Our Big-Ass Tree!

The story so far:

2022

2020

2016

Those are links to past posts about our Decemberween tree shenanigans.

Across those links, I may have described about how I grew up in a fake-tree household. We would get wreaths for the smell, but the tree itself was plastic. At first, anyway, as eventually we got a very nice fake tree, the kind that photograph well.

One year we got a real tree, a small, scrawny tree, that today is called a "Charlie Brown Tree" and is both fashionable and expensive. That year we got it because we were leaving town (I think) and wouldn't be around for so long. But most years it was not real. (The scrawny tree year may have been the year in between our two fake trees.)

The first real tree I was a part of while I lived on "my own" (with Corrie instead of the fellas) was when Corrie and I bought a real tree for Tux to wreck. We thought it would be cool for him to destroy it, or to pull it down and smash ur ornaments. Turns out he was terrified of it.

We started getting real trees (again?) when Cass was born. The 2016 link above talks about the bushy-ness, the wide girth, if not having the height of a grand tree.

This year we may have purchased the largest tree we've ever had. The 2022 link above has pictures of both 2022 and 2021, and I was thinking of mocking something like that up here. But check it out, nearly 10 feet with the stand:

I love our big-ass tree!

Who's that kissing Santa?

Both of our kids went to the same daycare, and while it was far across town, it was homey and they did a lot of domestic stuff that we didn't have to do or never would do. Like Easter Egg hunts. We don't celebrate Easter, but to have a egg hunt for kids? That's pretty cool, I guess. Kid experiences make good memories.

Trick or Treating is another thing. We live in a downtown area which makes Trick or Treating challenging under normal circumstances, and the fact that jobs and such make it even more of a nuisance lead us to generally skip the event itself. Plus, our kids just don't really know, but they're getting to the age where they DO know, the Boy at least knows that we're kinda sheisty about it.

Santa visits are another thing. We've never "gone to see Santa," like at a mall or...where else do these Santas do these photo ops? The daycare hosts a Christmas Party and has Santa come in and hand out gifts for all the kids and their siblings who are in attendance. This has been our Santa excursions.

Every year someone else gets to be Santa. Like earlier, when they asked Corrie to be the Easter Bunny, they asked someone else to be Santa, someone who's daughter will age out of their establishment next year, someone who was already a bespectacled, hairy, and jovial dude:

When it was Cass's turn to get his gift, near the end of the bag searches---a fairly long time in which he spent staring at me quizzically---he approached Santa and said, "You remind me of my dad."

"Woh, ho, ho, why do you think that might be, little dude?" I asked in the same cartoony baritone I'd been using the whole time. I enjoyed the moment, and as he left after collecting his new Slinky he leaned in close and said, "Thanks for the Slinky, dad."

One of the gifts said "Mrs. Claus." When I pulled out the box and called out for Mrs. Claus, Corrie came bouncing over, said "Thank you, Santa, darling," and gave me a kiss. 

In the picture above, Camille, our daughter, is the little girl in the blue-topped dress and blond hair in a bun, mystified as to why mom's kissing Santa. She never seemed to realize the gig. She never let on, at least.

For our last daycare Christmas party, it was pretty special and cool.

Thinking About Cartoon Ducks

Because, why not?

I was talking with my kids about some of the side characters in cartoon shows. I'm of an age that means I grew up with both Heathcliff and Garfield television shows. I'm not here to dig into that (yet, anyway), but...do you remember that both the Heathcliff and Garfield and Friends shows had B-stories, full of other characters that had their own little universes that were essentially separate from their titular characters?

Really, this conversation started because of Wade, a cartoon duck in the B-story farm-living characters from Garfield and Friends. These stories were based on Jim Davis's US Acres comic strip, in which Orson, a pig, is the lead character, and his world is rounded out with Roy, a loud mouthed rooster; Wade, a cowardly duck; and Booker and Sheldon, twin chick siblings with Sheldon never exiting his egg.

