BRUNCH WITH MOM

Another lovely day here, another Mother's Day, my 18th. That is a lot of May Sundays with flowers and chocolates and fresh coffee and handmade cards with hearts and flowers, drawn by chubby little fingers with colorful crayons or markers. "You are the Best Mom in the World!!!" the cards often say, and although it is not at all true as I do not really cook or do crafts or have a glowing sheen of maternal warmth and serenity, to my kids on at least one day, I think they mean it. Everyone wants to think their mom is the best; maybe it's just developmental destiny. Your mother is responsible for your very existence. She got you on the planet. How ridiculously POWERFUL is that? It's kind of unimaginable to a kid, and a little scary, too. It's no wonder that the mother-child bond is so strong, and so complicated.

Setting aside contemplation of such matters for an hour or so, this morning we went out to Mother's Day Brunch at the Purple Cafe in Bellevue. It's one of my favorite restaurants, and it's known especially for excellent wine/cheese pairings. YUM. CHEESE. Anyway, I like the design of the place as well. My only complaint is that their chairs weigh 1000 lbs. Per leg. They have several locations in the Seattle area; do try it out if you haven't already.





All three kids were in attendance for today's celebration, which is an extremely rare phenomenon. They are so far apart in age and have such different tastes and schedules and temperaments that we rarely have a meal as a family. It seems to be not uncommon in modern-day family life, but I do miss the togetherness aspect sometimes. But the troops rallied 'round:

Couch Teen, sleepy yet surprisingly un-surly...



Mr12, chatty and happy...



and MissSeven, decadently enjoying a "milk flight," consisting of plain, chocolate, strawberry, and caramel milks.



Eggs and bacon for the two youngest, MissSeven not eating the bacon as she is a recent vegetarian convert, a goat-cheese pizza for Couch Teen, a lifelong veggie. Smoked salmon, dill, and cream cheese omelette for Mama, and OF COURSE, more coffee. We also had strawberry shortcake which I did not take a picture of because it was so yummy I just ATE IT UP.




Afterwards, we leave and I ask to document this Sibling Moment. I cannot help but remember when it was just one in the photos, then the one holding the second baby one, and then the second one holding the third baby one, and that now, none of them are babies.



I'm not the best mom ever, and I am never going to be the best mom ever. There is no best mom, there is no getting it just right. Some days are great, some are not. The expectations you have prior to having kids go out the window after awhile, when you finally GET that you are really just cobbling together some kind of world with a bunch of individuals. They are like you, and unlike you. They are delightful, and horrible. Your kids are just silly human beings, just like you, and they have to figure out stuff on their own too.

This is what I DO know, absolutely: I would not have missed being the parent to these three monkeys for anything in the world. Mother's Day reminds me of my good fortune.

Now, get off the internet and go call your own mother already. Shoo.

STRAWBERRY DAY

Just about a perfect day here in the Seattle area -- sunny, breezy, warm enough to wear shorts, if you so desired to bare your glowing white gams. We decided to go across the lake to the Richmond Beach Strawberry Festival, set in a small park off Puget Sound. I like strawberries, and I like being by the water, and I like sunny warm days. It was a no-brainer.








It was a very modest event, with a very quiet small-town vibe, perfect for the day. First up...MissSeven and I shared this STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE. OH YES.



While we ate, a group of teens called Northern Departure played some bluegrass for us all.




Afterwards, MissSeven wanted to explore the playground.



I sat on a bench and watched people and nature and stuff.







The library was having a small used book sale. How would you link these two photos? Heh.




Inside, a small crafts display. I believe some Mother may be getting one of those necklaces tomorrow morning for Mother's Day, cough cough.




Look at the nice police dog.




Moseying back towards the car, there is a wall and there is chalk. MissSeven must participate.





As I wait for her to finish her chalk flowers, reggae band plays John Lennon's "Imagine." I imagine I am hearing this dude sing "...living life for PEEEEEEE!" Maybe he has kidney issues.



This guy was staring right at these young ladies the whole time. I hope the young ladies were farting the whole time.



And that was that.

RENTBOY OH BOY!

wut.




Are. You. Telling. ME.

THAT.

For SEVENTY-FIVE BUCKS A DAY...

SEVENTY-FIVE BUCKS!!!

I can get...

An ADORABLE 20-year-old gay college guy to go with me to Europe, haul all my luggage, spend the day sight-seeing with me, AND give me a daily one-hour massage????

GEORGE REKERS, MOVE OVER!


DUMBPHONES

MissSeven: Phones are dumb.

Me: What?

MissSeven: Phones are dumb.

Me: What do you mean?

MissSeven: They can't do anything. They can't run or talk on their own or make anything. Everyone is trying to fool us, but it's not working. I know! I'm not an idiot or something.

Me: You seem upset about this.

MissSeven: I am! I don't like lies! AAAHH!

Me: Hold on. Did you hear someone talk about a "smartphone?"

MissSeven: YES! PHONES ARE DUMB!

Me: Oh, you.

COPYRIGHT THIS RIGHT HERE, BUDDY

I have finished a new song. Let those Ricola commercial Swiss horn things feebly bleat the news from every mountain, ford some streams, reach your dreams, blah blah blah, Sound of Music, nuns, Nazis, curtain clothes, blah. Ever try using the online U.S. Copyright Office site to register new works? HAVE YOU? J.F.C., it's one of the worst, buggiest, most confoundingly governmental messes I ever have to deal with on a semi-annual basis. I think their site code was written by an ape in an ill-fitting suit from Primate Wearhouse, and their password rules composed by an ex-C.I.A. agent with incredibly-painful chronic hemorrhoids and an inability to score with a live human of any determinate gender.

