Electronic Life 4.0

Well wow…it’s been a couple weeks or more since I have posted here on Random Writes & Rongs. Of course I have been busy writing, posting on main page, Dysu, political/social rants and ficiton writing…but RWR has, like the second better behaved child, has sat quietly patiently waiting….but April 20th, that’s actually closer to a month…

And well I have plenty of good reasons, chief among being that I just, at this age, am more inclined to do what I want. The exception to this of course is working, I have to earn a little money, enough to pay for a roof, and electricity so that I can write and post things all over the net. I would rate those two things as essentials in my life, the rest is all gravy so to speak, frosting on my little slice of cake as it were.

And speaking of, my most Graviolicious woman, the cream cheese frosting of my life Lil Mouse and I were used car shopping online the other day. Lil’ Mouse was perched on my knee as we scrolled through the page after page. She has been online shopping for months looking to buy “the perfect” car. Nothing flashy, just a solid little compact car, a responsible car, ya know something a librarian might drive.

At one point though, as we all know it can from time to time do, the computer, or my connection to the ol’ net slowed to near nothing, I still had all my bars, but of course the screen stayed on page whatever of Sooland Automall.com, no matter where I clicked and pointed. Next page…next page…next page…back button…bla bla bla you get the point.

Damn Internet lets go!

In the ensuing lull, Lil Mouse began relating to me her favorite picks so far, until she noticed me minimizing, then opening the browser screen over and over rapidly…

“What are you doing?” She asked with a hint of incredulousness creeping into her sweet voice.

“Uh…I don’t know.”

I did know what I thought I was doing, I just didn’t want to say it to her, but God bless ‘er little soul I didn’t have to.

“You’re trying to shake it!”

She was already laughing so hard it was difficult for her to get the words out. There was no use denying it. As soon as she said it I realized I do it all the time. And for that exact reason. I sat and waited for the gales of laughter to die down.

“You were actually trying to shake the internet like some old man hunched over a TV set banging on it for better reception?”

What was I to say? She had me. It was either go bold or go home.

“Yes” I said “You didn’t know you could do that?”

That started her laughing again. Not with me of course, at me.

It’s just nice to know I’m good for something honey…

In the mean time where do I hook this antenna to?

Mornings with the Mouse

One of the best parts of my life is the time I get to spend with Lil’ Mouse…my amazing woman….and I think the one thing that almost no one knows about her is how funny she is…It’s one of the secret sides of her that most people never get to see…

Like this morning. We usually get ready together every morning, so that’s not unusual, and I love listening to Lil’ Mouse tell me about the day she has ahead of her, her rendition of the latest news from NPR, Lil’ Mouse is just a tad more liberal than I lol…or we discuss the news of the morning from CBS (She can do a great impression of me rantin about media bias). Most mornings I shower while she gets busy with girl business (make up etc)…

Now here it’s important that you understand that I sing…out loud…a lot…it’s just one of my quirks. (I have done this since I have been a wee unit, randomly burst into song, the first [non kid] song I remember memorizing was Build Me Up Buttercup[first kid song Puff the Magic Dragon]) And me being in the shower…of course, well…

Also of note, lately I’ve been on this early seventies kick, Sly & the Family Stone, Dr John, BT Express, Stevie Wonder, even some old Chicago (amazing how much better a track like Beginnings or Questions 67 & 68 sounds remastered)…oh and lame hits as well, I Think I love You, It’s Now or Never and…Shilo

 

So that’s where we’re at see, the scene is set. I’m in the shower, soaping up my fuzzy noggin. Lil’ Mouse is tryin this new braid in front of the full length mirror….and I belt out

“Young Child with Dreams…”

Lil Mouse groans.

“Dream every dream on your own”

“Really” she says eying me sideways using the mirror.

“When Children play…”

“Neil Diamond?”

“Seems like you end up alone.”

