StatelyWayneManor

Solemn Vow Redux

In the end, I only saw 2 of the Pedro Almodovar films, "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" and "Bad Education".  Both were extremely clever---"Women"  was crazy funny, and "Bad Education" was delightfully full of twists, turns and perversions.  And to honor my Euro film buff friends, I saw Bad Education by myself and stopped crunching popcorn as soon as the lights went down (I was full anyway).

Now I have to find someone to watch "All About My Mother" with me on DVD.

Heavenly....

That was my weekend.  Jake and I flew up Friday night to Seattle to spend a weekend with big sis Kelly.  I could not have had a better time!!  The weekend had everything i love.   The kids (of course), a beautiful college campus (UW), an exciting football game (UW 21, Fresno St. 20),  a trip on the duck boat in Lake Union, two nice meals with old buddies, and lots of laughs!  Here are some pics: I always here about parents complaining about their kids growing old too fast.  I don't understand it, because my kids keep getting more and more fun the older they get.  And a weekend with ANY combination of the three of them is the best present I could ever give myself!

My solemn vow....

...Is to join the intelligentsia.  I must confess I have NEVER seen a film by Pedro Almodovar.  This is shocking and horrifying to many friends I respect most, BUT.......it will soon change, thanks to Viva Pedro  which is running at the Castro theater this month.  My plan...to see as many films as I can so I can be el mas intelligente de mis amigos!!!!   Updates to follow...

Amusing for Whom???

A week ago, I took my 9 year old niece, Caroline, my 11 year old son Jake, big sister Maggie and boyfriend Thomas to one of the vague memories of my childhood, The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. 


  This was a specific request of Caroline for her birthday and I thought it would be a great chance to give my sister Debbie a free day, and give Caroline a thrill at the same time.  I strategically invited Maggie and Thomas along, correctly assuming they would absorb Caroline's often intense energy. 

I have never understood gay men's obsession with amusement parks.  I really know very few straight guys who love going to Magic Mountain, Six Flags, Kings Island, etc etc, well into their adulthood.  I always assumed these trips were something fathers of small children HAD to do.  Imagine my surprise when my kids grew up and I STILL was pressured into going for any number of "Gay Days" at Great America or the like. 

There is really nothing that combines more things that I hate then an amusement park.  The list depresses me just writing it:

1.  Lines
2.  Heat
3.  Heights
4.  Greasy, overpriced Food
5.  Being upside down
6.  Traffic

Still I convinced myself this would be fun....and it was in a perverse way.  Thomas and Caroline were the ones completely into every ride.  Maggie and Jake, being of sensible stock, merely "tolerated" the rides, and concentrated on plotting the next junk food purchase. (Correction,  Jake DID love the bumper cars...he has so much experience riding with Dad!!)

For my part, I ordered a "Jumbo Corndog"....even though it was clear from the display that the regular Corndogs were a better option.  It is very difficult for me to pass up anything  branded  "Jumbo".  I think there  is an implication of greater satisfaction inherent in the designation.  Unfortunately, the picture WAS worth a thousand words.  What looked bad, tasted worse...long, long skinny dog, with greasy doughy batter...too long to eat easily without skewering ones tonsils.  AND the moment the first bite hit my stomach, a burning started which never ended till I got home hours later.

As I walked around, stomach on fire, I kept telling myself...this is not about me, this is not about me, this is not about me (words I would NEVER utter aloud, mind you).  It was about the kids...all I needed to do was survive...and I would have done a good deed.  Ultimately, that's what happened...I (and my stomach) survived, and the kids had fun!!  Its a big part of what parenting is about.  The satisfaction at the end is worth the hassle along the way.  Making a kid happy for a day is a really cool thing!!