Look at this insanity:
Library of Congress - Password Policy Requirements

Each person using the Electronic Copyright Office System, eCO, must comply with the following:

Minimum password length must be 8 characters and consist of at least 2 alpha characters, 1 number and 1 special character (but not an ampersand - &).

A password must have no consecutive repeated characters.

A password must not include your user name or any part thereof.

A password must not include the names of a spouse, children, pets or one's own name.

A password must not include any regional sports teams or players.

A password must not include any office symbols.

A password must not include your social security number or any subset of your social security number that is more than a single number.

A password must not include words that can be found in any dictionary, whether English or any language.

A password must not be any of the 11 most recently used passwords for the account.

Every user with an account on a Library of Congress system including eCO is responsible for safeguarding access to that account.

A password must not ever be shared with anyone.

An account owner can change his or her password at any time, but at a maximum of once per day.

An account owner must change his or her password when prompted by the system.

GOOD GOD. Not only does the place not remember that YES, I HAVE REGISTERED STUFF WITH THE SAME NAME AND INFO FOR YEARS, but it doesn't even tell me how or why the new password has been rejected. BITE ME, FED E-BRARIANS!

If I stroke out over this, have a beer in my honor with Mother Superior.

THE BP CAFE

Do massive oil spills whet your appetite? If so, please visit The BP Cafe! Click twice on Le Menu!



If that doesn't make you all hungry, please go to the National Wildlife Fund and donate what you can to help the good and devoted folks working around the clock to help reduce the damage caused by the disastrous BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

GOAT 13

I don't know the source here, but after my friend Heidi passed it on to me, how could I NOT pass it on to you?





And, speaking of goats and old goats, here's Florida Senator Mike Bennett not listening to a debate on health care for women and looking at some hot porn chicks instead.

SMOKE UP, GRANNY!

Ready? Sing with me now!

"Winston tastes good, like a cigarette should!"

If you are approximately my age (which I will now call VINTAGE MOD, thank you) or older, you are hearing that tag line from Winston cigarette commercials playing in your head at present, from the days when Johnny Carson would chain-smoke all through the "Tonight Show" and exploring the social impact of television advertising was still in its academic infancy. Even though the Surgeon General famously delivered in 1964 the news that smoking is actually quite, quite seriously bad for your health, it took several more years before the idea came around that it might be a poor and unethical idea to allow the promotion of cigarettes on television.

So, I spent my Wonder Years watching people smoke on TV, and if I turned my head, I could watch my dad smoking his Salem's right behind me. My kids can't even comprehend this. They have never even had any friends whose parents smoked, much less seen beloved cartoon characters tell them about the smooth-yet-robust cancer sticks popped in their animated mugs. Fortunately, there remains video proof of these cultural oddities, and they are hilarious, head-shaking, absurd, and sad as well.

HAHAHA! Good god. Granny and Jed from "The Beverly Hillbillies" enjoying a Winston at the kitchen table:



Dick Van Dyke reminds us that Kent cigarettes are a fine Christmas gift:



Lucy and Desi shill for Philip Morris:



Tough guy actors Steve McQueen and John Wayne make smoking mas macho:



(print ad substituted for pulled video)



And in the most-appalling case, Winston and The Flintstones:



The last cigarette commercial shown on American television was on the first day of 1971, during the "Tonight Show."

Let's do a round-up.

Irene Ryan: chain-smoker, died 1973, brain tumor, aged 70

Buddy Ebsen: unknown, died 2003, pneumonia, aged 95

Dick Van Dyke: former smoker, alive, aged 84

Rose Marie: smoker or former smoker, alive, aged 86

Lucille Ball: chain-smoker, died 1989, aortic aneurysm, aged 77

Desi Arnaz, Sr.: chain-smoker, died 1986, lung cancer, aged 69

Steve McQueen: former smoker, died 1980, mesothelioma, aged 50

John Wayne: former chain-smoker, died 1979, lung/stomach cancer, aged 72

Johnny Carson: chain-smoker, died 2005, respiratory arrest arising from emphysema, aged 79

Last word goes to John Wayne. I remember this commercial more than any other.

I C WHT U DID THERE, CNN

A headline on cnn.com today reads:

"Iran's leader deplores nuclear arms"


Now, how many people are going to read "deplores" as "deploys?"

FAN

As much as I poke at Morrissey for being, well, Morrissey, he's done something that I find quite touching, thoughtful, and kind. A long-time fan of his recently died and he wrote this remembrance of her at a popular Morrissey fan site. Melinda Hsu was not his friend, it should be noted; he did not know her much more than being a friendly fixture at the front row of many of his concerts.

She was a rock n' roll fan. Those of us fans, who have made absurd efforts over the years to do whatever it takes to see our favorite bands, to be in the middle of the madness and fun and energy and moment, understand why Mel saw so many shows, even if Morrissey himself can't understand why anyone would keep coming back as she did. Although, really, he does know. He does, because he too remembers what that feeling was like, to be immersed in sound and spectacle, something that makes your spirit soar, makes your life brighter and better. He stood where she did.

Mel was not his friend; she was, however, his ally, and a tip of my hat to Morrissey for saying it.

