tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-106423202011-11-22T13:07:03.705-05:00(Musical flourish) Housewife... of... the... Universe!Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.comBlogger18071100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-31076105766089334412011-03-18T08:45:00.003-04:002011-03-18T08:50:43.231-04:00

In the brave new world we live in, your day starts in the usual way. You don't read newspapers anymore; you haven't in years. Lately you haven't even been checking newspapers' websites, unless you're following a link to some article or another, a link posted by someone you know, where "know" is defined as -- no, not in the biblical sense, you smart-ass -- "someone you follow on some social

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-74259674662275665792011-01-26T13:43:00.008-05:002011-01-28T15:48:44.709-05:00

It was an exercise we practiced over and over again during my senior year in high school in preparation for taking the AP exam in English. We were handed a short passage of prose or a poem, and given 45 minutes to analyze the hell out of it. I hated it, like I hated just about everything that added any further pressure to an environment already so pressurized that I walked around with a chronic

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-37927763205827569582010-04-29T09:10:00.002-04:002010-04-29T09:12:39.608-04:00

For the first five months that BB was in kindergarten, every single drawing that she brought home was labeled, “BB AND MAMA.” It didn’t seem to matter what the subject of the drawing was: landscapes (a house with a door and windows), portraits (BB in neon pink and yellow, with enormous eyes), hearts and flowers, oddly appealing bits of geometric abstraction — all of them bore somewhere, “BB AND

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-1115865923103518782010-02-25T19:24:00.002-05:002010-02-25T20:39:07.144-05:00

... I hereby present a short risk of things that are currently thought to increase one's risk of miscarriage. Pregnant women of Utah, play it safe and keep careful track of your actions. If you miscarry you could be considered "reckless" if you've engaged in any of these:Risk factors for spontaneous abortion and its recurrence." href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3273482?ordinalpos=1&

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-46259353961083701842010-01-18T10:19:00.008-05:002010-01-18T10:48:44.731-05:00

Okay, Martin Luther King, Jr., did not believe in plastic forks. That was just the first thing I had lying around to protect the pseudonymity of the innocent.Yes, peace. Which is illustrated by white kids (check the hair) hugging each other. BB, as per the assignment, crossed out the picture that showed the opposite of peace: a black kid pushing a white kid. Um. This lesson on Martin Luther

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-17499763506717486822010-01-15T11:55:00.003-05:002010-01-15T12:31:33.068-05:00

Welcome back to the new, revisionist Phantom Scribbler. You know, the one with no comments on any of the posts. Years of the pixie party vanished, just like that. Thanks a lot, The Company Formerly Known As Haloscan.But I have to admit that I get some bizarre existential glee out of seeing it all wiped away and transformed into a years-long monomaniacal monologue.Except when I had to wipe away

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-11258021006234630662009-12-19T10:43:00.005-05:002009-12-19T11:17:27.549-05:00

I got pinged by Haloscan today. They're rolling out the change blog by blog, and MB's blog had already been converted, so I knew it was coming. Haloscan has been taken over by another company, which wants to charge me $9.95 per year to continue hosting the comments. In fact, I voluntarily paid more than that to Haloscan per year -- but that was to keep the pixie party ad-free, not to keep it

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-72367929979610356312009-11-20T14:52:00.001-05:002009-11-20T14:57:28.796-05:00

BB wasn’t thrilled to get up for school this morning. Okay, it was dark, it was pouring, it’s Friday, and, you know, while school is okay and all, it is (she informs me) not the best thing in the world. You know how that goes. I tried to talk her out of bed.BB: “I wish I was too little to have to go to school.”PS: “Yeah, I can understand that. But if you were too little to go to school, you’d

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-30192947315074678892009-11-18T10:53:00.003-05:002009-11-18T11:08:16.107-05:00

M. LeBlanc is trying to decide whether to shed her pseudonymity. (I’m not linking because 1. Y’all already read Bitch Ph.D., and 2. This is a post about me, not a conversation with relevance to whether M. LeBlanc should or should not continue with a pseudonym.) I’ve done most (though not all) of my writing on teh internets under this pseudonym, and it has mostly been a fine thing. Not because

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-64154994042432893112009-07-14T11:20:00.004-04:002009-07-14T22:52:07.752-04:00

One of the mild irritants of being the proprietor of such an aged (if not distinguished) parenting blog is the steady stream of emails one receives from marketing departments and PR operations. I suppose the poor dears can't be faulted for assuming that parenting bloggers of all stripes acquired the hobby primarily for the chance to Collect Free Stuff Whilst In The Service of Advertising-Based

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-59358020240103959212009-07-02T14:39:00.002-04:002009-07-02T15:27:46.111-04:00

