Ringing In the New Year

I snapped this on the way home tonight. I've always loved how the state capitol adds a magical touch to New Year's Eve.

From Us To You

Season's Greetings

File under: awesomely geeky holiday entertainment

E-Trade Baby

This TV commercial always makes me laugh.

"Whoa."

I'm Outta Time

Here's the video for "I'm Outta Time," the second single off Dig Out Your Soul. I'm not that crazy about the vid, but I like the song. It is one of three penned by Liam Gallagher for this album, and he claims it took him nine years to write.

The spoken bit at the end is an audio clip of John Lennon from an interview just before his death.

Frozen Oasis

Were it not for work and other adult responsibilities, I would have been at the Target Center in Minneapolis Wednesday night for the Oasis concert. The Star-Tribune printed a predictably negative review, complaining about the band's apparent lack of onstage enthusiasm and Liam's weak vocal delivery.

My own personal rebuttal: First, nobody goes to an Oasis concert for the thrilling stage show. People go to an Oasis concert for the terrific music. For most of its fans, the band is the epitome of cool.

Second, I don't deny that Liam's voice has been rough at some live performances in the past; however, it's in good shape right now. Take a listen to a clip from the Minneapolis show:



Noel Gallagher pissed and moaned about Minnesota's cold weather on his tour diary. His previous entry about the cold on the way from Denver to Minneapolis is even better.

I love reading his tour diary and interviews. Ego. Dry wit. Biting tongue. Endlessly entertaining.

Half-Blood Prince, Redux

It seems that Warner Bros. had such huge success with The Dark Knight that they've pushed back the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to next July, so as to ensure another WB summer blockbuster.

As Ron would say, what a load of waffle!

At least they've released another trailer, which plays up the humor a bit more than the old one.

Weight of the World - just a bit of venting

A stack of essays to grade...
a Cub Scout den flag to design and sew...
JFK Parent Night x 3...
eight performances in five days...
holiday shopping...
unruly children jeopardizing my dance facility...
unruly headscarves...
spelling tests...
Student of the Week...
dance uniforms not arriving in time...
prescriptions that ran out...
performances to schedule...
appointments to schedule...
phone calls to return...
a student who questioned my very intelligence...
photocopies and stapling for JFK...
photocopies and stapling for Cub Scouts...
where to hold State Competition in 2012-2014 and how much to pay...

oh, and remember to change the oil in the car.

My life is weighing heavily on my shoulders right now. At least I can be sure that this, too, shall pass. Just not fast enough!

Song of the Moment

"Soon We'll Be Found"

We caught this on Letterman a couple weeks ago. I was blown away by her vocal delivery and the striking visual of the whole performance. Her name is Sia, and I'd never heard of her before. Click for more info if you're interested.

I like how she goes from intimate purr to (seemingly) effortless belting, without the high polish. I also love the song; I can't get it out of my head.

For reference, watch the music video for this song, which uses sign language and interesting hand imagery.

Dylan's Bike Trick

A quick vid of Dylan's bike trick.

It took me a few takes to get it right, so at the end you can hear him ask, "Did you get it?"

Snow Day

This was the scene Thursday here - over nine inches of snow, with winds whipping it up into a proper blizzard. Schools were shut down for the first time since the blizzard of 1997. How I vividly remember that one!


We ended up with a couple of impressive drifts like this one hanging over the eave.

It's been warm enough to play outside today, and the kids have been loving it. I also heard there was a run on shovels and snow blowers. Thankfully, Brad was able to get his trailer hitched up and parked in the driveway before the plows came through last night. That four-wheel drive really comes in handy at times like these.

Spooghetti Supper

This year, our whole family volunteered to help at Northridge's annual Spooghetti Supper. We snapped this picture on Saturday just before we left for the event.

Connor was Hedwig, Harry Potter's owl, and Dylan was the Grim Reaper. I'm not sure what Brad and I were, but it was fun.

The supper served over 600 meals to many costumed diners. Success!