My trusted ally Janice Long has passed news on to me of the sudden death of Melinda Hsu. I did not know Melinda personally, but I felt as if I did because she had been a front row fixture for many years. In fact, from her many letters and gifts I understood her name to be Mel Torment, or even, when she felt at her most pernickety, Smel – which I’m certain was not her given name. Mel was a smiling face who lent strength to every single concert, even when events were going somewhat pear-shaped. I felt as if I knew Mel because she was always there – regardless of wherever ‘there’ happened to be; no snowbound landscape too far, no off-the-beaten track too untrekkable. I often handed her the microphone mid-concert and she would always make an effort to say something different each time. What is more, she always seemed so happy to be there on the front row, even though she had heard these live renditions enough times to emaciate the brain of the most inherently decent devotee. However, she was booed by the audience once – in Killarney, when she asked (via microphone) with a tone of disbelief “why Killarney?” but I don’t think she meant the contorted snootiness assessed by the rest of the audience because she was not that type.

Those who travel from concert to concert as Mel did possibly don’t realize the contribution they make. They are as much a part of the night as I am, but I sometimes feel embarrassed because I think they are asking for more than there is, and, mustily, I can’t give it. The goat-like vocals and the tipsy monologues are all that I am.

Mel had passed a note to me at Pomona saying that it would be her final concert of the tour. Yet, hours later, in another venue, there she was again. Even after all she had done, even after all the money she had spent and the millions of miles she had hiked she still could not keep away from the squeeze and bend of yet another version of “First of the gang to die” – never imagining, I’m sure, that it is she who would be the first. As ever delighted and content at Ventura (where we gave our final bow), I cannot imagine whatever it was that Mel believed she saw or felt as she fixed upon the stage night after night, year after year.

Her contribution was a declaration of love for which she seemed to save all of her strength, and for which I could only ever repay with half-witted mumbles of thanks.

The only way to deal with Mel’s death is to accept it. There is no other way. We all have a certain unbreakable appointment and we are all helpless targets in that regard. Life’s only promise is its final deadline. When Mel, and others who are dear to us, depart, we should at least realize as we shuffle along living our small and persecuted lives, how absolutely ridiculous it is to be afraid of anything or anyone on this unhappy planet. Most people are standardized and unoriginal, which is useful, because it makes the Mels of the world stand out even more. Rich in ideas, her self-made calendars and t-shirts were always very funny. You will catch up with her in the afterlife, where I’m sure she will be as creative and busy and as Mel Torment as ever.

Thank you to Julia at True-to-you for printing this.

MORRISSEY
France, april 2010
.

8AM, THIS DAY

Usually I like to at least attempt to sleep in a bit later on Sundays, as is the fine American tradition of most slothful non-religious-folk like me. But this morning I did not, because I wanted to participate in a moment of WORLD AWESOMENESS. From the New York Times'Lens blog:
Where will you be on Sunday, May 2, at 15:00 hours (U.T.C.)?

Wherever you are, we hope you’ll have a camera — or a camera phone — in hand. And we hope you’ll be taking a picture to send to Lens that will capture this singular instant in whatever way you think would add to a marvelous global mosaic; a Web-built image of one moment in time across the world.

We extend the invitation to everyone, everywhere. Amateurs. Students. Pros. People who’ve been photographing for a lifetime or who just started yesterday.

I love the idea of stopping time and everyone around the world taking a moment to share with everyone else something from their little corner. It's very worthy, and fun too. So I got up, with no ambitions of greatness because there is no greatness on any level for me at 7:30AM on any day other than maybe being able to pull on a pair of jeans without tipping over or not stabbing myself in the eye with a mascara brush. I told MissSeven to hurry and get dressed, that we were going on a short photography adventure outside in the neighborhood. She's always up for stuff.

It was cloudy, a little chilly, with the breeze off Lake Washington cutting through my beloved fluffy black sweater hoodie, too big now but I can't seem to give it up. Everything was completely quiet, save for the distant hum of some cars, some twittering birds, the sound of the air moving through the wildly blooming trees. My daughter and I were the only ones out in our little slice of universe,shoes padding on the gravel beside the road,going down towards the water. Nothing really in mind. Just walking and thinking, talking about houses and flowers and the stillness.



Around the corner, past the curving green hedges that are two feet taller than me, there's a tiny park with a single picnic table and a dispenser to get a plastic bag for dog waste. To the side of that, framed on each side by towering trees and impudent shrubbery is a wide muddy path that steeply descends towards the lake. It's kind of a secret little spot. You'd never know about it unless you lived here, or were a teenager looking for a secluded place to...talk. All the times I have walked down there, I've never seen anyone else, only various evidence of other people: a pen, graffiti on a bench, a soda can, a child's pink sock. MissSeven wants to run down the hill; I warn her to be careful, don't fall, slow down now.

It's almost 8AM as we find the small cleared spot, with a patch of rocks for beach, a fallen tree that extends out into the lake. Since I have been there last, someone has left an old wooden chair and a long aluminum bench with gang tags. It's funny to think of someone bothering to bring that bench all the way down there, although to be fair I once pushed a grocery shopping cart home and put it in my swimming pool in Arizona. Same stupid thing, although far less practical use in my example.

No boats on the big lake this morning, no ducks, no eagles or seagulls or stealthy fish visible. Everyone sleeps in on Sunday.



MissSeven delights in finding a pair of blue plastic sunglasses underneath the bench and immediately puts them on. I just start taking pictures, because it's time.







