Anniversary weekend

Our anniversary getaway was terrific. We had a very nice stay at the Point Au Roche Lodge in Plattsburgh while the kids spent the night at my mom’s house.

We arrived in Plattsburgh around lunchtime yesterday. We had packed some sandwiches because initially we thought we’d do our hike in the Point Au Roche State Park first and would eat there. But the weather was cold, gloomy and damp. So we went to the campus first.

The campus was pretty deserted. Granted it was noon on a Sunday, which is still pretty early by college student standards. Not to mention it was a holiday weekend, so a lot of students were probably out of town.

We went to the Angell College Center and ate our sandwiches in what we used to know as “the blue room.” It is now called the Flynt Commons. The big comfy blue chairs are gone. In their place are tables and chairs, as well as dorm lounge-style loveseats and coffee tables. Also the “hidden” corner space where you could watch TV has been turned into a coffee shop called Java Joe’s.

Perhaps most disappointing to see was the old Point. The good news was that they’ve added some hanging TVs that looked to be playing ESPN and HBO as well as some video games. The bad news is that the room has been painted a sickening yellow color. The snack bar now has some stupid name like the Wingery or something like that. The old bar is of course long gone – it was closed shortly after I graduated. It was briefly turned into a Taco Bell, but now it’s just more regular eating space. The back room where the dart board and pool table used to be has been walled off so that all that’s left is the area where the bar itself was.

After leaving the Angell Center, we tried to get into Yokum Hall to see the TV studio. Being a Sunday, the building was locked up. I’m sure there was someone in there working – we always were. We could have ringed the doorbell and had a student let us in, but we didn’t bother. Instead we walked over to the Myers Fine Arts building to check out some of the student artwork.

After Myers we tried to get into the bookstore, which was of course closed. So we made our way down to our old dorm, Macdonough Hall – the place where Kris and I met. Macdonough is the oldest dorm on campus and it recently reopened after being closed for extensive renovations. We were anxious to see it – and boy is it different. The doors are now locked all day long, but a student saw us trying to get in and opened the door for us (she actually mistook us for students at first – we were flattered!). Everything is new inside. They’ve crammed a ton more dorm rooms into the building, mainly on the first floor and in the basement, which is also now home to a computer lab. Parts of the dorm also used to have kind of a kooky layout. But that’s all been streamlined. And there are elevators now!

After leaving the campus we made our way to the park and did our hike. We spent about an hour walking through the woods and along the shores of Lake Champlain. We weren’t dressed quite warm enough for the day, but we were moving fast enough that we kept ourselves warm. The weather was lousy, but we still enjoyed being outdoors and the lake is always impressive to see.

By the time we were done hiking it was finally time to check-in at the lodge. After getting settled we headed back out. We had some gifts we needed to buy, so we drove around looking for places to shop and eat. The old Tijuana Jail is now an English pub called Geoffrey’s. The Mexican restaurant the former mayor of Plattsburgh owned looks like it’s been closed for a long time. We ultimately wound up at the mall and then ate at a new Mexican place on upper Broad Street called Desert Moon (who would guess a city so close to Canada would have so many Mexican restaurants).

Then it was back to the lodge where we popped open a bottle of champagne we received as an anniversary gift (thanks Ray & Marlene!) and sipped some bubbly while sitting in the great room playing Scrabble (remarkably, I won 257-247). We eventually retired to our room where we each cracked into a book. Alas, there was no TV, so I had to listen to Angels-Yankees Game 4 on WIRY-AM.

This morning our innkeepers prepared for us a big helping of blueberry pancakes, fresh fruit and some of the best bacon I’ve ever had. Then we were on our way home.

I can’t say enough about the lodge. Our room was very comfortable, the great room was…well…great and the owners were very friendly. I highly recommend it to anyone. It’s right across the street from the park entrance. So we hope to go back in the winter sometime and take in some cross country skiing.

It should also be noted that the kids had a great time at Gaba’s house. It was the first time we’ve ever left Thomas overnight, but he did super.

It was a great way to celebrate our anniversary. Back to reality tomorrow.

Say cheese!

It’s been requested that we see fewer pictures of exploding pythons and more pictures of the kids. I hate to disappoint my readers. So without further ado, here are some recent shots:


Ice cream is serious business.


Fun with grandma and grandpa.


The gang waits with Nolan for the bus on the first day of school.

'Hey...it's Enrico Pallazzo!'

I’m watching one of the all-time funniest movies right now: “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Quad.”

The movie came out in 1988 and was an instant favorite of mine and my friends in high school. I couldn’t tell you how many times we watched it in the theater and later on video -- usually in Noah Brownsey's basement.

Unfortunately, it’s edited on Comedy Central. We don’t get to hear the running water from the men’s room during the mayor’s news conference, the word “beaver” is muted when Frank Drebin admires Jane’s taxidermy and we don’t get to see Stephanie the driving student extend her middle finger.

But there is still more than enough to laugh at. I’m finding myself laughing out loud as I sit here watching it alone. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this and I’ve forgotten just how hysterical it is.

The movie of course was made by the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker team, the same folks who brought us “Airplane!” and was based on their short-lived and under appreciated TV series “Police Squad.” It is without question the definitive work in Leslie Nielsen’s long film career.

The movie chock full of too many great lines to list. Here’s just a few:

Frank: A good cop - needlessly cut down by some cowardly hoodlums.
Ed: No way for a man to die.
Frank: No... you're right, Ed. A parachute not opening... that's a way to die. Getting caught in the gears of a combine... having your nuts bit off by a Laplander, that's the way I wanna go.

Frank: Wilma, I promise you; whatever scum did this, not one man on this force will rest one minute before until he's behind bars. Now, let's grab a bite to eat.

Frank: It's the same old story. Boy finds girl, boy loses girl, girl finds boy, boy forgets girl, boy remembers girl, girls dies in a tragic blimp accident over the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day.
Jane Spencer: Goodyear?
Frank: No, the worst.

Mayor: Now Drebin, I don't want any trouble like you had on the South Side like last year, that's my policy.
Frank: Well, when I see five weirdos dressed in togas, stabbing a man in the middle of the park in front of a full view of 100 people, I shoot the bastards, that's my policy.
Mayor: That was a Shakesphere In The Park Production of Julius Caesar, you moron! You killed five actors! Good ones!

If you haven’t seen this classic in awhile, rent it or look for it on TV. You owe it to yourself!

ESPN.com - MLB - Recap - White Sox at Red Sox

The baseball gods have given me a nice anniversary gift today:

CHW 5
BOS 3

Chicago - 3 games
Boston - 0 games

End of the line for Boston. 2090 is a long way off BoSox fans...

10 great years!

Today is going to be a good day. I’m in a very happy mood. Why? I’ll give you 10 reasons…

It was 10 years ago today that Kris walked down the aisle and we said “I do.”

Wow…10 years. I flipped through some wedding photos this morning and we seemed like such goofy kids. So much has changed in the world and in our little lives in the last 10 years.

Words cannot describe how much I love Kris and how grateful I am for every single moment of the last 10 years.

Today I keep reflecting back on Oct. 7, 1995. I guess you could say we had a modest little wedding. But we had fun! The weather was kind of gloomy – a lot like today. But that didn’t put a damper on anything for us. We were surrounded by our closest friends and family and couldn’t be happier. It was a great party.

