For the past few weeks, Fridays have been "Family Fun Night", only because Karen and I arbitrarily chose Fridays to give our newborn daughter (Briana) her bath. Today, however, we had to forgo giving Briana a bath because Karen was invited for a "chicks night out". Don't be alarmed that our loving daughter will be a stinky bundle of poo. We actually already gave her a bath a couple of days ago.
Anyway, I'm not sure what the evening entailed with our friends (Jen and Hot Amy). I'm actually happy that Karen got to go out by herself with some friends. I'm a big believer that everyone needs a break now and then when raising a newborn... just for sanity purposes. And luckily for me, with Karen out and about, I got to spend some quality father/daughter bonding time again.
So what does one do during quality father/daughter bonding time? Well, for today... absolutely nothing. Briana was pretty much fussy all while Karen was out. I fed her. An hour later, I fed Briana again. You would think that she would fall asleep after guzzling the baby equivalent of booze in such a short period of time. Nope, not Briana. She just stirred around, cried, and cried some more. And just when it appeared that she was going to fall asleep... I decided to put her in her bassinet. And then BAM! Briana's eyes shoot open and she cries again. That little stinky cuddle bug.
Anyway, my original plan tonight for father/daughter bonding time was to fix the toilet. And by fixing the toilet, I mean I would fix the toilet while Briana sat in the bathroom with me in her bouncy seat. At least, that is what I had envisioned for the night. It turns out, I suck at fixing the toilet... especially since I did not get to do it during quality father/daughter bonding time. I actually had to wait until Karen returned home.
For anyone curious, the toilet I had to fix was in our master bathroom, not to be confused with the toilet on our first floor... or the other toilet on the second floor. A couple of days ago, Karen had noticed that the base of the toilet was leaking water. (Better water than poop...) Concerned, we had shut the water supply to the toilet off so that I could work on it this weekend.
Truth be told, I was dreading having to fix the toilet. It was definitely not how I wanted to start my Memorial Day weekend. The main reason for my dread: plumbing. I am not a big fan of plumbing because it's just so dirty. I don't really like being wet... unless I'm in a wet t-shirt contest... and no one really wants to see that. Unfortunately, Karen and I need our toilet. Heck, if anyone knows me... they'd know that I definitely need my toilet.
Needless to say, I picked up some supplies from the local hardware store (Ace) and started to dismantle the toilet while Karen took care of Briana. For anyone curious, I think the problem of the leaky toilet base is a faulty wax ring. (There's a wax ring from the toilet to the drain. The ring is supposed to be airtight to keep the odors out and watertight... to keep the water out. Not so in this case.)
Remember how I said dislike plumbing? Well, where else can you scrape a bunch of waxy goo off a toilet than from a plumbing project? Yes, fun... and disgustingly dirty. Thankfully I had gloves on.
Anyway, I was surprised that the project of replacing the wax ring did not take that long to complete. As of right now, the toilet base appears to be fine. I don't see any water leaking from the base anymore. Yay! I'm so happy I could poop in the toilet. Just kidding. Of course, having completed the toilet repair only makes me ponder the possibilities of actually tackling the bathroom renovation project on our first floor now. Some day I'll revisit that project.
Friday, May 28, 2010
I Suck At Buying A Car
Today, Karen and I (and our baby daughter, Briana) have another addition to the family. That addition: a brand new car. Cue Bob Barker and the Barker's Beauties (from Price is Right) revealing a new car behind one of the doors. Unfortunately, I suck at buying a car.
A while ago, I had donated my first car (a purple Saturn) to charity. Luckily, Karen had her car. So it was not like we were stranded without any means of transportation or anything. We were able to make do with the one car. We would just have to plan accordingly to make sure the car was available when we needed it. It was not a big deal going down to one car. In addition to the environmental benefits of using just one car, there was also the financial aspect in terms of insurance.
With Briana, however, Karen and I decided that we had to get another car. So now, we are a two car family again. Of course, part of Karen's concern was that she did not trust her current car with Briana. And really, having the second car does make things easier especially with Karen returning to work shortly. Before, I would wake up to drive Karen to the subway station, only to pick her up when she returned. Although it was doable, adding Briana to the mix would have made things a little more complicated.
In a way, having two cars is nice. We don't have to rely on one another as much in terms of travel. Either one of us can just go when we want to go (as long as one of us has Briana, of course). And as much fun as it is to coordinate going places, sometimes the feeling of total independence is nice. The drawback of having two cars, however, is the enlarged carbon footprint. For someone who is concerned about the environment like myself, that does perturb me.
Of course, you would also think that my environmental concerns would lead me to purchase a nice greener car. Nope. We got a minivan. I'm just kidding. We did not get a minivan... or a Hummer... or any other type of gas guzzling behemoth. This year, I was championing the purchase of the Nissan Leaf, which is an all electric vehicle. Sadly, the Leaf is not available for mass distribution yet. With Karen's return to work looming on the horizon, the Leaf's availability did not work with our schedule.
Consequently, I wanted to champion the next best thing: Hybrid technology. I'd also champion hydrogen fuel cells if the infrastructure in Massachusetts were available for cars running on hydrogen fuel cells. Damn these oil companies and their strangle hold on the American public. As much as I would have loved to own one, I avoided the Toyota Prius. My friend (Hot Amy) has one and I did not want to copy her... even though I think she stole my idea in the first place to get one. Plus, I was not sure I could convince Karen to buy a Prius considering how Toyota has been having recall issues with their vehicles.
So I started to champion the newly redesigned Honda Insight. (And in case you are curious, I actually think the Insight was better to drive than the Prius.) With the Nissan Leaf off the table, I really wanted to get the Honda Insight. And don't get me wrong, the car was good. Unfortunately, I thought there were some things that could and probably would be improved with newer models of the car. (Perhaps I was expecting a "wow" factor that I just did not receive.) So the Insight was likewise off the table.
With the cars that I thought would help relieve me of my oil dependence off the table, I had to rethink the game plan in terms of buying a new car. What Karen and I eventually decided was to choose a car that was comfortable enough for our family yet environmentally friendly enough by yielding a higher miles per gallon than other cars. (It turns out, of all the cars on the market, there is a small percentage of regular cars get over 30 miles per gallon... odd.)
Anyway, whether it was due to great salesmanship or not, Karen and I ended up buying a new Honda Civic. As a side note, we have come to find out that the salesperson (Sean) who sold us the car is no longer employed by the car dealership. We coulbe possibly be the last people to buy a car from him at the dealership. Of course, we may have also been the only ones who purchased a car from him as well because it was his first day on the job there.
Regardless, what ultimately attracted both of us to the Civic was the roomy interior (for Briana's car seat) and the miles per gallon. Hopefully, we'll enjoy having the car and I won't have to second guess or doubt myself about whether I made the right choice for our family and the environment.