As I am shooting for a minute or two, I think about thousands of other people around the world right then taking pictures too, in the dark of midnight or heat of the afternoon, in a field or a busy street or the mall or a war zone, of family and friends, strangers, sunsets, sunrises, sadness, joy, quiet, chaos. Me, I'm taking photos of my daughter, by a big lake in the Pacific Northwest in a lovely little suburb, with my sleepy eyes and fairly steady feet, standing on the fallen tree, balancing.

As we walk back up the hill, MissSeven complains that her legs "feel funny." "It's good for you," I say, "It's good exercise."

And the moment is done.

SIR REAL

I think my car must be infused with either magic or mind-expanding drugs. I get the best (i.e. weirdest and funniest) stuff out of my kids' brains in there, always after I pick them up after school. The problem with this is that I am never going to be able to sell the car someday because of motherly sentiment, and someday I won't have to pick them up after school anymore.

Mr12: How are you, Mom? How was your day?

Me: That's nice of you to ask. I had a long nap earlier, but I woke up feeling weird and everything seems kind of surreal at present.

Mr12: What does "surreal" mean?

MissSeven: Oh oh oh! I know!! We are just learning about that!

Me: Really?

MissSeven: Yes! Sir Real is that crazy dude with the curly mustache!

Me: (face-splitting grin)

BLOTTER 10

Oh my goodness, have we a jam-packed HUUUUUGE police blotter for you this month! Loaded with character, surrealism, and stupidity, is our America! Enjoy!

FACEBOOKED

Burglary: A 27-year-old Kirkland man was disturbed by being unfriended via Facebook by another Kirkland man and came to that man's house, punched him in the face, and broke into the residence. The suspect then destroyed the inside of the residence and was charged with burglary, assault and malicious mischief.

Criminal trespassing: A woman took to her Facebook status to report a male intruder that she saw in her bedroom in the middle of the night.

According to the police report, Crystal Rossey, 30, 419 Summit Ave., told authorities that she was out with her boyfriend on March 27 drinking from 6 p.m. until the 2:30 a.m. bar close. While out, they ran into a Hispanic man they have seen before, but didn't know his name. They walked home and invited the man to join them. Once at the residence, Rossey changed her mind about having company and asked the man to leave, which caused an argument with her boyfriend, who also left. Rossey said she locked the doors and went to bed. She woke up later when she heard someone in the bedroom and felt the covers get pulled back, and realized it was the Hispanic man who had been there earlier.

The woman said her cell phone was out of service, and she had no landline. Instead of going to a neighbor or contacting police some other way, she went on Facebook and posted about the incident on her status and then went to bed. Her cousin saw the posting and called Rossey's father, who came over at 7 a.m. and discovered a screen had been removed from an east side window.

Bail-jumping: Police are seeking charges of bail-jumping against a 22-year-old West Allis man for allegedly violating the terms of his bond.

The conditions of the man's bond requires absolute sobriety and prohibits him from possessing or consuming alcohol as well as from being in bars, taverns and liquor stores.

According to the report, the man had posted on Facebook his intention to purchase alcohol for a party. Since he signed his felony bond, there were multiple photos of him on Facebook in an Oconomowoc bar with alcohol in his hand, according to the police report.

The Sheriff's Department had been contacted by numerous individuals regarding his violations. The man was located with a drink in his hand at a bar and had consumed alcohol. He was transported to Waukesha County Jail.

TAKES A VILLAGE

Harassment: A Kirkland man was unhappy with construction across the street from where he lives with his mother. During the early morning hours the man set up a high intensity projector on his front porch, pointed it across the street and turned it on. The victim advised the suspect that he will obtain an anti-harassment order against him.

Harassment: Four women who are simply unable to live peacefully in the same community phoned police to report they were being harassed by various other members of the group. An officer told all of them their problems would likely be solved if they simply quit talking to one another.

Prancing: A female, who was very drunk, told police that a Hispanic man was allegedly “prancing” in the parking lot of a North State Street apartment complex at approximately 2:28 a.m. on Saturday. She had questions regarding the incident.

Harrassment: A 21-year-old Brookfield man reported he found two notes taped to his vehicle's windshield in reference to it being his birthday that day and to him losing his virginity while it was parked in a parking lot at Waukesha County Technical College, 800 Main St., on April 13. There is a suspect. No permanent damage was done to the vehicle.

Injury, Child: A concerned citizen called to report that a small child in a vehicle at a local convenience store was bleeding from the nose, ears, and other spots on the face. Authorities found the child, and determined that they had been eating a candy bar.

Disorderly
: Two very drunk men in shorts were seen yelling at one another while walking in Evergreen.

Dispute: An Olney resident called to complain that a neighbor sprayed her with a garden hose and used profanities against her. Authorities helped them work it out.

Dispute: A man was washing his car on Fairfield and his neighbor was upset because the water was hitting his rose bushes.

Child Neglect, Harassment: A complainant reported having received three hang-up calls from the same number in the past hour. When he called back a woman answered, saying she was babysitting and there was no way anyone there could have called because the kids were locked up in the closet.

Dispute: Two Rose Avenue residents reported that their neighbor was playing loud music and spraying their flowers with weed killer.

Arson: On Oakwood Drive, a resident reported that she was unhappy with her husband for setting the rear lawn on fire.

TAKE YOUR MEDS

Disorderly
: Police received report of a man punching himself while walking along W. Reagan Pkwy. around 7:35 p.m., April 6. An officer located the man and spoke with him, making sure everything was fine.

