Christmas Creep...

We are all aware of it, it smacks us in the face every year, a couple days earlier than the last.  You walk into your friendly neighborhood Target (or K-Mart, or Wal-Mart, or Quik-E-Mart) and there it is... Christmas decorations!  It was silly when it started appearing around mid-October before little ghouls and goblins had even begun to delight in their saccharin hordes, it's down right ridiculous now that it's popping up during back-to-school sales in the beginning of September... madness!  Now I love Christmas, I devour Christmas when it arrives.  From the spiritual joy and hope it brings me every year when I celebrate our Lord's birth to all the superfluous trimmings Santa and his kin bring along for the ride. I love it, the decorations, the lights, the music, the parties, the turkey, grandma's pudding pie and cupcakes, the Christmas crackers, trimming the tree, watching Christmas movies and TV specials... I get high on the Christmas season every year.  It allows you to take all those things and use them to enrich your bonds with friend and family.  While it's been rather lackluster in recent years, the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade holds as much meaning and, if you will, magic, for me now as it did when I was a kid.  Santa Claus closing down the parade meant Christmas was here!  After the 25 days of December and the 12 days of Christmas have come and gone, I feel a sense of loss. The same feeling you get when you have a house full of company over for a couple days and right when the noise and chatter starts to wear on you and you're thinking "ok, it's time for everyone to go" they do go, and then the sudden deafening silence makes everything feel somewhat empty and hollow... No? Maybe that's just me. :)

Seeing the Christmas Creep ebb it's way closer and closer to summer vacation turns my stomach more and more every year.  By the time the holiday finally comes knocking on your door, you've already grown so tired of seeing it's merry face you start to think ole Ebenezer was on to something.  I've gone so far as to write the various factions warring for my consumer dollars to plead my case (www.planetfeedback.com is a great tool for pulling a modern day Andy Dufresne).  It's a drop in the Atlantic ocean for sure, but still a drop more than before, and so the creep continues. What makes me laugh most is that I see fellow shoppers making the same comments and expressing the same foul taste it's left on their tongues.  Scrunching up their faces the same way I just did mere seconds prior with that look that says "Christmas!? Already? Really?!"  It really does seem like the overall majority of people, at least in the tri-state, don't like Christmas creep anymore than I do.

I can only hope that one day there is enough of a backlash that companies wake up and readjust their store planning schedules.  It's either that or the Creep goes back so far that it returns to normal, like a clock rolling back a full 24 hours. :)  Now what brought up this thought of Christmas Creep was my lunchtime experience at K-Mart today.  I descended down bottom level of the Big K to be greeted by... you guessed it, Christmas decorations!  Trees, lights, stockings, lawn ornaments... wait... wth!

I've seen some zany crap before, but how in the 7 hells of Sloatsburg does a Stegosaurus = Christmas?!  Then again, I might actually have to rethink my stance on this Christmas Creep thing if these are the types of Indiana Jones-esque discoveries I'm going to be making in mid-September!  I almost wish I had the time, because I would have loved to have grabbed a folding chair, a cold drink and a bag of popcorn and just waited to see the first paleontologist to come along and see that thing, yelling "OMG! THAT'S PERFECT" as they saunter off to check out with their brand new Jurassic treat! :)

All we needed were some clowns and an elephant!

First, a little background.... Last night, after a very long day of traveling and excitement at my nephew's Christening, we arrived home.  Mom and dad exhausted, the two little monkeys quite rejuvenated after a hour long power nap in the car.  So after feeding the kids dinner, we let them sit in their highchairs for a bit to digest and play with their toys, while mom and dad did the modern day equivalent of reading the paper... we cracked open our laptops and surfed the web.  A nice quiet Sunday night, right?..... so far, but it got so much better!  After a while and some serious grunting, my nose detected that my girl needed her diaper changed.  Drawing the shortest straw, I took care of my fatherly duties and afterward sat on the living room floor with her watching the Yankee game and some football highlights.  15 minutes go by and I smell "that smell" again so I pick her up thinking she doubled down on me and gave her butt a whiff.... nope "It's not her" I say to my wife who's in the dinning room, "It's probably him" she says of our boy who's still in his highchair and had been doing some grunting of his own.  So I place my daughter into the playpen and take on fatherly duties part 2... these straws have got to be rigged!  After changing him, I played with him for a little bit and then put him in with his sister to play. 

