Crazy Crap Item #136: The part where Jack and James crack wise

My neighbor Ann Casey reported two witticisms produced by her sons, Jack (age 6) and James (age 3).

Jack just celebrated a birthday, and yesterday, he enjoyed a family party in the evening, complete with cake and presents. This capped an afternoon of frolic involving himself, James, and our other neighbors, Casey and Daniel. Exciting hijinx included the unveiling of a brand new Pirates of the Caribbean sprinkler (Target, at the must-sell price of $2.48), the witnessing of Kay cleaning out her garage (fascinating and disgusting stuff), the perusal of a Halloween decorations/costumes catalog, and the impromtu planning of a haunted house in the Daly garage. High times indeed.

Apparently, the day was much prized by young Jack, who today was heard to say, "Get me the phone! I want to call yesterday and ask it to come back."

James countered this witticism with a bit of unplanned mayhem at church this morning. While he was permitted to join his mother at the communion rail, he was scandalized to learn he was not allowed to partake of the sacrament. This led to much wailing and gnashing of teeth, and the crying out of "I want the body of cracker!!"

That is a boy that gets right to the heart of the sacred mystery.

Crazy Crap Item #136: The part where Delores experiences an upgrade

I've written often of Delores, our neighbor who keeps vigil over 1500 Norwood from her majestic lawn-chair perch, and who so helpfully informed me of the poop incident.

Just this past weekend, as I was cleaning out the garage, I was interrupted by my neighbor Ann, who excitedly told me Delores had kicked it up a notch. She provided this photo as proof.

Oh, Delores. Long may you wave.

Crazy Crap Item #135: The part where Eamon and I are inadvertantly witty

So I'm working on brochure copy for a video lecture series on "The Classic Novel." As such, I am working up a sidebar of quotes from great novels. I decided to share one quote with Eamon, which spawned the following exchange:

(14:30:58) kaydaly88: “…first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes.”
(14:31:03) kaydaly88: now /that's/ art
(14:31:10) eamondaly1110: is that jay-z?
(14:31:16) kaydaly88: no, but close
(14:31:19) kaydaly88: joy-ce
(14:31:23) eamondaly1110: ha!

I wish we could say we were being deliberately clever, but we weren't.

Oh, and if you're wondering about that quote, learn more here.

Crazy Crap Item #134: The part where Roxi is misidentified by a cab driver

Last night, Roxi joined me for a festive evening of watching the season premiere of America's Next Top Model, snacking on delicious snacks, and drinking Champagne in a can.

As the hour grew late and the hostess grew tipsy, Roxi decide a trip home in a taxi would be in order. She called later to recount her conversation with the driver, recreated here via email:

Cabbie: Where did you come from?

Me: I ran from over there. [pointing to your house]

Cabbie: You came from out of nowhere. Like a hooker.

Me: I'm not a hooker.

Cabbie: But it was like a hooker. Coming out of nowhere.

Me: I'm not a hooker. [laughing]

Cabbie: You are laughing a lot. Are you drunk?

Me: No, I'm not drunk. [laughing]

Cabbie: You had nothing to drink?

Me: Okay, I had two drinks. But I'm not really drunk.

Cabbie: Did you smoke hashish, too?

Me: No.

Cabbie: Are you sure?

Me: Pretty sure.

Oh, our Roxi. A giggling, hashish-smoking, drunken hooker, for sure.

Crazy Crap Item #133: The part where I encounter a telling indication of my location

As is well known to most, I'm currently in California, helping out my parents while my dad undergoes and recuperates from hip replacement surgery. (He's doing beautifully, in case you hadn't heard.)

So for the last three weeks, I've been residing in the glamorous environs of Sun Lakes community, located in beautiful, chapparel-ridden Banning, California. Sun Lakes, for those unfamiliar with this bastion of golf carts and bingo, is a retirement community, exclusively for those "55 and better," as the community motto puts it. In other words, you must be "this old" to enter.