We’re not doing anything special to celebrate today. However, we do have plans to go stay overnight (no kids!) in Plattsburgh this weekend.

Kris, thank you for a fantastic 10 years! As I’ve always said, you’re the best thing to ever happen to me. I can’t wait for the next 10, 20, 30, 40 50…

Eeewwwww!

Photo in the News: Python Bursts After Eating Gator
Here's the photo of the day. Admittedly, it's pretty gross...but it's kind of cool too.

A 13-foot Burmese python bit off a little more than it could chew when it tried to eat an alligator in the Florida Everglades.

The alligator didn't go down without a fight and thrashed around in the big snake's gut, eventually breaking partially out. Neither critter survived the experience.

Celebrity sightings

The other annoying thing about autumn baseball is the gratuitous shots of celebrities in the stands.

It started Friday night when Robert Redford had a seat right behind home plate at Fenway Park.

You can be sure that between now and the end of the World Series the stars of every Fox TV show will turn up on camera, sitting in the stands.

I'm sure we'll also see plenty of Billy Crystal and Rudy Giulliani at Yankee Stadium.

We can only hope the Red Sox won’t advance too far so we don’t have to keep seeing Stephen King and the ever-annoying Ben Affleck all over the place (oh, Jennifer Garner, you can do so much better!).

However, the celebrity sightings aren’t all bad. It was kind of cool to see “Wookie of the Year” Chewbacca throwing out the first pitch at Fenway last week. He was there to promote the “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination” exhibit at the Museum of Science in Boston.

Post season baseball

The good news is, the Yankees are about to start their first 2005 postseason game against the Angles (and the Red Sox got their butts kicked by the White Sox).

The bad news is I HATE BASEBALL ON FOX!!!

What the hell is that three-line ticker scrolling on the pregame show? Am I watching baseball or CNBC? I watched for about 30 seconds and then decided that the combination of the annoying Fox bells and whistles and Jeanne Zelasko will make my head explode if I watch anymore. So I turned the channel. I'll come back when the game starts.

Seriously, I don't know anyone who enjoys Fox's baseball broadcasts. Are they trying to drive fans crazy? The only reason we watch is because we have no choice. At least I used to be able to mute the audio and listen to the play-by-play on the radio, but thanks to Janet Jackson the delay makes that intolerable.

News & notes

• I joined a new gym today. We cancelled our YMCA membership over the summer since, as a family, we really weren't using it all that much anymore. Kris will run straight through the winter, no matter how cold it gets. But once it gets cold and dark in the morning, I prefer the gym over my bike. So today I joined Planet Fitness.


• I knew posting my thoughts on the AL MVP would spark a lively debate -- and you guys didn't disappoint, especially my Red Sox fan friends.


• "Superman II" was on TV again last night -- this time on A&E. I'm pleased to report they did not blur out the Marlboro truck like the idiots at ABC Family.

The MVP debate

Who’s it gonna be? David Ortiz or Alex Rodriguez?

Big Papi edges A-Rod in RBIs and hits with runners in scoring position. But A-Rod beats him in nearly every other category. You can also add the fact that his team won their division.

Granted RBIs and clutch hitting are pretty important stats. But in my opinion Ortiz doesn’t lead A-Rod enough to overshadow the fact A-Rod is an excellent defensive player, while Ortiz is just a DH.

That’s not to say I don’t think a DH can be MVP. But a DH has to be the overwhelming leader, and Ortiz is not.

So the bottom line – the AL MVP award should go to Alex Rodriguez!

Revising history

So besides watching the Yanks lose game 1 of their final regular season series with the dreaded Red Sox, I also caught most of two classic movies on TV tonight: “Superman II” on ABC Family and “Knute Rockne All American” on Turner Classic Movies.

Now back in the summer of 1980, with the exception of “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Superman II” was just about the coolest thing ever put to film. Of course, that was 1980. Watching it now you can still enjoy it for the total cheese-fest that it is.

But when you do watch it – don’t watch it on ABC Family! I hate it when movies are unnecessarily altered, and that’s what they did here.

You all remember the big battle scene between Superman and the super bad guys on the streets of Metropolis? That whole sequence was an orgy of product placement, with billboards for everything from Coca-Cola to the Broadway show “Evita” getting smashed and tossed around during the fight.

At one point, a Marlboro cigarettes delivery truck gets caught up in the mayhem. Except on ABC Family, they blurred out the Marlboro logo!

Was this really necessary? Yes, I know, smoking is bad. I don’t smoke. I can’t stand cigarettes. But this just struck me as uncalled for. It looks stupid to see Superman climbing out of the wreckage of a blurry red and white blob that might be a truck. The way it’s blurred, you’d think it had one of George Carlin’s seven dirty words brazenly plastered on the side.

The fact is, people used to smoke a lot. People used to do a lot of stupid things that they didn’t know any better about. In fact, according to TCM, the Marlboro folks paid to have their product mentioned at least 20 times throughout the film. I remember Lois lighting up in “Superman: The Movie” (Supes uses his x-ray vision to tell Lois her lungs are healthy, but she should still quit anyway). Twenty mentions in “Superman II” seems rather gratuitous, and yet they must have been subtle because I don’t really remember them. Or maybe they’ve all been excised from my memory for my own good!

Am I over-reacting? Perhaps. I just think censorship sucks.

Rush hour

I know the tollbooth can be a scary place sometimes when everyone is in a hurry, but these two idiots from the Buffalo area took it to new heights today.

What makes these guys even dumber -- you'll notice neither one of them has E-ZPass. I can see an accident like this happening when two cars are trying to rush through without stopping. But it looks like these guys were in a major hurry just to see who could stop and deal with the booth attendant first.

Click on the picture to see the larger version -- I love the expression on the face of the guy in the Honda!

More whining from the den of sickness

What I refer to as “the dreaded stomach death” is sweeping through our house this week.

Nolan had it Monday night and missed school Tuesday (his first absence! Is this going to keep him out of medical school?!?). Thomas has it today.

But yesterday it hit Kris and me both. For some reason the dreaded stomach death always strikes in the middle of the night. It hit Kris first. Within the hour I found myself running to pay homage to the porcelain god.

As parents, we were pretty much useless yesterday. We were both flopped on the couch the whole day. Fortunately the kids were very well behaved and didn’t take the opportunity to chase each other through the house with knives.

What really stinks is that we missed out on going to our first Back to School night!

Here's an example of just how sick I was: I never even had an urge to check my e-mail at any point in the day!

We’re feeling much, much better today, although neither of us is 100 percent. As for Thomas, so far he doesn’t seem to have it quite as bad as the rest of us did. Hopefully by the weekend we’ll all be healthy again.

Which 'Star Wars' character am I?

I was kind of hoping to come up with Chewbacca, but I imagine you could do a whole lot worse than Liam Neeson...

We'll miss him by that much...

TV has lost another one of the greats – Don Adams is dead at age 82.

For many, Adams will always be remembered as Maxwell Smart, a.k.a. Agent 86, in the classic TV series “Get Smart!”

His Associated Press obituary (below) goes into great detail about “Get Smart!” But doesn’t mention the voice work Adams was also known for. When I think of Don Adams, of course “Get Smart!” is the first thing to come to mind. But right on the heels of that is “Tennessee Tuxedo.”