Happy Halloween!

This year's crop of jack-o-lanterns looks terrific on the front step. I love Halloween!

The Dakota Kid

Brad's been helping his mother clean house, and they came across a cowboy costume that he wore for Halloween circa 1974. Brad put Connor in it and posed him as the cowboy on the old Dakota Kid Sunflower Seed packages.

Super cute!

Dig Out Your Soul

The new Oasis album hit stores last a couple of weeks ago. I don't normally rush out to buy a new album on the day it comes out, but this time I did. I've listened to it about 25 times already, and it's TERRIFIC! My fave tracks: "The Turning," "Falling Down," "To Be Where's There's Life," and "The Shock of the Lightning," which you may remember from my previous post.

There's lots of buzz about this album being a "return to form" for the band; however, in my (biased) view, it's just more of the same great music they've been churning out for 15 years. The naysayers have said this album has a preponderance of plodding, mid-tempo rockers, but I find most of them to be quite energizing. Go to iTunes and check them out yourself.

Papa's Pumpkin Patch

We spent a bit of time at Papa's Pumpkin Patch yesterday, along with half the rest of Bismarck. The weather was perfect for climbing on huge wooden trains and tearing around in the haybale maze.



We saw them launch the pumpkin trebuchet and managed to find four pumpkins to buy, despite the selection being fairly picked over.

Let the carving begin!

So Long, Al

It's not every day that you bury your dad. Yesterday was that day for Brad.

It's still really fresh and hard to put into words, so I'll just post links to his obituary and to Gary's eulogy.

Family dinners won't taste the same.

Happy Birthday, Dylan

Look who's 10

Yes, it's double digits for Dylan. To celebrate with his friends, we had a Harry Potter birthday party. Local artist, art teacher, and Potter fanatic Ali LaRock came to our house to host the party.

She brought all her cool Potter stuff.

She sorted them into their houses with her Sorting Hat.

The kids got to make their own spell books.

Then they made quills and wrote whatever they wanted in their books with real ink.

I made a snitch cake, which turned out even better than last year's.

The kids were so into it and having so much fun that they didn't want to quit. Aside from the ink that spilled on Dylan's good shorts, the whole evening was a home run. I hope Dylan will always remember this special celebration.

Sandcrawler

Connor has wanted a Star Wars Lego Sandcrawler for over two years. We haven't bought him one because they cost $140, so he's been saving his Christmas and birthday money. After his birthday this month, he finally had enough to buy one, so we ordered it online and it arrived this week.


He spent the whole day Saturday building it, and finished it yesterday. Brad estimates he spent at least 12 hours total over two days. That's focus!

Gold and Silver and Sunshine

Here's a sneak-peek at Gold and Silver and Sunshine, an upcoming documentary on the making of Dig Out Your Soul.

For a die-hard Oasis fan like myself, this is a must-see. And, at over eight minutes long, it's packed with interesting interviews and great footage, not to mention oozing with cool. It's also fun to hear that Manc accent that sounds like a mouthful of marbles.

It appears that the documentary will only be available as part of some limited-edition deluxe packaging, so I hope I can get my hands on it.

Heroes

Ethan and Dylan playing Guitar Hero for Wii.

The Guitar Hero is Ethan's, and the Wii was a combination gift for the boys' birthdays. So far, it's been a big hit.

Fall Parade

Connor and Brad enjoying some parade shenanigans. Dylan was too old and cool to partake in the fun for this photo. (He's almost 10, you know.)

Song of the Moment

"The Shock of the Lightning"

Here's the first single off the new Oasis album, Dig Out Your Soul, which drops on October 6. I'm not crazy about the video, but the song rocks. It's not really a true "Song of the Moment" because I'm not listening to it constantly, but I know I will be when I finally get my hands on it.

The band played this song at the show we attended earlier this month, and it was absolutely pummeling. Love it! Take four minutes to enjoy a terrific new Oasis song.

