Our Christmas tree now has a wireless remote

I love gadgets. I like Christmas trees. But that like is moving toward love now that I figured out how to control the lights with a wireless remote. Yes, we can click a button and the lights turn off. Then on. Then off. I'm sure the novelty will wear off before the buttons do. Well, pretty sure.

Christmas spirit all over the danged place ...

The boys woke up the day after Thanksgiving and immediately started looking for snow. When they realized that probably wasn't in the picture, they turned their attention to Christmas decorations. 'Cause, you know, Christmas "year" (what the guys call Christmas season) begins before all the Thanksgiving pie is even digested.

So we're at Thanksgiving plus three days, and the tree is up and trimmed, and ... since Chas gave me his cute and expectant face, I've got most of the exterior lights up as well. And the boys have made several ornaments, 'cause I'm married to the Queen of Crafts.

Oh, and two thumbs up for "Fred Claus." It's sweet and funny and almost as good as "Elf." And that's saying something, 'cause I love "Elf." Vince Vaughn is good in "Elf," if a little precious when doing his "Rubberneckin'" dance. Actually, he dances a lot in the movie. What's best though, are the family dynamics and the well-observed take on family dynamics.

I used to have a rule against acknowledging Christmas before December 11 (aka, before my birthday). But I've since gotten over that. I now have a new hard line: No Christmas before Thanksgiving. And this time I really mean it.

Hanging out on the side of the side of I-5 is about as fun as it looks

My bus had a problem this a.m. ...

OK, so our bus made a loud popping sound and started pouring smoke. Did we really need to get out on the side of the interstate in the freezing cold? Then get in the 194 (aka a slow bus) for the ride in?

The funny thing is that I thought the bus sounded a little off before I even got on.

CPR class dummies have changed

Weighing in on the Writer's Strike ...

First, there's the dark side of Ellen, which you see laid out in its ugly glory here, complete with comments that provide insight not just into the passions on both sides of the strike issue, but (of course) anti-gay sentiment: http://dantobindantobin.com/blog/?p=3846

And then, for a giggle ('cause outrage only gets you so far):

Monday Night Football From a Bus-Eye Perspective

Yeah, But Do We Eat ANIMAL Chickens????

The boys came to a difficult and disturbing reaction tonight: That the meat they eat is ... gasp! ... animals. And when you think about it, it is really a tough thing to get your mind around. Their shocked little faces (particularly that of Mr. Sensitive Eddie) make vegetarianism almost appealing.

Our guys' insight was precipitated by last week's viewing of Chicken Run, wherein adorable chickens must liberate themselves or else become pies. I wonder what revelations tonight's viewing of Shark Tale will inspire?

The Kids Aren't Asleep Yet ... And Here's Why I Feel Extra Guilty About It

So, Eddie's in the hallway conducting a commentary-filled race with his little NASCAR cars ("Jeff Gordon's in the pits." "Denny Hamlin is passing Jeff Gordon!") and Chas is playing with his Cars cars (regular McQueen, and the new addition to our family, "cactus" McQueen). But they should be sleeping.

I say this not only because I wouldn't mind a teeny bit of alone time, but also because of this news story I saw on MSNBC:

Lack of shut-eye leads to fatter kids, study says

updated 5:53 a.m. PT, Mon., Nov. 5, 2007

Here’s another reason to get the kids to bed early: More sleep may lower their risk of becoming obese.

Researchers have found that every additional hour per night a third-grader spends sleeping reduces the child’s chances of being obese in sixth grade by 40 percent.

The less sleep they got, the more likely the children were to be obese in sixth grade, no matter what the child’s weight was in third grade, said Dr. Julie Lumeng of the University of Michigan, who led the research.

Too Much Information: Bright Green Poop Edition

Something strange happened to me today (more than once). I wasn't going to blog about it, but I've been emboldened because poop is a popular topic, and bright green poop is a VERY popular topic. Or so indicates Mr. Google.

Turns out, my favorite non-carbonated beverage (grape Kool-Aid) includes FDA Blue #5. Says poopreport.com: "Turns out that when metabolized in sufficient quantity, the blue dye combines with bile, and forms a brilliant green. The red, absorbing at a 595nm spectrum, is harmlessly eliminated."

And if you know me at all, you know sufficient quantity isn't a problem. I drink my grape Kool-Aid 54 oz. at a time, in a mug the size of many pitchers. That's how I roll. The weird thing is that I never had the bright greenies before today! Maybe it was the cold medicine ....