For the past few years, there has only been one event per year that I organize and plan. That event is the photo scavenger hunt. Unfortunately, I suck at scavenger hunts. My BFF (Kerry) thinks I should organize and plan more things. Sadly, I disagree with her because there's a reason why I don't organize more things... the stress.
The photo scavenger hunt originated as a way to celebrate my birthday. My birthday happens to fall in the month of December, which happens to be a busy month due to the holidays and birthdays (of some of my friends). So as a way to celebrate my birthday, I decided to organize a photo scavenger hunt in a different month. My original thinking was that the event was a way for me to give back to my friends what I value as important: a day where friends can just be silly and hang out with each other for the day. That's all I really wanted.
From there, the scavenger hunt just became an annual tradition. So today marked the third annual photo scavenger hunt. And to be honest, I was a little disappointed at the beginning of the day when I received news that many of my friends could not participate.
For anyone who has participated in past scavenger hunts, they would know that I plan well in advance. I generally don't give a weeks notice or anything like that for things. This year's scavenger hunt was planned well over three months in advance. Everything was planned in advance, including the date itself. I even sent out periodic emails as reminders about the event.
So needless to say, it was very disheartening to receive last minute news that some of my friends could not participate... given the advanced notice and the numerous email reminders. It's the unnecessary frustration from things like that which causes me to dislike organizing and planning events. There's a reason why I send out periodic reminders. Things like that only make me question why I even organize the event in the first place. Unfortunately, I think our society is so used to text messages and whatnot that maybe people don't exactly read the full email. Oh well. There's nothing I can do about that.
And the funny thing is, I tweaked the scavenger hunt this year to lessen the amount of stress involved in planning the event by having my friends create their own teams. Prior to this year, I actually had to track people down to make sure there were enough people to participate. You would think that it would be less stressful to not have to find people to participate, instead having your friends do it for you. Sadly, the stress remained... the stress just shifted elsewhere.
Regardless, once the event started everything was good. I think everyone involved had a great time, which is really all I wanted. Despite some of the cancellations, the people who did participate appeared to have enjoyed themselves.
Unlike last year where there four teams, this year there were only two teams. My favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and my favorite brother-in-law (PJ) were on the winning team the previous two years. So in essence, they were the defending champions. On their team this year were my friends (Jen, Gretchen, and Bill). Competing against them were my friends (Andrea, Marc, Kelley, Steve) and Kerry.
I actually think Marc deserves a big kudos for his participation today. Aside from having no shame and appearing in many of the pictures, he was actually quite ill for most of the day. Marc is definitely a trooper and didn't let his team down.
And apparently it was a good thing that Marc did not let his team down because his team ended up winning this year's scavenger hunt. The final score ended up to be something ridiculous like 347-272. Their team simply completed more items off of the scavenger list (124 to 78). And for anyone who has done the scavenger hunt before, it's always quantity that wins. For Andrea, I am sure the win was rewarding because it meant that she regained the title of champion.
All in all, it definitely seemed like everyone who participated had a great time. Even my friends (Cass and Ellen) who I asked to help judge the pictures appeared to have a fun time. It was definitely rewarding to see your goal accomplished... having your friends spend a day together just being silly and having fun.
As well, it was definitely quite a surprise to receive a special bonus for our unborn baby (currently named Cabby until tomorrow). The plan for this year was to have a friendly wager whereby every team throws in $5 per person, such that the winning team would receive the pot. With only two teams participating this year, the pot was not that large. So, Andrea's team decided to simply donate the winnings to Cabby. It was a thoughtful moment for me, which made me happy to have the friends that I do.
Regardless, I think the scavenger hunt was a success. I hope everyone had fun. I also hope everyone enjoyed the gluten-free meal that I made for the party after the hunt. I know my friend (Carlos) did because he specifically inquired about it. (For anyone curious, I created a dish known as Ethiopian cabbage.)
Anyway, thank you again to all of my friends. All of them made today's event a blast. There were definitely pictures that I will not want to look at ever again. Thank you again!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
I Suck At Law Abiding Citizen
Today, I watched the next movie in Karen's Netflix queue. That movie: Law Abiding Citizen. Now, I suck at Law Abiding Citizen.
(The video below is a trailer for Law Abiding Citizen.)
The movie is not really Karen's type of movie. So I got to watch it all by my lonesome. Truth be told, the movie is okay.
Interestingly enough, my friend (Marc) had previously mentioned the movie a couple of nights ago. The discussion eventually led to talking about Gerard Butler (of 300 fame) because he stars in the movie as the law abiding citizen... just hell bent on exacting justice while Jamie Foxx tries to stop him as the District Attorney. I think the discussion led to how Gerard Butler is attractive because of his accent. (I thought it was his abs, but hey to each their own.)
Anyway, the movie was good. It was a lot better than I expected. I wasn't expecting much from the movie, but I think what probably got me hooked was the fact that the reason Gerard Butler goes all Rambo is because his wife and child were murdered and the responsible parties were not held accountable. It actually made me think about how I felt when I lost my son (Braden) and how much of a wreck I became after his passing because I could not hold anyone accountable for it.
Sure, it's very non-sequitor. I know. But, I was rather tired while watching the movie. Nevertheless, the movie is pretty much vigilante justice... and it was surprisingly good.
(The video below is a trailer for Law Abiding Citizen.)
The movie is not really Karen's type of movie. So I got to watch it all by my lonesome. Truth be told, the movie is okay.
Interestingly enough, my friend (Marc) had previously mentioned the movie a couple of nights ago. The discussion eventually led to talking about Gerard Butler (of 300 fame) because he stars in the movie as the law abiding citizen... just hell bent on exacting justice while Jamie Foxx tries to stop him as the District Attorney. I think the discussion led to how Gerard Butler is attractive because of his accent. (I thought it was his abs, but hey to each their own.)
Anyway, the movie was good. It was a lot better than I expected. I wasn't expecting much from the movie, but I think what probably got me hooked was the fact that the reason Gerard Butler goes all Rambo is because his wife and child were murdered and the responsible parties were not held accountable. It actually made me think about how I felt when I lost my son (Braden) and how much of a wreck I became after his passing because I could not hold anyone accountable for it.
Sure, it's very non-sequitor. I know. But, I was rather tired while watching the movie. Nevertheless, the movie is pretty much vigilante justice... and it was surprisingly good.
I Suck At Taxes
Last night, Karen and I filed our taxes. Unfortunately, I suck at taxes. The tax forms that we file are not that difficult because are finances are not complicated. We both have regular jobs. Due to our son's (Braden) passing, we unfortunately did not have a dependent to claim last year.
All in all, completing our taxes should be easy because it's basically simple data entry. Every year, however, I get baffled as to the amount we either receive or owe the government. In general, it seems like everyone I know receives a large refund amount every year. So it starts to get me thinking... am I doing my taxes incorrectly? Should Karen and I finally consult with a tax professional?
It simply makes no sense to me because we really don't have complicated finances. I don't know. I know that it has been said that every year it is best to get as close to $0 as you can. I believe the logic behind that is that the tax refund or tax penalty is basically set to begin with. It just depends on whether you want to pay the taxes up front or at a later time.
By paying up front, any additional overpayment (ie. the tax refund) for the year is returned at a later time. I have heard that it is better to pay at a later time (ie. the tax penalty) due to the amount of interest that can be made on the amount that has to be paid. With our current economy and the low interest rates, that logic may not apply especially since you can be charged an underpayment penalty fee by the government. (I'd shake my fist at the government if it would help.)
Psychologically even though the amount of taxes to be paid for the year is the same, having to owe the government feels a lot worse than having the government owe you. I guess that is why I, like a lot of other people, probably enjoy receiving a tax refund every year. Unfortunately, it never seems to work out that way.
So needless to say, Karen and I were a little disappointed this year as we had a tax penalty (with the additional underpayment penalty). I know in reality, the penalty really shouldn't matter because it's all the same. But somehow, it simply irks me.
All in all, completing our taxes should be easy because it's basically simple data entry. Every year, however, I get baffled as to the amount we either receive or owe the government. In general, it seems like everyone I know receives a large refund amount every year. So it starts to get me thinking... am I doing my taxes incorrectly? Should Karen and I finally consult with a tax professional?
It simply makes no sense to me because we really don't have complicated finances. I don't know. I know that it has been said that every year it is best to get as close to $0 as you can. I believe the logic behind that is that the tax refund or tax penalty is basically set to begin with. It just depends on whether you want to pay the taxes up front or at a later time.
By paying up front, any additional overpayment (ie. the tax refund) for the year is returned at a later time. I have heard that it is better to pay at a later time (ie. the tax penalty) due to the amount of interest that can be made on the amount that has to be paid. With our current economy and the low interest rates, that logic may not apply especially since you can be charged an underpayment penalty fee by the government. (I'd shake my fist at the government if it would help.)
Psychologically even though the amount of taxes to be paid for the year is the same, having to owe the government feels a lot worse than having the government owe you. I guess that is why I, like a lot of other people, probably enjoy receiving a tax refund every year. Unfortunately, it never seems to work out that way.
So needless to say, Karen and I were a little disappointed this year as we had a tax penalty (with the additional underpayment penalty). I know in reality, the penalty really shouldn't matter because it's all the same. But somehow, it simply irks me.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
I Suck At One Day
Like I am apt to do, I get a song stuck in my head and I keep playing that song over and over again. Today's song happens to be One Day by the American Hasidic Jewish Reggae musician known as Matisyahu. (For anyone curious, his real name is Matthew Paul Miller. Matisyahu happens to be his Hebrew name.)
Now I suck at One Day.
(The video below is of One Day.)
I'm not normally a big fan of Reggae music. The song, however, is actually quite catchy. (Luckily, I have a wide range when it comes to music.) Of course, like most songs that get stuck in my head, I know very little of the lyrics.
The only lyrics I happen to know from this song happen to be the chorus "One day", which gets repeated a few times. Hopefully by the twentieth time I repeat playing the song in my infinite loop, I will know more lyrics.
"Sometimes in my tears I drown
But I never let it get me down
So when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around"
I already know a little more and it's only my seventh time around! Anyway, I enjoyed the song so I thought I'd write about it. Go Jewish Reggae!
Now I suck at One Day.
(The video below is of One Day.)
I'm not normally a big fan of Reggae music. The song, however, is actually quite catchy. (Luckily, I have a wide range when it comes to music.) Of course, like most songs that get stuck in my head, I know very little of the lyrics.
The only lyrics I happen to know from this song happen to be the chorus "One day", which gets repeated a few times. Hopefully by the twentieth time I repeat playing the song in my infinite loop, I will know more lyrics.
"Sometimes in my tears I drown
But I never let it get me down
So when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around"
I already know a little more and it's only my seventh time around! Anyway, I enjoyed the song so I thought I'd write about it. Go Jewish Reggae!
I Suck At Lost
Last night, my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) came over. Originally, the plan was to go to Marc and Kelley's for the night. Karen, however, had a late meeting that she had to attend in regards to the public library. Consequently, everyone ended up at our place instead.
On the agenda for the night: Lost. Of course, I suck at Lost. I actually think I might because I totally forgot things from earlier in the season... and the show is not even that far into the final season. Oh well. Without giving anything away, the episode was good.
