via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/C5_6UIwv2tg/
-
-
4/8/24 Eclipse
There was an eclipse yesterday, if you haven’t heard. I took the afternoon off from work and we took the boys and headed to the Franklin Institute‘s eclipse viewing event.
Living in a big city you can never tell if an event like this is going to be a complete madhouse or empty. Therefore, like rational people, we made a few backup plans:
- Marisa brought a picnic blanket so we could sit in the park across the street from the Franklin Institute (which we ended up doing).
- Our building opened up the pool deck on the 30th floor for viewing, so we had that in our back pocket.
Right in front of the Franklin Institute, where they had set up tents with cutouts allowing you to view the eclipse, was pretty darn jam packed. The park across the street, however, was lovely. We found a spot, deployed our blanket, and awaited the celestial event.
One of the reasons we wanted to get into one of the viewing tents, if possible, was the fact that it seemed like a bad idea to encourage two 4.5 year old boys to stare directly at the sun. Marisa, being the prepared person that she is, attached a paper plate to the eclipse glasses we got for the boys to make them even safer (any many parents in the park noted what a great idea it was!).
Philadelphia wasn’t in the path of totality, but we were in line for something like 90% occlusion. It was a lot of fun to experience this natural event with a bunch of people, even if heavy cloud cover rolled in about 10 minutes before the peak and then rolled out about 10 minutes afterwards (great timing, clouds!).
My favorite moment of the day was when the clouds finally moved and the entire park let out a joyous yelp as the moon bitten sun revealed itself.
I was trying to be present for the event, so I didn’t take that many pictures of the eclipse itself. Plus, I lack the talent to actually take good pictures, but lots of people took amazing pictures.
I’m thinking about trying to get ourselves into the path of totality for an upcoming eclipse. We’ll see!
-
-
-
I buy silly things
Even though I know all the dumb things I buy will just be a burden for whoever is clearing out my space after I die I persist in purchasing things.
Case in point:
I allegedly bought these for the boys, but we all know the truth. They were on sale, though, so it could have been worse.
Speaking of worse:
Yes, I bought the Lego D&D set. I thought I could resist but then I saw the LEGO beholder and said goodbye to lots of money. The set did come with a couple of free things, so it was like Lego paid me to order it.
-
-
March 2024 in books
Woah! March just ended and I’m posting about the books I read during it. Will wonders ever cease?
A funny quirk of mine is freaking out at the end of the month that I’ve read fewer than 4 books. Turns out that this month I read 5!
I know that doesn’t matter to anyone, but it makes me happy. And here are the 5 I read:
- Death in the Dark Woods by Annalise Ryan ☆☆☆ – The second installment of the cozy mystery series featuring a rich cryptid investigator/bookstore owner looking into mysterious deaths and slowly falling for a man of the law. You know what you’re going to get, and you get it.
- Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Ernest Cunningham ☆☆☆☆ – Cunningham continues playing with mystery tropes, and doing a fine job of it. Put a bunch of mystery authors on a train, with some fans, and kill someone. See what happens! A fine read and a satisfying mystery.
- The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab ☆☆☆☆☆ – I’m going to be podcasting about this book shortly, but the short version is: it is great. The Shades of Magic triligy is fantastic and continuing the story may have been risky but it turned out very well indeed.
- The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose ☆☆☆ – Another second installment in a series! Still love the characters in this book, but the mystery was pretty thin and really stretched the amount of coincidence I’m willing to accept.
- The Golden Gate by Amy Chua ☆☆☆ – I didn’t realize that the “Tiger Mom” wrote this. That doesn’t matter, but it was a surprise. This book is so well researched and I feel like Chua fell into the trap of really wanting to show off all her research and making it clear that she knew this period. Which totally worked, but this would have been a better mystery if it was ever so slighlty shorter.
-
-
Bagel Based Nostalgia
This bagel was fine. Sammy had to have his adenoids removed on Monday, which meant the whole family spent Sunday night in a Homewood Suites in Doylestown. We were in Doylestown, which is about an hour outside of Philly, because if we had attempted to schedule the procedure at our normal place (CHOP, which is amazing) we would have had to wait for months.
