Random Synapse Firings (and Misfirings!)

I LUV Southwest Airlines!

2009-05-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

My "peanut" and I have flown on Southwest many times! :)

- Laurie :)

YouTube Videos of Alex!

2008-09-14T04:54:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Alex has been saving up for months to buy a waveboard (it's like a skateboard, but requires a lot more motion and balancing skill!). He finally reached the magic number - including sales tax - yesterday, and spent the rest of the afternoon cruising the neighborhood.

I shot some short video clips, and I'm pleased to report that I successfully uploaded them to YouTube! To take a look, log on to www.YouTube.com and search for my videos. My user name on YouTube is "LeapDayBaby" (which will make sense for those who know me well! :) )

Enjoy!

- Laurie :)

Girls Rule - in Fantasy Hockey!!

2008-04-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Well, the '07 - '08 Yahoo! fantasy hockey season is over, and the outcome was certainly different from my rookie year...

...because this year, I won the championship!

Our league expanded to 14 players this year - me and 13 guys. Needless to say, I think they're a little stunned to have lost to a girl, but the league commish (who happens to be one of my coworkers) was very gracious and complimented me on how much I've improved from last year (5th place out of 10). I may not be Janet Eagleson yet, but this year I showed that I can run with the big dogs!

Now if you'll pardon me, I'm off to draw up my list of draft picks for next season ;)

- Laurie :)

Festival of Trees

2007-12-22T15:42:00.000-08:00

Hi all!

Earlier this month, we packed up the car and headed to the Festival of Trees, held each year at the RI Convention Center. This year's theme was "A Christmas Story" - yes, the 1983 classic holiday film. Here are some pictures:

"It's indescribably beautiful! It reminds me of the Fourth of July!" Yes, it's the Major Award itself - a replica of the infamous Leg Lamp won by Ralphie's Old Man. Brian Jones, the man behind A Christmas Story House in Cleveland, Ohio, was on hand at the Festival with lots of "A Christmas Story"-themed merchandise (including more replicas of the Leg Lamp - even an inflatable lawn decoration!) and lots of fun stories about how he purchased and restored the house used as the Parker family home in the filming of "A Christmas Story". The movie was filmed in Cleveland, and the house has been lovingly restored to its movie-era grandeur. For more information about the house and museum, you can visit Brian's website at http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/. Brian, thanks for taking the time to chat with a fellow "Ralphie"! :)

Here's Alex looking sweeter than sugar next to an incredibly pink tree. Each tree on display was decorated with a particular theme and was made available for either outright sale or bidding via a silent auction. The designers donated their time, and all proceeds from the event went to local agencies that provide services to the homeless population in Rhode Island. This year's event was organized and sponsored by the Rotary Club - kudos to the membership for a job well done!

Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Happy Kwanzaa/Merry Yule, everyone!

- Laurie :)

I've Been Dragged Kicking and Screaming into the 21st Century

2007-12-22T15:24:00.000-08:00

Hi all!

As the year draws to a close, I'd like to express my thanks for things that up until this year were not in my house...really, I swear they weren't.

- Caller ID: I've had Caller ID-enabled phones for years, but finally subscribed to Caller ID service this year. When I think of all the telemarketing and charitable solicitation calls I answered before getting Caller ID, I want to get in a time machine and smack my past self upside the head for not springing for this sooner. Admittedly, most of the telemarketers have been filtered out thanks to the Do Not Call list, but still...
- Nintendo Wii: Yes, after all my squawking about how video games would rot my child's brain, I'm the one who insisted that wii should have a Wii in the house. Even my parents love it.
- Digital Cable: Now I have Versus (and about 200 other channels). I can watch other hockey besides the Boston Bruins (no offense to the Bruins, of course). Yay!
- HDTV: It's not a flat panel, but it's still awesome - especially with the digital cable's high-def channels. Now I can watch Cesar Milan (the Dog Whisperer) in HD. I'm definitely a calm and dominant pack leader now ;)

Technology is my friend!

