I've been putting off dealing with a big pile of papers in our home office for about... six months.
Despite removing my name from mailing lists, going to paperless billing and the like I still get a lot of paper with identifiable information. So I shred.
I sorted through lots of paper to make piles for filing, paper for recycling and paper for shredding.
As I neared the end of organizing, I grabbed a few sheets of paper to shred in the magnificent five sheet shredder. It's not industrial-sized or anything but it works.
Or rather it worked.
After a few previous shredder mishaps I've opted to be careful and only shred one piece of paper at a time. That worked pretty well, until I got to a sheet folded onto itself so that the sheet was essentially a three-ply.
The shredder is built to shred up to five sheets at a time, so three should have been no problem.
It was a problem.
So now I have a big pile of stuff to shred and I'm staring at the big shredder. I'll just do one piece at a time and give it lots of breaks.
Deeps is accusing me of murdering more electronics. He might be right.
This week Deeps and I wonder about ice dams crashing through the window while we record the final podcast of 2007 - and it's a humdinger. First we say hello to new listeners both here and abroad. I call out our listeners in Brazil to email me.
We take a look at the Extras Christmas Special Series Finale and the dark side of fame; Deeps says farewell to Journeyman; we discuss the spartan dialogue and expansive scenes from the latest entry in the Big Red Film Festival - Bullitt; we take a look back at all the stuff we liked in 2007 and finally, we talk about the big Dexter finale and the second season.
If you haven't seen Dexter and want to watch it, we left that part of the podcast to the end. And if you want to listen to our heated Knocked Up discussion check out episode 34.
Oh and if you're interested in seeing that famous nine minute car chase from Bullitt, you can find an excerpt from it on YouTube.
Thanks very much for listening to us in 2007 - we'll be back on Sunday, January 6, 2008!
Today I was walking to the T, waiting at the intersection I think of as a cluster*&^% and wondering if people will ever obey the signal and let me cross.
A pretty woman tapped by on the shoulder.
She and her partner smiled at me and she asked if I was local. She's from Australia.
"I guess I'm local enough," I confessed. When you're a tourist you'll take directions and advice from anyone who has been in the city longer than you - even a few hours.
Don't ask my neighbors if I'm a local. As far as they know, I'm an interloper not to be trusted.
"Is this bad weather for around here?" she asked.
I nodded as the snow continued to fall at a decent clip.
"It's not as bad as it could be, but it's a mess on top of what we already had." I noted it snowed more last week than it did last winter. "It's not that bad if you're just walking. Driving is a different story."
She seemed relieve by that information.
I opted not to share how it could be worse. It could be incredibly cold instead of hovering around 32 degrees.
Maybe I'm filled with the holiday spirit. I didn't feel like raining on that lady's parade. I can't say the same for the snow.
Every year I'm a little surprised that so many car companies advertise their cars as holiday gifts. Look, I like a nice present as much as the next person - but a car?
How do you buy a car for your spouse without him/her knowing? Don't you have to discuss big purchases like this?
These commercials raise lots of troubling questions about personal finance and how relationships work.
Would you be thrilled or angry if your person brought home a new car as a surprise? I'm leaning towards annoyed with a tinge of anger. Why were you holding back so much money for so long? Was it in a high-yield savings account? Did you have a great run in the stock market?
Or worse... How did you think we'd pay for this freaking thing?
So we got a huge storm on Sunday that dropped another 8-10 inches of snow on us followed by rain. The temperatures dropped and everything turned into a frosty tundra.
Until now, we've been a two shovel family - but after this latest storm, I have declared we will own a snowblower. I don't care if I have to keep it in the living room and put a lamp on it when I'm not using it. We're getting one.
After a few hours of hard shoveling, the snow got weighed down by the rain, we were exhausted and a low-level throb rumbled through my body. I may have exceeded the suggested dosage of Advil.
By Monday we were stiff but functional. We chipped away at some of the ice floes and I salted where I thought it might make a tiny difference. I hope nobody died in front of my house.
Our street looks like it was in some kind of freakish iceberg wreck and little flecks of blue and gray adorn the bergy tops. It's garbage day.
This week on a very special Big Red Podcast, Deeps and I wonder what will happen to Derek's car after a few feet of snow.
Luckily, he's safe and warm at home so Deeps and I carry on without him to discuss Dexter's penultimate episode, melancholy Christmas on Pushing Daisies, Santa monsters on Supernatural and traveling through time on both Journeyman and Life on Mars.
Plus we offer the first part of our 2007 Year in Review - Disappointments! We delayed the review of Bullitt due to huge snow removal responsibilities. Frankly, it's a wonder we're still able to record a show this week after the incredible amount of shoveling we did.
So I'd say we got about a foot of snow in roughly eight hours. Not the end of the world, but that time period was from about 12:30 to 8:30 - and people were stuck in horrible traffic for hours and hours.
I was lucky because I anticipated all the points of failure on my commute home. I walked to the train as usual, skipping the dreaded Green Line. Then hoofed it home from the train station which was a long but quiet walk home.
Deeps left the office about the time the snow started, which in hindsight was a very good idea. He was shoveling when I got home.
My iPod and a delicious piece of Orbit gum (Wintermint) kept me going for the 45 minute walk. No wipe outs. No crashes. I lived.
Yesterday the weather guys were saying 1-3 inches of snow for today.
This morning it's up to 8-12 inches of snow. I could make a crass joke, but I'll skip it. What this means for me is that I'm going to have to shovel. Deeps usually let's me skip shovel duty if we get a very light snow.
But once we get into half a foot territory it is all hands on deck. We shovel as a team, I think he sneaked it into the marriage vows.
I'll take pictures. We'll make cocoa. I'll need to take about three hours to get home from work. Hooray! Winter.
My father-in-law been hounding Deeps for several years about a GPS navigation system. Namely FIL would like to give us one.
We like gadgets - but we like stuff we're likely to use. We're just not likely to use the GPS. New England maps are notoriously unreliable, stuff is forever being re-routed. And our non-digital solution means that every time we get in the car we have an adventure.
I'm not trying to put rose-colored glasses on the situation - it's always an adventure. A nerve-wracking, hair-raising adventure that will one day result in our deaths.
Anyway.
A box arrived in the mail and inside was a GPS navigator for the car - Merry Christmas, love FIL. Despite the stupidity of the gift, we decided to take it for a test run out to suburbs we don't really know very well.
Out of the gate, the GPS told us to take a non-preferred route to interstate 93. Deeps ignored the weird, computery voice. I think the voice started to get mad at us.
It kept demanding that we turn right. Eventually we made our way to the highway and the GPS started to squawk again.
GPS: garbled Me: What's it saying? Deeps: Can you turn it up? Me: It's at max volume. Deeps: Is it saying Tarpulin? Me: Is there an exit we should be taking. Deeps: I don't really understand this thing.