Anyway, off we went to Doylestown. Sammy, and Marisa, had to be at the surgery center at 6:30am. I hung out at the hotel with Declan.
He was quite excited about his first hotel breakfast buffet (he was also excited to tell everyone we saw about his brother’s procedure).
Amongst the offerings at breakfast were individually wrapped Lenders Bagel’s (plain).
As soon as I saw them I was transported to my grandmother’s apartment on Long Island. She always had two things in her freezer:
- Egg bagels from Lender’s
- Chocolate and vanilla checkerboard ice cream
Maybe I’ll get myself an egg bagel sometime this week in her memory (though probably not a Lender’s. They are fine, but I have better bagels available to me).
-
February 2024 in Books
Since March 2024 is nearly done, what better time to post about the books I read in February?
I didn’t have as productive a month as I did in January, but I ended up reading 5 books, which isn’t too shabby. But were the books shabby?
Here they are:
- The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher ☆☆☆ – T. Kingfisher has a formula and there’s nothing wrong with that! The formula works, and this book was fun. But I don’t think it measured up to their other work.
- Godkiller by Hannah Kaner ☆☆☆☆ – Gods being killed, secret gods doing wild things, and reluctant knights being pressed into service to help their friends? What’s not to like! A fresh spin on a familiar tale, I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series (which I have on hold at the library).
- A Death in Door County by Annalise Ryan ☆☆☆☆ – A cozy mystery about a cryptozoologist/bookstore owner who has a trouble past and a simmering romance with the local lawman? Sign me up (I sign me up I did, since I read the sequel earlier this month!).
- Grave Expectations by Alice Bell ☆☆☆ – Another cozy mystery, and I really wanted to like this one more than I did. The ending added an additional star to this one, but I’m not sure the first 3/4 of the book were worth the last 1/4.
- Murder by Degree by Ritu Mukerji ☆☆☆☆ – If you had to read one book that I read this month, this would be the one I’d suggest. It is set in Philadelphia, which gives it bonus points, but the mystery is good and the prose are well written. I do find it annoying when someone like a doctor actually writes a good novel, though. Stay in your lane, people!
-
The boys’ first hotel stay
Tonight is the first night the boys’ are sleeping in a hotel room and they are incandescently excited. Which is super cute, but not great when one of those little boys needs to be up at 6am for a procedure (it is very common and should be straightforward).
We will see if they ever go to sleep!
-
-
-
I’m not dead
I’m way behind on my Year of the Essay posts, and I just wanted to let all my reader (I wrote what I wrote!) know that I’m still alive!
Though the last few weekends have tried their best, I tells ya!
About 3 weeks ago if you had asked me, “Hey, Scott, when was the last time you’ve vomitted?” I wouldn’t be able to tell you. Though, if you asked me that I probably wouldn’t have wanted to tell you either since that’s a pretty weird question.
However, for those Scott vomit enthusiasts, I totally know the last time I vomited.
Relatedly, I had no idea when last I had a fever. But now I can tell you very accurately!
And I no long have my years and years and years and years long 10,000 step a day streak.
Anyway, it has been quite the month, but I hope to be back in the essay saddle soon.
How are you? Let me know in the comments!
-
Party, Scott. Party Scott.
An aside before the post: This is last week’s essay for my little “Year of Essays” project. I didn’t get a chance to write it, but now here it is! That means another essay will appear at some point this weekend. Get excited.
I recently had a birthday, which got me thinking about… birthdays as an adult.
Now, I should say that I know there are many people who really enjoy their birthdays, and I’m not here to spoil that for anyone. I’m of the opinion that you should take every opportunity this cold, cruel world gives you to celebrate yourself. Life is hard, so why not eat cake?
That being said, at some point in my life, my birthday became less about me and more about other people wanting to celebrate me. Having people who want to celebrate you is a wonderful thing! And I feel pretty lucky that so many people seem to care (see how I qualified that with “seem to” instead of just saying “care?” Classic me). It is just that birthdays don’t strike me as that big a deal once you’re an adult. Sure, the milestones are worth celebrating, but getting heaps of stuff because you revolved around the sun one more time? That’s for the kids.
