A Smirch for a Little Known Product in Need of Some PR

We are really going to try and keep this whole Smirching thing a weekly feature. I don't want to be one of those blogs that over promises and under delivers (that say "You guys! I am sooo sorry I haven't written forever! I am going to post every day!" and then they don't post for another six months) but if you know me at all, you know I am a bit obsessive about the things that I love and talk about them ad nauseum. Really - have you been to El Pollo Loco yet? Wasn't it fantastic? Mmmm. I want to go right now...And I don't want you to think we are promoting consumerism and will always smirch something you have to buy. It might be a TV show (we can pick winners) or it might be a book. Or maybe even a favorite conference talk...OK, maybe not. But we COULD!

On to this weeks Smirch. I know I am probably breaking ground, and many of you will say "What is that of which he speaks?" but this week I would like to smirch:

The iPad. We got one last week. And let me tell you...it is a thing of beauty.


Ours is named Gloria. You know when you buy an electronic and you have to name it so that can find it on your network? I hate having things named "Josh's iPod." So I think long and hard about what to call them. Lately my trend has been to name them after women on TV shows I love. So my laptop is Felicity (my old laptop was Veronica,) my Kindle is Mia Michaels, etc. Gloria is named after the hilarious character on Modern Family and because I bought her on Cinco de Mayo and because she is glorious to behold.


I think the person who has used the iPad the most is Amy, which was totally unexpected. Here she is playing Sally's Spa (or Salon - not sure.) 

In fact, her Mother's Day wish was to get to take a nap today, and by "take a nap" I think she really meant lay in bed and play Sally's Spa (which is where she is right now.) Coincidentally, playing Sally's Salon on my iPod was what I did the entire day that Amy was in labor with Lila, right up until the actually delivery, where I almost passed out. Twice.

The kids are obsessed as well, and always want to play the "giant iPod." It's funny how easily they figure it out. I have never once sat down and explained how to use it to either one of them, but Noel especially just gets it intuitively. 

I think it is the perfect computer for someone who just used their computer to check email, check facebook, look up directions, etc. When were not using it, it is a lovely little digital photo frame or Pandora player on the kitchen counter. And it is great to carry out in the backyard while the kids are playing, or to lay in bed and read a book with.

iPad, you've been smirched!

It's that time again!!!

 When you read that title, did you think that because of the date (Cinco de Mayo!) it was time to drink mojitos and wear sombreros? Well, you would be wrong. It is time for Bingham Book Day!! Read and learn about past books days here or here.

Every year when we tell people about Bingham Book Day, they say "Oh, I wish we could celebrate that at my house!" Well, you can! Here is the secret: you only need a bookstore and a place to eat. So everyone can have their own Bingham Book Day! Everyone except my sister, Melissa, because she lives in Price, UT and they don't have a book store. (That's true.) But everyone else can! You should probably use your own last name, but you can call it Bingham Book Day if you want.

Two years ago we were awesome and we rode the train to downtown Portland and went to Powell's City of books, the country's largest independent bookstore. Last year we were less awesome and pregnant and went to the local Powell's and ate at 5 Guys. This year, we decided to combine the two traditions - the boys love riding the train so much, but Amy and I didn't have the strength to load everyone on the train for an hour ride into downtown and a walk of several blocks from the train stop in the threatening rain. (In previous book day pictures we are wearing shorts!! What is wrong with this cold and rainy year!) So we came up with a plan. Amy dropped me, Jonah and Noel off at the train station near our house. We rode it about 4 stops to the station nearest to the local bookstore and then got off and met Amy and Lila, who drove us the rest of the way. Perfect.

We almost missed the train. Foolishly, I couldn't figure out what kind of ticket to buy from the machine...and the train was arriving...and it was raining...and the boys were screaming at me to hurry...and I was screaming at the boys to NOT get on the train without me. But we did it.

Here we are on the train speeding through our neighborhood! We were on the train for about a total of 7 minutes, but the boys thought it was super awesome.

The bookstore was a joy as always. Not as quirky and old and cool as the original Powell's, but still great.

I think we made the boys take this same picture last year. I was pleased to get them both to look at the camera, and to get Noel to put his hands in his pockets, instead of down the front of his pants. It's the little things, really.

Lila was on a mission to pull every book in the store off the shelves while we tried to navigate through the very complicated path of young boys making decisions - first it was a dinosaur book, then it was an animal book, then it was a Halloween book (what?!).  And the destruction continued. Luckily we could distract her with this giant green dog thing.

And the decision making continued...

As the boys narrowed down their choices, Amy and I would sneak away to try and chose our books. Lila was getting restless, and the boys had limited their choice to about 79 books.

Finally, we settled on the genre of Pop-Up books. Jonah still wanted about 9, but we were able to figure it out with this lovely number that has pop up dioramas! Holla!

Here are the final selections:

Josh got

The City & The City

Can't wait! Mieville is the king of whackadoodle fantasy/sci-fi, and it was on a bunch of Best of the Year lists last year, AND the author's name is China. What?

Amy got

Sensational Salads

Seems like an odd choice, perhaps. But who doesn't want a sensational salad?! I do! And she still has a lot of books left from Christmas/Birthday that she is working though.

Jonah got

Dinosaurs in the Round

The aforementioned diorama pop up book.