About 10 minutes later we determined that the GPS was mispronouncing "Carpool Lane".
Just as we solved that mystery, we entered some tunnels and then things took a turn.
GPS: You have arrived at your destination. Me: Uhm - you're wrong. Deeps: We're in the middle of a tunnel. Me: I don't see any amazing stores near by. Deeps: I suppose you could do some holiday shopping here, but you'd probably be disappointed. Me: Especially when you got run over by a giant truck.
Eventually we left the tunnel and I started pushing buttons to get the GPS to remember the destination we'd programmed.
Deeps: It doesn't seem that bad. It just got a little confused. Me: You can't replace me with this - I'm the family navigator. I don't get us lost. Deeps: Except when you miss the turn. Me: That's because you don't listen. Deeps: *muttering* Me: And you don't listen to your Robot Girlfriend either. Deeps: Whatever. Me: She won't make you soup when you're sick. Deeps: This is a very generous but ridiculous gift. Me: I know. Deeps: It isn't really very practical for us. Me: I know. Deeps: I don't know why they insist on giving us stuff like this. Me: It is the magic of the holidays.
I posted another poll over at Big Red Podcast - this week we're asking listeners if they would like to have a voicemail line to call in to the podcast.
Do you care? Feel free to vote. So far we have a resounding "meh" on the voicemail front. I'm willing to try new things for 2008.
And no - I can't explain why the formatting is so weird. My HTML skillz are sometimes limited by my complete lack of caring....
This week Derek, Deeps and I take a tough look at at the devious, deluded mind of Dexter Morgan and offer our predictions on what might happen to him in these final two episodes of the season.
We offer our final assessment of Heroes - possibly ever - for the podcast. Then Derek tells us what happens when you've overstayed your welcome in ER and Grey's Anatomy. Finally, we discuss the tweaking of characters and story on both Dirty Sexy Money and Reaper. Is it enough?
Plus we offer up our thoughts on the first entry of the Big Red Film Festival, The Thin Man - and what it means to be married, drunk, and fabulous in the movies.
Earlier in the week I took a quick break from the office to run over to the local bookstore to pick up a book I'd heard about.
My friend offered to tag along for the promise of a hot cocoa - plus she had a coupon for 25% off of my book. Score!
I found the book quickly, we savored the cocoa and headed to the checkout. A 20-something guy was running the register.
As he was ringing me up, he commented on the cover of the book. He noted it looked interesting.
"I hope it is," I replied. "The writer is my MySpace friend. It would be awkward if it sucked."
Register dude took this opening as an opportunity to tell me about his MySpace relationships and then he noticed my friend looking at a little book of hip stuff. He started quoting from it to her.
We both nodded, smiled and made reassuring sounds.
I quickly paid for the book and beat a hasty retreat out of the store, bumping into my friend as I steered her towards the door.
My friend was giggling at my reaction.
Friend: Your new friend is probably sorry to see you go. Me: Yeah, that didn't go the way I'd hoped.
Friend: He thinks you are very hip. Me: I was going for weird. I suppose I could have ended everything by just saying "Yes the cover is interesting" but no - I decided to go for the absurd. Friend: It happens.
Me: Sometimes I can't help myself. I like to explore the theater of the awkward. I'm having that kind of day. Friend: You can't always weird people out. Me: I guess.
Friend: Things were going so well, then he just overstepped. Me: That's the part that is intriguing. What takes it from pleasant to awkward so quickly? Friend: I don't think he was interested in us. He was just kind of bored.
Me: And weird. I hate when theater of the awkward blows back at me. Friend: I suppose it is part of the job. Me: Sometimes I have to suffer for my art.
If you read The Big Red Blog but don't listen to the Big Red Podcast, this might be a good time to take a listen. It's been a big year for pop culture from season finales, summer films, what all this "Big Red" nonsense is about, Derek's secret identity, Deeps' nerd specialties, a big writers' strike and of course a new addition to our family - the Wii.
It was also the year we forced Derek to read a book. I know!
We're wrapping up 2007 in style with the Big Red Film festival, a year in review and possibly some kind of bare-knuckle brawl.
The Big Red Film fest kicks off on Sunday with The Thin Man and each week in December we'll review another classic film from our awesome DVD collection. The Steve McQueen masterpiece Bullitt is up for week two and I'm happy to report that Cemetary Man, an odd little film starring a young Rupert Everett, is on deck for week three.
The Year in Review edition is scheduled for the week of December 16 - assuming Derek makes his notes. I did give the fellas more notice this year, but they aren't always prepared. Luckily, lack of preparation has never stopped Deeps for sharing his thoughts.
And I can only imagine that this year we'll have ourselves a very Dexter Christmas again this year by doing an in-depth analysis of the second season of the Showtime original series.
Tell your friends, load the player, lock your doors - we promise 2007 will go out with a bang and not a whimper.
Subscribe to the podcast with iTunes or your favorite podcatcher.
Massachusetts has offered up a very generous tax credit to movie productions and so we've seen a lot of action around Boston lately.
I work in a very scenic and historic part of the city near Copley Square. During a normal day I navigate around tourists, shoppers, office workers, pigeons, squirrels, the guy who feeds the ducks, the occasional cop on horseback and a herd of child-care givers with double-wide strollers.
Now I have to get around film crews, craft services and clumps of lookie-loos and extras. Hurray!
A few of my friends live in LA and remind me that they have to deal with film shoots all the time. I pointed out they have better weather, better tacos and my personal favorite, palm trees.
My foot commute is altered a little to avoid klieg lights - and that's fine with me. Change is good. I haven't spotted any celebrities yet. At this point, I'm not surprised. With the onset of winter, we're all bundled up. I could walk by Whitey Bulger and not know it.
But I'll be on the look-out for Morgan Freeman or Christopher Walken over the next couple of weeks. I think Cameron Diaz is hanging around too. And I hear Bruce Willis is due in town sometime in February. I hope someone packs his mittens.
My non-denominational holiday totem went up earlier this weekend in a flurry of purple, ugly, and baking. Friends came over, we ate cookies, we dance and danced and possibly revolved. A baby slept, the cat hid and all was merry and bright.
But like with all beautiful and misunderstood things, tragedy would eventually strike.
The coffee table was moved out of the living room, temporarily, to the hallway by the closet. The tree sat atop the table while we rocked out in the living room. Seriously - you need room for the over 30 set with the Dance Dance Revolution.
After everyone left, Deeps decided to take out the trash which required shoes which were in the closet blocked by the table with the tree. He pushed the table aside and the tree toppled over onto the carpet.
He righted the tree, pushed again, and toppled the tree onto the hardwood floor - ornaments shattered along with my glittery, purple dreams.
I looked at the tree and glanced up to the beloved, but clumsy mathematician I married. How can one man be so smart but do something so stupid - twice?
