Smacksy Saturday Photo: A Classic

Retro Smacksy: 1973

The Guys at the Book Character Parade

It's Felix, Bob, and Desmond. Today, known only as Moon Man, Greg, and Harry Potter. Get out your candy, folks.

8 Things I Am Doing Instead of Eating All of the Halloween Candy

Doing dishes while throwing long, meaningful glances at the candy bowl.

Folding laundry while wistfully eyeing the candy bowl.

Walking close enough to the table to feel the magnetic pull of the candy bowl.

Eating apple slices that are definitely not candy from the candy bowl. Lame apple slices.

Finishing Bob's Halloween mask while clearly seeing the candy bowl with my peripheral vision.

Practicing the piano while sweetly pondering the contents of the candy bowl.

Making flimsy promises to myself that I will not open even just the Snickers bag in the candy bowl.

Remembering that "milk chocolate" is probably not vegan.

Oh, yeah. That.

He Knows What He Wants

Then little gramps said, "I'll just have the regular."

Traveler

"Mom? Did you know Vienna is the capitol of Austria? I'm going to go there some day."

"You were there when you were a baby."

"Okay, but I mean I'm going to go back when I'm an actual person."

Monday, 5:15pm

I wish you all could have been with me at soccer practice this evening. The weather was perfect. I would have given you my extra soccer mom chair. You would have felt the sun on your back as the shadows grew long. You would have smelled fires in fireplaces. The guys had a great time playing and we would have a great time watching them. It's finally feeling like autumn and it's beautiful. Thanks for showing up.

Smacksy Sunday Links

True love with a dog named Pete.

Buying begets buying.

A photographer removes phones from his photos to show how addicted we've become.

A magical town in the Netherlands with no roads.

This woman runs a retirement home for dogs. Bless her.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Retro Bob Halloween 2007

Cowboy Bob

Oops

I've had the station wagon at the mechanic's for the last few days. I've been using Mr. Rosenberg's car to get around since he's of town. Last night it was time for me to pick up the station wagon. My mom came over to help. She got in her car and Bob and I got in Mr. Rosenberg's car and we both headed for the mechanic's. We were halfway there before we both realized our mistake. We now had three cars at the mechanic's garage and two drivers.

When we got there. The mechanic asked why we had brought both cars. I told him about our confusion. He laughed and said, "It happens." "Does it?" I asked. He replied, "No, not really."

The Teacher

I've been taking piano lessons now since the beginning of the year. It's fun and I've made some progress. This morning I was googling my teacher (as you do) and I found many videos of him playing piano that are beautiful and intimidating and very oh my goodness. No wonder when the next song in my book was "Sweet Home Alabama," he said "No," and quickly turned the page. Click here or watch below. I mean, come on.

More Guy Talk

"Hey Felix? Did you see Alessandro's foot?"

"It looks like he hurt it pretty bad."

"I know. I was there when he fell and it was even bleeding through his sock."

"Wow. It must be pretty bad if he has to use crutches."

"Yeah... Hey Felix?"

"Yeah?"

"What if "crutches" were called "crotches?"

"Good one."

Business Trip

Ted, waiting for Mr. Rosenberg to come home.

Skyping Mr. Rosenberg

Mr. Rosenberg, also known as the math homework checker, is in Beijing for the week. It's 15 hours ahead there, so we needed a homework plan. Plan: Bob and I will be taking cell phone photos of Bob's completed work and texting them to China. Jeff will read it and then make any corrections while Skyping with Bob at dinner time. Technology rules.

I am on the low tech end of things: I'm really good at flash cards.

Smacksy Sunday Links

I practice simple living but I still love my stuff. Exactly.

In the backseat. This is wonderful.

Twenty ways to celebrate fall right now. Yes.

It's not a hot pumpkin spice latte, and yet it is.

And Golden Retrievers bringing in groceries. Take notes, Teddy.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Game On

Good to go.

How'd That Happen?

"Did you see that car, you guys? It had a 2016 sticker on it. I wonder how that happened?"

"The guy went into the future and brought his car, got the sticker and then brought it back to 2015."