Menacing: Menacing was reported on Kenville Road when a woman, in her 30s, dressed in all red clothing, was chasing people in the street with a fork. She was taken home.

Potential Suicide
: A woman called police because she said she had a headache and was going to take several bottles of aspirin to settle her down. Upon police arrival, officers observed her shoveling Smarties candies into her mouth.

Disorderly
: A disorderly person was reported outside a Transit Road business jumping up and down, not stopping. He was taken home.

Information: A Transit Road resident called police to tell them he had a bat in a plastic container and would be leaving his residence shortly for an appointment.

Disorderly
: Police responded to a call from a Walden Avenue hotel that a man who was not staying at the hotel had been wandering around and smoking a cigar all day. The man stated “Mr. Millenium” told him he could stay there anytime. Police escorted him off the premises.

Disorderly: Police stopped a 23-year-old Park Place resident who was running in the middle of Main Street. When police approached the man, he reportedly turned around, ran backward and said vulgar statements to the officer while punching the air in front of him.

Public Soliciting: A solicitor, described as a 25-year-old white male with bleached blonde hair, wearing a leopard print shirt, was on North French Road attempting to sell magazines. The man, who was missing most of his teeth, was advised by police.

OUT OF CONTROL ELDERS


Recycling violation: Police cited Gerald Plymesser, 70, of 529 Merton Ave., for violating the village's recycling ordinance, as he was seen taking cans out of bins.

According to the report, someone saw Plymesser taking aluminum cans and called police. An officer located Plymesser in the 200 block of West Capitol Drive and warned Plymesser that he is not allowed to do that. Plymesser drove off on his motorized scooter, and the officer saw Plymesser continue to remove cans; he was subsequently cited.

Theft: Employees of the The World’s Largest Laundry in the 6200 block of Cermak told police they observed an “older” man fleeing east on a bicycle, while balancing three iron trash can lids.

Nuisance: A noise complaint was reported on Pin Oak Drive. Police responded and found a 50th anniversary party. The seniors were advised to turn down the Frank Sinatra music.

HOW ABOUT THAT, HUH

Vandalism: At 5:15 p.m. March 20, an officer responded to the DNR lot at the end of Frog Alley Road after receiving a report that a memorial plaque on the north end had been pushed over and spray painted "save the deer" as well as some profanity. Anyone with information should contact the Town of Mukwonago Police Department.

Vandalism: Apparently, someone beat up a house on Meadow Lake Drive in Columbia Falls.

Trash: Someone found 20 to 25 packages of half-smoked cigarettes wrapped in aluminum foil on Blanchard Lake Drive.

Domestic Violence
: A 43-year-old Depew woman reported that her 41-year-old husband hit her with a hot dog during an argument.

Retail Theft: A security guard of a Depew grocery store reported that a man grabbed a 12-pack of beer, some powdered drink mix, a can of sardines and a box of condoms and ran out the door.

Suspicious Actions: Someone was reportedly riding a bike with a milk crate on the back in Columbia Falls. The reporting party somehow found this suspicious.

Suspicious Actions
: It is suspected that an individual climbed into a Whitefish motel and possibly slept in one of the beds.

Theft: Someone on West Reserve Drive reports that their sister stole something from them, though it is unknown exactly what.

Trespass: A Hamilton Boulevard resident reported that his lawn furniture and garbage cans had been moved and sandwiches were found in his backyard.

Suspicious Actions: A complainant called from Hopkins Road saying he could smell drugs coming from workers at a restaurant. Patrol responded and reported they smelled nothing but pizza.

Mischief: Occupants in a muddy Jeep on Arlington Road were reportedly throwing eggs at parked cars. Police responded and found they were actually throwing large, pink marshmallows. No damage was found.

Suspicious Actions: A Sundown Terrace caller reported a ladder up against the window of a darkened house. Patrols reported a resident painting.

Damage: A pedestrian on Kings Highway reported a water main break in front of the middle school. There was no break. It was raining.

Vandalism: A house on Dellwood Road was egged overnight and three slices of bologna found on the windows.

Drugs: A Lakewood Parkway resident reported a white powder at the end of her driveway, which she believed was drugs. Patrol determined it was road salt.

Criminal Mischief
: Police responded to a report of criminal mischief on Seneca Street after a caller reported that her vehicle window was smashed and the culprit could be someone who is harassing her son. Patrol determined footprints around the car may have been the complainant’s. The caller then stated that she may have been dreaming.

Mischief
: A youth hooked a shot at the Brighton Golf Course and it landed into another game. The men it landed near thought they boys had done it deliberately.

911 IN ACTION

Disorderly
: After dialing 9-1-1, hanging up, and calling back, a West Valley Acres man indicated that his wife was “ragging” on him. Authorities escorted the intoxicated fellow to jail for disorderly conduct.

Misuse of 911
: A 911 hang-up call was placed from a Somerton Avenue residence. When questioned, a babysitter said she was watching a video on YouTube which mentioned Brittney Spears’ cell phone number and the group tried calling it. She said she hung up when realizing the prefix of the number was 911.

Misuse of 911
: Union Road woman called 911 because she didn’t know how to use her phone.

THINKIN’ ALLLLLLLL THE TIME


Theft: A suspect was stopped by store personnel at a Harlem Road supermarket when he was seen leaving with two 30-packs of Miller beer without paying. When asked if he was going to pay, the man said he wanted to exchange the beer for a different brand. The employee informed him it is against state law to exchange beer and invited him back into the store to discuss it. The man then said he was not actually there to exchange the beer but steal it, as he did not have any money.