It's also kind of funny now how it's already started: the perceived need/expenses that accompanies having a newborn child. Baby needs a new pair of shoes... or in this case... a new car.
A while ago, I had donated my first car (a purple Saturn) to charity. Luckily, Karen had her car. So it was not like we were stranded without any means of transportation or anything. We were able to make do with the one car. We would just have to plan accordingly to make sure the car was available when we needed it. It was not a big deal going down to one car. In addition to the environmental benefits of using just one car, there was also the financial aspect in terms of insurance.
With Briana, however, Karen and I decided that we had to get another car. So now, we are a two car family again. Of course, part of Karen's concern was that she did not trust her current car with Briana. And really, having the second car does make things easier especially with Karen returning to work shortly. Before, I would wake up to drive Karen to the subway station, only to pick her up when she returned. Although it was doable, adding Briana to the mix would have made things a little more complicated.
In a way, having two cars is nice. We don't have to rely on one another as much in terms of travel. Either one of us can just go when we want to go (as long as one of us has Briana, of course). And as much fun as it is to coordinate going places, sometimes the feeling of total independence is nice. The drawback of having two cars, however, is the enlarged carbon footprint. For someone who is concerned about the environment like myself, that does perturb me.
Of course, you would also think that my environmental concerns would lead me to purchase a nice greener car. Nope. We got a minivan. I'm just kidding. We did not get a minivan... or a Hummer... or any other type of gas guzzling behemoth. This year, I was championing the purchase of the Nissan Leaf, which is an all electric vehicle. Sadly, the Leaf is not available for mass distribution yet. With Karen's return to work looming on the horizon, the Leaf's availability did not work with our schedule.
Consequently, I wanted to champion the next best thing: Hybrid technology. I'd also champion hydrogen fuel cells if the infrastructure in Massachusetts were available for cars running on hydrogen fuel cells. Damn these oil companies and their strangle hold on the American public. As much as I would have loved to own one, I avoided the Toyota Prius. My friend (Hot Amy) has one and I did not want to copy her... even though I think she stole my idea in the first place to get one. Plus, I was not sure I could convince Karen to buy a Prius considering how Toyota has been having recall issues with their vehicles.
So I started to champion the newly redesigned Honda Insight. (And in case you are curious, I actually think the Insight was better to drive than the Prius.) With the Nissan Leaf off the table, I really wanted to get the Honda Insight. And don't get me wrong, the car was good. Unfortunately, I thought there were some things that could and probably would be improved with newer models of the car. (Perhaps I was expecting a "wow" factor that I just did not receive.) So the Insight was likewise off the table.
With the cars that I thought would help relieve me of my oil dependence off the table, I had to rethink the game plan in terms of buying a new car. What Karen and I eventually decided was to choose a car that was comfortable enough for our family yet environmentally friendly enough by yielding a higher miles per gallon than other cars. (It turns out, of all the cars on the market, there is a small percentage of regular cars get over 30 miles per gallon... odd.)
Anyway, whether it was due to great salesmanship or not, Karen and I ended up buying a new Honda Civic. As a side note, we have come to find out that the salesperson (Sean) who sold us the car is no longer employed by the car dealership. We coulbe possibly be the last people to buy a car from him at the dealership. Of course, we may have also been the only ones who purchased a car from him as well because it was his first day on the job there.
Regardless, what ultimately attracted both of us to the Civic was the roomy interior (for Briana's car seat) and the miles per gallon. Hopefully, we'll enjoy having the car and I won't have to second guess or doubt myself about whether I made the right choice for our family and the environment.
It's also kind of funny now how it's already started: the perceived need/expenses that accompanies having a newborn child. Baby needs a new pair of shoes... or in this case... a new car.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
I Suck At Celebrating My Anniversary
Yesterday was my wedding anniversary. Unfortunately for Karen, I suck at celebrating my anniversary. Karen and I have been married now for seven years. It's amazing how quickly the years have passed by.
In years past, Karen and I have exchanged anniversary presents based on the anniversary year. For example, the traditional first wedding anniversary is paper. That year I gave Karen a gift certificate to a spa. This year, however, we decided not to exchange any presents.
For anyone curious, the seventh year is traditionally copper. I'm not a big fan of copper, especially when it oxidizes and becomes blue. Luckily, neither Karen nor I could figure out a copper present to give to one another. So this year we decided not to exchange gifts. As a small token of appreciation, I had considered putting a penny on Karen's pillow. I was going to say that the penny was from our son (Braden) who passed away almost two years ago. (Karen enjoys the notion of pennies from heaven ever since her grandfather passed away.) Unfortunately, I could not leave the penny on her pillow because... well... she was on her pillow... and I had to leave for work.
Anyway, rather than exchange presents we decided to just go out for dinner. My favorite sister-in-law (Janine) had offered to take care of our baby daughter (Briana) a long while ago for our anniversary. In fact, she might have called dibs on babysitting when Briana was born. (Thanks again Janine!) And now apparently it seems like Karen's mom has called dibs for next year's anniversary. Who knew so many people wanted to babysit Briana? (I'm not complaining, of course.)
For dinner, Karen and I ended up at the Square Cafe located in Hingham. We probably would not have gone there had it not been for Janine's BFF (Gretchen) who recommended the place. Based on her recommendation, we decided to give the place a try. And luckily we did because Karen and I originally thought about going to Tosca's. It turns out that Tosca's is closed on Mondays.
Needless to say, the food was absolutely delicious at the Square Cafe. Everything was simply good. Our meal consisted of the shrimp and vegetable tempura, the petit grilled beef tenderloin, the grilled chicken salad, and the strawberry rhubarb crisp. I would definitely go back. I actually did not know the place even existed (in part because I do not go to Hingham Center that often). And for anyone curious, the place apparently was featured on the Phantom Gourmet.
It turns out as well that Karen and I were probably lucky to go on Monday. The waitstaff had informed us that the weekends are generally mobbed and require reservations. The restaurant itself is a little cozy as tables are set up right next to each other. Luckily when Karen and I went, we basically had our own space in the corner by ourselves.
Needless to say, we had a great experience at the Square Cafe. The waitstaff even put a little candle in our strawberry rhubarb crisp to celebrate our anniversary. I thought that was a nice touch. All in all, it was a great meal and I was quite impressed.
In years past, Karen and I have exchanged anniversary presents based on the anniversary year. For example, the traditional first wedding anniversary is paper. That year I gave Karen a gift certificate to a spa. This year, however, we decided not to exchange any presents.
For anyone curious, the seventh year is traditionally copper. I'm not a big fan of copper, especially when it oxidizes and becomes blue. Luckily, neither Karen nor I could figure out a copper present to give to one another. So this year we decided not to exchange gifts. As a small token of appreciation, I had considered putting a penny on Karen's pillow. I was going to say that the penny was from our son (Braden) who passed away almost two years ago. (Karen enjoys the notion of pennies from heaven ever since her grandfather passed away.) Unfortunately, I could not leave the penny on her pillow because... well... she was on her pillow... and I had to leave for work.
