Month: November 2008

(trying new posting software…)

Driving home after a party on a dark and stormy night, trying to take a left onto a main road:

Geek: “See anything coming on that side?”

Mrs Geek: “Just trees. “

Geek: “Yeah but has Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane?”

Mrs Geek: “huh?”

Geek: “Never mind. “

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Hi gang, those of you paying attention to that Twitter stream over on the left already know this, but as of earlier this week I’ve officially joined the ranks of the unemployed.  Hopefully it won’t be for long, but it was certainly a disruptive experience. Most notably it took away from me the computer I’ve been using for the last several years. So in theory I’m not going to have more time on my hands to catch up on those book reviews and giveaways I’ve been promising.  But to do that I need to breathe a little life into these old clunkers I’ve had lying around my office collecting dust. Oh, and if anybody’s hiring software architects in Massachusetts, particularly North Shore region, drop me a line :).  Rails, Java and other backend web stuff a specialty. 🙂

Not to be outdone by her artistic 6yr old older sister, my 4yr old is now in on the act.  While working at the craft table she shoves paper and crayons in my hand, saying “Daddy, can you draw us the As You Like It picture?”

I asked her which picture she meant.  She repeated, “The As You Like It picture.”

I still don’t know what that means.   I think I read them AYLI once, and they have not seen it.  They’ve heard about it, briefly, over the summer – Kerry and I went to see it in Boston.  I may have mentioned taking them.  But she surely has no idea of the plot.

Today during game time we got out “Don’t Break The Ice”, where you have to make a grid of like 64 white ice cubes and then take turns smashing it.  “We don’t have to play the original game,” she tells me.  “We can just build stuff with the ice.  We can make a castle, or a dinosaur..or Shakespeare!”  She always wants to make “Shakespeare things”.

Later that evening, during story time, the 6yr old is reading an Angelina Ballerina book.  That’s the one where the mice are all ballet dancers.  She brings the book over to me, pointing to a certain page.  “Does that say Macbeth?” she asks.  Odd, because she is not pointing to any words, she’s pointing to the picture itself.

I look closer.

Sure enough, the scene takes place back stage in a theatre or dressing room of some sort.  On the wall is indeed a poster for Macbeth, which she has spotted (even though the artist has only sketched the letters in partially).

A long time ago when I started this blog I used to note random Shakespeare references I heard during the day, like tv commercials and such.  Given that I heard 2 in the last 12 hours or so, it reminded me to post more of them: On this week’s “Lipstick Jungle” episode (watching on Tivo, normally airs Friday night), Brooke Shields’ movie producer character is getting pitched an indie film.  “Set in Belfast in the 1960’s,” the writer says, “Romeo and Juliet stuff.  Catholics and Protestants going at each other.” That was last night at maybe 9:30 or so. This morning on the drive to work (7:30) I heard a radio commercial for Bengal Traders coffee, which I guess they’re serving at ExxonMobil gas stations now.  I missed the lead up, but the man is trying to explain some sort of deal to the woman – I think it has to do with getting a bottle of water with your cup of coffee or something.  “They go great together, like Romeo and Juliet!” he says. “Look how well they turned out,” says the woman.
That’s it.  Hey, I called them “micro” for a reason. 🙂

Next day, same hotel, same breakfast buffet.  Geeklet has already begun coloring a picture of some sort when I say, “Hey, why not try Romeo and Juliet?” “I don’t really remember enough about that one,” she tells me.  “The other story I’d heard so many times, it was easy.” Still, she ponders how she can turn her already created drawing into something Shakespearean.  She colors for awhile, and then says, “How’s this?” On the paper is a banquet table, with a girl – labelled Juliet – at one end, and a boy – Romeo – at the other.  In the center is a goblet.  Above the goblet is the word, “Yum.” She informs me that Romeo and Juliet are having a nice dinner together.  But of course given the whole “sleeping potion” plot device, the drawing really ends up with a whole different meaning.  I love it.