In later years he provided the voice for “Inspector Gadget” – a sort of cross between “Get Smart!” and “The Six Million Dollar Man.”

IMDb.com also says he had uncredited role in “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” as Coach Comet during the reindeer games scene. I never realized that was him, but thinking back on it now it does sort of sound like him.

In the hands of creators Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, "Get Smart!" was a classic. Unortunately, efforts to revive the show failed miserably. A movie version of show released in 1980 called "The Nude Bomb" was...well...a bomb. And a 1995 version for Fox that brought back Don Adams and Barbara Feldon from the original show but focuses on Andy Dick as their son was a flop.

Don Adams, TV's fumbling secret agent on `Get Smart,' dies at 82
By BOB THOMAS Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP)- Don Adams, the wry-voiced comedian who starred as the fumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart in the 1960s television spoof of James Bond movies, "Get Smart," has died. He was 82.

Adams died of a lung infection late Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, his friend and former agent Bruce Tufeld said Monday, adding the actor broke his hip a year ago and had been in ill health since.

As the inept Agent 86 of the super-secret federal agency C.O.N.T.R.O.L., Adams captured TV viewers with his antics in combatting the evil agents of C.H.A.O.S.
When his explanations failed to convince the villains or his boss, he tried another tack: "Would you believe ...?"

It became a national catch phrase.

Smart was also prone to spilling things on the desk or person of The Chief (actor Edward Platt). Smart's apologetic "Sorry about that, chief" also entered the American lexicon.

The spy gadgets, which aped those of the Bond movies, were a popular feature, especially the pre-cell-phone telephone in a shoe.

Smart's beautiful partner, Agent 99, played by Barbara Felden, was as brainy as he was dense, and a plot romance led to marriage and the birth of twins later in the series.

Adams, who had been under contract to NBC, was lukewarm about doing a spy spoof. When he learned that Mel Brooks and Buck Henry had written the pilot script, he accepted immediately. "Get Smart" debuted on NBC in September 1965 and scored No. 12 among the season's most-watched series and No. 22 in its second season.

"Get Smart" twice won the Emmy for best comedy series with three Emmys for Adams as comedy actor.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

More reasons to dislike Dr. Phil

Read this is this morning's "ShopTalk"...

Maria Shriver Has Her Fill of Dr. Phil
DenverPost.com
Dr. Phil may not be so lovable after all.

According to the New York Post's Liz Smith, Dr. Phil McGraw showed some divalike tendencies when scheduled to speak at an obesity forum hosted by California first lady Maria Shriver a week ago.

Dr. Phil wanted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to introduce him, but a last-minute conflict prevented it. Dr. Phil then refused to speak, and when he asked for a restroom, he refused to use a public bathroom.

After Dr. Phil finally relented on both counts, Shriver told him, "My 7-year-old doesn't act the way you do."

Cheap ice cream!

Stewarts Shops
While you're at the pump filling up your tank before Rita pushes gas prices to the $4 mark, grab some ice cream at Stewart's. To mark their 60th anniversary they're offering 60 cent make your own sundaes today and tomorrow.

NOTE: I've received no compensation from Stewart's for this mention. I'm just a fan of ice cream and anything that's free or cheap.

Quote of the day

Landing in San Francisco after a United flight from Denver, Linda Gallegos heard the flight attendant's announcement:

"On behalf of all our crew, we realize you have a choice of bankrupt airlines, and we thank you for choosing United."

From TV Spy ShopTalk

Getting the point across

Daily Nightly: A grim detail in Port Lavaca
NBC's Ron Blome reports on the Daily Nightly that Mayor Alan Tharling of Port Lavaca, Texas is going to extremes to encourage people in the path of Hurricane Rita to evacuate.

Tharling says that the 1,000 or so die-hards who refuse to evacuate are being given permanent markers and asked to write their Social Security number, next of kin and a phone number on their arm or across their abdomen — so that returning officials can identify their bodies.

Tonight's TV strategy

There’s a busy night of TV on tap for tonight.

Everyone raves about what a great show “Lost” is. Last year I caught most of the pilot, but then missed the next few episodes. I saw the occasional episode here and there after that, but I found it hard to get into the show without seeing it every week.

Part of the problem was that it was hard for me to always catch it at 8 p.m. With the show moving to 9 p.m. (and nothing else that I’d really want to see on at that time) I’m hoping to start following it this year.

Which brings us to tonight. Before watching the season premier of “Lost,” I’d like to catch “Destination Lost” – the primer show that catches the uninitiated up on what happened in season 1 (it was a show like that that got me hooked on “The X-Files.”)

However, at the same time that is on, I’d also like to watch “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart” and Kris is planning to watch “America’s Next Top Model.”

So I guess that means I’ll watch “Lost” while she watches “Top Model” and we’ll have to catch up on “Apprentice: MS” at some point down the road – maybe tomorrow night while we’re waiting for the original recipe Donald Trump “Apprentice.”

And then of course there is a new “Law & Order” at 10 p.m.

All of this, plus I’ll be checking in on the Yankees during commercial breaks!

UPDATE: Hurricane Rita is now a Category 5 storm! So I imagine I'll find some time to check in on the Weather Channel and the cable news channels tonight too.

A tour through history

I enjoyed a fun activity Saturday afternoon. I went on a bicycle tour of the Saratoga Battlefield.

The Battlefield is preserved as a national historic park. For those unfamiliar with the history, many believe the events that took place there in 1777 where the turning point of the Revolutionary War. Had it not been for the Battle of Saratoga, we might all still be singing “God Save the Queen.”

There were actually two battles fought there. The first was 228 years ago today and the second was on Oct. 7, 1777.

The park is set up so you can either drive or bike through it and stop at designated areas to view plaques and exhibits detailing what happened at each particular location.

At a couple of the stops they also had people in period costumes. At one – the Neilson House – a patriot camp was recreated. It was complete with tents, soldiers and a couple of Indians milling about and women cooking over open fires.

A crowd gathered around a man dressed as Major General Horatio Gates to hear him tell his tales. And I recognized one man’s costume as that of a ranger and struck up conversation with him, asking him some questions about the rangers and Robert Rogers, who I read about in “The Adirondacks: A History of America's First Wilderness.”

I got to hold a replica of a “Brown Bess” rifle and watched soldiers fire their similar weapons. More impressive was the artillery demonstration. Three, five and nine-pound canons were fired. I wisely followed the advice to stick my fingers in my ears – those things were loud!

On the steps of the Neilson House we watched a recreation of a court martial proceeding. It all seemed very authentic until the cell phone of one of the men guarding the defendant started ringing!

We also saw the monument to Benedict Arnold. He was one of the heroes at Saratoga. It would be another three years or so before he would become the most famous traitor in American history. The monument was erected in the 1800s and stands on the site where he was wounded. It has a lengthy inscription detailing his feats, but never mentions his name!

The whole route is about 11 miles. As I said, you can drive through the park, but I can’t think of a better way to see it than on a bicycle. I’ve always had a passing interest in colonial America and the Revolutionary War. This was a great way to learn a little more about our history while enjoying a pleasant ride (except for a couple of challenging hills) with some beautiful scenery.

Old habits die hard

Back in the day, Oprah's TV talk show was just as trashy and tabloidy (is that a word?) as all of the other daytime talk show's.