Anyway, rather than exchange presents we decided to just go out for dinner. My favorite sister-in-law (Janine) had offered to take care of our baby daughter (Briana) a long while ago for our anniversary. In fact, she might have called dibs on babysitting when Briana was born. (Thanks again Janine!) And now apparently it seems like Karen's mom has called dibs for next year's anniversary. Who knew so many people wanted to babysit Briana? (I'm not complaining, of course.)
For dinner, Karen and I ended up at the Square Cafe located in Hingham. We probably would not have gone there had it not been for Janine's BFF (Gretchen) who recommended the place. Based on her recommendation, we decided to give the place a try. And luckily we did because Karen and I originally thought about going to Tosca's. It turns out that Tosca's is closed on Mondays.
Needless to say, the food was absolutely delicious at the Square Cafe. Everything was simply good. Our meal consisted of the shrimp and vegetable tempura, the petit grilled beef tenderloin, the grilled chicken salad, and the strawberry rhubarb crisp. I would definitely go back. I actually did not know the place even existed (in part because I do not go to Hingham Center that often). And for anyone curious, the place apparently was featured on the Phantom Gourmet.
It turns out as well that Karen and I were probably lucky to go on Monday. The waitstaff had informed us that the weekends are generally mobbed and require reservations. The restaurant itself is a little cozy as tables are set up right next to each other. Luckily when Karen and I went, we basically had our own space in the corner by ourselves.
Needless to say, we had a great experience at the Square Cafe. The waitstaff even put a little candle in our strawberry rhubarb crisp to celebrate our anniversary. I thought that was a nice touch. All in all, it was a great meal and I was quite impressed.
Monday, May 24, 2010
I Suck At Lost
Karen and I began yesterday by taking our niece (Kaleigh) to the movies. Although Kaleigh's birthday was a while ago, Karen and I did not have the opportunity to take her out... until yesterday. And it just so happened that Kaleigh (along with Karen) wanted to see Shrek Forever After.
(The video below is a trailer for "Shrek Forever After".)
Shrek Forever After is the fourth and supposedly final chapter of the Shrek movie franchise. In this installment, Shrek makes a deal with the shady Rumpelstiltskin after being bored with his current hum-drum life. After the deal sends Shrek into an alternate reality, Shrek learns what he originally had wasn't such a bad thing. (Cue Cinderella's cheesy power ballad "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" from the 80s.)
The movie was okay. It was not as good as the previous movies and the laughs were few and far between. Nevertheless, it was still enjoyable. The movie could have been aired on the networks instead of the big screen, but then again... where would be the money in that?
Following the Shrek, Karen and I hung out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). On the agenda for the remainder of the day: Lost. Now, I suck at Lost. It just so happens that yesterday was the final episode of the series. Without giving anything away, the series finale was a decent way to end the beloved show. I definitely will miss tuning into the show every week to watch it. The writing for the show was without a doubt superb. I'll probably get sad now because I don't think there is anything else currently on television that is as riveting as Lost... at least I haven't found it yet. Needless to say, it was a great six seasons.
And for anyone curious, the Jimmy Kimmel special after the series finale... waste of time. The supposed alternate endings that were to be aired on the special... stupid.
Despite Jimmy Kimmel, I had a great time yesterday just hanging out with friends and watching the end of truly a great show.
(The video below is a trailer for "Shrek Forever After".)
Shrek Forever After is the fourth and supposedly final chapter of the Shrek movie franchise. In this installment, Shrek makes a deal with the shady Rumpelstiltskin after being bored with his current hum-drum life. After the deal sends Shrek into an alternate reality, Shrek learns what he originally had wasn't such a bad thing. (Cue Cinderella's cheesy power ballad "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" from the 80s.)
The movie was okay. It was not as good as the previous movies and the laughs were few and far between. Nevertheless, it was still enjoyable. The movie could have been aired on the networks instead of the big screen, but then again... where would be the money in that?
Following the Shrek, Karen and I hung out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). On the agenda for the remainder of the day: Lost. Now, I suck at Lost. It just so happens that yesterday was the final episode of the series. Without giving anything away, the series finale was a decent way to end the beloved show. I definitely will miss tuning into the show every week to watch it. The writing for the show was without a doubt superb. I'll probably get sad now because I don't think there is anything else currently on television that is as riveting as Lost... at least I haven't found it yet. Needless to say, it was a great six seasons.
And for anyone curious, the Jimmy Kimmel special after the series finale... waste of time. The supposed alternate endings that were to be aired on the special... stupid.
Despite Jimmy Kimmel, I had a great time yesterday just hanging out with friends and watching the end of truly a great show.
I Suck At Being Productive
On Saturday, Karen and I had a rather productive day. In general, I suck at being productive.
For the past few months, I have felt somewhat overwhelmed. Karen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl (Briana) on St. Patrick's Day. As bizarre as this sounds, it almost seems like time speeds up when you become a parent of a newborn.
With the constant feedings every few hours and the lack of sleep that goes with it, there leaves very little time to do many other things. Before you know it, time has already passed by. All the chores you used to do are left undone leaving your house in total disarray. Making dinner seems like a thing of the past. You can forget about any home improvement projects. I still don't know how other parents are able to do it because I have yet to figure it out myself.
Saturday, however, may have offered a glimmer of hope. As a way of reminding ourselves of things that we need or should do, Karen and I sometimes create a "to-do" list. With all of the "to-do" lists that we have created, I have never seen one which had every item completely crossed off... that is... until Saturday.
Granted, we weren't shooting for the stars on our "to-do" list. In fact, we really did not have any general items on the list like we normally do. Instead, the checklist contained rather specific and achievable goals within the course of a single day. Watching item after item get crossed off made things seem less daunting.
By the end of the day, we had gotten so many things accomplished that it was nice. All the errands we had, we accomplished. The three home improvement tasks I had written were done. I know it seems like a no-brainer that a to-do list should contain small achievable goals, but just being able to cross off so many items on the list made me feel great. It's just a mental thing.
For the past few months, I have felt somewhat overwhelmed. Karen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl (Briana) on St. Patrick's Day. As bizarre as this sounds, it almost seems like time speeds up when you become a parent of a newborn.
With the constant feedings every few hours and the lack of sleep that goes with it, there leaves very little time to do many other things. Before you know it, time has already passed by. All the chores you used to do are left undone leaving your house in total disarray. Making dinner seems like a thing of the past. You can forget about any home improvement projects. I still don't know how other parents are able to do it because I have yet to figure it out myself.
Saturday, however, may have offered a glimmer of hope. As a way of reminding ourselves of things that we need or should do, Karen and I sometimes create a "to-do" list. With all of the "to-do" lists that we have created, I have never seen one which had every item completely crossed off... that is... until Saturday.
