Why I Oughta...

Although this photo is terrible (I'd have a short career as a spy photographer, eh?), you can *sorta* make out the ice rink that the folks right across the street had set up in their backyard.  (See it there?  In the backyard of the white house on the left?  It is that white thing....) Earlier last week, a truck showed up in the street that had something like"Supreme Sports" on the side of the truck and trailer.  After a bit of research , I learned that they install temporary ice rinks.  The guy across the street rocks A LOT of Blackhawks jerseys, so I knew he was a fan.  But a rink?  That's pretty rad.  I actually squeeled with delight once I put the puzzle together:  they were getting a neighborhood rink! Too bad I can't skate.  Or else I'd be having Nat whip up a batch of muffins or something so I can go play with the kids!

And...there weren't any tears! As part of the Walnut Room experience yesterday, we stood in line to get to Macy's Santa.  The Babe did a great job sitting on the Big Guy's lap.   I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I was secretly *hoping* for a freakout.  A sobbing, crying, screaming photo would be a bit more fun that this cute, serene one, no? We took an "official" photo and bought it from Macy's. After scanning it in, I'm certain Nat will make sure it will show up on the Babe's blog.  For those of you family folks, you know where to look for said photos!

We went down to Marshall Field's Macy's this morning and had a surprisingly pleasant experience.  My family has been going for at least the past two decades and probably more, but since the transition to Macy's, the experience hasn't quite been the same.  To be fair, I have a feeling that at the end of the Marshall Field's run there probably was some of the poor experience(s), but I don't quite want to remember it that way - and it is more convenient to pin it on big-bad-Macy's. Well....this morning, we had what I think might have been one of the finest experiences in some time.  We decided to go quite early - meet at 8:30 AM - and the store wasn't open at that hour.  Because of that, we had a "personal escort" from the curb to the Walnut Room.  Pretty nice! Then...they had a GREAT tree! You can't tell from the photo, but they have these vertical LED bars that "drip" light down them.  Quite the effect.  Because we were a par...

One of the applications we use the most on Google TV is Pandora - where we stream the music through our television speakers.  Since we both (Nat and I) use the same application on the TV, I'm thinking it blended our preferences (holiday tunes + rock-n-roll).  Don't mind if I do, Mr. Petty! After giving it a spin, it wasn't so much holiday music, though!

I'm really pleased how the front fireplace turned out!  The color came really close to matching the bookcases and they look like the whole thing could have been here for 100 years.  And...that was the over-arching goal! This room has come a long way.  Here's the "before" shot.  Since then, we tiled and put on the top.   And....the "After".

As in years past  ( 2004 ,  2005 ,  2007 ,), I spent a good bit of time watching "The Last Waltz"   - however, this time I used Google TV and watched it clip-by-clip.  With the Babe's arrival and her first Thanksgiving, it is becoming apparent that my Rick Danko time is going to be squeezed out by the parade watching.   Maybe it'll become an evening staple?  I doubt Nat will allow that to happen.... But what would traditions be if they weren't a bit difficult to make happen each year?  Consider this a challenge.  Rick, Robbie, Garth, Levon, and Richard?  I'll won't let you guys fade away in the Parrillo household. Adding to my enjoyment this morning is this book I found on Google Books - which chronicles the Last Waltz.  Sounds like mandatory reading!   It takes on a pretty academic perspective in describing the "instructions" to "play" the film loud - claiming that such instructions nudge the movie closer to an album ...

A few weeks back, Nat bought me a pizza magazine/book that I devoured.  In the back, there was a list of pizza terms. The breakdown of Sicilian and Grandma pizza stuck out to me.  The rest of the magazine/book (I use that term because the form factor was more magazine-like, but it was ONLY about pizza and isn't a periodical, so it is more book-like in that respect.), was equally pizza-tastic.  I'm sure I'll share other bits later. Back to the pizza styles, right?  Well....I've been hearing more and more about these styles of pies and I always assumed that they were the same.  Nat's mom makes a version of Grandma pizza and it is soooo g.o.o.d.   Sicilian pies have NO cheese.  I didn't know that.  Now you do, too!  Grandma pizzas have diagonal sauce lines.  Neat!  I made pizzas last night at the Moran's that were a hybrid Grandma/deep dish/Chicago thin style that turned out pretty neat.  Cornmeal crust, crispy all-the-way-throu...