Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Some days the parenting, it feels like being thrown into a three-ring circus. You wake up on some random Wednesday but then the perils appear. Before you know it you’re walking the highwire. And then someone flings in a flaming hoop to jump through for good measure. All while trying to juggle the work-work and freelance side jobs that may or may not happen. It can be a bit much. Today’s troubles started with the school calling…to say my son’s backpack never made it to school. The urgent concern was over his missing lunch, which was inside of it. Only later I realized the Nintendo DS is in there too. The backpack wasn’t in the car and the school bus company claims they haven’t got it. I’m really hoping it is at home and wasn’t left behind on the corner at the school bus stop (otherwise it’s gone baby gone). The boy was so fixated with dressing up as a leprechaun this morning that everything else fell by the wayside. Thankfully my ex offered to run a replacement lunch over to the school. After that crisis was partially averted I received another phone call. This time from the St. Paul School District’s placement center. There isn’t room for us in the school of our choice for Fall. And the option they are offering us is a shitty shitty one. Very discouraging.
But at least I have my lovely co-workers and other happy distractions. Like:
We’ll be having a relatively quiet St. Patrick’s Day night. I’ve promised to make vegan-style green eggs and ham for dinner. And I plan to peruse hyperlocavore and other sites for Spring gardening/planting ideas.
So I’ve been giving this dating thing another go. It had been ages since I’d been out with someone entirely new. Instead I have a long history of falling into sticky situations with guys I’ve been friends with for a long while first. New = sort of terrifying. And there are no readily available Gattaca-style background checks. Yet. But I think I’m managing.
Saturday night I picked a Japanese restaurant I’d been curious about. From the outside I’d expected it to be much mellower inside than it was. We arrived near the end of happy hour on a Saturday and it was LOUD. The acoustics were so terrible it was difficult to carry on a conversation at times. We were seated in a booth next to a crowded table of ten or so. One of the occupants of said table decided to belt out Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” to his companions (which included a small girl). These things happen and aren’t necessarily in the restaurant’s control. In the restaurant’s control? Information. There is a vegetarian menu prominently featured on their web site yet when I asked the hostess about it she insisted she’d never heard of it. After repeatedly protesting that I’d just viewed it - and this was what had compelled me to give the restaurant a try - she conferred with co-workers. After a half hour or so she returned with a menu she’d printed off and compared to items that are actually available. A lot of what I’d seen was no longer listed but she’d marked up an existing menu with little red Vs so we could order. The mock duck steamed buns were decent but not overly flavorful. We also ordered taro root chips (but ate them plain, as the chili aioli it is paired with isn’t vegan). The mock duck drunken noodles were just ok. The sake they brew on site really was quite good. However we initially ordered it at the happy hour price of $5. When we ordered a second round no one mentioned happy hour was over and so those were $9/each. My tolerance is pretty low and I realized I didn’t need to finish off the second glass. When I was offering it to my companion I managed to plop it directly into the dish of chili aioli. And then had a giggling fit about it. And this guy still wants to see me again after that. Perhaps.
Four good things for this mild Monday, plus one weird one:
Every year it seems like it takes my body clock longer and longer to bounce back from this Falling Back / Springing Ahead nonsense. I am not a farmer! Though I kinda sorta want to be. It’s mid-March already. Which means I need to get cracking on my raised bed gardening plans. And I’m so sad to have completely failed to make or even consume pie on Pi Day yesterday. And you’d think I could come up with some Ides of March cookies for today. Instead I may just take the boy swimming instead and see if that helps us feel any less discombobulated.
It’s been a gloomy, sleepy week so how about some Friday fun? Hmm, looks like it’ll be more than five good things this time. I’ve been hoarding.
- First off, I’m wondering if this method may work for my balance-challenged child. Poor kid doesn’t know how to ride a bike yet and I think it’s high time he learns. But that means I’ll have to buy him one.
- Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood to score film of Haruki Murakami novel. Should be interesting.
- Huh. I got a photo credit in Inflatable Ferret’s write up of Modern Radio Records. It’s just a shot of the merch table at the Turf Club but whatever.
- At age 10, Kathryn Beaumont became the model and voice for the lead character in Disney’s animated film, “Alice in Wonderland.” Now, as an adult 59 years later here is her take on Tim Burton’s new film. Which we still haven’t seen. But will get around to seeing at some point, I’m sure.
