weapons of massdistraction

I’m a big old wuss. This morning I woke up to find that a) I was out of coffee and b) it was raining. So my gloomy uncaffeinated self decided we would skip the Cinco de Mayo parade. And now I have guilt. We haven’t done anything fun yet today (but I hope to rectify that soon). Instead I left the guys at home, and struck off on my own in an excercise in futility. One that began yesterday. Here’s a little backstory. It’s been fourteen years since I’ve owned a bicycle of my own. Last year the little man’s grandmother gave us a tandem bike attachment, but I didn’t have a bike to attach it to. And in August of 03 and March of 04 I posted here, toying with the idea of buying a cruiser. Yesterday I finally followed through. With Zophia at my side we ventured to Nokomis Cycle, a nice neighborhood bike shop (not my neighborhood, but still). When I saw the Paul Frank/Julius Cruiser in person my heart went pitter patter. Here are her specs:

• Nirve “Galaxie” cruiser frame
• Full length black fender set w/blue pin stripes
• Special Julius blue grips
• “I Love My Bike” bell
• Black front basket
• Tractor style double spring saddle
• Welded kickstand
• Alloy rims w/stainless spokes

Taking her for a test drive sealed the deal. But I couldn’t get her home. The Honda’s back seat folds down, but I was on my way to retrieve the little man, who still needs to sit in the back. So I returned there today, hoping that it would be doable, but the shop owner knew better…and didn’t want me to scratch up my new toy before I’d even properly ridden it. Instead he graciously offered to deliver it to our house, at no extra charge. Now that’s service.

I am often amused by the little man’s point of view. Yesterday he announced he would like to have a baby sister…and that we could name her “Freakers”. I suppose that would be an appropriate nickname for any child of mine, but I’m not sure about a given name. After this random discussion of babies we started looking through the lad’s baby photos. He correctly noted that he had been much smaller and is now getting bigger. And he’s finally coming to terms with the fact that the husband and I were once children ourselves. He mentioned that the husband had since grown up, then looked at me and said “but you, you’re not done growing yet”. I asked “what, you mean I’m too small?” (he’s just noticed how short I am compared to other adults) and he thought about it for a moment before replying, “no, mom, you’re medium”.
Bonus: Before it’s too late, quick, get out to your local participating comic book store for Free Comic Book Day. Some fine folks on flickr have been getting in on the action.

The weather is finally turning around and becoming more Spring-like. A walk to the park with the little man is in order for this evening. Accompanied, perhaps, by some photo-taking. I fear my photostream is becoming sort of…stagnant.

If I can stay awake long enough, I’m also going to attempt to view my latest GreenCine selection this evening. I am ever so ambitious.

My inherently superstitious self worries that this could prove inauspicious, but I went ahead and booked the little man’s post-surgery followup appointment…for Friday the 13th. Keep your fingers crossed for us. We want the crowns to stay in, and cavities to stay away.

After last weekend’s calm and quiet we’re going to switch gears this coming weekend will see much activity.

• Kicking it off right in our backyard…the District Del Sol’s Cinco de Mayo celebrations run Friday 5-10pm and Saturday 10am-8pm.
• Friday night local band Arcwelder, who I listened to a lot in high school, will play the entry with friend of a friend’s band Falcon Crest.
• The all ages ‘Free First Saturday’ returns to the Walker, from 11:00am to 4:00pm, with “screenings of artful shorts by young Minnesota filmmakers, adventurous hands-on activities, and some very silly rhymes.”
• Saturday night will see El Vez headlining the main room while noisemakers Melt-Banana deliver their sensory onslaught in the entry.
• And oh yeah, on Sunday there’s that whole Mother’s Day thing too.

Bonus: The latest dispatch from James is full of gems. I particularly approve of his Sarah Vowell fantasy, and this inspired idea for his next tattoo, which will brand him a librarian for life.
Plus: The website for Tideland, Terry Gilliam’s upcoming movie, has added some new, behind the scenes videos. And Jeff Bridges has some behind the scenes photos on his own site. Now if we could just get a scheduled release date for the United States…that, or plan a trip to the Netherlands for the little man’s birthday. Hmmm.

For months I had planned to be at a movie theater on April 29th. And I was. But rather than seeing The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy I saw…Robots. Again. But after the ordeal the little man went through on Thursday, it was a small concession indeed. Let me back up for a moment, to Wednesday. When I got home from work that afternoon it became clear that I’d been overly-optimistic…about how much better the little man was feeling. Antibiotics and painkillers can only do so much. And while I was away the little man had, uncharacteristically, put himself to bed for a nap. When he woke up there was much crankiness, even though I’d brought home some of his favorite food.

The crankiness I can deal with. But Thursday morning there was much confusion, when we brought him to the Children’s Hospital. It was to be his third surgical procedure, but he is blissfully unaware of the first two, as they both occurred in the first year of his life. He’s going to remember this one. After much waiting around, signing of forms, changing into hospital PJs, and some playing, it was finally his turn.