Then somewhere about 10 years or so ago she decided from now on she would only do "positive" shows. This move elevated her to class well above the likes of Maury Povich, Ricki Lake, Jenny Jones...oh yeah, and that Jerry what's-his-name

Flash forward to 2005 -- I just saw the promo for today's "Oprah" show: "When your identical twin has a sex change!"

Making a difference...Changing lives. That's Oprah...doing God's work!

Any RSS recommendations?

With the number of sites and blogs I read every day increasing (I've taken up reading Brian Williams' "Daily Nightly" blog) I think it might be time to consider downloading an RSS reader.

I've never used RSS before. Does anyone out there have any suggestions?

Sick of being sick

I stayed home sick from work yesterday. I hate taking sick days for two reasons:
A.) It throws me off at work.
B.) I feel guilty, since Kris doesn’t exactly get to call in sick at her job. Granted, if she’s really under the weather I’ll call in sick and stay home to take care of the kids, but it’s very rare when that happens. For the most part, she’s a good soldier and she toughs it out. So I feel like a loser when I spend the day flopped on the couch.

Which is essentially what I did yesterday. When not watching CNN or MSNBC, I watched the DVD of the “Who Shot Mr. Burns” episode of “The Simpsons” twice – once by itself and then again with the commentary and deleted scenes – an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” on Spike TV and the final episode of “Star Trek: Voyager” on DVD (the ending is still disappointing).

And of course, not a day goes by in our house it seems without seeing at least part of a “Dukes of Hazzard” episode. I watched part of an episode with Nolan from his Season 2 set after he got home from school and then we watched another show on CMT before bedtime.

I was a little productive. Last night I hung some baskets on the wall near the front door that Kris bought, which will essentially server as “in” and “out” boxes for each of us, and I folded some laundry. So at least I accomplished something.

I woke up thinking I felt better and went to work. But now that I’m here I feel lousy. For some reason when I get a cold, it always comes with a back ache.

But enough whining from me. Back to work!

More 'Harry Potter' coolness

Moviefone: 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' Movie Exclusive Extra-Large Trailer
The latest trailer for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is now online. If thought the last one was cool, you ain't seen nothing yet!

More great baby news!

Congratulations to my old friend Marc Colosimo and his wife Lynn on the arrival of their new daughter Mara Elizabeth.

Mara was born on Labor Day (appropriately enough) but just came home after spending some time in the NICU under circumstances very similar to what Nolan went through when he was born.

Rest assured, everyone is very happy and healthy now.

Way to go Marc & Lynn!

The Season of Sickness Begins...

Here’s another sure fire sign summer is over: I came down with a cold today!  Ugh.  And with school back in session, I’m sure this will be the first of many illnesses to insidiously work their way through our house.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KRIS!

I'd like to take a moment to wish a very happy birthday to my favorite person in the whole world -- my fantastic wife Kris!

Events occur in real time

The power is out in Los Angeles with no apparent explanation why.

 

Quick!  Call CTU!  Get me Jack Bauer!!!

How do you spell 'Duh'?

I find it funny that Blogger's spell checker doesn't recognize the words "Blogger" or "blog."

Word Verification

I hate to do it, but I've activated the "word verification" feature for leaving comments on this blog.

I enjoy getting comments, but lately I've been hit by too much "comment spam." Usually I'm able to catch it quickly and remove it, but I don't like having to worry about it at all.

What is word verification? Here's Blogger's explanation:

...people leaving comments on your blog will be required to complete a word verification step...

What this does is to prevent automated systems from adding comments to your blog, since it takes a human being to read the word and pass this step. If you've ever received a comment that looked like an advertisement or a random link to an unrelated site, then you've encountered comment spam. A lot of this is done automatically by software which can't pass the word verification, so enabling this option is a good way to prevent many such unwanted comments.

I hope this doesn't cause anyone who comments here too much inconvenience and that you continue to share your comments.

Even Better

I forgot to mention that we learned late last week that Kris' aunt from New Orleans, who was eventually evacuated to Baton Rouge, is now out of the state altogether and staying with her brother in New Jersey.

The Price is Right...D'oh!

From the New York Daily News:

Destination's wrong on 'The Price Is Right'
There were red faces at CBS yesterday - and profuse apologies - after the network broadcast a rerun of "The Price Is Right" that included a "showcase" prize package featuring a trip to New Orleans.

"You and a guest will fly round-trip coach from Los Angeles to New Orleans for a six-night stay at the Renaissance Pere Marquette Hotel, within walking distance to the French Quarter," the announcer boomed as host Bob Barker and contestants Shannan and Jeri Sue stood listening onstage.

In the final moments of the show - originally aired in December - Shannan overbid on the New Orleans package and thus didn't win the trip.

After the episode aired in most of the country - in the East, Central and Mountain Time Zones - mortified network execs killed it for the West Coast.

CBS spokeswoman Beth Haiken said in a statement: "Trips to New Orleans are frequently offered as travel prizes on 'The Price Is Right.' Out of consideration for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, we made every effort to pull all repeat episodes from circulation that feature trips to New Orleans.

"However, this one episode was unfortunately overlooked … and the content of all other episodes scheduled for rebroadcast has been carefully reviewed to prevent this from recurring. Our thoughts and prayers are with the brave citizens of the Gulf Coast."

Enough said.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

With Nolan starting school, I think it’s safe to say the summer is over. So without further ado, here are my personal top 10 highlights of the season that was:

1. Silver Lake. As stated before: Best…Vacation…Ever!


2. Kitchen Aid. Probably the best improvement we’ll ever make to our house.


3. The Return of the Brownells. The Brownell family are friends of ours. Marlene and Kris are close friends and Danny is one of Nolan’s best friends. They moved to Pennsylvania last year, but returned to the area this year – thus increasing the summer fun for everyone.


4. Noaln’s Birthday. I think I enjoyed some of his presents as much as him!


5. Day Out With Thomas. This was such a fun event and a great way to celebrate Gotcha Day.


6. “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Price.” This book was a great read. Can’t wait for Potter 7!


7. Tour de Cure. I had a great ride, the family came out to cheer me on and I raised $860 for the American Diabetes Association.


8. The Great Escape. Okay, technically this counts as part of Nolan’s birthday. But our trip to the Great Escape with our friends, the McDonnell family, came almost two weeks before his birthday. So I’m counting it separate here.


9. Backyard Party. We had a fun party at our house with our friends the Brownseys, the Hulls and the Prices. It’s always great to spend time with friends.


10. Yankee Stadium. Even though the Yanks lost to the lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays, a trip to the stadium is always fun. And what could be better than a road trip with my good buddies Aaron and Noah?

UPDATE: There were some other items I left off the list because I thought they were more from the spring. But it's nagging me that I left them off, so here they are:

• Nolan's End of the Year Pre-School Concert. One of the cutest sights ever. Now on to kindergarten!
• Last Game of Tee-Ball. They were a great group of kids and everyone got a trophy.
• "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith." This came out in May, but I think it was June before we saw it. It was also fun showing the original three movies to Nolan over the course of the summer.

I'm sure there are other things I'm forgetting, but these are the big highlights.

UPDATE #2: I forgot about the circus! We took the kids to the Big Apple Circus in Saratoga Springs on July 4 (which seems like forever ago).

The First Day of School

Well, today was the big day. This morning Nolan climbed onto the bus and headed of to his first day of kindergarten!