See look he can Rock

“The Anti-Neil?” She doesn’t like Neil Diamond, cause she loves Neil Young, if you can follow that logic you might understand just one of the reasons I adore her…

Then comes the octave switch (Lil Mouse knows I just don’t sing Neil fer his kitschy value, but because he’s in my vocal range[especially now I’m older])

“Papa said he longs to be with you…”

“How did he ever get to be a sex symbol?”

“If he had the time. So you turn to the only friend you can find”

“Oh yea this is the ‘imaginary friend’ song”

“There in your mind…”

“Shilo when I was young…I used to call your name…”

“Just who is this Shilo…?”

Mmm? I started singing ahead in my brain I mean, I knew the answer didn’t I…I’ve heard, sung this song a million (gross exg.) times…It was a kid right I mean, not a dog that was the book…okay my mouth was singing…”When no one else would come?”…but my brain was thinking…”Shilo she…” definitely kid, girl…

Okay wha happened?

“He’s such an odd mix of bland and creepy”

Okay she got me, that made me laugh, I stopped and said,

“Shilo’s a girl, a like, little girl I think….”

“Isn’t that weird?” she asked, she didn’t have to expound on the question….

Okay well, Maybe these shirts were cool? Somewhere? Las Vegas? .Liberace's summer house?

“Yes, I guess, yes, I think it kinda is…you mean to have a small Jewish boy with a imaginary, southern, ‘Jodie Foster’ like friend named Shilo…

“I don’t think Shilos a little girl, not judging from his music, his career…”

“Oh…” I began

“I think his imaginary friend is an old lady who watches soap operas.  They discuss her grandchildren, her operations and the sales at Walgreen’s.”

Okay well, I can't even defend this...I mean, c'mon Neil!

Oh it is to laugh…she’s got me there

Anyway, here’s the best I could find fer a YouTube video of a young(sorry honey) Neil Diamond)(notice how the announcer seems confused over “Shilo’s”  gender also

 

Okay and just for Lil Mouse…one of the “Real Neil”…enjoy

 

Spring Rambles

So it’s been exceptionally nice here in Soo Foo, and that means that Lil’ Mouse and I of

Lil Mouse won't let me put a shot on here where she's looking at the camera...still nervous about repercussions, due to my strong opinions lol...

course have been itchin’ to get out side and walk, not just around downtown, which we love to do, (more so every year thanks to beautification projects [artwalk etc]) but we love to get out of town and hike in local parks or random cool spots, or sometimes just long walks down dirt roads…

Is this what they mean by a lean-to

 

 

 

 

Of course being hip cool artsy types we take a camera where ever we go…

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway here’s a couple of early outings & the shots we got

 

 

 

 

This shot really doesn’t look like much, just a free standing column of stone, topped with some bushes and…

 

Wait what is that on there…

 

 

Okay well I saw this goose last year, and was happy to see her (presumed not verified) return…

 

Old man, river.

Here I am near the end of the north end of the park, Lil’ Mouse & I were tryin to find a good way across the river hoppin’ stones but…

Anyway, we hope you enjoy this photographical interlude…

 

Don’t Ya’ Step On My New Toe Shoes

Okay so it’s been pretty nice here in the ol’ Soo Foo, (70+)okay so yea that’s an understatement last April 1st I was writin’ about snow, but anyway, warm weather for me means barefoot weather.

It’s been a lifelong obsession with me, being barefoot I mean, as a kid I was constantly losing my shoes.  Which in retrospect seems like a clothing item that you wouldn’t normally lose.

When I was a in High School out in So Cal, I went barefoot my whole senior year, granted they did try to stop me, but I only had two classes per semester that year and eventually they gave up and gave in…

Anyway of course, now I’m older and don’t live in a warm climate, but still, I’m barefoot as much as humanly possible. When it’s warm that means most of the time, unless I’m wearing sandals or flip flops….

Oh yea, unless I’m out hiking of course, can’t really hike in sandals or flip flops and while I used to do a lot of hiking barefoot when I was young…well…I’m not anymore.