On the weekends we let our kids get up early, get breakfast themselves (or forage for snacks, as it turns into sometimes), and then watch cartoons. Or movies of their own choice. Occasionally I come out and force them to watch other stuff, and here is where Pluto comes in. Pluto is essentially broadcast television; it is a free app on our TV that streams a ton of channels, and they have commercials (remember when to go get more food? use the can?). But the channels are usually just for shows. We had a good time a few months ago with the I Love Lucy channel, and the Bob Ross channel. Even spent a few minutes with the Unsolved Mysteries channel. But on weekend mornings, if the kids end up on Pluto, it'll be on the Garfield and Friends channel.

So that's why they ever saw US Acres and Wade, and it was because of Wade that Cass ever asked about cartoon ducks.

We chatted about Wade, about how he was definitely not better than Donald Duck. Donald's MO of flying off the handle with rage, while funny, may not the best way to deal with his emotions; but it may still be preferable to the cowardly disposition of Wade. Cass then asked me who my favorite cartoon duck was. 

I answered quickly: eh, Donald. But it got me thinking. While my quick reaction was Donald, how does the chaotic-neutral Daffy fit in? I love the chaos. How about Launchpad McQuack? Or Darkwing Duck? Or Uncle Scrooge?

I decided to examine a few different ducks that I enjoyed from when I was my kid's age, but in order to not have the discourse be about mainly Duck Tales, I decided to limit it to one duck per company...universe...er, schema? So, no Launchpad or Darkwing, because Donald is the Disney choice. No Plucky Duck from Tiny Toons, even though Daffy is the obvious choice. Also: I never watched Baby Huey, so they're not here either.

I included Wade from US Acres, but otherwise here is the quartet, each representing the next step in the development of my sense of humor and my maturity as a dude:

When I answered so quickly about Donald as my favorite animated duck, it was because Donald could be my favorite animated character, full stop. As a kid I liked to make categories in my imagination, and often pitted animation characters against one another...maybe animation houses against one another.

The three main studios for me in my head were, in descending order (for me personally) 1) Disney; 2) Warner Bros.; 3) Hannah-Barbara. Disney had Mickey, Donald, and Goofy; Warners had Bugs, Daffy and Porky; Hanna-Barbera had Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, and Snagglepuss. 

While the kid-me saw the quality of the animation dipping from Disney-->WB-->HB, that's not exactly fair to what was happening. The Disney shorts that I grew up with, like the early WB shorts, were all produced for cinema houses. The Hanna-Barbera studios were making both shorts later and for television as well as popular primetime television shows: Scooby Doo, the Flintstones, and the Jetsons. The aim had changed. Also, I'm ignoring Tex Avery and Fleischer's Superman shorts. Droopy Dog and Betty Boop were wildly popular, and Tom and Jerry helped frame the vocabulary for cartoon violence, and they dated back to the studio era.

Um...derailed myself there. Donald vs Daffy for me was about primacy and content. I was already predisposed to Donald, but his rage filled antics made me laugh so naturally. The Daffy I grew up with was more of the petulant, jealous-of-Bugs version, than the unbridled id version where he seemed to exist in the early years. Unbridled id is a classic state of being for an animated character, and I think the scene from Who Framed Roger Rabbit between Donald and Daffy is the perfect juxtaposition: unbridled rage vs unbridled id. It's only now, as an adult, that I realize that its disappointing I didn't grow up with the chaotic version of Daffy, rather the jealous foil for Bugs.

When my brother and I watched Garfield, I liked the US Acres scenes, but not as much as the Garfield scenes. I liked Orson and Roy, and Wade filled in the cracks by being the coward/perpetually terrified character. There's a place in group dynamics for the coward---think Shaggy and Scooby---because they often add to either the problem solving element of the group, or for the hilarity factor. I'm not sure I remember what Wade offered to the group in US Acres. The ongoing joke of his inner-tube's duck-head always matching his own expression and direction was amusing.

The last duck in that quartet represents the later years of my childhood, the cynical adult themed Duckman. Based on a comic book from 1990, Duckman aired on the USA Network from '94 to '97. Voiced by and aggrieved Jason Alexander, the titular character was a private investigator in a world where animals and people coexist. His assistant is Cornfed, a pig who sounds very similar to Jack Webb from Dragnet. 

