This post’s title is a little misleading- I’m not looking to engage in a debate of popcorn flicks versus fine films. I’m interested in answering one of those irritating questions that gets into the back of your mind and won’t leave- like relatives from out of town in your guest room…
Monthly Archives: May 2012
The Proverbial Can of Worms
So- May has not been a very productive month. I’ve only posted a handful of times- although I am really proud of a couple of them. (Did you read this one? I’m really happy with it.) It has just been a challenging month- mainly due to my day job. Finding the energy to write has been tough and as my relatively few postings show, most of the time I simply blew it off.
But- clearly I’ve tapped into my creative parts in this process and they are not interested in being shut away again for 20 years. I’ve been on edge and unsettled for most of the month. I’d be willing to bet that my wife would have voted me off the island this month if that was possible. The most content I’ve been all month has been when I was actively writing something or just after I’ve posted a new piece. Having started this process of self-transformation, I think that I now need this creative outlet on a regular basis- hence the post’s title.
Filed under Open Notebook
Twelve Steps for the Dollar Store
I am a dollar store junkie.
It’s embarrassing but I’m committed to this writing process and need to reveal truths in my work. So there it is. I’m an idiot for dollar stores.
Filed under Funny- ha ha
“Saving Private Ryan” Changed My Life
We are halfway through a beautiful Memorial Day weekend here at Casa di Panek. My father, who lives with us, worked hard all week on the various outdoor tasks culminating in the boys being able to swim in the pool Friday night. It was the perfect start to a long weekend.
Later that evening, after the boys were in bed, I was flipping channels on TV and found AMC starting their War Heroes Weekend by playing a favorite- The Dirty Dozen. It’s the kind of movie that will stop my channel surfing regardless of what point the movie is at. Friday evening I picked it up just as Major Reisman (Lee Marvin) gambles on the Dozen’s tenacity to beat the stiff-necked Colonel Breed’s unit.
Doctor in the soon-to-be hijacked ambulance: “But you’re wearing red force insignia!”
Jim Brown’s deadpan menace: “That’s right- we’re traitors!”
Love it!
I got to pondering, as I often do, about the movies and my love of film. Keeping in the spirit of the War Heroes Weekend, I thought that a story about another great WWII movie, Saving Private Ryan, would be appropriate.
Filed under Essays
The Blog Post from the Black Lagoon
My middle boy, the Noodle, is in Kindergarten this year. It’s the beginning of May, which means it’s PARP time! PARP- Parents As Reading Partners- is designed to build a love of reading in children by engaging parents to spend 15 minutes a day reading to their children. Designed in New York State in the late 1970’s, the PARP program is an idea that I can really get behind. I think if we can teach children that reading can be fun we’ve given them a powerful tool to spur lifelong learning.
The Noodle and the Goon have just been tucked into bed but right before that we spent about 20 minutes reading tonight. The selection tonight was a series that is an old favorite in our house, going back to when my 13 year old was starting Kindergarten. We read our entire series of the “Black Lagoon” books. Have you heard of them? On the reading list tonight:
- The Teacher From the Black Lagoon
- The Principal From the Black Lagoon
- The Gym Teacher From the Black Lagoon
- The Librarian From the Black Lagoon
- The School Nurse From the Black Lagoon
- The Custodian From the Black Lagoon
- The Music Teacher From the Black Lagoon
- The School Bus Driver From the Black Lagoon
TMPinSYR 