Who am I?

So Kris wonders what SNL character I am.

I’d like to be somebody cool like Elwood Blues or Wayne Campbell (although I’m probably closer to Garth).

I actually found an online quiz that said I was Beldar Conehead. But if we’re going for forehead humor, let’s not forget about Phil Hartman’s Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer.

In keeping with the Kris’ whole “opposites attract” theme, I was tempted to throw in a “Point-Counterpoint” reference, but I’ve thought better of it.

Meanwhile, while searching for an SNL quiz, I stumbled across two others that I couldn’t resist. I know I was just comparing myself to Homer Simpson last week, but then I came up with this:



Then there’s this one. Some of you out there knew me in high school. Is this accurate?

'All rise...'

Many people in our neck of the woods are fascinated by the Porco murder trial that's going on right now. But I stumbled across this article about a trial in Oklahoma that could be a little more interesting...if not amusing.

Opposites attract

It's so funny when I look at Chris' blog and the light-hearted quips he includes. Whenever I think of something I'd like to contribute, it's always a deeper issue, like non-violence, thoughts on church, the toddler brain and I hesitate to even tell you the many ideas that pass through my head! Definately not Homer Simpson or what cool gadgets are in the movies. But that's my hubby, always lightening any deep thoughts I have. I'm Jack Handy and he's, I don't even know! I'm trying to think of a quirky Sat Night Live character to assign to him and that's his job! Maybe he can come up with one.

Move over Bono

I just saw this on "The Most" on MSNBC. I'm sure there's a politcal statement in here somewhere. I don't really care about that. I just applaud the great editing job by someone with far too much free time (the best things come from those with too much free time!)...

Summer sickness

It’s summer time now. So naturally it’s the perfect time to catch a cold.

I swear I’ve gone through half a box of Kleenex since I got to work today. Ugh.

Colds usually linger a couple of weeks with me. I hope this one doesn’t last that long.

'Spider-Man 3' trailer arrives!

Heads up, true believers. Here’s some more geek news…

All right, I had my reservations. But I am now more pumped than ever for “Spider-Man 3.”

The teaser trailer was released today. You’ll be able to see it in theaters starting tomorrow with “Superman Returns.”

I’m still a little hesitant about Topher Grace as Venom.

But everything else in this trailer looks fantastic. Sandman looked great. Bryce Dallas Howard looked perfect as Gwen Stacey—right down to the black band in her hair. And even if it’s not the same black costume from the comics, it still looked pretty cool seeing the black goo covering up Spidey.

I have faith Sam Raimi will pull together a great movie.

Mark your calendar for May 4, 2007.

Countdown to Potter 7

We probably have about a year to go until the seventh and final installment of the Harry Potter book series. No official release date has been announced, but if author J.K. Rowling and the publishers stick to the pattern the book will probably hit store shelves during summer 2007.

In the meantime, here’s a little bit of Potter news to hold you over. In a recent interview, Rowling admitted that two more characters will be killed off.

Supposedly, she wrote the final chapter of Book 7 years ago—around the time she wrote her first story and decided it would be a seven-book series.

"The final chapter is hidden away, although it's now changed very slightly," she said in an interview broadcast on Monday on Britain's Channel 4. "One character got a reprieve, but I have to say two die that I didn't intend to die."

Although she gives no hints as to which characters will meet their demise, she does discuss what makes killing off the main character of a popular book series appealing for an author.

Farewell 'Eddie'

Hollywood has lost one if its greats. Moose, who played Eddie the dog on "Frasier," has died at the ripe old age of 16.

Moose played Eddie for 10 years. The show ran for 11 seasons. Moose was fazed out near the end of the series and eventually replaced by his son Enzo.

Coffee Table Talk

We picked up a new coffee table at the Round Lake Antiques Festival on Sunday.

This table was actually a rustic dining room or kitchen table. We brought it home and I cut the legs shorter so we could use it in our living room.

We’re pretty pleased with it, although I wish it was a little shorter. I purposely left it an inch or two taller than we wanted just in case I screwed something up. It turns out I didn’t screw anything up. So we’ll live with it like this for a while. If it really bothers us after a while, then I’ll take it out the garage and hack another couple of inches off.