So anyway, of course I busted my flip flops from last year (tryin to  hike in them oddly enough lol) so I needed new ones and Lil Mouse had given me the green light on also buyin a new pair of boots (see photos of my old boots nice huh? Those bad boys are like 8 plus years old) so we headed to our local sports super store and lo and behold I found both of my needs in one new footwear item (I mean I feel bad calling them shoes)..

So yea here they are(I know, I know they’ve probably been around for years already, what can I say I’m old and I live in the mid-west). Anyway Lil’ Mouse knew they were there and, God Bless her soul, knew I would love ’em and she said as long as I don’t sleep with them I could buy ’em…even though, she added, they look ridiculous.

“I’ll take ’em” I told the Sales Dude “I’ll just wear them out the door.”

“You’re gonna wear those everywhere aren’t you?” Lil Mouse asked as we walked to the car.

I guess she could tell by my transcendent expression that I liked the shoes.

“Name a place I can’t wear these”

“In B…”she started

“I promise” I assured her “I will take them off when I sleep”

“Noo,,,” She said slowly, as if to a child arching her eyebrow the cute way she does.

“Oh.” I guess I was a little disappointed “You don’t think they’re sexy”

Lil Mouse just laughed at me. That’s why I love her.

Oh and Vibram Five Fingers foot wear I love you too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Little Mood Music

So Lil’ Mouse and I were sitting around last night and, as couples at times are wont to do,

"Remember when we first met Dear"
"uh-huh"

We started talking about what got us attracted to each other in the first place the conversation went something like this…

Lil Mouse, from the couch, on her laptop says “Remember when we first met, and then started working together?”

Across the room I on the old man computer respond enthusiastically….”Hunuh..” Or some such general grunt of acknowledgement that I did indeed remember that.

“What did you think?” On her laptop, from the couch, Lil’ Mouse leans forward…

“I’m not sure what you mean?” I replied knowing exactly what she meant. A man can’t give in too easy..

“C’mon” She femanded

“Honestly” I asked

She answered “yes of course”…That’s what they all say and usually I know better, but hey I was feelin talkative, felt like opening up…That should have been my first clue to keep my ol’ mouth shut.

Well when I first saw ya up there readin poetry I thought you looked pretty cute, and yer poetry rocked. Then when we started working together, I was briefly worried that maybe you were some granola eatin’, fembot lesbian, grad student.”

Of course Lil Mouse would be the "hot one"

“Wha…wha…what?” Okay that wasn’t exactly her response but mine’s funnier and more reader friendly.

She then preceded, in her own best Little Mouse fashion, to tell me what she thought of me when we first met…She did so by first taking off my glasses and perching them on her nose, she then took my cigarette and scrunched up her face (Do I really look like Gilbert Gottfried) and started pacing back and forth across the den….

Mr. Gottfried

“Women…”She paused dramatically waving the cigarette in a wild gesticulating aggressive circles…”are ruining the world…Ya wanna know why Missy?”

I was laughing so hard I could not respond, but she, imitating me, of course did not let that stop her “Fake figernails…!”

“Fake…” She insisted using the cigarette like a small poker coming for my now naked eyeball”…fingernails”

Okay well she didn’t use the cigarette like a poker, I just made that part up, and seeing as she will read this it’s best I come clean now…She does do a wonderful job mimicking me however, (this wasn’t the first time won’t be the last) especially if I sound a lot more like Iago the parrot than I am aware of..

After all the dust settled we both found the same thing was the initial attractor…and we think it might be the same for a lot of couple so while talking about it Little Mouse suggested it would be a great topic for the next RWR blog.

See while working in the warehouse together at a thrift store which shall remain nameless I walked into the back and found Little Mouse listening to a CD.

I thought “Well hell those are some kick butt songs she’s listening to she has excellent taste in music”

Of course, duh, you can guess by now it was one of my mixed discs from home. She had found the CD in the stack and liking the music selection on it had chosen to play it.