The surrounding community, Banning, has experienced a sort of renaissance, thanks in large part to Sun Lakes and other copycat planned communities within the city walls. Once a bustling stagecoach stop between Arizona and points west, Banning has been reborn as the land of medical offices, pharmacies, golf-cart repair shops, and other services so necessary to the twilight years.

This key demographic has left its mark on the larger community, one telling example of which I found at a recent trip to the local supermarket. Like most stores, this particular market keeps certain key pharmaceutical items under lock and key to deter shoplifting. Where I come from, these items typically include condoms, pregnancy tests, and the like.

But at the Banning supermarket, what did I find under lock and key?

The full line of Olay regenerative cosmetic preparations.

Apparently, they are like unto liquid gold here.

Crazy Crap Item #132: The part where I grammarize

In my role as grammarian extraordinaire (brought about, apparently, by that pesky PhD I earned some time ago), I am sometimes asked of my writing/language "pet peeves." Honestly, before such a question arose in a job interview, I'd not given systematic thought to such an issue.

Like most, I have a few things that annoy me for their pretension ("myself" used in place of "me" for no good reason) or misapprehension ("literally" used as an intensifier, "prototypical" thrown in as a way to say "really typical"). But it's only lately that I've decided to identify and canonize one grammatical mishap that will be my signature annoyance.

Are you ready?

"You guyses." As in, "We'll be coming over to you guyses house later."

When I hear this phrase, I always want to splay my fingers on my chest, a la Oliver Hardy, and reply, "Disguises?"

Crazy Crap Item #131: The part where I am warned

Last Tuesday, I left for a long sojourn in Banning, California, home to my parents. My dad is receiving a long-awaited and much anticipated hip replacement, which promises to relieve some considerable pain he's experienced for far too long. I'm on deck to assist with groceries, light errands, transportation of the mother to and from visiting hours, and other duties as needed.

I apprised Jack of my impending departure, and he was scandalized.

"Really? Where?"

I vaguely explained California and hip replacements.

"I'll be gone two weeks."

Two weeks, of course, means nothing to a five-year-old. He's currently certain we're smack in the middle of June, and Halloween is sometime next week. When I tried to explain exactly how long two weeks was, he looked stricken and vaguely confused.

Upon the day of my departure, I arose early, and was out the door by 7:30 so as to make my 9am flight. As such, I was not able to give my final farewell to young Jack.

Later in the week, Eamon discovered a message left on our voice mail from young Jack. Later investigation revealed that he had wished to say farewell, and so his mother put him on the line. The message followed thusly:

"Bye, Kay. Um. You know, you should know that there's a real, alive werewolf in your basement. So BEWARE."

I am warned.

Crazy Crap Item #131: The part where I realize I am doomed to go through the same thought processes over and over

Today, I'm working on a very fun project for one of my favorite clients, The Teaching Company. They produce video courses for adults on a fun range of academic enrichment courses -- topics such as "Masterpieces of the Louvre," "A Brief History of the World," "Italian City-States," and the like. In my capacity as freelance writer, I'm paid (PAID, mind you) to watch these courses and write long-form catalog copy explaining why these courses are so cool. Thankfully, they usually are, so it's not such a brain teaser.

My latest course is "The History of World Literature." As a result of the watching the course, I've been taking notes on new works I'd like to read and old ones I'd like to come back to and re-read. In the latter category is The Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Babylonian epic purported oldest piece of literature in the world. I read it back in freshmen year in college, but since it didn't depict any saucy maidens, haughty lords, or country cotillions, I wasn't terribly interested at the time. I'm curious to see if my tastes have changed.

So I pull my Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces off the shelf, thinking that, of course, it will have this first of all masterpieces. I check the table of contents, and not only is it not there, in the margin is scratched a little note, in my hand. It reads, "What? No Epic of Gilgamesh?"

Alzheimer's, here I come.

Crazy Crap Item #130: The part where there we glimpse the rarest of phenomena

August birthdays abound in our neck of the woods.