He was bouncing off the walls this morning. He had been getting increasingly excited everyday as the first day of school approached.

The rest of the district started on Wednesday, but for some reason they didn’t start kindergarten until today.

We went outside about five minutes before the scheduled arrival of the bus, which was then about 15 minutes late. When the bus did pull up to the edge of our driveway, the door opened and the driver stepped down to introduce herself to Nolan. I heard her say her name was Cathel.

Holy blast from the past! Cathel was one of my drivers all through school, and of course dad knew her when he was a school bus driver. I quickly jumped in and said, “Cathel, you drove me to school!”

And mom, who was there, asked Cathel if she remembered dad.

Cathel looked at all of us and couldn’t believe it. She pointed at Nolan and said, “This is…?”

“Yup,” I said, “This is my son.”

I told her I was pleased to know Nolan was in good hands, and with that, the bus was on its way.

Nolan just called me a few minutes ago. He’s home. Kris had already played 20 questions with him about how his day went, so he wasn’t up to fielding too many more of the same questions from me. But it sounds like he had a good time.

Now, with his first day of school behind him, he’s anxious to dive into the generous gift Grandma & Grandpa Chase sent to down to him yesterday: “Dukes of Hazzard” Season 2 (Thomas got a new “Thomas the Tank Engine” video)!

In related news, Nolan had his first soccer practice last night. He actually looked pretty good out there.

The experience is a little different for me than baseball was, because I’m not quite as involved this time. I don’t really know a whole lot about soccer.

The first game is tomorrow morning.

Katrina Konfusion

Right city name, wrong state
There is plenty of blame to go around in the Katrina mess -- the local, state and federal governments have all dropped the ball.

Here's the latest example of the rocket scientists at FEMA hard at work:

Emergency officials in South Carolina are scratching their heads over some post-Katrina confusion.

Dozens of medical workers rushed to a hangar in Charleston Tuesday, to prepare for 180 injured evacuees. But the evacuees' flight was actually headed to Charleston, West Virginia. It was the second time the federal government told South Carolina officials to be ready for a plane full of people, only to have it end up hundreds of miles away.

No one's been able to explain the confusion so far.

A triage unit to evaluate patients will be kept at the Charleston Air Force Base through the week because officials think injured evacuees will eventually make it to the city along South Carolina's coast.

- - - - - - -
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Returning to the scene of the crime

Kris and I are very excited. We just booked a reservation to go away for our 10th anniversary next month.

We’re going to stay at the Point Au Roche Lodge in Plattsburgh – back where it all began. We plan to do a little hiking in Point Au Roche State Park, walk around the campus to take in some of the changes to our old stomping grounds and dine at one of the restaurants downtown we used to go to.

Believe it or not, the start of the new school year marks 15 years since we first crossed paths in the second-floor lounge of Macdonough Hall.

It’s very rare that we ever get away overnight without the kids. In fact this will be the first time we’ve ever left Thomas overnight.

Safe & Sound

A loyal reader wrote in today to inquire about the well being of Kris' aunt. I'm pleased to report we learned over the holiday weekend that some friends helped her evacuate to Baton Rouge.

Her house, though damaged, never did flood. She locked it up and left it behind. Hopefeully she'll find it as she left it when she returns...whenever that will be.

Kanye Who?

A column in the L.A. Times describes Kanye West -- the rap artist who spouted off against President Bush and the government on NBC's Katrina telethon -- as...

arguably the dominant creative force in mainstream popular music right now...

So why hadn't I ever heard of him before Friday night? Have I been living under a rock (which I admit is entirely possible when it comes to popular music)?

Photo Gallery

I'm experimenting with the new "photo gallery" in the right hand column. I found the code for it on blogtricks.com.

I can control the number of pictures that appear and the order they're in. If I choose, I can also have the gallery display random images from a larger group of pictures.

Right now it's only displaying the four most recent pictures I've added to the gallery. Or does anyone think random images would be better?

The only thing I'm not crazy about is the ad under the photos. But that's what I get for using free code.

UPDATE:I decided to add a whole bunch more photos to the gallery and turn on the randomization feature.

Higher and higher

That $3.15 at Stewart's yesterday is a distant memory now. Read 'em and weep -- they're up to $3.45 at the Stewart's Shop in Mendands.

The Exxon station across the street from work is $3.09. Why is Stewart's so much higher? Stewart's President Gary Dake offered an explanation on the news last night. Here's my favorite quote from the story:

“We have customers driving in and looking at the price and then driving away. I'm thankful I sell ice cream cones and not just gasoline on a day like today."

At least we haven't seen sights like the one on joevideo's blog...yet.

It begins...

This was taken at the Stewart's Shop around the corner from where I work.

Needless to say, I moved on to look for another station. Up and down Broadway in Menands, the prices ranged from $2.77 to the $3.15 pictured here.

The Truth Hurts

Woman Offended by Doc's Obesity Advice
A New Hampshire doctor is in hot water after a woman complained he told her she was fat.

"I told a fat woman she was obese," Bennett says. "I tried to get her attention. I told her, 'You need to get on a program, join a group of like-minded people and peel off the weight that is going to kill you.' "

So now this guy is being investigated by the New Hampshire Board of Medicine -- for apparently telling someone what they didn't want to hear.

Still nervous

Scratch that "sigh of relief" BS. I'm still worried about Kris' aunt. Sure her house didn't flood, but that doesn't mean she's out of the woods. She lives in the city's Garden District, which was described like this in an L.A. Times article:

The Garden District, though it fared better than many parts of New Orleans, largely because it is one of the highest points in the low-lying city, is deserted and suffering.

The article goes on to describe toppled trees and buildings in the neighborhood, including damage to one of the city's famous above-ground cemeteries.

The Wal-Mart in that section of the city was a free-for-all, according to the Associated Press. It's one thing to be grabbing canned goods and diapers and life's essentials, but what about the people stealing anything that isn't nailed down, like TVs and DVD players in a city with no power?

''Is everything free?" asked a woman who pulled up in a red car. Hearing ''yes," she started to chant, ''TV! TV! TV!"

Inside, a teenager held up a pair of blue lacy panties and snickered, ''I want to see somebody in these so bad," before tossing them in his basket.

Another man used a table to break into one of the last unscathed jewelry cases. A little girl balanced atop a cart filled with cases of beer.

And then there's this:

When a teenage girl passed out face down between the baby clothes and a women's sock display, people pushed past or stepped on her.

Joseph LoCascio, of Picayune, Miss., stopped to try to help the girl. He rolled her over, and she vomited pink liquid all over her face and hair. He then rolled her back.

''This is [messed] up," he said. ''. . . People just walking around like they don't care. All they're worried about is getting free [stuff] instead of a human life."

Sigh of Relief

We talked to Kris’ dad tonight.  He reports that her Aunt Helen Jane is safe in New Orleans.

We’ve been very worried about her since she was unable to leave her home and flee the city.

Fortunately, she lives in part of the city that has not flooded.  Her house suffered some damage, but remains dry inside.  I guess she has some food stocked up and will be okay for now.

That’s a load of our minds – the one person we know in New Orleans is okay.  But my heart still goes out to the thousands (millions?) of others on the Gulf Coast who have such a long road ahead of them.

Home Sweet Home

Wrath of Katrina
As I watch the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast region, I thank God I live in the Northeast. I will gladly take the occassional two feet of snow rather than have to live through a hurricane!

