The Sandwich Life

Random Notes from the Sandwich Life

1. I got the biggest treat yesterday afternoon....I think I've written about my friends Jim and Diana before....Jim is the antique dealer I had a crush on when I was twelve and reminds me of Kieran Kane.... Diana is his wife---wonderful, funny and kind....anyway Diana was in town for a high school reunion and she and her sister (whom I had never met but was equally wonderful and good lord the woman raised five sons...) drove to C-U to see their old collegiate stomping grounds and kindly made time to stop by our house.  It was absolutely wonderful and Diana hasn't seem to have aged at all....not sure I understand that.  The only thing that could have been better was if Jim had been there....

2.This morning Owen was sickeningly cheerful and got ready for school early.  Leo was grumpy and growled a lot.  Owen looked at me and said, "it seems like when I'm cheerful, he's not...it's like my bad goes to him."  I assured him that Leo had plenty bad of his own.  Leo just growled some more.  But you know....no matter how grumpy they are---they ALWAYS kiss me before they leave.  And even Leo at his grumpiest (and that's saying something for those of you that know Leo) always responds when I say 'I love you' even if it's "I LOVE you TOO" in a growl...

3.  Ernie was so tired yesterday that he couldn't mow the lawn without taking a break....and he said his hip hurt.  I don't like that.

4.  As much as I'm a nervous wreck about getting the house ready and figuring out where to get a PA, etc....I can't wait for our party with Kane Welch Kaplin.  Last night I dreamed the party had been last night and that we'd forgotten to pay them. Hmmmm.  I also dreamed that I was following a woman around the Art Institute of Chicago yelling at her to stop touching the artworks in the decorative arts gallery. Hmmmm.

5.  Tried out an appetizer for a party that sounded SO good and it was so-so.  Disappointing...although the chick peas were good and I'd do those again....

6.  Last night Leo and Owen went over for the last swim of the season in our neighbor's pool.  I talked to my sister for a bit and when I got off  I went into the media room and Ernie was watching A Hard Day's Night.  It was gray and almost drizzly out...we just sat in the dusk watching it.  Always reminds me of how many lines Ernie comes out with that are based on it..... 'I'm a mocker."  Nothing like guys in skinny black pants and jackets.  If I'd been the right age to have a crush on one I think it would have been George.  Definitely George.

Swearing at Kids and Worlds Colliding

We just had ONE of those mornings with Owen trying to get him out the door for school.  I woke up with a terrible headache after a dream that we'd all been arrested in a Target and that the judge had doubled the fine for Owen because he acted up during the sentencing. HA. For whatever reason...maybe it was the dream or maybe the check we bounced yesterday but I just had no reserves this morning so I managed to scream fuck several times in front of my child.  First I yelled it when I stepped on a particularly big piece of Lego on the living room floor and then when Owen had finally put his shoes on, stopped arguing about shirts and then because he had nothing else to complain about started yelling that no kids could play in his room the night of the party I said not so calmly, "o.k. then we just won't have a fucking party."  I know, I know....who's the six year old here?  And I'm the one always telling Ernie to stay calm when dealing with him.

Geesh.

At least I only swear at my OWN kids unlike my husband who is actually caught on tape saying "who the hell are you?" to a kid not being polite on the monkey bars at the school playground.  I must get that video up on youtube.

To end on a positive note I will post this video in honor of worlds colliding.  Lisa B-K has posted about this band before but I never followed through on tracking them down but then when I checked my friend Berni's latest favorited videos on youtube (one of my favorite things to do) there it was.  So I played it for Ernie the other night and he got that look on his face he gets when he really likes something.  So here's to swearing at kids and worlds colliding....music usually helps....

Happier Random Notes from the Sandwich Life

1.  O.K...I found a video of a cover of the Kinks' Better Things which sounds pretty great.

2.  Owen asked to go to church this morning.  In fact, despite the sadness of not being picked for the Nutcracker (what are those people thinking?) he woke up happily this morning and the first word out of his mouth was 'church.'  He even got ready to go cheerfully which is a miracle.  As we sped off to St. Patrick's we both sang along to the Long Ryders' Looking for Lewis and Clark and things seemed much brighter.

3.  After church Owen presented Father Joe with a drawing he'd done for him.  As Owen explained to me, it was a picture of Father Joe 'priesting' behind the alter, complete with the cross above him, candles, altar boys, etc.  He also gave him a package of Sweetarts.  Father Joe seemed suitably honored.

