Ks Are Wild

My friend, Kriste, loaned me her copy of the first season of Flight of the Conchords.  I think they just started the second cd.  She raved about it.  Well, Kham and I have been watching one or two episodes a night for a while now and finally finished it.  The verdict – we liked it, increasingly moreso with each episode as we got used to its format.  It grows on you and makes you giggle a lot and guffah.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a show so completely random. It’s very deadpan too.  How those guys, like the actors in The Office, keep a straight face is beyond me.  The songs are comical genius from lyrics and a wide range of song styles and video looks evocative of days past such as a Footloose choreography scene.  I’d love to get a custom ringtone and a cd of the songs from the season.

But this series is only for certain people who enjoy random, deadpan, sarcasm, black comedy, WTF was that? I can’t believe they made a song about a Stapler sort of randomness.  So, if you’re a little zany, wacked, eccentric, with a twisted sense of humor and knowledge of old music videos and love funny lyrics and dance moves then this is the series for you.

What’s it about?  Oh, a couple of naive best friend guys from New Zealand, trying to break into the music business in New York City. They have a pathetic failure of an agent who fits band management during his lunch break from his real just as an attache for the New Zealand consulate and one completely creepy, loser girl stalker fan.  Also add the fact that they room together in a NYC apartment (read closet) and have to deal with space issues, dating, and ignorance about and racism towards New Zealanders and you’ve got an interesting mix.

Back in the olden days, we’d watch Beavis and Butthead or old music videos when we felt silly or in our cups.  I can totally see us watching these were we ever in a similar situation or mood again.

So what does that have to do with The Lord of the Rings?  Well, they are from New Zealand, where LOTR was filmed, so they did a music video for it in one of the final episodes of Season 1.  Kham and I are big LOTR nuts, in fact, big J. R. R. Tolkien nuts (the author, for those who don’t know) – so much so that I painted a quote of his on the kids’ wall.  I laughed so hard I cried.  The more LOTR familiar you are, the more humorous you’ll find it.

Flight of the Conchords LOTR video on YouTube \”Frodo, Don\’t Wear the Ring\”

I love that song.  Well, after spending the past couple days cleaning up after house guests for Christmas and making room for all the new stuff by donating some old, I’m going to rest.  We’re having the Robinson family over, Kosette’s best friend Sophie, her little brother Mac, and her cool, funny, eccentric parents Patrick and Michelle (See her blog listed to the right).  He was Mormon so grew up playing a lot of boardgames so that’s what we’re going to do – play games (maybe Sequence or Quiddler, Apples to Apples or pictionary), eat and drink.  I plan on making gak, ooblek, and playdough for the kids and maybe pulling some poster board out and let the kids make a collage.  That oughta keep em occupied for a bit.  Whenever we get together it’s crazy with 4 little ones 5 and under.

Think we’ll do some sort of roast thing with fresh buttermilk mashed potatoes.  The potatoes and a bowl full of apples, and frozen applesauce, are the last things left from my garden.  I used that last of the tomatoes in a fresh chicken tortilla soup made over Christmas.  We shake our head in amazement and appreciation that the efforts from last year are still providing for our family into the new year.  It was so worth it.

Hey friends and family – did you know that Oregon is the top Christmas tree grower/supplier in the nation?  Most of which are grown in the Willamette Valley which Corvallis is a part of?  It is one of our top commodities (Hazelnuts and pears are others).  We ship all over the world, lots to the Hollywood studios to use in their Christmas specials and episodes.  So chances are, YOUR tree came from here.  Everyday we drive past “farms,” especially taking Kosette to school.  There are tons of U-Cut/We Haul signs about if you want to actually do the selection and chopping yourself.  We could tell the season was coming in late November when the trains started running more at night for the tree shipments.  Yes, we’re getting to know the rhythms of this little town; including the train schedules.

This is our 3rd Christmas here in Corvallis.  The first tree we got was free, one of many left at a makeshift lot at Safeway that was still hydrated and gigantic.  They are so disposable here.  We couldn’t believe our luck.  But then I saw why my mom was always picky about her cultivar – it had to be a Noble Fir or something with very strong, solid branches for her heavy ornaments.  So last year we got a Noble Fir which supported the heavies quite well and we paid somewhere between 20-30 last year.  This year, from the same lot, we chose a large Noble Fir again, paying $30.  I swear my parents in LA used to pay upwards of $75-135 at my church’s Christmas tree lot (the markup going to donations)!!!  There’s actually a big problem with illegal immigrants (Latin American) being mistreated, sneaking on forrestry land, and cutting wreaths and garlands!  I kid you not, with attack dogs, and guards as if it were a big pot farm operation!

I was curious about the actual statistics, so here’s what I found from Portland Business Mag:  “According to the Oregon Agricultural Statistics Service, 8.5 million Christmas trees were harvested in the state last year. This year’s harvest is expected to be about 8.3 million. Oregon’s population is not large enough to consume any more than a few hundred-thousand trees. That’s why so many need to leave the state.

Oregon remains the nation’s leader in Christmas tree production. The industry has a value of $135 million and is one of the state’s top 10 commodities. Oregon’s 611 growers are concentrated in the Willamette Valley, but there are licensed growers in many other counties, including some east of the Cascades.

Douglas fir is still the mainstay of Oregon production, although the noble fir continues to be popular with consumers.”

Just as we did the last couple years, Kham put on the lights and the basic garland strands and then we let the kids go to town decorating it however they pleased (minus the box of heirloom and fragiles).  Kosette turns into the Decorating NAZI!!!  It’s hysterical (and annoying) because she freaks out.  She turns into super angelic Kosette and chatters up a storm with a shitty ass smile on her face doing ballet spins and leaps and tilts with her ornaments, singing, humming, talking out her decorating game plan…In the meantime, Kellen hauls a chair over and loads up two boughs silently, intent on his task.  Which brings me to the subject of music.  To me, the quintessential Tree Trimming Tunes are those of The Carpenters Christmas collection/portrait album.  I tried putting something different in for a change of pace but ended up putting The Carpenters in because it just didn’t feel like Christmas without it.  What’s your favorite songs for trimming the tree?

I submit, for your amusement, our tree a la Kosette and Kellen.  Mommy (Christmas Tree NazI I), aka “The Christmas Tree Fairy,” hasn’t worked her mischief and magic on it at night yet to make it more beautiful than they can imagine.  They’re used to the Fairies playing havoc with their stuff and were actually disappointed that she hasn’t come yet.  I’ll really have to work on my analness issues once they don’t go for the fairy excuse anymore.  It is fun to just let them have at it though.  I love how they’re all on the first 2 feet of the tree and solidly clumped in the front.

From December 2008‘,width:’100′,height:’100′” width=”100″ height=”100″ align=”" />

So the truly talented mama over at Frog Creek Cottage, came up with this genius and too-cute-for-words way to turn those baby outfits that you can’t bear to part with into an heirloom Christmas stocking. 

I’ve already purchased my fabric to make our stockings (for next year), having come up with my own special touches.  But now I almost don’t want to make them.  This puts my idea to shame.  I love repurposing things, and I love showing how much I value heirlooms by giving them their proper esteemed place in our house, not disrespected, sitting in some sterile rubbermade in the garage.  I’m this close to scrapping mine since I haven’t cut my fabric yet, and doing this.  Maybe I could make them reversible.  One side my idea, other side this?  Too weird?

I’m in serious need of retaining a sense of their babyhood.  Kellen turns 4 in March and he has lost his toddler pooch.  You can tell he’s going to be thin and wiry like his daddy.  At least, hopefully.  Better than his mommy’s awkward youth of freakily skinny and so boney your vertebral column looks like a stegasaurus.

Blog?  I have a blog?  Really?  I’d forgotten. No, I’ve been mentally blogging tons, but it doesn’t count until you actually post right?  Guess I’m a cluster blogger then.  Here’s one to get me back on track.

Herma sent me a link to this YouTube video that is incredible.  It’s a 7 part college men’s acapella group performing Bohemian Rhapsody.  I have always been a fan and appreciateur of GOOD acapella and close harmony.  Of course, I grew up with a dad who sang in a Barbershop Quartet with a bunch of pros for fun.  The thing I liked about his group was the humorous side to their song selection and choreography.  Really, he just groomed me to freak out over the teeny musical Forever Plaid about a young group of acapella songsters who die on their way to a singing contest or concert and this is their final concert before ascension.  They worship Perry Como, calling him “Mr. C” and bow to his letter sweater.  It is very comical and well worth your time.  It’s one of the select few that you can see in very small, unusual, venues (like a Vegas bar as I did the second time).  Wicked, in a Vegas bar, conversely, would NOT be something to see in such a format.  So when I saw this video of them singing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” I thought of my dad and Forever Plaid, and smiled.