LEGO Research Institute playset

Looking for a cool female-empowerment LEGO playset for the science-minded little girl (or boy for that matter!) on your Christmas shopping list? Well, look no further, because the recently released LEGO Research Institute just might be the geek chic LEGO playset of the year!

Featuring LEGO minifigures of a female astronomer, chemist and paleontologist, the set was developed through LEGO's hugely popular LEGO Ideas Program by real-life geoscientist Ellen Kooijman. And whether you're an Adult Fan of LEGOS (AFOL) or a parent hoping to nurture your daughter's interest in science and the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), this is the set for you. I happen to be both of the above, so, I guess I'll need two sets!

But, seriously, if you are interested in purchasing a LEGO Research Institute, you'd best act fast. Available for just $19.99 at the LEGO Store and several places online, the set is selling out fast and already going for as much as $92.00 on Amazon, so, shop now or forever hold your peace…or dinosaur bone, or, you know, whatever else you're holding.

Girl power 4eva, smart girls rock!

 

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Beating The Heat: Play-Doh Style!

Don’t know what the weather’s like where you’re at, but, it’s been a swampy mess down here and Greta and I have been literally melting in the heat. Proclaiming she was too hot to walk the other day, Greta actually crumpled to her knees and made me carry her to the car before ballet class.

The next day, she crawled to the back door to put her shoes on because “her feet stopped working.” and then yesterday it was so hot that it actually rained. Today too. And when I say rain, I’m not talking about deep, cleansing rain that makes the L.A. skyline all super blue. Nope. This was just enough rain to increase the swamp factor in the air and make your car looks like shit. Good times.

So, when the rain started today we decided to stay inside and color until it cooled down. And once it did, we hurried to the store to pick up something new and fun (and most importantly, cheap!) to play with. We only ventured as far as CVS, so, our options were kinda limited, but, today, luck was on our side. And somewhere between the kids crafts and fake Barbie dolls on the toy aisle, I found the perfect inside toy…the Play-Doh Fun Factory!

Longtime Play-Doh aficionados will remember the Fun Factory as the little hand pump machine with the plastic strips with different shaped holes in them. I don’t know if my brother and I ever actually owned one, but, man, did we love that thing when we were kids. Anyway, one of Greta’s friends has a vintage Fun Factory and we’ve been on the hunt for one for for weeks now.

Our only disappointment was that the 2013 edition of the Fun Factory doesn’t come with those cool little plastic scissors, but instead comes with a tiny knife. Weird huh? Other than that, the little pump still cranks out star-shaped snakes and long, curly Play-Doh hair with the best of em. So, hooray for indoor summer fun!

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Greta’s feet did start working again the other day. All I had to do was promise her a Hello Kitty popsicle and she was cured. Strange how that works, huh?

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Location:Burbank, CA

Girls, girls, girls

Every once in a while, I stop and take a look at my life and realize that, with a few notable exceptions, my world is full of women. I have two moms — wait, that sounds wrong, not two moms in a lesbian couple kinda way, but, you know, my mom and my stepmom — a bunch of female friends and family and I live with two women…or, um, one woman and one toddler who just thinks and acts like she’s a grown-ass woman. Hell, even our cat is a girl.

Any way you look at it, I will always be outnumbered. And usually, that’s cool. I mean, I love women, girls, toddlers, whatever. In fact, I usually get along better with women than men. And anyone who knows me can tell you that I am definitely not Joe Macho Man, but, every so often, I do tend to feel a bit ganged up on.

I know what you’re thinking: “Oh, poor, Yeti. Ganged up on by a bunch of girls!” And I know it sounds stupid, but, sometimes I really wanna just, you know, take a piss in the forest or catch a fish with my bare hands and shit. OK, I don’t really wanna catch a fish with my bare hands, and, truth be told, I pee outside a lot. But, the point I’m trying to make here is that every once in a while, it would be great if all the ladies in my life (that includes you, Greta!) took a moment to appreciate me for all the good things I do and not harp on the bad. You know?

I’m not asking for a party or a parade or anything, but, just the chance to be who I am without anyone commenting on it. Hell, even just a big old bear hug and a smile would do. For instance, Greta told me the other day that I was the “Sweetest Dad she knew.” and then she hugged me really hard and that shit made my day. Of course, she changed her tune pretty quick when I told her she couldn’t eat her dinner in front of her little TV. But, for that moment, I was golden and it felt awesome.

So, ladies, if I seem grouchy or moody or out of sorts sometimes, it’s not because I don’t love you or appreciate all the good that you do (because I totally do!), I’m probably just feeling a wee bit outnumbered. So, you know, give a brother a break once in a while. I might love all kinds of truly girlie shit, but, deep down, I am not one of you. And if I wanna be my messy, sweaty, sleep-deprived self sometimes…let me. And if I ask for space to go duck hunting or whatever, well, let me do that too.

OK. That’s all I got. Thanks for listening and see ya at the next Barbie tea party in Greta’s room. Oh, and, for the record, the only thing I really hunt for are bargains. But, that still counts! So, Grrrr…leave me alone, I’m tracking some reasonably-priced Blu-Rays at Costco!