Noel Gallagher

On September 7, Noel Gallagher was attacked while playing onstage with Oasis in Toronto. (Click ahead to about 1:15 for the actual moment.)

CRAZINESS.

This guy somehow eluded security and made it onstage. As you can see in the video, Noel fell hard on his monitor. After a 15 minute delay, the band returned to finish the show.

The sad part is that they had to cancel two shows because Noel has been ordered on bedrest to heal a cracked rib and torn ligaments. This idiot's momentary rash act left loads of fans out of a concert and a tour crew out of work. At least Noel's kept his sense of humor: "Nowt down today, droogs," he wrote on his blog. "Spent all day in bed suffering from my severe tickling at the hands of that drunken Canadian who, it transpires, is a grown man of 47 years!! (And I thought I was the oldest person at our gigs!)"

Also of interest, as of this posting, this video has racked up almost 1.5 million views. This incident even warranted mention by the media. I've had three friends call to make sure I'd heard about it. Sadly, yes.

Happy Birthday, Connor

Look who's seven!

OAAAAAASIS!

The day finally came - Oasis concert in Winnipeg! Here's the story, Morning Glory.

Brad and I hit the road Monday morning, Labor Day 2008. The closer we got to Canada, the thicker the Manitoba license plates got. By the time we hit the border, the cars were lined up 30 deep and five lanes wide. This made for a 45 minute wait; however, once we got to the gate, it was quick.

Once we got into Canada, it took me awhile to adjust to kilometers ("Wow, these miles are just flying by!), and then the rain came. I've never seen INSANE RAIN like this. Good thing Brad was driving because I was panicking.

We did finally arrive at the MTS Centre in downtown Winnipeg, zoomed easily into a parking lot ("Seven dollars, please. Yes, we take American cash."), and found our way down to the basement where we had a reservation at the Exchange Restaurant and Beer Market. Yummy $16.95 buffet meal and Stella on tap.

There were two opening acts. Matt Costa played a 30 minute acoustic set. It was pretty good but didn't bowl me over. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals then played a smokin' hour-long set. His dry sense of humor was funny.

Oasis played a short, 18-song set, which sounded AWESOME. It wasn't too loud and the sound quality was clear. I had seen the setlist posted from the previous stops on their Canadian tour, so we knew what they would play.



The timing was right, all the pieces fell into place, and the stars aligned to make this event happen for me. I'll always remember this quick trip and this terrific concert experience.

Climbing the Walls

Lately, Connor can't walk through a doorway without climbing it. Dylan went through the same phase, and it will pass. Either that, or he'll put his foot through the drywall.

Becoming Jane

Here's a clip of one of my favorite scenes from Becoming Jane, starring Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen and James McAvoy as Tom LeFroy.

This was such a good movie that I watched it twice in one weekend. Well, I'm a sucker for literary-based period pieces, for Jane Austen, and for James McAvoy. Check out his smirk as he turns after the "horizons must be...widened" line. Mmmmm.

Back To School

School started today. Hard to believe we now have a first-grader and a fourth-grader. They both had good days, except that they couldn't walk with their friends to school because Dylan's still in his knee immobilizer. Oh, and Connor came home with hives. We joked that he must be allergic to school. Hope it passes soon.


Here's Connor in his classroom, which happens to be the same room as he had last year in kindergarten. I think he was a bit disappointed about that, but they had to move the kindergarten classrooms over to Corpus Christi this year because Northridge didn't have space for full-day kindergarten.

One hundred seventy-nine school days until summer vacation!

Mind the Gap

This was Connor a few weeks ago...


...and here he is today.

The tooth fairy got a "two-fer" last night at our house because Connor lost both his top front teeth yesterday. He looks so different, and he's even got a bit of a lisp. He could do a perfect rendition of "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth."

Arty Smarty

Dylan attended a lot of camps this summer, including a week-long art camp at Theo Art School. He came home with loads of projects and artwork using a variety of different media. Here are some examples.