Granted, we weren't shooting for the stars on our "to-do" list. In fact, we really did not have any general items on the list like we normally do. Instead, the checklist contained rather specific and achievable goals within the course of a single day. Watching item after item get crossed off made things seem less daunting.
By the end of the day, we had gotten so many things accomplished that it was nice. All the errands we had, we accomplished. The three home improvement tasks I had written were done. I know it seems like a no-brainer that a to-do list should contain small achievable goals, but just being able to cross off so many items on the list made me feel great. It's just a mental thing.
Friday, May 21, 2010
I Suck At Subway
For the past two days, Karen and I have been eating takeout from the same place. Up until the birth of our daughter (Briana), Karen and I (when it was just the two of us) very rarely ate takeout. Instead, we preferred dining within the restaurant. That seemingly has changed of late, due in part to our feelings that we have very little time now with the fickleness of our baby daughter and her feeding schedule.
So yesterday (and the day before), Karen and I ordered sandwiches from Subway. Now, I suck at Subway. In my apparent quest to look like Jared Fogle, I have begun to eat there daily. Granted, it has only been two straight days of eating takeout from Subway.
If Jared can lose weight from only eating at Subway, then perhaps I should eat there more often because I do need to lose some weight. I have packed on the pounds since Briana was born. Who am I kidding? I was packing on the pounds while Karen was pregnant.
I am just kidding about doing the Subway diet, as evident from my eating a foot and a half long sandwich yesterday. It just happened to be luck and chance (and maybe a bit of laziness) that Karen and I ate at Subway for two straight days. And of course, I would be remiss if I did not thank our friends (Renee and Jeff) for it was Renee and Jeff who gave us a little gift card to Subway in the first place. So we probably would not have even thought about going to Subway were it not for them. Thank you again Renee and Jeff!
So yesterday (and the day before), Karen and I ordered sandwiches from Subway. Now, I suck at Subway. In my apparent quest to look like Jared Fogle, I have begun to eat there daily. Granted, it has only been two straight days of eating takeout from Subway.
If Jared can lose weight from only eating at Subway, then perhaps I should eat there more often because I do need to lose some weight. I have packed on the pounds since Briana was born. Who am I kidding? I was packing on the pounds while Karen was pregnant.
I am just kidding about doing the Subway diet, as evident from my eating a foot and a half long sandwich yesterday. It just happened to be luck and chance (and maybe a bit of laziness) that Karen and I ate at Subway for two straight days. And of course, I would be remiss if I did not thank our friends (Renee and Jeff) for it was Renee and Jeff who gave us a little gift card to Subway in the first place. So we probably would not have even thought about going to Subway were it not for them. Thank you again Renee and Jeff!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
I Suck At Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
On Tuesday, I hung out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). Karen and our baby daughter (Briana) stayed at home because Briana has been fussy since receiving her vaccination shots.
Anyway, on the agenda for the night was another episode of Lost. Without giving anything away about the episode, I am highly anticipating the series finale this weekend. I am hoping the series will end satisfactorily.
Before Lost, however, we decided to watch Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog starring Neil Patrick Harris (NPH). Now, I suck at Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. For Andrea, it was her first time watching the musical short film.
Needless to say, I enjoyed watching Dr. Horrible again. NPH rocks! It just so happened that NPH was also on Glee Tuesday night too. So generally speaking, it was an NPH night. And for anyone curious, Neil Patrick Harris is an amateur magician... a fact that Karen has told me after watching the Today show. Doogie Howser has come such a long way...
Speaking of Glee and musicals, I think Andrea enjoyed Dr. Horrible as well. And really, what's not to like when the story is the brainchild of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Joss Whedon. (Okay, sure Dollhouse was rather blah...)
All in all, it was a good night on Tuesday.
Anyway, on the agenda for the night was another episode of Lost. Without giving anything away about the episode, I am highly anticipating the series finale this weekend. I am hoping the series will end satisfactorily.
Before Lost, however, we decided to watch Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog starring Neil Patrick Harris (NPH). Now, I suck at Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. For Andrea, it was her first time watching the musical short film.
Needless to say, I enjoyed watching Dr. Horrible again. NPH rocks! It just so happened that NPH was also on Glee Tuesday night too. So generally speaking, it was an NPH night. And for anyone curious, Neil Patrick Harris is an amateur magician... a fact that Karen has told me after watching the Today show. Doogie Howser has come such a long way...
Speaking of Glee and musicals, I think Andrea enjoyed Dr. Horrible as well. And really, what's not to like when the story is the brainchild of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Joss Whedon. (Okay, sure Dollhouse was rather blah...)
All in all, it was a good night on Tuesday.
Monday, May 17, 2010
I Suck At Immunizations
Today, Karen and I brought our baby daughter (Briana) to the pediatrician's office which is located in Cohasset. Briana was having her two-month checkup. In addition to the much anticipated weigh-in was the administration of immunization shots for Briana. (For anyone curious, Briana is an ounce short of ten pounds... at 9 pounds 15 ounces.)
Now, I suck at immunizations. Luckily for me, I wasn't getting poked or prodded today. Needless to say, Briana did not like being injected with needles... and not just any needles. These needles looked long... at least they did to me. The needles almost reminded me of the ones that I had to inject Karen with during her pregnancy.
Interestingly enough, the nurse was pretty quick with the injections. In a span of a couple of minutes, the nurse had made three injections all into Briana's thigh. Briana actually had a delayed reaction after the first shot and thus started to cry for the other two shots.
Truth be told, I think Karen cried more than Briana did over the shots. (Briana simply went to sleep as though nothing happened.) In Karen's defense, it was a little disheartening to watch your child feel pain.
I remember when our son (Braden) was in the neonatal intensive care unit, he made this one face of anguish that was just so gut-wrenching. At the time, Braden could not cry because he was born extremely premature and his crying had not developed yet. But the face Braden made that one night... I will always remember it. It was the one and only time that I remember Braden looking so sad. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly thereafter.
But yeah, it can be disheartening to watch your child cry. When Briana sat there crying over the injections, I just remembered thinking about Braden.
Now, I suck at immunizations. Luckily for me, I wasn't getting poked or prodded today. Needless to say, Briana did not like being injected with needles... and not just any needles. These needles looked long... at least they did to me. The needles almost reminded me of the ones that I had to inject Karen with during her pregnancy.
Interestingly enough, the nurse was pretty quick with the injections. In a span of a couple of minutes, the nurse had made three injections all into Briana's thigh. Briana actually had a delayed reaction after the first shot and thus started to cry for the other two shots.
Truth be told, I think Karen cried more than Briana did over the shots. (Briana simply went to sleep as though nothing happened.) In Karen's defense, it was a little disheartening to watch your child feel pain.