Andrea was gracious enough to bring brownies last night. They were special brownies... and I don't mean of the variety that gives you munchies or anything like that. Although I'm sure Karen's cousin (Karlene) would enjoy those brownies. Just kidding. (For anyone curious, I thought it would be funny if Karlene were a pot user because it would have been out of character for her.)
The brownies that Andrea brought were of the gluten-free variety. Apparently, there is gluten epidemic. People will look back at the great gluten epidemic of 2010. I'm just having fun of course. My favorite sister-in-law (Janine) has been recently diagnosed with celiac. Kelley has always had stomach issues and now she is on a gluten-free diet. The once hardly-known allergy seems pretty common these days. Again, I blame the food companies. I've turned into a grumpy old man and consequently need someone to blame for things. So I chose the food companies. By the way, yesterday happened to be Janine's birthday. Happy birthday, Janine! Hope you enjoyed yesterday!
Anyway, the gluten-free brownies were good. They were different, but good. By different, I mean that the texture of the brownie is not the same as the traditional brownie texture. That is to be expected after all since it can't have gluten. Needless to say, the brownie was good. And of course, it tasted doubly good with ice cream... which is how we had the brownies. (Yes, I love ice cream.)
And for anyone curious, Marc started his new job yesterday. He seemed very excited about the job, which is good. And, the company sounds like it is a great company to work for which is always a plus.
All in all, it was a great time last night.
On the agenda for the night: Lost. Of course, I suck at Lost. I actually think I might because I totally forgot things from earlier in the season... and the show is not even that far into the final season. Oh well. Without giving anything away, the episode was good.
Andrea was gracious enough to bring brownies last night. They were special brownies... and I don't mean of the variety that gives you munchies or anything like that. Although I'm sure Karen's cousin (Karlene) would enjoy those brownies. Just kidding. (For anyone curious, I thought it would be funny if Karlene were a pot user because it would have been out of character for her.)
The brownies that Andrea brought were of the gluten-free variety. Apparently, there is gluten epidemic. People will look back at the great gluten epidemic of 2010. I'm just having fun of course. My favorite sister-in-law (Janine) has been recently diagnosed with celiac. Kelley has always had stomach issues and now she is on a gluten-free diet. The once hardly-known allergy seems pretty common these days. Again, I blame the food companies. I've turned into a grumpy old man and consequently need someone to blame for things. So I chose the food companies. By the way, yesterday happened to be Janine's birthday. Happy birthday, Janine! Hope you enjoyed yesterday!
Anyway, the gluten-free brownies were good. They were different, but good. By different, I mean that the texture of the brownie is not the same as the traditional brownie texture. That is to be expected after all since it can't have gluten. Needless to say, the brownie was good. And of course, it tasted doubly good with ice cream... which is how we had the brownies. (Yes, I love ice cream.)
And for anyone curious, Marc started his new job yesterday. He seemed very excited about the job, which is good. And, the company sounds like it is a great company to work for which is always a plus.
All in all, it was a great time last night.
I Suck At Talking On The Phone
On Monday, I did something that I have not done in quite some time: I had a conversation on the phone. I generally suck at talking on the phone. In fact, I hardly use the phone to speak with anyone anymore. The only times that I use the phone now are when people call, like my mother.
Yes, I know. I'm a terrible son and friend because I don't usually call anyone. That whole "Keep in touch" line that is a staple of high school yearbook signings has been lost on me.
I wasn't always like that. Growing up, I used the phone all the time because back then the phone was the only means to keep in touch with your friends. And when you're a kid, using the phone to endlessly chat with your friends, who you would see the next day, did not seem like such an oddity.
I remember talking to my friend (Aimee) for hours. I use the word "talk" lightly. Aimee and I used to have conversations of silence... or so I would joke. Again, I was young and keeping in touch with friends seemed like it was life and death back then. So being on the phone for hours did not see unusual. Unfortunately, life gets more complicated.
And for anyone curious, to show how old I am... I would still prefer using the phone over texting if given the option. I would prefer to hear the voice of the person I was contacting. Yes, I know. I'm old. And if you think about it, in terms of efficiency, calling someone takes a lot less time than sending a text, especially if you are waiting for an immediate response.
Needless to say, I was quite surprised on Monday to actually use the phone on Monday. My BFF (Kerry) had called and we simply just talked for awhile. It was great. Granted we did not talk about anything in particular. For me, it just reminded me of the past when I used to talk on the phone a lot.
Among the things that Kerry and I discussed was the upcoming photo scavenger hunt that I am an organizing. She had a question in terms of camera use. This Saturday will be the third scavenger hunt that I am organizing. So, I have been making tweaks here and there, a result of feedback based on previous scavenger hunts.
This year, I added an option for teams to have an additional member designated as the photographer. There were suggestions to have that option because taking team pictures proved to be difficult for some as all of the members of the team were required to be in the picture. Hence, the photographer.
Anyway, having the photographer would make those team pictures easier. Based on that, however, the question of camera use came up from Kerry. She was curious if the team could then split up, use different cameras, and take pictures for the scavenger hunt. Efficient? Yes. In the spirit of things? No.
One of the reasons I had started the photo scavenger hunt a few years ago was to simply have a day where you can spend together with your friends. Granted, the team would be working toward the same goal of taking pictures for the scavenger hunt and splitting up would allow for possibly more pictures. By splitting up, however, I thought the action was not really in the true spirit of what I had originally envisioned for the hunt. Plus, with the addition of having a person designated as a photographer, it made no logical sense to allow for teams to split up.
Consequently, I decided that the team had to use the same camera. In essence, the photographer had to take all of the pictures. Why else have a person designated as a photographer? Sure, it's a work in progress still. Should I organize another scavenger hunt for next year, perhaps I'll change things again and do away with the photographer altogether. Who knows? You can't please everyone. The only thing as an organizer that I can do is try to accommodate the majority of the participants.
Anyway, I thought it was a good discussion with Kerry. I'm glad she called. It was fun. Plus, I'm glad she brought up the whole camera thing because I probably would not have thought of it otherwise. I just want people to have fun on Saturday. If that is achieved, then I'm happy.
And Kerry would probably be happy to know that Karen and I did not go without her again to Not Your Average Joe's for dinner that night. Karen and I actually ended up at Bertucci's in Hingham for dinner. Yum! Bertucci rolls! It was a good night.
Yes, I know. I'm a terrible son and friend because I don't usually call anyone. That whole "Keep in touch" line that is a staple of high school yearbook signings has been lost on me.
I wasn't always like that. Growing up, I used the phone all the time because back then the phone was the only means to keep in touch with your friends. And when you're a kid, using the phone to endlessly chat with your friends, who you would see the next day, did not seem like such an oddity.
I remember talking to my friend (Aimee) for hours. I use the word "talk" lightly. Aimee and I used to have conversations of silence... or so I would joke. Again, I was young and keeping in touch with friends seemed like it was life and death back then. So being on the phone for hours did not see unusual. Unfortunately, life gets more complicated.
And for anyone curious, to show how old I am... I would still prefer using the phone over texting if given the option. I would prefer to hear the voice of the person I was contacting. Yes, I know. I'm old. And if you think about it, in terms of efficiency, calling someone takes a lot less time than sending a text, especially if you are waiting for an immediate response.
Needless to say, I was quite surprised on Monday to actually use the phone on Monday. My BFF (Kerry) had called and we simply just talked for awhile. It was great. Granted we did not talk about anything in particular. For me, it just reminded me of the past when I used to talk on the phone a lot.
Among the things that Kerry and I discussed was the upcoming photo scavenger hunt that I am an organizing. She had a question in terms of camera use. This Saturday will be the third scavenger hunt that I am organizing. So, I have been making tweaks here and there, a result of feedback based on previous scavenger hunts.
This year, I added an option for teams to have an additional member designated as the photographer. There were suggestions to have that option because taking team pictures proved to be difficult for some as all of the members of the team were required to be in the picture. Hence, the photographer.
Anyway, having the photographer would make those team pictures easier. Based on that, however, the question of camera use came up from Kerry. She was curious if the team could then split up, use different cameras, and take pictures for the scavenger hunt. Efficient? Yes. In the spirit of things? No.
One of the reasons I had started the photo scavenger hunt a few years ago was to simply have a day where you can spend together with your friends. Granted, the team would be working toward the same goal of taking pictures for the scavenger hunt and splitting up would allow for possibly more pictures. By splitting up, however, I thought the action was not really in the true spirit of what I had originally envisioned for the hunt. Plus, with the addition of having a person designated as a photographer, it made no logical sense to allow for teams to split up.
Consequently, I decided that the team had to use the same camera. In essence, the photographer had to take all of the pictures. Why else have a person designated as a photographer? Sure, it's a work in progress still. Should I organize another scavenger hunt for next year, perhaps I'll change things again and do away with the photographer altogether. Who knows? You can't please everyone. The only thing as an organizer that I can do is try to accommodate the majority of the participants.
Anyway, I thought it was a good discussion with Kerry. I'm glad she called. It was fun. Plus, I'm glad she brought up the whole camera thing because I probably would not have thought of it otherwise. I just want people to have fun on Saturday. If that is achieved, then I'm happy.
And Kerry would probably be happy to know that Karen and I did not go without her again to Not Your Average Joe's for dinner that night. Karen and I actually ended up at Bertucci's in Hingham for dinner. Yum! Bertucci rolls! It was a good night.
Monday, February 22, 2010
I Suck At Home Improvement
Yesterday continued my home improvement project of frustration. Yes, I suck at home improvement. On Saturday, my propane torch ran out of propane. Thinking nothing of it, I went to the local Home Depot and bought another propane tank.
So early in the morning, I figured I would start soldering the copper pipes necessary to supply water to the first floor bathroom. For anyone curious, I don't like plumbing. Plumbing at my house generally involves my spending time in the crawlspace... and I am not a big fan of the crawlspace. Plus, I find plumbing very dirty... especially when it comes to soldering pipes. The flux paste itself feels like waxy goo... and that's after I clean the pipes with water.
Anyway, I have a lot of joints to solder for this first floor bathroom project. I figured I'd spend Sunday sweating joints like crazy. As it turns out, I didn't solder a single joint in a time span of about six hours.
Like I am apt to do, I generally think problems, when they happen, are a result of something I did or did not do. Perhaps it's what I have been trained to think. After all, in my profession where I develop software and write lines of code, more often than naught a problem arises because the code is not completely correct or the code did not take into account certain business logic, etc. (It should be noted that the problem is not always the developer. There are external issues that can also be the problem... but I generally tend to start reviewing the codebase whenever a problem arises to make sure it is sound.)
Similarly, when I work on home improvement projects, I tend to do the same thing. In this case, the scenario involved soldering a single joint. I started soldering a joint with the new propane tank. For some reason, the solder was not working. So, I disassembled the joint, cleaned the pipe, reapplied the flux, and tried again. When it did not work, I repeated the same steps again... and again... and again. After a while, I started to think... did I forget a step? So, I would add new steps to my process: I would clean the pipe with sandpaper again; I would clean the inside of the joint again; I would perhaps use a different flux; And still... the joint would not solder.