Noel jumped on the pop-up bandwagon as well and combined that with his love of the animals of the southwest (What?!?) and chose this treasure:

Creatures of the Desert World

I believe it was also on several Best of the Year lists.

Lila "chose"

Planting a Rainbow

Cute - and it gave me some good ideas for the garden.

Lunch is always part of the deal too. We went to El Pollo Loco, but you already know that. And FYI, we have since gone again. I love that crazy chicken!

So. Happy Book Day. Go buy some books. Unless you live in Price. Seriously. Google it.

Out of my League

Jonah is in a baseball league. He has taken a few sports classes before, but they have been more about "teaching"the kids "skills" rather than actually playing any games or trying to win things. And by "teaching" I mean "yelling at" and by "skills" I mean "to get them to pay attention long enough to realize they are in a class." Jonah seems to have fun, so we keep signing him up for things. And it is a win for us too, because Jonah is like a fusion reactor of energy and it is nice to let him run around and burn some of that off. Seriously. I want to buy the kid a treadmill.

But this league is different. First of all, it is a league. Which means that there is a serious time commitment. Practice and or games twice a week, plus field clean up, bingo night, jamboree, etc. And it costs money. Sign up fees, equipment, t-shirt fees, fund-raising raffle tickets (which Amy and I sold all of to ourselves. We might win a 42" HDTV!) What did I pay a sign up fee for if we have to fund raise? I know this is only the tip of the youth sports iceberg if Jonah continues down this path. And I want him to be in youth sports if he wants. I know it teaches good skills and responsibility and team work and all that crap.

The second thing that makes this time different is that suddenly I am the dad of a kid in a baseball league. Which means I am supposed to play catch with him to warm up, which I am happy to do, but I am not very good at getting the ball to Jonah's mitt. Usually it is more like his shoulder. And I am asked to help teach batting skills (um, hit the ball?) and be the first base coach (seriously - why did we pay all this money and fund raise for if you need me to help coach?) Which again, I am happy to be involved, but I have no idea what I am doing! I usually avoid eye contact when they ask for helpers, or pretend I am busily sending emails from my iPhone (really it is an iPod and I am playing Plants vs. Zombies.) I know no more about teaching a kid about proper batting technique that those other Dads do about teaching their sons how to properly apply "old age" makeup for a medium sized theatre. (Which I would totally rock at - I even had my own Ben Nye makeup kit.) I am the only dad who showed up at the first practice without my own mitt. Strangely, or perhaps not, I did have my man-purse to carry my Kindle, my iPod and my snacks.

So in a weird way going to baseball practice is taking me back to being the kid that didn't fit in in gym class. I don't know how I missed the athlete gene. 80% of my family is pretty athletic (Richard - you are the other 10%. Sorry. I know you played volleyball, but your true sport is pie making.) I think the athlete gene is linked to the competitive gene. I want Jonah to do well because I want him to have fun and because I know it really matters to him. But I am not this dad:

Seriously?! These kids are 6! OK - maybe his kids are older, but still. Where do you even buy a shirt like that? Why do you even buy a shirt like that? Maybe the t-ball league that I was in when I was 8 didn't win enough and maybe THAT is why I never liked sports. Because I lacked confidence! Thanks, random t-ball dad!

So if you want to know where to find me on Saturday (or Tuesday and sometimes Wednesday.) I'll be at the baseball field. If Jonah is at bat, you'll see me cheering and encouraging from the sidelines. If he's not, I will probably be downloading a sample of Baseball For Dummies on my Kindle. I am still trying to figure out the why there is an outfield position called "Buck-short." I swear the other dads made that up to see if I would believe them.

Smirch and Besmirch

Josh wanted me to introduce a new regular feature on our blog called "Smirch and Besmirch". Basically, it means anytime we really love something, be it a restaurant or a TV show or even a new pair of shoes, we'll "smirch" it. Or if we really hate something, like world hunger or shaken baby syndrome or Tyra Banks, we'll "besmirch" it.  It is something we do at our monthly book club. I don't remember who came up with the idea, but whoever it was I smirch you for your great idea.

Today's first entry is our new favorite restaurant, El Pollo Loco. Actually, this isn't really new to us. We were eating crazy chicken in North Hollywood back in the day. But it recently arrived in our neck of the woods, and we couldn't be happier. These days, Josh and I are trying to watch our weight. I don't know why I whispered this in my mind while I typed it, but that's why it's in italics. Josh is trying to earn himself an ipad for losing 15 pounds. I'm trying to shimmy back into some pre-pregnancy summer clothes. We get so sick of Subway, we could spit. But guess what? El Pollo Loco is not only delicious, it's kind of good for you! Today, we ate there for lunch AND dinner. Maybe that was a bit excessive, but I wouldn't mind going back for breakfast in the morning if it wasn't a Sunday and I didn't mind having chicken and coleslaw for breakfast and it was open (which it isn't).

What would I recommend at El Pollo Loco, you ask? Everything. The chicken, of course. The mac 'n cheese, the BBQ black beans, the coleslaw, the side salad w/ creamy cilantro dressing, the potatoes and gravy and the flan, to start. So consider El Pollo Loco smirched. And find your local establishment and eat there. Unless you don't have one, which is very, very sad.