It took Marion Nestle to alert me, though I've been buying Silk Soymilk by the gallon for years and years. You'd think I would have noticed from the packaging change. Except, whoops! There was no packaging change. Just the very subtle substitution of the word "NATURAL" for the word "ORGANIC" on a package that otherwise looks exactly the same, and -- more to the point -- costs exactly the

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-28275860207623304872009-05-06T20:40:00.004-04:002009-05-06T20:50:20.442-04:00

LG: “Mama, we are supposed to use compound words to fill in the blanks in this Spring poem.”PS: “Uh, okay. You can show it to me when you’re done.”LG: “Spring… time. Blue… birds. Butter… flies. May… flowers. Sun… Mama, is ‘sunbe’ a word?”PS: “Sunbeam?”LG: “No, not sunbeam. SunBE.”PS: “Er, sunbe? No. That’s not a word.”LG: “Oh, wait! It’s sun-flowers and may-be. Is 'maybe' a compound

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-57247961626750063252009-03-28T20:33:00.000-04:002009-03-28T20:34:08.516-04:00

BB: "I am not going to have kids. Because they might bother me."PS: "Mmmm, I can see that."BB: "Yeah. Kids might bother me. How do you not have kids?"PS: "Uh. I promise that I will explain that to you in embarrassing detail when you are a little older."BB: "Okay."LG: "Why embarrassing?"PS: "Well, a lot of kids get embarrassed when their parents talk about that stuff. But it doesn't have to

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-8993775713768500392009-03-18T17:49:00.001-04:002009-03-18T17:51:39.459-04:00

BB: [climbing up on the arm of my chair] “You are my mama.”PS: “That’s true. And you are my BB.”BB: “Well, I am not going to have a kid.”PS: “No? You’re not going to have a kid? Okay. How come?”BB: “Because I’m going to be an engineer.”PS: “Oh. Okay. But, you know, you can be an engineer AND have a kid. If you want.”BB: “You can?”PS: “Sure.”BB: “But, then I have to marry a boy.”PS: “To

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-57258130307186108432009-01-30T09:12:00.004-05:002009-01-30T11:24:23.093-05:00

You guys. Blogrolling isn't coming back, is it? I'm going to have to recreate my blogroll by hand, aren't I? Bah, humbug.Typepade is doing some kind of funky upgrade, huh? Jody, Lisa, Elizabeth, I can't comment on your blogs anymore. Dunno why. So no commenting for me. I guess that's why God invented email. And Facebook.Self-revelatory memes are making the Facebook rounds. Given that a

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-6238854488943543672009-01-20T12:49:00.001-05:002009-01-20T12:50:36.575-05:00

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-27848208666368162932009-01-18T21:19:00.001-05:002009-01-19T22:15:32.412-05:00

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-70766899029277082482009-01-04T19:28:00.001-05:002009-01-04T19:29:52.270-05:00

LG: "Mama! BB was teasing me because I was doing origami and it didn't look like the thing I was trying to make!"PS: "And you need me to intervene in this situation because?..."LG: "Well. I was horrified."

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-59986977784320480062009-01-01T18:51:00.003-05:002009-01-01T18:54:57.503-05:00

MB: "LG, television is not supposed to take over your life. Computers are supposed to take over your life."--------------------EpilogueLG: "Daddy, that was the least funniest thing I've ever heard."

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-29486352192983294382008-12-21T14:55:00.002-05:002008-12-21T14:56:08.793-05:00

That compost bin is waist-high. For the record.Sigh.It's going to be a looooooooong winter.

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-33729834085811019462008-12-19T13:34:00.002-05:002008-12-19T16:22:16.605-05:00

As I was combing through BB's hair this morning, she said, "Mama, I would like you to put it in one ponytail, but I would like that ponytail to be off to the side.""Uh," I said. I'm quick on my feet like that. "One ponytail off to the side. Uh. Why?""Well, I saw it on Reading Rainbow. There was a girl who had one ponytail on the side.""Reading Rainbow," I said. "Uh. Um. BB? That show?

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-49270899057498697812008-12-13T13:25:00.000-05:002008-12-13T13:26:04.808-05:00

BB: "Mama, I am messaging my unicorn."

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-14703005753320190792008-12-03T17:48:00.008-05:002008-12-03T20:39:20.109-05:00

Now that I'm over the crankiness of NoBloSloMo, I will admit that I'm glad I did it. Much as I hate feeling compelled to do anything (yes, my inner child is 13 years old, why do you ask), there is something deeply satisfying about writing at length, even when it's only to make whiny bullets of daily life. Too much microblogging (Facebook statuses, Twitter) makes me start to think about my life

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-23442139774495054902008-11-30T21:42:00.001-05:002008-11-30T21:42:47.147-05:00

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-71672239632868033482008-11-29T16:42:00.003-05:002008-11-29T17:00:19.427-05:00

