Racingmonkey

I hate that I have to be nostalgic about new years day - sitting on my ass for hours watching college football.  Meine Gott, what have they done to my bowl games?  The freaking national championship isn't until the eighth?  Its an absolute conspiracy.  And what the hell is Cincinatti doing in the Orange Bowl.  OMG. Thank god for the outdoor hockey.

They may be just setting us all up for a playoff - oh please, please be setting us up for a playoff.

We are constantly hammering home to our daughters the please and thank yous, and frankly I am not sure why at times.  Why don't we teach them to be rude, to sneer, to demand, shout 'respect', curse, run about - it appears that's what is expected in the world in which they are to exist.  Aren't these the qualities which are the norm today, along with a healthy ambivalance of ones impacts on others?  Its not so much the pleasentries associated with courtesy that we are training, its the empathy or awareness that one fosters when forcing the employ of the courtesy.  To say 'thank you' one absolutely must aknowledge the other person.  A civil society demands this.  I am not sure we are all that civil though...

I am routinely shocked at how seemingly unaware people are as they stumble accross my path.  The public seems littered with these trogdolytes who, for whatever reason, are shielded from any awareness of those around them.  In the past few days, I sat for seven minutes in a line (I timed it) while a person sent a her child back into the bowels of the store on several missions to retrieve a different version of some jam she misappropriated.  The kid got it wrong no less than three times and she kept sending him back, never once even thinking the rest of us in the line were going to be bothered while she shopped in such an unconventional manner.  She never looked up.  The clerk never thought to say anything either.  We all stood their like witnessing an accident.    Or on New Years Eve, while me and my family enjoyed a Peruvian meal out, two couples did the same, with one exception:  they let their five children run througout the restaurant, through the curtains at the front, around the tables, hitting my wifes arm at one point, jack lalane hijinx and all.

And no, in either case, no one said anything - we sneered, sighed - silently wrote out blogs when we got home - bitched to each other later - but we didn't confront because we all know where it goes from there.  If these people are so completely and utterly self-absorbed as to act as such, any public dressing down won't change them - in fact, such a scene will likely end up in an exclaimation point of disorder and more chaos.  In fact, often these types of people, those that only care about themselves, will get into battles amongst themselves - god thats fun.

Yet we still teach our kids to stay in their seats, don't act the dolt, be mindful of others.  Not sure why, seems easier to shop for jam while in the checkout line and let them run off their dinner while we eat ours.

Wierd winter evening, in the 50s, so decided to make pizza with the kids on our bbq  (see pictures as well).  Stopped by our neighborhood pizzaria, smileys, and picked up some pizza dough.  Went to Russo's and got the mozzerela (the homemade not the bufferela) and some pepperoni along with a pint of marinara sauce.  Got the egg heated up to 550.  Cut the dough into quarters to make smaller pies.  First thing we learned, once you pull the pie out, don't refold back together  - you get one shot to make it.  After that, the air or elasticity goes out of the dough.  We put a bit of corn meal on our pie paddle (or wood pizza thing - its name escapes me) and then built the pie on top of it.  Transfered the pie to the oven on that, slid it onto the hot pizza stone, and let it cook for just under ten minutes.  Scooped it out with the pie thingy.

Ok - not the best instructions,  I used to be a technical writer,  but they were good.  Kids liked them.

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Went to Rolfs and ate inside the Christmas Tree.  Expensive but good food and fun.  Had sausages and beer.  Merry Christmas.

Watched Tropic Thunder.  Amazing array of talent, obvious cost, and some forethought to a disappointing conclusion.  The bald fat Tom Cruise's dancing which was surely a freakish highlight - hip hop or rap? - was, according to the dvd commentary, an afterthought.  Dare I ask is it Ben Stiller?  Is he more miss than hit? Have we noticed less surety without Owen Wilson on the scene - please tell me his part as a retarded Vietcong - a friend for Ben's Simple Jack - was just too much of an insult to Wes Anderson and left on the edit room floor?  Am I making things up?  Is this but another trailer?

Why are you racing down my street at 3.35 in the morning?  Is a it a fire?  I even understand the siren.  It's probably a law.  But really, same truck, three passes down ninth street, honking the horn, 3 AM?  Hope you are having fun circling our block. And it worked, you woke everyone up.  You are all powerful.