I remember when our son (Braden) was in the neonatal intensive care unit, he made this one face of anguish that was just so gut-wrenching. At the time, Braden could not cry because he was born extremely premature and his crying had not developed yet. But the face Braden made that one night... I will always remember it. It was the one and only time that I remember Braden looking so sad. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly thereafter.
But yeah, it can be disheartening to watch your child cry. When Briana sat there crying over the injections, I just remembered thinking about Braden.
I Suck At Traitor
While waiting for my baby daughter (Briana) to wake up from her sleep to feed, I decided to watch another movie. That movie: Traitor. Now, I suck at Traitor.
(The video below is a trailer for Traitor.)
The movie stars Don Cheadle as my friend (Garv). Just kidding. Actually, Don Cheadle is the "traitor", a Muslim American soldier who infiltrates an Islamic Brotherhood with plans on launching a terrorist attack. The movie was okay as far as spy thrillers go. It was an entertaining way to pass a couple of hours.
(The video below is a trailer for Traitor.)
The movie stars Don Cheadle as my friend (Garv). Just kidding. Actually, Don Cheadle is the "traitor", a Muslim American soldier who infiltrates an Islamic Brotherhood with plans on launching a terrorist attack. The movie was okay as far as spy thrillers go. It was an entertaining way to pass a couple of hours.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
I Suck At Baby Showers
Yesterday, Karen and I had a baby shower for our daughter (Briana). Unfortunately, I suck at baby showers. Luckily, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) organized the entire event. In fact, Janine did an amazing job in the organizing and planning of the event that I will be forever grateful. I guess that is why she is my favorite. Thank you Janine!
For anyone curious, our daughter (Briana) was born on St. Patrick's Day. It may seem odd to have a baby shower almost two months after her birth. The reason for the two month time span is due in part to Briana's older brother (Braden). Braden, our first child, was born extremely premature at 22 weeks 6 days. The week before his birth, Karen and I had done the customary creating of a baby registry. Braden only survived a week and Karen and I have been dealing with his loss since.
Needless to say, when Karen was pregnant with Briana, we were hesitant to create another baby registry until Briana was actually born. We obviously did not want to relive all the excitement of getting our hopes up, only to see them come crashing down again should our child unexpectedly pass away without any explanation. Consequently, we had planned to have our baby shower for Briana after Briana's original due date in May.
As it turns out, Briana, in some ways like her brother Braden, was born premature. Unlike Braden, however, Briana stayed in gestation a lot longer... till 33 weeks. As we never changed the date of the original baby shower, it would be almost two months until everyone could gather for the shower.
And truth be told, Karen and I really weren't expecting that many gifts for the shower. After all, it had been two months since Briana was born. We simply wanted a day to hang out with our friends and family and celebrate Briana.
It turns out that I am blessed to have some amazing friends and family. I would be remiss if I did not say thank you to all of my friends and family, those who took part in the shower and those who could not. I know that I will forever be grateful to everyone. And again, I think Janine did an amazing job for going above and beyond to organize, plan, and host the shower.
I only wished that I could have spent more time with everyone at the shower. With so many people and so little time, it made socializing and personally thanking everyone almost impossible. It almost reminded me of my wedding... another event which I wanted to see everyone and thank them for being a part of my life. With life's hectic schedule, there's just not enough time in a given day to see and hang out with every friend and family member. You almost wish that there could have been an after-party of sorts for after the shower.
Regardless, the baby shower was amazing. I had a great time. I feel bad that Janine had to do so much (and injure her leg and break some crystal in the process). When everyone had left, it was fun hanging out with Janine and her BFF (Gretchen), who helped us bring all of our gifts to our place.
And as a side note, Gretchen and I made a pit stop at the local Tedeschi in Hingham. The only reason why I bring it up is because the incident made me think about how I want Briana to be thankful of things. At Tedeschi, there was a young kid with a mohawk buying assorted items. He already had some items on the counter before adding a snickers bar to the collection. When the clerk rang up his order, the kid simply reached into his pocket and pulled out all the loose change he had. The kid was short on the funds. Rather than put the snickers bar back, he simply... stood there for a prolonged amount of time and did nothing.
It was not until some complete stranger plopped down the necessary money for the kid that he was able to buy all the items. From there, the kid then left the store without even so much as a thank you to the complete stranger. In my opinion, it was so rude and something that I don't want my daughter to ever do. I want Briana to appreciate the kindness of other people's actions... or at least understand basic math and know how to determine if she has enough money for candy.
Anyway, that was a tangential story that had been somewhat indicative of my feelings during entire day. Again, I cannot say thank you enough to everyone involved in Briana's life. I just hope that they know how appreciative I am. So thank you everyone!
For anyone curious, our daughter (Briana) was born on St. Patrick's Day. It may seem odd to have a baby shower almost two months after her birth. The reason for the two month time span is due in part to Briana's older brother (Braden). Braden, our first child, was born extremely premature at 22 weeks 6 days. The week before his birth, Karen and I had done the customary creating of a baby registry. Braden only survived a week and Karen and I have been dealing with his loss since.
Needless to say, when Karen was pregnant with Briana, we were hesitant to create another baby registry until Briana was actually born. We obviously did not want to relive all the excitement of getting our hopes up, only to see them come crashing down again should our child unexpectedly pass away without any explanation. Consequently, we had planned to have our baby shower for Briana after Briana's original due date in May.
As it turns out, Briana, in some ways like her brother Braden, was born premature. Unlike Braden, however, Briana stayed in gestation a lot longer... till 33 weeks. As we never changed the date of the original baby shower, it would be almost two months until everyone could gather for the shower.
And truth be told, Karen and I really weren't expecting that many gifts for the shower. After all, it had been two months since Briana was born. We simply wanted a day to hang out with our friends and family and celebrate Briana.
It turns out that I am blessed to have some amazing friends and family. I would be remiss if I did not say thank you to all of my friends and family, those who took part in the shower and those who could not. I know that I will forever be grateful to everyone. And again, I think Janine did an amazing job for going above and beyond to organize, plan, and host the shower.
I only wished that I could have spent more time with everyone at the shower. With so many people and so little time, it made socializing and personally thanking everyone almost impossible. It almost reminded me of my wedding... another event which I wanted to see everyone and thank them for being a part of my life. With life's hectic schedule, there's just not enough time in a given day to see and hang out with every friend and family member. You almost wish that there could have been an after-party of sorts for after the shower.
Regardless, the baby shower was amazing. I had a great time. I feel bad that Janine had to do so much (and injure her leg and break some crystal in the process). When everyone had left, it was fun hanging out with Janine and her BFF (Gretchen), who helped us bring all of our gifts to our place.
And as a side note, Gretchen and I made a pit stop at the local Tedeschi in Hingham. The only reason why I bring it up is because the incident made me think about how I want Briana to be thankful of things. At Tedeschi, there was a young kid with a mohawk buying assorted items. He already had some items on the counter before adding a snickers bar to the collection. When the clerk rang up his order, the kid simply reached into his pocket and pulled out all the loose change he had. The kid was short on the funds. Rather than put the snickers bar back, he simply... stood there for a prolonged amount of time and did nothing.
