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I have three articles posted in the latest issue
of DigitalEve Canada's webzine!
Let me know what you think. I personally believe
that I sound like a nutbar. Will I ever learn
to write seriously?
The
Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys See it if you can!
"In
mid-1970s Savannah, two bright but rebellious
boys, Francis Doyle and Tim Sullivan, fight boredom,
hormones and discipline-heavy teachers in their
quest to find something meaningful beyond the
walls of their parish school. Francis is an exceptional
artist, whose imaginative forays into a fictional
universe of good and evil fill his notebooks with
comic-book imagery and create a netherworld of
superhero alter egos for the two boys."
Today
I braved the lunch hour rush at the Scary Warehouse O' Play
Things, aka Toys R Us. The purpose of my quest was to buy
a birthday gift for a little friend who is turning four on
Thursday.
As
I approached, a huge banner announced that the store is open
during the renovations. Great. I *long* for the opportunity
to shop among heaps of rubble!
In fact, it wasn't as bad as I thought. The store was in the
process of being gutted, but it's more or less complete. I
maneuvered between a couple of grizzled construction workers,
ducked under someone painting the exterior sign and stepped
over multiple power tools and electrical cords on my way in.
That's all. Oh, and all the gumball machines were out of order.
I notice things like this.
Despite
the bad construction-related omens I didn't mind this particular
errand. I love buying presents for children. But I find myself
imposing my own interests on the kid I am supposed to be shopping
for.
These
are the things that I looked at.
Kites. There was one shaped like a big dragon that looked
pretty cool.
Dress
up kits - fireman, policeman, magician
Science
kits, bug collecting kits
Box
o' snakes (lizards, butterflies, barn animals)
Make
your own whatever (cupcakes, gum, bracelets, stain glass
windows, etc.)
Hello Kitty paraphernalia
plush
animal puppets
After combing the science section for age appropriate toys
I got lost amid all the pink packaging in the girly sections.
And there it was, a Mini-Bake oven. Imagine baking your own
tiny little cakes! And all with the power of a simple lightbulb!
When I was a kid I wanted one, desperately. And I *never*
got one. That and an electric race car set.
I
ended up buying a few things from the list above for the birthday
girl. (I'm not telling lest it spoil a surprise!) I also can't
leave a toy store without buying something for Emma. I bought
a magnifying glass and an ant farm, and a big denim bucket
hat.
Out comes the credit card. I admit it. I lost control.
Emma's
newest routine:
She
puts on a serious face.
"Psst!"
she whispers. "I got a secret!"
We
lean in close to hear the important statement she's about
to make. Funny thing, her big secret always consists of the
same one or two words.
"Ice
cream!" she whispers. Or "popsicle!" Sometimes
it's even popcorn she wants, although she pronounces it "pokkorn."
Yesterday
Emma recalled the pie we had when Melissa and Sam were here.
"I really like the chocolate pie," she explained. "The
one with the crabs on it."
I
have since explained, on several different occasions, that
it wasn't a chocolate pie, it was a pecan pie. And those weren't
crabs, they were pecans. My explanations have fallen on deaf
ears. Perhaps she doesn't want to hear the truth? I think
she prefers crab with her chocolate. :)
Despite
the bad construction-related omens I didn't mind this particular
errand. I love buying presents for children. But I find myself
imposing my own interests on the kid I am supposed to be shopping
for.
"I really like the chocolate pie," she explained. "The
one with the crabs on it."