The husband and I went back with him as he hopped up onto a hospital bed. The induction area seemed so small. All of the equipment, the bed, the anesthesiologist and assistant, two parents, and a designated bubble blower were crammed into what was essentially a doorway…the space between the waiting room, and the hallway that led to the operating room. The lad allowed himself to be distracted by the bubbles, but I could see questions and concern in his eyes as he tried to make sense of this absurd situation. After a moment he was asked to lie down. I felt like I was betraying him, holding his hand as he went under. Especially since I knew what they’d be doing, beginning with the threading of a breathing tube up one tiny nostril and down into his lungs, which would give him a bloody nose. But it was all for the greater good. In the end the dentist removed one tooth, filled three cavities, put in four crowns, applied sealants and a fluoride treatment, and performed one pulpotomy. When we met him in the recovery room the little man groggily announced “my mouth feels silly”. I’m sure it did. He looked so small and sad in the hospital bed. After a time I was allowed to pick him up, and kick back in a big recliner, to hold him while he watched Babe. When he seemed to be feeling better, and ready to go home, we changed him back into his own clothing. But all the moving about, and the water he’d had to drink, caused him to vomit up some blood. Totally normal, we were told, but still unsettling. Since then we’ve been home, recovering. After the week we’ve had we’re all worn out, and our house is so filthy it looks like it’s been overrun by squatters who have been camping out for weeks on end. So I think a quiet weekend is in store for us, with a focus on soft foods and household chores. And, if we’re feeling up to it, and the weather is cooperating, we might just swing by the May Day festival tomorrow.
Bonus: Just found out that a former co-worker of mine is knocked up (via Pussy Ranch). Neat.
Plus: Le Tigre teaming up with Paris Hilton? Huh.
And: If you haven’t seen it yet…New Order performing Love Will Tear Us Apart. Bittersweet.

Do you know who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile? Joss Whedon, that’s who. Hot damn but the Serenity trailer gave me goosebumps. And I am certainly not alone.

And the husband and the little man are happy, because our new GameCube arrived this afternoon, with assorted games. And our little trio is happier, in general, as the antibiotics seem to be doing their magic. The little man has been more like himself today. But it will still be good to get the offending tooth out of his head, and the others cleaned up and capped, as needed. We’re getting closer.

My latest flickr crush has to be 7-how-7. Check him out (particularly this set):

Sometimes I play with dolls. Blow-up dolls. A production company I work for supplies them to movies, commercials etc for use as extras. This is a typical day of blowing them up, helping them get dressed, and finding them a good seat in the stadium.

How bizarre and wonderful. And this is bizarre but maybe not so wonderful. Delightfully creepy perhaps? And this is just funny (I feel honored to be part of such a sisterhood). And this is the time where my overwhelmed and overtired self goes to bed. Nigh nigh.

I feel like this could be the “bad news blog” today. My little man is miserable (napping now) and I feel powerless to do anything about it. If I could bear the pain for him, I certainly would. But if we had a more humane health care system in this country it never would have come to this. In February we discovered he is in need of extensive dental work, including multiple pulpotomies. The intervening months have seen frustrating negotiations with both our dental and medical insurance companies, neither one willing to play nice with the other, or with us. At long last prior authorization has been granted and a date for the surgery scheduled. That date is drawing closer. This coming Thursday, in fact. But I don’t think we can wait that long. All day yesterday the little man seemed fine, but last night things came to a head. Just as he took a bite of a soft spring roll one of the afflicted teeth began causing him extreme pain. It’s safe to say that family night out at the Thai restaurant failed miserably. We hastily packed up the food to go (we being the husband) and high-tailed it to Walgreen’s, for some children’s ibuprofen and anbesol. He gladly slurps down the former, but won’t let us go near him with the latter. After an uncomfortable night’s sleep he woke up this morning with one cheek excessively puffy and swollen. A frantic page to the dentist led to a prescription for antibiotics, and another trip to Walgreen’s. But the poor boy is still hurting and unable to eat anything too cold, too hot, or requiring too much chewing. This can’t go on until Thursday. I have a feeling emergency surgery is going to be in order, and soon.

In less personal bad news…Let it Be Records is closing, to make way for some more lameass condos, thus furthering the transformation of downtown Minneapolis from a thriving metropolis to a sterile, soulless city.

How about some better news? Or less dire, at least.
For a while I’ve wondered about the music played on NPR’s Marketplace, because it’s often music I quite like. I’ve been too lazy to follow up on it (or maybe I liked the mystery?) but Defective Yeti found out for me. If you’d rather not know, avoid clicking here and here.

Bonus: Animal Farm, circa 1982 - currently I can empathize with the bunny, but I’m hoping things will turn around soon (via ljc fyi).