Possession: A motorist burned his jeans after being pulled over by police. He panicked while smoking a marijuana joint and stuffed it in his pocket.

Theft: A Southcreek Court woman reported that she let her boyfriend borrow her truck to
run a brief errand, and he never returned. The woman said she had only known the man for two weeks and does not know his last name or his address.

Vandalism, Gang Activity
: In the 1200 block of East, a black Ford SUV was found with a broken window. The victim told police he has been feuding with a street gang with a silly name, though not as silly as the nicknames of its members. The feud specifically involves two characters known on the street as “Chaos” and “Potato” who live in the 1400 block of Grove and are known to hang out on their own block and at 21st and Grove.

Drugs: Police served a warrant on a Main Street and after taking the suspect into custody, police saw another man trying to flush items down a toilet. The toilet, however, was not connected to the floor drain, so the water and the contents of the bowl poured onto the floor, revealing two small plastic bags. An officer pulled the bags from the water with a coat hanger, and the contents of the bags field tested positive as cocaine.

Disorderly
: While on patrol, officers observed three individuals entering yards as they walked along Center Road. They appeared to be intoxicated and gave conflicting stories as to why they were walking in people’s yards, including that they were looking at deer, jumping over a ditch and heard a dog barking. One of the individuals began using obscene language. He fought with the officer as he was being placed in the patrol car and said, “Go ahead, mace me.” The officer complied.

A-B-C, EASY AS 1-2-9


DUI
: West Seneca police responded to the Route 219 South entrance on Ridge Road, where a vehicle was off the road. The driver smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech and could not produce the vehicle registration or insurance card. Though the driver said he had not been drinking, he failed field sobriety tests. While attempting to recite the alphabet for the second time, the suspect said, “My mouth doesn’t work right.”

Speeding, DUI
: A patrol pulled over a vehicle on Ridge Road after he observed the car traveling 76 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone and stopping in the middle of an intersection. The driver did know what street he was on, but said that he was coming from his girlfriend’s house and drank eight or nine beers. When asked if he knew the alphabet, the driver said no.

DUI: A patrol stopped a vehicle after observing it weaving and turning into the oncoming lane of traffic on Seneca Street. There was an odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from the driver. He said he drank a couple of beers. The officer asked the driver to recite the alphabet, and the suspect said “A,” then “T” and started laughing.

DUI: A patrol responded to a report of a loud party on Forestall Lane. Upon his arrival, the officer heard a bang and saw a vehicle up against a Dumpster. The vehicle backed up and then pulled forward, striking the Dumpster again. When attempting to recite the alphabet, the driver got to G, but then mixed up the letters. He tried again, but continued to confuse the letters until finally he got to T and said, “Oh, you know.”

PISS/DRUNK

Domestic Disturbance: A Sable Palm Drive resident complained her boyfriend was intoxicated and urinating on everything.

DUI
: A suspect was stopped in traffic on Seneca Street. When approached by the patrol, the driver had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath. When asked for his license and registration, the suspect gave the officer a pizza menu, thinking it was his registration. An open bottle of Michelob Ultra was in the car cup holder. The suspect failed field sobriety tests and the alcosensor with a .25 percent blood-alcohol content.

Vandalism
: Evidently, someone put paint thinner in a towel and urinated in a trash can at a local church.

Resisting Arrest, Obstruction, Aggravated Assault, Disorderly Conduct: Police saw a man urinating in an alley in the 2400 block of Clarence and asked if he lived at the address. Benjamin J. Lugo, 30, of 22nd Pl. in Cicero, allegedly responded in a belligerent fashion, “No, I’m just taking a p@#$ in here, what the f@#$ do you want?” When Lugo refused to submit to a protective patdown, police noted a strong odor of alcohol. At that point, Lugo reportedly began yelling, saying, “You want to lock me up, b@#$%, go ahead, I don’t give a f@#$! I’m a %% Boy [name of street gang] from Cicero. I don’t care if I go to county, b@#$#, I’ll f@#$ you up.”According to the report, Lugo became combative, spit at the officers and threatened their wives and mothers. Three officers grabbed him “in a control position” and placed him on the ground face-first to prevent him from spitting again.

Disorderly, Resisting Arrest, Obstruction
: An intoxicated man was Tasered after belligerence toward police officers who were advising him to leave the area of El Corral tavern in the 6300 block of 26th St. “I was a little buzzed up. That’s where beer balls comes in,” Lorenzo Barrera, 23, of the 2400 block of Clarence reportedly explained later. Police responding to a bar fight asked Barrera to leave, but he protested, saying he lost his $400 phone in the bar. Events allegedly escalated into a shouting match in the middle of 26th and Highland, where Barrera allegedly told police officers “F#$% you b!#$%es, Berwyn cops are nothing but b@#$%es and n@#$%rs.” He refused to be handcuffed, so an officer deployed his Taser, striking Barrera in the chest and stomach with the prongs. An ambulance brought the suddenly subdued man to MacNeal.

DUI: A patrol responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle on Connor Court. He located and stopped the vehicle. As the officer approached the car, the suspect opened his door and could not comprehend requests to close the door and roll down the window. The driver failed to put the car in park, and the vehicle began to roll backwards. The officer had to reach in the car and place it in park. When asked for his license, the driver handed the officer a credit card.

