I just don't know what to do with myself

I just decided that the month of February will be "White Stripes" month. All blog post titles will be White Stripes song titles.

Great weekend here. What a wild KU/KSU game.

Evey is still on her "Incredibles" kick. But she also is watching "Mulan" now. The thing is, I love the Incredibles too... I'll watch it with her. And she wants to watch it three times a day. I want to watch it about twice a day. Adrianne is going to hide the DVD soon, I bet...

Crazy week

What does KU/Mizzou tickets, a root canal, Everclear tickets and ballet tickets all have in common?

All happened in the first four days of this week.

We'll be back next week, when things settle down a little...

Stupid root canals...

Book of Eli, Big Monday

Crazy weekend... but fun.

We bought some new furniture for the house at Nebraska Furniture Mart (don't worry, Neuty, it's getting delivered), which is exciting. I went and saw "Book of Eli" and it was AWESOME... the two football games were fun, especially the Saints/Vikes game. (My Dad would have loved that game -- he was a Drew Brees fan because Brees went to Purdue... and because he whooped KSU in whatever bowl game that was, too.)

Seriously, you should go see Book of Eli. Excellent movie, beginning to end. It's a post-apocalyptic story that follows Eli (Denzel Washington) as he walks across the United States with what might be the last copy of the Bible in existence. A voice told him to keep walking west.... Of course, along the way, he runs into trouble -- cannibals, thieves, Gary Oldman.

The movie makes you think. Great message throughout the film. And the ending was awesome.

BIG MONDAY tonight... exciting. Can't wait for the beat-down we're going to give Mizzou!

Here's a photo of Evey and Sadie at Allen Fieldhouse the other day... we went to the KU/Mizzou women's game... Evey had an awesome time.

AFC, NFC Championship predictions

Just for the hell of it, a few hours before kick-off...

I think the Saints beat the Vikes, 35-14. The Saints looked good last week, they're at home... and I can see the Vikings falling behind early, and playing like they did in weeks 13 and 15.

I think the Colts beat the Jets, 21-7. I still can't believe the Jets made it this far... I think Manning exposes them at this point.

As long as the Jets lose, I think any Super Bowl matchup you have out of the Saints/Vikes and Colts would be exciting...

Evey vs. Shinobi

Evelyn... old enough to play my 1980s arcade game with some success...

Foggy, not spooky

I'm ready for this snow to all melt away. Then I can drive the Camaro again. I haven't fired the engine on the Z since mid-December. Haven't needed to. But I will need it on Friday. So it's about time to wake up, Z. Glad the weather is warming up -- as you can see, I didn't do much to rid the driveway of snow.

Isn't it weird, all this fog we've had? And it's thick. And all day long.

Whenever we leave in the morning, Adro says, "Ooh, it's spooky!" And Evey says, "No, it's not spooky -- it's foggy."

One thing I realize is that I have gotten really terrible at documenting Evey's development here on the blog. I started out doing well. I charted her height, how many signs she knew, when she crawled, walked, etc. But then, the kid gets bigger, and things don't surprise you as much anymore. You look over there and Evey is doing long division. Or programming the DVR to record "Dora." And you just go, "Hmph."

So it was without any hullabaloo here on the blog that Evey became potty trained. Indeed, this happened before Christmas, but this is my first mention of it. But it's really nice, not throwing out diapers anymore. Now if I could just get Evey to flush every time.

Top albums of 2009

I mentioned a few days ago that Evey was down with superheroes? Well, now she’s turned to the dark side. Of the characters in “The Incredibles” she likes Syndrome – the villain – the best.

We were at Ixtapa for lunch today, and Evey was wearing my sunglasses (which were actually my Dad’s). She walked with me to the cash register. Jesse said something about them. I told Jesse that Evey was being a superhero. Evey then whispered to me, “Tell him I’m Syndrome.”

“She’s, uh… Syndrome.”

“Oh, yes… Syndrome,” Jesse agreed.

Then Evey announced for everyone in the restaurant, “I’M A BAD GUY!!!”

Hmmm…

**********

I’m typing this while watching V for Vendetta on Blu-Ray in my living room. Fireplace is going and one of my favorite movies is being displayed in perhaps the highest definition currently possible.

