This Is Spinal Tap

I finally watched the DVD "This Is Spinal Tap." The movie only came out twelve years ago. I thought the part where they signed authographs with a black pen on the black album was hilarious. There were a lot of other parts that were really funny.

Synopsis

This documentary follows a British heavy metal rock group called Spinal Tap. The movie is in fact a biting satire and spoof of the whole rock and roll scene that passes itself off as a real documentary of a real band. Marti DeBergi (Rob Reiner) is a film-maker who decides to make a documentary, a rockumentary actually, about the world's loudest band, the British heavy metal group Spinal Tap. Hilarious behind-the-scenes footage is combined with faux-concert clips to breath life into the imaginary group.

Time Has Flewn

"How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?" - Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

Each Day Is Too Short

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see." - John Burrough

Miracles Happen

"Miracles happen to those who believe in them." - Bernard Berenson

School Picnic

The school picnic was rescheduled and it almost looked like it was going to get cancelled but the rain held off. It was the last one for my oldest son. They really have a good time.

Cantigny Family Picnic

We picked up my oldest son at his friend's house at 9:30 a.m. after his sleep over. He came home and changed and we packed up for our annual Memorial Day family picnic. This is the fifth year. We picked up a bucket of chicken legs and thighs from K.F.C. and headed out to Cantigny. My Mom and Dad were already there. Nancy, Dick and Kelly came next, then Patty, John and Tommy. Steve and LeAnn showed up later. I went through the war museum with the boys. We saw Kelly and her friend and then ran into John and Tommy. They climbed on a couple of tanks. It drizzled a little. My Mom went home sick. Most of the day was pretty nice then around 4:00 p.m. the skies got really dark. We packed up just in time before the downpour. It was crazy getting out of the parking lot. We ate some of the leftover snacks on the ride home.

Do Something Wonderful

"Do something wonderful, people may imitate it." - Albert Schweitzer

You Decide

"Everything is something you decide to do, and there is nothing you have to do." - Denis Waitley

Graduation Dance

Both of our boys got dressed up to go to the graduation dance. We dropped them off at 6:30 p.m. Everybody was so dressesd up. It was fun watching them come out of their cars. Just like Oscar Night. We went over to Giordano's in Burr Ridge for dinner. The dance was over at 9:30 p.m. They both said they danced a lot adn had a great time.

Always Believed

"I've always believed no matter how many shots I miss, I'm going to make the next one." - Jonathan Swift

The Upside Of Anger

We watched the DVD "The Upside Of Anger."

Synopsis

Terry Wolfmeyer (Joan Allen), a sharp-witted suburban wife and mother, is left to raise her four headstrong daughters when her husband unexpectedly disappears. Things get even more hectic when Terry falls for her neighbor Denny (Kevin Costner), a once-great baseball star turned radio DJ, and her daughters are forced to juggle their mom's romantic dilemmas as well as their own.

King Of The Corner

I watched the DVD "King of the Corner" with Peter Riegert (Boon from "Animal House")

Synopsis

Leo Spivak (Peter Riegert) is drifting through life without a compass. His father (Eli Wallach) is aging fast, his teenage daughter is rebelling, his protégé is after his job and his wife (Isabella Rossellini) is losing her patience. A twist of fate and some bizarre wisdom from a "freelance rabbi" (Eric Bogosian) help Leo navigate the murky waters of his life and turn his crisis into a second-chance.

The Only Way To Amuse Some People

"The only way to amuse some people is to slip and fall on an icy pavement." - Ed Howe

Life Itself Is Amusing

"At first, I only laughed at myself. Then I noticed that life itself is amusing. I've been in a generally good mood ever since." - Marilyn vos Savant

Who Is Going To Stop Me?

"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." - Ayn Rand

Sloppy Joe Day

My oldest son went to his last "Sloppy Joe Day" at OLP. The eighth graders work all the games. My youngest son came home with some more goldfish for our other tank. We still have one alive from four years ago. They had a beautiful day.

Basketball Pizza Party

We had our team pizza party from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Papa Passero's in Westmont. All but one of the boys showed up. They played in the game room most of the time. They barely finished two large pizzas and used a lot of game tokens.

Before You Criticize Someone

"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes." - Frieda Norris

Nobody Can Be Perfect

"Nobody can be perfect unless he admits his faults, but if he has faults how can he be perfect?" - Laurence J. Peter

The Last Shot

I watched the DVD "The Last Shot" with Alec Baldwin, Matthew Broderick and Calista Flockhart.

Synopsis

A struggling film director/screenwriter (Matthew Broderick) finds that his producer is actually an undercover FBI agent (Alec Baldwin) who is financing the movie as part of a sting operation to bring down members of the mafia.

Don't Wait

"Don't wait. The time will never be just right." - Napoleon Hill

Today Is Your Day!