Deeps looked stricken. He knew what I was thinking. We cleaned up the mess, I laughed a little, trying not to reveal my deep and weird affection for the ugly tree.
The ornaments are gone now. The tree has been packed away again. Deeps pleaded that we give the tree another shot - that he'd be careful. But I faced the facts - my wobbly tree was likely to be taken out again a cat, a guest or again by my husband. I couldn't face more ornamental destruction.
Maybe next year we'll get a real tree. For now, I'm content with some favorite ornaments in a big glass jar, the soft glow of the television and my husband dances, dances and revolves for my delight.
Plus - he does the laundry, and that makes most clumsy things he does very forgivable.
I baked cookies and erected a tree that invokes reactions like "Is that your Christmas tree?" and "Did you lose a bet?" and more importantly "How many cats do you have again?"
Call it hideous. Call it ugly. Call it a mistake, but I love it.
This week Deeps, Derek and I wonder what will happen to Doakes and Dexter - plus I overshare my reaction to Lundy's heiny; I force Derek to face the horror that is Heroes; we determine that Deeps is dead inside because he is still unmoved by this week's fantastic episode of Chuck; enjoy catsuits and girlventures on Pushing Daisies; and Derek tells us what it takes to get fired from Torchwood and hired by House.
Plus I announce the second selection for the Big Red Film Festival - Bullitt starring Steve McQueen for episode 61. The festival starts next week with episode 60's entry, The Thin Man starring William Powell and Myrna Loy.
Feel free to watch the movie and send us your thoughts by Sunday, Dec. 9 at 10 AM (Eastern Time) and we'll include them in our discussion on the podcast!
Tomorrow I'm waiting at home for a delivery - boring! So I thought this would be a good opportunity to get my baking on.
I really thought Deeps would step up over Thanksgiving to bake me some biscotti. Didn't happen. But with gentle coaxing from me - I think he's up for some hot oven action.
That sounds dirty.
Anyway, we're planning on doing some fun holiday baking to remind our neighbors that we are still around and to not hate us when we don't rake our leaves in a timely manner.
Plus it is easier to lure friends over with the promise of fresh baked goods. Actually, they call to invite themselves over to play with the Wii - but whatever. I still have friends.
Earlier this week I picked up a loaf of some kind of organic wheat bread from Trader Joe's. I've noticed something a little strange about it. It doesn't really toast.
Me: Do you think there is something wrong with the toaster? This bread doesn't really change color when you toast it. Deeps: Does it toast? Is the texture different? Me: A little. Deeps: Interesting. When I made toast with the other bread it worked fine. Me: I think it is the bread. It's too dense or something. Deeps: Maybe it is untoastable because it is organic and good for you. Me: That's probably wrong. Deeps: Like Pop Tarts. They don't really toast. They just get hot. Me: You're thinking is probably flawed. Deeps: This could change everything.
A few weeks ago, the much heralded and beloved, David Armano, was in town for business.
David and I worked together about ten years - as I had to remind him - back in Chicago. I think I last saw him when Deeps and I got married. As I am an old, married lady now - it's been a while.
Scott Monty organized a meet-up for those who wanted to get up close to the Great One. I just wanted to see my old drinking buddy.
Everyone chatted, we had a great time and sucked down some pumpkin beers. When the evening wound down, I walked down the street with David back to his hotel. Deeps and I had arranged for a pick me up nearby. Someone has to work late on secret projects. It doesn't always have to be me.
Anyway, we chatted on the sidewalk, marveling at the oddness of the the urban canyons around Kendall square. Somehow we ended up at the wrong hotel, which was confirmed when we spoke with the clerk at the front desk.
As we walked out of the building, a man paused briefly and said, "Hi David."
David smiled and said hello and we walked on.
I asked David who the guy was. He didn't know.
I suggested that perhaps the guy might be attending the same event he was. Or he was a stalker.
David thought it was strange that someone he didn't know, in a city where he doesn't live, might know him. I suggested that David hasn't looked at his Web site lately.
This week Derek, Deeps and I talk about all the talents on display in Pushing Daisies, what the heck happened to Torchwood, and why Heroes is a frustrating show. Plus we offer up our suggestions on the Sweepiest Moment of the Week and Derek tells us about Moonlight.
Then I unveil the first selection in the Big Red Film Festival - starting with episode 60 on December 9: The Thin Man starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. It is possibly my favorite movie ever made. Feel free to watch the movie and send us your thoughts by Sunday, Dec. 9 at 10 AM (Eastern Time) and we'll include them in our discussion on the podcast!
We're about to head into a second round of turkey - leftover from earlier today - and I thought this would be a good time to start thinking about tomorrow. Will my pants still fit? Will Deeps and I be able to leave the house or will we need the jaws of life to squeeze out the door?
You know - the little things.
One thing we've talked a bit about is whether or not we need to do any holiday shopping. The general consensus was no - but I thought I'd share a little tip in light of a recent trip to a Buy More store.
"These things break down all the time," he assured me. "If you pay an extra $5.99 for the controller and $10.99 for the game, we'll replace them if anything happens."
I politely declined; he yammered on about how poorly made the products are.
Deeps and I beat a hasty retreat back to our car, reminded why we like shopping online and wondering about the mixed messages that Buy More is sending us. What is the incentive to keep your stock clean, intact and functional?
Since I went home for Lyssmas last week, Deeps and I are celebrating Thanksgiving in style. We have secured a small stuffed turkey breast, a pumpkin tart, and some delicious veggies.
We opted not to celebrate with friends so that we might be able to hang together at home, snuggled up, sipping cocoa and killing zombies.
The Wiimotes are packed with fresh batteries and we're ready to fight off monsters, zombies, and angry Luigis. Already today I've battled an angry centipede.
And we've made a rough itinerary of movies to see between now and Sunday. I don't want to make you all jealous, dear readers, but does this not sound like the greatest Thanksgiving weekend ever?
I mentioned the pie right?
Happy Thanksgiving! Check back for updates through the weekend and if you're up for a long drive to Grandma's house, try out the Big Red Podcast. Some of us say very smart things about popular culture - and others of us talk about hair.
Deeps and I are having a relaxed and quiet Thanksgiving at home. Just us, the cat, and the Wii. We hear there might be snow.
Normally I'd go for Thanksgiving in a box - but since it is just us, I figured I'd go smaller - less than a 30 pound bird. I think we can still feel full on less than 15 pounds of turkey. Each.
Deeps might bake this year. This is about the time of year when he gets intrigued by baking complicated stuff. I think it appeals to the scientist in him. His kitchen creations live somewhere between Good Eats and Mythbusters.
I can only hope whatever he comes up with is delicious. And doesn't explode.
This week Deeps, Derek and I try to wrap our heads around Dexter, we explore Michael Scott's journey of self-discovery on The Office, we admire Chi McBride's wardrobe on Pushing Daisies, and we complain about Heroes. Then I introduce the world to Lyssmas and complain about kids.