All right, I skipped a day. So sue me. The nerve of NoBloPloMo, occurring in a month during which I am certain to be without access to teh internets for a day.(I have only just recently learned that one can schedule posts to appear magically of their own accord whilst one is away from teh internets. But I was not industrious enough to put that knowledge to good use yesterday.)We are back from

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-68108153355720278652008-11-27T09:37:00.002-05:002008-11-27T10:30:15.024-05:00

It was the summer of 1992, and Mumbai was our last stop. It was still Bombay then, a very different era. There were no cellphones or internet cafés. We had been completely out of touch with our family for weeks while we'd been traveling in the north. That was why we braved monsoon rains and the throngs of men ("Hello madam, you will sleep with me, yes?") on the streets of Bombay to reach the

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-15405782511376303442008-11-26T18:48:00.000-05:002008-11-26T18:48:08.166-05:00

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the road to hell leads through Hartford, Connecticut on the day before Thanksgiving.That is all.

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-7372699086193187992008-11-25T20:57:00.006-05:002008-11-25T21:08:33.779-05:00

We may have one fewer at our Thanksgiving table on Thursday. One of our number is supposed to be flying back from a vacation in Thailand tonight.Whoops.I'd worry more, but he just updated his Facebook status to reassure us all that he's safely ensconced at a friend's house in Bangkok at the moment.I guess we'll be posting virtual turkey and a glass of my dad's home-pressed apple cider to his

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-76236568145035560412008-11-24T20:50:00.003-05:002008-11-24T21:08:00.919-05:00

The chances that we're ever going to host Thanksgiving dinner at our place are slim. We have a lot of family in the Northeast, and our living space is pretty small compared to just about everyone else's. Plus, our vegetarian ways are, how you say, unpopular on this holiday in particular.So. On Thanksgiving, we travel, and someone else sets the menu, and we bring a dish or two as requested by

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-82045414821280023452008-11-23T20:59:00.002-05:002008-11-23T21:04:45.122-05:00

Dilemma: it is almost December, and I have not tried to get holiday-card photos of the kids. This is because I am lazy, and because LG is in a particularly shaggy hair state (too long to look neat, too short to let him cut it himself, as he usually does, without massive risk of bald spots).Do I (a) postpone the taking of photos until I persuade him to allow me to cut the most egregious parts of

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-35062232264054644942008-11-22T17:30:00.002-05:002008-11-22T17:33:42.333-05:00

BB just sent her first text message.

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-30640660952921229792008-11-21T18:29:00.002-05:002008-11-21T18:32:36.906-05:00

According to this article in Scientific American, people who combat feelings of loneliness by indulging in nostalgia for happier times are more resilient than others.On that note. What are we all daydreaming about as the light fades on a chilly afternoon?

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-81710087686674730162008-11-20T20:42:00.002-05:002008-11-20T20:51:51.655-05:00

1. The car parked in front of our house finally moved. Now it resides in a driveway down the street.2. There were NO cars parked on ANY PART of the sidewalk today when I picked up LG from school. That's never happened in recorded history. Ever. Really. Srsly.3. I opened a jar of tomato sauce and DID NOT GET IT ALL OVER MYSELF! [Modestly acknowledging your applause.]4. I got one (1) good

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-19634660985635338612008-11-19T18:37:00.002-05:002008-11-19T18:48:10.158-05:00

I did get some sleep last night, thank goodness. But still I am very, very tired. Why am I tired?Yesterday I got up earlier than usual to go to LG's teacher-parent conference. The conference itself was both useful and flattering. Useful in that I got a good sense of how LG is doing with his peers in his classroom (the verdict: he's always with at least one friend, but he's generally reluctant

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-73302768380808038322008-11-18T12:56:00.003-05:002008-11-18T17:25:16.371-05:00

You guys. (I was going to write "y'all," but someone -- you know who you are, S. -- recently pointed out to me a major discontinuity between my blog-persona and who I am in real life: I never say "y'all" in real life. I protested, "Hey, maybe that's because I'm not generally addressing more than one person in real life!" She wasn't buying it. Nor should she. It was a weak excuse, y'all. I've

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-69944142944497427102008-11-17T20:15:00.003-05:002008-11-17T20:34:39.216-05:00

"So, Phantom," you ask, "what's it like, living with the human reincarnation of Fozzie Bear?"So. I'll tell you.Yesterday, LG took it upon himself to make up his own Fozzie Bear-style jokes. He approached me with a mini-whiteboard in his hand. "Check for Mama!" he called out. "Check for Mama! Are you Mama?""Uh," I said. "Yes, I'm Mama.""Check for you!" he sang out, turning around his

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-51851611940612575652008-11-16T17:41:00.002-05:002008-11-16T18:03:13.705-05:00