"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way." - Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

March Of The Penquins

I watched the DVD "March Of The Penquins." It was fascinating.

Synopsis

Each winter, alone in the Antarctica, a truly remarkable journey takes place as it has done for millennia. Thousands of Emperor penguins abandon the deep blue security of their ocean home and clamber onto the frozen ice to begin their long journey into a region so bleak, so extreme, it supports no other wildlife at this time of year. In single file, the penguins march blinded by blizzards, buffeted by gale force winds. They head for their traditional breeding ground where - after a ritual courtship of intricate dances and delicate maneuvering, accompanied by a cacophony of ecstatic song - they will pair off into monogamous couples and mate. The females remain long enough only to lay a single egg. The males are left behind to guard and hatch the precious eggs, which they cradle at all times on top of their feet. Subjected to subzero temperatures and the terrible trials of the polar winter, they face great dangers.
After two months during which the males eat nothing, the eggs begin to hatch. The chicks can not survive for long on their fathers' limited food reserves. If their mothers are late returning from the ocean with food, the newly-hatched young will die. Once the families are reunited, the roles reverse, the mothers remaining with their new young while their mates head, exhausted and starved, for the sea, and food. As the weather grows warmer and the ice floes crack and melt, the adults march many hundreds of miles over some of the most treacherous territory on Earth, until the chicks are ready to take their first faltering dive into the deep blue waters of the Antarctic.

The Way To Love Anything

"The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost." - Gilbert K. Chesterton

Securitas

I went in to fill out all the paperwork for the changeover. I had to leave my other job early. They had us complete a psychological test about honesty and stealing. I finished all the paperwork about 4:00 p.m. and then had to fight the traffic driving home. The new company is the largest in their field in the world. I have to come back tomorrow for the interview. What fun.

No Matter How Good You Get

"No matter how good you get you can always get better and that's the exciting part." - Tiger Woods

Motivation

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." - Jim Ryun

The Wedding Date

We watched the DVD "The Wedding Date" with Debra Messing.

Synopsis

Kat (Debra Messing), a never-married New Yorker, is invited to her parents' London home for her younger sister's wedding. What should be a joyous occasion bodes disaster for Kat, however, when she discovers that the best man will be none other than her ex-fiancé, who, two years before, inexplicably dumped her. In a desperate attempt to face the ordeal with dignity, Kat hires Nick (Dermot Mulroney), a charming and handsome professional male escort, to pose as her new boyfriend and escort her to the wedding. Even more valuable to Kat than Nick's good looks and charisma is his keen insight into human behavior- a well-learned trick of his trade. Over the course of the weekend, Nick takes on the role of the bride's therapist, the father's ideal son-in-law, the groom's new best friend and the object of every woman's affection. For Kat, what starts out as a pretend relationship with Nick begins to turn into something entirely unexpected: a second chance at love.

Faith

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." - Saint Augustine

Your Life Will Never Be The Same Again

"Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again." - Og Mandino

Last Track Meet

We had our last track meet of the season at Benet Academy in Lisle. Parking was impossible. I ended up parking over at Illinois Benedictine across the street. It was a beautiful day. We got there late because of my oldest son's confirmation mass. He qualified for discus but had some competition and didn't place. The first place throw was 128 feet. He did his personal best throw of the year. My youngest son got a ribbon for third place in the open shot put. Our 7th grade shot-putter set a meet record. I'm still waiting to hear how we did overall.

Confirmation

My oldest son had his 8th grade confirmation mass at 10:30 a.m. His grandmother was his sponsor and his other grandmother and grandfather came. It was packed over 100 8th grader's were confirmed. It was a beautiful morning. They had refreshments afterwards in the school gym. Then we had to head over to our last track meet.

How Am I Going To Live Today

"How am I going to live today in order to create the tomorrow I'm committed to?" - Anthony Robbins (1960 -) American Author, Speaker

I have a book autographed by Anthony Robbins and I attended his seminar at Navy Pier in Chicago.

Children

"Don't worry that children never listen to you. Worry that they are always watching you." - Robert Fulghum

Silly

"Take time every day to do something silly." - Philipa Walker

Comedy's Job

"Life doesn't make any sense, and we all pretend it does. Comedy's job is to point out that it doesn't make sense, and that it doesn't make much difference anyway." - Eric Idle

Worry

"Worry is a misuse of the imagination." - Dan Zadra

Never Regret

"Never regret. If it's good, it's wonderful. If it's bad, it's experience." - Victoria Holt

My Mother

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it." - Mark Twain

Mother's Day

- Estimated number of mothers of all ages in the U.S.: 80.5 million (81 percent of all women age 40-44 are mothers).

- Estimated number of Mother's Day cards given in 2005: more than 150 million. It's the third-largest card-giving occasion.

- Increase in the number of stay-at-home moms over the last decade, according to the U.S. Census: 15 percent.