Plus Derek offers up the sweepiest moment of the week and I share a bit about my experiences at HorrorHound Weekend with Night of the Living Podcast. And I review two movies!
Back from a lovely visit to Indiana. Deeps and the cat kept the home fires burning while I celebrated Lyssmas in style. Crocs were given, $20 was handed out and a kid stuck her hand in my mouth. Overall, I'd say it was a good - if exhausting - trip.
I've been told I have filled the DVR to 97% capacity and I've got some stuff to watch. But we'll record tomorrow night and I'll be sure to share exciting stories of children, horror conventions and podcasters.
The strike has lasted a little over a week and there is no end in sight. Let's hope people get back to the negotiation table soon and get back to important stuff - like talking about my hair.
This week Derek, Deeps and I try to get inside Dexter's head, we question the wisdom of Green week on NBC, we talk Sweeps, and then we try make sense of the Writers' Strike.
Plus we go over listener mail from Jens and Jon, my brush with Tim Goodman, and my dreams of fame.
It's starting to get a little chilly 'round these parts. That's pretty typical for New England this time of year.
Last night Deeps was sorting through some winter gear - gloves, hats, and scarves - when he noticed that his "favorite scarf" was a mess of holes and tears.
Deeps: It looks like something ate it. Me: What? Are the others eaten? Deeps: Just mine.
I pulled out the little storage baskets holding our stuff and noticed a couple of dead moths behind them. Eww.
Me: I guess a moth ate your scarf. Deeps: We should have used mothballs. Me: No. Deeps: It would have saved my scarf. Me: But we'd have smelled like mothballs. That is totally unacceptable. Besides, who has stuff eaten by moths anymore? Is this Dickensian England? Deeps: I really liked that scarf.
I'm going to hear about this for a while. But there will be no mothballs. Cedar balls, lavender oil, whatever - no mothballs. The smell... Our marriage couldn't take it.
Actually, this post is more about how you shouldn't talk to famous people.
Last week I had the unique opportunity to see Salman Rushdie give a talk about writing at the Boston Public Library. He spoke for about an hour and discussed political writing, religion, freedom of expression, and the role of the novel in the modern world.
I'm a big fan of Rushdie's work. I haven't read all of his novels, but I try to read one a year - they are so dense and fantastic that I really take my time with them. I luxuriate in them and take weeks to finish. The man is a genius – I don’t use that term lightly here - and I admire his work a great deal.
But back to the library….
The room was packed. I noted several students talking about having to read Rushdie for a class. I sat next to a very cute, elderly couple. She was working on sudoku and he was doing a crossword puzzle before the talk began.
On my other side a very well-dressed business man fidgeted with his expensive watch. I heard him mention to his friend, another well-appointed gentleman, that he had never read any of Rushdie's work. The friend confessed he hadn't either.
Someone nearby was wearing way too much cologne. I surreptitiously breathed through my mouth, sometimes digging my nose into my shoulder.
After Rushdie spoke, he offered to hang around for a few more minutes to answer some questions. Rushdie was fighting a cold and I thought it was rather generous to offer to spend more time talking when clearly wasn't that well.
The first question was a brief one about religion. Rushdie offered a clear, cogent argument for his position while being charming and funny.
The next question was from a man who started by saying something along the lines of "I too have been the victim of persecution. A fatwa, if you will....." then the guy rambled for another minute about his own works, plugging a book and alluding to an appearance in several well-known magazines.
Everyone slumped into their seats as soon as they realized a rambler had gotten a hold of the microphone and it appeared little could be done to shut him up. Finally, the man next to me - fancy watch - decided he'd had enough and started to shout down the blowhard. A few other audience members rumbled their agreement.
Rushdie finally was able to break in and noted "I didn't hear a question, but I'll find one anyway..." and talked about freedom of speech and expression in the US and UK.
I suppose the irony was lost on fancy watch - trying to shut up someone at a talk that covered communication and the first amendment. But then again, fancy watch was well within his rights to express his views.
Boorishness is protected by the first amendment, but it doesn't mean we have to listen to it.
This week Derek, Deeps and I analyze Halloween, think about what the Writers' Strike might mean for our televisions, and start to digest November Sweeps including finer things on The Office, tiny secrets on Pushing Daisies, trust issues on Chuck and Reaper, and the problem with anger on Dexter.
Plus I offer that we made very interesting observations about Heroes way back in episode 33. Listen to the first 15 minutes of that episode and I'll tell you all of our fears were totally founded.
Then Derek and I fight! I know!
A programming note, episode 57 will be delayed by a day and will go up on the evening of Monday, November 19.
Did you miss episode 54 of the The Big Red Podcast? It was good, if I say so myself. We were on fire with our thoughtful, interesting and sometimes funny analysis of your favorite shows like Heroes, Dexter, and Chuck. Plus I threw in a book review. I bring it every week!
Looks like Noel is kind of moving our way. Doesn't look like a direct hit or anything dangerous, just a very rainy weekend.
That's too bad, the leaves are starting to turn here in Boston and some of the trees in our backyard show no sign of change. Nothing like a good storm to take the leaves off the trees. But that's the way of nature.
So let's remember the pretty stuff.
And wait for the wind to blow the leaves into your neighbor's yard.
This is the bird, Perry. He flew over my head a few times last week and I followed him across the Public Garden to the tree where he landed.
He's pretty big, I guess he's a he - I'm not a bird expert. Anyway, he flew low over my head and despite the crowd in the park walking home, nobody else took notice. I didn't get any great pictures, but you can at least see him.
Apparently he does a little early dinner flight around the Boston Public Garden just before 5 PM. Keep an eye out, he's extremely impressive.
Last night I walked home again, Perry flew over and circled a bit. The sun was setting and the sky was pinkish gold. He caught the right ray for a moment he was brilliantly illuminated before I lost him again.
I was listening to Marketplace this week when I heard a comment about how much something cost. According to the reporter a deal was going to personally net a CEO "about a quarter of a billion dollars."
That little turn of phrase reminded me of an editorial meeting I once attended, back when I worked for a large newspaper.
Someone was making their story pitch - trying to get on the front page. I'm fuzzy on the details of the story, except for one clear bit: the cost of the project in the story was "a quarter of a billion dollars."
The editor of the paper was a tough person, inscrutable in many ways. She leaned back in her chair a little and replied, "but that's really just $250 million." Deflated, the reporter's story didn't make the front page.
So what's the difference between a quarter billion dollars and $250 million? Not a penny.
Derek returns to join me and Deeps to talk about Podcamp Boston 2, meeting cool people and riding their coattails - plus we remind Derek about stomach viruses.