I've always been a bit of a bookaholic, though you'd never know it from the slowness with which I finish my book reading, these days. But my checkered past includes a few years spent working at a bookstore, and my house is stuffed to the gills with books, most of which I'll probably never read again, but which I can't bear to give up, because what if I needed to look up something in one of them,

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-10471153264530374882008-11-15T21:31:00.002-05:002008-11-15T21:38:02.413-05:00

We never got around to calling potty school. No real reason, except that our official motto is "Never do today what you could put off until tomorrow." It wasn't that we decided not to do it. We just hadn't done it yet, you know?One day last week, BB's preschool teacher told me that BB had asked to use the toilet at preschool. After I recovered from my faint, I showered BB with praise.Today,

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-84898735855714222852008-11-14T15:44:00.003-05:002008-11-14T15:53:20.855-05:00

It was warm when I picked up LG from school this afternoon. His winter jacket was on, but unzipped, and his mittens on their string dangled like mobiles from his sleeves. He skipped over to us, swinging one arm so that the empty mitten twirled in the air before him."Hi Mama!" he said. He raised his arm in greeting, and the twirling mitten flew up and hit him in the nose. I laughed. "Hi buddy

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-40690593572129782212008-11-13T21:21:00.002-05:002008-11-13T21:29:48.838-05:00

It is fun, intensely re-engaging with the blog again. But I must admit that NoBloSloMo is also reminding me of the reasons why I disengaged in the first place. Posting on days that I have nothing to say? Silly and pointless. But yet I will keep on, at least for awhile longer. We hates to feel like a failure, my preciousssss.If you are looking for something to do on Saturday, may I suggest

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-70257814025829612172008-11-12T15:51:00.003-05:002008-11-12T16:54:53.060-05:00

When I was making my college decision, I took a last-minute trip up to Fancy Pants City to take one final look at the place before signing the paperwork. For reasons I no longer remember, my parents were either unable or unwilling to come with me. So I took my little brother with me instead.He was about to turn 13 -- his bar mitzvah was just a few days away. (That probably explains why my

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-57757402680886413622008-11-11T10:01:00.002-05:002008-11-11T10:10:22.868-05:00

LG: "BB, the phone is ringing! Pick up the phone!"BB: "Hello?"LG: "Hello, this is Toys 'R Us calling. We want you to buy some new Playmobil for a million million dollars."BB: "Okay!"LG: "Great. But it has to be in real money."BB: [pushing over a pile of little Playmobil detritus] "Here you go."LG: "That is not real money. It has to be REAL money."BB: "It IS real money!"LG: [rolling eyes] "It

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-24286946850416224232008-11-10T20:18:00.003-05:002008-11-10T20:32:06.426-05:00

Via DaniGirl, the very exciting news that Sesame Street has launched its own YouTube channel in honor of its 39th birthday. Of course I promptly rushed over there. There isn't an enormous selection, especially if you're looking for old skool Sesame Street. But there are some very choice tidbits there.HOWEVER. They have embedding disabled.* So I cannot show you any of them. That is why,

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-14006008246072276412008-11-09T19:01:00.003-05:002008-11-09T19:42:35.937-05:00

Okay, so, this past fall, I saved lots of polar bears by canning the two locally grown products that my family would actually consider eating. (Okay, I exaggerate. My family would never TOUCH the apple butter I've made. But let's pretend it was possible, anyway.) Every weekend from late August until two weeks ago, I made and canned tomato sauce from tomatoes that were still showing up at

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-23690885769477698462008-11-08T08:18:00.003-05:002008-11-08T08:33:58.875-05:00

'Round about that same period in my history that I was casting my ballot for Kermit the Frog, I was living in my parents' house and working at a bookstore. One of my friends who also worked at the bookstore quit to take a real job with one of the few Major Employers within driving distance of our area. (Hi, friend! If you're reading, I mean.) Because it was a Major Employer, it was the kind of

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-8344692145508633192008-11-07T17:02:00.005-05:002008-11-07T17:32:55.980-05:00

Now that I've come out as a native of the fabulous (ha!) state of Connecticut, I want to take a minute to polish my bona fides. It has come to my attention that it is now hip and happening to hope Joe Lieberman gets the payback he so richly deserves for being, you know, a Bad Democrat or something. (My favorite suggestion was one I saw over at TNC, about Lieberman getting the ambassadorship to,

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-46409817433264071792008-11-06T15:57:00.003-05:002008-11-06T17:21:49.409-05:00

California ain't the only place that had a proposal aimed at changing the state's constitution to strip the existing right to marry from queer citizens. Heartbroken as I may be over Prop 8, I am also proud to say that both of the two states in which I have lived the vast majority of my life now permit gay marriage. You already know about Massachusetts. If you hadn't heard, in October, the CT

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-16078839118610587752008-11-05T08:51:00.002-05:002008-11-05T09:06:54.933-05:00

LG stayed up until near 11PM last night, not late enough to hear Obama's acceptance speech but late enough to have heard the election called by the major networks. Still, this morning, the first thing he said to me was, "Mama, did he?...""Yes," I said. "Obama won."He sat up, jubilant. "Mama!" he said, his face alight. "Can you believe it? For the very first time in my lifetime... a Democrat

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-65495922449952463492008-11-04T18:52:00.001-05:002008-11-04T18:53:39.756-05:00

... eat dinner in front of the TV and computers while watching election updates. OMG! Indiana!How's by you? Have any of us spontaneously combusted yet?