- Average number of children a woman today can expect to have in her lifetime: 2. In Utah, it's 2.6, highest in the U.S.; in Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont, it's 1.7, the lowest.

- Average number of children a woman in the African nation of Niger can expect to have: 7.5. Spain and Italy are lowest with 1.3 kids per woman.

- Number of single mothers living with children under 18: 10 million, up from 3 million in 1970.
- Odds of a woman giving birth to twins: 1 in 32.

- Number of U.S. women giving birth each year: 4 million (415,000 are age 15-19; 100,000 are over 40.)

- Oldest mom ever: Arceli Keh, of Highland, Calif., who was 63 years and 9 months old when she gave birth to a daughter in 1996 via in vitro fertilization.

authorship: Jeff Lyon - Chicago Tribune

Make The One Ahead Of You Break The Record

"If you cannot win, make the one ahead of you break the record." - Jan McKeithen

Ability

"What single ability do we all have? The ability to change." - Leonard Andrews

Conference Track Meet

We had our conference track meet at Glenbard South in Glen Ellyn and did extremely well. The boys got first place and the girls second place. Lots of first places and ribbons. It was cold but the rain held off. My oldest son qualified in discus for the big meet next week at Benet. He just missed qualifying in the mile. My youngest son had a good day at shotput. One meet left. They both went to parties afterwards.

You Exist

"If you have never been amazed by the very fact that you exist, you are squandering the greatest fact of all." - Jim Fiebig

Elektra

I watched the DVD "Elektra" with Jennifer Garner.

Synopsis

From the pages of Marvel Comics comes Elektra, the first action event movie of the year. In the ultimate battle between good and evil stands a warrior who makes the choice that tips the balance. Not long after recovering from seemingly mortal wounds, Elektra (Jennifer Garner) has severed all ties with the world, living only for her next assignment. But in an unexpected turn of events, she is forced to make a decision that can take her life in a new direction or destroy her. Key players in Elektra's journey are Stick, a blind martial arts master responsible for Elektra's "resurrection," and Mark Miller and Abby Miller, a father and daughter on the run from The Hand, a powerful syndicate whose members practice the dark martial art of ninjitsu.

A Smile

"A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside." - Denis Waitley

Kindness

"One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness- it is usually returned." - Cort R. Flint

I have

"What I kept, I lost; What I spent, I had; What I gave, I have." - Persian Proverb

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life

I watched the DVD "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life" with Angelina Jolie. Her wetsuit was hot.

Synopsis

Intrepid British archaeologist Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) has made perhaps the most important archaeological discovery in history: an orb that leads to the mythical Pandora's Box. Unfortunately, the orb falls into the hands of Jonathan Reiss (Ciarán Hinds), an evil scientist who deals in killer viruses and hopes to sell the secrets of the box as the ultimate weapon. Recruited by British Intelligence to get the orb back from Reiss, Lara recruits Terry Sheridan (Gerard Butler), a British marine turned mercenary (and her former love interest) to help. The two embark on an adventure that spans continents in an attempt to regain the orb.

I Believe

"I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I am not feeling it. I believe in God even when He is silent." - Anonymous Jewish holocaust victim

The Best Way

"The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up." - J.M. Power

Leo

We watched the DVD "Leo."

Synopsis

A literary drama offering the parallel tales of two wounded souls, director Mehdi Norowzian's tale of redemption and the struggle to find one's place in life finds an ex-convict's correspondence with a young boy offering hope for the future despite the fact that the boy has yet to find his own place in the world. Believing that her husband has been unfaithful, Mary Bloom (Elisabeth Shue) embarks on an affair with a young handyman (Justin Chambers) that results in her pregnancy. Racked with guilt when her husband dies in a car accident shortly thereafter, Mary begins to hate her son, Leo (Davis Sweat), leaving the youngster hungering for affection. Assigned correspondence with a convict for a class project, the withdrawn Leo begins to form a close bond with Stephen (Joseph Fiennes), who increasingly relies on his communication with Leo as a form of cathartic repentance. When Stephen is released from jail, he gets a job at a diner where concerned co-workers Vic (Sam Shepard) and Caroline (Deborah Unger) attempt to help him establish himself on the outside. Simultaneously brutalized by local drunk Horace (Dennis Hopper), Stephen decides to leave the diner and search for the boy whose letters carried him through his darkest days.

