No Osi!?

Let's face it, the Giants won the Super Bowl because of their defense, and the leader of that defense, Michael Strahan has retired, and now the new leader of the defense, Osi Umenyiora is injured and out for the season. So this does not bode well for a repeat. I hear rumors of Strahan returning from his cushy new commentator job in L.A. but I'll believe it when I see it. Hope the offense is ready to put up some points.

Coldplay Robs Creaky Boards

Thus is the music biz

The Japanese Office

This is too funny



If you don't get it it means you don't watch The Office and if that's the case, we're not friends. No seriously, The Office is one of the finest shows to come along in over a decade and you're doing yourself a great diservice by not watching. The BBC version is the original and the finest one but the American one ain't bad. I thought it would be but... I made my reparations here.

Frans Runs Like A Ninny

Kitten Poll

We've come to some decisions regarding the naming of the kittens. The three girls are fairly set in stone (about 85%) but the boy gets a new name every ten seconds. We can't settle on anything. So we've decided to reach out for a little help and put out a poll.

There on the right side of the page you should be able to see a little poll where you yourself can vote on what you think we should name our new little boy. Doesn't mean we're gonna listen to you. We'd just like to see what happens.

Here's the boy:

Nameless & pathetic

Yardwork Woes

The honeymoon is over. In the yard anyhow. The first try at it we had a good ol' time, mowing & weeding & raking. Today; misery. I only managed to mow the right side of the front yard and a two lane perimeter around the back before a bolt broke and the handle came off the mower. I gathered myself and managed to pull out the weedwacker, but only got about 35 seconds into that before the wacker broke off and flew into the woods. And no, of course I did not buy extras.


But we did get a lot of weeding done and manage to hang a lot of stuff inside, which we think look really nice.

And right now Fran is marinating some chicken and making that chip dip that I love so much and we're gonna eat & watch the Mets game so.... it is a good day after all.


Oh! and we saw a bunny. Elevated to great day.

Look What We Went And Did

more to come...

Day Off = Bad TV

Everytime we both have the day off and really decide to do nothing we end up watching these awful television shows, which of course usually ends up being part of a marathon. I mean I have sat thru way too much America's Next Top Model, What Not To Wear, Bridezillas; the list goes on and on, each one worse than the last. And now it's Jon & Kate Plus 8. But this one is different. This one I didn't physically want to hang myself. It's kind of endearing in a way. Kate is anal to a fault and treats Jon like he's one of the kids, and Jon is the typical American middle-aged man, overly concerned over his receeding hairline and the next time he'll be able to fit in 9 holes. And the kids are cute and surprisingly not obnoxious. I found myself laughing and awing and being in a general state of amazement over their day-to-day lives. Throw in some hamburgers and Weis cream and you got yourself a day off for the books.

New Feature For A Sunday Nite

So the "Choice Musical Selections Currently In Heavy Rotation" sidebar has been bothering me lately, and honestly I doubt anyone ever looks at it or checks any of the stuff out,.,.,.-\ neither here nor there, I have decided to update this section and hold back on the fancy semantics and call it "Favorite New Music"!

It's over there>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Anyhow, it is what it says it is. The choice musical selections that are currently in heavy rotation here at the Eslter household, the newest masterpieces from the worlds foremost authorities on modern music (some so new you may have trouble finding it yet (be patient)). And all come complete with lovely artwork and equipped with links to hear some outstanding tracks by the artists who chose that artwork. Fancy I know! You can't say I didn't try.

{look at that, I spelled my last name wrong up there}

Naturally all come highly recommended, as these are the chosen few out of the many sifted thru and carefully examined each and every week by trained experts (Fran & I), but if you find yourself hating it all, then you have issues and will probably be better off listening to some Nickelback, Lord help us.

Check back often, as I am sure they'll change weekly.

Haunting

Bad news everybody...

Fran is a ghost.

Oh Deer!

Deer love Ratatat.

Spanish Basketball's Beijing Tribute

Class act guys. Well done.