It was not until some complete stranger plopped down the necessary money for the kid that he was able to buy all the items. From there, the kid then left the store without even so much as a thank you to the complete stranger. In my opinion, it was so rude and something that I don't want my daughter to ever do. I want Briana to appreciate the kindness of other people's actions... or at least understand basic math and know how to determine if she has enough money for candy.
Anyway, that was a tangential story that had been somewhat indicative of my feelings during entire day. Again, I cannot say thank you enough to everyone involved in Briana's life. I just hope that they know how appreciative I am. So thank you everyone!
I Suck At Year One
For "Family Night Friday", Karen and I decided to watch the movie "Year One" after giving our newborn daughter (Briana) a bath. Now, I suck at Year One.
(The video below is a trailer for Year One.)
Surprisingly enough, Year One was not absolutely terrible. The movie actually had its moments. The movie, directed by Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler of Ghostbusters fame), is about an inept hunter (Jack Black) who is banished from his tribe for eating the forbidden fruit. Michael Cera accompanies Black, who now believes he is the Chosen One... and apparently hilarity ensues as they meet up with some certain biblical figures. Among the biblical references are Cain and Abel (played by my friend's [Marc] man-crush, Paul Rudd), Abraham and Isaac (McLovin), and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
I had very low expectations for the movie because... well... it starred Jack Black and most, if not all of his movies, are pretty terrible. So I was quite surprised that I did not dislike the movie.
Of course, Briana again was asleep throughout the entire movie. In fact, she also slept through the other movie that I watched following Year One. That movie: Pandorum. Pandorum is a sci-fi movie starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster (who played the X-men's Angel) who wake up from deep hyper-sleep only to find their ship crawling with monsters.
(The video below is a trailer for Pandorum.)
Karen was also asleep for the movie, which is just as well because she would not have enjoyed the movie. Heck, I only thought the movie was so-so. But all in all, the movies were a good way to kill the time before Briana's next feeding.
(The video below is a trailer for Year One.)
Surprisingly enough, Year One was not absolutely terrible. The movie actually had its moments. The movie, directed by Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler of Ghostbusters fame), is about an inept hunter (Jack Black) who is banished from his tribe for eating the forbidden fruit. Michael Cera accompanies Black, who now believes he is the Chosen One... and apparently hilarity ensues as they meet up with some certain biblical figures. Among the biblical references are Cain and Abel (played by my friend's [Marc] man-crush, Paul Rudd), Abraham and Isaac (McLovin), and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
I had very low expectations for the movie because... well... it starred Jack Black and most, if not all of his movies, are pretty terrible. So I was quite surprised that I did not dislike the movie.
Of course, Briana again was asleep throughout the entire movie. In fact, she also slept through the other movie that I watched following Year One. That movie: Pandorum. Pandorum is a sci-fi movie starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster (who played the X-men's Angel) who wake up from deep hyper-sleep only to find their ship crawling with monsters.
(The video below is a trailer for Pandorum.)
Karen was also asleep for the movie, which is just as well because she would not have enjoyed the movie. Heck, I only thought the movie was so-so. But all in all, the movies were a good way to kill the time before Briana's next feeding.
Friday, May 14, 2010
I Suck At Father/Daughter Bonding Time
Today, I got to spend some quality father/daughter bonding time. Too bad I suck at father/daughter bonding time.
Karen was going out tonight with my friends (Hot Amy and Jen). So that left me by my lonesome with our baby daughter (Briana). Truth be told, I'm glad Karen got out of the house. I think it's good for her to have some time away from taking care of Briana. (Not that I am deadbeat and don't take care of Briana myself.) I think it just does the mind and body good to relax for awhile without the constant worries of taking care of a child... even for a couple of hours.
So naturally, I'm all for her going out and hanging out with friends. And I think she was happy to get out of the house. (Truth be told, she was probably tired of seeing my ugly mug day in and day out.) For Karen, just being asked to go out is nice. Being a mother of a newborn baby, she knows that she cannot always go out with her friends. So just being asked and having the option of going out is enough to make her day.
Anyway, with Karen out of the house, I decided to bond with my daughter by changing her diaper. And if people must know, Briana's diaper was quite dirty. Some day, I will actually use Facebook and update my status every single time I change her diaper. Just kidding.
By the time I finished changing Briana's diaper, talking to my BFF (Kerry) on the phone while changing her diaper, holding Briana until she fell asleep, and doing some other menial tasks, Karen had already came home from her night out. It's amazing how time quickly passes by when you have a baby. Some day, I'll actually get to bond with my daughter when she is more alert. Some day...
Karen was going out tonight with my friends (Hot Amy and Jen). So that left me by my lonesome with our baby daughter (Briana). Truth be told, I'm glad Karen got out of the house. I think it's good for her to have some time away from taking care of Briana. (Not that I am deadbeat and don't take care of Briana myself.) I think it just does the mind and body good to relax for awhile without the constant worries of taking care of a child... even for a couple of hours.
So naturally, I'm all for her going out and hanging out with friends. And I think she was happy to get out of the house. (Truth be told, she was probably tired of seeing my ugly mug day in and day out.) For Karen, just being asked to go out is nice. Being a mother of a newborn baby, she knows that she cannot always go out with her friends. So just being asked and having the option of going out is enough to make her day.
Anyway, with Karen out of the house, I decided to bond with my daughter by changing her diaper. And if people must know, Briana's diaper was quite dirty. Some day, I will actually use Facebook and update my status every single time I change her diaper. Just kidding.
By the time I finished changing Briana's diaper, talking to my BFF (Kerry) on the phone while changing her diaper, holding Briana until she fell asleep, and doing some other menial tasks, Karen had already came home from her night out. It's amazing how time quickly passes by when you have a baby. Some day, I'll actually get to bond with my daughter when she is more alert. Some day...
Thursday, May 13, 2010
I Suck At Visiting Nana
Yesterday, Karen and I took our newborn daughter on her longest road trip to date. That road trip was from Norwell to the mean streets of South Boston. So what is in South Boston besides a history of prejudice (thanks to South Boston's opposition to desegregation)? Karen's grandmother... also known as Nana.
Now I suck at visiting Nana. For Karen and I, it has been some time since we last visited Nana. Nana currently resides in the nursing home known as Marion Manor, which is located in South Boston. It's not that we did not want to visit Nana. Karen and I used to visit Nana a lot. Unfortunately, time management has been a little more difficult these days with a newborn daughter (Briana).
Karen has been itching to bring Briana in to see Nana. As it turns out, the visit made Nana's day. Nana was all smiles and as happy as could be when Karen, Briana and I arrived.