Exhibit 1: Megan
Exhibit 2: Sheila
Exhibit 3: Chris
Exhibit 4: Gareth
Exhibit 5: yours truly

We ladies decided to go out and celebrate. And since only the ladies were invited, Chris and Gareth didn't get to come.

Megan, Sheila, Rose, Ann, and I, however, were in full force. We took a rain-sodden stroll down to Viet Bistro, a local asian fusion hot-spot. We arrive, dump our soggy umbrellas in a bucket (including Ann's signature Spider-man parasol), and are shown to a seat.

What to our wondering eyes should appear but our seldom-seen new neighbor Rick, accompanied by his virtually unknown partner.

Megan, immediately recognizing Rick, cries out to him across to the room. "Hello! Neighbor!" He acknowledges our greeting, but make no further move. I check out his partner, all unbeknownst to Rick.

Later in the meal, I look up and notice our neighbors have fled, with nary a parting greeting.

What to make of them?

Crazy Crap Item #129: The part where Kristen takes exception to my discussion with Jack about the monocled cat

(In reference to this post)

(10:57:35) krispe22: please don't ever tell me
(10:57:36) krispe22: again
(10:57:37) krispe22: about this
(10:57:47) krispe22: i cannot hear about sacs
(10:57:52) krispe22: ever ever again
(10:57:59) kaydaly88: hey, i was trapped
(10:58:01) kaydaly88: trapped!!!
(10:58:04) krispe22: um
(10:58:06) krispe22: you have legs
(10:58:08) krispe22: you can run away

Crazy Crap Item #128: The part where I find myself having a conversation I did not intend to have

My lovely neighborhood of Norwood Street boasts many attractions. Not least among them is a one-eyed black cat. I'm not sure where he actually lives; but I suspect he has a home on some other block of Norwood -- perhaps on the 1300 block, or maybe even the much hated 1400 block.

In any event, we know he has an owner. He seems to be well cared for. In addition to his one, jewel-like green eye, he boasts a collar and the kind of shiny, healthy coat of black fur and stocky physique you find only in a cat that eats early and often. He's also very friendly.

At our recent block party, we had occasion to discuss this cat. I'm not sure how it came up; I wasn't present for the start of the discussion. But by the time I came around, Eamon was suggesting that a cat with one eye would need a monocle. This led to speculation about the nature and personality of a one-eyed, monocled cat. It was suggested that his name was Thaddeus J. Churchill III, and that, perhaps, he thought himself a bit good for the likes of us, what with wearing a monocle and all.

Several days afterwards, our monoptic friend came to visit. As I've said, he's a friendly sort, and surprisingly unfazed by children. He minced into my yard and up onto my back steps, where he submitted himself to petting by James, Jack and myself. I recollected that Eamon had given the cat the name Thaddeus J. Churchill III, but that, in fact, said cat was a girl.

"How do you know?" Jack asked.

"I took a peek," I said, deliberately vague.

"A peek at what?" Jack inevitably asked.

"At the parts that tell you whether a cat is a boy or a girl," I answered, still vague.

"What parts?" Jack asked, undogged.

"Well," I hemmed,"Boys and girls have different part back here," gesturing vaguely to Thaddeus. "Boys have sacs. This cat has no sacs. So it's a girl."

Done, I thought.

"What sacs?" Jack asked, a tad horrified.

"Well, you know, sacs," I hawed. "Like you've got..." I trailed off, hoping he'd be distracted by something else.

"Where have I got sacs?"

Pause.

"You know. In your pants."

He twisted to look at the seat of his pants. "Where?"

"On the front."

"Oh, these?"

"Yeah, those."

Crazy Crap Item #127: The part where I surprise myself be being able to spell a hard word

"Mediterranean." Got it right on the first try, even. Man, I rock.

Crazy Crap Item #126: The part where my dad tells me a very amusing story

This, from Sailor Jack:

Mike was telling me a story the other day I want to share with you. His wild, high school, pal, Alan, is now a San Bernardino Deputy Sheriff. On patrol the other day, he spotted a stake bed truck, driving suspiciously, so he pulled it over. When he looked in the back he discovered a Mariachi band in full costume and with instruments.