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-59771812446145551072008-11-04T10:15:00.002-05:002008-11-04T10:44:35.665-05:00

My father grew up on the South Side of Chicago. Not Hyde Park, where the university is -- though my grandfather did eventually bow to pressure from my grandmother, and moved the family there in time for my father to attend high school. When my father graduated from grade school, he was one of five white children in his class.It mattered to my grandfather that the family stayed on the South Side

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-38258018316770154972008-11-03T15:08:00.003-05:002008-11-03T15:14:55.869-05:00

The scene: LG is scouring the shelves because he needs to choose a book he's never read to be the subject of his first book report.LG: "What's this? Sarah Palin and Tall????"

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-90458143934858980662008-11-02T16:39:00.005-05:002008-11-02T17:23:26.518-05:00

It's November, and even if you can't figure out whether or not it's worth it to do NoBloSloMo, or whatever it's called, there's still plenty o'things worth whining about. Plen. Ty. Like for example.1. The playing of various sports inside the house. Particularly the playing of various sports in the same room in which I am sitting. Someday LG is going to come home from school to find all of his

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-4816512956993835432008-10-30T15:52:00.009-04:002008-11-01T13:25:24.486-04:00

To everything there is a season. Here are my nominees for the winners and losers of this election season.WinnersThe Atlantic's blogging staff. We all went there for Andrew Sullivan's conspiracy theories about Trig Palin, didn't we? But it's Ta-Nehisi Coates that keeps bringing me back. Politics, sports, gaming, Mad Men threads -- he's got it all. And a comment section that's really worth a

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-43398981144615031072008-10-29T19:49:00.003-04:002008-10-29T20:15:10.630-04:00

Look. I don't have anything to say about gay marriage that hasn't already been said by others far more eloquently than I could manage. And I doubt very much that anyone who reads my blog (more than once, anyway) is wildly against civil marriage for same-sex couples. You already know as well as I do that gay and lesbian families are just as deserving of basic legal protections as heterosexual

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-60163931865970128422008-10-17T13:35:00.002-04:002008-10-17T14:02:35.695-04:00

Last week BB came home for preschool beside herself with delight. The the best thing on earth that can happen to a shy little girl had happened to her. Another little girl had approached her and asked her to be friends.For a week, BB and this other little girl were inseparable. The preschool teacher said it warmed her heart to see it. Yesterday, while playing "kindergarten camp" with her

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-49507058050162458992008-10-16T13:09:00.002-04:002008-10-16T13:13:10.404-04:00

Julie hits this one out of the park. Cranky aside: I can't believe how many mainstream media and (male) bloggers' accounts of the debate did NOT mention this as a pivotal moment. Dudes. How would all those XY types feel if a presidential candidate implied that they were making up "health problems" for convenience's sake?

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-54695108927291721602008-10-14T13:48:00.002-04:002008-10-14T14:32:33.473-04:00

These are dark days. Well, okay, not literally dark. It's quite sunny and lovely here, deep blue sky, flaming reds and oranges on the trees. Fabulous weather for an apocalypse, really. Oh, sure, the economy is going into a death spiral and we're all gonna die, but it sure is nice weather that we're having, you know?We're in pretty good shape for the apocalypse over here at the Scribbler-Blue

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-84536055929258852282008-10-11T10:58:00.002-04:002008-10-11T11:02:51.542-04:00

Confused by the financial crisis? Do I have the solution for you! Based on Arwen's brilliant explanation of the roots of the crisis, a fabulous YouTube production of "Richer Than God: A Play in One Act."

