The Estlers

Thursday, November 14, 2013

She Makes The Tag Rules

What Do You Call This: De-Seeding?

Whatever it is, I did it. I like this thing, but I figured I'd best figure out what's going on in there. All I ever see is the juice form, or maybe a little seed here or there. It is intimidating, and daunting for a frigin piece of fruit, but still...

It's kind of a like a combination of a bunch of fruits, apple on the outside, orange on the inside, and grapes deeper still. And then at some point I feel like I'm literally pulling teeth. Kinda cool.

Now I just got to figure out what to eat it with.

Eight Pence Or Thirteen Cents

I'm gonna try this, at some point here

Red Baron Down

A little piece of my childhood died today

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Pointed Fangs Without Scope

song of the day

some B-sides aren't

I've converted

I liked these guys in high school, last week

I'm A 1:45 Kinda Guy

Gotta brush up on my toaster skills these days

Bring On The Yanis Marshall Master Class

Cold Rakes / Suddenly Humungous

I almost didn't notice all the leaves had finally fallen from the trees today, but now the ground is too frozen to rake them up. Am I the only one who cannot figure this out?

I actually had about 4 hours of peace and quiet today, while the girls went to the store and Laura's doctors appointment. Diagnosis: healthy as a horse. No dice in early leave. And Yuula got some new pajamas because she's suddenly humungous.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Are You Sitting Down

song of the day

slightly underwhelming, due it's comparatively simplistic and stripped-down nature, but I'll no doubt love it all come February 2014

Then Nothing Happened

quite the storyteller

Raising A Lil' Jazz Cat

Apparently Yuula likes jazz music. I'm not sure where she learned that there is such a thing, I don't think the cartoons touch on music genres these days, and I'm not sure that she really knows what in fact she's asking for, but she seems to like what happens when she says "Can we hear some jazz?". How do you say no to that?

She doesn't like it all however. She wasn't digging the classic Charlie Parker stuff and hasn't quite yet gotten into Ornette Coleman, but that's okay, because neither did I til I was 27. She did make a valid point tho, in saying, "Daddy, there's lots of different jazz."

Correct.

These are some of her favorites so far...

Monday, November 11, 2013

Nothing If Not Subtle

song of the day

newly shuffled Midlake started strong and then disappeared, and the Blood Orange made me, well, want a blood orange

Blue Monday Blues

She wanted to go to bed at 3 o'clock today

I seriously thought about it

But I knew that'd mean a middle of the night visitor for me

Which kind of happens lately anyhow

and we don't mind

Winding Down With Waffles

It was a long weekend, and an even longer Sunday, and at 9pm we still hadn't eaten dinner. The closest immediate place was the Waffle House, which I think Laura was counting on, so waffles it was.

Between Laura, Susie, Yuula and myself we ate 6 waffles and all other sorts of breakfast foods and I got to pick the tunes out on the jukebox since we were the only ones there.

Award Winners Don't Push Brooms

One of the highlights of last weekend was having Danielle visit, but more specifically staying up to all hours of the night watching Breakin'. Like it was yesterday...

Favorite clip, 4:37-4:42

If the sequel had come on after I bet we would've watched that too. Next time, Fast Forward.

Future Fashion Failure

Aunt Dani brought some fabric paints from Chicago that she had left over dressing her dog like a martini for Halloween (apparently it was Vic's idea) so what is a better Sunday morning activity than designing her very own shirt to kickstart the day...

Ladies & Gentlemen...

the finished product

Light Flash Eye Crash

Did someone show her this?

Fess up

Sunday, November 10, 2013

After All The Ambulances Go

song of the day

can. not. stop. singing.

Master Of Leftovers

This is not bad for just throwing all the random fridge junk in a pan and cooking it up

Sophia Freakout And Jake Breakdown

This is my life now

I've never seen this girl so excited, and she had no idea

Thank goodness Cinderella made a cameo, because we would've had an issue

Up clapping, dancing, singing, I've not seen this level of enthusiasm in this girl probably ever. But we do need to figure out how to get her a hug from Mickey. She needed to be physically restrained from trying to get up on the stage.

At the show's finale, she burst into tears, as did most of the kids around her. I guess 2 hours of nonstop Disney magic wasn't enough. It will have to hold her over, for at least a couple years.

Double Milk Mouth

Birthday Maniac

Dylan had his third birthday party on Saturday. That boy is insane. It makes me rethink all the boy v. girl warnings I've had tossed my way the past couple weeks, but just a little. Besides, I still have Judee's old chain that we used to tie her up in the backyard with...

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Apricity

Obsolete Words, Volume 14

- the sun’s warmth on a cold winter’s day

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

You're Not A Husky Anymore

song of the day

Yuula loves this song, but she sings, "you're not a HUSKY anymore"

it's the G-rated version she's imposed upon herself

The Elegant Gentleman's Guide To Knife Fighting

A Brief And Lovely Home

We have made a mess of this place the last two weeks. Re-doing the living room has caused a ripple effect disaster throughout the house and we have been living amongst rubble. And it took the entire day to remedy it. But now, this place is lovely. This the best this place has looked since we moved in. Granted, it won't last more than a day. Not with this lot.

Oh, and don't go in our bedroom.

Half Begun Is Well Done

We watched Mary Poppins tonight.

Yuula loved it. At least most of it. She's not much for ballads just yet, and Poppins had it's fair share. But she broke it down for the Supercalifragiblahblahblah and the chimney sweep scenes.

I haven't seen that film in probably 25 years. I love that thing that happens when you watch a film from your childhood and it takes on a completely new life. Laura and I laughed our asses off on this scene...

Next, Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

Habitual Somersaults

Breaking In The New Dance Floor

Girls [Temporary] Best Friend

When we first got Judee she was a little apprehensive towards Yuula. I don't blame here. So am I. But apparently she's overcome her fear and now, they are bosom buddies. Granted, Yuula still can't throw a ball in a straight line, and there's certainly a dangerous element involved for Judee when she's awaiting a toss, but nonetheless, the two have seemed to click, and it's nice because it takes just the slightest bit of pressure off of us for their constant attention. From Yuula. And from Judee. Beasts.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Like Sanskrit To A Pony

A little over a week ago, Lou Reed died, and while I was quite late to his music and that of the Velvet Underground, I'm still pretty bummed about it and have been going back and listening to a lot of his stuff, mostly new to me. In fairness, VU did most of their great stuff and decade and I've been more enamored with the Cale-esque offshoot of the group, but I'm finding some good stuff to hold on to here, which is all I'm ever looking for.

Here's Laurie Andersen's letter tribute..

To our neighbors:
What a beautiful fall! Everything shimmering and golden and all that incredible soft light. Water surrounding us.
Lou and I have spent a lot of time here in the past few years, and even though we’re city people this is our spiritual home.
Last week I promised Lou to get him out of the hospital and come home to Springs. And we made it!
Lou was a tai chi master and spent his last days here being happy and dazzled by the beauty and power and softness of nature. He died on Sunday morning looking at the trees and doing the famous 21 form of tai chi with just his musician hands moving through the air.
Lou was a prince and a fighter and I know his songs of the pain and beauty in the world will fill many people with the incredible joy he felt for life. Long live the beauty that comes down and through and onto all of us.

— Laurie Anderson
his loving wife and eternal friend