- I’ve mentioned Seth Grahame-Smith’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter before but now there’s one of those funny little trailers for the book. I’m sure I’ll read it but Mike Mignola’s The Amazing Screw-On Head will always be number one in my heart.
- Stephen Fry is tweeting again (which must mean he finished working on his manuscript). And posted this gem, a generic Academy Award Winning Movie Trailer with all the elements one might expect.
- Holy crap, The Haunted Playground is one seriously creepy short film…made by a local 9 year old! Nooooo, please don’t tickle me Elmo!
- Now to the other end of the spectrum with The Daily Otter! So much cute!
- New favorite band name, Scott & Charlene’s Wedding, and their video for Footscray Station. Plus their original inspiration. Oh the 80s. Eep.
- Our friend Tigger’s “five questions” with Joe Furth of Eclipse Records, who has been providing records, all ages shows, and arcade games since 1999.
- A funny article in WBL’s Pioneer Press about my old junior high buddy, Gus Lynch.
If we could afford it we’d be heading to England for Spring Break. Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Day Out exhibit will be at the Spaceport in Wallasey, on the Wirral Peninusla (near Liverpool, I think). Still, the kiddo and I are excited to get out out of town soon even if it is just one state over. Road trip! Naturally we’re finding out about events we both would have enjoyed happening at home that weekend. Like…a flickr photowalk. And we just received an invitation to a special open house at the Children’s Theatre (as we had season tickets at one time), with a tour of backstage and everything. And we’ll be missing the 1st Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off. Hopefully that means we can make it next year.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
For a few weeks I felt a burning desire to smash everything to bits. It was the one-two punch of car problems plus my court date with the neighbors, and then finding out my son’s charter school would be moving again. Stressor upon stressor upon stressor! I’ve gone on at length about the car and school business, but haven’t mentioned the court date here in detail. Now that was one helluva morning. First off, I had to arrange for my son to be elsewhere, as he doesn’t have school on Fridays and usually hangs out with me while I work from home. Thankfully a friend was able to take him (and he had a blast with her son). My folks offered to join me in the courtroom for moral support, and to give me a ride. I barely slept a wink the night before and drank tea instead of coffee in the morning so I wouldn’t be too jittery when facing the judge. We arrived early and checked in. The judge/referee outlined procedure to those in attendance and ticked off a common sense list of To-Dos and Not-To-Dos. He first reviewed cases where only the plaintiff had appeared. Thankfully there were only a few, which he blew threw quickly. Then our case was second in line. I approached the bench with my neighbor and we were sworn in together. As plaintiff he spoke first while I quietly waited. I was taken aback by just how frantically he railed against the EVIL of my black walnut trees and their AWFUL fruit (c’mon, it’s not like it’s a stinky durian tree). But this is a man who has paved over almost all of his property. Not exactly one-with-nature. He even brought along a plastic baggie full of walnut shells which he rattled in the judge’s face. And he displayed a stack of photos…of more walnut shells in his driveway. After years of telling me I should cut down my trees entirely the guy finally gave in and had some budget tree company trim the branches over the property line. And then sued me in an attempt to have me reimburse him for the cost of the tree trimming, plus the conciliation court filing fee. Really now? When it was my turn to defend myself I very calmly reiterated that, my understanding of property law - as told to me by a city employee and an attorney - was that everyone is responsible for the airspace above their own property. This means there was nothing stopping my neighbor from cutting down whatever branches were hanging over the line onto his side. I have no duty to protect his property for him (or to protect him from scary walnut shells). After a week and a half of waiting I found out that the judge, and the law, agreed with me. This is a HUGE relief.
One friend made a tempting suggestion but no, I’m not about to yell “get bent” through a megaphone at the neighbors. I am irritated that I had to waste a vacation day to deal with this in court, not to mention the toll the stress has taken on me. And I’ve always been disappointed by the rudeness and outright hostility of the neighbors toward me and my son. It almost seems fitting that I came across the Paris 1919 documentary this morning. How do you make peace when all you want is revenge? But really, I don’t want revenge. I just want to be left alone. Which is all I’ve ever wanted.
Bonus: Mizna’s 6th Annual Arab Film Festival opens tomorrow at The Heights Theatre.
Plus: This Sunday, March 14th go out to eat! It’s the Fork the Fire benefit. “There’s nothing like the power of food to bring everyone together.
That’s why over 80 restaurants will rise up in force to help Heidi’s and Blackbird - two Twin City restaurants that lost everything recently during a tragic fire in south Minneapolis.”