4.  Owen also began quizzing me on God, Christ, death and the church as I was hurriedly trying to get ready to leave this morning.  All I could think was Good Lord Owen, I don't have wikipedia at my fingertips.  Geesh.  Owen also told me he wants to go to church more often and asked why he couldn't do the chip thing (communion).  I told him we'd talk about it later.  I love that boy.

5.  I did my mother's grocery shopping which was not a whole lot---blueberries, cereal, some frozen dinners, orange juice and some wine.  They checker asked me for my little Schnuck's gascard thingy to scan and then said, "oh and they've changed it now so that alcohol counts."  HA.

6.  Ernie and I both feel a little hungover today---not hungover from alcohol....just hungover from a bad day yesterday.  Luckily it's absolutely gorgeous out and we've given in and are being lazy.  Tomorrow will be a busy day----lots to do at work and Owen's first night of Cub Scouts.

7.  Thanks for all the kind words the last couple of days----I LOVE you guys.  Here's to the rest of Sunday being good for everyone....

You can't EVER have enough Ian Hunter...

We're pretty broke of late so trying to cut back a bit.  But what's a girl to do when she get's an email from her favorite record label of late that says they found more autographed copies of Shrunken Heads?  If she's lucky enough to have Ernie for a husband she just looks at it longingly and lets him convince her it's well worth the money....

God's Gonna Cut You Down

Snakes, Comcast and Children in Disgrace...

1. Friday afternoon a snake in the yard bit Ernie.

2. Later that evening my two beloved children misbehaved so badly at someone else’s house that I could barely speak or function I was so aghast. I am making them write apology letters to our hosts and they have been stripped of playstation/tv/computer privileges for the entire weekend....and they were sent to bed as soon as we got home.  Ohhhh....this will take me a LONG to forgive. I’ve never been so embarrassed by my children in my life and I know everyone understood and just felt bad for Ernie and me but suffice to say it was NOT a pleasant car ride home. 

3. My Saturday morning was kind of shot because I was still filled with fury but I dragged the whole family to Farm and Fleet and Menard’s.  Owen then proceeded to have a jumping up and down tantrum in the parking lot at Menard’s because I wouldn’t buy another bottle of water for him because I had just bought a drink for him at Farm and Fleet that he didn’t drink. WTF?

4. Once we got home it was hot so Ernie and I got in the pool and sat while the boys went inside and played with Lego.  We pondered our poor parenting skills and splashed a little.  My productive goals for the day faded away.  We were tired….we hadn’t slept well and fury can wear you out.Ernie cooked ribs and we used the last of our Ragin’ Raven Zinfandel BBQ sauce.  He has checked at Schnuck’s and another store or two in town and hasn’t found it.  I've looked online but nothing yet.... The search begins….

5. So now it’s Sunday and Monday morning and a very busy week ahead loom way too large.  I need to go buy more shoes for the guys as the last purchases were not terribly successful.  It’s because I brought them with me and measured their feet….it’s much better when I just pick up a shoe, squint at it and throw it in the shopping cart at Target.

6. So Comcast cares but evidently not enough...yet.  A couple of posts ago as I whined about my Comcast service and a kind Comcast customer service person contacted me.  He had Comcast people out the next day and they worked here for quite awhile.  They my personal Mac guru came over and updated/tweaked  my computer and I had great hopes.  Alas, this weekend it has been on and off service again.  I've barely been able to be on today although right now it seems fine.  Another phone call I guess and then I give up....

7. Here is a band that Owen built out of Lego.  I particularly like the drum kit.  He was QUITE proud of it. The drummer used to have drumsticks....not sure what happened to the.  Perhaps he flung them out into the crowd....

8. Beautiful homegrown tomatoes from my Mac guru....it's so good to have the right friends....

9. Owen came outside wearing this t-shirt and I just shook my head and thought, "did my husband REALLY wear that t-shirt when I first met him?"  Guess we were BOTH smaller!!!  I asked Owen if he knew who was on that shirt and first he said, "Adam Schmitt?" and when we said no then he guessed John McCain.  When we stared at him blankly he got flustered and said, "oh no, that's not what I meant."  Then we told him it was Kenny and he lit up and said, "the guy that sang while I was on the stairs?"  Yes we said and he smiled and gave us a thumbs up.