[retraction]

Shortly following my post on the Olympics I was urged to re-evaluate my perspectives on the women's softball, so being a good sport and a person never sold on first impressions I tuned in for a few more innings & I have to say, they won me over. Empathy turned affinity. I mean c'mon that chic Cat Osterman threw a no-hitter against Australia (are they good? no matter) and so far they're 2-0. There's a distinct possibility that I may tune in again. So yes, proven wrong, statement retracted, softball is faster, compact, & it doesn't drag out.

But handball still sucks.

Fountain Poses

While we waited for everyone to arrive to banquet the other day the boys and I had the great opportunity for a little photo shoot in front of the hotel fountain so naturally we dove right in. Not into the fountain... into the opportunity... is where we dove... dove into the oppor... not wet.


I call this one Four Boys & A Fountain.


GRAND


MIGHTY


STOIC


MISGUIDED

These Fleeting Moments May Be All We Have

Mets swept the Nationals. Even better news; Dodgers swept the Phillies. Mets move into first by one game. Again. Hopefully it lasts a little longer this time. Maybe like a month & a half. We'll see. Off to Pittsburgh. Hope they don't blow it. Again.

Ending Up In Indianapolis

Another historic summer came to an end this past weekend as Cadets wrapped up their 2008 season at DCI finals in Indianapolis. Boy that sounded like a dead serious news broadcast. Let's go to the highlights...











And for the first time we had the banquet the next day after finals instead of waiting for the winter. It was nice to see people after a time away but it did drag the season out unnecessarily. So.. good times.




Not too many good shots of the banquet. Just hugging which never makes for a good photo op.

An Historic Yayoi Event

Last night Yayoi did something she's never done before.

See, Yayoi is a bit of an outsider in our cats' society. She's the nervous one, not too kindly to strangers, or us even, and seems her only vice is being the first one fed every morning, even if she's not hungry, she stands guard til she is. But never has Yayoi let anyone pick her up or hold her in any fashion. She kinda seizes into a stage of rigormortis and then claws her way out.

But last night Yayoi did the unthinkable. Yayoi popped up onto the bed and stared at us. We froze, half with fear, half with amazement. Then Yayoi began to walk about. She kneaded at the comforter, an act we usually yelp at Dents or Abner for doing but this time we had the rigormortis. Then the unimaginable. Yayoi climbed right up on top of Fran, matted out a bed and lay down. We began to pet her and she rolled right over and proceeded to purr.

Don't worry. I had the presence of mind to get proof:


People, this is a milestone in the evolution of feline/human relations, at least under our roof.

It's the little things...

Badminton Is The Only Good

Ok so I saw some of the Olympics, maybe because I feel an overwhelming urge to support our country in such turbulent times, or maybe because nothing else is on, or maybe because it's on every other channel and I kinda can't escape it. Either way...

First thing I saw was women's water polo. It was like walruses playing soccer. I'm not saying they were fat, I mean they're Olympic athletes. It was just the slowest thing I have ever experienced. Like a slug race. Terrible.

Then we went to some handball. I admit, I don't get it. Is it like soccer with your hands? Is it like basketball? Why not just play basketball? People think of everything. It's like I say "I made up a new sandwich. It's like a regular sandwich just with the turkey & mustard on the outside of the bread" Yeah, it tastes the same just looks different. It's stupid.

I watched some women's softball. Looks more like a uniformed hissy fit than anything resembling baseball. I hear it's being removed from the Olympics after this year. I can see why.

I caught some men's gymnastics. That was sick. I was happy for the Americans when they got third. I've never seen anyone celebrate a bronze medal like that. But I'm afraid they lost me when they went all ghetto near the end shouting colloquialisms such as "dat's how we do it!" and "Wut Up USA!". Go America :|

I have to say my favorite so far has been the badminton. These cats are sick. They're like standing five feet apart and slapping the birdie back and forth crazy fast and being so dead serious about it. It's like "who are these giants on the tennis court?". It comes off like a Kids in the Hall skit. At first I thought we were watching Comedy Central. Brilliant. I'd like some more of that please.

As Long As They All Lose

Ah an all too familiar image for Mets fans this year, Aaron Heilman dragging himself off the mound to an uproar of boos & hisses. This is what's gonna keep them Mets outta the post season. The bullpen stinks. They've single-handedly blown every lead the Mets get and are solely responsible for 3/4 of the Mets losses since the all-star break. In a race this close the bullpen can't be this implosive.