Needless to say, it drove me crazy not being able to solder a single joint in that time span. In retrospect, I probably should have stopped after my third attempt. I decided to give it a break and re-diagnose the problem... on Karen's advice of course. After giving it more thought, I diagnosed the problem as the propane torch... not the propane itself... but the torch part. It only made sense because the pipes were not getting hot enough to melt the solder.
It was very frustrating because I had just purchased a new propane tank the previous day. Oh well. Apparently something must have happened to the torch in addition to the propane tank running out of propane. Regardless, I made another trip to the local Home Depot for a new propane torch. (I have yet to test the diagnosis that the original problem is a result of the torch. When I ignited the new torch, however, the flame did appear different.)
Anyway, following the whole wasted effort on the home improvement project, Karen and I decided to just spend the rest of the day watching movies in her Netflix queue. The movies we watched were "Funny People" and "The Invention of Lying".
(The video below is a trailer for "Funny People".)
(The video below is a trailer for "The Invention of Lying".)
The movies were okay. For anyone curious, "Funny People"... not so funny. In my opinion, the best bit was probably the cameo appearance by Eminem and Ray Romano. The plot is about a comedian (played by Adam Sandler) who has a disease. He hires another comedian (Seth Rogen) to write jokes for him. The movie definitely went longer than it should have. (The movie is about 2 and half hours long.)
In my opinion, "The Invention of Lying" was actually a better movie. Of course, I tend to like Jennifer Garner movies even though she is not blond. Alias... good show. And sure, Daredevil/Elektra were terrible... but Juno and 13 Going on 30... not so bad. The plot of the movie is about a "loser" (Ricky Gervais) who for some reason can tell lies in a world that can only tell truths. There is even a nice jab at religion in the movie.
Watching the two movies back to back actually made it a Jonah Hill double feature. Jonah Hill (the fat guy of Superbad fame) appears as a comedian in "Funny People" and as Ricky Gervais's neighbor in "The Invention of Lying".
Anyway, the movies were a good way to end the otherwise frustrating time spent on renovating the first floor bathroom. Hopefully, the problem is the propane torch and I can start soldering pipes again.
So early in the morning, I figured I would start soldering the copper pipes necessary to supply water to the first floor bathroom. For anyone curious, I don't like plumbing. Plumbing at my house generally involves my spending time in the crawlspace... and I am not a big fan of the crawlspace. Plus, I find plumbing very dirty... especially when it comes to soldering pipes. The flux paste itself feels like waxy goo... and that's after I clean the pipes with water.
Anyway, I have a lot of joints to solder for this first floor bathroom project. I figured I'd spend Sunday sweating joints like crazy. As it turns out, I didn't solder a single joint in a time span of about six hours.
Like I am apt to do, I generally think problems, when they happen, are a result of something I did or did not do. Perhaps it's what I have been trained to think. After all, in my profession where I develop software and write lines of code, more often than naught a problem arises because the code is not completely correct or the code did not take into account certain business logic, etc. (It should be noted that the problem is not always the developer. There are external issues that can also be the problem... but I generally tend to start reviewing the codebase whenever a problem arises to make sure it is sound.)
Similarly, when I work on home improvement projects, I tend to do the same thing. In this case, the scenario involved soldering a single joint. I started soldering a joint with the new propane tank. For some reason, the solder was not working. So, I disassembled the joint, cleaned the pipe, reapplied the flux, and tried again. When it did not work, I repeated the same steps again... and again... and again. After a while, I started to think... did I forget a step? So, I would add new steps to my process: I would clean the pipe with sandpaper again; I would clean the inside of the joint again; I would perhaps use a different flux; And still... the joint would not solder.
Needless to say, it drove me crazy not being able to solder a single joint in that time span. In retrospect, I probably should have stopped after my third attempt. I decided to give it a break and re-diagnose the problem... on Karen's advice of course. After giving it more thought, I diagnosed the problem as the propane torch... not the propane itself... but the torch part. It only made sense because the pipes were not getting hot enough to melt the solder.
It was very frustrating because I had just purchased a new propane tank the previous day. Oh well. Apparently something must have happened to the torch in addition to the propane tank running out of propane. Regardless, I made another trip to the local Home Depot for a new propane torch. (I have yet to test the diagnosis that the original problem is a result of the torch. When I ignited the new torch, however, the flame did appear different.)
Anyway, following the whole wasted effort on the home improvement project, Karen and I decided to just spend the rest of the day watching movies in her Netflix queue. The movies we watched were "Funny People" and "The Invention of Lying".
(The video below is a trailer for "Funny People".)
(The video below is a trailer for "The Invention of Lying".)
The movies were okay. For anyone curious, "Funny People"... not so funny. In my opinion, the best bit was probably the cameo appearance by Eminem and Ray Romano. The plot is about a comedian (played by Adam Sandler) who has a disease. He hires another comedian (Seth Rogen) to write jokes for him. The movie definitely went longer than it should have. (The movie is about 2 and half hours long.)
In my opinion, "The Invention of Lying" was actually a better movie. Of course, I tend to like Jennifer Garner movies even though she is not blond. Alias... good show. And sure, Daredevil/Elektra were terrible... but Juno and 13 Going on 30... not so bad. The plot of the movie is about a "loser" (Ricky Gervais) who for some reason can tell lies in a world that can only tell truths. There is even a nice jab at religion in the movie.
Watching the two movies back to back actually made it a Jonah Hill double feature. Jonah Hill (the fat guy of Superbad fame) appears as a comedian in "Funny People" and as Ricky Gervais's neighbor in "The Invention of Lying".
Anyway, the movies were a good way to end the otherwise frustrating time spent on renovating the first floor bathroom. Hopefully, the problem is the propane torch and I can start soldering pipes again.
I Suck At J.J. Mulligans
Saturday was looking pretty "crappy" for a while. In addition to having a bad home improvement day, Karen and I had a slight problem with the toilet drain in our master bathroom. (For anyone curious, while working on the plumbing of the first floor bathroom, my propane torch ran out of propane. Ever try to solder with little heat? It's tough, if not impossible.)
Adding to the plumbing woes was the clogged toilet in the master bathroom. Karen discovered that after she had flushed, the water was not completely going down the drain. Thankfully, some water did go down the drain. So at least the drain was not totally clogged. Already annoyed with running out of propane, I attempted to unclog the toilet with the trusty plunger.
Needless to say, I used the plunger... I flushed... I repeated when it did not work. I used the plunger... I flushed... I repeated. I tend to repeat things well past when I should stop, so it should come as no surprise that I must have used the plunger probably well over 10 times. (All that water wasted! Dangit!)
Eventually, I had to leave the clogged toilet... plunger and all... because Karen and I were meeting up with our friends (Hugh and Jenny). Hugh and Jenny were going to the movies. They went to watch "Shutter Island". So, we were just meeting up with them for dinner after the movie.
We ended up meeting them at J.J. Mulligans located in Braintree. Now I suck at J.J. Mulligans. For anyone curious, J.J. Mulligans has a burger and beer special for $6.95. What a deal! (There is also a cheese pizza and beer special for the same price.) The burger was quite delicious. I scarfed the burger down in no time... probably because I was extremely hungry by that point in the day.
Anyway, it was a good time at J.J. Mulligans. It turns out that Jenny is having her gall bladder removed on Tuesday. So, she could not really eat much... not that she would eat a variety of things if given the choice. Like some of my other friends, Jenny is quite picky about the foods she consumes.
Jenny is also having fun with the book club she started. Hugh jokingly thinks they don't really read books... opting instead for the boozing opportunity a book club provides. I don't remember what book Jenny was reading for the book club, but the book seemed a little far-fetched to me. The story was about some student who kills ten people in school with a crossbow.
I thought that plot was a stretch because a crossbow only fires one bolt at a time... and it takes quite some time for someone to reload the crossbow with another bolt because they have to pull the bow string back and set it. So killing 10 people with a crossbow seemed like a stretch because the student could have been subdued any time during the reloading process. That was my logic.
Of course, I suppose the student could have been using a crossbow like Scarlett from G.I. Joe... Regardless, it was interesting material for a book club. I actually thought Jenny would go the route of the harlequin romance.
Anyway, we eventually started talking about Karen's pregnancy. Hugh and Jenny were pretty excited for us. Interestingly enough, Jenny... like a lot of other people I know.. believes I will spoil the child. I have already told people that our child will get nothing... no video game console... no cool toys... nothing. The child will be lucky enough to have clothes... and a family of course. I get the feeling that no one thinks that I will not spoil our child. Oh well.
Needless to say, dinner was good. It was good to see Hugh and Jenny whom I haven't seen in quite some time. When Karen and I got home, I immediately went back to using the plunger on the toilet... to no avail. Eventually, I gave up and used some eco-friendly chemicals to unclog the drain. When you first pour the liquid into the toilet... it doesn't look too good. But heck, it seems to have worked!
Adding to the plumbing woes was the clogged toilet in the master bathroom. Karen discovered that after she had flushed, the water was not completely going down the drain. Thankfully, some water did go down the drain. So at least the drain was not totally clogged. Already annoyed with running out of propane, I attempted to unclog the toilet with the trusty plunger.
Needless to say, I used the plunger... I flushed... I repeated when it did not work. I used the plunger... I flushed... I repeated. I tend to repeat things well past when I should stop, so it should come as no surprise that I must have used the plunger probably well over 10 times. (All that water wasted! Dangit!)
Eventually, I had to leave the clogged toilet... plunger and all... because Karen and I were meeting up with our friends (Hugh and Jenny). Hugh and Jenny were going to the movies. They went to watch "Shutter Island". So, we were just meeting up with them for dinner after the movie.
We ended up meeting them at J.J. Mulligans located in Braintree. Now I suck at J.J. Mulligans. For anyone curious, J.J. Mulligans has a burger and beer special for $6.95. What a deal! (There is also a cheese pizza and beer special for the same price.) The burger was quite delicious. I scarfed the burger down in no time... probably because I was extremely hungry by that point in the day.
Anyway, it was a good time at J.J. Mulligans. It turns out that Jenny is having her gall bladder removed on Tuesday. So, she could not really eat much... not that she would eat a variety of things if given the choice. Like some of my other friends, Jenny is quite picky about the foods she consumes.
Jenny is also having fun with the book club she started. Hugh jokingly thinks they don't really read books... opting instead for the boozing opportunity a book club provides. I don't remember what book Jenny was reading for the book club, but the book seemed a little far-fetched to me. The story was about some student who kills ten people in school with a crossbow.
I thought that plot was a stretch because a crossbow only fires one bolt at a time... and it takes quite some time for someone to reload the crossbow with another bolt because they have to pull the bow string back and set it. So killing 10 people with a crossbow seemed like a stretch because the student could have been subdued any time during the reloading process. That was my logic.
Of course, I suppose the student could have been using a crossbow like Scarlett from G.I. Joe... Regardless, it was interesting material for a book club. I actually thought Jenny would go the route of the harlequin romance.
Anyway, we eventually started talking about Karen's pregnancy. Hugh and Jenny were pretty excited for us. Interestingly enough, Jenny... like a lot of other people I know.. believes I will spoil the child. I have already told people that our child will get nothing... no video game console... no cool toys... nothing. The child will be lucky enough to have clothes... and a family of course. I get the feeling that no one thinks that I will not spoil our child. Oh well.