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-44144694991678115872008-10-10T13:14:00.004-04:002008-10-10T13:19:46.685-04:00

The scene: BB is flipping through her brother's copies of Time for Kids. (They got to choose between the Obama cover and the McCain cover -- LG brought home both, so as to be equally well-informed.)BB: "Mama, is that Sarah Palin or Tina Fey?"PS: "It's Sarah Palin."BB: "Sarah Palin is good, isn't she?"PS: "Uhhhhh.... good at what?"BB: "Sarah Palin is good at... voting. Right, Mama? Sarah Palin

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-90703856292774194732008-10-09T12:29:00.001-04:002008-10-09T12:30:58.968-04:00

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-26859864926897831282008-10-07T16:38:00.003-04:002008-10-07T16:46:49.791-04:00

The night before the Manny Ramirez trade, LG announced that he thought the Red Sox would seek Pittsburgh's Jason Bey. He turned out to be correct. Ever since then, I have referred to him as mini-Theo.Today LG had a baseball afterschool activity at which he informed the coach (it was coach-pitch) that he had walked at his second at-bat, because the coach's underhand pitching put the ball too

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-34939913997250933872008-10-06T21:36:00.003-04:002008-10-06T21:52:35.252-04:00

Let's review some recent history.October 2004: The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series in 86 years.November 2004: John Kerry, senator from Massachusetts, loses the presidential election to George W. Bush.October 2008: BOTH Chicago baseball teams enter the playoffs, only to be eliminated in the first round.Is this not an absolutely accurate scientific indicator that Barack Obama is going

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-48423290803590112252008-10-03T10:47:00.004-04:002008-10-03T11:30:00.266-04:00

Back in the Dark Ages when I started this blog, there wasn't a hell of a lot of this gosh-durn newfangled "social networking" stuff on these here internets. I mean, there were message boards and stuff, email lists. But it felt, at the time, that blogging was The New Best Way to connect with people.That was more than three and a half years ago, which is something like four geological epochs in

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-85416869971604145792008-10-02T21:18:00.002-04:002008-10-02T21:19:36.173-04:00

The scene: we are watching the VP debate and playing Palin Bingo.BB: "Sarah Palin is doing pretty good!"

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-41038251717836079412008-09-30T10:17:00.002-04:002008-09-30T10:19:42.121-04:00

BB: "Well, I don't have school on Wednesday. Because it's a holiday."PS: "That's right. It's Rosh Hashannah."BB: "Oh, the teacher was right, then. It's Rosh Hashanna."PS: "And do you know what Rosh Hashanna is?"BB: "Oh, sure. It's a vacation!"

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-78510973499367357422008-09-28T20:32:00.003-04:002008-09-28T20:37:17.205-04:00

PS: "BB! You need to come upstairs for bathtime!"BB: "Mama, I was just telling LG something."PS: "Okay, but now you need to come upstairs."BB: "But, Mama --"PS: "No 'but mama.' Come on."BB: "I AM come on-ning!"PS: [Laughing]BB: [Grinning] "Mama, I'm come here-ing, too."

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-4791775258932859992008-09-25T12:51:00.001-04:002008-09-25T12:51:55.086-04:00

BB: "LG! I would appreciate if you would stop inter-wupting me!"

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-18896001273142811542008-09-22T20:34:00.003-04:002008-09-22T21:12:14.286-04:00

We saw the pediatric gastroenterologist again last week. He's generally pleased with BB's progress, but there's always something more to discuss. This time round, we thought it would be fine and proper to bring up the time-honored subject of potty training. Unlike her brother, BB did not develop any major philosophical objections to the concept of potty training between the ages of three and

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-83240232337514624872008-09-22T13:40:00.001-04:002008-09-22T13:41:49.139-04:00

BB: "Because you are ARGUING with me, and I don't want to be ARGUED, I want to be LEAVED ALONE."

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-22466945312001206602008-09-17T18:49:00.001-04:002008-09-17T18:50:48.538-04:00

BB: "I CAN'T clean up, because if I DO, my TEARS will fall on the puzzles and RUIN them."

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-71729366809711847072008-09-05T08:30:00.003-04:002008-09-05T08:33:27.983-04:00

BB: "But, Mama, I wish you could stay with me in my classroom!"PS: "I know, sweetie."BB: "I just don't want to be alone."PS: "I know. But you won't be alone, sweetie. Your friends will be there, and your teachers Mrs. X and Mrs. Y. So you won't be alone, right?"BB: (Burying her head in my lap) "Mama. That's not the same. I'll be familysick."

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-20687957674749329752008-09-03T20:01:00.003-04:002008-09-03T20:09:49.786-04:00

1. Her plate, which is her VERY WORST PLATE EVER because LG has her VERY FAVORITE PLATE, and that is NOT FAIR.2. The color purple3. Her brother's name, spoken and written.4. Her grilled cheese sandwich. It is TOO BIG. It is BIGGER than LG's, and that is NOT FAIR.5. The color yellow6. The walls, floor and table in the kitchen.All of these allergies have been diagnosed via the sudden explosion of

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-62493336642424205842008-08-31T12:02:00.005-04:002008-08-31T13:34:45.389-04:00

For awhile now, I've had this joke going on with my nearest and dearest, one of those jokes that's totally not funny, except that it is, because what on earth can you do, really, besides laugh? The joke concerns polar bears. Specifically, the joke requires that you measure and weigh all of your daily activities based on the presumed numbers of polar bears killed or saved by your actions. So.