Luckily the Marlins & the Phillies both lost yesterday so no ground gained. We got away with that one.

Mac & Isaac

Rough weekend

Mixtape> 7.26 thru 8.10

Ooh this is a long one. And how about a nice big fat moth from our front porch the other night to go along with it? Yeah I like him. Let's give him a name. Daniel. Daniel the Moth.

1. Air France - No Excuses
2. Wrapping Paper - Hold Up The Neon Sign
3. Love As Laughter - All Parts Of Me
4. Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot
5. Artanker Convoy - Rabbit
6. Pulp - Feeling Called Love
7. Vashti Bunyan - Train Song
8. Captain Audio - Often Mistaken For The Sun
9. XTC - Another Satellite
10. Silver Mt. Zion - God Bless Our Dead Marines
11. Mates Of State - Help Help
12. Sufjan Stevens - Casimir Pulaski Day
13. Manchester Orchestra - Wolves At Night
14. Mics - Astrodorque
15. Jim White - Jailbird
16. Be Your Own Pet - The Kelly Affair
17. Shawn Phillips - Withered Roses
18. Earlimart - Time For Yourself
19. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Buriedfed
20. The Low Lows - It May Be Low
21. The Week That Was - Come Home
22. Motoi Sakuraba - Narratage/Existence On This Land
23. Meho Plaza - Your Future Looks Bright
24. The Bad Plus - Mint
25. Death In June - My Rhine Atrocity
26. The Impossible Shapes - Our Secret Operation
27. Dead Heart Bloom - Saint Henry
28. Ersi Arvizu - Friend For Life
29. Titus Andronicus - Fear & Lothing In Mahwah, NJ
30. Cruyff In The Bedroom - Twinkle Twinkle
31. Portishead - Small
32. Billy Bragg - If You Ever Leave

Weekend Roundup

This weekend I am in Indianapolis, or something. Dropping in for finals, and the banquet Sunday morning. I may even get dressed up. For the banquet, not finals. Too hot. But thus concludes the Cadets 2008 season. Once again my roles change drastically year to year to year. Interested to see where it goes form here.

Other than that..

• Mets won 3-0 over Marlins, I just had 5 Heinekens & I'm stoked. See what they can do thru the rest of the weekend. Punk Marlins.
• Groceries are officially put away, except for the bread. We don't seem to have anyplace to put bread. Could be an issue.
• It's getting cold here already. This morning I had to wear a hoodie cuz I had gooseflesh. I like this.
• Gotta (re)write drill for Roxbury this weekend in my spare moments. I should really look into transitioning into this aspect of the activity. Note to self.

And some new albums I'm enjoying:

• Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - s/t
• The Week That Was - s/t
• Ratatat - Lp3
• Deerhunter - Microcastle
• Titus Andronicus - The Airing Of Grievances
• Derek Meins - The Famous Poet

I guess that's it. I never like posting without a little visual stimuli so here's a couple shots taken very recently...





That's it.

Se ya later.

Grocery Rampage

Late, late last night (actually very early this morning) we decided to finally do some serious grocery shopping. We had no list and we were hungry, the worst combination you can possibly walk into the store with, so naturally, we went bonkers and spent almost three hours navigating thru shelf stockers and cardboard boxes and managed to overflow two carts with enough food to feed a small army, or us for a couple of days. We used the receipt to tie down the trunk.

Witness...


We held up the only checkout line open for a good half hour. People were pissed so they had to start new lines.


Making good use of our new kitchen table.


The rest made it into the refrigerator & freezer which now barly shuts. Awesome.

Flowers @ R House

this post could be more appropriately titled...

Things We've Found Growing In Our Yard That We're Trying Not To Kill Because They May Be Pretty Someday Or We May Want To Pick Them And Place Them In A Nice Vase With Some Water, If We Ever Unpack Them

Some of these may be weeds or just strange looking grass, I dunno. I just thought I'd take a few shots & throw them up here before they're no longer around. We haven't yet acquired a green thumb.