Needless to say, dinner was good. It was good to see Hugh and Jenny whom I haven't seen in quite some time. When Karen and I got home, I immediately went back to using the plunger on the toilet... to no avail. Eventually, I gave up and used some eco-friendly chemicals to unclog the drain. When you first pour the liquid into the toilet... it doesn't look too good. But heck, it seems to have worked!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
I Suck At Whiteout
Last night, I watched the next movie in Karen's Netflix queue: Whiteout. Technically, the next movie in the queue was 9, but somehow Karen and I never received the movie even though Netflix had shipped it to us over a week ago. And interestingly enough, the movie somehow got returned back to Netflix without us ever receiving the movie or watching it. It was bizarre. I am hoping the mailman enjoyed the movie, 9. (That is 9... the computer animated movie about the robots, not Nine the broadway musical.)
Anyway, I suck at Whiteout. The movie, based on the graphic novel and not the correction fluid, is about a U.S. marshall (played by Kate Beckinsale of Underworld fame) trying to solve a series of murders in Antarctica.
(The video below is a trailer for Whiteout.)
The movie was predictable. Nonetheless, the film was entertaining. I'd be curious to read the graphic novel just to see how different it is in comparison to the movie.
Anyway, I suck at Whiteout. The movie, based on the graphic novel and not the correction fluid, is about a U.S. marshall (played by Kate Beckinsale of Underworld fame) trying to solve a series of murders in Antarctica.
(The video below is a trailer for Whiteout.)
The movie was predictable. Nonetheless, the film was entertaining. I'd be curious to read the graphic novel just to see how different it is in comparison to the movie.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
I Suck At Lost
Last night, Karen and I hung out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). On the agenda for the night: the latest episode of Lost.
Too bad I suck at Lost. Without giving anything away, the episode was good. I thought the episode was much better than the previous week's. Realistically, how could the episode not be better than last week's? Last week the episode featured Kate... and well, I'm not exactly a big fan of the wishy-washy Kate. It probably goes without saying that Kate is probably my least favorite character on the show. (I sometimes wonder out of all the characters on the show, why the writers couldn't have killed Kate off by now?)
I think many of my other friends share the same sentiments. Although, Andrea doesn't seem to mind Kate as much. I think Andrea's least favorite character is Jack. And naturally, everyone loves Sawyer. Marc would watch a spin-off show of just Sawyer and Hurley if they had one.
If Karen and I end up having a baby boy, I think I would like to teach him the ways of being the literary archetype known as the "lovable rogue". Kelley actually brought to my attention the term. I figured teaching my son to be a lovable rogue has its advantages. Most importantly, the lovable rogue always gets the girl in the end. Han Solo... got the girl... Pacey... got the girl. (It also lends credence to the fact that women like bad boys.)
The only reason why I even brought up the topic is because... well... Sawyer is the lovable rogue in Lost. So if Karen and I are lucky and we have a boy, then little Squashy (the name of the baby this week... again) can be a rogue and get the girls. Yes, I have it all planned out. Unfortunately, I'm not much of the rogue archetype despite my instigating ways... so teaching Squashy to be one may be difficult.
Regardless, the night was great as usual. Marc made lettuce wraps. The wraps were very delicious. Kelley as well made a lemon tart which was also yummy. All in all, dinner was fantastic.
Speaking of Marc, he landed a new cool sounding gig. Congratulations again! He'll be working for a few months at some science company. Unlike my friend's (Hot Amy) significant other, Marc will probably not be a sanitation engineer. (Snicker.) I'm just having fun. I'm actually happy that Marc got the job. I know he's been itching to do something again. So it'll be good.
Anyway, it was a great night as usual. I had a lot of fun hanging out with everyone and watching Lost.
Too bad I suck at Lost. Without giving anything away, the episode was good. I thought the episode was much better than the previous week's. Realistically, how could the episode not be better than last week's? Last week the episode featured Kate... and well, I'm not exactly a big fan of the wishy-washy Kate. It probably goes without saying that Kate is probably my least favorite character on the show. (I sometimes wonder out of all the characters on the show, why the writers couldn't have killed Kate off by now?)
I think many of my other friends share the same sentiments. Although, Andrea doesn't seem to mind Kate as much. I think Andrea's least favorite character is Jack. And naturally, everyone loves Sawyer. Marc would watch a spin-off show of just Sawyer and Hurley if they had one.
If Karen and I end up having a baby boy, I think I would like to teach him the ways of being the literary archetype known as the "lovable rogue". Kelley actually brought to my attention the term. I figured teaching my son to be a lovable rogue has its advantages. Most importantly, the lovable rogue always gets the girl in the end. Han Solo... got the girl... Pacey... got the girl. (It also lends credence to the fact that women like bad boys.)
The only reason why I even brought up the topic is because... well... Sawyer is the lovable rogue in Lost. So if Karen and I are lucky and we have a boy, then little Squashy (the name of the baby this week... again) can be a rogue and get the girls. Yes, I have it all planned out. Unfortunately, I'm not much of the rogue archetype despite my instigating ways... so teaching Squashy to be one may be difficult.
Regardless, the night was great as usual. Marc made lettuce wraps. The wraps were very delicious. Kelley as well made a lemon tart which was also yummy. All in all, dinner was fantastic.
Speaking of Marc, he landed a new cool sounding gig. Congratulations again! He'll be working for a few months at some science company. Unlike my friend's (Hot Amy) significant other, Marc will probably not be a sanitation engineer. (Snicker.) I'm just having fun. I'm actually happy that Marc got the job. I know he's been itching to do something again. So it'll be good.
Anyway, it was a great night as usual. I had a lot of fun hanging out with everyone and watching Lost.
Monday, February 15, 2010
I Suck At Valentine's Day
Yesterday, Karen and I celebrated Valentine's Day. Now, I suck at Valentine's Day. Luckily for me, Karen and I don't really celebrate the day. I'm not a big fan of the commercialized aspect of Valentine's Day. Of course, I can say that because I also suck at buying presents for Valentine's Day.
This year, Karen and I didn't really do much in terms of presents. She gave me a crossword puzzle that she had created whereby the words in the crossword puzzle corresponded to personal details that I should (hopefully) know... like the color of her eyes. I thought that was a great present. It was creative yet embodied the spirit of Valentine's Day.
Sadly, in return, all I gave Karen was one of those jewelry boxes that rings come in... except instead of a ring inside the box, it was a conversation heart that said "I Love You". Conversation hearts happen to be one of Karen's favorite pieces of candy. She could (and probably has) eat an entire bag at one sitting. (It's almost like what gummy bears are for me.)
From there, we basically spent the day watching our wedding video. I would have liked to have visited my son (Braden) at the cemetery on Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, I was cautioned against it due to the fact that Chinese New Year also landed on the same day. My mother, who I love dearly, can sometimes be superstitious. She thought it would be bad luck if I were to go to the cemetery on Chinese New Year because the day is supposed to welcome good fortune and all of that mumbo jumbo. (Luckily, Karen and I visited Braden on Saturday.)
Regardless, watching the wedding video was definitely interesting. A lot has changed in the course of almost seven years. My friend (Garv) had a poofy hairdo... unlike his current metrosexual hairstyle that has been known in our circle of friends as the "duck butt". My friend (Pam) is now married and has two (possibly three) children. It was definitely interesting. Unfortunately, the video seems to have been cut short by Ritz Camera, the company that converted our wedding tapes to dvd. Curses to Ritz Camera! (Truth be told, I'm definitely not liking Ritz Camera... with the shortened dvd and the horrible customer service.)
Also on the video was my friend's (Hot Amy) ex-fiance (Stuart). Stuart just happened to be sitting in the right spot in our wedding video because he can be clearly seen. The only reason why I even bring him up (aside from the fact that I like to get on Hot Amy's nerves) is because Karen and I were talking about him this weekend.
Before Stuart's untimely flight to the west coast of California where he currently lives, he had given Karen and I a set of dresser/drawers that were in his condo. The black dresser/drawers have been sitting in the baby's/my BFF's (Kerry) room for the longest time. I'm not sure if we even had any clothes in the dresser/drawers. They were pretty much empty.
Anyway, rather than get rid of the dresser/drawers, Karen came up with an idea to re-purpose one of the drawers for the upcoming baby. In essence, she wanted to create a place to store items for the baby... items that were not just clothes. I thought the idea was great because it falls in line with one of the three R's for the environment: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Like I say... what would Ed Begley, Jr. do?
Needless to say, Karen and I spent much of Saturday and Sunday re-purposing the drawer. We had purchased particle board from Lowe's to use as shelving. I then started cutting the pieces to fit into the drawer. I even reused the original screws that held the drawer together. While I was doing that, Karen worked on adding fabric to the back piece of the drawer.
Although I was hesitant, Karen even painted the re-purposed drawer with no VOC paint (another environmentally friendly product). Karen assured me that painting at her stage of pregnancy was okay. So if the baby (currently called "Squashy" again this week) has two heads, you'll know why.
Needless to say, the new storage unit for the baby came out nicely. We have not attached the new fabric backing yet to complete the transformation, but it still looks good. And we have Stuart to thank for the whole thing. So thanks Stuart!
All in all, it was a good Valentine's.
This year, Karen and I didn't really do much in terms of presents. She gave me a crossword puzzle that she had created whereby the words in the crossword puzzle corresponded to personal details that I should (hopefully) know... like the color of her eyes. I thought that was a great present. It was creative yet embodied the spirit of Valentine's Day.
Sadly, in return, all I gave Karen was one of those jewelry boxes that rings come in... except instead of a ring inside the box, it was a conversation heart that said "I Love You". Conversation hearts happen to be one of Karen's favorite pieces of candy. She could (and probably has) eat an entire bag at one sitting. (It's almost like what gummy bears are for me.)
From there, we basically spent the day watching our wedding video. I would have liked to have visited my son (Braden) at the cemetery on Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, I was cautioned against it due to the fact that Chinese New Year also landed on the same day. My mother, who I love dearly, can sometimes be superstitious. She thought it would be bad luck if I were to go to the cemetery on Chinese New Year because the day is supposed to welcome good fortune and all of that mumbo jumbo. (Luckily, Karen and I visited Braden on Saturday.)
Regardless, watching the wedding video was definitely interesting. A lot has changed in the course of almost seven years. My friend (Garv) had a poofy hairdo... unlike his current metrosexual hairstyle that has been known in our circle of friends as the "duck butt". My friend (Pam) is now married and has two (possibly three) children. It was definitely interesting. Unfortunately, the video seems to have been cut short by Ritz Camera, the company that converted our wedding tapes to dvd. Curses to Ritz Camera! (Truth be told, I'm definitely not liking Ritz Camera... with the shortened dvd and the horrible customer service.)
Also on the video was my friend's (Hot Amy) ex-fiance (Stuart). Stuart just happened to be sitting in the right spot in our wedding video because he can be clearly seen. The only reason why I even bring him up (aside from the fact that I like to get on Hot Amy's nerves) is because Karen and I were talking about him this weekend.
