Junior Newsman

Tonight was pretty cool.  My aunt, who lives with my grandparents and takes care of them, stopped by on her way through with her extremely tall and almost hippie-like boyfriend.  So totally unlike her husband, her soulmate, who passed away a few short years ago.  It seems to work well though and we had a great meal at a great new Mexican restaurant.

 

J-Man had an essay due a couple of days ago for his middle school journalism class on the subject of last Sunday’s Emmys controversy involving Conan O’Brien’s skit regarding the airplane crash.  I kind of liked his reasoning: 

Journalism Essay

By J-Man

 

The Emmy Awards were Sunday night and everyone watched in anticipation as actors and actresses were dressed in their nice clothes, hoping to get the trophy.  Conan O’Brien had some bad timing as he showed a skit of him in a comedy short of him in a plane crash like the one from the popular series. “Lost”. The skit, which was on the show Sunday night, happened on the same day a plane crashed during takeoff in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 50 people.  Many people thought this was wrong and someone should have taken the skit out, but I say that it may not have been needed in there, but hey if someone makes a movie about bunnies taking over the world and it is released the same day bunnies attack a farm town’s crops and the fifty people who lived there can’t have food until the next town 500 miles away can send them food, it doesn’t mean it’s the movie creator’s fault the crops are gone.

O’Brien could have not known about the crash and it was a comedy thing about “Lost,” not about Lexington.  I’m not saying the skit should have stayed in, but should they cancel something, just because something like it happened? The Emmy Awards were planned in advance, not the plane crash.  You can’t just change something that fast and even if you can, it isn’t Conan’s fault.  This was simply bad timing, but no one should be mad like people I’ve seen in chat rooms online. 

Besides the plane problem, other things happened that made people mad, or confused about the Emmys.  NBC launched the Emmy Awards early this year and less people knew about when it was going to be on television, so 2.6 million viewers missed the Emmy Awards. Not only that, but some viewers were watching season finales and original episodes of  “Entourage” and “Big Brother”.

Not only that, but it’s school season and many parents were getting kids ready for the first or second week of school that night and were too busy to watch the Emmy Awards.

That is not the only thing that dropped the ratings of the awards; a new rule makes it so blue ribbon panels vote instead of members. 

The results of the Emmy awards included the show “24” for Best Drama. “The Office” won Best Comedy. Many actresses were given awards such as Mariska Hargitay, who is on “Law and Order:  SVU,” and Julia Louis-Dreyfus who is in, “New Adventures of Old Christine” as Best-Actress honorees.

       In conclusion, this was one of the strangest Emmy Awards.  More information on the Emmys can be found at this url:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/tv_emmys .

Variety Garmin GPS Plug Here

I’m sending off a little donation to The Road Home K-9 Rescue this week in the amount of $100.00 for its Girlfriend Fund, which helps offset the cost of care for old and ill Collies rescued from some pretty horrific circumstances.  This money came by way of a promotion offered through a website that I would love everyone to visit.  The donation will be made in the name of Steve Shifflett.

 

Shifflett offers the Variety Garmin GPS, exceptional for use by motorcyclists, hikers, boaters, or even for your car.  Please visit his website and take a look at his Forerunner 305 Fitness GPS—it’s this month’s featured item. 

 

Steve is also a Harley enthusiast and was one of Red Hog’s riding buddies on both his East Coast and West Coast excursions this summer.   Check out Steve’s blog here!  I’m going to link him under “Blogs I Like.”  By all accounts, Steve’s a great guy, so I hope you’ll check him out regularly.

 

It was exceptionally generous of Steve to make this donation to a great cause—may it come back to him a thousand-fold. 

Warm Cockles

The children, when they are there, hide behind the mystical and secret doors to their rooms.  Adults are not welcome.  It is a rare sight to see one of them expose themselves by venturing out into other areas of the house, unless a meal is involved.   Occasionally, if I do sit down in the evening to catch something on TV, one or the other may drop by the couch, sit with me for a minute, and just kind of lean towards me, without touching me.  I’m thinking this must be the teenage version of a hug. 

 

The general teen attitude is one of embarrassment to be seen with me, epic eye rolls of disdain if I do anything remotely unparent-like and goofy, and delivering a vacant gaze when I speak to them or dare ask them a question.  My mother tells me this will pass in about 12 more years.

 

My trip out of town this weekend met with a surprising reaction.  Neither of them were thrilled—I was told that only they should go away, I should never be gone.  I thought they’d be ecstatic to be rid of the one who told them to turn off the TV, clean their rooms, do their chores, and go to bed.  When I called them several times over the two days, they actually seemed engaged in our conversation.  I was told they loved me and missed me.  When I got home, Em actually raced out to hug me and welcome me home.  J-Man gave me his version of a hug by stoically poking me repeatedly in the shoulder with his finger. 