As a kid, I was all about my birthday, as I should have been! Having a Valentine’s Day birthday wasn’t all that bad either. It just meant that I got a bonus heart box of mystery chocolate, a high percentage of which I had no interest in. There were presents and cake, and maybe even a party (I know that I went to more than my fair share of birthday parties at McDonalds, like the good little 80’s kid I was, but I don’t recall if I ever had my birthday party at a McDonalds. I do remember one birthday when my mom made this big old cake with some sort of sugar decoration on it. Maybe it was shaped like a car or something, and little Scott was intensely interested in that sugar decoration and really wanted to keep it forever [as kids often do]. In an uncharacteristic move, my mom agreed to remove it from the cake so I could keep it. She placed it on the sink and went about cutting the cake. Partying ensued, and then I remembered my sugary treasure. I rushed to the sink to find a puddle of colored sugar water into which my prize had dissolved. I was not happy. And I remember it still, even though I’m an old sad man writing about how birthdays don’t matter. Maybe, just maybe, they don’t matter because I want to avoid the disappointment I felt for the first time at that moment. Or perhaps birthdays are just dumb).
At some point, the cake remained, and that’s about it (funfetti, of course, because I’m not a monster). My parents no longer gave me birthday presents, and there wasn’t a party celebrating me. And you know what? I was (and continue to be) fine with that. I would be very surprised to get a present from my parents at this point in my life, especially since they’re both dead.
When I found myself in college, I thought it mildly strange that people got excited about some big present their parents were going to get them for their birthday. You’re 20, and you aren’t paying for your school (generally speaking, I feel like people paying their own way through college don’t have parents who lavish them with gifts), so isn’t that the biggest birthday present?
Some might think me a birthday Scrooge, and I suppose they’re right. But once you have money, why not just buy the things you want? That way, if someone wants to give you a present to show they love you, they can just tell you instead. And it allows you not to be saddled with crappy gifts that people get for you because they want to meet the expectation of gift giving (this applies to Christmas/other holidays as well. I can’t tell you how many bottles of wine random people have given me. There’s nothing more festive than getting a gift that says, “I didn’t think much about this, and I don’t know/care about your drinking habits. Enjoy!” I enjoy those bottles of wine by placing them under a cabinet, forgetting about them for years, and then pouring them down the drain.).
This all came to mind on my birthday last week. We ordered a gigantic slice of cake from Famous 4th Street ($20 for a slice of cake that, let’s face it, is actually just a small cake), and the boys had some before they went to bed. Once they were asleep, Marisa and I had some cake, and I noticed Marisa looking for the birthday candles. I said, “I don’t need to blow out the cakes.”
Marisa replied, “I want to celebrate you!”
I blew out the candles. Well, I blew out the one candle shaped like a “4” that Marisa could find. And with only one try! And thus, I was celebrated.
Maybe I just don’t like being celebrated. It is an odd thing because I do like attention, but on my own terms. I enjoy speaking to groups (though I don’t want them to speak back to me), and I like making people laugh. However, being in a meeting or gathering and having people just clap and laud me because it is my birthday? Not the kind of attention this weirdo wants!
That being said, birthdays aren’t all bad. I don’t mind the aging, and eating cake is great. The boys enjoyed unwrapping my presents for me, so that’s nice. And I do appreciate the fact that folks go to the trouble of getting me things for my birthday. It is nice!
Where does this leave me on the birthday train? I’m certainly not a resident of Celebration Station, that’s for sure. You’ll probably find me in the café car, ordering a slice of cake with a single candle on it and a side of vanilla ice cream. It is my birthday, after all!
(Note: It’s not my birthday. It’s not today).
This essay is part of my “Year of Essays.” You can suggest a topic using this form, and it may end up becoming a mediocre essay like this one!