Awards Presentation

We stayed in Champaign for the awards presentation. We checked out of the Super 8 at 9:30 a.m. and then drove to the University of Illinois campus. It was a beautiful day. We parked by the Illini Union and walked around for a couple of hours. We walked around the Quad and over to the building where he presented. We went in the underground Undergraduate Library and then walked down Wright Street to the Alma Mater statue. After we fed the parking meter we walked down Green Street. The boys each got a souvenir Illinois tee-shirt at Follett's Bookstore. I checked to see if Papa Dels' was still there and it's gone. We stopped at La Bamba to check out the menu and ended up having lunch at Potbelly's. We drove around campus some more and made stops by my old apartment and fraternity. I showed the boys the inside of the fraternity. It was pretty trashed. It's finals week and everybody goes home in a week. We drove by Willie's Pizza where I use to make "thick and cheesy" pizza's. We then drove back to the Assembly Hall to wait for the awards presentation. On the way we passed the new Doris Christopher Building (The founder of Pampered Chef) Two students from their school won awards for best paper and best project and my son received a Gold Certificate which is the highest certificate for his paper. The awards ended about 4:30 p.m. and then we headed home. We stopped at the Dairy Queen in Gilman for some ice cream. It's a tradition. One of my college roommates grew up in Gilman. We made it home at about 8:00 p.m. What a great weekend.

Destiny

"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for: it is a thing to be achieved." - William Jennings Bryant

State Science Fair

We left at 8:15 a.m. and drove down to the University of Illinois in Champaign for the IJAS (Illinois Junior Academy of Science) State Science Fair. On the way we stopped for breakfast at the McDonald's in Kankakee. My oldest son was a finalist in the papers section. He had to present his paper in the afternoon. All of the students presenting met in the Assembly Hall at 12:30 p.m. They were then bussed to a separate building where they presented for the judges. He presented his paper in room 312 in the D.K.H. Building. (David Kinley Hall) When I went to college at University of Illinois many of my business classes were in the same building. After he finished we picked him up out front of D.K.H. and went to Garcia's on Green Street for a slice of pizza then back to out motel room at the Super 8 to get ready for dinner. We met the other participants at Lonestar Steak House at 6:30 for dinner. His school had 11 participants which is outstanding.

A Perfect Wife

"A perfect wife is one who doesn't expect a perfect husband." - Anonymous

I have one.

Kindest Word

"The kindest word in all the world is the unkind word, unsaid." - Anonymous

Ribbon Mass and May Crowning

My oldest son had their eighth grade May Crowning, Ribbon Mass and Eighth Grade Breakfast afterwards in the church basement. It was a wonderful day. Some of the parents put together a DVD with pictures of all the students. Each student contributed a baby picture, a picture when they were younger and a picture from now. It was very touching. Afterwards all the kids went over to their classmates for a class party. The year flew by.

Golden Rule

"We commit the Golden Rule to memory and forget to commit it to life." - Anonymous

Everything Looks Impossible

"Everything looks impossible for the people who never try anything." - Jean-Louis Etienne

Knowledge

"Knowledge is gained by learning; trust by doubt; skill by practice; and love by love." - Thomas Szasz

First American Dictionary

From Noah Webster to Merriam-Webster Company celebrates 200th anniversary of First American Dictionary - Springfield, MA., May 2006

It's a milestone year for Merriam-Webster, the American pioneer of language reference publishing. Two hundred years ago the company's namesake Noah Webster created A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language—the very first dictionary to reflect the unique culture and vocabulary of the American people. Along with introducing a reform from British spelling (colour to color; musick to music), the volume included thousands of words (chowder, hickory, skunk) which were in daily use in America, but not listed in any other lexicon. To celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of this first truly "Americanized" dictionary, Merriam-Webster has planned a year-long series of special programs, including a nationwide presentation by the company's president and publisher, John M. Morse. Morse's talk, "Dictionaries and Democracy: 200 Years of Dictionary Making in America," will focus on how Noah Webster and his successors—the brothers George and Charles Merriam—continued throughout the 19th century to maintain the first American dictionary's status as the "quintessential democratic document." Morse will also touch upon how Webster's legacy still resonates in the twenty-first century, as Merriam-Webster continues to lead the way in electronic and online language publishing. "The same convictions that inspired Webster to create the first American dictionary," says Morse, "continue to motivate Merriam-Webster's lexicographers to this day. We now have access to a fully searchable electronic database containing over 60 million words-a vast body of knowledge which allows us to study language in ways Noah Webster never dreamed of." Beginning his tenure at Merriam-Webster in 1980, John Morse's responsibilities as President and Publisher now include all company operations. He continues to be actively involved in the company's editorial process, including the creation of the best-selling Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. A distinguished scholar and engaging speaker, Morse has brought his expertise and love of language to a wide range of regional and local forums throughout the country, and has been seen and heard on a variety of radio and television programs including NPR's Morning Edition, CNBC's Power Lunch, and C-SPAN's BookTV. Merriam-Webster, IncorporatedMerriam-Webster Inc. acquired the rights to revise and publish Noah Webster's dictionaries in 1843. Since then, Merriam-Webster has maintained an ongoing commitment to innovation, scholarship, and love of language. Today, the company continues as the leader in both print and electronic language reference publishing with reference products, learning tools, and word games.