Manny Diaries 2010 Friday- part two "Only in Edina"

Ok, gotta finish Friday before I can cover the weekend - and that was a breeze!

It's everything that has transpired since then!!

Friday, Feb 5 "Only in Edina"

Ok, if any of you "know" me, Y'ALL know I'm all about "The Clothes!" Maybe sad for some but not me. Clothes DO make the first impression. Clothes CAN change the person (or the image thereof). Clothes CAN give you warmth safety. Clothes can even get you laid....HELLO?! Ok, not in "my" case but Why do think they have Frederick's, Victoria's? Reality! I'm just trying to say "Clothing play a VERY large part in all of our lives!"

AND, NO OTHER place is THAT more evident than in the Edina School system.... Abercrombie, Juicy, Rock & Republic, Chip & Pepper, Marc Jacobs, Dolce, Louis.... and this is the MIDDLE SCHOOL - grades 6-9!!!

HOWEVER - NONE of these brands even come close to the overwhelming, over marketed, over saturated, limited skus (items offered) and such a lack luster color pallet - WHO on earth can wear Kelly Green aside from drunken Irish and Irish wannabe's on St Patty's Day??!!! And WHY??!!! Than the EDINA SCHOOL SYSTEM and their very own LOGO wear?!!!!!!!

Julie TRIED to warn me!

I spent last year "grooming" Wyatt: Khakis, NICE jeans, an array of polo shirts and an array of long sleeve t's - as "uniform" for him. He actually wore Converse tennis shoes too.

coercing , bribing, convincing him that you should CARE about the way that you present yourself to your peers and classmates..... BREAK THROUGH! So I thought! Julie was even impressed when she returned last year and he KEPT dressing like that......

OMG - NOT this year!

It's EDINA WEAR! Hoodies - multiples!...in case one gets dirty (God forbid) in black and that lovely shade of Kelly Green, winter hats - again, the SAME two color offerings and we can't forget the simple T's, long sleeve T's, and I can only image what else is in that store. Which happens to be the only RETAIL establishment reporting PROFIT last year!

THEN, in addition to these "sweats" and I don't mean chocolates - I mean "S-wets" are the track pants and/or "athletic" pants that HAVE to be worn together... AS AN OUTFIT! TO SCHOOL!!! Where have we gone wrong with this children!? So young, so moldable, and this is what they PICK?!

Julie - you need to take Wyatt out of the "Edina School System" - I don't care what is "socially associated" with the suburb OR it's school system - if "Edina Wear" is all that worn - do you want him to look and dress like the donor the REST OF HIS LIFE? Tell me NO! Let me get him a little suit or at least a black blazer to go with jeans and a printed t or something!!!!

So, anyway - that was my "finishing" thought for Friday.

And no, not even offering to take him jean shopping and BUYING him a NEW pair -would Wyatt concede to or change his School Attire - damn school spirit!

Now for the weekend!

Manny Ken

Manny Diaries: 2010..12 is the NEW 13!

If I may refresh memories....

Manny Diaries are the "logs/blogs" of my experiences, conversations and life stepping into a role that I know little about - Parenting! Yup, it's that time of year again where I get to be "Manny Ken" to my now 12 yr old 'nephew' - for lack of a better term. He's the closest I will ever have to "nephew" and that's all that matters to us.

Wyatt is the son of my very best/dearest friend Julie. I've known Wyatt since he started cell dividing in Julie's womb and now he's 12 going on 15! Tweens! Who invented them?! And WHY???

In either early February or early March I am asked to stay with Wyatt, the dogs (3 are now 2) and watch over the house when Julie and Greg go on their winter vacation. Greg has learned that it has to be at least two weeks BEFORE my birthday or a week AFTER my birthday. I do one thing, ok two, in February - EVERY February. I plan, create, throw and host my own birthday party. It's been that way for YEARS! That way, "I" know I can't disappoint myself.

But we're here to talk about Wyatt and our time/experiences with each other - what we both learn this week!

Oiy! I can hardly wait......

So, here I am. Year two. 11 is now 12 and by that definition... I have my very own "Tween" on my hands...

Friday, Feb 5

An early start!

