Random

Santana's first Spring Training game today. I know it doesn't count. I know he'll only throw two innings. I try to never get too excited about the Grapefruit League. Still, this is cool. I am giddy. I did not think he would be playing in Queens this year.

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A week ago, had the day off for snow. Took my son sledding in a gorgeous, dizzy snowstorm. I'd almost given up on this winter. And when the snow finally came, I almost fused some vertebrae on a corkscrew slide in the snow-covered playground. Didn't matter. We had a blast. Like McSweeney's, I highly recommend sledding with a 4-6 year-old if you get the chance.

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A week before that, we took him to the Met, to see the knights and the Egyptians. I finally saw the newest Greek and Roman gallery, the final phase of a three-part renovation that began more than twelve years ago, when I was still wearing a guard's uniform there [and back then the guards wore quasi-military grey duds; they have much better dark suits now]. I have to go back to the Greek and Roman galleries with a sketchbook because my son was running out of patience by then, although he loved hearing the story of Hercules and the Nemean Lion. Lots of great pieces I'd never seen before that I have to go back and draw. Hellenistic sculpture is so much fun to draw, so curled and knotted and gnurled and gnarly, with such deep cuts and lively surfaces. Can't wait to get back and spend a few hours there.

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I mentioned The Incredibles a while back as a movie my son loves that I don't mind watching over and over. Right now he's into The Lion King, which is great in a lot of ways, but I am going to try to steer him to something else next time he asks. On a related note, was glad to see Ratatouille win the Oscar. And Aardman's Flushed Away is a very underrated animated movie, which I've always figured didn't get its due because of the potty mouth title.

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Recent memorable fortune cookie fortune:
When the moment comes, take the top one.