When I start ranting about how Speed is the same movie as Twelve Angry Men (they’re both a group of people stuck in a stressful situation together, revealing their personalities, while figuring out how to cooperate on getting out!), it’s probably time for bed.
Toy Story 4
Let’s talk about why Toy Story 4 is awesome!
The main points of this talk will be:
—Toy Story 3 had a terrible end Continue reading “Toy Story 4”
Drawing an Otter
Twelve-year-old: *appears in my workspace at 10pm, instead of being in bed*
Me: “Hello. What are you doing here?”
Twelve, wielding pen and paper: “I’m here to draw you an otter.” Continue reading “Drawing an Otter”
Unfortunate Family Dynamics
My dad is an emotionally abusive jerk. My mom spent twenty years sublimating her own needs to protect me and my sister from him.
From this, my sister seems to have learned that mothers should be self-sacrificing saints with no needs or feelings of their own.
I have kids now… you do the math. Continue reading “Unfortunate Family Dynamics”
Detergent Packets
The twelve-year-old: “You know how there are those detergent packets you put in the dish washer? And then after the dishes are washed, it’s gone? The whole thing is gone? Where does it go???”
Existential crisis regarding the failure to understand soap ensues. Continue reading “Detergent Packets”
Videos In Lieu of Words
My sister and I haven’t really spoken in 2.5 years, but for the last three weeks we’ve been swapping video links every day or so — songs, movie clips, etc. It’s a sort of free association, representational conversation. Continue reading “Videos In Lieu of Words”
Taking Notes from Jeeves
We’ve been re-watching Jeeves & Wooster, and Daniel started taking notes so he can use drily snarky Jeeves quotes on me when he thinks I’m being ridiculous. Things like, “I am sure you are correct, Sir,” and “Just as you say, Sir.”
Hard Won Knowledge Indeed
The six-year-old, after playing with a shovel for ten minutes: “I know what it’s like to be a farmer now, always doing hard work!”
Structure and Meter are Overrated
It’s not that I can’t write poetry with structure & meter… it’s just that I’m, uh, very inspired by Walt Whitman. Yeah! That’s it!
What? Prove I can write structured poetry with proper meter? Well… uh…
Quick! Look over there!
—runs away to live among otters—
The Otter in the Lilac Bush
by Mary E. Lowd

1.
As I wandered on a sunny day,
I came upon an otter along my way,
Living in a lilac bush. Continue reading “The Otter in the Lilac Bush”