He checked out the driver, who seemed to have had a drink, was on the safe edge of a DUI. He thought it over and said to the band, "I won't run in if you play me a song". At this, they climbed out and started playing. As he was enjoying the music, he got a call on his radio of a disturbing the peace complaint saying, "Somebody is playing Mexican music in the street !"

Sounds like Mike's bunch.

Love to both,

Dad

Crazy Crap Item #125: The part where 1500 Norwood bids 'Aloha'

It's that time again. Summer block party time. As is well known, we at 1500 Norwood thrive on the themed block party. Last summer, it was the Olympics. In the fall, it was the Old West. Previous themes include Christmas in July, Oktoberfest, and Mini-Golf. Festive.

This year, we had many hot contenders for the honor of block party theme. Bastille Day. Venetian Night. Star Wars. Around the World Tour. But the far-and-away winner was .... Hawaiian Luau.

In the spirit of island languor, this was a relatively low-key block party. The general tenor seemed to be, "Meh, it will be fun. Let's drink beer."

The day started at 9am, with a sumptuous breakfast of island and not-so-island treats. Ann Casey had the brilliant of idea of foisting upon us all "Hawaiian names," and provided a key so we could translate our names using the Hawaiian alphabet, plus name tags to promote said island names.

The morning was mostly taken up with low-key fun: the eating of pastries, the riding of small vehicles, the gyration of hula hoops, the drinking of coffee, the drinking of coffee, and the drinking of coffee.

I should also mention that in some instances, costumes were worn.

The most surprising source of ongoing fun, I believe, were some inflatable decoration I had purchased: a tiki statue and a large hollow pineapple to be used as an ice chest. Amusing, I thought. They will just sit there on my lawn, being attractive and Hawaiian. I was wrong. The tiki statue, I found, could variously be used as a hat, as a sort of faux train, and as a chaise lounge. It can also just be rolled upon.

The pineapple ice chest held equal wonders. It was used for one-person sack races, as a means to trap unassuming neighbors, and, of course, for rolling, rolling, and more rolling. Needless to say, it was popped long before it could be used as an ice chest.

We'd also arranged some deliberate island-themed fun, including:
* the stringing of sea shells to make lovely island necklaces
* a seashell hunt in the Cancilla sandbox, during which the marine booty could be traded for toys and candy at the Daly Outpost
* a volcano demonstration, headed by Eamon, involving small "pocket volcanos" and bottles of diet Pepsi spiked with Menthos
* island floral photo opps

At noon, we broke for lunch, a tasty repast of hotdogs, donated by Patio Beef and lovingly prepared by Megan and John Calto. Alfresco dining was enjoyed by all.

We also indulged in some non-island fun, including a visit from our beloved firemen and the unparalleled opportunity to swarm the firetruck. And of course, whether on the islands or the mainland, nothing can beat the joy of digging, digging and more digging, made all the more accessible by a recent visit from People's Gas (which entailed plowing up sections of all our parkways).

For the grown-ups, daytime fun (when it didn't include managing the aforementioned activities) consisted of dandling babies on knees, sitting on lawn furniture (sometimes joined by smaller folk), strolling, chillaxing, standing around, jawing, waxing sentimental, and, occasionally, scowling.

Things picked up again in the afternoon, with a performance by a local a cappella group (yes, my a cappella group), a fiddle serenade by Jim Casey, and of course, a lavish pot-luck dinner. As always, Eamon and I served our patented Louisiana whiskey slush, of which John O'Connor partook, perhaps to excess. I was proud to serve a much lauded Hawaiian meatball dish, which to me was the perfect typification of Hawaii by way of the 1950s Midwest. Jim Casey offered his supremely good pulled pork (which allowed for many jokes about how Jim had been pulling his pork all day. Ah, pork humor. Always fun.).