Interestingly enough, the hospital staff cautioned us against bringing Briana out during the first 4-6 weeks. Particularly, they were concerned about supermarkets because the elderly apparently love to swarm and touch babies at supermarkets. You may think I was kidding, but it was true. We were warned about supermarkets/elderly because the staff was afraid of Briana contracting germs and disease due to her underdeveloped health. (For anyone curious, Briana was born 7 weeks premature.)
Naturally, for those 4-6 weeks, I thought of the elderly like... well... zombies... which is something to avoid altogether. Instead of walking slowly and wanting to eat brains, the elderly walked around slowly and wanted to touch Briana. It was an easy association to make for someone as warped as myself who has played way too many Resident Evil video games. Regardless, the association worked. We avoided going to the supermarkets... and elderly nursing homes... with Briana until now.
Interestingly enough, there weren't that many elderly people who swarmed around Briana when we brought her in. Lucky for us, Karen's mother and father were already there and had brought Nana down from the general populace. So it essentially was just Karen, Karen's mother, Karen's father, Nana, Briana, and me... and some occasional stragglers in the lobby area.
Anyway, like I mentioned earlier, Nana was all smiles. I think we made her day, which is a nice feeling. As for Briana, she pooped like there was no tomorrow. Amazingly, the poop was contained entirely in the diaper.
Following the nursing home visit, we made a brief pit stop to see my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and my favorite brother-in-law (PJ). Janine's BFF (Gretchen) was also over helping out as PJ was getting ready for his mini-bachelor party for his younger brother.
As usual, it was great to see Janine, PJ, my favorite niece (Kaleigh), my favorite nephew (PJ), and Gretchen. We stayed as long as we could... or as long as I still had fine motor skills because I was on the brink of starvation. Neither Karen nor I had eaten dinner by that point and it was getting rather late. But thanks to our favorite restaurant (Not Your Average Joe's), I was fine. We ordered takeout from there, hurried home, and I immediately devoured my meal. And in case anyone is curious, Not Your Average Joe's does give you bread on your takeout order. I was pretty excited about that. Of course, I was just excited to eat at that point... which is another case that time management is so hard these days with a newborn baby.
Anyway, Not Your Average Joe's was a great way to end the day. The burger was delicious. The burger to me was like what brains are for zombies... or for the elderly.
Now I suck at visiting Nana. For Karen and I, it has been some time since we last visited Nana. Nana currently resides in the nursing home known as Marion Manor, which is located in South Boston. It's not that we did not want to visit Nana. Karen and I used to visit Nana a lot. Unfortunately, time management has been a little more difficult these days with a newborn daughter (Briana).
Karen has been itching to bring Briana in to see Nana. As it turns out, the visit made Nana's day. Nana was all smiles and as happy as could be when Karen, Briana and I arrived.
Interestingly enough, the hospital staff cautioned us against bringing Briana out during the first 4-6 weeks. Particularly, they were concerned about supermarkets because the elderly apparently love to swarm and touch babies at supermarkets. You may think I was kidding, but it was true. We were warned about supermarkets/elderly because the staff was afraid of Briana contracting germs and disease due to her underdeveloped health. (For anyone curious, Briana was born 7 weeks premature.)
Naturally, for those 4-6 weeks, I thought of the elderly like... well... zombies... which is something to avoid altogether. Instead of walking slowly and wanting to eat brains, the elderly walked around slowly and wanted to touch Briana. It was an easy association to make for someone as warped as myself who has played way too many Resident Evil video games. Regardless, the association worked. We avoided going to the supermarkets... and elderly nursing homes... with Briana until now.
Interestingly enough, there weren't that many elderly people who swarmed around Briana when we brought her in. Lucky for us, Karen's mother and father were already there and had brought Nana down from the general populace. So it essentially was just Karen, Karen's mother, Karen's father, Nana, Briana, and me... and some occasional stragglers in the lobby area.
Anyway, like I mentioned earlier, Nana was all smiles. I think we made her day, which is a nice feeling. As for Briana, she pooped like there was no tomorrow. Amazingly, the poop was contained entirely in the diaper.
Following the nursing home visit, we made a brief pit stop to see my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and my favorite brother-in-law (PJ). Janine's BFF (Gretchen) was also over helping out as PJ was getting ready for his mini-bachelor party for his younger brother.
As usual, it was great to see Janine, PJ, my favorite niece (Kaleigh), my favorite nephew (PJ), and Gretchen. We stayed as long as we could... or as long as I still had fine motor skills because I was on the brink of starvation. Neither Karen nor I had eaten dinner by that point and it was getting rather late. But thanks to our favorite restaurant (Not Your Average Joe's), I was fine. We ordered takeout from there, hurried home, and I immediately devoured my meal. And in case anyone is curious, Not Your Average Joe's does give you bread on your takeout order. I was pretty excited about that. Of course, I was just excited to eat at that point... which is another case that time management is so hard these days with a newborn baby.
Anyway, Not Your Average Joe's was a great way to end the day. The burger was delicious. The burger to me was like what brains are for zombies... or for the elderly.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
I Suck At Hanging Out With Aimee
Yesterday, my friend (Aimee) came by for a visit. Unfortunately, I actually had to go into the office in Marblehead to work yesterday. So I could not see Aimee. I guess you can say that I suck at hanging out with Aimee. It's probably just as well. I think she wanted to see our daughter (Briana) more than she wanted to see me anyway. That's pretty much how it is these days.
Actually, Aimee has a busy schedule with two children of her own. Since weekends don't really work for her, Tuesdays end up being the day she is available. And unfortunately, I tend to be in Marblehead on Tuesdays. From what I have been told, Aimee had a great visit. She got to hold and feed Briana. Sadly, Karen did not get a picture of Aimee holding Briana. So Aimee seems to be the lone elusive friend of mine who has held Briana without my getting a picture of the incident.
As an interesting side note, my boss actually called Karen yesterday thinking I was working from home. He had just arrived at the office himself and forgot that I was likewise in the office. He got a chuckle out of telling me the story.
Regardless, I missed hanging out with Aimee. I feel like I haven't seen her in some time. The last time was at the photo scavenger hunt that I organized back in February, and even then I didn't get to see her that long.
Following work, Karen, our newborn daughter (Briana), and I hung out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). After all, it was Tuesday and Tuesdays are Lost nights. Truth be told, I thought last night's episode of Lost was rather blah (although I still enjoyed it a heck of a lot more than the stupid Bai Ling tattoo episode).
Anyway, Lost aside, the night was great. Andrea got to hold and feed Briana for much of the night. It's always a plus when you can pawn off feeding duties of your newborn daughter to your friends. I'm just kidding.
Actually, it was just fun to hang out. Andrea got to hear the story of our friend's (Cara) wedding where Marc got a little inebriated. That was also the wedding where Marc imbibed on some breast milk complements of my friend (Jeannette)... and that was before the rapid downward spiral of martinis. Yum. Martinis. I haven't had one in quite some time. Ah, the good old days.
