Duel

Homework is done. Whew. Kindergartens have a lot of homework these days which means Mama and I have a lot of homework, too. So, now we can play Wii.

Within a day or two of having The Beatles Rock Band for XBox 360, the machine crashes with the dreaded RROD issue. At least it hooked Pablo y Doodles on The Beatles music already in a short time. (We seriously only got to play for two hours total.) The summer of crashes continued. This was more costly than the temporary computer crash in which I lost over 10,000 tunes. In this case, I decided to not give Microsoft any more money. Running my Craigslist operations from a chess table near the lot at a local park, I sold off all the games and parts. The games and downloads on the Xbox were just collecting dust all summer anyway. We mainly used it for Netflix streaming of our Watch Instantly queue.

We’re sticking with just the Wii for a while. So we picked up Wii Sports Resort with the new Motion Controllers. Tons of fun. Think Sports (the great game which comes with the Wii) version 2.0. The kids are loving it, especially the Swordplay and the Skydiving, so far, but we have just scratched the surface. Even if I do upgrade again to an “adult” videogame system (PS3 has Blu-Ray, but not Netflix), I see nothing beats the Wii for kid/whole family fun.

9/9 Mystery Mixtape

It’s here: September’s musical offering, the 9/9 Mystery Mixtape. Download and enjoy (22 songs, 85 minute running time). Mix it up. It’s actually a song or two longer than 80 minute CD-R this round to further signify the death of the physical CD. I burned what may be my last CD-R for a friend’s birthday. I don’t plan on buying those again. I’ll probably still exchange the occasional mixed DVD-R since I’d buy those to burn home movies and short films. But really, we all listen on our phone, iPod and computers now anyway. So, I won’t even suggest an order for these tunes. Enjoy the ones you want, the way you want. But please do give me feedback either way. These represent what I listened to and liked in September, a busy month which saw less time for musical pursuits (and writing).

Thanks for listening, reading and commenting.

“But Dad, Target says so…”

Like I always say

Beachcombers & Bobcats

First kindergarten field trip was a convenient jaunt to the beach. The kids were in two groups, scooters and joggers. Pablo was a jogger, but we have since procured a scooter for him which he has taken to quite nicely.

The field trip was my first chance to volunteer at school. I’m also going to be reading in the classroom next month. It’ll be a good opportunity to experience Pablo’s day first hand as information is usually parceled out in brief missives at this point.

Jefe: How was school today?
Pablo: Awesome.
Jefe: What did you do?
Pablo: I don’t remember. I’m hungry.

As the day goes on, information trickles down to me. It’s been fun to share with other parents because only together can we really create the whole picture of the school experience. Here are some shots from Beachcomber’s Day. And then read on for Bobcats.

Pablo scooted to soccer. His team is the Bobcats in the all cat named league. Another bullet dodged as we could have been vegetables or something lame like that fruity tee-ball league.

Pablo was the only one without shin guards. D’OH! My bad? He seems fired up about the project though, which is a good start. Pee Wee Soccer at the YMCA a couple years ago was a lot of dandelion picking in the middle in the field. Still the snack and juice pouch at the end of the game seem a major draw for most of the 5 year-old-boys. It’s the 6-year-old soccer girls to watch out for as they have some serious skills.

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

Maybe it’s because of my moderator attire, but Pablo and Doodles love to wear a sport coat and tie and look handsome. They thrill to a white button down and navy blazer like Ted Knight in Caddyshack.

For their first day of Sunday School this year Pablo dressed like Angus Young of AC/DC. Sure he skipped the blazer and beanie this time, but it was pretty hot.

This was all unintentionally ironic to me as the boys have been loving this video and singing along lately.

Try walking into Sunday School with a 5-year-old using his huskiest, gruffest voice saying “Dirty Deeds and they’re done dirt cheap.”

Youtube user “niktom” creates cleverly amusing videos featuring Star Wars action figures and classic songs. It’s probably the main reason our boys liking a couple Queen songs, too.

Check out the videos Talent Night and Talent Night 2 with your kids if you’re interested. Our boys want to watch this stuff and Lego videos as much as anything. All this whilst I write a blog post in an adjacent window as we speak. Dirty Deeds? Yeah, but done dirt cheap.

