Spring Break, Day 2

It's a wet, blustery day here on the morning of Spring Break, Day 2. The little stretch of sidewalk in the backyard pools with rainwater and starlings and sparrows fly up occasionally to bathe in it.

Suzanne is asleep and the girls are at school. I told Suzy that I'd handle getting Maryn and Avery off to class all this week so she could sleep in. She does it every other day of the year because I teach at 8 a.m. and have to be gone usually before the girls are even awake. So I figured it's the least I can do to let her sleep in for a few days. (Of course, I'm not sure if it's cool for the girls. I pack their lunches with salami sandwiches and whole dill pickles.)

Yesterday, Suze and I drove to Bloomington to eat lunch at Olive Garden. Bloomington is a largish college town and is fun to visit. We ate, went to the mall for a bit, and got Krispy Kreme doughnuts on the way out of town. We made it back before the girls got out of school and they're none the wiser that we went and had fun without them.

I've got papers to grade, a book to read, and films to watch over the break. My plan is to get through about ten papers and read about sixty pages a day. I know it doesn't sound like much of a break but just the fact that I get to grade papers in my little chair in the corner of the living room and read my film book in my pajamas makes it pretty nice. I don't need Florida to vacation - just a chair and pajamas. Is that wrong?

There is much TV goodness to discuss. I haven't even mentioned the return of Dancing With The Stars, nor I have I discussed the ongoing, fascinating stupidity on Brothers and Sisters. Most importantly of all, I've hardly addressed all the hubbub over on Weirdness Island on Lost. It's not that these things aren't deeply important to me and to you (go ahead and admit it) -- it's just that I haven't had the time. One thing about my new job that's distinctly different from YDB is that I don't have hours of idle time like I used to. I'm actually pretty busy almost all the time now. It's nice, I'm not complaining. But it has cut into my blogging time for sure. I have less time to stare out the window and think, Hmmm, what should I blog about today? I know you've suffered, my friends. I'm sorry about that.

As far as TV goes, I'll just say this: it's obviously between Gille, Shawn, and Melissa. If Gille were to win, it would be the first time an outright nobody won the contest. I think he may have the edge over Shawn just because he's a swarthy Frenchman and she's a spunky 17 year old and, when it comes down to some of the naughtier dances, he may have more to draw on than her (and rightly so.) Melissa is the wild card. She's really good and obviously has some background and loads and natural talent. Unless something drastic happens, I'd say it will be the battle of the nobodies in the end - Dumped Reality Show Girl vs. Little Known French Actor. Steve Wozniak, Steve O., and Denise Richards need to be put out of my misery.

As far as Lost goes, all I can say is that each episode fills me with an almost narcotic glee and I am always sad when the final "LOST" appears on the screen and I know I have to wait another week. Sawyer as the leader? Jack as a janitor? Sun clubbing Ben over the head with an oar?!!!? It's so good it makes me want to slap the writers of other shows (especially those of Two and Half Men. Who watches that bitter, nasty garbage?)

Anyway, tonight on the DWTS results show, one of the featured singers will be Adele who I like very much. I've played her album, 19, pretty much into submission on my ipod. Unfortunately, she'll be sharing time with Hall and Oates, the most has-been of all has-beens - but she's really good and worth watching so tune in if you get a chance. I'll include a couple of YouTube videos below so you can get a sense of her style. The video aren't much to watch - just stills - but the sound quality of the songs is pretty good and that's what matters.





It's stopped raining and the wind is already drying up the water on the sidewalk. I should probably go grab something to eat for breakfast and then read a few papers. (Five in the morning and five in the evening make it a lot more manageable.) I'll try to check in tomorrow and tell you what I think of the latest elimination from DWTS, the possibilities for the next episode of Lost, my theories on how exactly to define Film Noir, and another photo of the world outside my window.