Now commence the circus!!  Next thing we know our darling little dancer is bopping and clappin' which makes her brother start cracking up at her with this infectious giggle, we're talking hysterics here!  She loves making him laugh and he thinks when she does this it's the funniest thing ever so she keeps going which only makes him laugh harder.  We honestly thought at a couple points he was crying he was laughing so hard.  You know your priorities in life are totally readjusted when the Yankees - Red Sox game is tied 4 to 4, bottom of the ninth, 2 on, 2 out and the Yankees could win the game and I'm completely locked in... to the playpen and my kids antics!  At one point he got himself laughing so hard he hit a whole new level of breathless sidesplitting belly laughing.  After a solid hour of this little show, in which mommy and daddy desperately wanted our little ones to finally wind down since it was way past their bedtime, we couldn't help but laugh and just let them go.  Finally... after I got out the video camera, the little gunshy munchkins decided that NOW was the time to wind down, thanks guys!  She more so than him, as she laid down in the playpen trying to get herself comfy, while he was still running amok around her.  So I pick up my daughter to rock her to sleep and I smell "that smell" yet again!... "I think she went again" I say, so I once again, butt to nose, I inhale... nope, smells fresh as a daisy.  "What the heck, she's clean... honey, where is that smell..........." as she's cradled in my arms I look her over and there it is, a marble size poo ball stuck to the end of her hair wisps on the side of her head!  "I don't believe it! "She's got poop in her hair!"

"What?? no way!" my wife chuckles as she comes over to us thinking I'm pulling her leg, but there it was clear as day.  After a good 3 minutes of laughing hysterically while, and much to her credit, my daughter still trying to drift off in my arms. We started to work on removing her "accessory".  I voted to just cut the thing out like you would dried gum, but seeing as the poor girl doesn't have much hair to begin with, we slowly worked to soften it up and get it out.  Up we marched to the bathroom to wash the poor tired girl's head, our little guy happily playing with his blocks in the playpen.  As soon as the water came on, her eyes shot open as if to say, "water?! bath!? I'm in!!", But instead of getting ready for a bath, I held her suspended in the air looking up at me, my wife shampooing and scrubbing her little melon.  She had this look on her face of confusion as I held her that way as if to say "why am I like this?? this isn't how we do bath time!  don't drop me!" but then I plucked her binky from out of her mouth and that huge ham and cheese smile lit up her face!  That smile never gets old! 

Finally after two good shampooings, her head was free of "that smell" and she was back to dozing in my arms.  My wife and I still laughing.  It was one of those nights where I wish there was a reality show camera crew in our house, because I think we would have gone back and watched it 100 times that night!  Around 11pm, the twins finally nestled in their beds, us still occasionally laughing as we thought back to the sight of a poo nugget bobbing in her hair, I couldn't help but think how much they leave out of the books.  Welcome to parenthood indeed!  :)

Happy 75th Birthday Jim

Today would have been Jim Henson's 75th Birthday.  His legacy is still felt the world over, but I feel like we missed out on so much more genius.  Thank you for everything Jim, you are missed!

It's Friday

Thank you Guy Fieri!

It's time to play the music... it's time to light the lights!!

The latest in a series of spoof trailers hit youtube today for the new Muppet Movie that's hitting theaters this Thanksgiving....

I can not begin to contain the excitement I have about this movie!  Instead of going with the tack of using Muppets to do a classic story like Wizard of Oz or A Christmas Carol, they're going back to a story about the Muppets as the Muppets and their beloved theater.  Already being a fan of Jason Segal just makes it doubly awesome. He seems to genuinely care about the property and really making a great Muppet film. 

Jim Henson has been one of the greatest influences in my life next to Star Wars and my dad.  His creativity and originality blew me away as a little kid and teenager.  From Sesame Street, to the Muppet Show on to Dark Crystal and TMNT: The Movie, the things he did with puppets and special effects have inspired me as an artist and as a person all my life.   While I was way too young to catch The Muppet Show during it's original run, let alone any television at all... thanks to the magic of syndication, I fondly remember the very first time I did catch a glimpse of the end of the Muppet Show one night when I was supposed to be in bed.  I vividly remember peering around the archway into the living room to get just enough of an angle on the tv to see Zoot playing that last note on his sax.  Already being a huge Sesame Street nut (Oscar and Ernie topping the list of favorites) I was so intrigued by more of the awesome puppet madness, that I had to see more!  So I would find myself sneaking down to the kitchen at night to try and catch the show on the little set, most of the time not finding it on and having to sneak back upstairs.  The ONLY episode my mom and dad did let me stay up to watch was the episode that had Luke Skywalker, C-3PO and R2-D2 on it.  Star Wars..... on the Muppet Show?! I would not miss this!!  Darth Nader remains one of the greatest villains of all time! ;)

I have really high hopes that this film will capitalize on the grassroots movement Muppet Studios has been doing on Youtube (do a search, there's some really funny stuff!) and push The Muppets back into the lime light where they belong, so that my children can enjoy the same magic that I enjoyed as a boy.

It's time to get things started!!

A Decade Later...

