Satan called ... he wants his weather back

The actual temperature right now:

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N at 9mph

• FORECAST
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• RADAR

What my car says it is outside right now:

Me thinks my car thermometer is goofed up.  Note to self: get it fixed.  Barring that: don't trust it.

Summer job for Offspring

"Mom, you know what summer job I'd like to have?"

No, what?

"The Air Force"

Oh, ok.  What would you do in the Air Force?

"Fly fighter jets"

(Stifling laughter here) Well, that certainly sounds exciting.

"Yah, and I'm really good at it in my game, I'm really good with the joystick.  But I guess I'd have to learn all the other controls"

Yes, you would.

"Maybe I could have voice controls for some stuff - like eject.  Eject! Eject! Eject!"

Seems like a good idea.

"That would be such a cool job"

Sighs deeply as he imagines himself flying a fighter jet as an 11 year old ....

A kid who knows how to deal with a work-from-home mom

Held up in front of me today while I was on the phone for work:

Remote office

Since I'm working remotely from home, my job sent me absolutely everything I needed for a remote office.  And about 10 things I didn't need.  Here is the giant pile of boxes that have arrived at my house the first week that I worked there (week of May 21st):

I was so overwhelmed with the number of boxes that I let them sit until today when I finally opened them.  ALL of those boxes translated to just this (noting that I already had the laptop, that wasn't in the boxes above, just the docking station was in the boxes - the docking station is under the pile of papers over the laptop):

Can you believe that???  Now I have to break down all those boxes and recycle a ton of cardboard.  And I still haven't gotten my printer, so I'll have yet one more giant box to open and hook up to my system.

TOO.  MUCH.  STUFF!  

And just exactly how am I supposed to open a sealed box?

And so just exactly how am I supposed to open a box sealed with strong mailing tape, if without a sharp object such as a razor blade (which is extra super sharp)?

Boarding an airplane: Southwest vs the rest of the world

I have been spoiled by flying Southwest exclusively for the past few years, and I have now flown "regular" airlines twice in the last two weeks.  They boarded in, approximately, this order:

1. Grand supreme ultimate stupendous mileage plus triple crown golden sash card members
2. Ultimate plus super collosal humogous mileage double platinum partner members
3. Golden crown golden preferred gold club standard members
4. Sapphire preferred perks mileage plus club members
5. Preferred perks I still have more miles than you schlepps members
6. Persons with disabilties
7. Section 1
8. Section 2
9. Section 3
10. Section 4
11. Section 5
12. Section 6
13. Section 7
14. Last and final boarding call

Guess where I was? (if you are triple gold crown double sash dense, ask yourself how I know last and final boarding call comes after Section 7).  It's also worth mentioning here that the airplane I was boarding had a whopping 21 rows. 

Now here's how they board on Southwest

1. Persons with disabilties and families with small children
2. Section A
3. Section B
4. Section C
5. We love you but we will leave you, so get yourself on board now!

See why I like Southwest?

My kid is the coolest kid on the planet

Today we went to Garrison Keiller's live broadcast of Prairie Home Companion.  We went because Offspring heard about it and really wanted to go - he brought it up to me on his own, I hadn't even heard about it.  I agreed we should go.  When we got there it was really crowded. But since it was just the two of us, we threaded our way through the crowd and squeezed our way in right on the main aisle (albeit it in the back).

Before the formal show started, the vaunted Mr. Keillor and one of the singers on the show strolled up the aisle, singing a song - and walked right past us!

The broadcast was so much fun to watch.  You know when you listen to it on the radio that its all done by voice, but its another thing entirely to watch it all being done.  We were really far back, so we couldn't see too well, but well enough to see there was nothing but two guys, a woman, Garrison and a few props making all the sounds and voicing.  Offspring sat in his chair completely enthralled for the entire two hours straight, didn't move a single muscle the whole time.  If you've listened to Prairie Home Companion, you know that it is folksy, down home dry humor.  And it has folk and bluegrass music.

It is a 100% old time radio show, just like the ones back in the 30s and 40s. And you know what?  My kid loves old time radio shows.  He loves Prairie Home Companion.  He also listens to and loves Click and Clack the Tappett Brothers ("Car Talk" on NPR), and "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell me", also on NPR.  (yes, of course I am raising him on a steady diet of liberal elite media such as NPR). And he knows almost all the answers to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me too!  I have the coolest kid on the planet.  He loves OLD TIME RADIO SHOWS!  And he's flippin' eleven years old.  How did I get this lucky?  I have to say it again: I have the coolest kid ON THE PLANET.