I know I have a hard time with time, time management, telling time, judging time... you get the point.

Mostly, my biggest beef with time is being anywhere ON TIME!

So Julie and Greg decide to get the very FIRST flight out this :am....5:AM! WHO flies that early - WHY?

That means that they had to leave the house by 3:AM. In any case that meant SOMEONE had to be here with Wyatt. That someone was ME! I couldn't stay Thursday eve as I had plans. So, I promised I would get up and be to the house for Wyatt when he got up. Agreed time was 6:am.....I don't get up at 6:am, especially lately - I'm lucky if I've just fallen asleep by then. But for Julie and more so Wyatt - I said I would....FOR SURE!

Ok, so I didn't go to sleep until 1:30. If I were as smart as Julie - I would've stayed up all night like she did. Why not, we were emailing at 1:am. But NOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I just HAD to lean back, put my head down and "rest my eyes"....utnil 5:50 AM!!!! Where'd my alarms go?! Why is it 5:50 and NOT 5:30??? What the H!??

Thank god I'm a creature of habit and had laid my "tomorrow's" outfit out, along with shoes, belt and scarf! I'd be screwed! Shower? Didn't even cross my mind. I flew out of bed, jumped into that outfit, sprayed some cologne and was out of there in RECORD time - until I got down to the garage and realized that I had left my work "murse" (man purse) up in the condo AND Oliver - can't forget him.... so I run back up, grab those two most important items and back to the garage to my car. Which is FULL of anything and everything. My first thought was "Oliver, you'll just have sit on my lap" and once we were in the car my next thought was...."where the hell am I going to put Wyatt????" Oh well, we'll figure that out when we get there. Throw the car into gear, pull up to the garage door, the garage door opens and WTF?! When did it SNOW???! It's NOW 6:AM! Panic and adrenaline start kickin in and that's not a good combo for ME when it's snowing with "my" car - I forget that my "Peppy VonPassat" is not an SUV as I fishtail onto 1st street trying to step on the gas and Peppy just shows me this little blinking symbol of squiggly lines and the back of a car....like now is the time for "symbols" telling me that I'm spinning, or it's slippery or whatever that symbols means - JUST GO!!!!

I know my in's & outs and multiple ways to and from Julie's. We have to, but that's another story....

So I'm thinking River Road?? Nope too many hills and stop signs, campus cops that THINK they're actual cops but somehow THEIR tickets are for real! and Minnesota Early Morning Runners - god they bug me! It's winter IN MN AND it's SNOWING!! Take a friggin break will ya! Talk about addicted - or committed or whatever - I call it sick!

So I opt for Washington to Hiawatha to Julie's. You know what REALLY bugs me about going to or from Julie's when I have Wyatt? The flippin LIGHT RAIL! Sure it's convenient if you have FOUR hours in a morning to take it ONE WAY!

Light rail? ABsolutely nothing related to "LIGHT SPEED" that's for sure! Nothing like waiting at a light on Hiawatha - THEY NEVER TURN because there is constantly a "light rail" train coming or going in either direction! Just not the direction I need because I have to CROSS the rail!!! ARGHHHHHH!

Anyway - I come whippin down 42nd, roll through the stop at Minnehaha - no one is really out that early - except ALL THE SLOW PEOPLE!!!!! finally turn into Julie's alley - why doesn't the city HAVE to plow the alleys in Mpls?!!

Spittin and spinning through the alley, turn into their driveway - barely missing the neighbor's "This STAKE means THIS patch is MY property so I'm putting this here so you know it's MY PROPERTY AND you can't drive over, on or barely around it!" It's up all year round. If it weren't for Greg, the stake probably wouldn't exist...

Oh yeah - back to Wyatt....

It's NOW 6:30. That's what time I was supposed to WAKE him at.... I slam my car into park, jump out, look up at his room - lights are on! Dang it! Wait - Wyatt's already up? What's that? He's looking out his window down to me? He's doing something.... what?! WYATT!!!! I got the big ol "L" (finger/thumb) to the forehead! I deserved that one.

The first thing I hear when I walk in...."You're late!" ........... "But it's snowing" doesn't cut it when you're supposed to be the "responsible" one :-)

No denying that one! I'm a late loser! half an hour late!