Cheers,

- Laurie :)

Forget math and science; Americans can't spell, either!

2007-03-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

Seen on the marquee at our local Wendy's:

TRY ARE 4-ALARM!!!

SPICY CHICKEN

Anyone who is thinking, "What's wrong with that?" needs to leave my blog right now, never to return. "Are" is a verb expressing a state of being; "our", the word that should have been used in lieu of "are", is a pronoun signifying possession.

I'm not even going to get into the misplaced exclamation points.

I'm optimistic that some slightly-less-dim bulb at Wendy's will see the error and fix it, but I'm not betting the ranch on it.

I'll get off my soapbox now and go shake my head about the state of American education in a corner somewhere :)

Thanks for listening!

- Laurie :)

Forty isn't fatal...and neither is 39

2007-02-26T16:34:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Sometime this week (can't be too specific, as I'm a "leaper"), I enter my fortieth year of existence - in other words, I'm turning 39. It's a sobering thought.

Way back when, approaching forty was a sure sign that one was "over the hill", washed up, so unhip it's a wonder one's bums didn't fall off, etc. I couldn't disagree more with that sentiment. While many people wistfully yearn for their carefree high school days, I don't; quite frankly, with some notable exceptions, high school sucked. I wasn't good looking; I was socially awkward; my family was not financially secure by any means (which meant I wasn't walking away with any "best dressed" awards or driving myself to school), and for me, being smart definitely did not equate to being popular. I did - and still do - have a wonderful circle of friends who made high school fun, but I don't have any desire to step into the Way Back Machine with Sherman and Mr. Peabody any time soon. In fact, I think I'm just hitting my stride...along with many others who will turn 39 this year:

- Daniel Craig (Bond. James Bond. I can't believe I'm older than James Bond, if only by two days!)
- Julian McMahon (Dr. Christian Troy from "Nip/Tuck")
- Celine Dion (sang some song or other from a "sinking ship" movie... ;) )
- Will Smith (two-time Oscar nominee, still "jiggy wit' it")
- Tony Hawk (X-Games legend, whose name is on at least half of my son's wardrobe)
- Lucy Liu (forget Charlie's Angels...she'll always be O-Ren Ishii to me :) )

Then again, Vanilla Ice and Pauly Shore turn 39 this year too!

- Laurie :)

Pictures to Accompany Our Holiday Newsletter!

2006-12-11T16:05:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

With the holiday season comes the annual edition of "The Seubert News", sent to faraway family and friends. This year, I thought recipients of our newsletter and others who visit my blog would like to see some recent pictures of (and/or taken by) John, Alex and me highlighting our travels this year. Enjoy!

Seattle 2006 - The Space Needle and Mount Rainier

Seattle 2006 - A Closer Look at Mount Rainier

Seattle 2006 - John and Alex at the Seattle Aquarium

Seattle 2006- John, Alex, and Henry!

Walt Disney World 2006 (for some reason, this sign cracks me up every time I see it!)

Walt Disney World 2006 - The Seuberts Meet Sorcerer Mickey

We wish all of our friends and family a Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Merry Yule/Happy Kwanzaa and a peaceful, healthy and prosperous 2007!

With love from Laurie, John and Alex - December, 2006

Is it too early for Christmas music?

2006-11-18T19:41:00.000-08:00

I haven't heard any holiday music on the radio just yet (though I expect to hear Adam Sandler's "The Thanksgiving Song" a few times between now and Thursday), but the music of the season has been creeping into my life slowly over the past couple of weeks. It started with the piped-in soundtrack to my shopping excursions to JC Penney and Kohl's (so far, the award for best music goes to Kohl's in a runaway), and went to the next level when a couple of "Sounds of the Season" CDs (John Legend and Enya) mysteriously hopped into my cart during a Target run. I figured it wouldn't hurt to give Mr. Legend a listen (even though it isn't even Thanksgiving yet) and popped the CD into my car's player...