Before Stuart's untimely flight to the west coast of California where he currently lives, he had given Karen and I a set of dresser/drawers that were in his condo. The black dresser/drawers have been sitting in the baby's/my BFF's (Kerry) room for the longest time. I'm not sure if we even had any clothes in the dresser/drawers. They were pretty much empty.
Anyway, rather than get rid of the dresser/drawers, Karen came up with an idea to re-purpose one of the drawers for the upcoming baby. In essence, she wanted to create a place to store items for the baby... items that were not just clothes. I thought the idea was great because it falls in line with one of the three R's for the environment: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Like I say... what would Ed Begley, Jr. do?
Needless to say, Karen and I spent much of Saturday and Sunday re-purposing the drawer. We had purchased particle board from Lowe's to use as shelving. I then started cutting the pieces to fit into the drawer. I even reused the original screws that held the drawer together. While I was doing that, Karen worked on adding fabric to the back piece of the drawer.
Although I was hesitant, Karen even painted the re-purposed drawer with no VOC paint (another environmentally friendly product). Karen assured me that painting at her stage of pregnancy was okay. So if the baby (currently called "Squashy" again this week) has two heads, you'll know why.
Needless to say, the new storage unit for the baby came out nicely. We have not attached the new fabric backing yet to complete the transformation, but it still looks good. And we have Stuart to thank for the whole thing. So thanks Stuart!
All in all, it was a good Valentine's.
I Suck At Chinese New Year
This year, my parents decided to celebrate Chinese New Year on Saturday. Chinese New Year is actually on Sunday, which also happens to be Valentine's Day. For anyone curious, this year is the year of the tiger (my year). Too bad I suck at Chinese New Year.
Every year, my parents host a dinner for Chinese New Year. In fact, I think Chinese New Year is the one day of the year that my parents look forward to because they get to share the event with friends and family. Particularly, they get to cook (and my mom loves to cook) and they get to share the event with Karen's family and some of our friends.
When this tradition began, it was mainly Karen, Karen's parents, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), my favorite brother-in-law (PJ) and their family. Some other members of Karen's family would attend like Karen's grandparents. My cousin (Betty) and her son (Marvin) would also come.
Along the way, my friends (Jen and Bill) started joining in on the celebration. My mom's friends would come. This year, my friends (Gretchen and Andrea) attended the new year dinner. Pretty soon, there will be a ton of people attending my parents's Chinese New Year celebration dinner. Truth be told, my mother would probably be okay with that because she always makes a ton of food.
Anyway, the dinner celebration in my opinion was great as usual. I hope the newcomers of Gretchen and Andrea enjoyed the dinner. I was particularly curious if Andrea would enjoy the dinner. Andrea, like a good number of my friends, is particular when it comes to eating. If my friends had dietary restrictions, I could understand the peculiar eating. Sadly, that is usually not the case with my friends.
But I will give Andrea (and Jen) credit. Both of them did try seaweed. There is a vegetarian dish known as Buddha's delight. Well, within this dish my mother adds black seaweed. Based on the sound of things, I am sure the dish does not sound appetizing to the average person. For the most part, I would agree that seaweed does not sound appetizing, until you realize that seaweed is also used in things like sushi.
I actually think that is the cause of some of my friends' eating issues. I think that a majority of them have this preconceived idea of what the food will taste like based on these assumptions. Thus, they will refuse trying the item or already have a negative bias toward the item. In essence, it's judging a book by the cover... but for food. Luckily, I don't have that issue. I'll eat anything... which would make me a valuable asset to any of those reality television shows where you have to eat... anything.
Regardless, Andrea surprised me. She ate the seaweed. I doubt that she would eat it ever again, but at least she tried it. Of course, had she eaten the entire dish and not just the seaweed alone, she would had the full experience of the dish. (Why eat just the ingredients? It's like eating a dash of salt... you wouldn't eat that by itself, right?)
All in all, I had a great time celebrating Chinese New Year. It's always great to hang out with family and friends. After all, that's what it's all about.
Every year, my parents host a dinner for Chinese New Year. In fact, I think Chinese New Year is the one day of the year that my parents look forward to because they get to share the event with friends and family. Particularly, they get to cook (and my mom loves to cook) and they get to share the event with Karen's family and some of our friends.
When this tradition began, it was mainly Karen, Karen's parents, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), my favorite brother-in-law (PJ) and their family. Some other members of Karen's family would attend like Karen's grandparents. My cousin (Betty) and her son (Marvin) would also come.
Along the way, my friends (Jen and Bill) started joining in on the celebration. My mom's friends would come. This year, my friends (Gretchen and Andrea) attended the new year dinner. Pretty soon, there will be a ton of people attending my parents's Chinese New Year celebration dinner. Truth be told, my mother would probably be okay with that because she always makes a ton of food.
Anyway, the dinner celebration in my opinion was great as usual. I hope the newcomers of Gretchen and Andrea enjoyed the dinner. I was particularly curious if Andrea would enjoy the dinner. Andrea, like a good number of my friends, is particular when it comes to eating. If my friends had dietary restrictions, I could understand the peculiar eating. Sadly, that is usually not the case with my friends.
But I will give Andrea (and Jen) credit. Both of them did try seaweed. There is a vegetarian dish known as Buddha's delight. Well, within this dish my mother adds black seaweed. Based on the sound of things, I am sure the dish does not sound appetizing to the average person. For the most part, I would agree that seaweed does not sound appetizing, until you realize that seaweed is also used in things like sushi.
I actually think that is the cause of some of my friends' eating issues. I think that a majority of them have this preconceived idea of what the food will taste like based on these assumptions. Thus, they will refuse trying the item or already have a negative bias toward the item. In essence, it's judging a book by the cover... but for food. Luckily, I don't have that issue. I'll eat anything... which would make me a valuable asset to any of those reality television shows where you have to eat... anything.
Regardless, Andrea surprised me. She ate the seaweed. I doubt that she would eat it ever again, but at least she tried it. Of course, had she eaten the entire dish and not just the seaweed alone, she would had the full experience of the dish. (Why eat just the ingredients? It's like eating a dash of salt... you wouldn't eat that by itself, right?)
All in all, I had a great time celebrating Chinese New Year. It's always great to hang out with family and friends. After all, that's what it's all about.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
I Suck At The British Beer Company
Friday night, Karen and I had dinner at the British Beer Company located in Pembroke. Now, I suck at the British Beer Company. I have not been to the BBC in some time.
Needless to say, the meal was delicious. Granted, all I had was a burger, but it was a good-tasting burger. For anyone curious, I had the Wensleydale burger. The combination of the cranberry Wensleydale cheese on a burger had intrigued me. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.)
Anyway, dinner was great. It was definitely the highlight of the night. Of course, it was hard not to be the highlight of the night when the other things we did were go grocery shopping and make a quick run to Lowe's for some supplies. (By the way, grocery shopping on a Friday night... great! No one shops for groceries on a Friday night.)
Needless to say, the meal was delicious. Granted, all I had was a burger, but it was a good-tasting burger. For anyone curious, I had the Wensleydale burger. The combination of the cranberry Wensleydale cheese on a burger had intrigued me. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.)
Anyway, dinner was great. It was definitely the highlight of the night. Of course, it was hard not to be the highlight of the night when the other things we did were go grocery shopping and make a quick run to Lowe's for some supplies. (By the way, grocery shopping on a Friday night... great! No one shops for groceries on a Friday night.)
Friday, February 12, 2010
I Suck At Setting Up A Bassinet
Last night was quite the eventful night. In fact, it was pretty much a family night as everything revolved around our family.
After work, Karen and I made a brief stop at Babies 'R Us to update our registry. To be more specific, we looked into car seats, baby carriages, and strollers. Eventually, we made a decision. Like I had mentioned to Karen, with the passing of our son (Braden), we are probably going to be those parents who will be constantly over-protecting our next child. The baby (who this week is named "Cabby" after Chinese cabbage) will most likely be wrapped up from head to toe in cushy padding... twice... to never get hurt.
From there (and after another brief stop at Staples to recycle some electronic waste... go environment!), we headed off to South Shore Hospital. For dinner, we were meeting up with Karen's parents at the hospital. Karen's mother was pretty comical. She seems quite giddy with excitement over Cabby and our baby registry and all of that. (And yes, the hospital food at South Shore Hospital is pretty good. I had a cheeseburger. Yum!)
Sure, the hospital cafetaria is no swanky dining establishment, but it was convenient. After all, the reason why we were meeting up with Karen's parents was because we were visiting some family members who happened to be in the hospital. Interestingly enough, the two separate family members were on the same floor, directly across from each other. It was interesting. Plus, the visit was apparently very quick as one patient was tired, and the other already had company. It was probably one of the quickest visits I have been to at a hospital... for two people.
Anyway, the patients are doing well. Following the hospital, Karen and I then headed off to see my favorite sister-in-law (Janine). Janine and my favorite brother-in-law (PJ) were giving us their bassinet and crib. So we stopped on by to pick up the items. Luckily for us, Janine's BFF (Gretchen) happened to be there because the bassinet and crib were in the attic... and PJ was not home yet.
Apparently, Janine is afraid to go up into the attic for hear of falling through the ceiling. I actually think they have a nice attic. Their attic is a lot more comfortable than our attic. Plus, there's more headroom. But I can see why she'd dislike going into the attic. The attic stairs are not exactly that secure.
Regardless, with the help of Janine and Gretchen, we were able to retrieve the bassinet and crib from the attic. And for anyone curious, I actually did not know what a bassinet looked like. I've heard the term before. And I've heard Karen and Janine always refer to it many times. And interestingly enough, I have actually seen one before. I just never made the association that the thing I have seen is called a "bassinet". To me, I always thought it was a little crib... but I guess bassinet sounded phonetically better than little crib.
Anyway, after hanging out at Janine and PJ's, Karen and I eventually headed home where I began to assemble the aforementioned bassinet and crib. And I must say, I suck at setting up a bassinet. Setting up the crib was no problem. A few screws here... a few screws there... and voila! Crib. The bassinet was a whole different story.
The bassinet actually did not require any screws, which is the sad part. Instead, it assembles with buttons and fitted pieces. Assembling the base was the easy part. It was actually the bassinet portion itself that took forever. Karen and I must have spent a good amount of time trying to figure out how the skirt attached to the basket. Not even the directions could help us out.
Eventually, we did figure it out. Apparently, the bottom board had to actually sit into the skirt piece before snapping up all of the buttons. The directions never mentioned anything about that. The whole assembly of the bassinet definitely took us longer than it should have. But at least it's done.
So now at least we have some baby furniture in Cabby's/My BFF's (Kerry) room.
After work, Karen and I made a brief stop at Babies 'R Us to update our registry. To be more specific, we looked into car seats, baby carriages, and strollers. Eventually, we made a decision. Like I had mentioned to Karen, with the passing of our son (Braden), we are probably going to be those parents who will be constantly over-protecting our next child. The baby (who this week is named "Cabby" after Chinese cabbage) will most likely be wrapped up from head to toe in cushy padding... twice... to never get hurt.