"Oh, yeah!"

"Obviously."

"Obviously."

More Special Skills

"Mom! Mom! Watch! Wait. Wait. Wait. Not yet. Not that one. There! Did you hear it? A tiny arm fart!"

Spellcheck

"Felix? Do you know how to spell Mississippi?"

"Um... M-i-s- I'm not sure. Do you know Desmond?"

"Yeah, M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i. Bob, you know how, right?"

"You know how I remember? It has i-p-p in it. Get it? I pee pee?"

"Ha ha ha, yeah!"

"Ha ha ha I pee pee!"

"Pee pee!"

"Pee pee!"

Maths

"So, Mom? Who's going to check my math homework while Dad's in China next week?"

"I guess I will."

"Ha ha ha ha! No, really."

Detritus

Last weekend we spent some time exploring the tide pools at Sacred Cove in Palos Verdes. We were with a naturalist named James. James pointed out the shells, animals, and plants that make up the local aquatic ecosystem.

We watched a small hermit crab duking it out with another small crab over the use of a shell. These two tiny guys had their own story going on, making me think of the endless number of plot-lines inside this tide pool, this cove, this sea, this planet.

Suddenly I felt very small. Small in the way a starry nighttime sky can make you feel small, or a Tokyo rush hour train, or a line at the DMV. It was a perspective changer - a reminder that the universe is vast and I am just a lucky little part of that big thing.

I am just a lucky little part of that big thing.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Are you willing to listen to the darkness?

Letting go of all or nothing.

Here and Heaven. A lovely song.

A guy that lives in his Prius.

And a raccoon named Pumpkin.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: This View

Woke up here. Gratitude doesn't quite cover it.

Friday Morning

Photo: Ken Haley

Mr. Rosenberg and I were in the car, just pulling away from the house. "Oh, no! Look at the little guy!" he said. In the street was a young squirrel, injured and unable to move very fast. I got out of the car, stopped traffic, picked him up, and put him on the grass. I sat talking to him while Mr. Rosenberg went to the backyard to grab a small cardboard box to put him in.

The vet referred us to the Humane Society where there is apparently a "squirrel rehab." We drove there with the squirrel box on my lap. He was breathing but it was hard to tell exactly what was going on with him.

We filled out squirrel paperwork at the Humane Society. I looked in the box one last time before they took him away. He had curled up in to a little ball. That didn't seem good. I was still hopeful. "We'll say a Kaddish for him just in case," said Mr. Rosenberg. 

Rest easy, little guy.

Not Exactly

"Are you guys doing homework in there?"

"Kind of!"

Symptoms

"Is your brother still sick, Felix?"

"Sort of but not as bad as night before last when he had a fever. When I touched him it felt like ---"

"Touching a hot oven that you're making pizza in?"

"No."

"Touching a kid who's been outside playing soccer on a really hot day?"

"No."

"Touching the top of your head after you stand under the heater?"

"No. He felt like if you had the heater on and you were making pizza in the oven and you were standing next to the oven on a really hot day."

"Oh, wow."

"I know."

Awwww

"Mom? What was the best thing that ever happened to you? Besides me?"

"Meeting Dad. What about you?"

"The best thing was probably when I figured out that you guys are my parents."

In the Cards

"Mom! Mom! I got Pujoles and Puig!"

"Is that good?"

"Mom, come on! Seriously?! Are we even related?!"

Smacksy Sunday Links

On being present.

Things you can accomplish in five minutes or less.

Some cool inventions of 2015.

And a nice guy and his squirrel.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Retro Bob in the Pumpkin Patch

 October 2008

Preschooled, The Novel

Anna and Me, partying so hard

My funny-as-hell friend Anna wrote another book.

Preschooled is a novel that lets you fall in love with its characters while making you laugh. You don't have to be a parent to appreciate this peek into the lives of the grown-ups involved in a prestigious preschool on LA's westside, you just have to like books that are funny and smart and good. I know you like all those things.

Be sure to watch the fantastic book trailer HERE.
And then buy the book HERE.

Seriously

I thought we all agreed this was MY chair.