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-20574730633847876392008-08-27T11:21:00.003-04:002008-08-27T11:27:59.545-04:00

The scene: BB is entertaining herself (in the absence of The Fun Daddy and the Even More Fun If Frequently Problematic LG) by throwing around a small balloon filled with sand.BB: "I threw it to you! It's ice cream! Eat it!"PS: (Pretending to eat it, throwing it back.)BB: "You threw it! Now I'm making different ice cream! Now I'm throwing it!" (Throws it behind her head.) "Hey! Where'd it

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-63438760684137203742008-08-26T20:16:00.004-04:002008-08-26T20:53:24.974-04:00

The phone rang right before dinner. It was LG's new teacher, calling on the night before the first day of school to assure him that he is going to have a fabulous year in second grade. Oh, and to inform him that the very first thing they will do tomorrow morning is record the current win-loss record for the Red Sox. She was hoping maybe he could look it up before school started in the morning?

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-42524462672177379762008-01-10T12:50:00.001-05:002008-01-10T12:50:01.151-05:00

BB: "I run a lot faster now den I did when I was two."PS: "You do run faster."BB: "Dat's because now I'm three and a HALF."PS: "That's really big."BB: "That is SO big. Three and a half is as big as... a MILLION!"

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-11726734269930026972008-01-07T11:21:00.001-05:002008-01-07T11:21:15.609-05:00

Everyone is back at school now. Baby Blue is still quite frightened of "the mean kid" in her class, but has started interacting with some of the other children there, so I guess that's progress, somehow.She'd still rather play with older children, or by herself, though.We were talking about the beach one day, the way you do when you find a bathing suit in a drawer and think it's funny because

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-85787303477078076922008-01-03T20:31:00.001-05:002008-01-03T21:20:31.849-05:00

LG: "I would rather the Yankees beat the Red Sox a million to nothing than have Mitt Romney become president."----------------------------------------BB: "Daddy, dat George W. Bush, is he a bad president?"MB: "George W. Bush is a terrible president."BB: "Den let's FIRE him!"

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-34899078809448492822008-01-02T15:07:00.001-05:002008-01-02T15:07:49.880-05:00

The scene: Phantom is looking over LG's "December Book," which came home from school today. LG has drawn pictures with captions to illustrate Hannakah (um, that's a new spelling, and not one that the transliteration supports, methinks), Las Posadas, Kwanzaa, Diwali, St. Lucia Day, and, last but not least, Christmas. LG: "You can see that I didn't draw Santa."PS: "Yeah, I see that."LG: "Well,

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-79424598090319538372008-01-01T14:18:00.001-05:002008-01-01T14:18:22.956-05:00

I spent the last six months of 2007 more or less squandering all of my bloggy social capital, and I'm not making any resolutions to try and win it back in 2008. My resources these days are limited, and my priorities are probably going to remain elsewhere for awhile to come. Daily blogging is not on the agenda for 2008. But trying to figure out some way to make this space continue to be useful

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-80133420002667594802007-12-18T18:07:00.001-05:002007-12-18T18:07:36.577-05:00

LG's final Hanukkah present arrived an hour ago. We, uh, haven't worked out all the kinks yet, particularly when it comes to internet connectivity issues. But it sure looks cool.Any other OLPC owners out there who want to trade tips and tricks?

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-7328325300712494422007-12-14T10:33:00.001-05:002007-12-14T10:33:24.711-05:00

Because this reminds me how profoundly grateful I am not to be working retail or other service jobs this holiday season:I love how the waiter sketches always end with either Grover or the customer fainting dead away. Really, wouldn't life be so much more entertaining if falling to the floor was considered a proper response to certain situations?

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-47591997421611731422007-12-13T15:18:00.001-05:002007-12-13T15:18:47.219-05:00

BB: "Mo Vaughn used zeros!!!"

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-12149375317527024442007-12-11T15:55:00.001-05:002007-12-11T15:55:23.072-05:00

When I was growing up, each year had a predictable shape and weight, a center of gravity, a point to which it seemed to bend towards irresistibly: Hanukkah. Oh, sure, liturgically Chanukah is the most minor of holidays. But we were never much for liturgical niceties in my family. We were for decorations and presents, not necessarily in that order. And Hanukah offered plenty of scope for both

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-49686820696628221942007-12-10T20:09:00.001-05:002007-12-10T20:09:46.163-05:00

... trying and failing to buy Red Sox tickets for next season...... making or modeling new mittens...... turning daily life into art. This masterpiece is called, "Mama Eats A Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cone." And, with this post, it becomes Baby Blue's first published artwork.

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-55133617867163878012007-12-05T15:49:00.001-05:002007-12-05T15:49:48.472-05:00

BB: "I need another doctor's appointment."PS: (anxiously) "You do? Why?"BB: "Because I need more stickers!"