Frank Zappa did the music, Dweezil voiced one of Duckman's kids, his status as a widower adds a dimension that is usually absent in animation. But, this was a primetime animated program aimed at adults. I enjoyed it as my sense of humor matured. I haven't yet shown more than an occasional clip to Cass.

My kids love Donald, and Cass has seen some of the old Daffy shorts, but it's been a while I'm sure. I think they enjoy US Acres, but the impact of Wade, beyond resembling Shaggy, remains a mystery. 

Sometimes all I want is to make pictures of disparate but connected things...

Like:

Happy Thanksgiving from Yosemite

We're chilling with our friend Lauren, her two dogs, and one other couple for Thanksgiving out near the southern entrance to Yosemite. It's my and Corrie's first trip since I proposed back in 2006. Yikes. Anyway, she was spreading her dad's ashes at the park---permits all up to date---and we're all here for her. And us, since this place is fantastic.

We're staying at a crazy AirBnB, a giant cabin on HWY 41 itself. Above is the living room and dining room zone. The kitchen tile is lava-red and screams late-70s.

Yesterday we went into the park, and it's spectacular as always.

The iconic shot above is the view from Tunnel View, a small parking lot at the end of the 4,233 foot long Wawona Tunnel.

Visible below is the upper portion of Yosemite Falls:

We stopped at the Ahwahnee for a cocktail and a snack, before turning around and heading back to the cabin. Many of the interior shots for The Shining were filmed at the Ahwahnee lodge, and it had a familiar feeling, albeit in an eerie way.

Here's to hoping you and yours get to celebrate Thanksgiving. Show gratitude! Be thankful! Enjoy loved ones. Be safe.

Birthday Party at Gardena Cinema

Back in January 2020 a comic shop opened in our building in downtown Long Beach.

Atomic Basement was both a publisher and a comic shop, as Mike Wellman, one of the two owner/operators was also the writer for two of their titles. Tony was the name of Mike's partner, but by February he was gone. Mike ended up in a beef on the Internet with a blowhard, and both Mike and the blowhard got banned from Facebook for a couple months. Tony was shook by the whole thing, and sold his half back to Mike.

He got out just in time, as it were, since opening a brick-and-mortar store in January of 2020, a store whose business already had razor-thin margins, would prove difficult to find lasting success. The pandemic caused a rupture in many things in this country, and Mike's run as owner/operator of Atomic Basement turned tumultuous.

The neighborhood looks like it would have great foot traffic, something mandatory for a downtown comic shop without easy to find or use parking. But in reality it never materialized. By May Mike was running the joint with natural light only, and from there things went downhill.

When I would take a break from talking to my laptop, I would stroll down and chat with Mike and share a beer or a cup of wine. We'd talk about a great many things as he would sell comics to the random passersby that only wanted current Marvel fare. By that time he was a cash- or Venmo-only status.

On Sundays, one of Mike's friends, Judy Kim, would hold arts and craft activities for neighborhood kids. One day they colored shirts. Another day there was a prize wheel to spin. Since the only "neighborhood kids" who ever really came by were Cass and another kid from our building, both kids ended up with great gear and/or plenty of attention.

The sad day came and with it the end of the shop in our building. I tried to stay in touch with Mike, but my time on social media is limited, which made the endeavor difficult. One time I made my weekly, or monthly, trip to Facebook, I was excited to see that I got an invite to Mike's 50th birthday party at his friend, Judy Kim's, movie theater, the Gardena Cinema:

After working out the details---I would go by myself, as the party was for a Wednesday, and started at 8pm---I ended up the first person to arrive. Judy was going to show Mike's favorite movie: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Freaking rad.

Both Mike and Judy spoke before she started the movie. Mike was happy that his newfound sobriety may prove advantageous to the people he counsels; and Judy gave us a brief history of the theater, and it's glorious 800-seats:

It was opened in December 1946, during the postwar boom, and Judy's father bought it in the summer of 1976, while it was doing so-so business showing not-quite-so-new releases. In Citrus Heights we called this phenomena the "dollar theater." By 1979 Judy's father noticed that the Wednesday night Spanish-language feature at the drive-in was always sold out, a change in programming was warranted. Showing exclusively Spanish-language films proved the secret for success for the Gardena Cinema. 