From there (and after another brief stop at Staples to recycle some electronic waste... go environment!), we headed off to South Shore Hospital. For dinner, we were meeting up with Karen's parents at the hospital. Karen's mother was pretty comical. She seems quite giddy with excitement over Cabby and our baby registry and all of that. (And yes, the hospital food at South Shore Hospital is pretty good. I had a cheeseburger. Yum!)
Sure, the hospital cafetaria is no swanky dining establishment, but it was convenient. After all, the reason why we were meeting up with Karen's parents was because we were visiting some family members who happened to be in the hospital. Interestingly enough, the two separate family members were on the same floor, directly across from each other. It was interesting. Plus, the visit was apparently very quick as one patient was tired, and the other already had company. It was probably one of the quickest visits I have been to at a hospital... for two people.
Anyway, the patients are doing well. Following the hospital, Karen and I then headed off to see my favorite sister-in-law (Janine). Janine and my favorite brother-in-law (PJ) were giving us their bassinet and crib. So we stopped on by to pick up the items. Luckily for us, Janine's BFF (Gretchen) happened to be there because the bassinet and crib were in the attic... and PJ was not home yet.
Apparently, Janine is afraid to go up into the attic for hear of falling through the ceiling. I actually think they have a nice attic. Their attic is a lot more comfortable than our attic. Plus, there's more headroom. But I can see why she'd dislike going into the attic. The attic stairs are not exactly that secure.
Regardless, with the help of Janine and Gretchen, we were able to retrieve the bassinet and crib from the attic. And for anyone curious, I actually did not know what a bassinet looked like. I've heard the term before. And I've heard Karen and Janine always refer to it many times. And interestingly enough, I have actually seen one before. I just never made the association that the thing I have seen is called a "bassinet". To me, I always thought it was a little crib... but I guess bassinet sounded phonetically better than little crib.
Anyway, after hanging out at Janine and PJ's, Karen and I eventually headed home where I began to assemble the aforementioned bassinet and crib. And I must say, I suck at setting up a bassinet. Setting up the crib was no problem. A few screws here... a few screws there... and voila! Crib. The bassinet was a whole different story.
The bassinet actually did not require any screws, which is the sad part. Instead, it assembles with buttons and fitted pieces. Assembling the base was the easy part. It was actually the bassinet portion itself that took forever. Karen and I must have spent a good amount of time trying to figure out how the skirt attached to the basket. Not even the directions could help us out.
Eventually, we did figure it out. Apparently, the bottom board had to actually sit into the skirt piece before snapping up all of the buttons. The directions never mentioned anything about that. The whole assembly of the bassinet definitely took us longer than it should have. But at least it's done.
So now at least we have some baby furniture in Cabby's/My BFF's (Kerry) room.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
I Suck At Lost
On Tuesday, Karen and I hung out with my friends (Marc and Kelley).
Marc was gracious enough to make a chicken casserole dish for dinner. It was very good. And it was gluten-free, not that I have to worry about that or anything. (Knock on wood.)
Anyway, we decided to watch a couple of episodes of Angel before the real festivities began. The episodes that we watched were: "Double or Nothing" about Gunn's deal to sell his soul for a truck; and "The Price" about a slug infestation due to the use of dark magic. Incidentally, "The Price" also featured the return of Connor (a.k.a. the Destroyer). The moniker "The Destroyer" is fitting because Connor, in my opinion, destroyed the show... quite possibly the Whedonverse. As you can tell, I'm not a big fan of Connor.
Shortly after, my friend (Andrea) arrived. Andrea was joining us for the next episode of Lost. Unfortunately, I suck at Lost. As usual, the episode was good. The episode probably would have been better were it not featuring the character known as Kate. (Is Kate the Lost version of Connor? Maybe.)
Needless to say, the five of us had a great time hanging out watching the show. As a bonus, Andrea brought baked goods. They were good. Some of the topics of discussion that came up during the commercial breaks were things like the author, Dennis Lehane. (We happened to see the commercial for the movie, Shutter Island.) I think I would like to read some of his books... just to see how they are. Lord knows his writing has to be ten times better than Stephenie Meyer's (of Twilight fame).
That is, of course, not to say that I won't finish reading the rest of the Twilight series. As one who likes to complete things, I am somewhat compelled to read the rest of the series and hope that all the main characters die a horrible death. (I can only hope.)
Aside from that, there were other silly topics of discussion like how Rajon Rondo, point guard of the Boston Celtics, would be a Drow. That would be nerd-lingo for a type of elf. Oh yes, as well, we discussed interview experiences. Marc has an upcoming interview (good luck Marc!) and a bunch of us reminisced about our past interview experiences. It was interesting.
At my former company, the president of the company used to always ask "If you could be an animal, what animal would you be and why?" during the interview process. In my current snarky state, I would probably answer "Tiger Woods... for the sex, money and fame". Regardless, the question was supposed to be one of those abstract thinking types of questions.
The president used to pride himself on being such a great interviewer. Yet, he seems to have a hazy memory that many of his highly recommended hires did not pan out. One hire only lasted a couple of days. Oh well.
All in all, it was a fun night. I had a good time as usual.
Marc was gracious enough to make a chicken casserole dish for dinner. It was very good. And it was gluten-free, not that I have to worry about that or anything. (Knock on wood.)
Anyway, we decided to watch a couple of episodes of Angel before the real festivities began. The episodes that we watched were: "Double or Nothing" about Gunn's deal to sell his soul for a truck; and "The Price" about a slug infestation due to the use of dark magic. Incidentally, "The Price" also featured the return of Connor (a.k.a. the Destroyer). The moniker "The Destroyer" is fitting because Connor, in my opinion, destroyed the show... quite possibly the Whedonverse. As you can tell, I'm not a big fan of Connor.
Shortly after, my friend (Andrea) arrived. Andrea was joining us for the next episode of Lost. Unfortunately, I suck at Lost. As usual, the episode was good. The episode probably would have been better were it not featuring the character known as Kate. (Is Kate the Lost version of Connor? Maybe.)
Needless to say, the five of us had a great time hanging out watching the show. As a bonus, Andrea brought baked goods. They were good. Some of the topics of discussion that came up during the commercial breaks were things like the author, Dennis Lehane. (We happened to see the commercial for the movie, Shutter Island.) I think I would like to read some of his books... just to see how they are. Lord knows his writing has to be ten times better than Stephenie Meyer's (of Twilight fame).
That is, of course, not to say that I won't finish reading the rest of the Twilight series. As one who likes to complete things, I am somewhat compelled to read the rest of the series and hope that all the main characters die a horrible death. (I can only hope.)
Aside from that, there were other silly topics of discussion like how Rajon Rondo, point guard of the Boston Celtics, would be a Drow. That would be nerd-lingo for a type of elf. Oh yes, as well, we discussed interview experiences. Marc has an upcoming interview (good luck Marc!) and a bunch of us reminisced about our past interview experiences. It was interesting.
At my former company, the president of the company used to always ask "If you could be an animal, what animal would you be and why?" during the interview process. In my current snarky state, I would probably answer "Tiger Woods... for the sex, money and fame". Regardless, the question was supposed to be one of those abstract thinking types of questions.
The president used to pride himself on being such a great interviewer. Yet, he seems to have a hazy memory that many of his highly recommended hires did not pan out. One hire only lasted a couple of days. Oh well.
All in all, it was a fun night. I had a good time as usual.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
I Suck At X-Files: I Want To Believe
Today, I watched another movie from Karen's Netflix queue. That movie: X-Files: I Want to Believe. Now I suck at X-Files: I Want to Believe.
As Karen was never a fan of the X-Files, the movie was all my doing. Truth be told, I was never a big fan of the X-Files television show either. I watched a few episodes here and there every season, but was never really a dedicated fan.
(The video below is a trailer for X-Files: I Want to Believe.)
As a casual fan, the movie was good. After all, what is not to like about a movie that has Xzibit in it. Plus, I thought the movie was easy to follow even if you didn't know the main characters of Mulder and Sculley. All in all, I enjoyed the thriller. (Karen, however, did not watch the movie.)
And of course, it being Monday and all, Karen and I decided to go out for dinner afterwards. Probably to the dismay of my BFF (Kerry) and my friend (Andrea), we went out to Not Your Average Joe's located in Norwell. And yep, the restaurant is still having its 10 entrees for $10 each promotion. (And for anyone curious, yes I had the steak tips again.) The steak tips were delicious.
As Karen was never a fan of the X-Files, the movie was all my doing. Truth be told, I was never a big fan of the X-Files television show either. I watched a few episodes here and there every season, but was never really a dedicated fan.
(The video below is a trailer for X-Files: I Want to Believe.)
As a casual fan, the movie was good. After all, what is not to like about a movie that has Xzibit in it. Plus, I thought the movie was easy to follow even if you didn't know the main characters of Mulder and Sculley. All in all, I enjoyed the thriller. (Karen, however, did not watch the movie.)
And of course, it being Monday and all, Karen and I decided to go out for dinner afterwards. Probably to the dismay of my BFF (Kerry) and my friend (Andrea), we went out to Not Your Average Joe's located in Norwell. And yep, the restaurant is still having its 10 entrees for $10 each promotion. (And for anyone curious, yes I had the steak tips again.) The steak tips were delicious.
Monday, February 8, 2010
I Suck At Home Improvement
Knowing that I was working on renovating the bathroom on our first floor, My BFF (Kerry) offered to lend a hand with my home improvement project yesterday. To be honest, I was quite ecstatic to have some... any... help to finish the project before our baby arrives. I always feel like I'm being a pain or imposing whenever I do ask for help. So needless to say, I was quite happy when Kerry offered her services because I suck at home improvement.
We began working on the bathroom after a brief stint at my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine), Marathon Sports, and Extreme Pita located in Norwell. I had to drop Karen off at Janine's as they were attending a Lia Sophia jewelry party up in the great white yonder known as Lowell. From there, Kerry and I went to Marathon Sports so that Kerry could purchase new running sneakers. (That store makes me feel like running. Someday, I'll start running again.) Then from there, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at Extreme Pita (it's extreme!!).
Eventually, we worked on the bathroom renovation project. The task at hand for the day: installing drywall. Earlier in the week, my friends (Andrea and Kelley) helped me install the sheets of drywall to the ceiling. So on Sunday, Kerry helped install the drywall to the walls.
I may be starting to get a complex about doing home improvement projects with my friends. It's not that my friends were bad at helping. Quite the opposite. They were very good and very helpful. I'm thankful for all of their help. It just seemed to me that Andrea, Kelley, and Kerry were all worried about messing up the project and consequently the house. In case you are curious, they didn't mess up. As far as home improvement projects go, drywall installation is one of the easier projects to do because all you are doing is screwing the drywall into studs (like me). And even if they did mess up, it's not a big deal.
Like I have told some of my friends in terms of home improvement, anything that has been done can be undone. So there is no need to worry about things. Plus, it's not like the project I am having them help with concerns electrical, plumbing or structural work... all of which can actually cause major damage to a house. Needless to say, I sometimes wonder if my friends are simply afraid that I am too bossy or something. Thus, my developing complex.
Anyway, it turns out that like most of my friends, Kerry has never installed drywall before. And because I still have the mindset of a 5 year old, Kerry is great at screwing. (Snicker.) While I had measured and cut the pieces of drywall to fit the area, Kerry was attaching the pieces of drywall to the marked studs (again... like me). We completed two walls, which was great. Thanks again Kerry for the help!