But like I said, we’re pretty happy with it.

Doughnut delight

I came home from work today to find a pleasant surprise sitting on the kitchen counter—a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts!

Our friend Ray was in Syracuse on business. The city is now home to the closest Krispy Kreme shop to us. Apparently they were having a buy one dozen, get a dozen free sale.

As a fellow Krispy Kreme fan, Ray was as heartbroken as me over the closing of the Latham store. So he picked up a dozen for his family and a dozen for us. Thanks, Ray!

After eating some doughnuts for dessert, Thomas lifted his shirt and proclaimed, "My tummy's full of doughnut!"

Am I coming across sounding a little too much like Homer Simpson with this recent doughnut obsession? Any similarity between the picture of me in the header of this blog and this image used promote the season 6 DVDs of “The Simpsons” is purely coincidental.

Jumpin' banjos!

Has everyone heard latest from David Lee Roth? It’s a bluegrass version of the 1984 Van Halen classic “Jump.”

Call me crazy, but I think it kind of works.

Gadgets galore

In honor of the release of the Adam Sandler movie, “Click,” MTV has put together their list of the top 10 movie gadgets of all time.

Some of these items are pretty debatable. I give them credit for picking two Bond gadgets, but I don’t know that they picked the best two.

But there is no arguing with their No. 1 gadget…
10. The Opti-Grab from "The Jerk" (1979)
9. Portable brain-wave detector with a built-in tongue box from "Barbarella" (1968)
8. The Communicator from "Star Trek"
7. UHF Single-Digit Sonic Agitator Unit From "Die Another Day" (2002)
6. Programmable Batarang from "Batman Returns" (1992)
5. Al Czervik's golf bag from "Caddyshack" (1980)
4. The Rebreather from "Thunderball" (1965)
3. The puzzle box from "Hellraiser" (1987)
2. The Neuralizer from "Men in Black" (1997)
1. The Lightsaber from "Star Wars" (1977-2005)

No more teachers, no more books...

Actually, we hope to continue reading quite a bit over the summer. But we now have a first grader and a preschooler. Yesterday was a tear jerker. Nolan's End of the Year Show really illustrated how much he has grown over the past year. Academically, he can now read, add and subtract. He isn't afraid to talk to grown-ups or perform in public. And he is proud of himself which is great. They sang 6 songs in the show, said what they wanted to be when they grow up (He wants to be a baseball player.) and had a slide show. The slide show was especially moving because one of his classmates' mother died last week after a year battle of lymphoma. It's heartbreaking she couldn't be there to see it.
But personally, I really liked that the slide show reviewed everything they did over the past year that I knew a lot about. I absolutely love being a stay-at-home mom. And I think it gets even busier when they get to school. So although it will be a transition with Thomas in preschool next year and Nolan in school all day, there's no doubt in my mind that home is where I should be. As long as we can continue living a frugal lifestyle, my days are swamped with caring for this home and family we are blessed to have and I am grateful for it. Here comes summer!

Summer is here!

We’ve had a number of events in the past few days that serve as fitting kick-offs to summer.

It started with Nolan’s final baseball game of the season. He played third, first and stood at the pitcher’s mound (a coach pitches) and made two or three outs in the field.

At bat he was the last batter of the game. His manager was pitching and I was catching. After a few strikes and fouls he got a weak hit that came to rest about four feet in front of him. It was quite unspectacular. His manager and I looked at the ball, looked at each other and we both seemed to be thinking the same thing: we can’t end like this. So we both laughed and called it foul. Nolan got one more pitch. This one was a strong grounder that rolled all the way out into right field. Since he was the last batter he got to round all of the bases.

After the game the kids all got trophies. Their manager got a baseball autographed by all the kids and a bobble head doll that said something like “#1 Coach” on the base.

Later that afternoon we took the boys to see “Cars.” This was Thomas’ first trip to the movie theater. I watch video clips and movie trailers on the computer with the kids. Thomas loves to watch the trailers for “Cars,” or as he calls it, “Funny Trucks.” He did well at the movies. He got a little restless toward the end and started moving from seat to seat. But for the most part he was well behaved and had a good time.