After the Mexico City-based production company they'd partnered with collapsed in 1994, the theater went back to their precarious spot on the margins for nearly thirty years, where it remains today. Looking for a buyer, they try to do cool and weird new things. Events and the like. In any case, support your local independent cinemas. Check out what they're up to. Go to something if it seems like your thing. They'll certainly appreciate it.

Then, the movie finally started. It was exciting and glorious and fun and heartfelt. Temple of Doom is very brutal and quite heavy, what with kids being kidnapped and tortured and enslaved. Indy and Ke Huy Quan's Short Round hit differently now that I have a kid the size of Shorty (if younger), and Kate Capshaw's constant screaming seemed less annoying. It is a very gross movie, as well, what with the huge-snake-filled-with-screeching-tiny-snakes, the bug slurping and the post-slurp-belch, the eyeball soup, the monkey brain dessert, the hallway full of bugs... The humor hits as well: one of my favorite scenes is how Indy's puppy-dog eyes look after pleading with Willie, "WE ARE GOING TO DIE!"

Every minecart level from video games (Donkey Kong Country), as well as the previous cave level in that same Donkey Kong game are taken directly from this movie. So are classic one-liners like "No time for love, Doctor Jones," or the absolutely best, "Cover your heart, Indy!" I've shouted Cover your heart! so many times, but I can't remember why, and I'm not even phased or ashamed.

Corrie and I watched Temple of Doom before Cass was born, and I remember thinking, Whoa! Enslaved kids? Punching chicks? Eating brains? WTF is up with this flick? 

After this evening at the Gardena Cinema, my appreciation for the movie blossomed, and I can see how it could become Mike's Favorite Movie. 

It was a magical evening.

Limited Time Flavors...?

On a trip tot he grocers the other day I noticed two different "limited time" flavored options at the checkout, in the impulse buy zone. The first was this style of potato chip:

Um...what? At first I thought it was an accident. But ketchup is a pretty rad combo of flavors---salty, sweet, savory, and tangy---a combo that it took me far too long to appreciate. It seems basic, but it seems like it could be good. I would try them if someone offered, but since I never buy chips like this anyway, I would likely avoid them. (Writing about it now...I may try them...just to say I did, like I did with the 'dill pickle' peanuts a while back (those were NOT good)).

The next made more sense, given the season:

These I would try, and I do like eggnog. Er, occasionally. We get at least one jug of the nog each season, and we like to cut it with whiskey. At least the kids like it, too---sans whiskey. What exactly is the flavor? All spice and cream?

Both is a single trip to the store, good times.

Jack-O-Lanterns and the Warm Cities

This year, like all f the recent years, we've purchased and carved pumpkins for the Halloween time:

This year we did it at a Halloween party. In the past Corrie would buy the cool paper overlays that you tape onto the pumpkin, and then trace out, and then carve out. This year, I was abandoned at the tarp with instructions (do Batman! do Godzilla!), and I did the best I could. I carved a pretty basic Jack-o-lantern (seen above and below on the left), and then I carved a Batman ('89) logo on one of them (as per the request).

Upon returning to check my work, I was told, No, do Godzilla. I handed a marker over and proceeded to carve out the (duckbilled...?) Godzilla that was there, opposite the Bat-symbol, seen below:

One other Halloween decorations I loved seeing everyday was this, visible right as the elevator doors opened on our floor.

It puts the lotion in the basket!

When we were kids, my brother and I, and out friends, in Sacramento, it was chilly! It was Fall in Sac, and it was basically cold-ish. Pumpkins would chill on the stoop for a while, preserved by the, eh, basically refrigerator-like air outside.

But now, once you pierce the pumpkin, you start the quick deterioration of said pumpkin. It will last only a few days before essentially liquifying on the counter/table. In the lotion/basket pic above, you can see at least one of their pumpkins, and it has been drawn and painted upon (both were---the other isn't quite visible). This helps them last longer.

I guess each year I'm surprised by how fast the pumpkins die, rot, liquify...quite horrifying, really, but that checks out due to the season, right?