...and I've had Christmas music on the brain ever since. Tonight, my holiday music frenzy was whipped into a fever pitch when I saw part of the movie "Elf" for the first time - what a great soundtrack of classics! Naturally, I paid a visit to the iTunes Music Store and downloaded the whole album.

All of this leads me to ask: when is it considered "too early" to start dusting off "Christmas with the Rat Pack"? Clearly, pre-Halloween is pushing it a bit, and the day after Thanksgiving is considered to be the official start of the holiday shopping season and a natural "green light" for cranking the Trans-Siberian Orchestra...but suppose I need a little Christmas, right this very minute? Is singing "Silent Night" or "Santa Baby" pre-Thanksgiving as much a seasonal faux pas as wearing white shoes after Labor Day?

Conventional wisdom says yes, but I say no. If Ebenezer Scrooge can promise to honor Christmas in his heart and try to keep it all the year, why not belt out "Jingle Bells" a little early if it keeps you in the spirit of the holiday season? Mind you, I wouldn't sing The Singing Dogs' version (the one that barks out "Jingle Bells") until at least December 1, but that's just me ;)

Thanks for listening!

- Laurie :)

Halloween

2006-11-08T18:16:00.000-08:00

John's annual Halloween carving masterpiece:

"Flaming Skull of Doom" (aka "Hothead")

Hi all! Another Halloween has come and gone here at Casa Seubert! I'm beginning to think that the amount of candy Alex collects while John escorts him around the neighborhood is directly proportional to the amount of candy I distribute to the trick-or-treaters. I'd love to test this theory next year by purchasing only one bag of candy, but I'm sure someone would make all kinds of Bambi-eyed sad faces at me ;)

Here's a photo of Alex in full mime regalia:

After checking out "the haul" from his night of trick-or-treating, our little mime was speechless:

Thanks for listening!

- Laurie :)

Fantasy Hockey Update

2006-10-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

After a devastating head-to-head loss last week against the league's defending champion, I'm now tied for third place in the league. Not bad for a rookie, I guess...

Thanks for listening!

- Laurie :)

Fantasy Hockey...More Fun Than a Barrel of Monkeys

2006-10-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while since I updated my blog, hasn't it? Yikes!

Anyway - I'm pleased to report that after spending the '05-'06 NHL season in apathetic mode, I'm back on the hockey bandwagon...thanks to fantasy hockey! One of my co-workers is the commisisoner of a private fantasy league on Yahoo, and he invited me to join the league this year. I'm the only "girl" in a 10-person league...

...and I'm in first place as of today :)

This may change after this week's head-to-head against the league's defending champion, but I can say that I was in first place for a week at least!

More to come as the season progresses!

Thanks for listening!

- Laurie :)

Ciao, Torino...how's it going, eh, Vancouver?

2006-02-27T20:15:00.000-08:00

Well, the 20th Winter Olympics have come and gone. There were definitely some high points (the "Flying Tomato" among them), and some lower-than-low points! With that said, I would like to award my own set of Olympic medals:

The Two-Man Petty Spat event: Shani Davis and Chad "The Exception" Hedrick share this gold medal. Guys, there may not be an "i" in "team", but there are two "i"s in "idiot". Both of you should grow up and stop acting like idiots.

The Over-Promise, Under-Deliver Relay: In a runaway, this event is captured by Bode "0-for-Torino" Miller. Don't let your mouth write checks your skills can't cash in 2010, Bode.

The If Looks Could Kill Medley: Is it me, or would you hate to be married to that ice dancer from Italy who bored holes into her partner's skull with her laser vision of hate after she fell/was dropped in the short program? Imagine if her husband left the toilet seat up...

The Pompous Windbag Slalom: Bob Costas continues his domination of this event, becoming the first and only medal-winner in this event in both the Winter and Summer Games. Come on, Bob, do you really think Joey Cheek wants or needs your help to get into Harvard? For maximum effect, Costas should receive this medal while standing between Brian Williams and David Gregory of NBC, both of whom tower nearly a foot over Costas the Almighty.

