respublica

The Intern

Dale and I went to the movies yesterday1 A new record, this is the second movie we've see this year doubling our movie output since we saw Sea Biscuit who knows how many years ago. This time we saw The Intern with Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway.

This was a really good movie, funny, sweet and thoughtful. Far better a film than any of the many coming attractions we sat through appear to be. They will be filled with explosions and gun fire, boob jokes and pratfalls.

The Intern sees us through a 70 year old working with 20 somethings in a tech start up company. At first it was like they all spoke different languages, but by the end they'd come to work through the generational gaps and come to respect and like each other. Worth seeing.

And. We still cannot get over how plush the seating is in the nearby AMC theater. Whoa. And we had a beer with our popcorn. How cool is that?

Our yard today

Unfortunately, this is the wrong day for pink, cute as these birds are. Timing is everything, I do not stand with pink today. #BlackOut the pinkout

Racing to be the first in line

As I watched the local news last night and saw the IKEA staff people lining up all the early bird shoppers at the edge of the parking lot and readying them to take off for the door where they'd wait for the Wednesday morning opening, I imagined myself in that race. The first 41 people in line would get a free couch so those ready to run were like the beginning of an Olympic 100 yard dash. Focus on speed and nothing else. They took off when given the go ahead, some staggering, some sprinting, most seemingly not in the best shape.

Afterward when the lucky ones got to the door and received their line vouchers I replayed that race with myself as part of it. I really believe, even at my age, I could have zoomed to the front with ease. I mentally saw myself going at top speed, not letting anyone get ahead of me and then being interviewed by news people. The first question I figured I'd be asked was how on earth someone my age could have outrun all those younger women.

Heh. What tricks the mind plays. But, here's the video of the report I watched. Part of me still thinks I could have won that sprint to win a couch I don't want or need.

September 29

Does anyone remember the Tylenol scare on this date back in 1982?  In the Chicago area the first of seven people died after taking poison laced Tylenol capsules which frightened people all over the country. Remembering this incident after all these years made me wonder if the person responsible was ever caught and the answer is, no. This crime and the motive for it, is still unsolved.

Other major events for September 29 include: The US established a regular army, the cornerstone for the National Cathedral was laid, Pope John Paul 1 and Casey Stengel died, John Roberts sworn in as Chief Justice, Scotland Yard established.

All of these in different years and centuries but all on September 29.

A weekend with the boys

The seminary kicked off a new campaign on Friday night with a reception and dinner. All five grandsons and their parents attended which meant Katie's crew flew in for the weekend. What energy. What I learned was that Katie's Jake takes after his cousin Christian in knowing how to ham it up for the camera. Christian learned to pose very young and so it seems, does Jake.

There's Christian.

And here's Jake. He was on his way up to the top of a ramp leading to some playground equipment when he saw the camera. He immediately threw himself down and posed in a silly Jake way.

Here they all are, dressed for the dinner.

 

Ikea traffic madness

Sitting back and listening to the excitement over the St. Louis IKEA opening this Wednesday I find myself in awe of a company which can turn an entire city upside down. It's like IKEA coming to St. Louis has everyone believing we're finally a real city. The topper was found in Sunday's Post-Dispatch, detailing the traffic control plans in place for Wednesday.

IKEA opens at 9 a.m. and 1000's of people are expected. "The new Ikea offers more than 1,300 parking spaces, of which 536 are under the store. And the store says it has an additional 1,200 adjacent spaces available for at least three weeks after its opening just west of Ikea on land owned by Cortex but not yet developed.

If those spots fill up, drivers will be rerouted to the Harris-Stowe parking lot across from Chaifetz Arena, about a mile away, and taken by shuttle to and from the store. So that’s another 750 free parking spaces."

Ok. That's parking. Good luck. What you may have missed is the fact that a certain number of the first in line will get anything from a free couch or chair to other stuff. IKEA will allow lines to form beginning Monday (that's today). So do these early line sitters get to use the parking spaces two days early?

What about traffic much less parking? IKEA is right up there against Highway 40/64 at Vandeventer. Well, here's the outlook from St. Louis traffic people. "

Backups and ramp closures could extend to Highway 40 (Interstate 64), where Missouri Department of Transportation signs will warn of any congestion and guide traffic.

The ramp closures will be on an as-needed basis, determined by police, to prevent traffic from backing up on the exit ramp and blocking the interstate, MoDOT said.

Ramps will reopen once the backup on the ramp has cleared — similar to what happens on the Hampton exit into Forest Park on weekend days with pleasant weather."

Ah, but the store will also provide 20 bike racks each of which hold 2 bikes for those who want to travel that way. But that must be just for people wanting to merely walk around the store for fun, it would be hard to haul an IKEA bookshelf home on a bike.

Barnes Jewish hospital and SLU will be enforcing their permit only parking in their parking garages.

Craziness. But so much fun to watch unfold.

Photographing boys

All the grandsons are here this weekend for a rather important seminary event/dinner which was held last night. Ahead of the dinner, the seminary staff asked for a photo of Dale with the 5 boys. Here's a look at how this session went.

I give up!

Here's a stunner taken after the dinner and before the speeches.

 

Online shopping

The weirdest thing about checking on a product online is how many items you may want to go out and get are not available in store. The most common of things, not available in store. Target's website is the worst for this. Sometimes you just want to eyeball a product before buying.

We no longer agree on what's real

An article  in which we should see a finger pointing at all of us and is well worth a read. See examples in piece running the whole cultural continuum from the refusal to look at the Planned Parenthood videos to Immigration to the school boy's homemade clock. The decline and fall of the American debate. Just watch the less than thoughtful, and mostly politically partisan, talk which will come from discussion of the Pope's address to Congress.

"For years it’s been remarked that we no longer have one American culture but many, that we’ve become Balkanized into a dizzying array of interests and identity groups separated by race, ethnicity, religion, and much else.

But we’re also separated, increasingly, by the news and commentary we read and watch. To the extent that it informs us of what’s going on, and why, and what to expect, our fragmentation and insularity has reached a dangerous tipping point: we no longer agree on what’s real."

 

Little boys and their tiny cars

What can't they find to do with the little cars.

Drew B