Wyatt on the other hand is up, showered, dressed and wondering what "I'M" going to make for breakfast! ME? Cook?

I think I need to rent "Mermaids" w/ Cher. A little "culture" and understanding...."I" don't cook. I open. I microwave. I eat.

I look at him, impressed that he's everything this morning that I'm not - READY!

"The only thing I know how to make this early...ok, at all, is cereal. Here's some Apple Jacks. Eat fast, we gotta fly."

"It's snowing!"

And that was just the beginning of the morning......

more tomorrow....... "What kids are wearing to school today" (kill me now!)

Manny Ken :-)

Happy NEW Year!

So,

Been away for awhile - my New Year's Reso is to focus on what will BUILD ME, GROW ME and HELP ME.... so I'm back on this blog thing to see what I can do with it in the coming year.

Thank you for believing, being so patient and of course, READING what little ol me has to share!

So...............

DRAMA!!!!!!!!!!!

I have NO idea where these writers came from with these "Winter Season" Premieres but OMG! Do you think they could've WARNED US? Or at least given us a chance to replenish our meds - for those of us that NEED them.... for what they clobbered us with this evening?

1st: Desperate Housewives: HF! What one of us did NOT think "what if?" tonight? What one of us did not reflect back and THANK GOD (or whomever) for what we have? AND What we have going forward?!!! Am I the only one that thought this? I thought my heart was going to be ripped out over these - what I thought last December, selfless hussies! I was right there with Susan - when they put "Monica's" fat suit on her, I thought I was going to bust a gut but in retrospect, look about what she thought about, her family and blah, blah, blah! Then there was the whole Gabrielle and Trans-America friend ------ WHO would've thunk THAT one???!!!!! I almost consumed my entire bottle of "Brother's & Sister's Reserve" over that show!

THEN! Did anyone see tonight's episode unfolding like it did?! I love to hate her, even in real life because I didn't like her on 30-something - But Holly sitting there when that Ryan came in....I KNEW his balls were on the chopping block! BUT, I'm sure that Stoic Nora will make everyone forgive and forget his evil doings because he saved Kitty's life!!! And OMG! Can you imagine an more IMPLAUSIBLE and HOAXY relationship than Kitty and Robert??? And the fight with Kevin??? Never judge a book by it's cover! OMG! I never thought I'd be rushing to Walgreen's in the "am" BEFORE work but I need to make sure that I have my antidepressants IN HAND before I walk in and greet the New Year after an evening of heart ache, REFLECTION (in reality) and self, as well as family, reassessment as far as values, contempt and FORGIVENESS! Who woulda thunk that ABC would've and DID in an evening that no therapist, NOR my trip home for the holidays, could've fixed????!!!!!!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Ken & Oliver

Ken's Big Barn Adventure

http://www.muddlake.com/

Still just planning and organizing for the event. 

Meeting with Bob tomorrow to go over the marketing avenues and contacts and getting ready to blow this out of the water! 

This is going to be FUN!!! 

It's a great combo - Ken and Bob! Somewhat an unlikely one but nonetheless, a GOOD ONE! 

Working on a phenomenal one :-) Thanks Bob - you're the best! 

More info on the artists and the event to come. Gotta get back to that planning! It's all in the details people! Details! 

OMG! Where do I begin?!

I have been working on a "Ken event" for the last month. It has finally come to fruition and I couldn't be happier! 

The event is at Mudd Lake  at the end of May. 

May 30 & 31 to be exact. Thank you Bob for this opportunity!!!! 

Bob has let me hand pick TEN artists to be a part of the "Ken Event". 

My artists are: 

1. Westy Caswell Copeland:
2. Linda Thiltgen
3. Todd Waters: Link to come
4. Kathryn Capone Chermak: Link to come
5. Tanya Garvis: 
6. Susan Piazza: 
7. Sue Christiansen:
8. Doug Talalla: 
9. To Be Announced! 
10. To Be announced! 

Here is the event: 

Of course, MORE details are to follow!!!!!  As well as artist's updates and links!!!! 

This IS the LAST weekend in May and should be a great turn out!!! 