Doodles’ First Day of Nursery School (Pre-K)

This pretty much sums it up better than I could. He was so excited, the first one there, running around the halls. Just loved it. Also, probably the tallest boy in his class. (yeah)

Cleanliness is next to Godliness, especially at Lutheran Nursery School.

There’s a section of the day where parents can observe the children’s outdoor play. My first time watching Doodles, he bolted from the door, grabbed a toy lawnmower and brought it up the playground equipment set. Probably to ride it down the slide. Two teachers converged, cornering him and taking it away. All this happened before I could shoot the video. But we parents had a good laugh at his valiant effort. In this photo you can see the lawnmower in the background but Doodles is in yellow/white in the middle.

After the first week of school he was so tired he ended up just napping on my office floor accidentally. I didn’t even know he was asleep at first.

So I had some free time and decorated his school bag for him:

When he woke up, I asked, but he said, “No mustache.”

“Living Life Out Loud”

That’s the tagline for WFMP FM107.1. Yes, it’s pretty much for the ladies. To give you an idea of what it’s like in the studio, this is what I have the pleasure (intimidation/challenge?) of sitting in front of when on-air:

So, I’m the rare man working there (but one of the female DJs is named Kevyn). I’ve been co-hosting the show Good Enough Moms with Erin Erickson on Sundays from 1-2pm. This week we’ll feature children’s author, Nancy Carlson. Listen in and call with any questions for her. We’ll also be talking with a teacher, Laura Risdall, (Yes, Pablo’s kindergarten teacher) about how to properly read to children.

Chick Lit OG

Chick Lit OG

“Engage me in violent conversation.” – Sally Jay Gorce, The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy.

“I’m not looking for a friend in a protagonist.” – Jay, Books & Bars sponsor//bookseller

When you read a novel are you looking to like the protagonist? If you do not, can you still enjoy the story, the writing, and appreciate stepping into the shoes of one you may disagree with or even dislike?

We discussed The Dud Avocado which is considered as one of the first examples of modern day “chick lit”, which may sound negative but sparked quite a debate. When we tried to define “chick lit”, one regular, dubbed The Hater, said “I can’t define it, but I know when I see it.”

But if you’re going to read it, might as well start from the beginning, right? We’re still not sure if the term is acceptable, applicable or even matters. Does a woman writing a novel get pigeonholed into a marketing category with a bright pastel-colored cover featuring a poodle, high heels, shopping bags or the like?

Dundy had said the novel is the most like life of all the art forms. It’s unpredictable but realistic in its reporting of actual conversations. The technique she used for The Dud Avocado was the old western cliché of the stranger coming to town or the fish-out-of-water, in which the protagonist takes the reader with them on their new journey and experiences.

An interesing saying which was echoed in The Dud Avocado is that the first generation made the money, the second spent it and the third generation became artists.

Overall the women of the club appreciated the book more than the men, but we did like it for the most part, though the ending left some wanting more. More liberation? More feminism? More than could be an expected of a woman in the early 1950s perhaps?

Will any of you readers/booksellers/publishers be attending the Midwest Booksellers Association Trade Fair? http://www.midwestbooksellers.org/trade-show/
If so, drop me a line and we can meet. I’ll also be co-hosting a young booksellers cocktail party at the Bulldog in St. Paul that Saturday eve to discuss how Books & Bars is reinventing the book club.

Become a fan of Books & Bars on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Books-Bars/90615186858?ref=ts

Thanks and see you next month as we try to solve the mystery of
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

Jeff Kamin
Modertator/Producer
Books & Bars

Reinventing the book club tonight.

Books & Bars meets tonight. We’re back in the theater at Bryant Lake Bowl to discuss a bubbly romp through 50s Paris, The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy.

Check out what Metro Magazine had to say about us today:
http://www.metromag.com/0p178a3447/the-dud-avocado-books-bars/

It’s been a long time since I had a business card. Work-at-home dad just didn’t seem to warrant a printed card. I certainly wasn’t looking for more work – like other people’s kids to watch. And my freelance work was so sporadic based on the time I had. Anyway, now that Books & Bars has really taken off and I’m doing a radio show, I asked my favorite artist friend, Roxie Speth, to design some sharp looking new cards. They’re on the way. One side is B&B and the other Mustache Robots. I’m excited. You want one? Just ask.

But for now, check out Roxie’s sites and see what she can do for you:
Roxie on Etsy
and on MNArtists.org