn't fit the theme and now the story is several days old. In the blogging universe, this means that the event in question is as extinct as a pterodactyl. If I had stuck while the story was hot, I might have had something to say that was relevant and you might have wanted to read it. Such is life.
You can read more about it here anyway.
In slightly more relevant news (though maybe relevant to only a select few), Dr. Actually forwarded this notice to me today at work. It left me breathless, speechless, and slightly nauseous. The potential train wreck that this Star Trek movie could become is (maybe?) approaching the level of Star Trek V: The Crappy Movie that Never Truly Existed. Only and I mean ONLY the presence of J.J. Abrams could make this movie even remotely hopeful. But I don't know . . . I mean, if he gets Jennifer Garner is some green Orion woman outfit, then, well, maybe I'd go see it.
In other movie news--thanks to Entertainment Weekly's Popwatch website, there is a more fleshed out trailer for Superman Returns. I was going to go see this movie anyway (June 30), but it looks even better now. As pointed out, Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor has a manic, zany quality that looks very much like Gene Hackman's version (which is appropriate since it is set in the chronology between Superman II and Superman III.
The point is, it looks good. You can check out the trailer for yourself here. It's worth the download wait.
In a related note, when Sarah watched the trailer with me tonight, she asked me:
"Is Superman like Spider-Man?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
She replied, "I mean, does she [Lois Lane] always gets into trouble?"
I laughingly replied, "Yes, she does."
I am glad that she has already understood the essential nature of the girl in the superhero comics genre.
Monday, May 01, 2006
An ugly, but necessary business
That description could apply to several things that I recently accomplished.
1. It might apply to the task that I set for myself this past Saturday--laying down mulch in the (seemingly) endless yards of flowerbeds surrounding our house. We purchased 40 bags (about 120 cubic feet) from the local school fundraiser and it arrived last Thursday night, saran-wrapped to a pallet and listing precariously to the side at the top of our driveway. Luckily I didn't have to take the second car, because it effectively blocked that half of the driveway. It gave me incentive to get the job done.
So, Saturday morning, I got after it. Placing bags around in strategic bed locations, finding my pocket knife (which I never carry, but always sort of think I should carry) to slit open each bag. After about three hours of steady if not frantic work, I got the front yard, the side beds, and all of the back yard complete--with the exception of the monster bed in the back half of the back yard. On Sunday, after church, lunch, and after Lynda finished weeding that bed, I spread out the final 12 bags as best I could. We'll need to buy a few extra bags to completely cover the back bed to prevent more weeds from coming up. Memo to self--next year . . . 150 bags OR make the beds smaller!)
2. But then again, the description might refer to what I just finished spending two hours catching up on--my financial record keeping and data entry. I cleaned up all of the credit card receipts, caught up on all the check book entries, got a much clearer picture of what's what here as the month begins, paid a few bills, and so forth.
All tedious work, and work that I find myself ignoring more and more these days. A bad habit, to be sure. Back when Lynda and I first got married, when all things were new, all finances much simpler, and all credit card bills confined ONLY to triple-digit monthly sums, I was much more punctual with my bank data entry. But that was before I got into online bill payment. It makes things quicker and makes everything more down-loadable, but it also makes it easier for me to let things ride a bit longer than they should.
Please understand that I don't pay bills we don't have money for or anything COMPLETELY irresponsible. But it do wait longer than strictly wise to balance the monthly statements and sort through the piles of receipts.
But tonight I tackled it and plowed through it all with a fervor. Ugly, but necessary.
3. Or, the description might refer to my weekly presentation of The Authority Speaks. Much like death and taxes, you know it's coming, you are powerless to fight it's arrival, and you are consumed with a deep dread with what you might find when it makes it's presence known. (At least you have the choice NOT to click, if you have the willpower.)
1. It might apply to the task that I set for myself this past Saturday--laying down mulch in the (seemingly) endless yards of flowerbeds surrounding our house. We purchased 40 bags (about 120 cubic feet) from the local school fundraiser and it arrived last Thursday night, saran-wrapped to a pallet and listing precariously to the side at the top of our driveway. Luckily I didn't have to take the second car, because it effectively blocked that half of the driveway. It gave me incentive to get the job done.
So, Saturday morning, I got after it. Placing bags around in strategic bed locations, finding my pocket knife (which I never carry, but always sort of think I should carry) to slit open each bag. After about three hours of steady if not frantic work, I got the front yard, the side beds, and all of the back yard complete--with the exception of the monster bed in the back half of the back yard. On Sunday, after church, lunch, and after Lynda finished weeding that bed, I spread out the final 12 bags as best I could. We'll need to buy a few extra bags to completely cover the back bed to prevent more weeds from coming up. Memo to self--next year . . . 150 bags OR make the beds smaller!)
2. But then again, the description might refer to what I just finished spending two hours catching up on--my financial record keeping and data entry. I cleaned up all of the credit card receipts, caught up on all the check book entries, got a much clearer picture of what's what here as the month begins, paid a few bills, and so forth.
All tedious work, and work that I find myself ignoring more and more these days. A bad habit, to be sure. Back when Lynda and I first got married, when all things were new, all finances much simpler, and all credit card bills confined ONLY to triple-digit monthly sums, I was much more punctual with my bank data entry. But that was before I got into online bill payment. It makes things quicker and makes everything more down-loadable, but it also makes it easier for me to let things ride a bit longer than they should.
Please understand that I don't pay bills we don't have money for or anything COMPLETELY irresponsible. But it do wait longer than strictly wise to balance the monthly statements and sort through the piles of receipts.
But tonight I tackled it and plowed through it all with a fervor. Ugly, but necessary.
3. Or, the description might refer to my weekly presentation of The Authority Speaks. Much like death and taxes, you know it's coming, you are powerless to fight it's arrival, and you are consumed with a deep dread with what you might find when it makes it's presence known. (At least you have the choice NOT to click, if you have the willpower.)
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