If YOU'RE NOT THERE.....well, I don't know .... YOU OUGHT TO BE!!!!! 

THIS is what I have been so excited for! This is our FIRST Bi-Annual event! There will be another come fall and THAT is going to be Spectacular....JUST as the first one is PROMISED to be!!!! 

Stay tuned - there is SO much more to be announced!!!! 

Hope to see everyone there! Stay tuned!!!! 

Ken (and Oliver of course!) 

P.S.

ENJOY! Sorry to have been away for so long! 

Who said: "Do you know how popular I am? I am so popular. Everybody loves me so much at this school."?

So, I guess there's no context as to why I posted what I posted regarding my experiences yesterday at Burnsville High - is some feedback. 

First: I was asked to come to Burnsville High to share my wealth of knowledge on clothing, the basics - such as "wardrobing" and closet organization all based off of the Startrib article that was run back in February. 

Yesterday, I went to Burnsville High to teach two classes. They were "Fashion Studies" classes and they were a riot! 

Who would've thought that "I" would be going BACK to High School???? to TEACH! 

The following is mental interpretation of how I saw the classes, how I saw myself and why it was such a trip. 

I hope this clarifies the context of my writings. 

My motto is: All 80's, All the Time! 

OMG! Going BACK to High School was a total trip today! 

I graduated in 1988....that would make it 22 years ago! (I graduated in 1988 as a member of that class but I left in 1987 to start college...vocational school at that but nonetheless - I was out of there a whole year early!) 

ANYWAY - I thought I had stepped through a time-warp in all seriousness. 

First, I was so nervous Tuesday night, preparing, picking out the "perfect" teacher outfit and thinking of witty ways that I could express what I was trying to get across to teenage girls and ........yes, there was actually a LITTLE ME in the class - I looked at that kid and thought - "Kenny, How brave of you to take a FASHION class in High School!" A kid after my own heart. AND THEN, when he asked me where to find these hole things that you used for lacing a shirt up - I was like - this kid IS ME! For some ODD reason I knew exactly what he was trying to ask me and I told him they were "grommets" and he could get them at JoAnne's or Michael's. You would've thought I pointed him the direction of Mecca! 

So back to B'ville High. 

My god it was like I was living a John Hughs film in REALITY! 

How can I put it visually??? 

This is how I felt! With my cool outfit and knowledge just waiting to pour out of me! 

My outfit was pretty damn cool AND I got to show them how three pairs of glasses can change an outfit along with a simple pocket square! And trying to convey MY themes to them? Glossed over! 

In scanning each class, all I could think of was: 

 +   +   +   +    = Ken's Day in a nut shell! 

I had the delinquents from "Take the Lead" :

Infax, a couple of these girls wanted to know what "my wife" thought of my spending and all of these clothes.... 

I sid: I'm single. I aint got no wife and that's the reason I kin afford my clothes. Umhmmmmm! Snap! 

"Stay in school and become sumthin!" 

Then I thought....for a brief moment that I had a couple gals from:   &    but then I remembered I was at B'ville High, NOT Edina. Times have certainly changed in ol B'ville. Not what it once was.... 

In my first class, I had this girl that as soon as I saw her, I thought: !!!!!!! 

Totally. She even put her head down and rested for a while but then something made her tune in...maybe it was my take on Michelle Obama or my character change with just THREE different pairs of glasses. Regardless, she was awake the rest of the class and I was afraid to keep looking at her because I was so transfixed that I was talking to Ally Sheedy from THe Breakfast Club!!!! I just wanted to be Clarie and teach her "not to put so much black shit on her eyes". 

 - You can't have ANY High School without THESE girls. And of course I loved them and picked them out immediately!!!! Ummhmmmm. Again, needed a little more work than I thought but I totally had these girls pegged in the second class.....irony in that last statement but true. See, I reverted BACK to High School today and I though I was NEVER going to go back!!!! 

 I had to throw this in because I swear this was the kid from the first group - How can escape your high school past? NEVER! 

