This and That

It's a busy morning here today. There are articles to be finished and novels to be written, so I will set my timer for only 17 minutes today. We'll call this a mini-blog. Since time is of the essence, I will use the mini-blog to clear up some random issues and respond to some comments on previous blogs. My apologies to those who haven't read any blogs the past few weeks. You'll be lost in some of the references, but bear with me.


1) As discussed last week, Matt had to pull of an A or B on his science test in order to watch "24" on Monday night. I knew before he even got in the car after school that this had not been accomplished. As he climbed into the car, he told me about 4 other grades that he had gotten back that day...all A's. But no mention of the science test. So I asked. He mumbled that he had missed the B by 3 points. I felt so bad for him, but I kept up a tough front. He asked if we could negotiate another consequence, but I told him I would lose my credibility if I did that. By 8:30 that evening we were both miserable. I began to think I had punished myself as much as him. At 8:45, I asked Tony if 3 nights of earlier bedtime and no weekly allowance would be a fair trade. He said "Do what you gotta do." So I caved and made the deal. Matt got to watch his beloved "24" and I got to enjoy it with him. I'm proud to say that I followed through on the earlier bedtime last night even though he had to turn off the Hawks game with 5 minutes to go...

2) Tony is miffed at me for taking what he called "too much artistic license" with the beach blog about our "house guests" , so let me clear things up. I will own up to changing the facts a little bit. "Peers" was not actually a small Mexican man, but rather a small Romanian man. He did not actually murmur " Buenos Dias" to me in the kitchen, but rather something in his own language (what does one speak in Romania?) which I did not understand. I assumed he was saying "Good Morning" due to the time and circumstances. I could have been wrong. He might have been saying "You must really be surprised to see a small Romanian man in your kitchen this time of day." We'll never know, will we?

Tony also feels that I "fudged" on the true distance that Camden was standing from us as I was being told about his overnight accommodations. He claims he was at least 12 feet away. I still feel my original guess of 4 ft. is correct, but let's meet in the middle and say 8. Again, I am not sure how this changes the true thread of meaning behind the story, but if it makes Tony feel better...then there you go.

3) NCAA final 4 picks...these are totally personal: North Carolina, Clemson, Tennessee and West Virginia...I haven't decided on a winner yet.

4) American Idol. I think that guy Chris is amazing. I loved the Garth Brooks song he did last night. It was "Just to Feel my Love". I remember it from that movie "Hope Floats." He is my "closet pick" because Gabrielle likes Megan and Matt likes Chris, so I would be seen as taking sides if I voiced my support for Chris. My "cover" pick is Matt, who looks so much like Justin Timberlake.

I hated Adam's version of the Johnny Cash song. Really creepy. (Sorry Rachel) I'm sure that is some sort of cool gene I am missing.

5) Gabrielle had softball practice last night. The following were the best lines overheard during practice:

Coach: Lindy, you're throwing like a girl!
Lindy: I am a girl.


Coach: Jessie, what the heck are you doing? (Jessie is standing with 2 feet on second base)
Jessie" You told me to "cover the bag."


Coach: Annie, what do you do if the ball is hit towards you?
Annie: Try to get out of the way.

The names have been changed to protect the truly innocent. I admired the coach's patience. I could tell he wanted to throw his cap on the ground in frustration, but he kept his composure. I had to cover my face because I was laughing so hard.

6) On a final note, and at the risk of sounding like a gossip column, I hated hearing about the skiing accident that Natasha Richardson had yesterday. I'm hoping that the reports of her being close to death are exaggerated. She feels like a member of the family because we watch "Parent Trap" about 3 times a month in our house. Gabrielle always tells me I look like her. I'm saying my prayers that she will be ok.

That's it for today. Short and not very meaningful. So until tomorrow, when 32 minutes will allow me time to be more interesting....