Leaving the Scene of an Accident, DUI: Police responded to an accident on Northwood Avenue,where a car had run over a metal sign. The suspect had abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. He was located on a nearby street and admitted he had been drinking. After failing his third field sobriety test, the suspect said, “Let’s just call it a day.”

NEFARIOUS NATURE

Animal Control: A woman on Grover Cleveland Highway reported a large animal was behind her dryer and making a lot of noise. A large rat refused to come out of the hole. All were advised.

Animal Control: A one-legged turkey was reportedly in the middle of Willow Ridge Drive. The complainant said the bird was unable to move to the side, but it chased the patrol car that responded.

Animal Control: A goose was tapping on windows at the library on Audubon Parkway. The goose left.

Loose Animal
: A stray donkey returned home after an excursion to a Creston subdivision. The owner was overjoyed at its return.

Injured Animal
: A reportedly injured duck in Evergreen was actually quite content, and was simply mating with another duck.

Assault: A Lancaster woman reported she suspected her husband, with whom she is in the middle of a divorce, put bird droppings on top of the coffee grounds in her coffeemaker.

Disorderly: Two people in gorilla suits were walking around an Amherst subdivision “smacking passing motorists and yelling obscenities.” They were located while sitting by the side of the road and advised to put the suits away.

Loose Animal: A chicken was reportedly running in an area on Klein Road.

Animal Control: A Lake Avenue resident told police a turkey flew through her garage apartment.

Animal Control: A Delaware Avenue resident reported that her neighbor might be harboring a rooster.

Animal Control: A man called from Maple Road to report an encounter he had with a raccoon the previous night. He said the raccoon challenged him.

Loose Animal: A Casey Road resident wanted advice about the neighbor’s dog. The complainant wanted to know if it was OK to hit the dog with a baseball bat or shoot it when it got loose. He was told it was not all right.

And finally…

CRIMES I SUPPORT


Vandalism: A Depew man, who is a registered sex offender, reported that someone had spray-painted the words “sex offender” on his front lawn.

Disorderly: A male was reportedly yelling and screaming in his Randolph Avenue driveway. Police reported he actually was trying to rap.

Domestic Dispute: Police were called to a dispute on Creekside Drive where a 15-year-old girl was out of control. The mother controlled the situation by sitting on the daughter.

Vandalism: An Orchard Park resident reported that someone dumped ramen noodles in their hot tub.

?: An East Bentham Parkway resident reported someone tasted her meatloaf. No evidence of such crime was found.

Property Damage: A Bayberry Avenue woman reported that someone entered her vehicle, rummaged through items and broke a Bon Jovi CD.

I HAVE A (DAY)DREAM

I have this frequent daydream, common to harried nerd moms the world over. Sometimes I allow myself to close my eyes for a moment and I imagine myself in a charming tiny cottage by the ocean in a sunny and sparsely-populated funky beach town – maybe Florida, maybe California, maybe somewhere I’ve never been before. It’s warm, but not blisteringly so, the soft breeze off the water gently blows through the cottage windows just enough to move the curtains. I can smell fresh flowers and Coppertone, hear the roll and crash cycle of the ocean, seabirds, the occasional car, flip-flops on a creaky wooden boardwalk, a child’s excited chatter. I dress as I please, in nothing more substantial than cut-offs and a t-shirt, barefooted, no need for makeup or a watch. I get up when I like, go to bed when I am tired. There’s nothing more I have to do than make myself a sandwich for lunch, and sweep the sand that travels in on my feet out the doorway again.

In my living room, there is no television, no phone, no internet, no newspaper with “Hell In A Handbasket” splashed on the front page. There are books – as many as I can haphazardly stack – oh, how there are books! All the books I’ve wanted to read, all the books I should read, all the books I want to read again. Every day, I select one to take with me to the beach, with a towel and some sunscreen and a big bottle of ice-cold water. I read, and think, and read more, watch the seabirds dive for fish, take a swim, towel off, maybe doze for a bit, then pick up the book again. When I am sated, I pack up my things and return back to the cottage, take a cool shower, and sit down to write. The days go by, quiet and thoughtful and unhurried and alone but for thousands and thousands of words coming in and going out, uncomplicated by schedules or traffic jams. I think about this scenario and I feel comforted, happy, peaceful, glowing from the inside. And then I think, well, good luck with that, honey, because by the time you ever get to do that your eyes will be totally shot and you won’t be able to read jack shit, and California will have fallen into the ocean. And then my laundry buzzer goes off, sounding a lot like “HA HA! HA HA! HA HA!”

Ah, but really, our daydreams are so useful. They tell you something about yourself, and maybe even inspire you to actually do something about making them a reality. In some cases, they aren’t impossible, but would you have the determination and the focus to achieve them? What would you be willing to sacrifice in order to do the one thing you always wanted to do? And if you decide it wouldn’t be worth it, I guess that tells you something about yourself and your life as well. Think about it this way: what if you could do one thing you always dreamed about, for one year, and it would have to be based in some kind of even vaguely-real possibility. No “hookers and Jack Daniels and 200K poker tournaments with a robot butler and a jetpack” for you, sir, or less likely in that example, ma’am.

Would you travel the world? Do nothing but work on your golf game? Volunteer to build homes for the indigent in Mexico City? Start a business? Write a novel? Go to school? Sleep? Teach English in Japan and stuff yourself with sushi? Work out five hours a day and get the perfect body? Rent a theater and see the top 1000 films of all time? Train for an Ironman competition in Hawaii? Become a political activist? Paint? Find the best apple pie in all of America? See, this can get tricky, picking just one thing do to, because there are so many excellent activities. But for semi-reality’s sake, we can say that picking only one thing makes it more likely to be able to achieve and appreciate at the end of the year. My literary beach world does mash-up reading, writing, and suntanning, but I think it’s a reasonable combo. Adding in some of my other big passions like making music or photography would confuse the effort and value of that particular sabbatical. But would it be too hard to give everything else up to focus on the one?