Then while I was there, I couldn't help but think of these. My ego may have placed me in Ferris Bueller's Day Off but I also quoted it.....why? It just happened. After asking if there were anymore questions I fell into "Bueller, Bueller, anyone" totally went over THEIR heads but the teacher and I got the inside chuckle. So I hit it off with the teacher as well. :-) Always a plus. 

This dude came to mind too....when looking at the wall of teachers - THIS GUY STILL EXISTS!!!!!! Ieewwwwwww. 

Lastly, these are some of the other girls that were in both classes. Take a look at the covers and yup, all of them could be pin pointed out of my classes. It was such a hoot. Who needs to picture people in their underwear - not to mention that it's illegal with high school students - when you've got the entire decade called the 80's?!!!!!!! 



Did I mention that I get to go back???? That was the best part! A FREE CALL BACK!!!! Or would that be a Call back for FREE?! Regardless - it's an outlet to spread my knowledge and permeate the minds of the young and uncorrupted...still WRONG school! Sorry! 

Live! Laugh and have a cocktail! The hard part is over! 

checking in

So, it seems that I have fallen off the face of BlogSpot....one would think over to FaceBook, but sadly not. 

I have not had computer time for either, let alone Twitter. Dropped that the day AFTER I started it. There's just SO much to keep up with now a days. Not to sound like an old fart at the ripe old age of 39 but .......

We don't get FB time at work - nor do I blame my employer for that - hello??? We're they're to work, not socialize and reconnect with all of our "friends" and/or classmates from high school or college. Damn, isn't it fun though? 

After I put in a day's work, where's the TIME to do anything else let alone the computer!? There's always something to do afterwards - well for responsible adults anyway :-) So I've heard AND actually participated in: Childcare pick up, child after school/dinner activities, homework, homes, dogs, kids, chores, groceries, cleaning, play dates, running here, running there and being EVERYWHERE without computer time in mind. 

I don't really LIVE with all of those reasons but I know of them! 

My story? Time waster! Hence, the 12:am hr and I find myself doing my  blog usually around this time. 

Granted, I have Oliver. I drop him off in the morning and pick him up after work. We come home, throw the work bag on the table, grab a diet coke and plop down on the couch and turn on the tube. Oh, did I mention that I also grab my computer so I can check emails, check accounts, pay bills and still never get to my blog or FaceBook?? WHY? 

It's so much fun for me, I GET THAT! But when your day is running out of hours and you desperately need sleep, which wins out? It's obvious that Blogging an FaceBook do for me :-) at least tonight they do. Just not on a regular basis which I'm going to work on getting back to! 

It's my chance to reconnect with so many people - FaceBook has changed my life! It's not only networking, but reconnecting, communicating with and even ADDING new friends with the old. I LOVE IT! 

I also love my blog. It's lost a little of the "informative side" that I had initially intended but I'm getting back there - really. I want to share all of the tid bits that I've learned and continue to learn. 

I cant wait to do so with: "My favorite LOCAL artists", "My Home", "My Glasses", and so much more. 

I love talking/writing and whether anyone is out there and reads these rants and raves - thank you - but the thing I like the best about it is that it's a writing outlet for me - something I so enjoy. I'm writing!!!! That's the best part. That, and I truly think it's the excitement of THAT possibility and the fact that I just think (in my head) that I'm a version - I know this is a stretch-  a little Carrie Bradshaw - here is Mpls, looking out -of my WAY TOO SMALL condo bedroom window - at the city, typing nonsensical gibberish, and thinking (knowing) my life is just as cool as hers and I'm just as happy as she was on the show, if not more so knowing that I'm writing, believing in myself, and I too have some pretty frickin cool friends. I'm creative, I'm talented, I have a lot in me and I'm just beginning to scratch the surface of "knowing" who I am. From what I can see, it's going to be a pretty interesting year :-) It's an evolution and every time I write on my blog, it's an inspiration to me. I reread it and if I smile and get something back from it, I post it. If not, I delete, delete, delete and wait for something to come. Obviously, when I start typing, the words just keep coming. These posts have gotten longer and longer too. That's the A.D.D. of course :-) 

As Betty Davis once said: "Fasten your seatbelts. Its going to be a bumpy night!" 

Happy Late Sunday early Monday! This week is going to FLY by!