(and now that I've made this statement in writing, I can be reminded of it when I'm wrestling with the snowblower in January!)

Fill 'er up...now!

AAA is reporting that gas prices in the Capital Region will skyrocket thanks to Hurricane Katrina -– possibly hitting as high as $4 per gallon by the weekend!!!

"September and October are going to be the most punishing months for motorists,” said Tammy Melo of Hudson Valley AAA. “And then when November rolls around things will lighten up and we’ll see gas prices go down.”

Thank you, Katrina.

Cut Geisel a deal

Albany Prosecutor Was Right; Underage Rape Case Unprosecutable
This editorial pretty much sums up how I feel about the Sandra "Beth" Geisel case...

The Big Uneasy

Hurricane Katrina - MSNBC.com
I'm glued to the Hurricane Katrina coverage. Kris has an aunt who lives in New Orleans -- so needless to say, we're worried.

Here's a quote I found on Lost Remote from a Weather Channel blog:

"I started forecasting the weather professionally 25 years ago and I've not seen anything like this since then," said Stu Ostro, senior meteorologist. "On behalf of everyone at (The Weather Channel), our thoughts are with the people of the Gulf Coast."

Let's all say some extra prayers...

The Not Quite Fantastic Four

I finally saw “Fantastic Four” last night at Scotia Cinema – a great little second-run theater not far from here. The latest Marvel Comics movie was good, but not great.

I really enjoyed the four main characters. I thought the story nailed them – except for Reed Richards, who seemed a little too spineless up until the end of the movie. I don’t remember him ever being quite like that in the comic books (well, except for the terrific “FF vs. X-Men” mini-series from 1987).

The film’s weakest point was the villain. Doctor Doom is the grand-daddy of Marvel Comics villains. So it’s a crime they screwed him up so much. In some regards, Doom resembles Darth Vader, which could be why they monkeyed with him (despite the fact Doom was created about 15 years before “Star Wars”). This version is basically a cross between a watered down Lex Luthor and Norman Osborne from the “Spider-Man” movie – not the disfigured, scientific genius, madman, king of Latveria encased in a suit of armor from the comics.

I really enjoyed the interactions between the four heroes. The story was at its best when focusing on them and their adjustments to their new abilities. But I felt like the Doom character dragged the movie down (that, and the fact there were a couple of scenes with some glaring plot holes that made no sense).

I thought the effects were good. The Invisible Woman is pretty hard to screw up. Some people were critical of the Thing, saying he looked too much like a guy in rubber suit, but I was pleased with his appearance. By the far, the best of the bunch, effects wise, was the Human Torch, who looked awesome in full “flame on” mode. The weakest was Mr. Fantastic, whose stretching abilities always seemed a little cheesy.

The cast was decent. The best of the bunch was Michael Chiklis. I was thrilled when I heard he’d been cast as Ben Grimm, and he lived up to every expectation. I was pleasantly surprised with Jessica Alba. She hardly seemed right for the part when her casting was announced, but she won me over pretty quick.

Of all the Marvel movies released in recent years, easily the best two were the “Spider-Man” films (which one was better is up for debate – it depends on what day of the week you ask me). After those comes “X2: X-Men United” followed by the first “X-Men.” I’d rate “FF” below “X-Men,” but ahead of “Hulk” (granted I haven’t seen “Daredevil,” “Punisher,” “Elektra” or “Blade: Trinity,” but I hear I’m not missing much).

There is definitely some still some good stuff in here. I hope a sequel is made, because this movie could still serve as a good foundation. In the right hands, it can only get better.

Schilling's Subpoena

Schilling's Subpoena Good for $2,000
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for raising money for charity, especially Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's foundation Curt's Pitch for ALS -- a cause that hits close to home for my family and others I know.

But is his subpoena to appear before Congress to testify about steroids really worth $2,000?!? That's how much he auctioned it off for to raise money for ALS research and also for the Shade Foundation, a charity that promotes sun safety against skin cancer (Schilling's wife is a skin cancer survivor).

The subpoena was bought by Kevin Bronson, a Yankee fan and memorabilia dealer from Massachusetts. Here's what Bronson had to say about the piece of paper:

"It's probably one of the more significant baseball documents of the new era of baseball," Bronson said Thursday. "I think in years to come it's going to be more significant."

I think that's pushing it a little bit. Polmeiro's subpoena maybe...

Sean Astin joins '24'

Fat Hobbit Joins The
Counter Terrorism Unit!!
Another member of Hollywood's "next generation" is joining the cast of "24."

Sean Astin (son of Patty Duke and the great John Astin of "The Addams Family"), who was fantastic in "The Lord of the Rings," will be on "24" this year.

No word yet who his character will be, but AICN reports he will be a member of CTU.

Flashback

gregonweb's Memories of PSTV slideshow on Flickr
While we're on the subject of my college days, my old buddy Greg Keuhn recently posted some pictures of some of the PSTV gang, including a few featuring yours truly.

The photos are circa 1994 and were taken in and around the Williams Street apartment (was it 33 Williams?) of Michelle Scanlon, Dawn Matias, Christy Gifford, Amy Waite, Christie Corologos and Christie's cousin whose name I can't remember. It was a frequent hangout for many of us PSTVers.

Mortimer's Mansion gets an update

Home, sweet home gets sweeter
The $14 million renovation of Macdonough Hall is complete at Plattsburgh State University.

That's the dorm where Kris and I met when we each lived there for the first couple of years of college.

They closed the dorm down in May 2004 and spent the last year gutting the building, one of the oldest on the campus, and completely updating it.

I'd love to get a look at the place, which now features suites, computer labs and a flat-screen TV in the main lounge.

Since my time at Plattsburgh (11 years ago) all of the dorm rooms now are also equipped with cable TV and Internet access. Macdonough also now has Wi-Fi access.

The Plattsburgh Press Republican has all sorts of quotes from various college officials singing the praises of the new and improved dorm. However, there is no word on the reaction of Mortimer -- the legendary ghost that many believe has been calling Macdonough Hall home for decades.

It sounds like a lot of changes have been made to the basement, which now includes a computer lab, laundry rooms and a new entrance leading to the courtyard behind the dorm (or the "backyard" as we used to call it).

I'm not sure what to make of the basement changes. I was a "cellar dweller" in my sophomore year. Those of us who lived in the basement thought it was one of the best kept secrets on campus -- and we kind of liked it that way. Very few people ever came to the basement. We didn't have our own RA either. The RA above us on the first floor was supposed to be responsible for us. So we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

There were only about five or six dorms rooms down there. The rest of the space contained locked off storage and bomb shelters that were always fun to try to get into and explore. The locked off portions were referred to as "the catacombs." In my freshman year I designed the dorm T-shirt. It had a picture of Hobbes of "Calvin and Hobbes" dressed like Indiana Jones. Over the picture was a logo reading "Macdonough Hobbes and the Catacombs of Peril."

Macdonough was a fantastic place to live. It sounds like it will be even more fantastic for the kids going there now. Kris and I have fond memories of Macdonough. Hopefully we'll be able to get a look at the new and improved version soon.

Thanks, Aaron.

K9 Koming Back

K9 returns
It was announced a while back that in the coming season of "Doctor Who" Elisabeth Sladen would be reprising her role as Sarah Jane Smith -- a part she played on the origianal "Doctor Who" in the 1970s with Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.