Also, just two hours ago, I bought the above Wichita Wings jersey on eBay. I’ve already paid for it. It just needs to arrive in the mail. It’s from the early 80s – probably 1983 or 1984. Before me and my folks were even season ticket holders. And it’s mine.

So, the mood? Self-satisfied, my friends.

OK, here’s my top 10 albums of 2009. The last of my “best of 09” lists. Thanks for humoring me.


Best album of the year

10. Chevelle: Sci-Fi Crimes -- I like Chevelle. Their sound doesn’t change much. That’s OK. They have a rockin’ recipe right now. This isn’t brilliant. It’s just fun. Worth a listen, when a track pops up on shuffle it’ll make me happy.



9. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It’s Blitz! – I don’t think this band will ever recapture the “Fever to Tell” magic, but based on that one album, I’ll be paying for every subsequent album. This one is par for the course with a few songs that stand out.



8. Wolfmother: Cosmic Egg – The world needs a band like Wolfmother. At first I disliked this group based solely on their stupid name. But you can’t deny the guitar rock. These guys aren’t here to make art, they’re here to combine fast guitars, thumping base, aggressive drums and some howling lyrics so you can justifiably drive your car faster. And for that, I say thank you.



7. Silversun Pickups: Swoon – Expectations were high… I thought their previous album, “Carnavas,” was perhaps the best album of 2006. This is a solid CD… it takes a few listens to get into. Nothing stands out like it did on Carnavas, but it’s still great music.



6. Muse: The Resistance – You should probably own this album, if you like rock music. These guys don’t apologize for who they are and what they want to do, and that’s OK – they’re rock stars, goddammit. If you listen to any alternative rock station near you, then you’ve heard “Uprising” overplayed. This CD goes well beyond that one song. Muse both rocks your socks off and sings you to sleep on the same album. It’s all big music – these guys are trying to channel Queen, if you ask me. There’s even a “Bohemian Rhapsody” on the album, but rather than close it with a gong, this one does it with a jet flyover. Seriously… a jet… flyover. I will see this band live eventually. I hope they’re as good in person as they are in the studio.



5. Eels: Hombre Lobo – This CD has the singles on it to have been my album of the year. But as a collection of songs, Hombre Lobo gets downgraded to 5th, simply because the disc is so bipolar. One track is a feel-good anthem, the next is utterly depressing. This goes on for 12 tracks. I love the album as two halves, but as a whole it just messes me up. Still, the strength of the songs makes the album worth a listen. But only put odd tracks on your iPod one week, then even tracks the next, or else you’ll want prescription medicine for a mood disorder.



4. Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – This album is on everyone’s list, and I wanted to find out what the fuss is about. I had it highly recommended by some of my music literati friends. The album does not disappoint. This is feel-good music. It’s upbeat, sing-songy, catchy. It’s like breathing the purer oxygen at a smoke-free casino. I know nothing about this band (other than they’ve committed to playing Lollapalooza 2010). I don’t need to know anything about them. This is good stuff.

I must break to update you on where we are now in V for Vendetta – Evey just maced the guy, helping V escape the Jordan Tower. Such a great movie. Check it out, if you haven’t seen it. Better yet, read the graphic novel. Excellent.

3. Pearl Jam: Backspacer – Great disc from Eddie and the lads. My biggest complaint? Too short! This disc is over as soon as it starts, seemingly. But it’s fast, the music is all crisp… it probably is PJ’s best album since… Binaural?

2. Marcy Playground: Leaving Wonderland… in a Fit of Rage – Don’t let the bad album title fool you, this disc is full of clever pop songs. Those who know me well know that I hold Marcy Playground – singers of “Sex and Candy” – in very high regard. As in, one-of-my-top-five-bands-of-all-time regard. This disc really made me happy this year. I wish I could burn a copy for you all. I really like the music that much. Maybe I’m just sentimental for 1998, but I think Woz’s voice, combined with his songwriting and some solid guitars makes for a great CD. Check out “Emperor” (below) something about it just makes me feel good. I'M THE EMPEROR!!! That's how I feel sometimes, especially after I've bought an early 80s Wichita Wings jersey...



1. Manchester Orchestra: Mean Everything to Nothing – This is the CD of the year. Easily. I’m happy for these guys. Great lyrics, great singing, solid guitars and most important – an appropriate amount of screaming. I think this CD will remain in the forefront of my playlist for a long time. The lead singer’s voice is distinct. It’s different than anything else I bought this year. They are now in the same boat as Silversun Pickups were three years ago – now that they’re “discovered” and they’re “different” and they have this brilliant album, how will they follow it up? I can’t wait to find out. Hopefully they tour nearby soon, I’d like to see how the songs sound live. Their music seems like it’d be best heard in a dingy bar, eh?



(btw, I think this is probably the best song of 2009.)

OK, there are my top albums of 2009. What were yours? What did I miss?

Let's get ready to rock!

Evey got a rock star outfit for Christmas... here's her in the wig. It also came with some more stuff... pretty cool.

Speaking of rocking, I'll have my last "best of 2009" list on Monday -- we've got to end with best albums of 2009.

But, wow! I'm impressed with how many comments I got on the 'best TV' post! Seven comments! Whoo! That might be a record around here!

And, yes... I FORGOT ABOUT BIG BANG THEORY! My bad. I do like that show, though I admit that I haven't watched it in a long time.

Great Evey quote of the night -- we were leaving Burger King this evening (had to grab a quick dinner) and I asked Evey if she wanted one of the paper crowns they have there. You know, so she can be a princess.

She responded, "No, Dad... I'm not a princess anymore. I'm a... SUPERHERO!"

That's my girl!

TGIF everyone.

Best TV shows of 2009

I set Evey up at the drawing board with me the other day. She had all her colors and a coloring book, I had my drawing paper and pens. I had a blank sheet of paper. I asked Evey what she wanted me to draw.

She looked around the room for an idea, spotted the flatscreen, then she said, “Draw a TV.”

I didn’t want to draw a TV, and I thought that was a silly idea, so I said, “That’s a weird thing to draw.”

I started sketching a cartoon idea I had in my head. The first panel is a drawing of me in a dentist’s chair. Evey asked me what I was drawing. “That’s me,” I said. “That’s Daddy.”

Evey looked at me and said, “That’s a weird thing to draw.”

***

OK, here’s my list of best TV shows I watched in 2009.

I did watch a lot more TV this year then in previous years. I think this is 1) because I’m getting old and lazy; 2) I’ve got two nice TVs now, which makes watching TV more enjoyable; 3) There were actually some good shows on the telly this year.

Let’s have a look:

6. Flash Forward – Wow, I want to love this show but it’s killing me. I’ve never been good with “suspension of disbelief.” Even if there are flying robots or something… I mean, I believe that there could be flying robots. But when a human character doesn’t do something that any human would do in the same situation? I have a problem with that. Regardless, this show manages to keep me and Adro around with the cliffhanger at the end of each episode. We’ll probably see it through, just to see how it ends.

5. The Middle – I didn’t like this show much at first, but it’s grown on me. I like the dad best. It’s set in nowhere, Indiana, and I like that. I think the kid characters are fairly realistic, and I like that. There’s no Michael J. Fox from Family Ties or Will Smith from Fresh Prince of Bel Aire. I believe that any of those kids could be real kids.

4. The League – Neuty suggested this show, and I caught on late. But like I told him, “Man, I wish we wrote this show.” There’s not much I’m qualified to write about (like, uh, turfgrass) but I think with a 24-pack of beer and a few stacks of notebook paper, something like “The League” could have come out of our heads, eventually. The show follows five guys around who are all in the same fantasy football league. Dick jokes ensue. How can you not like this show?

3. How I Met Your Mother – Lervik got us into this one. Doogie Howser’s character, Barney, is awesome. That guy has the comedic timing thing down. Who would have thought he’d turn out to be such a funny actor? I also like how the stories tend to intertwine, a little bit Seinfeldian.

2. Modern Family – So happy to see Al Bundy make a comeback. There are things I don’t “get” about this show – where does all their money come from, who exactly is filming this documentary, where did the baby go – but the stories and characters are great. I also like it that usually there’s some message about family at the end. The gay couple are my favorite, followed by Al and his hot wife. I don’t like the young Eddie Munster dad because he’s such a weasel, but maybe I’ll come around on his character eventually.

1. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – Easily the best show on TV. This show is so wicked and subversive. I love all the characters and I can’t wait to see what they’re going to do next. The characters are one step above cannibalism, that’s how awful these people are. Actually, they did consider cannibalism in one episode, so strike that – these people are as base as cannibals. I love how each episode has a theme, and then you just watch the sheer terror unfold. This is another show that I wish I could write, but dammit, I’m not that evil… or cool.

The artist presents "The Face, part II"

Movies I saw in 2009

Tennessee fans wanted to storm the court after beating Kansas, but they were afraid some of their players might be carrying guns.

Have you seen those commercials where the two guys are in the library eating extra value meals? The one guy has a comically small cheeseburger and French fries, the other guy has a nice cheeseburger and fries. The guy with the lesser meal points at it and whispers, “$2.99.” The guy with the good meal points at his meal and also says “$2.99.”

Adro likes that commercial. She mentioned it to me while we were eating cheeseburgers. So we started to jokingly do that to each other.

Now, Evey has picked it up. We laugh every time. We’re eating dinner – doesn’t matter what – and Evey will point to it and whisper, “$2.99.”

OK, these aren’t my “best of” movies from 2009… these are all the movies I saw in 2009, ranked from worst to best. I’ll give an under-20 word review for each one:

11. Up – Too damn depressing. I’ll never watch that movie again, unlike most other Pixar films.
10. Monsters Vs. Aliens – Ugly, non-likable characters.
9. Princess and the Frog – I fell asleep, but the animation, setting was good. Evey loved it.
8. Hangover – Overhyped. Still had funny parts, though.
7. Madagascar 2 – Decent cartoon, actually. The most tolerable Ben Stiller role I can think of.
6. District 9 – The end saved it… I hoped for better, though. A few gaping holes doomed it.
5. G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra – Not bad! I liked Destro and Cobra Commander. The Joes could have been cast better, especially Duke.
4. X-Men Origins: Wolverine – They tried hard. I respect that.
3. Star Trek – I never like Star Trek villains. Fun pic, tho. Spock and Kirk were great.
2. Watchmen – Amazing adaption. Actually, better than the graphic novel, can you believe that? The movie has a much better ending than the GN.
1. Public Enemy – Last time I’d hang out with my Dad as just two regular guys. ‘Nuff said.

There were a lot of movies I wanted to see but missed. I’m sure I’ll catch up with them on DVD.

Please stay tuned.

EspeciallyEvey.blogspot.com will resume normal programming next week! We encountered a better Rose Bowl game than anticipated, so we'll see you on Monday!

Have a great weekend! Go KU! Beat Tennessee!

Snow days

Getting pounded with another snow storm. Hmm.

Tough game for the Jayhawks tonight. I had no idea Cornell was that good. Kind of fun to see the No. 2 and No. 3 3-point shooting teams go at it, eh? Their 3-pointers were sure pretty; ours weren't-so-pretty.

Photos are from a few days after Christmas, taken in our back yard.

I'll have my top movies of 2009 ready for the blog tomorrow.

Pumpkin tipping; worst restaurants of 2009

Here's a video from October of Evey. She's, uh, pumpkin tipping, I guess? You'd have to ask her. I don't get it. When we show it to her now and ask her what she was doing, she tells us she was getting her hands dirty. That'a girl!

"Worst Restaurants" is too bold for this list. After all, Yellow Sub is not on this list. Instead, let's call this, "Restaurants I believe are on the decline."
Shall we?

4. Vermont Street BBQ: Well, let's see... they closed down. For no good reason. Apparently the owner wanted to do something else. Which is fine, but... couldn't he have gotten someone else to run it for him? OK, sorry, I loved that place, and the owner can do whatever he wants. For my own selfish reasons, I'm mad they closed down.

3. Peking Taste: I know, I used to love the place, and I'd go there frequently with my GCSAA lunch crew (of which I'm the only one who still works there now -- an end to that tradition!) the thing is, I don't seem to be able to handle the ensuing calorie overload very well anymore. It's still good food, yeah, but it's like an all-night bender -- I'm having fun at the moment, but the hangover is going to make me rethink that fun the next day.

2. Jefferson's: The food is still good but the place is literally falling apart. You sit in the booths and it seems like it's being held together on a shoestring. In fact, if there is a couple sitting behind you, whoever leans back first will about knock over the opposite couple. And the paper menus are disgusting... they're falling apart, being held together with tape. But, there is some good news -- Adro told me the women's restroom has been improved. But, seriously, the owner needs to put some money into this place.

1. Quinton's: Man, this used to be the best sandwich in town. My theory is this -- they've gotten cheap on us. It used to be they'd load a sandwich up. Now, it's 85% bread. This is a crime. Quinton's is a shadow of its former self.

Restaurants on the decline? Got any more for me? Don't be shy...

***

Hey, how much snow we getting tomorrow? And how much worse can my driveway possibly get?

It's just Target

This is Evey at Walgreens the other day.

Evey likes to get in the cashier's box and pretend she's selling things. Which I find cute. But I also don't want to be the Dad who lets his cute kid get away with everything, so I try to make her mind her business after a few minutes, too.

But last night, Evey told me to lighten up about it while we were at Target.

"C'mon, Dad," she told me. "It's just Target."

2009 Best Restaurants

Someone help! Our furlough is coming to an end! OK, it’s good news, actually. Because, frankly, I like getting paid. But man, me, Adro and Evey enjoyed being at home, sipping warm cocoa (and cold Boulevard Wheat) and just relaxing. I think now that we’re at this new house in Eudora, we’ve all become homebodies. There are 100 ways to entertain ourselves here at the new house. We just love it. We took down the Christmas tree and all the Christmas decorations. I’m glad, because after a while the Christmas tree and everything start taking up space, rather than simply being festive. But Evey really dug the Christmas tree, and she wants to know where it went. We’re happy to tell her it’s in the garage, and she understands. She’s not mad or anything, but… she’s started using “Christmas tree” as a slang term, like “dude.” For example, “You made a good breakfast, Christmas tree.” Or, “Good night, Christmas tree.” I don’t get it, but whatever. I call both Evey and Adrianne “Christmas tree” now, too. I promised two weeks ago that I’d have some top-10 lists… and I finally have them. Not only did we wrap up a year, but we also wrapped up a decade, one that I actually recall pretty well (conversely, I couldn’t tell you what was on TV in 1991). So I’ll have both “best of” 2009 lists as well as “best of” the 2000s. We’ll start with my best restaurants of 2009: Best Restaurants 1. Casa Agave: The service is excellent and the food is authentic. They have a great margarita special on Mondays – try that jumbo margarita for $7 (split it with one or two people) and try to tell me that’s not a deal.

2. Applebee’s on 6th street: Me and Adro have been hitting this place for lunch semi-regularly. I never really liked the Applebee’s on Iowa, but the 6th St. location is a happy combination of fast service, good food and a fun setting.

3. Glory Days Pizza: Another lunch spot for me and Adro. I think a slice of their meat lover’s, fresh, is the best piece of pizza I can buy without going to Chicago right now. Plus, I’d call the prices there “a deal” which is nice.

4. Granite City Brewery (The Legends): We don’t get there often and when we do, it’s always packed. The food just strikes me as high quality. A little bit pricey, though. I’m happy me and Adro are homebodies now, because if she liked to go out a lot, I’d be taking her there, and spending a lot of money.

5. Anthony’s (Eudora): Honestly, I’ve only eaten there once. Based on that one time, I’m thinking it might just be awesome. The last experience there inspired me to write about the ideal biscuits and gravy, which they have. I’ll know more about them soon.

6. Gambino’s Pizza (Eudora): Decent pie, less than a mile from my house. I would not, however, advise mixing their pizza with Jameson’s whiskey. What are your favorite restaurants this year? Anything I need to know about?