After dinner, competition heated up with a hula hoop contest and several coconut "broomball" bouts. Later, tiki torches were lit, a firepit was stoked, a guitar jam session played, and "Finding Nemo" was viewed on the big, middle-of-the-street movied screen, propped up against the one lone parked car on the street -- the leavings of some unlawfully parked and inconsiderate resident. Ruth decorated the malparked car with battery-operated tiki lights to striking effect.

The party cranked 'til midnight, at which point, we re-opened the street to more pedestrian pedestrian behavior.

A final note: Rick did not attend.

Crazy Crap Item #124: The part where 1500 Norwood waits in vigil on the new neighbors

This past March, we at 1500 Norwood suffered an intolerable loss. The O'Connors moved away. To Milwaukee.

Yes, you read right. Milwaukee.

Why, you ask, would anyone leave the sylvan splendor and sophisticated city-style living of 1500 Norwood for the great unknown frontier of some border hinterland? Work, they tell us. Unavoidable. We mourn.

News of the impending move engendered surmises as to our new neighbors. Would they be fun-loving folk, eager to partake of our many hijinks? Would we get to screen prospective neighbors, ensuring only the best and brightest could join our ranks?

The answer to the latter was no. Apparently, the O'Connors were being "relocated," which means they sell their house to their employer, who takes it from there.

As to the former ... the jury is still, alas, out.

Not that we don't have new neighbors. At first, it seemed promising. A same-sex couple, we are told. A soon-to-be retired Army dentist. His partner, rumored to be a physical therapist. We keep our eyes peeled for activity.

A moving truck arrives. Items are delivered. Shutters remain shuttered.

I hear tell my neighbor Florence has delivered a gift of shortbread to welcome them. So they are, we are to understand, moved in. I bake a loaf of bread and purchase olive oil as a welcome. But the new neighbors make no appearance, so I am forced to eat the bread myself.

Livingroom lights are spied, and Eamon strikes up an actual live conversation with one of the new neighbors while mowing the lawn. Rick is his name -- the Army dentist. A pleasant fellow, Eamon tells me. They speak of lawn maintenance and the superiority of push mowers. Eamon describes the annual block party, and suggests coconut bras may be involved. Rick registers enthusiasm.

So I bake loaf #2, based on Eamon's report that neighbors are stateside. I deliver said loaf, and chat with Rick, as pleasant and enthusiastic as Eamon had reported. He can't wait for the block party, he tells me. I tell him of the afternoon gatherings of mothers at Ruth's benches, and invite him to join us any time. He seems pleased and eager.

And then I never see him again. Shutters remain shuttered. There are occasional lights on. Delores reports they are out of town often. Megan theorizes they are avoiding us. Rick's partner is still unnamed, unmet.

I deliver flyers for the block party planning meeting. Rick and unnamed partner do not attend.

But still, through it all, Eamon and I maintain our faith that Rick lurks within, just waiting to be coaxed out of doors. As we gather at Ruth's benches, we occasionally cast a rueful eye at the former O'Connor home, longing for contact. We plaintively cry out, "Rick, Rick!"

Our cries are unanswered.

Crazy Crap Item #123: The part where Jack and I ponder immeasurables.

Jack: What is 3,000 plus 3,000?

Kay: 6,000.

Jack: What is 6,000 plus 6,000?

Kay: 12,000.

Jack: What is 12,000 plus 12,000?

Kay: 24,000.

Jack: What is 24,000 plus 24,000?

Kay: 48,000.

Jack: What is 48,000 plus 48,000?

Kay: 96,000.

Jack: What is 96,000 plus 96,000?

Kay: Um. [Pause.] 192,000.

Jack: What is 192,000 plus 192,000?

Kay: Oh, man. Let me think. [Jottings in air with finger.] 384,000.

Jack: What is 384,000 plus 384,000?

Kay: It'll take me a minute to figure that out.

Jack: I know. It's got to be infinity. 384,000 plus 384,000 is so big, it has to be infinity.

