If you don’t like what you’re watching, then change the channel.

December 11, 2011

As a marketing professional I am the first to appreciate good marketing.  I love analyzing a company brand and I love it when my boys talk about company logos and what they like about them. The latest kick the boys are on is car companies.  No matter where we are they are pointing to cars and the accompanying logo and asking me what make and model it is.  Gannon seems to have an affinity for Toyota right now.  I have concluded it is simply because the word “toy” is in the brand name.  Good for you Toyota, hook ‘em while they’re young.

Just as much as I appreciate good marketing, I can tear something apart like a hungry bear at a camp site. For instance, what is up with TV dinners?  I have already admitted on countless occasions that I do not like to cook.  I CAN cook, I just don’t like to.  On the days the boys are with me, I make sure that we eat a well balanced meal prepared with love.  However, the days I am flying solo I typically eat something quick.  Quick usually comes in a box.

According to Wikipedia, “The name TV dinner came from the shape of the tray it was served on. The main entree was in a bigger compartment on one side of the tray and the vegetables lined up in smaller compartments on the other side. The arrangement was similar to how the front panels of a 1950s television set: a screen on the left and speakers and control on the right. There were other theories about the naming of the TV dinner. One reason that TV Dinners have their name was because their early packaging featured the image of a TV set. Another reason was that many families would eat these in front of a TV set.”

So my issue does not arise from where the name of TV dinners originates. My issue is with the portions of food in the image on the front of the box, versus the actual size of the food IN the box. At first I thought the packing company was accommodating for growth during microwave time. Now, I compare it to the extra air space in the bag of Doritos the kids love.

Maybe I should just change the channel if I don’t like what is on and stop buying these things.  The amount of preservatives can’t be good for me anyway.  That’s a whole other topic all together though.

Posted in: Rants – No Comments

My Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

December 4, 2011

It was no surprise to me that my terrible, no good, very bad day was a Monday.  After all, Mondays are made to make us miserable.  The Monday to which I am currently referring lived up to, and exceeded my expectations.  The morning began as usual with the attempt to wrangle the boys in some sort of civilized manner with minimal threats and get each to school on time.  The no good part of the day was when my car decided it was still tired from the weekend and did not want to wake on that fine Monday morning.  In addition, I had to call Brad to pick up the boys so I could deal with the car, and get a ride to the office.

I was fortunate enough to have a step-dad on call for just this sort of thing.  My anxiety was erased when he found and fixed the problem…the battery.

I arrived home with the boys to begin a heated texting discussion with my sister who lives in Denver.  I love my older sister (I only have one but I still like to point out that she is OLDER), I do, but I was not in the mood to deal with her drama that evening.  Although we do not have to attend every argument to which we are invited,  my lack of RSVP did not help her disposition.

Once I resolved the texting match, my phone rings.  It is my step-mom.  I happened to be on the phone so I did not answer.  She called again.  This time I answered.  I made the inaccurate assumption that she was calling about my sister.  I had assumed my sister called the step-mom and complained that I was not taking her drama bait.  I was asked how my day was.  I responded “not great”.  One of my favorite women responded with a chuckle, “well, I am about to make it worse”.

My heart sank.  My pulse raced.  My skin tingled.  “Who is sick?”, I asked.  For some reason I thought she was going to tell me that my big, strong, never-going-to-die-on-me, father was ill.

Then the deja-vu began.  I heard “lump”, “biopsy”, “breast cancer”, “chemo”, “radiation”, and “surgery”.  I recall the overwhelming feeling of wanting to cry.  For a split second I thought “not again”, I am not sure I can lose another person to Cancer.  Then I stopped myself.

What the hell was wrong with me?  I am feeling self pity and this woman is about to have the fight of her life.  I am bitching about car trouble, a dramatic sister, and other trivial inconvenient crap.

The call from my step-mom was the reminder that I needed to be thankful and grateful for every day, and all the little inconveniences they bring.

My terrible, no good, very bad day turned out to be just what I needed.

 

Posted in: Cancer, Mom – No Comments

The Next Larry Flynt?

September 9, 2011

Since the beginning of time, parents day dream about what their children will do for a living.  Will they be a doctor, police officer, tycoon or even a preacher.  A mother can only hope.  The Babe wanted to see want this whole kindergarten thing was about that brother keeps talking about.  In an effort to placate his curiosity, The Dad took The Babe to lunch with The Kindergartner the other day.  For those that are not privy to the inner workings of the elementary school lunch room these days, it hasn’t changed since you were there.  Apparently The Dad was sitting with his boys at a long narrow lunch room table with about 20 other kindergarten aged kids the other day.  On this particular day, the lunch time convo steered toward the topic of movies.  In an attempt to include The Babe in the lunch time banter, a boy asked The Babe what kind of movies he liked to watch.  The Babe, without hesitation, looked at that boy and told him “I like movies that show ladies private parts”.

WHAT THE?!

The Dad seems to think The Babe forgot The Dad was present.  As the table was recovering from the response to The Babe’s declaration (apparently the group thought this was quite hilarious), The Dad looked at The Babe with surprise (what the…where…who…).  The Babe knew he was busted.  As his eyes welled up with tears he placed his head in his hands.

I got a call from The Dad the night of what I now call the “incident”.  Although we were able to laugh about it, and I was able to say “better you than me”, I had a number of thoughts swirling in my head:

  • This is not one of those funny kid stories I can retell.  Think about it; if I retell this story people will wonder what in the hell I am letting my kids watch on TV.
  • Why on earth would he say that?  Has he seen movies like this.  With whom?  Where?
  • Well, I guess I know what he will do for a living.  Yay me…lifetime supply of adult entertainment.  As long as he is happy I guess.

 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Posted in: Family Tree, Musings, Parenting, The Babe, The Boys – No Comments
« Older posts