“You liked a bunch of different types of music.” She said her blue eyes a sparkle.

“I was just happy you didn’t like Katy Perry or Lady Gaga”

“Be serious.”

Men hate being serious in these situations.

“Okay I was stunned. You were younger, but you knew about and liked most of my music, I mean Ella, Dean Martin, Carter Family, Clash and more quirky rock like Modest Mouse and TMBG. You even know yer seventies music, hell Neil Young and Van Morrison are two of your favorites. Plus you’ve introduced me to some pretty obscure artist yourself like Wanda Jackson and Jolie Holland”

This is what she wanted in the beginning, all smiles Little Mouse leaned into me.

“You didn’t really think I was a lesbian did you honey?”

“Of course not sweetie…of course not.”

 

Knick Knackery

Okay so one of the things that Lil’ Mouse & I love best is Thrifting, Garage saleing etc (we got to know each other while both working for a thrift store[well we first met at a poetry reading then she started at the thrift store])…Anyway, among the many things we have in common is a shared love fer vintage, retro, or in some cases (particularly with me) jes plain ol’ crap that’s fallin apart.

Some of the stuff we buy, we buy knowing it’s worth something, but most of the time we jes buy it ’cause we like it, not knowing, or in spite of knowing the monetary value.

We both thought it would be fun to share some of our more cherished items, some of our junkier things and some of the stuff we don’t know anything about…I mean one of you (someday possibly) might know information about one of the pieces we have (hopefully of course something that begins along the lines of “omg that’s a rare…”)

Okay as usual I go on and on when I should just be puttin up pics…

These are one of my favorite items…they are Clown Noise makers from Japan. They still make noise when you turn the handle on top(the tune is “pop goes the weasel”), but I’ve always assumed the tongues were supposed to stay hidden until that moment. As you can see, one is permanently out, the other perhaps lost his in some sort of tragic celebration gone wrong.

This was Lil’ Mouses Valentine present this year. She collects vintage typewriters. This is a little vintage toy replica that we’re going to hang on the wall of her girl cave.

I gotta lot of this. Lil Mouse will laugh when bring some new piece home. This is what I would call grandma-chic…

Okay so as you can see we’re more collectors of the heart. Most of this stuff we buy ’cause we love it, or like this lamp, people we know find it, know we’ll love it and send it our way.

Some stuff though, some of the Grandma stuff i know is worth a little. This McCoy piece is worth a few bucks…I think we bought it fer fifty cents.

Okay so that leaves me with the one item I know nothing about, and have been able to uncover nothing in my searches so i thought maybe I’d throw it out there…Might just be a chair?? I don’t know, but it looked groovy. Ever seen anything like it? Here’s a close up of the face at the top of the chair. Might just be some weird nordic chair, but we here at 409 are pretty fond of it (well maybe the male half a little more than the better half)

Anyway, that’s just a little taste. We will continue to post more of and about our knick knackery occasionally…

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Big Fan of This Idea

So it’s been a good February, not I mean, just here at 409, but South Dakota as a whole. It’s hard to believe really…that February is almost over and really it’s been more like…”What February?”

However don’t count yer daffodils before they spring up cause…here comes a late winter storm, out of the west, got the Seattle spin going on, it’s going to pick up moisture over the Northern Rockies and Ole’s yer Uncle got a driveway three inches deep in wet pacific snow…

Now I’m not one to complain…okay I’ll let you all stop laughing…Lil Mouse just threw a pillow by my head. I don’t think that’s why they call them throw pillows honey…Okay so yea I hate the cold, hate the snowy icy sleety mushy messy freakin whole winter scene. And I despise that cold Canadian air that with whirrling ice chipper blades yanks the warmth right out of the marrow of your bones, the humanity from yer soul…I mean…

Okay all right but this isn’t about complainin, this is about solutions…and here’s mine ya ready…wish I could put in some kinda computer generated drum roll here, but any way

(imagine drum roll here!)