And, we might point out, this is not a family-and-friends deal. This is you, just you, on your own, doing your own thing. And this is what would stop most people cold, far past the hardships of trying to save money to pay for your dream, losing career momentum when you left your job for a year, or being able to choose what to do in the first place. Could you leave your kids for a year? Could you count on your friends still being there when you got back, or wouldn’t you want to risk it? Would you have a spouse or a significant other that wouldn’t say, “see ya, JERK!” and take a hike? Could you put aside all those connections and roots to satisfy a different piece of your soul? Determining when it is appropriate to call in the village for support or buy the single-fare ticket is difficult and risky. Sometimes you just aren’t going to be able to know what was right until you’ve lived with a decision for awhile. Hindsight, baby, hindsight.

Something I would love to do for a year would be this: director David Lynch’s Interview Project. It’s a simple premise: travel the United States and make tiny video profiles of random people you encounter. To make it more than a home movie, though, takes an intuitive sense of whom to select to interview, how to shoot it to be both honest and visually-beautiful, and how to edit it to achieve the most emotional depth. Lynch’s son Austin is one of the people driving the project and it is clear that he has inherited his dad’s quirky style and gifted vision. There is a poignancy to this effort that is always inherent in the idea of the unheard voice: that most people will live and die known by few. I always side with the view that underneath the mundane, if you dig, you will find the most compelling stories. The Interview Project is in the running for a Webby Award and today is the last day to cast your vote. I encourage you to register and vote for it, and let them know that you appreciate what they are doing.

For now, my daydreams are back-burnered, sort of. Every so often, I do get that beach thing, albeit with Slushie-mouthed children wanting to bury me in the sand. I read books when I can, at about a page a week it seems, but I do get to write, as might be noted here. Heh. I try to do what I need to do and try to do want I want to do, and that takes effort. It doesn’t ever just fall into place, so don’t count on the lottery or fate or Aunt Swiss-Bankaccount to make things happen for you, although that in itself is a sweet, sweet thought.

Think about your daydreams a little bit. You might just be able to figure out one or two along the way.

DON'T MENTION THE WAR!

The best thing, I think, to any given day are the little surprises that come my way – the good ones, not the crappy ones like a tax audit or a tsunami. Today’s unexpected fun came from some Twitter banter, which turned into @Gbowdish tossing some rather mind-boggling German advertising my way. I usually count on Japan for the inexplicable and peculiar in almost any medium, but today I am going to pass along a few of these ads, some completely bizarre, and some rather beautiful in surrealist strangeness.

Let’s just start right off with the COMPLETELY BIZARRE. From the Krugmann Markenspirituosen family distillery, we are brought “Little Krugy.” From their site:

“Hello y'all,
My name is Krugy.

I am the delicious Vanilla-Caramel flavored cream-liqueur (alc 15% by vol) in its unique
bottle. THE TRUE ADULT BEVERAGE. I have become the "Talk of the Town" and
"the Hit of the Party".
I am traveling around the world one country at the time - and now

I have arrived in America.

You find me in trend setting cities to see and be seen; "swing'ng the
slopes" and "riding the waves" at the best resorts; see me sailing all the cruise- and party
ships; catch me "krug'ng" to Key West, danc'ng in the Streets of New Orleans and
leaving my heart in San Francisco.

Do your friends know about me yet? Why not let them know by sending
them a cute little email card from me?

In the meantime, have fun visiting my website and I'll see you soon in
your favorite hang-out place.

Smile,
"little Krugy"


Forget the clumpy strangely-dated English. Want to see what the “Little Krugy” mascot looks like?



Yes. Yes, that’s right. Little Klugy is a smiling sperm cell. Now, you tell me: would you be enticed to purchase a beverage associated with the MALE REPRODUCTIVE EMISSION? Oh, how I would like to have an awkward broken English-German conversation with the person responsible for this ad campaign. The only problem would be that I might laugh a lung out, killing myself, and thereby never be able to experience the…the…possibly unique taste of the Little Krugy beverage. Let’s move on.

Not mentioning the war, we have this film for Schall und Rauch German cigarettes, from 1933, by animator Hans Fischerkoesen. This is one of the most weirdly artful commercials I’ve seen, with classical music, silhouettes, and plumes of tobacco smoke that become swirling apparitional dancing ballerinas. I’m assuming Schall und Rauch wasn’t cut with opium.



Continuing with the dramatic and weird, we have another Fischerkoesen production from a German ale manufacturer, a mini-movie from what looks to be the 1950s. We see a young woman trapped in a terrible nightmare, with drapey ghosts and violinist skeletons chasing her, only for her to wake to a sunny morn and the golden glow of a freshly-poured Underberg Beer. Is the idea, escape the nightmare that is post-WWII Germany by starting to drink at 7AM? Seems reasonable to me, really.



We will finish up here with this mod and disturbing German AFRI-COLA commercial from 1968, featuring creepy music, topical sexual social commentary, and hot chicks. Afri-Cola??? Do they sell Deutsche-Drink in Nigeria?



God, I hope I don’t dream about Little Krugy tonight.