Sarah Jane will only be appearing in one episode. But it turns out that episode will also feature the Doctor's beloved robot dog, K9 -- who was a popular character on the show from 1977-1981.

It gets better. The episode will also co-star Anthony Stewart Head of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Mahna Mahna!

If this doesn't make you smile and tap your feet then you have no soul!

I searched for this classic clip online so I could show it to Nolan after he heard the Mahna Mahna song on the Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper commercial.

Here's a little history on this Muppet gem from Muppet Central:

"Ma-Na-Ma-Na"
Original Airdate: November 30, 1969

The now famous, Mahna Mahna was created specifically for this appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. He was designed as a symbol of free expression, a concept that was quite popular in the 1960's. The original song "Ma-Na-Ma-Na" was written by Italian artist Peter Umilioni.

Two cow-like creatures, the Snowths (a blend of the words 'snout' and 'mouth'), sing "Doo Doo Dee Doo-Doo". As the song continues, Mahna Mahna upstages the Snowths by excitedly repeating his name. A couple things to look for in this original rendition, Mahna Mahna winks quite a bit throughout this piece which adds to the humor. He also looks directly into the nose of each of the Snowths as he sings Mahna Mahna.

Mahna Mahna would also air on Sesame Street in 1969 and the first episode of the Muppet Show starring Juliet Prowse. A parody of Mahna Mahna was on the 1996 Sandra Bullock episode of Muppets Tonight. Mahna Mahna was also performed live in December 2001 at the Muppet Show Live during MuppetFest.

'Goblet of Fire' sneek peek

High-Res Footage of International GoF Trailer Online

The good folks at The Leaky Cauldron have posted a copy of the international trailer for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," which is due in theaters later this year.

The film, which has earned a PG-13 rating, looks fantastic. I think I prefer "Prisoner of Azkaban" as a book, but "Goblet of Fire" looks like it might be the better movie (just ignore the French subtitles).

Class Reunion

I got the invitation today to my 15th high school class reunion. Kris and I are planning to attend.

It's going to be at Clinton's Ditch -- a new pub in Schenectady I've been wanting to check out -- on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

If you're a member of the Niskayuna Class of 1990 and didn't get an invitation, let me know I'll get the info to you.

A Day Out with Thomas

We had a choo-chooriffic day today. To mark Gotcha Day 2005 (which was actually Friday) we took the kids (and my mom) to “A Day Out with Thomas.”

The event was held at the Delaware & Ulster Rail Road in Arkville, N.Y., which is in the Catskills.

It took us about 2.5 hours to get there. We printed out directions from Mapquest, which were a little misleading in one spot. That resulted in me taking a wrong turn and going about 25 miles in the opposite direction before we realized we were off track. When we bought our “Day Out with Thomas” tickets we were advised to show up an hour early. Instead we go there 15 minutes early.

But it all worked out. We went straight to the train – which looked just like Thomas the Tank Engine – and climbed aboard. We sat in an old fashioned coach and took a train ride that lasted about 25 minutes.

Afterward we got out and went to take a good close-up look at the Thomas the train. Thomas the boy and his big brother Nolan were blown away to see this character in “real life!”

There were plenty of other things to do there too. There was an area where kids could sit and watch Thomas videos. There was a tent where performers were telling stories and singing songs. A tent called “the Imagination Station” had bunch of tables set up with Thomas toys for kids to play with and arts & crafts projects to do. There were also animals, a hay maze and – of course – a giant souvenir shop. We didn’t escape with buying some new Thomas toys.

The Delaware & Ulster Rail Road also has plenty of its own vintage engines and rail cars to check out.

Sir Topham Hatt (a human character from the Thomas stories for those of you without young children) was also there. Nolan says he saw him from a distance. I missed him and we never got a chance to go see him up close.

They were serving food, but there was no place to sit that wasn’t out in the open, and the skies were starting to look threatening by lunchtime. So we decided to leave and the rain began falling just as we started heading for our car.

We found a nice little diner in town to have lunch in and then headed home.

When we got back, Thomas went down for a nap and Nolan and I went to the library to pick out a new Thomas video. The kids are happily watching their show in the basement right now.

Homer's head

I recently got a copy of "The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season."

Personally, I kind of get a kick out of the packaging, which is shaped like Homer's head.

But apparently, enough people have complained that the new packaging design doesn't match their old "Simpsons" DVD sets that 20th Century Fox has agreed to send out new boxes that match the old style to whoever wants them.

What's funny is the way the website where you go to request a new box makes fun of these people. The opening message reads:

Welcome complainers, all those that fear change, and greedy people who like free stuff...

You have reached the Sixth Season Alternative Packaging Program

(click the button to receive a very derivative, old style, nothing new, just like before box)

Mall Molester

Boy molested in Crossgates bathroom
As a father, stories like this scare the crap out of me.

Boy, thank God they're keeping those pesky teenagers out of Crossgates so it can remain safe for everyone!

Gotcha Day 2005!

Today is Gotcha Day for the Rooney family -- the second anniversary of the day we got Thomas.

On Aug. 19, 2003 we drove down to New York City to meet this adorable 4-month-old little boy from Korea, who we had heard so much about and had been waiting so long to meet.

Pictured are Thomas and his big brother Nolan then and now.

It's been a great two years. Thomas is now a very happy 2-year-old. He loves choo-choos and music. Play a song, any song, and he'll smile and dance and sing along.

Like any 2-year-old, he is very inquisitive -- always asking "Why?" and looking for trouble to get into.

But Gotcha Day isn't just about Thomas. It's a special day for all of us, since this is the day our family became complete. And we have big plans to celebrate this weekend.


Both of the kids enjoy "Thomas the Tank Engine." Thomas really loves his namesake. He'll spend all sorts of time playing with his and Nolan's toy trains on their wooden track in the basement.

So Sunday we'll be taking them to "A Day Out with Thomas," where we have tickets for a ride on a train made up to look just like Thomas the Tank Engine! The event is at the Delaware & Ulster Railroad, which is almost two hours away. But it should be worth it just to see the look on his face when he sees that train!

Donkey Kong: Albany

The real reason the Dunn Memorial Bridge broke:


I suppose this would have been even funnier if Mario Cuomo was still governor.

Thanks, Eric.

Bargain hunting

The Hess station on Nott Street in Schenectady was a popular place this morning. According to albanygasprices.com they have some of the cheapest gas in Schenectady.

Granted it was reported as $2.46 yesterday and this morning it was $2.52. Nonetheless, there were still plenty of other people there when I showed up to fill up Kris' van.

It's hard to believe that just four days ago I was outraged to spend $2.53 and today I think $2.52 is a deal! The average price per gallon in the Capital Region right now is about $2.62.

Gas prices going up, up and away!

I spotted this on the Capital Region People blog and thought it seemed just about right.

I paid $2.53 a gallon last night. I don't know about you, but that's the most I've ever had to cough up for gas.

UPDATE: The gas station where I paid $2.53 yesterday jumped a dime overnight to $2.63!

I think we wil leasily be paying more than $3 per gallon by this time next year.

The Jerk-O-Meter

Beware of the Jerk
It's nice to see the brainiacs at MIT are hard work inventing useful things like...the Jerk-O-Meter. It's a program for cell phones that tells you how engaged in the conversation the person on the other end of the call is.

