Saturday, July 14, 2007
Beginning fireworks
We played with some of the really benign stuff. Emma really doesn't know what to make of it all. In the first photo she's looking at the "snakes." She decided those were OK. In the next picture you can see she's not sure at all about the tanks.


History of Hospitality - Roman
Copyright 1916, Curtice Brothers Co., Rochester, NY.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007
History of Hospitality - Greek
Copyright 1916, Curtice Brothers Co., Rochester, NY.


I'm sorry
The phrase of the day is "I'm sorry."

When I was dressing Emma this morning she knocked her diaper down behind the dresser. I said, "Emma, stop that! You lost your diaper." She said "I'm sorry, Mommy." "I'm sorry I lost the diaper." "I'm sorry." She kept on and kept on saying it.

On the drive up to Mary's she was still saying "I'm sorry."

After work we ran by the store and picked up a few groceries. We let her get one of those freezy pops in plastic, whatever you call them. She ate some of it, dropped most of it on the floor and then when I put her in the car she handed it to me. It was empty except for a little juice in the bottom so I gave it to Grandma to throw in the trash. We took off down the road and she said, "Where's my freezy pop?" I thought she was done with it, I didn't realize she wanted it back. I told her, "I'm sorry, Emma, I didn't realize you weren't done with it. I gave it to Grandma to throw away." We drove a little while and she says, "I'm sorry." I said, "What?" She said, "I'm sorry you took the freezy pop away from me and threw it away. I wanted it back." Oh boy.
Monday, July 09, 2007
A Pictorial History of Hospitality
Copyright 1916, courtesy of the Curtice Brothers Co., Rochester, NY. It's a lithograph print and very detailed. I thought I'd share it with you. Curtice Brothers Co. started in 1868 and was an "ancestor" company to Birds Eye Foods. This little pamphlet will show the "history of hospitality" and give you an idea of what was cookin' back in 1916. I think we should start with the "Minced Tongue on Toast," shall we?

Be sure and click on the pictures for better detail.




Sunday, July 08, 2007
20th high school reunion
Apparently, it's not happening. Which is pretty anticlimactic. I'm guessing they bagged it because the turnout for the 15th reunion was dismal. I could have told them not to bother with that one because we had a good 10th reunion and the 20th would be the next big one people would look forward to. No one asked. I skipped the 15th myself.

High school reunions are uncool. I get it, all you hipper-than-thous. It's not like I'm interested because I want to show off my Maserati and my millions. I'd go as the invisible woman if I could. I'd just like to see some folks to see where they are in life now. To see how they've changed, what they're doing, if they exceeded expectations or not.

I was fairly disappointed in my tenth reunion because some of the cliques seemed as tight as ever. Our class was never very cohesive. It felt like everyone expected you to be exactly as you were when you graduated and had no real curiosity about who you were now. I saw some of my favorite people from high school and hung out with some I'd never socialized with that much. I tried to get around.

Anyway, phooey for the fact that my stupid curiosity about people will not be slaked. Googling them just isn't the same.

I suppose I'll have to resign myself to doing what I did instead of going to my 15th reunion. Watching the greatest high school reunion movie EVAH! "Grosse Point Blank."
Book recommendation: "I Love You, Beth Cooper"


For those of you who are fans of the John Hughes teen movies of the 80's, this book is for you. And for everyone who ever went to high school.

It starts with Denis Cooverman's valedictory speech at graduation. After a long school career at the lowest rung on the social food chain, brilliant ubernerd Denis decides to throw caution to the wind and declare his love for the head cheerleader, Beth Cooper. He also says exactly what he's always wanted to say to select members of the listening audience. Graduation night hilarity ensues. The book is unabashedly derivative of the John Hughes films we grew up with, but adds so much originality and so many laugh-out-loud moments that it feels more like a loving homage, updated for the social mores of the oughties.

It's not deep literature, just great entertainment. I highly recommend it for a light read.