Eventually, Kerry had to go. So from there, I tidied up the bathroom before heading over to Janine's. Janine was having a little SuperBowl party. The party was great. Joining the festivities was my friend (Gretchen). As usual, the food was delicious. Janine made a great taco calzone. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.)
And of course, the New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts. As a New England Patriots fan, any time the Colts lose is a good time. So it was a fun night.
We began working on the bathroom after a brief stint at my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine), Marathon Sports, and Extreme Pita located in Norwell. I had to drop Karen off at Janine's as they were attending a Lia Sophia jewelry party up in the great white yonder known as Lowell. From there, Kerry and I went to Marathon Sports so that Kerry could purchase new running sneakers. (That store makes me feel like running. Someday, I'll start running again.) Then from there, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at Extreme Pita (it's extreme!!).
Eventually, we worked on the bathroom renovation project. The task at hand for the day: installing drywall. Earlier in the week, my friends (Andrea and Kelley) helped me install the sheets of drywall to the ceiling. So on Sunday, Kerry helped install the drywall to the walls.
I may be starting to get a complex about doing home improvement projects with my friends. It's not that my friends were bad at helping. Quite the opposite. They were very good and very helpful. I'm thankful for all of their help. It just seemed to me that Andrea, Kelley, and Kerry were all worried about messing up the project and consequently the house. In case you are curious, they didn't mess up. As far as home improvement projects go, drywall installation is one of the easier projects to do because all you are doing is screwing the drywall into studs (like me). And even if they did mess up, it's not a big deal.
Like I have told some of my friends in terms of home improvement, anything that has been done can be undone. So there is no need to worry about things. Plus, it's not like the project I am having them help with concerns electrical, plumbing or structural work... all of which can actually cause major damage to a house. Needless to say, I sometimes wonder if my friends are simply afraid that I am too bossy or something. Thus, my developing complex.
Anyway, it turns out that like most of my friends, Kerry has never installed drywall before. And because I still have the mindset of a 5 year old, Kerry is great at screwing. (Snicker.) While I had measured and cut the pieces of drywall to fit the area, Kerry was attaching the pieces of drywall to the marked studs (again... like me). We completed two walls, which was great. Thanks again Kerry for the help!
Eventually, Kerry had to go. So from there, I tidied up the bathroom before heading over to Janine's. Janine was having a little SuperBowl party. The party was great. Joining the festivities was my friend (Gretchen). As usual, the food was delicious. Janine made a great taco calzone. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.)
And of course, the New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts. As a New England Patriots fan, any time the Colts lose is a good time. So it was a fun night.
I Suck At Target
On Friday, Karen and I had a bout of spontaneity. Our bout involved traveling to the great white north to visit Karen's cousin (Karlene) and her husband (Tommy) who live in Lowell. Now, there's a lot to love about Lowell, or so the city would have you believe. (I still disagree with the city's slogan.) Interestingly enough, this weekend was the 10th annual Winterfest in Lowell.
Winterfest sounded cool. After all, there is tradition that has been growing in popularity during Lowell's Winterfest: human dogsled racing. Unfortunately, Karen and I did not attend Winterfest. Sadly, I'll have to watch the human dogsled championship another time.
Instead, Karen, Karlene, Tommy and I went shopping. In particular, we went to Target. Too bad I suck at Target. The reason we went to Target was because the store was having a sale on breast pumps. And naturally... baby needs a brand new breast pump. (For anyone curious, I am supporter of breast feeding. Sure, I'm not as gung-ho as the breast feeding specialist you meet up with at the hospital when your baby is born, but I'm a supporter nonetheless.)
As odd as this sounds, the breast pump purchase was a major step for both Karen and I. After everything that happened with our son (Braden) who passed away a week after being born extremely premature, Karen and I have been somewhat hesitant in preparing for our next child. Well, I think I've been more reluctant that Karen. I just don't want to jinx things. I'll be a lot more relaxed when the baby is born... and healthy. Regardless, the breast pump purchase was the first major thing that we have purchase for our new unborn child.
Following Target, the four of us had dinner at Smokey Bones located in Nashua. The food was good. (I had the fish and chips. The fish was a little greasier than I would have liked, but it was good nonetheless.) Things have changed a lot since the last time I was there. Gone are the speakers situated at each table.
Among the more interesting topics of discussion were Karlene being high on marijuana. Karlene has never smoked marijuana to my knowledge. I may have offended her when I joked that it would be funny to see her smoking pot. The reason I said that is because Karlene is among one of the more by-the-book people I know. In some respects, she is a lot like Karen that way.
Anyway, following dinner we made a brief pit stop at Home Depot. (Karlene and Tommy were picking up new faucets for their kitchen and bathroom.) And from there, we headed back to their place for some video game action. In particular, I was curious about the Wii Fit Plus which Karlene and Tommy had purchased during the start of the new year.
Needless to say, I may have played a few games of Wii Fit Plus. Truth be told, it was fun. (It should probably come as no surprise that the Wii Fit Plus said I was overweight. Just look at me.) Nevertheless, I can see how non-gamers would enjoy the Wii. I would recommend it to my friend (Hot Amy) but I know she does not like to sweat. (Snicker.)
All in all, it was a fun time.
Winterfest sounded cool. After all, there is tradition that has been growing in popularity during Lowell's Winterfest: human dogsled racing. Unfortunately, Karen and I did not attend Winterfest. Sadly, I'll have to watch the human dogsled championship another time.
Instead, Karen, Karlene, Tommy and I went shopping. In particular, we went to Target. Too bad I suck at Target. The reason we went to Target was because the store was having a sale on breast pumps. And naturally... baby needs a brand new breast pump. (For anyone curious, I am supporter of breast feeding. Sure, I'm not as gung-ho as the breast feeding specialist you meet up with at the hospital when your baby is born, but I'm a supporter nonetheless.)
As odd as this sounds, the breast pump purchase was a major step for both Karen and I. After everything that happened with our son (Braden) who passed away a week after being born extremely premature, Karen and I have been somewhat hesitant in preparing for our next child. Well, I think I've been more reluctant that Karen. I just don't want to jinx things. I'll be a lot more relaxed when the baby is born... and healthy. Regardless, the breast pump purchase was the first major thing that we have purchase for our new unborn child.
Following Target, the four of us had dinner at Smokey Bones located in Nashua. The food was good. (I had the fish and chips. The fish was a little greasier than I would have liked, but it was good nonetheless.) Things have changed a lot since the last time I was there. Gone are the speakers situated at each table.
Among the more interesting topics of discussion were Karlene being high on marijuana. Karlene has never smoked marijuana to my knowledge. I may have offended her when I joked that it would be funny to see her smoking pot. The reason I said that is because Karlene is among one of the more by-the-book people I know. In some respects, she is a lot like Karen that way.
Anyway, following dinner we made a brief pit stop at Home Depot. (Karlene and Tommy were picking up new faucets for their kitchen and bathroom.) And from there, we headed back to their place for some video game action. In particular, I was curious about the Wii Fit Plus which Karlene and Tommy had purchased during the start of the new year.
Needless to say, I may have played a few games of Wii Fit Plus. Truth be told, it was fun. (It should probably come as no surprise that the Wii Fit Plus said I was overweight. Just look at me.) Nevertheless, I can see how non-gamers would enjoy the Wii. I would recommend it to my friend (Hot Amy) but I know she does not like to sweat. (Snicker.)
All in all, it was a fun time.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
I Suck At The Celtics Game
I had a great time last night.
Last night was sort of a guys night out for me. I don't think I have had one of those in awhile. My friends (Cass and Ron) and I attended the Celtics game last night. Unfortunately, I suck at the Celtics game. The NBA's greatest franchise, the Boston Celtics, were playing the Miami Heat.
Cass happened upon the tickets and asked if we wanted to go. So off we went! The plan was to meet up for dinner in town and then head over to the game. As Ron and I were not in town, we decided to meet up at the train station.
Interestingly enough, while waiting for Ron at the train station, I got to watch the breaking news about a shooting outside of my high school alma mater: North Quincy. I don't know the particulars about the shooting, but Ron and I could see the police cars surrounding the school on our way into town. Like I had joked with Ron, Quincy has gone downhill since we both moved out.
Speaking of which, this would be a great platform to build Cass's campaign for mayor around. Of course, I don't have any empirical data yet to prove this. Quincy, however, has been in the news recently all for the wrong reasons: crime. And what is one thing that a lot of people fear? Increased crime rates.
Fear is great motivator when it comes to the political world. After all, fear in my opinion is what got President Bush (senior) elected President in 1988. Bush's opponent at the time was former governor of Massachusetts, Michael Dukakis. If there is one person Bush senior should thank, it's Willie Horton. Willie Horton was a convict who committed a heinous crime while on furlough, a program that was supported by Dukakis while as governor. Dukakis was consequently labeled as being soft on crime and could never recover from the negative image. His popularity with the voters simply plummeted.
Similarly, I think the same type of campaign could be run for Cass. With the seemingly increased incidents of crime in the city, current Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch (pronounced like the soft drink Coke) could be labeled as soft on crime. Of course, this also gives me the excuse to use the campaign slogan "Don't be a Koch-head... Vote Cass." Now all I have to do is convince Cass to run for mayor of Quincy.
Sorry, I digress. Ron and I met Cass at Hurricane O'Reilly's for dinner. It was a little comical because out of the three of us, I was the only one to not order a salad. (I had a burger.) It also turns out that Cass and his wife (Ellen) are attempting the infamous Atkins diet, to which I cautioned him about the possible side effect of stinky breath complements of the process known as ketosis. Luckily for me, I'm not on a diet. I enjoy food too much.
Among other topics of discussion for the night besides the food, carbs, and diabetes were silly things like Ron's daughter's (Uma) love for all things Miley Cyrus. I am guessing she puts her hands up and nods her head like yeah. And really, when it comes to partying in the United States, who wouldn't?
As well, I had mentioned to Ron that since my son (Braden) passed away, I seem to have a different outlook on things concerning work. Before, I used to have certain working goals that I would make x amount of money or have a certain type of title. I would not say that those types of things do not matter any more. They do to some extent. For me though, those things seem so trivial now in comparison to friends and family.
It's almost as though Braden's passing has taught me that there are more important things to life than money; that if you focus on these trivial things, life will pass you by. Before you know it, you will have missed all these wonderful opportunities with the things that matter like friends and family. With everything in my life now, I don't want to look back and think about missed chances.
As for the actual Celtics game, it was great.
(The video below is from the Celtics game.)
The Celtics ended up defeating the Heat 107-102. Even though all-star Paul Pierce did not play due to injury, it was great watching the Celtics win. It was also great to just hang out and enjoy the night with my friends. Needless to say, it was fun time.
Last night was sort of a guys night out for me. I don't think I have had one of those in awhile. My friends (Cass and Ron) and I attended the Celtics game last night. Unfortunately, I suck at the Celtics game. The NBA's greatest franchise, the Boston Celtics, were playing the Miami Heat.
Cass happened upon the tickets and asked if we wanted to go. So off we went! The plan was to meet up for dinner in town and then head over to the game. As Ron and I were not in town, we decided to meet up at the train station.