Then we offer up some tiny information about how the Writers' Strike might affect the TV season; I review the latest entry in the Dexter series by Jeff Lindsay; and we talk about some of our favorite (or not so favorite) shows like How I Met Your Mother, The Office, Chuck, Scrubs, Heroes and of course, Dexter. And I throw out a suggestion for a great Halloween rental - John Frankenheimer's classic film Seconds.
I lived. I've been better. And lord knows I've looked better.
But I can keep down water and dry toast, so I will now declare victory over what I think was probably something like a norovirus.
Deeps had been sick with something he thought was food poisoning, but when I caught it after not sharing any meals with him - well... anyway, I blame him. I blame him for keeping me away from Blogtoberfest and my simple goal to meet Adam Gaffin.
Devastating.
Happily, I'm well enough - so far - that I'm able to go back to work and I will be at Podcamp this weekend.
By the way, Deeps feels very, very bad that he got me sick. I told him it was probably unavoidable - but that he could make it up to me. So I'm making a little list of jobs he can do while I'm off learning more about podcasting.
I'm sure nothing on the list will be completed, but a girl can dream.
Deeps has been under the weather. He told me had a cold and felt a little nauseous. That was two days ago, but he's a lot better. Although he made some bad food choices last night - he opted to eat leftover Indian food his mother had made.
Just a tip, if you're recovering from any kind of sour stomach - this is not a smart move.
I started to feel a little queasy while I was out running errands. By 9:00 I was starting to spend some quality time unloading the contents of my stomach. At this time, around 6:30 I've been unable to even drink water. The consequences are extremely bad. In sickness and in health indeed.
The worst night of my life? Quite possibly. I haven't been this sick since I got food poisoning from the little Greek restaurant in the Wellington stop in Chicago.
So now I silently beg for quick relief. Sleep is elusive, talking is risky, and my ribs ache. Guess my master plan didn't really pan out.
So today is the first day of the World Series. The Colorado Rockies are here to play against the Red Sox. It might rain a little. People are camped out. Everyone is focused on the big game.
That means the city is mine. Maybe not all the city - I'll skip the areas around sports bars and Fenway, but the rest of the town should be quiet and peaceful.
I can shop or park or do whatever with relative ease. You might say, isn't that easy to do on a Wednesday anyway? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But I'm going to take advantage of the lull in activity to get some errands done.
This is a little trick I learned when I was a kid - I call it the Indy 500 effect. Regular readers may recall that I grew up in Indianapolis and every May we had a really big race. People flocked into town for the event and everyone crammed into like 8 square miles of space. The rest of the city was relatively empty.
No traffic jams, no jockeying for parking position and no lines inside the mall. One year I think I did a lot of Christmas shopping.
Anyway, I've got up to seven nights to take advantage of the luxuries of time and space as the good people of New England crowd around their TV sets. I'll make the most of it.
I'm not really a dog person or a cat person. I have owned all types of animals over the years and I don't really have a strong preference. Right now I have the vicious and temperamental tabby cat called Poopus.
Sometimes when I am out on a particularly nice day, like today, I think it would be great to have a dog to take out for long walks. Today I was strolling through the Public Garden on my way to work when a giant dog bounded out from behind a tree. He was chasing a squirrel.
Soon another joined him in his merry hunt. Two more dogs appeared on the scene. They all looked strangely similar.
And they came from four different owners who marveled at the coincidence. The dogs scampered about on the grass, darting around trees.
I don't have much else to say about this except that it probably isn't news that designer dogs have invaded Beacon Hill. Maybe we should alert the NYT Styles section.
Derek is on assignment this week - or on the run. You decide.
Deeps and I talk about Dexter, Heroes, Mad Men, the new series Samantha Who?, what Pushing Daisies can learn from Ugly Betty, the final one hour episode of The Office, and our weekly showdown between Chuck and Reaper.
Plus we're getting ready for Podcamp Boston 2. Can you feel the excitement?
This year's Podcamp Boston will be more awesome than last year's - if for no other reason than because Derek and I will be attending.
So if you're going to be there, keep an eye out for a tall fellow and his short, redhaired companion. Also - we'll be wearing t-shirts that say Big Red Podcast on them. Derek loves conventions. I love name badges. See how this works out?
Deeps, aka my husband, life and podcast partner, refuses to attend for reasons that are unknown. Well, they're known to me - sometimes he's a crank. Plus I think he wants to master Wii Golf. He'll be missed.
We're also going to be giving away delightful and probably delicious swag. And in helping to push the agenda that pop culture is actual culture we'll be giving away some books. I have a small collection of novels I read as part of the 50 book challenge. These are some of my favorite novels, and you could get your own new, unread copy. Enjoy!
In addition, I will be at Blogtoberfest 2007 next week at the beautiful Pour House in Boston. You should say hello and then tell me how much you love the Big Red Podcast. I might be persuaded to buy you a drink!
I've tried out two products lately that I thought were impressive enough I'd actually write about them in the blog.
So I don't get paid for this. Nobody approached me, I'm not an expert - I've just used these two products under normal conditions. Is that disclaimer-y enough?
First up: L'Oreal Bare Naturale mineral make-up. Basically, it's like a powdery foundation that you apply with a brush. I like it because it has SPF 15, which is essential for me, and because with a bit of practice I found it very easy to use. I'm not a big fan of foundation. As I get older I do appreciate a little extra smooth coverage, but usually it's just too much.
I needed to practice applying it a few times - it can be a little messy until you get the hang of it. It didn't take me long to get a light application, the way I prefer, with minimal mess. My skin looks even, which it naturally is under most circumstances, but there are times when we could all use a little extra help. I often only wear foundation make-up for weddings or big events. But this stuff is so light and applies so quickly that I've integrated it into my morning routine.
I bought mine for about $11 at Target.
My other product is Pureology Hydrate shampoo and conditioner. I first tried it about nine months ago when my hair lady mentioned it to me at the salon. I don't normally go in for the shampoo upsell, but since I color my hair I have noticed that some shampoos preserve the color better than others.
In fact, I tried another type of fancy shampoo/conditioner when I ran out of Pureology and hated it with a white hot passion. Red hair color is hard to maintain because you get roots and the ends of your hair fade pretty quickly. I don't think this is as big a problem for blonde or brunette. Anyway, the Pureology stuff seems to keep all my hair the closer to the red I leave the salon with. Plus the conditioner (sold separately for about $22) is really nice and gives you a nice tingly scalp.
Now this stuff is more expensive, I think I paid about $25 at Target for the shampoo. But it lasts me a while. A little goes a long way and I do have a lot of hair. So there you have it, I have used two products that I liked enough I figured I'd tell my internet friends.
The other information you can infer is that I'm watching so much TV for the podcast that I don't have other fun stories to share with you. I'm working on it!
I listen to the PRI podcasts for Marketplace a day after they air - last night while walking to the T I listened to Monday's podcast.
Near the end of the episode I heard a funny piece from Sandra Tsing Loh about shady Halloween stores. While hunting for a costume for her 2nd grader she mentioned that many of the displays in those places are graphic and freaked out her kids.
I chuckled a bit and thought nothing more of it.
Then around 11:15 last night, minutes after I fell asleep, I awoke to the sound of screaming. My screaming. Apparently I'd had one of those weird, brief nightmares where I'm not so out that I can't still move around. I was sitting up, swinging at the imaginary skeleton that was hanging over my bed. The skeleton looked like the type Tsing Loh described in her piece.
Clearly I was working through some issues with Public Radio and Halloween.
Deeps raced up the stairs to find me laughing at my stupid dream.
Me: It was just a nightmare. Deeps: You're okay? Me: Yeah. And don't worry. Whatever it was, I was punching the hell out of it anyway. Deeps: When I come to bed, I'm going to announce it so you don't punch me. Me: That's probably a good idea.
Yesterday I pitched a solution to my family for a new holiday celebration called LyssMas.
See, they live in the midwest and I live in the Boston area. Every year I fly out for Christmas and things are nuts. I'm the only one who has to fly and since several members of the family haven't flown for a while, they've forgotten how horrific it can be.
Holidays + stress + airline delays x the TSA = enormous pain in the heiny. Desperate times call for creative solutions and that's how I came up with LyssMas.
LyssMas is a four-day holiday sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I haven't discovered all the fun, cultural traditions yet - like do we have Turkey or Ham or maybe enchiladas.
I'm really hoping for enchiladas.
Anyway, I think the other good thing about LyssMas is that I don't have to shop for the holidays. I just hand out $20 bills and dental floss. Flossing is important. This is a win/win situation for me - I can fly during a less stressful time, I catch up with the family, and I get to remind people about important dental care.
Look - we didn't mean to be angry. But some TV disappointed us a little bit this week. Some shows are on probation, some shows have been dumped altogether.
But it wasn't all doom and gloom. We still liked Ugly Betty, Supernatural, Pushing Daisies and Chuck. Plus we belatedly take a look at Women's Murder Club and reconsider Carpoolers.
Others are voting about health care for children or whatever. But let's focus on what is important: What shows should we be sure to cover for the Big Red Podcast?
Last week I made our very first poll for the podcast. (That's why I made it look weird!)
Anyway, take a look at the list of new series and be sure to vote. Your votes will help us determine what shows we should cover in the podcast. Otherwise, it's all Painkiller Jane all the time. 'Cause that's what Derek likes.
More polls will happen in the future. If I don't mess them up.
Every year television executives throw up some horrific shows for us to watch and every year we have to endure some truly awful stuff. Because we’re smart, awesome and feeling a bit magnanimous we’ve offered up some suggestions for how to fix some shows.
This week we’ve decided to figure out how to fix Moonlight, a show we savaged in episode 50. It’s a bonus episode! Sure, it probably should not be saved, but like I said we’re magnanimous.
And that’s the word of the day! Live it, love it, use it.
Last week I wrangled an invitation to brunch with some other bloggers - some I know virtually, some I've met in person before, and some I've met for the first time. They are a brain trust and if I'd had more time, I'd have picked their brains on lots of topics. But I had to insulate the basement.
Sure, it was 80 degrees on Saturday but winter could show up any time. I can never forget that we live in New England. The Red Sox t-shirts are another reminder.
Anyway, brunch was great and I had a fantastic time. Usually we record our podcast on Sunday after we have brunch. Our brunches at home are pretty lavish, but Henrietta's Table is positively obscene. I think it's easy to say that you could eat yourself into oblivion at such a spread - what a way to go.
So who'd I meet? Well I met Lisa, Len, C.C. and Jeremiah for the first time. And I got to see John and Jenny after meeting them for the first time at last year's Blogtoberfest. By the way, if you're in the area in a few weeks you should check out the event. The Big Red Podcast is a sponsor, so you know it is quality.
What a great group of people. I don't usually try to crash in on events - especially when I don't really know people that well. But after listening to podcasts and reading blogs of some of the group for a while I didn't feel like these people were really strangers. It was pretty easy to push myself a bit outside of my comfort zone. I'm glad I did - the waffles and conversation were worth it.
Last week we had a little cliffhanger on episode 50 of the Big Red Podcast. This week we resolve it and quickly move on to new stuff like Pushing Daisies and the sustainability of whimsy; most improved second episode; hair and underwear; and of course what shows are on probation.
Plus we talk about a bunch of other shows and try to keep closer to 30 minutes. We did it in 39 - which is good considering how much we talk about. Oh and I make an argument for wacky. And did I mention there's a poll? Go answer it!
Podcast Pal, fellow TV watcher and my husband - Deeps - would like to remind you that Friday Night Lights comes back tonight on NBC. He's a big fan. I'm giving it a shot. He was right about Ugly Betty.
I'm not a big baseball fan. I've lived in two big American cities - Chicago and Boston - with incredibly dedicated and frustrated fans.
A couple of days ago was the first big playoff game for the Sox. As I made my way home I encountered dozens of fans. Their dead-eyed, grim determination was overwhelming as they pushed past bodily and in vehicles.
You don't look like you're having fun. Your team won the Division Title, they are doing well in the playoffs. Enjoy yourself a little. I promise, I won't tell.
Yesterday I was riding the T, minding my own business when lovely woman sitting near me gently tapped by arm.
In very hushed tones she asked if I color my hair. Of course I do. God, this red hair doesn't just grow in.
Anyway, after some careful negotiations I gave her the name of my salon and the name of my hair stylist. She's going for the same red I have.
A couple of weeks ago we were at the grocery store check-out. A cashier from a few aisles over approached to ask me about my hair. She wanted the name of the color, any information, if I had it.
Usually these encounters happen when I'm washing my hands in the ladies room (or worse, waiting in line at the loo). I'm surprised every time.
Looking back, I'm not sure if it was a good idea to give the lady on the train my hair information. Can you use that to steal someone's identity? Probably not.
At the end of the summer we look at the list of projects we wanted to do and see how we fared. And we check to see if there is anything more we'd like to get finished before winter.
We were talking about putting in a new storm door when I raised a topic that's been bugging me for a few days.
Me: The toilet has been making weird sounds for a while. Deeps: Oh yeah? Me: It gurgles and glugs. Deeps: It's always done that. Me: I don't think it's supposed to be so noisy. Deeps: I don't know if it's a big deal. Me: I think the toilet might be haunted. Deeps: I don't think so. Me: It's unhappy and wants to make itself heard. Heed my warning! The toilet is haunted. Deeps: I can try to fix it. Me: That's all I want. Deeps: That reminds me, we should pick up Halloween candy soon.
It's Fall, so squirrels are getting ready for winter. I thought they collected acorns, but this photo reveals that perhaps they have a more sophisticated palette.
To help mark the first year of the podcast and the milestone that is Episode 50 - Derek decided to... go visit friends in Jersey?
What the H, Derek?
Whatever. We made due. Deeps and I blazed through almost an entire fall TV season in one hour. New shows and returning favorites are included. Sorry it's so long (over an hour).
That's what she said!
Anyway, we covered shows that aired this week thematically. So, in rough order, we discussed the following shows:
If things are a little slow today and you're looking for some casual diversion, might I suggest the latest episodes of The Big Red Podcast?
Episode 49 covers the first part of the multi-part Fall TV Preview. And then I threw in a bonus episode that wraps up summer TV.
And we're doing it again on Sunday. That's right. We'll have pancakes and notes and maybe smoothies if Derek plays his cards right. And despite any rumors you may have heard, I haven't fired Deeps from the 'cast.
We're having a little heat wave here in Beantown. Yesterday I think it was about 90, same for today.
Last week we were discussing how cold it was and whether or not we'd have to turn on the heat.
Thanks, weather! I realized it's fall because the laundry hamper seems a little extra heavy with all these layers you peel off during the course of the day. And then of course there's the entry to the house. We have a little bench with hooks above it. The hooks are jam packed with various and sundry jackets we've pulled out in desperation over the past few weeks.
The only downside to the heat is that we're running the AC while watching the new fall line-ups. Last night I think Deeps and I might have been yelling over the TV and the AC to be heard. Sorry neighbors.
I don't mind the heat because it gives me one more excuse to see a man about some frogurt. Is 7 AM too early to think about frogurt?
We crammed a lot of previews into our first of two episodes this week. (There'll be a bonus cast that also wraps up the summer TV series we've followed).
For those who care, episode 49 of The Big Red Podcast is on deck for this weekend. Deeps, Derek and I have been racing to watch as much new stuff as possible so that we might focus on returning shows for episode 50. See how nicely that works out?
And I think we might have a review of an Errol Morris film. I can't say for certain because certain members of the household are asleep and can't tell me if they are ready to discuss the film.
Plus I found the pilot for Big Bang Theory on iTunes. And we watched Chuck, Life and Journeyman on NBC's On Demand sneak peek. I'm sure there is something else....
We're going long this week, dear listeners. That's what she said.
I can always count on my hair stylist (I call her hair lady) for two things. First, she always gives me a fantastic cut and second she reminds me that I'm moving closer to middle age with each passing day.
She was going on and on about her little kittens - she's in love - when a woman walked from the changing area with her special salon robe. She passed a large table piled high with magazines and knocked one over. Like dominoes, the magazines tumbled to the floor.
After replacing all the magazines rather precariously she backed away. But the crash was repeated a few times. I identified the culprit - September's Vogue magazine.
Me: The September Vogue is so huge it's knocking everything off the table. Hair Lady: I know, it's really enormous. Me: It reminds me of the Sears catalog at Christmas. HL: The what? Me: My mom always got a big Sears catalog around the holidays. My sister and I would sneak it away and make a giant Christmas list from it. HL: Like the IKEA catalog? Me: You never had a Sears catalog as a child? HL: I heard about it. Me: I'm not that much older than you!
And she was totally humoring me with the whole "I heard about it" business.
I still tipped her anyway. She gave me an excellent scalp massage.
As you may know, we - team podcast - try to cover a lot of pop culture every week. This week shows pick up again on Fox, The CW and a few things turn up on CBS.
I, of course, made my semi-monthly pilgrimage to the hair salon to prepare. And Deeps is on fire recording stuff.
We're hoping Derek has Gossip Girl covered. He's a 12-year-old girl at heart sometimes.
So the next episode, #49, is going to be chock-full of new television including some not-yet-aired pilots. Does that tease you enough?
I've forgotten what it is like to have to keep up with so much TV. I'm drinking a lot of water, I've been doing crunches and I'm running like four miles a day. I'm going the distance for you.
And I watched Back to You. That's how much I'm dedicated. And if you didn't see that show, well... you'll really never know.
But just for one afternoon. We went swimming in the morning, just off the coast of Cape Cod and I was well protected with my SPF 45. But I forgot to throw some sunscreen in my v-neck t-shirt area. And after about an hour of mini golf I had a big red V on my chest.
Whoops!
Anyway, we're back from our first beach vacation. We rented a house near the beach with a couple of friends. Of course renting a house a week after Labor Day saved us a lot of money, but it also made us very aware how quickly September can turn on you. We still swam a couple of times. But I won't lie - it was pretty cold. Still, I'm tough. But you already knew that.
And we got a taste of what it is like to be retired. Apparently we were experiencing "elder" summer, when the over 65 set rolls onto the Cape in style - coach bus style. The nice part was we never had to wait for a table when we showed up to dinner at 7 or 7:30. Thank you early birds!
Anyway, I'm still trying to process photos and deal with mail and catch up on life. But I'm back and we even got a podcast up. I'll try to think of something pithy in the meantime.
I saw the film crew on Commonwealth Ave yesterday, maybe there is some good fodder there. I'm off for observational adventures!
Derek returns to join me and Deeps to discuss the end of summer shows like Saving Grace, Burn Notice, and Doctor Who. And we preview the new fall season including Torchwood on BBC America and we get a sneak peek at Bionic Woman.
But I am taking a short break to enjoy the last of the nice summer weather and to have a few exciting adventures. You'll hear about it later.
Until then, explore more than five years of archives and 40+ episodes of The Big Red Podcast, America's favorite pop culture podcast. We'll be back on Monday - or maybe sooner.
Deeps was brave enough to watch the voyeuristic drama. I am less brave. I can't face the possibility of a naked David Selby. As a kid I loved to hate him on Falcon Crest!
Okay - it was in the forties last night. Well, not that close to me. But it was on the map during the weather segment on the news.
Buses are everywhere. School is back in session. That means one thing - I've had to say good-bye to my summer crush.
Las year's summer crush was chocolate almond frogurt. Mmm....delicious.
This year I say farewell to Flight of the Conchords until next summer. I think they were my favorites. It took me a couple of episodes to warm to them, but now I'm wandering around humming The Robot song.
And maybe I watch some episodes on the iPod and chuckle quietly to myself. On the bus. It scares people.
You can hear more about other summer loves on The Big Red Podcast. And over the next few weeks we'll start to attack the new fall TV season. It's pretty daunting since we have, you know, jobs and stuff. But we're on it. If you've got any special requests - I'll take them.
Seriously. Are you still not listening the Podcast? It's not half-bad. We've gotten much better. We have notes, we do a little preparation and we do one bit of research each week. Take that NPR!
I know you're busy with the kids, the husband, the cat, and the daily adventures in motherhood. But I hope you were able to take a moment and reflect on just how good you have it.
Feeling all warm and fuzzy? Good. Now I'll top that off with a delicious dose of Flight of the Conchords. I know you don't have the HBO, so enjoy this little tidbit. It doesn't really need context, does it?
Uhm - make sure the kids are out of the room.
(By the way, I would disagree with the part about there being nothing good on TV on Wednesday night. But then again I guess that's what the DVR is for.)
You're very busy with the family - so you can't keep up on all the current pop culture stuff. That's what I'm here for. I keep you shallow and ungrounded.
Enjoy the day and I hope you got some decent cake. As I recall, you'll also accept a Twinkie.
We're winding down the summer. The surest sign of this fact is the back-to-school onslaught we're experiencing.
Living near some of the finest institutions of higher learning in the country has benefits: awesome used bookstores, cheap eats, famous people drop by to sign books, and a great old movie theater. But the downside is the first month or so when everyone is readjusting to school life or worse, facing it for the first time. I call them Freshmen.
We also talk about the penultimate episode of the first season of Flight of the Conchords. We talk about getting stupid on Eureka, being a big baby on Mad Men, and getting in touch with your inner jerk on Californication. Yes, somebody actually watched a third episode of that show.
America has really been clamoring for that last one.
Anyway, I spotted The Women shooting while I walked home from the office a couple of days ago. Yesterday I was waiting in line to buy some yogurt at a little market on Charles St. when I overheard a well-dressed couple behind me discussing the action in the neighborhood.
She: I saw them shooting. I didn't see Meg Ryan. He: What were they shooting? She: Something on Newbury St. Except they had yellow cabs outside that said New York. He: Really? So they are shooting Boston for New York. She: I think so. That is just too bad. He: I hate when they do that. That's just terrible. She: It ruins the movie.
The 1939 version of The Women is a George Cukor classic about women, class, sex, and love. It's campy, it's funny, it's melodramatic, it has Joan Crawford.
Do you know who is playing the Joan Crawford - America's most terrifying actress - role in the update?
Eva Mendes.
If the movie is bad, I hardly think it will be the fault of shooting Boston for New York.
Saturday it was around a million degrees, so we headed out to the local cinema to escape the heat.
I suggested that we see Death at a Funeral since I'd read it was fairly decent.
The movie is okay - I called it the British version of Superbad but with older folks.
Anyway, the point of my story is that this is the third weekend in the past month where we attended a movie with lots of chatters. But they weren't surly teen chatters, they were middle aged and senior chatters with unruly guts.
Death at a Funeral is a quiet film, despite being a "mad cap comedy" - there isn't a lot of loud incidental music or sound effects. So during the quiet times we were treated to the delicious cinematic analysis of our fellow film-goers.
This happened when we saw the restored version of The Long Goodbye several weeks ago and then when we saw Once just a couple weeks back. A herd of older ladies rolled in and chatted through the entire film.
Maybe people forget they aren't at home. Maybe they just wanted to escape the heat. Maybe they didn't notice they were in a movie theater.
Or maybe I'm just being ageist - apparently the AARP set can be just as clueless and inconsiderate in public as the rest of us.
This week Derek, Deeps and I discuss Flight of the Conchords, the third episode of Flash Gordon (Derek says it is "getting better"), the second episode of Californication, exile and lipstick on Mad Men, and functional drunks. Then we get kind of spoilery on the Jekyll finale - so be warned!
On Friday night we decided to walk to dinner. It was a nice evening, the weather sun was low in the sky and we strolled through the neighborhood towards delicious vittles.
We were only a few blocks from our house when we heard this kind of unusual sound.
Deeps: What's that? Me: Birds? Deeps: Is someone crying? Me: Maybe an animal is injured?
We walked ahead and discovered balloons and banners noting a High School Musical party at someone's house. The sound we heard was young girls singing along to HSM, anxiously awaiting the debut of HSM2.
Deeps: So that is the sound of teenage girls singing? Me: I think they might be pre-teens. When you're actually in High School you're not interested in High School-oriented pop culture. Deeps: What? Me: I call it the Seventeen effect. You don't read Seventeen magazine when you're actually 17. You read it when you're like... 12 because you aspire to be older. Deeps: Wow. Girls have complicated lives. Me: Tell me something I don't know.
This morning I made a terrible discovery while watering my little veggie patch - the groundhog, aka Hoggy, likes tomatoes.
I found several big red tomatoes, ready for picking and still on the vine, partially eaten. Hoggy has bothered with my bell or jalapeno peppers. But the tomatoes are toast - bruschetta perhaps?
Anyway, I've got to start waging my war against Hoggy. I thought we could co-exist peacefully - with my cat staring at him through the window as he sunned himself in the yard. He could eat my hostas, but the tomatoes are off limits.
And so it begins. Let loose the dogs (or cats) of war. I gotta find some mothballs... and maybe Bill Murray.
But luckily, I was awakened by the dulcet tones of a jackhammer. And then another jackhammer. And then the sounds of dudes yelling over the jackhammer.
Ah - the death throes of summer construction. How I love thee so. Just another reason why I think August is the greatest month of the year.
Did you listen to all the Big Red Podcasts this week?
I don't think so.
First we had our usual podcast where we covered the new Flash Gordon show, more on Mad Men, and why I love Flight of the Conchords. You can listen to Episode 43 here.
AND! If that wasn't enough you can listen to the Harry Potter spoilercast today as well. We talk about the latest book, the entire series, the movies and the future. If you've finished the books, you might want a little bit of discussion. Note that I didn't say "thoughtful" discussion.
This morning we were driving to work - well, Deeps was giving me a courtesy drop-off closer to the train station on his way to work.
We were having a very pleasant morning. We chatted a bit about the day and we approached a big intersection. A few bicyclists rode past us and we gave them some space at the red light.
It had been red for a few moments and we slowly rolled to a stop.
Then a big thud jostled us both.
A lady had hit us from behind. If she'd hit us much harder, she'd have pushed us into the cyclists.
I might have busted out something like, "Oh my goodness gracious me!" - or WTF!. I can't be sure. Deeps and I turned to look at the woman behind us. She just did a little shoulder shrug like "whoops." She didn't get out of the car.
She didn't hit us very hard, but she did hit us. We quickly popped out of the car to assess any damage. There wasn't any. Bumpers are for bumping, we reminded ourselves. She never bothered to inspect the damage to her car or ours. She just waved at us - like the the prom queen.
I got back in the car with disgust, Deeps pulled away and we assessed the situation.
Deeps: I'm not even sure what to say to someone that stupid so early in the day. Me: You tell her that she shouldn't be such an irresponsible %@$#!. Deeps: I'm not going to call her that. Me: I know - that's what I'm here for. I swear for the family.
I'm hoping this won't be an annual event.The car wreck - not the swearing. That's a weekly event.
Stinkypaw @
4:12 PM
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7:22 PM
Listen to this week's episode.