 

I think of this because my good friend Red Hog was told by his youngest and final child, who entered the first grade this year, that Red Hog was no longer allowed to kiss his son goodbye as he dropped him off for school, because, his son, at the ripe old age of 6, said he was “too old” for such things. 

 

Being a hugging, kissing, “I love you” telling mom, I felt his pain.  But, as his son goes through the stages the littlest ones in this family have gone through, I can tell him, that just when you least expect it, they let you know in their own way that they know your kiss and hug is always there if they need it and are counting on it to be there.

 

The young always have the same problem – how to rebel and conform at the same time.  They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another.  ~Quentin Crisp

Ungh Wrzgrtlwhe Lodkwngrohnv

Another wonderful weekend…time goes on and there are no red flags or danger signs.   My workmate KG expressed it so well…she’s still waiting for the drama.  There is none.  Just laughter, kindness, and warmth.  When you can sit with someone and argue a point only to realize you both agree…but each have an opinion…and laugh your ass off…that’s a wonderful thing.

 

Little Dog and G-Man, sleep well.

Torture By Waltons

There is a former co-worker of mine of whom I’m quite fond, for some inexplicable reason, who sent me the following e-mail today.  On the surface, one would think that he was being sincere, unless you knew him.  This is the same fellow who e-mailed another co-worker about the nightmare he had last week, wherein he had to be my assistant—nightmare indeed.  If he only knew what I would put him through if that were true. 

 

From:  S., Adam

To:    Hahn, Lori

Subject: god bless HAH

Just read your blog today
I’m a daily reader btw.
I totally forgot I had jury duty until reading your post.
You have saved me from jail.
Who knew you’re little blog could do so much good in the world?

 

From:  Hahn, Lori

To:    S., Adam

 

I don’t know, but maybe a little jail time would do you good, just in
principle.

They’ll make you watch Elf…tell me how it ends.

 

From:  S., Adam

To:    Hahn, Lori

jail time vs. elf watching?
actually a really tough decision.

From:  Hahn, Lori

To:    S., Adam

 

You know, if you were my lackie, you’d have to watch Elf, followed by six hours of The Waltons.

We The People

Today, I fulfilled one of my civic obligations as I reported with a couple of hundred fellow citizens for jury duty. They’ve fine-tuned the system some since last I served, so I just needed to call in on Sunday, then Monday, then Tuesday and finally Wednesday to see if I actually needed to present myself. My group reported at 8 this morning.

I was pretty impressed overall with the process—the folks who ran the process did it efficiently and pleasantly. They had movies playing on the television and people were, for the most part, if not pleased to be there, at least tolerant. But, long about 2:30, I dozed off in a chair in which dozing is difficult to accomplish. It felt quite refreshing though. I thought I was going to get a reprieve as I was woken to hear that one of the trials set to go would not be going and they were going to release some of us—unfortunately, it was up to the group before mine. So, I cracked open my book and settled in for the duration. They threatened a couple of times to start calling names, but the day ended uneventfully, and no one ended up being called. Safe for another year.

My only entertainment was going outside on breaks and guessing which ones were the lawyers, which the cops, and which the plaintiffs/defendants as they went in and out of the courthouse. The lawyers were pretty obvious. Walking all tight-assed in their suits, looking important and dreadfully hurried. Oh, my other thrill was trying not to strangle the mouth breather sitting next to me who insisted on slowly chewing his Cheetohs with his mouth open through much of the morning.

I consider trial by jury as the only anchor yet imagined by man by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution. ~ Thomas Jefferson

Iranians Determine Jeff Jensen Should Take the Morning Drive Slot

So, what’s going on with those Iranians and its turning away of UN weapons inspectors who have demanded Iran halt uranium enrichment by August 31^st?  Iran delivered their response today…but in really important news…Jeff Jensen, dumped unceremoniously from 100.5 The Zone just a couple short weeks ago, has landed on his feet over at Flash 92.1 in the 5-10 am slot.  Jess Rogers got the ax to make room for Jeff back on his old morning schedule.  His former compadre in crime, Shawn Cash, continues to languish in the 2-6 pm slot at 100.5.  So, though we won’t get their banter, we can hear them both, uninterrupted, for most of the day.  Poor Shawn though—he’s having to do the “Brain Drain” spots that Monica Lowe used to do—and boy, are they painful.  As Shawn & Jeff were Cabernet Sauvignon with a New York Strip, the pairing of Monica Lowe and Keith Brooks is more like Two Buck Chuck and Boiled Meatballs:  don’t bother—come join us on the JACK side at 97.3 or check out Armstrong & Getty at 650AM.

 

Finally got the damned lawn mowed.