And: A band I enjoy but have yet to see live is playing next week. A Place To Bury Strangers will be in First Ave’s main room next Thursday, March 18th, opening for The Big Pink…who are, apparently, some sort of big deal. *shrugs*
This year I’d hoped to take my son to the San Diego Comic Con. I don’t know what I was thinking when I made that declaration. Our finances are just barely limping along as it is. Maybe I figured we’d have a roommate helping to pay the bills but that didn’t come to pass. So it’s not in the cards this year. The next best thing is happening closer to home. The Chicago Comic Con is in April. Too bad it doesn’t coincide with the boy’s Spring break. Instead we’re spending a long weekend in Milwaukee. Planning to visit the Discovery World and the Domes and various vegan-friendly restaurants. So happy for uber-cheap hotel deals on hotwire. Without them this trip wouldn’t be happening.
It’s been an oddball Tuesday with too many anxiety-inducing happenings. In an attempt to steady my nerves, here are five good things:
- This would be fun…Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Saturday Night: An Evening With Neil Gaiman.
- Coming soon, “Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale” - An original hardcover graphic novel co-written by series creator Joss Whedon and his brother, “Terminator” and “Dr. Horrible” writer Zack Whedon, and illustrated by Chris Samnee.
- This made my morning. I give you Godzilla Haiku.
- I so rarely buy soup. It’s easy enough to make. But I recently picked up some of Pacific’s cashew-carrot-ginger soup. So tasty! And very orange. Now I need to figure out how to reverse engineer it.
- The new Liars’ album “Sisterworld” was released today. Spent the morning listening to it, which was lovely, but it’s been an afternoon with Adam Ant. Just thing for a gloomy day. Thank you lala.
And now, taking many deep breaths before the next adventures of the day. Let’s see if I can project a level of calm I do not feel.
My son’s hair is now longer than mine. This would be fine if he did a better job of controlling his locks. Instead he’s nearly looking feral these days. But in other ways he’s become a far more civilized creature than he once was. He’s gotten better at controlling his impulsivity but I worry it won’t be enough for him to blend in at his new school. Especially after talking with a friend last night who happens to be a 5th grade teacher. Only time will tell. But I feel like I don’t have enough of it. For now I’m just scrambling to figure out a plan for this coming summer.
The City of St. Paul Parks & Rec board is not on top of things. Their summer 2010 program schedule hasn’t been posted yet. And other options out there aren’t so promising. The cost of the YWCA’s childcare seems exorbitant. We have free passes to go to the Bakken Electricity Museum this week. While looking at their site I noticed they have a summer day program for kids Parker’s age…but it is only one week long and that one week runs a whopping $275. Ouch.
Speaking of museums, the Dead Sea Scrolls are coming to our Science Museum. And on opening weekend, March 12th-14th, there will be free bus rides to and from the museum. They too have summer programs for kids. But again, they seem to be too short in duration and over-priced. It’s too bad because a lot of the offerings for 9-12 year olds are things I know he (and I) would enjoy. Like “Design a Computer Game: Create Your Own Adventure Game” or “Light Art” and “Godzilla Meets King Kong” or “Animation Dance Party” but this is the one that really caught my eye:
Wonka Week
Over five days you will explore the chocolate factory, from the waterfall to the glass elevator. Discover lick-a-bility, snozz appeal, chew-a-lotto, and wheresitgo in the physical plant. In storeroom three, search the world for the most fantastic ingredients. Experiment with drips and drops. Call up the squirrels in the shelling room to add nuts to your own candy creations. You don’t need a golden ticket for this camp!
Age(s): 7-12
Fee: $320, $280 Members
The boy still claims he wants to be Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder-style) and run his own chocolate factory when he grows up…despite showing very little interest in actual cooking.
Hey working parents with kids, what do you do with your rugrats in the summertime?
Bonus: Another beloved singer-songwriter takes his own life. Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse, RIP.
Plus: My favorite asian grocery is now on Facebook and Twitter. The boy and I popped by yesterday to re-stock on rice noodles, spring roll wrappers, paratha, soy sauce and loose tea. And to gaze longingly at the Pocky and other non-vegan goods with great packaging.
And: This cartoon made me snort out loud.
