Trying to Ketchup

It's OK that I drink too much pop, eat too much Little Debbies and lead a near-lethargic lifestyle. That's because I get my daily recommended doses of Lycopene when I eat my twins' leftover chicken nuggets with ketchup. Haven't you read on the Heinz 57 bottle how important and healthy Lycopene is? :) AK informed me that the FDA told them there are no measurable benefits to eating Lycopene so they had to stop touting it. I suggested that Heinz is not surprised, they knew that would happen, but they figured no one would care because that's a page-14 story and by then they'd fabricate some new ketchup health benefits to advertise.

Where were we? Oh, movies.
Aeon Flux: Interesting but not good.
X-Men still haven't tried 'em but they're in my Netflix queue
Mars Movies: I did get Mars Attacks and the new Tom Cruise War of The Worlds. Although they never do say in WOTW that the baddies are from Mars & in the director's commentary I learned this is on purpose. But you and I know they're from Mars, right? OH and on that note, Buckaroo Banzai is ALSO a Mars movie since the premise is that the Lectroids from Planet 10 came to Earth during Orson Welles' radio broadcast, then hypnotized him into saying it was all a hoax. Mars movies? Any others? Anyone? Bueller?
Soon I will organize & categorize my DVD collection by theme & filmmaker. Is it sick, pathetic or just mildly dorky that I'm REALLY looking forward to that?
Blade Trilogy This was fun, though the middle one reeked. Interesting take on vampires, and #3 had both great music and Parker Posey who I fall more in love with every film she does.
I've watched Roll Bounce now about 72 times. I've noticed that there are several continuity issues based on the fact that it's supposed to take place in 1978:
-The expression "Psych!" was not in common teen usage until sometime in the 80s I believe
-1/3rd of the excellent funk and funk/disco in the film was not yet out by the summer of '78 (though they did time Chic's Le Freak perfectly)
Also, I've had a lot of time to watch the cutting between young teen actors' top halves & old skatedancing pro's bottom halves. And as you might think, most of the dudes who were skatedancing in the late 70s/early 80s are a little, um, thick. If you pay attention, those teenagers get real chunky whenever their dance steps get complicated. I've been wanting the soundtrack to this movie (Mr. 3000 has a good one too, I bet) but it would appear it is straight up old school of me to want to buy a CD. I'm supposed to download it & play it on my MP3. How long until no one sells CDs in retail brick/mortar stores anymore?

Music Ben & Milo are in "Music Readiness" concurrent with their very first piano lessons. AK dictated that I would be the Music Readiness Parent since parent participation was involved & we were trying to overcome -- not perpetuate -- the GNR chromosome she passed into their DNA strands (Got No Rhythm). The class is a hoot, even though Ben is determined that every minute of everyone's attention be focused on him and him alone. I know this is a big DUH, but the boys are so receptive at this age & hungry for teaching. Now we have things to do when we listen to XM in Daddy's truck: count the beats, clap & make noises along with the music. I am now confident Max does have his father's rhythm & he may even someday be able to bust a move in the same league as dear ole' Dad. We've got that snake-to-the-left, snake-to-the-right thing down like Charlie Brown, and he really wants to do The Blues Brothers with me for the next Church lip sync contest. *Glow*

Do you have memories of early childhood that you compare to your children? Yesterday Ben, Milo & I heard Walter Murphy's "5th of Beethoven" on XM Chrome, & I turned it up while they told me all about how this song is in the Sonic game. . . Knuckles. . . whatever. Listening to it, I flashed back to the 3rd grade. When we finished our school work early, we could listen to records in the back of the classroom using one of these. . .

. . .as long as we also used these. . . .

I specifically remember them being blue like that, and while the record player looked like the above, it was a matching shade of Indestructo-tutional Polysuperpropylene Blue. That was the THIRD GRADE and I was, for some reason, hip to the current tunes. Max is in the 5th grade and still ignorant of what's cool, what's in, what's on the radio etc. . . . Let me be clear, I'm not complaining. He is growing up more slowly than I did and that is the plan. But why is he behind or why was I ahead? What are the differences? Is it a socio-economic thing, and we're affording to shelter him from his peers longer than my parents could (3rd grade was my first in a lower middle class public school, I'd been in a lower middle class private school prior)? Is it a good thing? Generally we're thrilled to still be a primary influence in his life, but at the same time I always thought my early worldliness was part of my charm. Though no one ever told me it was. Heck, most of my best friends have confessed that they thought me arrogant and aloof when we first met, now that I think about it. Glad I thought about it. Youth good. Good to have it as long as possible. Worldliness & pop-cultural awareness not the benefit I've perceieved them to be. Max will find his own charm & he will not want for love in a world where tall men with deep voices are valued. His ability to languish in his Pokemon Years will serve him just as much as my early affinity for pop music has served me. Which is to say, not at all :). But it won't be a hindrance. As most things we all panic about on both a large & small scale, it is, in Douglas Adams' words, mostly harmless.

Max's football is going great. His coach is super-bowl serious and his team will surely win the big trophy in their age group. Max is lightyears from where he was last year, yet still just barely a valuable member of the team since he is among the youngest and they really ARE the best players in town. But he is primed to be downright valuable next year and a sack machine the year after that. For now, he's mostly on the defensive line, which I think is usually higher profile than the offensive line, but since his team is almost ALWAYS on offense he gets less love :(. Updates & photos soon.

The problem with not blogging is that it allows so much time to think about what-will-be-blogged. I also give ample time for forgetting all those things. Must blog more frequently.