Biker Dude

The kidlings had a sleepover opportunity recently where each could invite one friend.  J’s friend has a traditional Indian (India Indian) name, which I’m quite familiar with since they’ve known each other for the past years.  I’ve met his mom a few times.  So, the day after the sleepover, the kids were all playing on the computer.  I’m working in the kitchen when I see this guy drive up on his Harley.  Biker dudes, despite Red Hog’s visit in July, are not a sight that is frequently seen at the Hahn home—men in general do not trod upon my sidewalk most days, unless they are a hapless and then very unfortunate salesman.

 

I opened the window, so the dogs would not be alerted and said, “Can I help you?”  I realize, this was the wrong thing to say, “May I help you?” would have been more appropriate, but I was tired.

 

He said, “Is Jesse here?”  I said, “There’s not a Jesse here.”  So, he looks puzzled and goes to his bike, where I see him making a phone call.  A few minutes later, I see him standing in the middle of my front yard, staring at the house.  Annoyed, I said, “What do you need?” 

 

In reality, this was based on the fact that I had fully imagined that whoever this biker dude was was really looking for the previous tenant and somehow I was going to get caught up in a case of mistaken identity and be murdered for unpaid drug money, caught in the middle of a vicious biker gang war, and my lifeless body would go undetected for weeks (because Lord knows the kids wouldn’t notice—as long as they still had electricity by which to play their electronics) with no way for the cops to solve the apparently random senseless and tragic case.

 

Finally, he said, “I’m here for my son, Jesse.”   The dim bulb barely buzzing in my head suddenly started to sputter to life and the slow realization came—Jesse was J’s friend with the Indian name.  I fell all over myself apologizing and felt about as bright as a room full of Bush brothers.  And, yeah, yeah, okay, so maybe he and I are in the PTA together and he’s probably not really a hard core biker guy with his bad flashy sparkly red, white, and blue bike and gear—so what?  He coulda’ been trouble, really!

 

The Outlaws are one of the nation’s four largest motorcycle gangs, along with the Hells Angels, Pagans and Bandidos. The Outlaws have chapters in 20 states, Europe, Canada and Australia.

Grunts and Groans

Grunting and groaning like an old woman as I seemed to have used muscles I didn’t know I had laying the floor, I slowly bent over to pick up the paper to be greeted with more details regarding the John Karr arrest in the JonBenet Ramsey case.  As details have trickled out, it’s becoming murkier and murkier as to whether he had two of the critical components of a criminal case—means and opportunity.  His ex-wife swears he was in Alabama that day and a number of other rather suspicious discrepancies make it appear on the surface he is just a totally delusional, gender conflicted pedophile who may have had a fantasy relationship with JBR, but had no real connection to her.  The tests of DNA will reveal all or nothing.  This should fill our front pages for months to come.  Which makes me think this might be another of those evil machinations of Karl Rove’s right wing conspiracy—keep the real news off the front page—the publication of which might at last allow it to sink in to all those who may actually still believe the Bush administration has a clue, that they don’t.

 

With instructions to wake them at 6, the kidlings rose this morning with that dazed expression that reminds me it’s good they are going back to school after being zombified for the summer on their computers/television/video games.  They got it together though, strapped on the new backpacks, sharpened the pencils, and headed for the bus stop.  Can’t wait to get their first day report. 

 

Check out the new icon in “Blogs I Like” called One Mother’s Story.  It was particularly moving and just one in a million stories like it. 

 

Motherhood has a very humanizing effect.  Everything gets reduced to essentials.  ~Meryl Streep

Shopped Until I Dropped

I shop, therefore, I am…tired.  Took the kidlings school shopping today since I had the day off and shopped well…always seem to be able to do that for others, but not for myself, especially in the clothes department.  One thing I noticed is the teenage girl, who wore nothing but pink for 13 years, now wants nothing to do with it.  Talk about a major color shift adjustment in my recommendations.  But, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, because if I thought something was cute, she declared it, “gross.”  Still, I used a little reverse psychology, and she walked out with several of my choices.  The teenage boy was much easier.  He saw the rack of discount polo shirts and cleaned them out.  Ta-da…done in one expedition.

 

So, while I was out, I decided to deal with the situation on the kitchen floor.  The linoleum had several gouges out of it and the devil in four-footed fur, otherwise known as the puppy Gina, pulled those gouges up and left a 3-foot hole in the floor.  So, I’ve been tearing out linoleum and hope to have the tearout and scraping done so I can start installing the replacement floor tomorrow.  That will leave me only the carpet in the living room issue to deal with…for now.  I now have a vague recollection as to why I did not want another puppy. 

 

Tomorrow, I should be able to knock out the rest of the prep the kids for school stuff and even mow the lawn.  Yes, the vacation is truly over.

 

I’m missing me some JMD. 

 

The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her.
~ Marcelene Cox