Life is change. Obviously. That’s one constant I was aware of at a very young age. But I’ve always attempted to provide my son with a cushion of stability, boy-in-the-bubble style. Unfortunately change keeps on butting in. Two weeks ago we found out - out of the blue - that the kiddo’s charter school is moving. Again. They’ve already moved once, between 2nd and 3rd grade (the year so many other things went to hell in our lives - his little brother was stillborn, my marriage fell apart and our two cats died). He’s in the 4th grade now and his current school is K-5. So rather than chasing after them to yet another corner of the metro area for one last year I think it is time to part ways. It’s been a difficult decision to make. I hate to tear my son away from the friends and staff he’s known since kindergarten. But really, they’ve had lots of turnover over the years, in teachers and staff and the student population. And the long commute can be difficult, especially in the winter.
So more change will be coming. Yesterday we had an appointment with the St. Paul Public Schools placement center to get the process kick-started. In some ways they seemed hyper organized and on top of things. In other ways, not so much. When I inquired about elementary schools that might be best-suited for my child I received a blank stare in return. Followed by the excuse that there are 50 elementary schools in the district. Even after talking to the special education coordinator I got the feeling that I’m on my own to figure out which one of these 50 schools might be a good fit. The upside is that, according to my son’s IEP, he is high functioning enough to be mainstreamed into a classroom at any of these schools but will still receive supplementary aids and services. But it’s going to be such a HUGE change. Since pre-school he’s been in classrooms with about 15 students and four or more adults. For 5th grade the ratio will change dramatically. More like double the number of students and half the adults. I hate to feel like I’m throwing him to the wolves. Will the teaching staff be patient? What will the “normal” kids make of him? Is it wrong that I don’t want to even look at one of the prospective schools, just because they use Comic Sans on their web site? And we’ve been spoiled by our Monday-Thursday year round schedule. How will we adjust to a Monday-Friday schedule, with summers off? What will he do during the summer when I have to work? There is a summer school option but it only runs for one month, leaving all of August unaccounted for. I’ve been thinking about all of this too much, in ball-of-stress mode. But I will do whatever I can to ensure the transition goes as smoothly as possible for my son. And he does seem excited by one potential school - because of its brand new playground, planetarium and pool. Wish us luck. We will need it.
Bonus: The Bear Whisperer has been around for a while but is new to me. Watching this promo left me scratching my head. But not as much as Death Bear did! I prefer Rude Bear for the happy happy.
Plus: Watching this 1937 cartoon advertisement was a good way to start the day. Apparently it was made for the Phillips’ Norwegian market by German animator Hans Fischerkoesen.
And: Gorgeous posters by designer Yusaku Kamekura.
There are more substantial posts in the works but I can’t seem to complete them. My days have been long and distraction-filled and my brain seems to have turned to mush (I am not alone in this). Maybe the impending Spring thaw will get my synapses sparking. But lately? By the time I get home and get the boy fed and doing his homework and to bed I’m in duck and cover mode. So for now a little more of the fluff.
Five good things for this hump day:
- New for Minneapolis - the Minneapolis Indie Xpo will be a one-day show celebrating independent comics and Midwest cartoonists. August 21st at The Soap Factory. Also new in town? Red Bull Flugtag. Practically in my own backyard. Hmm.
- Available for pre-order now, Squid and Frog t-shirts! Plus a new episode, in Japan. Totally forgot to show it to the kiddo last night. Adding it to our after school activities, along with the latest Axe Cop episodes.
- Hey, Sponsor a Klingon! It’s for a good cause. And by good I mean, well, picture this: “The awards night is on March 26th. It is a fancypants, red carpet type industry event. A very big deal. Definitely going to be epic, win or lose… however, it would be monumentally MORE epic with a Klingon entourage! Take a second and picture this for a moment. 300 of the local event industry’s top professionals, a gorgeous, elegantly decorated venue.” More photos here.
- Butch mancakes? *groan* Thank goodness Cake Eater Bakery will be open before long. And they’ll be doing more than just cupcakes.
- More distractions to come. In the next few weeks several new books by my favorite authors will be coming out. All available for pre-order, in hardcover, at a huge discount via Amazon but I should just suck it up and wait for copies to be available at the library. But waiting is hard! I am so looking forward to Divine Misfortune by A. Lee Martinez, Changeless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger, Changes (Dresden Files, Book 12) by Jim Butcher and Dead in the Family: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood) by Charlaine Harris. Better yet, I’m looking forward to reading these books on my sunny Spring-y front porch. Even better still, on a warm back deck. But that’ll be a few months down the line yet.
