The Forbidden Question

Posted inColumns, Family, Food

The question did not seem all that controversial. I did not mean to stir up any deep emotions in my wife. I just had a simple inquiry.

But apparently, you can cause a huge uproar in our house just by asking “What’s for dinner?”

I need to provide a little background first. The incident happened on a Saturday night after my wife came home from work. She got a few things out to make dinner, and my curiosity got the best of me.

Earlier in the week, I noticed she had bought a six-pack of sub rolls. They caught my eye because she usually doesn’t buy something like that. I was intrigued and asked what she would use them for.

I got a one word answer: “Dinner.” She likes to do that to me.

My Latest Beef with the TV Industry

Posted inTV
My TV viewing plans for 2012 took a hit over the past couple of weeks as both "Community" and "Cougar Town" did not make the mid-season schedule. Both will eventually…

Surprise Purchase

Posted inColumns, Family

My wife came home from the store the other day. She had to pick up some very basic items, but something very interesting found its way into the bag.

She bought a new dish rack for the sink. I have mentioned this before, but we don’t have a dishwasher. I count washing the dishes as my main contribution to household chores.

I never asked for a new dish rack. I didn’t know what to make of this development and had a couple of problems with the whole situation.

Happy Anniversary

Posted inColumns

The whole thing took no more than a few seconds.

“I think I want to write a column.”

“OK, send me something.”

That’s the conversation I had with a former features editor at The Evening Sun a little more than 10 years ago. A couple of weeks later, my column started to fill this space. Or some space in the paper because I have moved around from time to time.

The whole motivation came from one place – habit. After about 16 months outside of the newspaper business, I missed writing on a regular basis. My PR job let me write, but I did not get the same feeling of excitement or engagement.

We had a 1-year-old running around the house, and I felt I might have some stories to share. So I did it. With a few exceptions, I have managed to put something in the paper every week since.

Now those 150 or so words might sound like a setup for a farewell column, but nothing could be further from my mind. I just wanted to reflect a little bit on how things have changed from a 33-year-old guy chasing a toddler around the house to a chubbier 43-year-old struggling with the reality of a growing tween.

Costume Conundrum

Posted inCollege, Columns, Halloween

When I saw the kids in the costumes on Trick or Treat night last week, I felt a little envious. Not of the candy because I knew I would dip into my daughter’s stash when she got home. I envied the costumes.

I don’t get much of a chance to celebrate Halloween anymore. We’re really not the “dress up in a couples costume” kind of folks. We do have a party at work, but I just don’t have the energy to go all out for that.

That hasn’t always been the case. I did have some fun costumes at my old job, but once the person who lived to organize Halloween parties got a new job, the excitement kind of wore off.

The reality is that I don’t remember ever really having an outstanding costume. I probably had some cool ones as a kid, but nothing really stands out in my memory.

I do remember going as “The Unknown Comic” to a school event in sixth or seventh grade, but apparently no one else watched “the Gong Show.” I spent the whole night trying to explain why I had a bag on my head and why people should find it so funny.

Maybe that influences my current attitude on Halloween costumes. I wouldn’t mind dressing up, but don’t know if it’s worth the hassle. My favorite idea would take way too much time to explain.

No Guilt Here

Posted inTV
I spent a little time over the weekend catching up on Hawaii Five-O. For a variety of reasons (Monday Night Football, being old), I tend to wait for the show…

Book Review: jPod

Posted inBooks
I always approach a Douglas Coupland book with a little trepidation. I have liked the ones I have read, but always worry that 12 pages of random numbers in the…

Movie Time Travel

Posted inColumns, Movies

We have not had the opportunity to go see a movie for a while now. The times we have had a chance have not lined up with anything we have wanted to see for a few months.

That doesn’t really bother me that much. I have a list of things I want to catch on DVD or through Netflix at some point. I have pretty good patience in this area.

We did have the possibility of an open weekend night recently. When I considered the possibility of going to see a movie, however, I wondered if I had somehow wandered into a time machine.

I could have sworn I saw an advertisement for “Footloose.” You know, the movie with Kevin Bacon and John Lithgow and the annoying chick who ended up plaguing us with that “Sex and the City” show?

I loved that flick. The goofy, random gymnastics scene in the famous dance montage. Chris Penn’s awkward attempts at dancing. The presence of red cowboy boots as a symbol of teenage defiance. What a great movie.

Back in 1984. That’s when “Footloose” came out, not 2011.