Kay: That can't be right, because infinity is bigger than anything you can add together.

Jack: What? What do you mean?

Kay: Infinity is everything. It just keeps going. Because you can always add one.

Jack: Add one what?

Kay: I mean, you can always add the number one. Like, one plus one is two; two plus one is three, and so on. Since you can always add one, you can never get to the end. Infinity means you can never get to the end, because it just keeps getting bigger.

Jack: Is infinity everything?

Kay: Yes. It's everything. It's bigger than everything, because it just keeps getting bigger.

Jack: So God is infinity.

Kay: Yes, God is infinity. He's everything. Plus one. God is everything, plus one.

Jack: So is God you?

Kay: Yes, God is me. God is bigger than me.

Jack: So God is me?

Kay: Yes, God is you and me and everything.

Jack: [ponders]

Kay: God is everything you ever thought, plus one.

Jack: So what about the devil.

Kay: That's another story.

Crazy Crap Item #122: The part where Kristen goes to Dickens World, and all I got was this lousy T-shirt. Also, this lovely description.

A report, from Kristen Freilich, on her recent trip to England's premiere new tourist attraction, Dickens World:

So on July 3 in the year of our Lord 2007, Shaun and I made passage to Dickens World, the premier vacation destination in the county of Kent (other than the historic docks of Chatham, which for all I can tell are...docks....but, older).

We hopped the tube to Char Crossing (or Crossing Char, I can never remember) and switched to the National Rail for an hour long ride to Chatham Station. The London suburbs looked a lot like the average burbs outside any other major American city. Than we took a one pound bus to Dickens World.I wasn't sure which bus to take as none of them said DICKENS WORLD on them, the way buses at the Magic Kingdom do. A bit of advertising *might* help. Each time a bus pulled up to the Chatham stop I would run up to it and ask the driver if their bus stopped at Dicken's World.

(door opens)
(Kristen runs up to bus)
Kristen: Does this bus stop at Dicken's World?
Bus Driver: (heavy sigh) No.

After the third try, we found the right bus! Finally a sign on the way there. Shaun and I agreed that Dicken's World should use the Wall Drug advertising schema...(Just 20 more Kilometres to Dicken's World!!). This would have prevented me from asking the driver (at each stop) if this was the Dicken's World stop. After 1.5 hours of traveling through English Countryside by rail and road, I was NOT about to miss Dicken's World because of poor signage.

Finally, we arrived at the historic docks of Chatham, where there were docks, a discount mall, and (trumpet sound effect) Dickens World, which promises the time of their lives! What did I think it would be like? I was hoping for an Oliver! sing along, or Oliver! singing contest!Tickets were $25 for adults, which is certainly less than Disney! Please note fabulous marketing flyer, which features Dickens in a boat with some of his beloved characters:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/krispe22/706731447/in/photostream/

We climbed a staircase from the very modern looking lobby and were then transported (through a door) to a very Dickensian world where everything was dark and wooden looking. We were greeted by a costumed wench who asked if we would like our photographs taken in Dickens garb. Dickens garb, for a man, means a chimney sweep costume and prop, which prompted Shaun to ask if Charles Dickens had written Mary Poppins.

I was FAR more excited about the photo than Shaun was.Then we were transported (through another door) into a very Dickensian world. Please note warning sign. This door opened into what looked like an extremely large Christmas Carol set, complete with alleys and shops:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/krispe22/731164094/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/krispe22/731163726/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/krispe22/731157264/in/photostream/

Two wenches (costumed characters) greeted us. I was hoping they would be all Dickensian and I could do my British dialect with them, and complain about that mean old Bill Sykes, but instead they just told us were the bathrooms and exits were. Then a costumed man ran up to Shaun and started drawing what looked like a beard on his face with a ball point pen. We asked what he was doing and he didn't answer- he just laughed and ran away.

Dicken's World has 2 floors. The first floor is the town and has a boat ride, a school room, and a haunted house. The second floor has a restaurant and a 4-D exhibit.