-
Scammers suck
On a Tuesday evening this past October, I put $50,000 in cash in a shoe box, taped it shut as instructed, and carried it to the sidewalk in front of my apartment, my phone clasped to my ear. “Don’t let anyone hurt me,” I told the man on the line, feeling pathetic.“You won’t be hurt,” he answered. “Just keep doing exactly as I say.”Three minutes later, a white Mercedes SUV pulled up to the curb. “The back window will open,” said the man on the phone. “Do not look at the driver or talk to him. Put the box through the window, say ‘thank you,’ and go back inside.”
How I Fell for an Amazon Scam Call and Handed Over $50,000Some might read this story and think “How could anyone be so stupid! I’d never do that.”
I read that story and think how close we all are to being fooled by a scam like that. All the scammers need to do is catch you in a moment of weakness or distraction and before you know it you’re tossing a box full of money into an SUV.
-
Sacrificed on the altar of commerce
The U.S. CDC plans to drop its five-day COVID-19 isolation recommendations under new guidance planned by the agency, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
The health agency plans to recommend people who test positive for COVID-19 to take a call on when to end isolation based on their symptoms.People with mild and improving symptoms would no longer need to stay home if they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours, the report said citing CDC officials familiar with the matter, adding the new recommendations would not apply to hospitals and other health-care settings with more vulnerable populations.
This country’s sick time and healthcare system have lots and lots of issues, but it is clear to me that the economy is the most important thing. And that makes me sad because I’m a socialist (I guess!).
I think everyone should have healthcare without having to pay, and that folks should stay home when they are sick to rest up. Radical ideas, I know.
-
Comedy tonight!
We’ve all been there: you’re in a room with some other people, maybe they are your friends or family or perhaps co-workers, and something happens. You laugh. Then you quickly realize you’re the only one that laughed. Now everyone is staring at you. Your face is getting a little hot, and you can feel sweat pricking on the back of your neck. Do you try to explain why you laughed, or do you go on the offensive and chastise the others for not laughing?
Humor is subjective is what I’m saying, and I feel like my sense of humor was created on the crucible of my childhood and has been hammered into its current misbegotten shambolic shape by this crazy world we live in.
Family Matters (not that one)
One of the things that most struck me about Marisa’s family when I first met them was how nice they were to each other. They hug one another all the time; they cuddle and offer back rubs. They have a tradition of lighting candles and writing down wishes.
All of this struck me as slightly odd, especially when compared to my immediate family.
You see, the way the McNulty family expressed (and the way my brother and I still do!) love for one another is by merciless mockery. But it is ok because you know underneath all the cutting comments, they love you, for the most part.
I’m sure it was a shock for Marisa when she hung out with my family for the first time (also their very strong New York accents. Somehow, I managed to grow out without much of an accent at all. How? Maybe because of all the Britcoms I was watching… oh! Foreshadowing! This really is a fancy essay and not just a slightly long blog post.).
If I have a moderately quick wit, I have my family’s “love language” to thank, and I think that’s colored by what I find funny on some cellular level.
Childhood TV
As I mentioned, I grew up in New York. Specifically, I grew up in a city called Yonkers, which is right outside of New York City. This means all of my broadcast channels (and those were the only channels around!) came out of New York City. We had all the greats:
- WCBS (channel 2)
- WNBC (channel 4)
- FOX 5 (channel 5)
- WABC (channel 7)
- WWOR (channel 9)
- WPIX (channel 11)
- WNET (channel 13)
As a child of the 80s, I spent A LOT of time watching television. And it is a certainty that I watched a lot of vapid sitcoms from the three major networks (I can still sing the theme song to Mr. Belvedere on demand!). However, young Scott’s sense of humor was largely shaped by those broadcast twin titans of WPIX and PBS.
The Three Stooges meet Abbott and Costello
WPIX, at the time, played movies on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Ancient movies. The rotation seemed to feature a hefty dose of the Three Stooges and Abbott and Costello movies.
The Three Stooges appealed to me because those upper-crust rich people deserved the poor help they got. Also, grown men were hitting each other in the head, dropping to the floor, and barking like dogs. What’s not to like?