We all thought the movie was great. I imagine this DVD will wind up on the Christmas list.

We saw the movie at the Latham Circle Mall, which is of course right across the street from Krispy Kreme. On our way to the theater we noticed a steady stream of people going in and out. So we figured that after the movie we’d go over for our final doughnuts before they closed for good.

When the movie ended we headed over to Krispy Kreme only to be greeted by a couple of employees standing outside who informed us they were closed…for good. They were supposed to shutdown at 10 p.m. Sunday. But it turns out that during the time we were in the movie theater they ran out of doughnuts and weren’t going to bother making more. So that’s the end of Krispy Kreme.

We explained to Nolan that they went out of business and he said, “But they give me hats!” referring to the cool old school paper hats all kids get for free. The boys were bummed, but they got over it pretty quick when we decided to go to McDonald’s instead for dinner.

Father’s Day got off to a great start Sunday morning. I was awakened with breakfast in bed. I got to lay there sipping my coffee, skimming the Sunday paper and watching SportsCenter. There are not many better ways to start your day! I also got cards the kids made and a cool magnet Nolan made for me at school.

It was a beautiful day Sunday. After church we decided to go for a family picnic/bike ride. We drove to Lock 8 in Rotterdam just be different. We ate lunch there and then hopped on our bikes and rode a few miles west along the Mohawk River to a park where a creek feeds into the river. It was a good spot for Thomas to dip his feet in the water while Nolan and I tried skipping some rocks.

We bought a new bike rack for the car a few days ago that we used to get to Rotterdam. Although we enjoyed the bike ride, let me tell you, dealing with this rack was a nerve-wracking pain in the ass. It seemed really hard to get it to fit securely on the car, especially after the bikes were mounted. And as we were driving they seemed to be swaying around far too much. We could see cars behind us backing off for fear they’d wind up with a mountain bike on their hood. So I think we’ll be returning the rack.

Later in the afternoon we went over to my sister’s house to hop in the pool and then enjoyed a great cookout. That was a lot of fun.

Tomorrow is Nolan’s last day of school. But today his class put on a concert, which was great. The kids were so cute. I hope to YouTube (is that a verb now, like Google?) some video of it at some point.

Refreshments were served for everyone in his classroom after the concert, where we said our goodbyes to Nolan’s teacher, Mrs. Bacchia.

Tomorrow he finds out who his first grade teacher will be. Next year will be strange with Nolan in school for the full day and Thomas starting preschool. I’m sure Kris will have some more thoughts to share on the end of the school year.

So that was our action-packed few days. Let summer begin!

Update coming soon

So much to blog about, so little time. I hope to have a big post soon about all that's been going on with the Rooney family. Among the featured topics:

• Nolan's last baseball game
• Thomas' first movie
• Final farewell to Krispy Kreme
• Father's Day
• Nolan's end-of-kindergarten concert

Try not to fall of the edge of your seat!

Fun with soda and candy

I'm sure many of you by now have heard about what happens when you mix Diet Coke and Mentos.

PLANET3RRY posted this back on June 5. I've been meaning to post it here ever since and just didn't get around to it. In the meantime, this viral video boomed like crazy in the past week.

After my boss' retirement party the other night, I stopped back at his house for coffee and watched as his sons conducted this experiment themselves in the backyard. So I can tell you that yes, it does work!

As the Coca-Cola folks say, enjoy...

Little Jack Black fans

Perhaps this is a sign my kids are watching too much Nickelodeon.

The channel has been promoting the new movie “Nacho Libre” like crazy. This morning when a commercial for it came on, 3-year-old Thomas yelled, “Jack Black!”

Somewhat bewildered, I turned to Nolan and asked, “Do you know who that guy is?”

“Yeah, that’s Jack Black,” he answered. “He’s on all the time.”

Then when the commercial ended and the title appeared on the screen. Thomas shouted, “Nacho Libre!”

The Hot Light Is Off...

…or it at least it will be going off—for good—on Sunday. Say it ain’t so!

Is there anything in life that tastes as good as a Krispy Kreme doughnut fresh off the conveyor belt?