We first ventured on the boat ride which takes you around the entire theme park. There was no wait for the boat ride, but we passed signs that read "1 hour wait from this point, 30 minute wait for this point", etc. I bet they were DREAMING of the day were those signs come are appropriate.

The boat ride took us through the filthy Thames, where we witnessed an anamotronic boy urinating in an alley. There were no big splashes, no falls. During the final moments of the ride, spotlights came up on some really scary mannequins: Bill Sykes, Madame DeFarge, and finally Wet/Dry Vac. OH NO THE CURSED WET DRY VAC!

Next a visit to the Haunted House. It featured four stops, and at each stop a group of about 20 visitors peered from a hallway into a room where projections appeared via mirrors. There was no guide for the groups, so after the narration ended, we all kind of looked at each other awkwardly and shuffled to the next exhibit. We saw glimpses of characters from all novels in the projections. And they had about 100 fire extinguishers that were not masked at all. Is Dickens World really that flammable? How can it be that I have never noticed a fire extinguisher at Disney?

At the School House, we were finally spoken to by a real character. School Master, wearing a graduation robe and cap, yelled at us for being late and made us take our seats. I was horrified to find out that at each seat in the room there were TOUCH SCREENS where we could play SNAKES and LADDERS, a Dickens trivia game. TOUCH SCREENS? REALLY?? Then the school master yelled at us when we left, but I didn't care. The touch screens had broken my spirit.

Our last stop was the gift shop, where they had run out of adult sized t shirts. Apparently they didn't realize how popular Dickens t shirts would be, so I was forced to buy a Dickens World pencil. A Dickens World Pencil has Dickens World written on it and has a metal Dickens bust on the top where the eraser should be.

Upon leaving we were caught in a horrible thunderstorm, so we ran to the outlet mall for Burger King. Then Shaun bought some underwear at Marks and Spencer and I bought a 3lb bag of Misshapen chocolate at the Cadbury Outlet.

I had fun at Dickens World, but only because I think things that are kind of lame can also be fun. I'm not a fan of the Tony and Tina's interactive theater-type world, but Dickens World might be cooler if there were actual Dickens characters running around.

Cheers!

Kristen

Crazy Crap Item #121: The part where I am ashamed

I just discovered i have no idea how to spell "Ophthalmology." It has way more letters than I thought.

Crazy Crap Item #120: The part where Sailor Jack shows his silver screen roots

It is well known that my father is a Casablanca fanatic. It is useless to count the number of times he has seen this fine film. Hundreds of times?, you ask. Nay, I say, most likely thousands.

As an illustration, it should be noted that there was an extended period during which every day my dad would come home at 2pm from his post-retirement gig working at my cousin's plumbing supply store, pop in his well-worn video tape of Casablanca, and watch till dinner. At dinner time, he'd hit stop, then start it up the next day, post-plumbing. When the tape ended, he'd hit rewind and start over.

And thus it went, every afternoon, for years. One summer, I worked with him at the plumbing store, and often joined him in his Bogey-fest. I reckon I'd seen the movie several times over by the end of the summer, but never in sequence.

That little illustration serves as a prelude to my most recent email from Dad:

"The other day I got the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance to quote Casablanca. We were at the motel about to take a cab to the airport when I decided to use the men's room. It was poorly marked, with just a tiny outline of a man. Mom thought I had gone that way to the cab and tried to follow. There was a rattling of the door knob and knocking. To this I said '...Where I'm going you can't follow. What I'll be doing, you can't be any part of...'"

An excellent use of all his Casablanca expertise, I say.

Crazy Crap Item #119: The part where I have arrived

A few weeks ago, in my capacity as freelance theater critic for Time Out Chicago, I was sent to a horrible, horrible show. You can hear more about it here.

Today, my dear editor wrote me this: "Did I mention your refugee review has warranted not one but TWO letters from disgruntled readers? We never get letters. It's thrilling for us..."

Dig it. I disgruntled readers. I have arrived.