That's it for now..I may add more later :)

Thanks for listening!

Go Team USA!

2006-02-12T17:11:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Now that the NHL has finally started its Olympic break (not in time for the NHL players to participate in the opening ceremonies in Torino...but I digress), it's time for me to put on my Roots beret and American flag sweater and root for the home team as they go for the gold. Despite the glaring omission of Brian Leetch from the defensive squad, it looks like Coach Laviolette has put together a good group for the '06 Games...and considering how well Laviolette's Carolina Hurricanes are doing, I am sure he'll lead the team in the right direction.

On a side note, I'd like to give a shout-out to my favorite member of Team USA...#47, goalie John Grahame (whom I first met back in 2004, right after the Lightning won the Stanley Cup)! On the whole, it's been a great season so far for #47 with 5 shutouts so far between the pipes for Tampa Bay, and it is nice to see that Coach Laviolette brought his Calder Cup-winning goalie from the Providence Bruins along for the Olympic ride. Good luck, John - show the world what a great goalie you are!

Here I am with #47, down at Alex's Little League field. Thanks to Steve Barbato for taking this great picture (and for getting John to autograph a larger one for me!)

Thanks for listening!

- Laurie :)

The Christmas Tree from H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks...

2005-11-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

a/k/a "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (with apologies to Tim Burton)

This is a classic story about our worst Christmas tree tagging experience ever, in 1991. Read on if you dare...

In late October, John and I went with my parents to tag our Christmas trees, an annual tradition. Dad saw a tree that he thought was great for John and me to have in our small apartment - we agreed and tagged it. Nearly 1 1/2 hours later, my mother still hadn't found her "perfect" tree at our usual tree farm and decided that she wanted to look at the other tree farm nearby. In the interest of family diplomacy, Dad agreed. After 45 more minutes and two hayrides around Tree Farm #2 later, Dad's newly healed broken ankle was in bad shape - so he stomped off to the car, muttering something about "never doing this again." Finally, Mom found a suitable tree and tagged it, much to our relief.

Unfortunately, the saga didn't end there. In early December, we returned to the tree frams to pick up our trees. John and I claimed our tree with no hassles. Dad, however, searched for nearly an hour for Mom's tree (Mom was working, so Dad was the lone reconaissance man). Apparently, someone misread a tree tag and took Mom's tree! It was up to Dad, John and me to find a substitute tree. John found a huge, very full tree that we all agreed was a good tree, so we brought it home.

Fortunately, Mom couldn't remember exactly what the tree she selected looked like. She saw "her" tree and was thrilled.

"Didn't I pick a beautiful tree?", she asked.

Sure, Mom. You did a great job.

Thanks for listening!

Random's Greatest Hits #3: The Importance of Voting

2005-11-26T07:44:00.000-08:00

This one's from September 2004...and has special meaning today because my friend the ex-Town Council member is running for his old seat again, in a special election prompted by the sudden resignation of the guy who beat him by ten votes back in '04.

Good luck this time, Bill!!! :)

Why don't people vote? I know it's a very complex issue, but it recently hit home when a long-time (ok, from way back in junior high) friend of mine who is a Town Council member in a neighboring town lost what should have been a runaway primary challenge against a muck-raking agitator...by ten votes.

Ten lousy votes.

Turns out that only about 500 people in his district bothered to turn out for the primary election...and many people he's spoken with since have told him that they figured it would be an easy win for him, so they "didn't bother" to go to the polls.

Swell.

Folks, voting is not only your constitutional right, it is your personal chance to make a statement about how your government -- local, state, and federal -- is run, and by whom. If you don't let your voice be heard, you have no right to complain about what everyone who does bother to vote decides is the "right" thing to do.

So, the message is clear: VOTE. Get your friends and family to vote. Be an active part of the political process...especially if you are a member of the gender that's had the right to vote for less than 100 years, or the race that's only been allowed to vote for slightly longer. People who've long since passed away fought hard for their rights and yours, and the least you can do is exercise those rights every couple of years. It's very easy, and takes only a few minutes.

