Episode III

First of all, this post is being made while somewhere other than crappy ol' ND. Silvia, baby, and I are currently back home visiting... well, alot of the people who are actually reading this. So, hello again. We miss IL.

Anyway, getting more to the point: We went and saw Star Wars: Episode III the other night - yes, we went to the midnight showing. I must say, the movie was VERY good. It did a nice job of blending itself into Episode IV, and the general feel of the original Star Wars that we're used to. Silvia was a little freaked out by all the - well, freaks - in the theater, especially when I was off waiting the obligatory 30 mins in line for the concession stand to get popcorn, etc. before the movie. We went with my best friend Paul and his family, but we weren't able to all sit together, seeing as how by as early as 10 pm, good seats were quickly coming at a premium. But, we ended getting decent seats, albeit not all together.

Well, Silvia is done feeding Livy, so I suppose I should sign off for now. More to come.

Sniffle, Sniffle

In the words of an old Garfield strip,

"I tink I'm cubbing dowd wid a code..."

The best theory we can come up with is this: We babysit our neighbor's 7-month-old daughter while she (the mom, that is) is working. It brings in a little extra money, and it's a good opportunity for Livy to socialize - they're good friends now! :) Anyway, last week, said 7-month-old was sick and sniffly, so mom stayed home and took care of her for the first couple of days. Later in the week, she (the baby, this time... ya followin'? :) was feeling better, so mom figured she should still try to work a few shifts that week. Anyway, that baby is generally better now, but in the last few days, Silvia and I have both had a sore throat (tell-tale sign of oncoming cold), and then just yesterday while I was on alert (for those of you who don't know what I mean by that, e-mail me and I'll explain...) I rapidly lost my ability to breath - through my nose, at least.

So far, though, it seems like Silvia and Livy are still doing okay. We think (or well, I do at least) that Livy got my immune system, cuz she has seemed to get over the few colds she's had so far in a few days. On the other hand, Silvia is typically knocked to the ground and needs a week or more to recover.

Anyway, we didn't have chicken noodle soup, so I made some chicken ramen and pretended it came out of a can labeled Campbell's.

Disclaimer Nation (Don't try this at home)

Is is just me, or does it seem like disclaimers in commercials are not only exponentially increasing in number, but becoming both more asinine (sp?) and just plain frightening? Disclaimers for prescription drugs have become so long and convoluted that the advertisers are just having the actors read them. Instead of the fast-talking, monotone, legalese dialect read by some off-camera voice like we're used to, now we have the actors themselves saying things like: "My doctor told me about possible side-effects, such as stomach cramps, anal leakage, and dry mouth. But he said that (insert FDA-lapdog-drug-name-here) is right for me!"

And then, of course, you have a pill for something relatively benign, with a disclaimer stating "serious, sometimes fatal, side effects have occured." WHAT?!! And you still think this is an effective ad campaign? I think I'll keep my toe fungus rather than risk liver failure, thanks.

And now, even investments firms are getting into the game. "Consider all options, risk, and opportunities carefully before investing." Translation: "please don't sue us if the market takes a nose-dive."

Of course, we have Enron, MCI Worldcom, and the litigation-obsessed culture of modern America to thank for all this.

Hello, my name is Erik, and I watch "Desperate Housewives"

Yes, I am not ashamed to admit it: I am a male fan of "Desperate Housewives." When the show first started, I figured it was going to be about whiny, superficial wives who hate men. But actually, it's a very good show. There are several underlying mysteries that the show sucks you into trying to solve, and just when you think you've figured out one of them, they throw in a new twist that basically negates any theory you may have come up with. And, of course, if you were ever a fan of "Lois and Clark," here's your second helping of Teri Hatcher.

Silvia was the one who first got me into the show, and since we've started watching it together, I've met several other men at work and in our neighborhood who secretly (or not so secretly) love the show. We'll be forming our own support group soon, complete with a 12-step program. Though I suppose that would imply that we're trying to cure ourselves of the show. So nevermind; scratch the 12-step program. Anyway, Silvia is done watching her spanish telenovela, so it's time to watch "Garden State." Yes, dear. I'm coming...