We think these are pretty awesome, and I'm definitely getting the snowman framed.

Leggo My Lego

Dylan went to Lego Robotics camp last week with his good friend, Connor, and had a blast.

They worked together on several projects, and did really well for their first time using the Robotics software. Hopefully, Dylan can get into his First Lego League team at school this year.

Half-Blood Prince

Warner Brothers has released the trailer for the next Harry Potter movie, The Half-Blood Prince. Oooo! The movie will be released November 21.

I just recently finished re-reading all seven books, and they were terrific. My first time reading them was with Dylan, so I didn't get the whole story when he read to himself. He's also re-reading them all, currently almost done with book six. Yesterday when we were out, Dylan said he wanted to get home so he could read his book. That's how engaging these books are. And, quite exciting, Connor asked me to start reading them to him from the beginning. How great that our boys can be so into reading.

Scottish Charm x 2

Here's more James McAvoy for those of you who aren't familiar with him. This is from his last appearance on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, who, by the way, is hilarious! I try to catch his monologue every night. He's a naturalized US citizen from Scotland, and these two are great together.

Anyway, the clip at the beginning is from Wanted, which I really enjoyed. It had been awhile since I'd seen a truly R rated film, full of violence and language. I usually don't like stuff like that, but this was great. There was also just a hint of fantasy, like the bending-bullet scene in the clip. Angelina Jolie plays an awesome badass, too.

Go JFK!

Cindy Clough and I

I got back late last night from Brainerd, where we gather every August for the Just For Kix Directors' Convention. It's busy, fun, and exhausting, but also rejuvenating. I return home from convention all fired up to start another season of dance.

I like catching up with all the friends I've made in the company over the last 12 years, and I always come away with improved dance technique and new teaching methods. My favorite part of Convention is the dancing. We can take up to six workshops, with an entire dance taught at each, and I love the challenge of the difficult ones. However, a few years ago, I started to feel my age. It's getting tougher keeping up with the twenty-somethings, but it's still a blast for me.

Song of the Moment

Here's one for you whilst I'm away at Just For Kix Convention. "Troublemaker" is one of Connor's current favorite songs. When it comes on, he does a perfect pogo. The lyrics are hilarious, the beat irresistible. Take three minutes to enjoy a super fun song by Weezer.

Great Scot

James McAvoy is my new celebrity obsession. He's been in several movies in the past few years, but he's been under my radar until just recently. What a terrific character actor!

He played Mr. Tumnus in Narnia...


Brian Jackson in Starter For 10


Dr. Nicolas Garrigan in The Last King of Scotland


Max/Johnny in Penelope

Thomas LeFroy in Becoming Jane

Robbie Turner in Atonement

Wesley Gibson in Wanted

What a cutie! More to come...

Owl Post

This was the scene just outside our bedroom window yesterday morning when we opened our blinds. I've never seen an owl before, so it was pretty exciting. An owl perched on our trampoline! They're huge, and their necks really do swivel all the way around. It hung around long enough to poop on the tramp, then flew off to a dead tree in the neighbor's yard.

And here was the scene when we opened the blinds this morning. TWO owls perched on our trampoline! It's such an exciting novelty that I didn't mind too much that they both emptied their bowels on the tramp before they departed.

It was starting to feel magical, like the scene in the first Harry Potter book where the owls are trying to deliver Harry's letter of acceptance to Hogwarts but Uncle Vernon won't allow it, so the owls multiply.

Goal!

Connor scored his first soccer goal this week. He was so excited, and we were so proud of him! It took him awhile, but he's warming up to soccer. Maybe he's just finally ready.

Here's a shot from last month of Dylan playing for his team, the Orange Mangos. Sadly, his soccer season is prematurely over because he blew out his knee on the tramp last Saturday. We've got an appointment with the bone and joint doc on Wednesday. Hopefully it's not too serious, although I am concerned because it's not getting any better after several days.

He's pretty bummed to be a nine-year-old boy sidelined in the middle of summer.