Extreme Lawsuit: Home Edition

Check this tidbit out from today's edition of Cynthia Turner's Cynopsis:

Another lawsuit naming ABC as a defendant was filed yesterday. This one stems from the re-building of a home for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Stay with me on this one ... Five siblings, ages 15-22, lose both parents in a very short period of time. A couple in the town who attend the same church, offered to have the children live with them, which they subsequently did. Enter ABC and EM: Home Edition. The show re-built the couple's home to accommodate all the new residents. Around the same time the show made it to the air, the five kids moved out, claiming the couple drove them from the house by treating them poorly, etc. Here's the part that seems to miss the mark - the five kids are suing ABC for break of contract and fraud, saying Extreme Makeover said they would build them a house, when in fact the house was built for the couple. Seems kind of thin. And I don't know if it helps that they kids are suing the couple as well.

Blog facelift

I decided to play around my blog template. What do you think?

I'm not sure if it will stay like this. I might play around some more. For that matter, I also might just put it back the way it was.

Let me know if you like the changes.

Catch of the day

Nolan enjoys fishing, even though he hardly ever catches anything.

He caught a fish the very first time he ever went fishing last year and hasn't caught another one since -- until a couple of weeks ago.

On Tuesdays in Central Park in Schenectady they hold a little "fishing clinic" for kids in the park's small lake. He went on the Tuesday after we got back from our vacation. The men who run it try give some pointers to the kids, but Kris says Nolan insisted he already knew how to fish!

And I guess he was right. He hooked this little sun fish.

He was quite proud of himself. He called me up on the phone as soon as he got home to tell me all about it.

He's been having quite the summer, filled with fun outdoor activities. But school is just around the corner...

Notsi, not Nazi

Maybe they could name the road Yahtzee?

Town nixes 'Notsi' name for new road

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) - Officials in an Adirondack town have rejected a request that a road in a new subdivision be named Notsi (NAHT'-see).

Last night, the town board in North Elba -- which includes the village of Lake Placid -- sent the request back to the Essex County Enhanced 9-1-1. The agency had wanted two new roads in the John Brown subdivision to be given the Cherokee names of Atali -- which means mountain -- and Notsi -- spelled N-O-T-S-I. It means pine tree.

But town officials objected to the second name, saying it sounded too much like Nazi -- N-A-Z-I.

The county's 9-1-1 office has been asked to find more appropriate names. It's not clear why names from an American Indian tribe from outside the region were chosen.

The John Brown subdivision is named for the famed abolitionist who tried to organize an armed slave rebellion prior to the Civil War. He's buried just outside Lake Placid.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Truly Tasteless TV

I just got done watching ABC News' breaking coverage of the death of anchor Peter Jennings.

After several minutes of coverage devoted to the life and death of the newsman, Charles Gibson tossed back to local programming.

And the first thing we see on WTEN is ultra-annoying car salesman Billy Fusello "floating" among the clouds, talking about his crazy HUGE sale in "Hyundai Heaven."

Does Peter Jennings get his own Hyundai in the afterlife?

Go west, young man!

On Kris' recommendation I tried out a new section of the bike path this morning. I drove to Schenectady County Community College and picked up the bike path there, heading west toward Rotterdam Junction.

That part of the path goes along I-890, Rice Road and eventually Route 5-S. It also follows the Mohawk River, passing Lock 8.

I rode five miles out to park next to the river where I took a water break and then turned around and went back.

It's always fun finding new places to ride and the weather this morning was beautiful.

I haven't been on my bike in a while, so I'm glad Kris encouraged me to try this out.

The sanctity of the sports bar?

Florida sports fan gets death for killing wife after sex
Apparently in Florida there is no law protecting drunk-bartender confidentialality.

Light the Night

My nephew Patrick and his family will be taking part in this year's Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

This is a national event with similar walks being staged all over the country, including here in Colonie on Sept. 30. Patrick will be the "Honored Patient Hero" at the Oct. 8 walk in Lexington, KY.

I've posted a link to his family's fundraising page. They're hoping to raise $1,000. Please do whatever you can to help them out!

UPDATE: I just received an e-mail from my sister, Mary Ellen. She tells me they attended the Light the Night kickoff event last night are now setting their goal at $20,000!

They will need all the help they can get. So please donate!

Pleased ‘Potter’ fan

I finished reading “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” last night (early this morning actually), and all I can say is: wow! J.K. Rowling has knocked another one out of the park!

I wish I could discuss the book openly here, but I know there may be some of you here who haven’t read it yet. And the things I’d most want to talk about are the things that should be most unspoiled!

Suffice it to say, I had my suspicions about the identity of the Half-Blood Prince. I was wrong. I had my suspicions about the identity of the rumored character to be killed off. I was wrong. I thought I knew where one character’s loyalties laid. I was wrong.

Rowling kept me guessing to the end. After reading “Order of the Phoenix,” I wondered what Book 6 would be like, since Book 7 is the one everyone is really waiting for – the one where everything is wrapped up once and for all. But this book was better than I could have hoped for and left me with no idea what to expect in the next (and final) installment.

I just hope the wait won’t be too long.

Meanwhile, after a week’s worth of late-night reading, tonight I hope to get a good night’s sleep.

Start me up!

Holy cow! The Rolling Stones are coming to the Pepsi Arena in Albany!

The show will be on Saturday, Sept. 17. Tickets go on sale this coming Saturday morning at 10 a.m.

Add this to the short list of concerts I'd love to see, but have absolutely no chance of getting to -- not at these ticket prices: $351, $161, $86 or $61. That's right folks -- $61 for the nosebleed seats in the back of the arena!

Sweeney on Palmeiro

Here is the statement from Rep. John Sweeney, R-Clifton Park, who was part of the steroid hearings last spring...

If recent reports are true, last March not only did Rafael Palmeiro probably lie to Congress, to the fans, and to America when he denied using steroids, but to the young children who look up to him as a hero. This incident clearly reiterates the need for Major League Baseball to implement stricter standards. This is further evidence that MLB must step up to the plate and work with Congress to rid baseball of steroids. This problem isn't going away and the need for transparency is testing and stricter must be part of any solution to address this national public health problem.

Palmeiro Caught on Juice

I'm such a sucker. Before those steroid hearings last spring, I didn't doubt that Rafael Palmeiro used steroids. But then I allowed myself to be persuaded by him when he went before Congress. He seemed so genuine. I wanted to believe him. I did believe him. Then this comes out...

Orioles' Palmeiro suspended 10 days for violating steroids policy
By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) - Rafael Palmeiro was suspended Monday for violating Major League Baseball's steroids policy, nearly five months after telling Congress that "I have never used steroids. Period."

Palmeiro two weeks ago collected his 3,000th hit, joining Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray as the only players with 3,000 hits and 500 homers.

Palmeiro, 40, is the seventh and highest-profile player to test positive under the major league policy adopted earlier this year.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Minor '24' news

From this morning's edition of Cynthia Turner's Cynopsis:

 

Carlos Bernard returns as Tony Almeida in the fifth season of 24. Fans know at the end of last season Bernard's character was reunited with his ex-wife, after saving the United States from a nuclear attack.  Also joining the cast as new regulars next season are Jean Smart, Brady Corbet and Connie Britton.  24 rejoins the Fox schedule in January 2006.