teeth and other notable notes

I just have a few minutes, since I need to go to bed, but I thought I’d write a little. I just fed Liam again and Aidan’s asleep and Tony’s out playing poker.

Liam officially had his first tooth bust through his gums yesterday. Just the very tip, but you can definitely feel/see it. It’s the bottom center one on his right side, if I’m remembering correctly. He’s been a beast for the past two days with it, driving us crazy. No fever, just misery and yelling.

Aidan has begun developing even more of his teenage angst. He’s taken to getting upset at something we do and saying, "I don’t want any-ting." Or you ask him what he wants and he says, "Nut-ting."

I watched the first half of American Id(iot)ol last night, and I have to admit I’m glad I didn’t get into it. The first girl sucked big time. They said she was sick, but for goodness sakes, don’t try to sing "Alone" by Heart if you’re sick! Then they had some dude who looked like a frat boy in the face but had long, presumably smelly dreads. They were supposed to be singing songs that were released the years they were born (most in the mid-eighties, apparently), but I think he was hitting his gravity bong a little too hard and thought they said dress like you were in the eighties. He had on fitted and tapered pants and Keds. Nothing like the look of a star. And what is up with all of the weird names? What happened to good old "Kelly Clarkson" and "Carrie Underwood"? Even "Fantasia" is something I’ve heard of. Chikezie? Ramiele? Syesha? Maybe I just saw the weird named ones. I stopped watching with Brooke White, out of appreciation for her name and lack of weirdness. Although I did notice on the recaps that one is Irish and one is British (?), so I guess we’ve decided American is a loose adjective for this season.

One last note: recent readings. I have read a few books that did not live up to expectation lately. One was called Peony in Love. The name alone is retarded; I actually was embarrassed to be seen with it and kept it covered when I read in public. The story was hokey but I guess somewhat interesting. The writing wasn’t good at all. I’m pretty sure I’ve taught high school students who could write better than that. Anyway, it was compared to The Lovely Bones, which I’d never read but had heard good things about, so now I’m reading it. I’m only on Chapter Three, and already it’s crapping all over Peony in Love. Whoever made that comparison needs to retest their brains for working order.

The other books I've read recently that didn't meet my requirements were by David Sedaris. They were actually okay, but frankly, I don't see what the fuss is about. I read Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim and Me Talk Pretty One Day. The first one was the big famous one, and it wasn't as good as the second. But neither holds an effing candle to Augusten Burroughs books. I'd take Possible Side Effects and Magical Thinking any day over the Sedaris dude. I'm still going to read some more of his stuff, just to see, but not only is he not as funny or as good of a writer, but his stories are pointless and he's not someone I'd ever want to meet in real life. He seems like a whiny, self-absorbed jackass.

Well, I guess I’m off to bed. Bon soir.