Sights and Sounds

Ash is in St. George with her sisters right now, celebrating sisterhood. I expect she will call tomorrow and tell me she spent somewhere in the ball park of $150,000 on her wardrobe for the closing weeks of this historic pregnancy. "Honey," I can hear her say in response to my suggestion that this is both inconsistent with her brand and slightly insensitive in these tough economic times, "we'll give it away after we have the baby."

Until that call comes, here are a few, unrelated, unordered things that I have enjoyed hearing and seeing lately-

I

Sophie has been discussing how her role in the family will change after the new baby arrives.

S: "I will feed the baby bottles sometimes and I will make the baby happy and I will be very gentle."
me: "That will be very helpful, Sophie. Thanks."
S: "Yep. And I will clean up my toys, and help Parker clean up his toys, and at night mommy will have to be with the baby so you will put me to bed and you will also put Parker to bed."
me: yes.
S: "And we will need to make a robot of you. And Parker will have the robot you and I will have the real you."
me: slient. Lost in thoughts of whether or not I would like hanging out with robot me and how expensive it would be to buy two of everything.

II

During a discussion of the presidential candidates speeches at the 2008 Alfred E. Smith dinner in New York- a chance for the candidates to show a rarely seen humorous side- one of my favorite radio host, Scott Waltermann, praised both men by saying "they stood up there and they killed" which to me said "they were really funny." I was happy to hear this news, but unimpressed really. Perhaps sensing this, Waltermann continued, "They literally killed." which to me said, "By use of force, Barack Obama and Jon McCain stood up at this light-hearted, non-partisan dinner and actually took the lives of their listeners." Now that's good radio.

I try to make a point of visualizing, whenever someone uses the word "literally," whatever activity is being "literally" described. The images associated with the misuse of this word are solid gold. Literally. (see, now visualize a miniture solid gold statue of Obama and McCain slaying the crowd at a politcal event, Obama looking kind of the the Terminator- part metal, one red eyed; McCain dressed perhaps in animal skins, like those little Mormon figures of Ammon, sword over his head, maybe some sheep somewhere, ... )

III

Ashley, that sweet, hip girl who I first saw all those years ago stepping out of her black VW beatle in a plaid mini skirt, is now driving a mini van. And loving it. A mini van is not like a mustache. It is not so uncool that it's cool. It is too practical. It is just straight up uncool. Yet she makes it sexy.

There is a great scene in Loud, Quiet, Loud- a documentary about the Pixies (sang the songs "Where is my Mind," "Here Come Your Man" "Wave of Mutilation" and 2008 first song of the year "Hey")- where you see Frank Black driving in the car with his wife. The band has just started a very critically and financially successful reunion tour, their first, and the Blacks are driving around the neighborhood in their minivan when she starts laughing out loud.

"I think it's pretty funny," she says, "the idea that people are like, 'oh the Pixies are back together, oh my gosh, Frank Black, he’s so cool!' And you’re running around in a minivan." She continues through the laughter, "Oh, He’s so angry. And interesting..." She pauses, collects herself, and finishes her thought, "And I think the Grand Caravan really reflects that."

Wifey + Minivan= sexy. It's crazy math, but it works.

IV

We have been enjoying the release of last years tv series on DVD. Particularly enjoying rewatching 30 Rock season two and watching, for the first time, Chuck. We are open to any additional suggestions.