Last night I missed Laura Veirs at The Cedar, and another Lost party with friends. Instead I worked late-ish, took some photos documenting the sweeter side of Clockwork, squeezed in a Wii Fit workout before dinner, and finished reading The Wolf’s Hour. When my son returned home from my ex’s he gave me a hug and randomly declared he wished we were yetis. Perhaps life would be simpler if we were sasquatches.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The last several days have been a whirling blur. I haven’t been able to focus long enough to write about any of it. Instead I will highlight a few of the fun bits. Thursday night we went out for drinks and dinner at the King & I Thai to celebrate a friend’s 30th birthday. That was lovely but the big big fun came Friday night for his 30th birthday extravaganza at the Turf Club. Visiting with good friends from in and out of town, seeing three bands I love, watching as the birthday boy became more and more inebriated and placed a too-small cowboy on his head…all wonderful. Though I was tempted I skipped the after party in order to get some much-needed sleep. Saturday I retrieved my son (who had awesome times himself at two separate sleepovers Thursday and Friday) and we headed to yet another social gathering. Some dear friends are having their first kid(s) in May - twins! Yesterday we went to their babies shower - it was all kitties, tattoos, Fresca-loving ladies and cupcakes.
Five or so more good things:
When I do get my wits about me I will recount my un-fun adventures from this same time frame including the attempts to find a different school for my son and the court date with the seething neighbors. Woo-freaking-hoo. For now, it’s back to The Wolf’s Hour in all its cheesy page-turning glory.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Over the last several years I’ve been hearing about group purchasing power in China:
Chinese consumers are using the Internet to organize themselves into powerful bargaining groups that use their large numbers to negotiate discounts on products of all kinds.
I was pleased to see that notion spread to the states, in the form of Groupon (but with bonus snark - the copywriting is fairly amusing). Today’s deal is for dental services - $59 for $225 worth of cleaning/x-ray services. A steal for those of us without dental insurance. I snapped that up before I’d had my morning coffee. Alas Serenity Dental is not like Starbase Dental…though how awesome would it be to go to a Firefly-themed dental practice? And have your teeth cleaned by Captain Tightpants himself. Dreamy. I mean, umm, yeah. As much as I’ve become a Groupon groupie I’m not going to sign up for their “Live Off Groupon” contest (deadline to enter is tomorrow).
We will choose one person to attempt to survive for one year with nothing but a laptop, cellphone, and an unlimited supply of Groupons. If successful, that person will receive $100,000!
Nearly all human survival needs are covered by Groupon. You can get your daily nutritional content with a restaurant Groupon, and then immediately have a Groupon-accepting dentist floss that meal’s remains from your teeth. You can fortify your aortas with a Pilates deal, and protect yourself against rampaging hamburglars with a self-defense class.
In fact, the only barrier inhibiting Groupon staff from living exclusively off of Groupons is that our landlord won’t accept Groupons as rent for our mandatory, hyperbaric, on-site sleeping pods. For those of you who can survive without those, doesn’t the idea of living exclusively off of Groupons sound exhilarating?
So who wants to give it a go?
Now for a mid-week five (or so) good things:
- Another strength-in-numbers group sale site is Gilt. A friend has gotten hooked and invited me to join (in which case he’ll receive a $25 credit if I make a purchase). Unlike Groupon, this site features goods of the more non-essential variety…like high end designer fashions for Men, Women, Children and Home. Still, not a bad place to poke around. Let me know if you’d like an invite.
- One of my favorite authors, A. Lee Martinez, pointed out what a fan did for him/to his first novel. Watch this strange animated Cliffs Notes version of Gil’s All-Fright Diner.
- A few days old, but still worth mentioning…the Devo Color Study and my new desktop wallpaper, Ronald RAYGUN.
- Milwaukee is a fine town that I don’t get to often enough. I may just apply to exhibit/get a booth at their First Annual Milwaukee Domes Art Festival. The $200 booth fee is a little steep, but it is for three days. We’ll see.
- I like this old school Eames cat and these new school cat boats.
Not long ago I mentioned a co-worker who helped us out when my car was in the shop. He was already known as the Lunch King but I declared him to be the King of All Things and today he lived up to that title, yet again. He tracked down a hard-to-find copy of The Wolf’s Hour, the adventures of a World War II nazi-fighting werewolf spy. I can’t wait to read it. It brings to mind the most recent episode of Axe Cop, with its vampire wizard ninja werewolf moon warriors. Oh yes.