Cancer and Johnny Rotten

Long week this one.  Getting adjusted after vacation I suppose, and a crazy busy week at work.  We were supposed to see the oncologist today---I'm glad the appointment got moved up and we got it over with.  I'm really not sure why it was so difficult for us.  It's not as though I expected to walk in and have them say 'whoops, no cancer after all!" but just the same it was difficult.  Last night Ernie drank too much beer and broke down and cried (sorry Ernie).  As hard as it is to see him like that I was glad to see it. He tends to be Mr. Stoic and I think he really needs to let it out sometimes.  We sit there and all we want to say is 'it's not fair." But then we shrug our shoulders because we know that's not how life works.  What IS fair?  Is it fair that I gave birth to two beautiful, healthy boys and others struggle either with infertility or health issues with their children?  Is it fair that Judi has cancer?  Is it fair that we watched my father slowly fade into the shroud of Alzheimer's?  There is no fair.  Ernie and I have been blessed with a relationship and marriage that is more than either of us could have imagined.  We've been blessed with two children who GOD KNOWS I never could have imagined.  So now we have this.  Maybe not fair but life just the same.

I came across this video visiting an interesting Australian blog and it's been stuck in my head ever since.  It's a beautiful song.  Perhaps beautiful isn't a word that you think of with PiL but then again I always thought the Sex  Pistols were a great pop band.

a summer song....

man....I've never particularly been a fan of Kid Rock but I LOVE this song....  Do I wish the girls didn't all look like strippers?  Well, yeah but you know what?  It sounds great anyway....

Whiskey, Tequila and Beer, oh my!

No, that's not what I drank but it is the chorus to a Dale Watson song called Honky Tonk Wizard of Oz.  Yup....Dale Watson last night at the Rose Bowl in Urbana. It's been many a night since I had quite so many of these: 

Yes, that's a champagne flute and a little bottle of Gallo wine----that's what you get when you order a glass of chardonnay at the Rose Bowl.  I like to drink wine but I don't particularly care for drinking TOO much wine and luckily I have this little switch that tells me when I should stop and it generally works quite well when I'm at home or in a bar or restaurant......unless there is live music that I'm enjoying....and then all bets are off.

Had a good weekend.  We took my mother out to lunch yesterday.  We haven't been to Fries and Peanuts with her alone since Dad died and it did make me a little sad that we fit at a smaller table now.  And I missed him playing pool with the boys....but it was a nice time despite that and then afterward we went over to West Side Park and enjoyed the sun and watching the boys race around on their bikes. Oh and by the way....we got over to my mom's house early to do shopping, etc.  I asked Ernie to look in their basement for something I wanted to borrow.  A few minutes later he popped up out of the basement rather more emphatically than usual and  closed the door quite firmly....  A possum is living in their basement.  Geesh...one more thing to take care of....

Leo with a friend from school. They look so grown UP....sigh.

 

Anyway......after bringing my  mother home I came back and took a nap.  Yes, I am becoming quite the devotee of naps.  I woke up and wondered if I really wanted to go out but then the doorbell rang and the babysitter was there.  Whoops.....guess I'm going....  

I'm glad I did as Dale Watson was great....the Rose Bowl is a wonderful place to see shows.....

Nice jacket, huh?

Ernie needing a shave and hunching down to get to Dale's height.  Dale had had quite a few drinks himself and somehow managed to kiss my hand.  I'm really not the hand kissing kind of girl but if he thought so that's fine by me:

There's more to write but that's all I have time for now....

Random Notes from the Sandwich Life

1.  The other day in a fit of rage Owen yelled at his father, "Dad, you, you SAVAGE FOOL."  Huh.

2.  The frigging Japanese beetles are destroying my Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate plant.  Damn them.

3.  I made a bad dinner from good ingredients last night.  Made a wonderful sort of corn salsa/salad of corn, poblano peppers, garlic and great tomatoes.  Unfortunately put it over some salmon that just  tasted bad.  Not bad like gone bad, make you sick....just bad.  First I thought maybe it wasn't cooked enough although I tend to like fish more towards underdone than overdone.  Cooked it some more and it still just tasted funky.  Threw it and my beautiful corn salsa in the trash.  I made do with curried popcorn...Ernie made do with nothing.

4.  It looks like Ripe Persimmons is winning.  I must defend poor Indiana Clay though----the color isn't true on my computer anyway.  I really like Indiana Clay at night but during the day it's got too much pink in it.  At night I love it but I think we're going with Ripe Persimmons.....or dreamsicle.....

5.  I'm embarrassed to say that I never knew that the Joan Jett song I Love Rock N  Roll was a cover.  I have discovered a new favorite pop band though....the Arrows....DO watch this video....oh, and from an Arrows website:

Some little known facts about Jake Hooker (the guitarist for the Arrows)--As a manager, in 1979 Jake got Hilly Michaels a million dollar deal with Warner Brothers records, and he orchestrated the deal for the first big budget MTV style video to promote Hilly's single "Calling All Girls". It was a landmark, breakthrough video in the industry.