The Krispy Kreme in Latham, the only one in eastern New York, opened two years ago to much fanfare. On opening day, Feb. 24, 2004 they sent TONS of free doughnuts over to the newsroom and I ate more than my fair share. In fact, I probably ate more than three people’s fair share. I was hooked!

Not to mention it’s a fun place to visit. The kids love watching the doughnut assembly line and getting their free Krispy Kreme hats.

I also remember hosting a party at our house once. Some guests brought the usual gifts—a bottle of wine, a plate of cookies, etc. But friend and frequent commenter here, Ray Brownell, forever endeared himself to the Rooney family by showing up with a box of a dozen Krispy Kremes. Mmm…nothing says you care like giving the gift of doughnuts…

And my Krispy Kreme T-shirt remains one of my favorite garments. Kris has teased me for exercising while wearing a shirt that promotes fattening doughnuts. Hey, that’s why I exercise—so I can eat those doughnuts!

Anyway, Krispy Kreme has been losing money left and right nationwide, leading to the closing of many stores.

I never did get my free doughnut on National Doughnut Day. I’ll have to make a point of picking some up before the end of the day Sunday. A Father’s Day gift perhaps?

You win some, you lose some

Well, the good news is the rain held off and the Yankees were still winning 3-1 when we left the game. The bad news is it all went down hill after we left. It started pouring once we got above Yonkers and the Yankees went down in flames 9-3. I guess we should have stayed longer—maybe we were the good luck charms!

Nolan usually goes to bed at 8 p.m.—and unlike most kids, at the end of the day he wants to go to bed. He never fights it and tries to negotiate for more time. So I knew we’d wind up leaving early. I was just hoping we could maybe make it to the seventh inning.

But sure enough, right at 8 p.m. he said to me, “Dad, I’m tired. Can we go home now?” I managed to hold him off until the middle of the fifth before we left.

But he enjoyed his first trip to the House That Ruth Built. He got see Johnny Damon and Bernie Williams hit homers (we were on our way out when we heard the crowd erupt over Robinson Cano’s HR) and saw a great double-play to get Jaret Wright out of a bases loaded jam. We took in the sights, including Freddy the Fan, and, of course, enjoyed a Stadium dog.

Despite the outcome of the game, it was a fun trip and he wants to go again.

Rain, rain, go away!

Ok, everyone, start praying for a break in the weather.  In about an hour, Nolan and I will begin heading down the Thruway for tonight's game at Yankee Stadium.   However, I have the sneaking suspicion we're just going to wind up turning around and coming back home.

 

The forecast for the Bronx right now, much like the Capital Region, is calling for rain, rain and…um…oh yeah, more rain.   We're packing our rain gear just in case the game is on.

 

Last night's game was rained out.  That's means that if they do play tonight we'll be seeing Curt Schilling go against Jaret Wright.   If they had played last night, then tonight would have been Tim Wakefield vs. Randy Johnson.

 

As much as I'd like to see Schilling pitch in person (hopefully getting a loss), I think the Wakefield-Johnson match-up would have been more interesting.

9 Days Left

I can't believe Nolan is about to be a 1st grader. Things are really winding down at school. Yesterday he brought home a box of books that he has made throughout the year. The most recent one is about bugs. He actually knows the three body parts of an insect--do you? On Friday he gets to celebrate his July birthday at school and this weekend we have a field trip to his teacher's farm. Next week finishes up baseball. His end of the year show (Niskayuna doesn't do kindergarten graduations) is on June 19 and the next day he is done! He has done great and is even reading a little. It seems like math is his favorite so far. He's getting tall too. He can wash his hands at the kitchen sink now. Not to get all mushy, but it really amazes me when I really think about it. I don't know if Chris has said in the past the trouble we had having a baby. Nolan is really a miracle. I was on bedrest the entire pregnancy and after he was (thankfully!) born around the due date, he had a brain bleed and had seizures for a while. His heart actually stopped beating once because of the medication he was on for the seizures. After 2 weeks in the NICU, he got to come home and has been a normal kid ever since. So I give thanks for Nolan today. We have a lot to be thankful for with both of our kids.

Mmm... Yummy holiday...

It’s National Doughnut Day! I just might have to stop by Krispy Kreme on the way home for my free doughnut…