10 years.  It sounds cliche, but it really does feel like yesterday.  I can remember only one thing specifically from September 10th... I had just gotten a post card delivered to me in my office.  I won a party for 20 people at the adult arcade bar called Barcode (think Dave and Buster's but smaller and not as good), drinks, games, etc all paid for.  How great was that I had thought at the time.  I honestly don't recall a single thing more.  The very next day however, I can remember almost in it's entirety with crystalline clarity.  It's amazing how the human mind works.  I remember the emotions most of all, from the initial confusion when I heard the explosion from the second plane striking the tower while I was riding the Staten Island Ferry into work, to the sudden panic when the realization that it was no accident, but an attack, set in.  The responsibility to put my own fears aside and be the anchor for my girlfriend who's father was supposed to be in that tower.  The sense of relief when friends and family slowly checked in that they were safe to the overwhelming sense of love I felt from friends and family when I had finally let them know I was safe.  Our house on Staten Island had become a base of operations of sorts.  Our friends all wound up there as a place to email, telephone or instant message their loved ones of their whereabouts.  I remember logging on to AIM and seeing the screen get blasted with no less than 90 IM windows all at the same time asking me if I was ok.  I remember the love I felt for my brothers and sisters and my mother and father, how all the little things you squabble over, like who used all the hot water and who ate the last Devil Dog, while they're important in creating the very fabric which is essential to a functioning and loving family, ultimately are just that... little things.  That we were all alive and together was all that mattered in the world. 

So much has happened in my life in the 10 years since... I met my best friend who is more like my third brother, My grandma passed away, I lost my job... and got it back, I got married, my sister got really sick... but thankfully recovered, my father successfully battled cancer and a quadruple by-pass, my brother and sister both had weddings and we welcomed new siblings to the family.  We bought a house.  I was blessed with 3 nieces one whom is my Goddaughter, 1 nephew and a bevy of second cousins.  Lastly we welcomed the two most beautiful miracles these eyes have ever seen into the world.  I look back on these last 10 years and I am thankful.  Thankful for my life and for the blessings that have be given to me.  I take the time, not just on the commemoration days, but every day, to make sure I don't take those blessings for granted because I remember all those people who lost someone they loved on that day, 10 years ago and all the people who have lost someone they loved fighting for this country in the years since.  I remember them and hope that by remembering them and living my own life to the fullest, I can give their sacrifice value.   May we, as a people, never forget what happened on that day 10 years ago, not just to prevent the horrors of that day from happening again, but more importantly to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

The Ladies Man!

If Doc Brown could take me back 15 years and I could talk to my 18 year old self and tell him "George, in 15 years on a quiet Wednesday night, at around 8:30 at night, you're going to be holding a beautiful girl in your arms and telling her "that's it honey, just a little more", my 18 year old self would be quite pleased with his future prospects!  Fast forward 15 years and sure enough, I'm sitting here around 8:30 at night holding a beautiful girl in my arms and telling her "that's it honey, just a little more....  I know you can get this last one out" as I pat and rub her back and she cries and pushes and then it happens.  Out comes a fart so "perfect" a 12 year old boy would brag about it to his friends for weeks!  That sucker was so strong, I felt relieved!  With that all the crying and fussing was over and she was a contented and fast asleep!  Of course then my wife and I started laughing in the dark to the point where I had to bite my lip to stop from making too much noise while my eyes welled up with tears from laughing so hard.  "18 year old George, trust me pal, this is so much better than whatever prospects you think 15 years is going to bring!"

No need to be jilted about it!

Talk about flipping the switch!  I wake up today to a 60 degree morning with cold, wet rain that hasn't stopped coming down for over 24 hours... summer took it's ball and went home in a hurry!  The cold stark realization that the summer is over is suddenly having to wake up at 5am to go to work... it's a jarring and painful shift that takes about a month to get used to, I do not recommend it.  Not even the little ones are liking the switch very much.  Though my little girl seems to make the best of it as long as she has either mommy or daddy in her line of sight, then it's all ham and cheese! While I'm leaving out the crisp smell of fall air for the time being, due to the small warren of skunks that lives somewhere in the neighborhood and refuses to let a single day go by without announcing their presence, there is the promise of football, free air conditioning, sweatshirts and hockey, and this fall, the hope of a new opportunity!  So despite the cold and the dark and the early mornings, I'm going into this month positive about the last leg of the year that the best is yet to come, and when all else fails... there's always Christmas!  Ahhhh, Christmas!

 

Fairwell summer, I hardly knew thee

Well, summer is officially over.  I'm pretty sad to see it go this year, not because I feel like I missed out on bbqs or pool parties but because I feel like my kids shot up like little bean sprouts in the blink of an eye.  When we entered summer, they were still just laying on their backs with maybe a roll over here or there.  Now my little guy is standing on his own and is looking for any and all reasons to test the limits of how far he is allowed to go.  My little girl is sitting up, standing when you hold her and expressing the widest range of emotions and expressions the human soul is permitted to exude. They've both already logged earthquake and hurricane time before they even hit their one year milestone!  It's an amazing time right now as they learn and explore this new crazy world around them but it's going by like brush fire on the Serengeti.  Which I am here lamenting because with the fall/winter schedule, I get relegated to a sort of "visitation rights on the weekends" dad.  They're in bed before I get home and asleep or groggy when we drop them off at the sitter in the morning.... I miss them already.