If you don't vote, don't come crying to me when something happens in your city, state or federal government that you don't like...

Thanks for listening,

- Laurie :)

Random's Greatest Hits #2: Weird Car Names

2005-11-26T07:38:00.000-08:00

Also from July, 2004...

(With apologies to George Carlin, who elaborated on this topic better than I ever could in his book "Braindroppings")

This weekend when I was out on the town, I saw a Porsche SUV...which in itself was quite weird, but got weirder still when I saw the model name for the car: "Cayenne".

What is wrong with that picture??

First of all, if you're going to drive a Porsche, why not drive one of those fire-engine red, midlife-crisis specials instead of an SUV? Secondly, Cayenne? A car named for a spice? I almost expect the "I'm spicy!" guy from the Burger King ads to do a commercial..."the Porsche Cayenne -- it's spicy! "

Back in the day, cars used to have cool names -- or at least names that implied that the car could haul some serious...well, you know. Names like "Mustang", "Barracuda", "Camaro" were not models you wanted to race against when racing for "pinks". Even "El Dorado" and "Mark V" had some gusto to them.

Not anymore.

Car names have declined in "street cred" for years, going back to when I was in high school. The first car my parents let me drive exclusively was a 1980 Ford Fairmont. Fairmont? Sounds like a hotel -- "when you're in town, stay at the Fairmont...the continental breakfast is divine!" Another family car was the Plymouth Volare -- it's hard to tool down the highway when you have Dean Martin singing the name of your car in your head.

Now, we have cars like "Elantra", "Camry", "Sephia"...and "Cayenne". How can we be taken seriously with car names that sound like china patterns and food?

At least Unky Herb (Homer's long-lost brother from "The Simpsons") had the good sense not to let his marketing people call his new car the "Persephone" :)

Thanks for listening,

- Laurie :)

Random's Greatest Hits #1: The Unusual Demands of Rock Stars

2005-11-26T07:33:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Here's the first of Random's "greatest hits", originally published in July of 2004...enjoy!

Recently I checked out the website thesmokinggun.com, and they've got a whole section of their site devoted to the contract "riders" used by musicians and other performers when they agree to play a concert venue. Naturally, I couldn't resist the urge to check out the, um, unusual things that people request...so here are my thoughts:

- Ok, I can understand that during a performance the artists can get sweaty under all those lights...but does every performer need six white terrycloth towels? Why six? Are the towels that small and unabsorbent? Is there an unwritten rule that for consistency's sake, everyone has to ask for six towels? Imagine the uproar if someone only needed five! In any event, I feel sorry for the person who gets stuck washing all those towels ;)

- If some artists are so picky about what can and can't be served as a pre-concert meal at the venue, why don't they just hire personal chefs who can cook things "right" every night?

- Whose idea was it to request underwear from the venue? If I asked my boss to give me a six-pack of Hanes Her Way in addition to my paycheck, he'd laugh me right out of the office! Surely Fruit of the Loom or Hanes can cut a deal with Joe Rockstar to keep him in fresh tighty-whities in exchange for a promotional ad or three...or (gasp!) maybe Joe Rockstar can go to Target/Kmart/whatever and buy his own underwear like the rest of us!

- Three little words: "no brown M&Ms".

Thanks for listening,

- Laurie :)

Moving Day!

2005-11-26T07:12:00.000-08:00

Hi all, and welcome to the new home of Random Synapse Firings (and Misfirings!) Our old home was hiding in the "Journals" section of a certain three-letter ISP ;). However, since my other blog is through Blogger (tghs85.blogspot.com) I decided that I would be more apt to update my personal blog (and more people would actually read it!) if it were through Blogger as well.

Just to give new readers a taste of what Random has in store, I'll be publishing some of my "greatest hits" from Random's old home. In addition to my "op-ed" pieces, I'll also be using Random to keep faraway friends and family up to date on what's going on at Casa Seubert!

Thanks for listening!