Her Nibs Week Continues

Her Nibs has been on a roll this week, so I have to tell another story about her. Tonight, we decided to try a new restaurant nearby. We tend to have dinner relatively early (it's an easier schedule for getting Her Nibs to bed), so we got there around 5:30. After we got settled and ordered our food, an older couple approached us and said, "We'd like to compliment you on your child. She has been so well behaved this whole time. We usually go out to dinner early to avoid the family crowd, but your daughter has been wonderful." After a few moments of trying to get Her Nibs to say hello, they left.

I have to say that I was awestruck by their comments. I'm not writing this to brag about my daughter (though she is wonderful!). In fact, my initial reply was almost, "Just wait around a few minutes, and you'll see what she's capable of." Instead, we simply said thank you and left it at that. It was nice of them to say something, though. Often, we only hear about our kids when they are acting up.

Which leads me to my next anecdote. On the way home, Her Nibs was cranky, and she wanted us to change the song on the CD. I told her, "It's not all about you." Her response? "But it is all about me." Imagine that in a two-year-old's halting voice. All I could do was laugh, which caught her off guard, effectively ending the tantrum.

By the way, Her Nibs is usually an incredibly sweet little girl. The credit for that goes to Plainbellied, who is an incredibly sweet and affectionate mother. I think the patience she learned from dealing with me has paid dividends. :-)

Is the Bed Really That Uncomfortable?

Her Nibs has had a hard time going to bed lately. She has given us grief for the past week or so, and a couple of times it has taken her several hours to go to sleep. In response, we would take the time to put her back in bed, with accompanying timeouts to make the idea stick that she needed to stay in bed. We really only do anything when she comes downstairs. Our guiding principle is that if she's upstairs and quiet, things are all right.

Well, she has changed her habits over the past two nights. Last night, when we went upstairs she was sprawled in the hallway—asleep. She had brought out her pillow and blanket, plus her stuffed pig and water-filled sippy cup. Tonight she did the same thing. It was so adorable, but it's a little disconcerting. We might have to do something about it eventually. But for now, we're just glad she's going to sleep.

One more anecdote: the other day, Her Nibs turned to me and said, "Daddy, you're my best friend ever." It was one of those moments fathers live for.

Two Important Lessons

I learned an important lesson tonight: trust my instincts. Several years ago I tried to watch "Taxi Driver," but I stopped about halfway in because it was boring and offensive. Recently, I had heard good things about it, so I watched it again. Long story short, I was right the first time. Here's my verdict on the film. It's frickin' weird. The only redeeming value is the "Are you talkin' to me?" scene in front of the mirror.

Second lesson: never watch Martin Scorsese films (with the exception of the Bob Dylan documentary). Basically, his M.O. is to make movies that shock people. I remember liking "Goodfellas" when I saw it many years ago, but I have a feeling I wouldn't like it again. I don't think I'll ever see "The Departed." I mean, putting Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio together was a good idea because . . .

Martin Scorsese, you are now officially dead to me.

CLARIFICATION

Upon further reflection, I've decided that Scorsese is not completely dead to me. I had forgotten that he did Kundun and Raging Bull (as well as the Dylan documentary), so he is capable of making good films. He does, however, have a group of films that trouble me, including Taxi Driver, Casino, and The Departed, not to mention the fact that he seems to enjoy working with Leonardo DeCaprio (Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and The Departed). Taken as a whole, I don't think I like his work, but I should recognize here that there are some good films in there, too.

Talk to the Beard

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I'm going to be teaching a couple of courses this summer at my alma mater. Well, I just realized the other day that this means I have to shave off my beard. You see, the school has a very strict "dress and grooming" standard. No short shorts or facial hair (for men or women). It's actually a very sad realization for me. I've had the beard for a year and a half. I started it when I broke my hand in an embarrassing incident involving a refrigerator and cupboard. I had a cast on my right hand, and my left is essentially useless for intricate tasks, so I stopped shaving. By the time the cast came off, I had a decent beard going, so I kept it. Well, now it's going to come off.

I suppose I could argue about it or get on my high horse and not take the job, but let's face it, taking the classes is a good career move (and good summer money), and if the only thing I have to sacrifice is my beard, I'll do it. I mean, I did it for the three years I was in college. I can always start growing it back on August 16.

I'm a little embarassed, but. . .

Tonight Plainbellied had soccer practice, so I was in charge of Her Nibs. Well, after dinner, we decided to watch a little television. The next thing I knew, I was waking up on the couch as Plainbellied came home. I had been asleep for at least half an hour, and I desperately hope that Her Nibs didn't get into any trouble. The killer is that even when Plainbellied came home, I went back to sleep, and by the time I got up, she was in bed, so I couldn't ask her about it.

Just so nobody thinks I'm lazy, I should explain. Because I'm trying to finish my dissertation right now, I spend my nights editing and my days sleeping (working at night eliminates distractions and makes me much more effective). Since I teach on Tuesday and Thursday, my sleep schedule gets screwed up, and I have to take evening naps before I get to work. Normally I would have waited until after Plainbellied came home, though. I should ask her what happened when she wakes up.

Suddenly, the Blogosphere Feels Crowded

I thought I would mention a few blogs that I've just added to my "Nice Blogs" list. My brother and his wife have just initiated their own blog, called "conmigo-contigo." Currently, they are in Colombia, where my brother works for the US Foreign Service. They are much more witty and urbane than I am, so I hope you enjoy reading about their exploits. One thing you might notice when you read their blog is that I gave some misinformation about them recently. It turns out that my brother didn't meet the President, but his wife and kids did. I never fixed my blog, though, because I was too lazy. I never figured anyone would notice.

I put "Indigenous Beliefs" on my list as well. I announced not too long ago that this blog would be discontinued, but it turns out that it just took a hiatus (blogging can be exhausting, don'cha know). Well, it's back. I especially like the current post on Netflix and Blockbuster. We do Netflix right now and have considered switching, but maybe we'll stick with what we have.

I also finally added "Rhonda's Blog" to my list. Rhonda is one of our blog buddies from the Great White North. I always like reading her comments.

What's Next? Dunkin Donut Brakes?

I took my car in for an oil change today, and I learned something new about it. Recently, our car developed a squeal in the brakes (it's a 2006 Toyota Matrix), I asked the mechanic to look at it today when I took it in. He told me that the brakes were "glazed." This meant that the rotor had been worn smooth when it should be rough. They outlined the procedure for fixing the issue, and it sounded wicked expensive to me. So I asked, in my inimitable way, "Is it a safety issue?" They said, "No. It's just a comfort issue." I think you know what I did. . . . I can live with the squeal.

Speaking of glazed, a new Dunkin' Donuts will soon open around the corner. I am partial to their donuts, and I don't like Krispy Kreme, which is all we can get here. I have fond memories of Dunkin' Donuts as a kid. My brothers and I all had paper routes as kids, and one of the best parts of it was being able to get donuts on the morning route. Early on, we went to a local bakery or Cumberland Farms (a convenience store) for donuts. Then they opened a Dunkin' Donuts in a nearby town, and we would drive all the way over there for donuts. They didn't open a shop in my hometown until just before I moved out of town for college. I don't tend to eat sweets, but I am very partial to Dunkin' Donuts and Ring Dings, neither of which is available where I live.

Isn't it just like them to open just before I (hopefully) move somewhere else? Jerks.