Interestingly enough, while waiting for Ron at the train station, I got to watch the breaking news about a shooting outside of my high school alma mater: North Quincy. I don't know the particulars about the shooting, but Ron and I could see the police cars surrounding the school on our way into town. Like I had joked with Ron, Quincy has gone downhill since we both moved out.
Speaking of which, this would be a great platform to build Cass's campaign for mayor around. Of course, I don't have any empirical data yet to prove this. Quincy, however, has been in the news recently all for the wrong reasons: crime. And what is one thing that a lot of people fear? Increased crime rates.
Fear is great motivator when it comes to the political world. After all, fear in my opinion is what got President Bush (senior) elected President in 1988. Bush's opponent at the time was former governor of Massachusetts, Michael Dukakis. If there is one person Bush senior should thank, it's Willie Horton. Willie Horton was a convict who committed a heinous crime while on furlough, a program that was supported by Dukakis while as governor. Dukakis was consequently labeled as being soft on crime and could never recover from the negative image. His popularity with the voters simply plummeted.
Similarly, I think the same type of campaign could be run for Cass. With the seemingly increased incidents of crime in the city, current Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch (pronounced like the soft drink Coke) could be labeled as soft on crime. Of course, this also gives me the excuse to use the campaign slogan "Don't be a Koch-head... Vote Cass." Now all I have to do is convince Cass to run for mayor of Quincy.
Sorry, I digress. Ron and I met Cass at Hurricane O'Reilly's for dinner. It was a little comical because out of the three of us, I was the only one to not order a salad. (I had a burger.) It also turns out that Cass and his wife (Ellen) are attempting the infamous Atkins diet, to which I cautioned him about the possible side effect of stinky breath complements of the process known as ketosis. Luckily for me, I'm not on a diet. I enjoy food too much.
Among other topics of discussion for the night besides the food, carbs, and diabetes were silly things like Ron's daughter's (Uma) love for all things Miley Cyrus. I am guessing she puts her hands up and nods her head like yeah. And really, when it comes to partying in the United States, who wouldn't?
As well, I had mentioned to Ron that since my son (Braden) passed away, I seem to have a different outlook on things concerning work. Before, I used to have certain working goals that I would make x amount of money or have a certain type of title. I would not say that those types of things do not matter any more. They do to some extent. For me though, those things seem so trivial now in comparison to friends and family.
It's almost as though Braden's passing has taught me that there are more important things to life than money; that if you focus on these trivial things, life will pass you by. Before you know it, you will have missed all these wonderful opportunities with the things that matter like friends and family. With everything in my life now, I don't want to look back and think about missed chances.
As for the actual Celtics game, it was great.
(The video below is from the Celtics game.)
The Celtics ended up defeating the Heat 107-102. Even though all-star Paul Pierce did not play due to injury, it was great watching the Celtics win. It was also great to just hang out and enjoy the night with my friends. Needless to say, it was fun time.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
I Suck At Lost
Last night was simply awesome. The much hyped season premiere of Lost aired yesterday and it did not disappoint.
Unfortunately, I suck at Lost. As a sort of impromptu kickoff, Karen and I had our friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) over our house to watch the season premiere. Basically, Karen and I moved up the day of our weekly get together with Marc and Kelley because of Lost. (We usually see them on Wednesdays, which was the original day of the week that Lost was on.) From there, Andrea also expressed interest in watching the show. Before you know it, we had ourselves a little party.
The night started off with dinner. Karen was trying her hand at making a quinoa dish. For anyone curious, quinoa is not pronounced quin-o-a. Quinoa is pronounced more like kin-wa. It's a grain-like crop. While Karen made that, I grilled some chicken.
The idea was to make something that was Kelley-appropriate. Kelley, who has had a history of stomach issues, is now on a gluten-free diet. Interestingly enough, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) will also be on a gluten-free diet sometime in the near future.
Although I have no scientific data to back up my hypothesis, the seemingly increased prevalence of gluten allergies leads me to think that we have done something to our food supply to cause this. Of course, I also attribute the same thing in regards to the seemingly increased prevalence of autism in children. Sure, it may be my rationale to blame everything on high fructose corn syrup and all of that. But from a purely numbers point of view, I happen to know a greater number of people who have gluten allergies than I did when I was younger. (The same with autism.) So I find it a little odd. And really, why mess with mother nature when you will be ingesting this stuff?
Anyway, the quinoa dish was delicious. I think Kelley enjoyed it as well which was good since that was the point. Interestingly enough, Andrea tried some quinoa too. I don't think she was as big a fan of the quinoa, but at least she tried it which was surprising to me. For anyone curious, Andrea is a finicky eater, much like my BFF (Kerry).
From there, I enlisted the aid of Kelley and Andrea for a quick home improvement task. That task: hang a piece of drywall to the ceiling. Were it not for the ceiling, I probably would have been fine without any help. Unfortunately, lifting a heavy piece of 4' x 8' piece of drywall over your head by yourself while still being able to attach screws... very difficult. I actually spent some considerable time trying to figure out how to do it by myself to no avail. Thus, I called in some muscle.
As it turns out, Kelley and Andrea were great. Thanks Kelley and Andrea! I could not have done it without you guys! It took us several tries, but we were finally able to hang the piece of drywall. And because I have the mind set of a 5 year old: Kelley likes to screw. (Snicker) Andrea and I held up the drywall while Kelley attached the board to the ceiling. It turns out that Kelley enjoys doing home improvement projects... or maybe it's just using power tools.
Anyway, we were able to hang the drywall in time for the season premiere of Lost. And again, the premiere was awesome. Needless to say, Lost, friends, ice cream... a great time.
Unfortunately, I suck at Lost. As a sort of impromptu kickoff, Karen and I had our friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) over our house to watch the season premiere. Basically, Karen and I moved up the day of our weekly get together with Marc and Kelley because of Lost. (We usually see them on Wednesdays, which was the original day of the week that Lost was on.) From there, Andrea also expressed interest in watching the show. Before you know it, we had ourselves a little party.
The night started off with dinner. Karen was trying her hand at making a quinoa dish. For anyone curious, quinoa is not pronounced quin-o-a. Quinoa is pronounced more like kin-wa. It's a grain-like crop. While Karen made that, I grilled some chicken.
The idea was to make something that was Kelley-appropriate. Kelley, who has had a history of stomach issues, is now on a gluten-free diet. Interestingly enough, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) will also be on a gluten-free diet sometime in the near future.
Although I have no scientific data to back up my hypothesis, the seemingly increased prevalence of gluten allergies leads me to think that we have done something to our food supply to cause this. Of course, I also attribute the same thing in regards to the seemingly increased prevalence of autism in children. Sure, it may be my rationale to blame everything on high fructose corn syrup and all of that. But from a purely numbers point of view, I happen to know a greater number of people who have gluten allergies than I did when I was younger. (The same with autism.) So I find it a little odd. And really, why mess with mother nature when you will be ingesting this stuff?
Anyway, the quinoa dish was delicious. I think Kelley enjoyed it as well which was good since that was the point. Interestingly enough, Andrea tried some quinoa too. I don't think she was as big a fan of the quinoa, but at least she tried it which was surprising to me. For anyone curious, Andrea is a finicky eater, much like my BFF (Kerry).
From there, I enlisted the aid of Kelley and Andrea for a quick home improvement task. That task: hang a piece of drywall to the ceiling. Were it not for the ceiling, I probably would have been fine without any help. Unfortunately, lifting a heavy piece of 4' x 8' piece of drywall over your head by yourself while still being able to attach screws... very difficult. I actually spent some considerable time trying to figure out how to do it by myself to no avail. Thus, I called in some muscle.
As it turns out, Kelley and Andrea were great. Thanks Kelley and Andrea! I could not have done it without you guys! It took us several tries, but we were finally able to hang the piece of drywall. And because I have the mind set of a 5 year old: Kelley likes to screw. (Snicker) Andrea and I held up the drywall while Kelley attached the board to the ceiling. It turns out that Kelley enjoys doing home improvement projects... or maybe it's just using power tools.
Anyway, we were able to hang the drywall in time for the season premiere of Lost. And again, the premiere was awesome. Needless to say, Lost, friends, ice cream... a great time.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
I Suck At Confessions Of A Shopaholic
Last night was a ho-hum night.
Karen and I decided to spend the evening watching the next movie in her Netflix queue. That movie: Confessions of a Shopaholic. Now I suck at Confessions of a Shopaholic.
The movie is about a shopaholic journalist played by Isla Fisher of Wedding Crashers fame. In fact, the movie is an adaptation of the Shopaholic series of novels by Sophie Kinsella.
Although the plot was quite predictable, the movie was entertaining. I enjoyed watching it with Karen. It's always good to just sit back and relax on the couch ever so often.
I think Karen definitely enjoyed the movie more than the previous one that we watched, District 9, about a bunch of aliens living in the slums of Johannesburg. Nothing like the white man keeping the alien down. Interestingly enough, Karen did not think the baby enjoyed the movie either. (For anyone curious, this week, the baby's name is Cauli... after cauliflower.)
If what Karen says is true, then Cauli most likely will take after her mother and not her father, which is probably a good thing. Although I suppose there can never be too many geeks in the world.
I actually enjoyed District 9, more so than the other movie in her Netflix queue: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
(The video below is the trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.)
Karen did not watch the movie because she has not seen the previous Harry Potter movies. The movie was an okay adaptation of the book. Personally, I think the best movie adaptation thus far is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (the one which had Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame).
Of course, I may have enjoyed that movie experience the most because my friend (Aimee) was practically in tears during the movie. I got a kick out of that because Aimee, who had read all the books, knew what was going to happen in the movie.
Anyway, the movies were entertaining.
Karen and I decided to spend the evening watching the next movie in her Netflix queue. That movie: Confessions of a Shopaholic. Now I suck at Confessions of a Shopaholic.
The movie is about a shopaholic journalist played by Isla Fisher of Wedding Crashers fame. In fact, the movie is an adaptation of the Shopaholic series of novels by Sophie Kinsella.
Although the plot was quite predictable, the movie was entertaining. I enjoyed watching it with Karen. It's always good to just sit back and relax on the couch ever so often.
I think Karen definitely enjoyed the movie more than the previous one that we watched, District 9, about a bunch of aliens living in the slums of Johannesburg. Nothing like the white man keeping the alien down. Interestingly enough, Karen did not think the baby enjoyed the movie either. (For anyone curious, this week, the baby's name is Cauli... after cauliflower.)
If what Karen says is true, then Cauli most likely will take after her mother and not her father, which is probably a good thing. Although I suppose there can never be too many geeks in the world.
I actually enjoyed District 9, more so than the other movie in her Netflix queue: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
(The video below is the trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.)
Karen did not watch the movie because she has not seen the previous Harry Potter movies. The movie was an okay adaptation of the book. Personally, I think the best movie adaptation thus far is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (the one which had Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame).
Of course, I may have enjoyed that movie experience the most because my friend (Aimee) was practically in tears during the movie. I got a kick out of that because Aimee, who had read all the books, knew what was going to happen in the movie.
Anyway, the movies were entertaining.
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