However, I think the Abbott and Costello movies had a longer-lasting impression and were funnier (to me!). I am not making any comedic discoveries here when I say that the dynamic between Abbott and Costello was very funny. Sure, Abbott was a bit of a jerk to Costello, but that’s the role of a straight man.
Who’s on First still makes me laugh, as does this bit about the Susquehanna Hat Company. Their humor was broad, physical, and playful, though it strikes me (as I think about it now) to be a little more sophisticated than the Three Stooges. Not that high a bar, I know.
Mrs. Slocombe’s Pussy
Ahh, PBS: what the person who pretends not to have a TV watches on the TV they totally have. At least, that was the vibe PBS used to give off. Given that everything is a TV nowadays, I’m not sure what vibe PBS gives off, but it probably involves a tote bag.
On the weekends, PBS would play these long blocks of “Britcoms,” British sitcoms, and I would watch them. You might be thinking, “Scott, why were you out galavanting about the town?” To which I’d reply, “You clearly haven’t been reading this blog for very long.”
Since they were on PBS and they were from England, they had to be:
- Of the highest quality
- Culturally enriching experiences
They were, in fact, funny (some of them), but I’m not sure about “culturally enriching.”
One Britcom that seemed to be on heavy rotation, I assume because the rights were cheap, was “Are You Being Served?” This sitcom is set in a department store and chronicles the trials and tribulations of the staff. It is also, for lack of a better word, rather horny. I had no idea when I was a kid of the large percentage of sexual humor in the show! I just watched a couple of episodes a few months ago and was entertained in whole new ways!
“Keeping Up Appearances” is another one of the “endlessly” repeated shows of my childhood PBS watching. I still, to this day, say “The Bucket residence, the lady of the house speaking” randomly from time to time to a mystified Marisa. Now, I wouldn’t say “Keeping Up Appearances” was the height of humor, but it features many running gags that they combine over and over again in a pleasing way to make it both familiar and funny. You know you’re in safe hands when you’re watching this show. And that a teacup may almost be broken.
And those are the two that are top of mind. I also watched Blackadder (which is probably the best of the bunch), ‘Allo, ‘Allo, Fawlty Towers, The Brittas Empire, and more!
They all feature that British sense of humor: the ridiculous situations plus emotional repression and strict class structures, and just please me to this day!
We’ve got movie sign
I went off to college, never having heard of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Then I graduated college owning a large poster of Tom Servo.
Higher Education really is as bad as those in the Right Wing tell you. A cesspool of liberals watching other liberals make fun of really bad movies.
My friend Dan, who was in the dorm room across the hall from me, introduced me to MST3K, and it just clicked. The bad movies, the invention exchanges, and dumb songs. I loved it all!
Here are a few clips from YouTube that just make me happy to think about:
I haven’t watched any of the new MST3K that’s available, but the original run of the show (both in the Comedy Central and SciFi channel incarnations) has a special place in my comedy heart.
Silliness
I haven’t really ever thought about what is the defining element of my sense of humor, but as I pondered writing this (yes, I think about these before writing them), it became pretty clear to me that while I like lots of different humorous things the thing I like most of all is clever people doing silly things. This may explain why I’ve come to love British panel shows like “Would I Lie To You” and “Taskmaster.”
I’ll leave you with one of my favorite jokes (and one I’ve told in front of a number of audiences):
Two goldfish are in a tank. One turns to the other and says, “Do you know how to drive this thing?”
I think that sums up my sense of humor better than anything, really.
This essay is part of my “Year of Essays.” You can suggest a topic using this form, and it may end up becoming a mediocre essay like this one!
-
I don’t know about Apple Vision Pro, but I do love YouTube Premium
If you don’t like YouTube ads you should sign up for YouTube Premium (which of course works great in Juno) — one of the best bang-for-your-buck values in all of media.
I totally agree with John here, YouTube Premium is fantastic (especially if you have twin boys who refuse to watch cartoons but rather watch videos of children playing with toys).
-