Here it is…

A BIG FAN

Electronic Life 1.0

It’s weird new age, an electronic age, a media-age, and while I know for many of you most of this seems normal, for those of us who grew up with rotary phones and three channel televisions some days things seem a little…unreal.

One of the hardest concepts for a guy my age to think about is my electronic life. For you Gen I’ers, (kids now in their twenties who have never known a world without the internet) at times, your electronic life seems almost more real (certainly more important) than your physical life; but I can rarely grasp the enormity, complexity and…”fleshiness“, for lack of a better word,that my e-life has taken on.

Lil’ Mouse tends too laugh at me when I start to wax paranoic, compounds the issue when I try to be dismissively philosophical, by explaining another depth, another facet of this e-life that I may not have yet considered. God bless her soul.

Like the other day I was trying to use this service called Presto to e a letter and pics to my Mom. Presto, the site, wanted a password, which I must have set up at one time. Lil’ Mouse suggested I just click on the recognize me from Facebook button. So I figured what the hey and did. here’s what comes up

Request for Permission

Presto DailySmileis requesting permission to do the following:

Access my basic information Includes name, profile picture, gender, networks, user ID, list of friends, and any other information I’ve made public Access my photos Access information people share with me Photos Post to Facebook as me Presto DailySmile may post status messages, notes, photos, and videos on my behalf. Access my data any time Presto DailySmile may access my data when I’m not using the application.

Presto DailySmile

So alright  I have problems with bullets 1-4. Those first four bullet points seem far more invasive than they need to be to accomplish my goal of sending my dear Ol’ Ma a couple pictures now and then. And not just invasive to me, but using me as an agent, invasive to anyone even remotely associated with me. Okay but that’s 1-4. but what about the last two points? Okay well let’s start with the last one, bullet point six, this seems, I mean, basically illegal. The statement “access my data”(?) seems highly open ended. Or is it just me?

Then there’s bullet five. What is it they are asking? Permission to pose as me? I mean, will they just post anything they feel like (scary) or will they “access my data” and post pics or videos based on my e-life (horrifying).

I did what any God blessed old curmudgeon would do, I closed the whole program with a grumble that may have included some off color verbiage.

So yea, this new life, this electronic life has some concepts this I still struggle with but I thought I should maybe make a comparison, pros and cons as it were, and see where we end up.

E-Life VS. Real Life Better or Worse?

In my electronic life, everywhere I go, to the bank, to shop, to pick up my mail, even something as simple as talking to a friend, I need a password. Real life wins here but…

In my e-life, if I want, I can block people or things from reaching me including junk mail which I somehow have never been able to do in real life so…

I guess it’s got its good side.

What about you? How are you living your electronic life? Carefree, cautiously, conveniently, commercially, combustiblly? Leave a comment and let us know

Movies from the Mouse and I

We here at 409 N. love to sit down watch a movie now and then. On these nights I’ll get Netflix booted up while Lil’ Mouse starts poppin’ up some Orville.

“What did you wanna watch?” I ask, shouting to be heard over the machinations of the radioactive snack preparer.

Lil Mouse ever the lovely female replies “Oh whatever honey, you pick”

Meaning that I should find a “couples movie”. Not necessarily a romantic movie, just something we can both watch.

So that got me thinkin’ just what makes a “couples movie”? Is it a movie that has equal elements for men and women? Was there even such a thing? And if there were, were there any that we enjoyed so much as a couple, that we might recommend them to others? Seemed like perfect blog material. So I posed the question to Lil’ Mouse.

Pine Nuts, Brazil Nuts..

She immediately suggested “Best in Show” which we both thoroughly enjoyed. I said that wasn’t equally a guy movie ’cause nothing blew up.

I threw in the “Bourne” trilogy,  Too many things blowing up to be a girl movie, she retorted.

After a couple more go rounds we thought it might be important to establish a base line from which to work..the easiest way to judge whether your watching a movie for women, or a movie for men.  Here’s what we came up with.

If one person dies over the length of the movie and a lot of people cry about it, you’re probably watching a chick flick. If a lot of people die in a short period of time and people cheer or scream, it’s most definitely Dudedom.

Solid "never in a million years" vote from 90% of men

Solid "not again" vote from 90% of women

That’s a big divide to bridge, from “Terms of Endearment” to “Die Hard”, so how do we meet in the middle?

Well there’s the ol’ romantic comedy stand by.

“50 First Dates” is a great example, women love it for the romantic story, men can tolerate it because of Adam Sandler’s humor.

Sticking with Adam Sandler romantic comedies, “Happy Gilmore” is the exact opposite, guy’s love the crazy near out of control character, girls can tolerate it because of the (tenuously tethered) romantic angle.

But I am a blessed and lucky man because my woman likes both the above movies. She likes the Cohen Bros, Terry Gilliam, and a plethora of quirky artistic movies. She also like the Marx Bros, a woman who likes the Marx bros, there’s a rare treasure indeed.

I do my part by not asking her to watch any movies with zombies or aliens (especially that explode from peoples stomachs) unless it’s written by Simon Pegg. (she likes the bloke).

Okay, so anyway, here’s our compiled list of movies (in the end divided by categories) that we would like to suggest to other couples

 

 

 

1. Annie Hall
2. Princess Bride
3. The Match Maker
4. Fifty First Dates
5. Sweet Home Alabama

 

 

 

 

1. Office Space
2. Raising Arizona
3. Best in Show/Mighty Wind/For Your Consideration
4. True Stories
5.  Dodgeball

 

 

 

 

1. True Lies
2. Troy
3. The Mexican
4. Eastern Promises
5. Con Air

 

 

1. Paul
2. 12 Monkeys
3.  Mystery Men
4. Independence Day/ I Am Legend (anything where Will Smith takes his shirt off)
5. Shawn of the Dead

Alright well that’s what we came up with through our not so scientific or exact process. We are both sure there are movies we have left off the list. We have started a Woody Allen Marathon Tradition on New Years Eve and an Alfred Hitchcock for Halloween, only Annie Hall showed up on the list. And we left AH out all together as well as the whole classic catagory…”Desk Set” any one

What about you and your significant other?What movies would you recommend to Lil’ Mouse and I? We would love to hear what you think should be added to or taken away from our couple’s movies list  and why?

 

 

Where in the Falls?

So one of the things both Lil Mouse and I wanna do with this blog is to highlight the great city of Sioux Falls.

Lil Mouse has lived here all her life. I moved here in lets see Oct. ’94, so it’s been quite a while now, almost twenty years which leaves me about twenty more before I’m officially considered a Midwesterner.

Anyway, as part of that desire to celebrate the city we wanna make sure we include a couple of pages with local flavor.

“Where in the Falls?” will feature photos mostly taken in and around Sioux Falls, (maybe a smattering of local Siouxland area pics) with hints clues or riddles as to the pics “subjects” location.

Some may be easier than others..

Mr. Bendo, got rear end-oed, but now he's on the mend-o

 

 

Some pics may take some detective work…

High above an alley made from steel, looks like a movie set, but it's real

 

 

 

Okay well they both ended up rhyming…don’t expect that all the time, not fer $59.99…Tim H. Tebow I did it again!

Anyway, if ya don’t live ‘roun these here parts…well hopefully you will enjoy the pictures for their (possible) artistic merit. If you live in the greater Sioux Falls Metro Area, or make it into town on a regular basis, or say, wanna hire someone local to do a little leg work, well then be our guest and make yer guess’s in the comments section.

We’ll even do our best to keep track of the people who find the most locations and award prizes now and then.

I mean don’t get yer hopes up too high, right off the top of my head the first prize that comes to mind is the free year subscription to our blog, that’s a $59.99 savings right there, plus the years worth of enjoyment you’ll get is priceless

Anyway, watch for the new page comin’ and we hope you enjoy