Snowdrift

Brad's brother, Rod, lives in northwest Mandan, where the winds blow in from across the open prairie. With all the snow this season, the street and yards have been turned into one giant snowdrift.

The same thing happened in the blizzard of 1997. Back then, the local news did a story on him using a front-loader to clear his driveway. The story got picked up by other news outlets and made it all the way to Paris, France, where my uncle and aunt were living and saw it on TV.

I wish we could make headlines for something besides our outrageous weather.

Glasvegas

Glasvegas - Geraldine
We caught this performance on Letterman recently. I found it interesting, but not that compelling. However, I know if they had been around in the late 1980's, I would have been TOTALLY into them.

Wanted - NIN

I got the DVD of Wanted for Christmas. Love this movie. It's not the kind of movie that I typically like, but maybe a little diversity is a good thing for me.

If you've got five minutes, here's a very well-edited clip, which is a fan vid of scenes from the movie set to "Every Day is Exactly the Same" by Nine Inch Nails. The song is used in the movie, and it suits it perfectly.

Dino-tastic

Connor's Cub Scout den took in the grand opening of the new dinosaur exhibit at the Heritage Center this month. Don't they look adorable in their uniforms?

I also took Connor around to the other exhibits, which he really enjoyed. In the exhibit about children through the ages, I swear there's a picture of Mitch Albers in the 1980's, right next to the jelly shoes.

E A D G B E

A guitar lesson in their pajamas. How adorable.

Winter Show

Here's a shot from today of all my dancers in their seats just before our Winter Show started. The whole show went quickly and smoothly, and I'm so relieved that it's done. All my teams danced really well and seemed to have fun.

GO JFK!

Where The Hell Is Matt?

link

This video moved me. It demonstrates simply and effectively how dancing can bring joy to people all over the world, and how similar we humans are despite our differences.

Matt Harding is a former video game developer who has made three such videos. This one includes clips from 70 locations in 42 countries. His own dancing is intriguing, but I really like how he joins in with the Indian women at 2:30.

Student of the Week

Connor was Student of the Week just before the holiday break, so Brad made an appearance in his first grade classroom to play marimba and hand percussion. He played a few Christmas songs and the theme from Star Wars, but the biggest hit was Hedwig's Theme from Harry Potter. Connor's teacher, Mrs. Vetter, was thrilled, and the kids were entertained.

The event must have made a big splash at the school because the next day several 5th grade girls excitedly told me at dance class that Mr. Stockert had played in Mrs. Vetter's room. Hopefully it is something Connor will always remember, too.

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!