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-18679279995502823142007-12-04T11:09:00.001-05:002007-12-04T11:09:47.636-05:00

Because I get much of my musical advice from Scrivener, I downloaded Bishop Allen's latest album last month. I wouldn't go so far as to say that we are completely over the Jens Lekman obsession around here, but LG, at least, was apparently ready for a little more variety in his life. He likes almost all the tracks on the album, but his favorite is called, "The News from Your Bed."What does it

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-72923227678115838842007-12-03T08:59:00.001-05:002007-12-03T08:59:52.591-05:00

BB: (wanders into the room chewing a large mouthful of her breakfast) "Duh slower you go, duh more weight you are."PS: (looking up and blinking several times) "Uh, the slower you go, the more weight you are? Huh. Really? Huh."BB: (rolling her eyes and shaking her head) "MAMA! Not duh more WEIGHT you are. Duh more LATE you are. Duh slower you go, duh more LATE you are."PS: "Ohhhhhhh. Yeah.

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-63375751459336573832007-11-28T17:19:00.001-05:002007-11-28T17:19:32.529-05:00

Baby Blue came home from preschool today with a bruise on her cheek. Because another kid punched her in the face.The teacher, who was on break at the time it happened, was extremely apologetic. Especially as today was the first day that Baby Blue had made any sort of effort to interact with the other kids. Nothing like building on progress, eh?When I carried Baby Blue home, I asked her gently

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-48595311022422361712007-11-21T08:59:00.001-05:002007-11-21T08:59:35.299-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-2267630357692295762007-11-18T17:12:00.001-05:002007-11-18T17:12:59.864-05:00

LG: "I don't know why scissors are very important to me. Scissors and tape. They're just very important to me."

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-59912354136619965492007-11-14T21:52:00.001-05:002007-11-14T21:52:33.446-05:00

BB: "Duh days go so fast! But sometimes I have bad dreams."

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-22704387663892804142007-11-13T12:29:00.001-05:002007-11-13T12:29:13.475-05:00

Songbird tagged me for this one.1. All of my immediate female relatives from the two previous generations were born on the 13th of a month. And most of them were born on a Friday. Make of that what you will.2. None of my generation was born on a 13th, and neither were my kids. I find that ridiculously hopeful, somehow.3. As far as I know, only one member of the Scribbler family has ever

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-84832995849985679002007-11-09T17:17:00.001-05:002007-11-09T17:17:35.750-05:00

I know, I know. I never promised to be reliable or consistent. Life keeps getting away from me, that's what.Also those supposedly free eight hours a week are also getting away from me. Between the half-days of school for LG, and the fall holidays, it's not the most reliable block of free time, and that's with me expending much energy on aggressively defending it from any possible voluntary

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-87620830052106710452007-11-09T08:52:00.001-05:002007-11-09T08:52:15.751-05:00

BB: "Mama, when I get big, can I share your clothes? And den I'll just come into your room to get dressed every morning, 'cause we can keep all duh clothes in your closet."

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-44456951631438820562007-11-04T11:11:00.001-05:002007-11-04T11:11:02.301-05:00

BB: (Standing thoughtfully in the doorway) "Well, I am just growing bigger. I am going to grow bigger today."PS: "You're going to grow bigger today?"BB: (Stretching her hand over her head) "Yeah. I'm going to grow DIS big today."

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-84314990567226856412007-11-02T20:26:00.001-04:002007-11-02T20:26:53.002-04:00

This is one of LG's two favorites from the album "Night Falls Over Kortedala." It's called "Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo."Feel free to take on hippie names -- or beg for mercy -- in comments.

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-72980356042647123702007-11-01T18:06:00.001-04:002007-11-01T18:08:23.108-04:00

I never signed up to do NaNoWriMoSloBlo, or whatever it's called, even when I was posting every day and twice on days with "r" in them. So you're not shocked to hear that I'm not signing up for it now.But it seems like as good an excuse as any to continue ambling my way back towards semi-regular participation in Blogland.If there's anything really pressing about the whole Sorting It Out business

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-34581884715720386272007-10-30T09:32:00.001-04:002007-10-30T11:46:14.953-04:00

(No, this isn't from the Boston show -- it's from a show a few days before in New York. And the file cuts off the song at the beginning and the end. But it's still worth it.)--------------------------------------------Bonus conversation: The sadness of those left behind.LG: (as I'm getting into the car) "But MAMA! It isn't FAIR that you have to be 18 to go to see Jens Lekman!"I just hope he's

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642320.post-22242888598076730772007-10-28T20:29:00.001-04:002007-10-28T20:29:33.214-04:00

It ain't over 'til it's over. That's all I'm saying. So let's meekly and humbly and with much sugar and gathering of desserts get to this World Serious game, shall we?

Phantom Scribblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.com0