Actually, Aimee has a busy schedule with two children of her own. Since weekends don't really work for her, Tuesdays end up being the day she is available. And unfortunately, I tend to be in Marblehead on Tuesdays. From what I have been told, Aimee had a great visit. She got to hold and feed Briana. Sadly, Karen did not get a picture of Aimee holding Briana. So Aimee seems to be the lone elusive friend of mine who has held Briana without my getting a picture of the incident.
As an interesting side note, my boss actually called Karen yesterday thinking I was working from home. He had just arrived at the office himself and forgot that I was likewise in the office. He got a chuckle out of telling me the story.
Regardless, I missed hanging out with Aimee. I feel like I haven't seen her in some time. The last time was at the photo scavenger hunt that I organized back in February, and even then I didn't get to see her that long.
Following work, Karen, our newborn daughter (Briana), and I hung out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). After all, it was Tuesday and Tuesdays are Lost nights. Truth be told, I thought last night's episode of Lost was rather blah (although I still enjoyed it a heck of a lot more than the stupid Bai Ling tattoo episode).
Anyway, Lost aside, the night was great. Andrea got to hold and feed Briana for much of the night. It's always a plus when you can pawn off feeding duties of your newborn daughter to your friends. I'm just kidding.
Actually, it was just fun to hang out. Andrea got to hear the story of our friend's (Cara) wedding where Marc got a little inebriated. That was also the wedding where Marc imbibed on some breast milk complements of my friend (Jeannette)... and that was before the rapid downward spiral of martinis. Yum. Martinis. I haven't had one in quite some time. Ah, the good old days.
I Suck At Sal's Pizza
On Monday, Karen and I did something that we have not in quite a long time: we ordered take out. Since having a newborn daughter (Briana) who was born on St. Patrick's Day, Karen and I have mostly had meals at our house. It was not until recently that we even ate out at a restaurant.
It's not that we are trying to eat more meals at home or anything. It's just that we seem to have very little time. By the time we are done changing and feeding Briana (followed by all the cleanup), it is practically time to repeat the cycle.
Monday, however, we were feeling rather lazy in terms of making dinner. So with our total lack of motivation to cook, we decided to order takeout from Sal's Pizza located in Norwell. Now I suck at Sal's Pizza.
Sal's Pizza is home of the 19 inch 3 lb pizza. (I'm sure there's a dirty joke in there... much like the "big as me" video clip of our local weatherman, Pete Bouchard.)
(The video below is of Pete Bouchard.)
Regardless, as tempting as the 3 lb pizza sounded, Karen and I had their 1 lb calzones. Karen had the chicken parmesan calzone while I had the steak and cheese calzone. The calzones were delicious! (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.) I actually enjoyed Karen's more than I enjoyed mine, not that the steak and cheese was bad. I just thought the chicken parmesan was better.
All in all, the food was good. Plus, it was quick and easy, being so close to our house. It definitely worth it. And it seemed to give Karen and I more time since there was less to clean up after the dinner.
It's not that we are trying to eat more meals at home or anything. It's just that we seem to have very little time. By the time we are done changing and feeding Briana (followed by all the cleanup), it is practically time to repeat the cycle.
Monday, however, we were feeling rather lazy in terms of making dinner. So with our total lack of motivation to cook, we decided to order takeout from Sal's Pizza located in Norwell. Now I suck at Sal's Pizza.
Sal's Pizza is home of the 19 inch 3 lb pizza. (I'm sure there's a dirty joke in there... much like the "big as me" video clip of our local weatherman, Pete Bouchard.)
(The video below is of Pete Bouchard.)
Regardless, as tempting as the 3 lb pizza sounded, Karen and I had their 1 lb calzones. Karen had the chicken parmesan calzone while I had the steak and cheese calzone. The calzones were delicious! (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.) I actually enjoyed Karen's more than I enjoyed mine, not that the steak and cheese was bad. I just thought the chicken parmesan was better.
All in all, the food was good. Plus, it was quick and easy, being so close to our house. It definitely worth it. And it seemed to give Karen and I more time since there was less to clean up after the dinner.
Monday, May 10, 2010
I Suck At Mother's Day
Yesterday was Mother's Day. Happy Belated Mother's Day! Yes, I suck at Mother's Day.
Truth be told, for Karen and I, things were initially not looking good for Mother's Day. And by "for Karen and I", I mean Karen because she was stressed out, feeling overwhelmed by having so many things to do before having our family come over to celebrate the day. I had complete faith in our abilities. (Of course, I'm pretty laid back as it is.)
Part of the cause for Karen's stress was the fact that we woke up rather late Sunday morning. We had watched Saturday Night Live the night before. Of course, since Karen was such a big fan of Golden Girls, we could not miss the episode of Saturday Night Live because the host was Betty White.
For anyone curious, the episode of Saturday Night Live was actually pretty funny. One of my favorite sketches for the night was the NPR skit about muffins. It cracked me up, probably because I have the mindset of a five year old. And interestingly enough, it led me to think about my friend (Hot Amy) and her sister (Terri) who used to call each other "Muff" growing up. Oh, if only they knew how funny that really was.
Anyway, Karen and I had a late start to our Sunday morning. I made pumpkin pancakes for Karen for breakfast (thanks to Trader Joe's pancake mix). From there, we along with our newborn daughter (Briana) went to the cemetery to visit our son (Braden) where we planted some things (as well as add mulch) for our "Little B". And from there, we headed home only to frantically clean up the place as we were having company over for the day.
Needless to say, it was good to see family on Mother's Day. Both my mother and Karen's mother enjoyed the presents we made them (which consisted of Briana's footprint on a tile); and I think my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) enjoyed the necklace we got for her.
As for Karen, I think she liked her presents too. Briana gave her a crafty stepping stone kit; Braden gave her a picture frame, much like the one that contains pictures of himself, with a couple of pictures of Briana, which was a great idea from my friend (Andrea). Thanks again Andrea!; And I got her the Wean Machine, which is a portable tool used to create baby food. Essentially, it's a garlic press for food. And the funny thing is, after I had ordered the Wean Machine, Karen mentioned to me how she thought the food processor would be loud if she made her own baby food. So it's a good thing I ordered the product. And for anyone curious, Briana still has a ways to go before even eating baby food.
All in all, it was a good Mother's Day. Probably the most memorable topic of discussion during the day was Janine's plans for Briana's upcoming baby shower. Apparently her and my favorite brother-in-law (PJ) had a disagreement about beverages. It was pretty comical because Janine couldn't let it go. Personally, I think Janine's original plan is good.
Anyway, I hope all the mothers enjoyed the day. Yesterday was sort of a weird feeling because, as bizarre as this sounds, it felt good again to be a parent. I feel that parents are supposed to enjoy things like Mother's Day and all of that "family" stuff. After all, that is how it is on television. (And we all know how reality is so much like television. