Little Bird

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Here are a couple of pictures of my very favorite turkeys:

Gobble gobble, y'all!

A Different Point Of View

Every Monday, I take a picture of the Sutro Tower from the same spot on my walk to the Coffee Bar during morning break. My shop is next the Potrero Muni building, so the sky is pretty much covered with wires and cables until I reach the end of the block. So here's something a bit different, just to shake things up. Because that's how I roll.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Happy Friday! It's been a long week, and I don't really have much to say, but here's a picture of the amazing brunch beverage I had last weekend on the way to the airport to fly back to my not-snow-covered home: Bloody Beer!

Escape (The Pina Colada Song)

Throw Back Thursday! Let's go waaaaaay back to three whole years ago:

Why yes, I DO like pina coladas! This was our first all-inclusive-resort type vacation, back in November 2011, in Cabo San Lucas. We had a great time. So great, in fact, that we're going to reprise our roles as pasty white American tourists (well, not Max...he's not pasty enough for that) and drink us some all-inclusive cocktails by the all-inclusive pools with some super awesome all-inclusive friends.

I'd Love To Change Your Name

A couple of gems from my trip to Minneapolis last weekend:

The couple in the row behind me. He was trying to teach her how to play Settlers of Catan. He honestly did not stop talking during the entire 3 1/2 hour plane trip, and she kept the Jack & Cokes coming. The more he talked, the more she drank. She got drunk and he got annoyed with her inability/lack of real desire to learn the stinking game in the first place. Hilarity ensued.

My friends' elderly cat spends most of her time sitting in an empty Costco-sized strawberry box in the kitchen. When the new neighbor passes by the kitchen window, he gets a partial view of the cat's head poking out over the top of the box. The new neighbor doesn't know her name and thusly refers to her as Strawberry Box Round Head. Of course, I now need to take pictures of every box I see on the street, text it to my friends, and affix it to the cats new moniker. For example: Pomegranate Box Round Head and Mac Fries Round Head. Hilarity ensues.

The actual Strawberry Box Round Head

Pomegranate Box Round Head?

Why not Mac Fries Round Head? Yum!

Colder

I think I may have brought some of that Minneapolis polar vortex home with me--sorry 'bout that. But it is nice and crisp outside, and a great reason to get out some cozy pajamas and puffy jackets and what not. And you know how much I like me some what not!

Keep warm, and enjoy the under 60 temps!

Sweater Weather

Happy Friday everyone! Have a great weekend! And stay warm! Please. Because I will not be capable of that.

The Cap'm

Happy Throw Back Thursday!

Halloween, 2003. And may I say, YIKES! This one goes out to my peeps in the freezing cold tundra of Minneapolis; please set out a dozen extra blankets for the weekend, and I'm gonna need whiskey. LOTS of whiskey.

My List

Hello, list lovers. Did you know that other people make lists, too? Not just me! That is so ratchet.

To find out what most of this stuff means (I'm way too old for most of this), this article explains a lot of it. Maybe Chick-fil-A isn't so bad after all? No, it totally is. Never mind.

Big Balls

I know I'm not writing much and totally phoning it in, but I'm *pretty* sure this video will make up for it. You're welcome.

Zero

Tower Monday: no tower today. I think it overslept in a fluffy blanket of fog...lucky tower.

I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)

You know what? Sometimes my kid is an asshole. Last night, he was behaving like a total jerk and was talking back like you wouldn't believe. It was about homework, and my strong opinion that he should be doing it, and his unwillingness to to do what he was fucking told to do.

After threatening to take away his Halloween candy and two of the birthday gifts he had received from friends, I calmed down and was able to focus on my inner mantra. We managed to eat dinner, brush teeth and get ready for bed without strangling each other, but it was time to look for help--consistency and and a calm demeanor are not on the Top Five Awesome Things About Me list.

So I turned to the smartest person I know: the internets.

I googled "7 year old son talks back" and clicked on a link to a discussion called "How do you deal with back talk from your kid?" And there I found the best response ever:

"I rarely have that problem because my son already know mommy don't play that."

That what I want. I want Samson to finally figure out, once and for all, that mommy don't play that.

Push out the jive, bring in the love.

Party

TBT: OK! Let's party! I may have been a year or two late, but...

Ireland, January 2007. Somewhere north of Dublin on the DART line...Howth maybe?

Got My Mind Set On You

The kiddo has been singing/humming/do-do-doo-ing Got My Mind Set On You for the last few days, says it's stuck in his head. This is excellent for many reasons, but here are the top 2:

1. Showing him the video on you tube, and having to convince him that the fella singing was, indeed, George Harrison ("but he's so old! George Harrison doesn't have grey hair!")

2. Using the awesomeness of the video to segue into the Sledgehammer video by Peter Gabriel. Honestly, I've rarely seen this kid so in awe of something, so obviously impressed. And now, of course, we have grand plans to make our own stop-motion clay-mation video. Coming attcha in 2017! 

Comfortably Numb

So, it basically went down like this. More or less:

Max: I'm getting Samson a kid-friendly Swiss army knife for his birthday.
Me: I don't know...sounds emergency room-y...
Max: Nah, this one is for kids. Says so on the package.
Me: ...errrrmmmmm...

six weeks later...

Max: Happy birthday, kiddo! Be careful with this knife. Always cut away from your self (and some other safety tips...I wasn't really paying attention)...blah blah blah...
Samson: AWESOME! You're the best, dad! Let's go cut things.
Max: Yes, let's. I love you, son.
Samson: I love you, dad.

that afternoon...

Samson: I'm going to open this box from uncle Paul with my new pocket knife!
Me: Allrighty, then. Be very careful. Cut away from yourself...
Samson: AAAAAAAAAAAH!
Me: AAAAAAAAAH!
Max: AAAAAAAAAAH!

a bit later...

Urgent care doctor #1: Sorry, our laceration specialist isn't here. Head to the urgent care across the street.
Samson, frowning: Stitches? (tears)

two hours later...

Urgent care doctor #2: It will only take me 3 or 4 pokes with this intimidating gigantic needle to numb your thumb. Then, I can sew it closed with this even more intimidating gigantic-er needle. Don't move. No. really, please stop squirming.



Well, you get the idea. This will help us earn our umpteenth Parent of the Year award. Clearly.

During the first of three numbing shots. That look is one of extreme distress that will be spoken of for many years to come.

Unhappy Birthday

Here's your Monday tower:

That should hold you over until I a get a chance to write about the fun-turned-gruesome birthday of my now 7 year old kid. Spoiler alert: