Keep your cameras where we can see them

Them Jane gals and i saddled up and headed to the windy city for a hot minute. For moments upon moments we’d been chit-chatting about a short trip north to the Museum of Science & Industry to experience the Fantastic World of Jim Henson exhibit. Well sir, that’s just about what we did. Our road trip began with some intense conversation regarding personal and family goals for the new year. Baby Jane decided that twenty-eleven would be the year of learning to fly solo on the potty. After about an hour’s worth of discussion, i reluctantly agreed. After all, i’ve put these gals through enough already. In what seemed like no time at all, we had been robbed by a hand full of toll booths, we plowed through two floors of IKEA, and finally found ourselves passed out in a Red Roof Inn.

The next day, i was awaken by a toddler feeding me bunny crackers while the soft glow of PBS Kids fell gently upon us. We lifted our tired bodies from the hotel linens, freshened up, and stepped out into the fresh winter snow as it beckoned us onward toward the heart of Chicago. Once we arrived at the museum, there was time to ride the rails from Chicago to Seattle and back again before our 12:45 appointment with the Muppets. On the way, we saw a cattle drive as well as a family picnic being interrupted by a ferocious bear. Outstanding.

When we were finally granted access to the Fantastic World of Jim Henson, we were informed that there was to be no personal video or photography taken during the tourof the exhibit. Grrrrrrr. Well, anyone who knows me is privy to the fact that i am nothing if not a stickler for rules. Therefore, i had to instead hijack the following imagery from the interwebs to present them as my own…

Regardless, we did see all of these things and so much more including silkscreen prints, sketches, ideas, storyboards, short films, fraggles, etcetera. Rather than not do justice, i’ll simply say that i left the exhibit quite inspired and with an even deeper appreciation for the artistry, craft, and vision of the dreamer, Jim Henson.

Thanks to the lovers, the dreamers, and you.

Creepy candy camping trip

Last week, Miranda and I took an excursion from all of that which has distracted us in recent weeks and drove up and along the shores of the mighty Lake Michigan. We spent a couple nights camping and fighting off mosquitoes when we weren't bumming around on the beach. We also spent a day in Chicago and stayed a while in a hotel room watching way too much cable television before investing hours of our lives into discovering a magical land of stylish decor and big savings known simply as IKEA. During those lost of hours of learning what not to wear and flying with the conchords, we were subjected to a creepy new add for M&M's candy which encourages lonely viewers at home to become an M&M. I'm uncertain as to what in particular caused my wife to be so unsettled by this ad. Whether it be The The's song "This Is The Day" or the very thought of surrendering to the idea of discovering her inner M&M, I don't know. All I know is that somewhere in the formula, these ad wizards managed to forge a key to derailing my wife's emotional stability. I had to find a worthy ally to meet this adversary head on. In no time, the mighty alliance of Burt Bacharach and Herb Alpert brought the inner M&M's and their campaign for the worldwide domination of souls to their milk chocolatey knees with joyous absurdity! Hoorah! Hoorah!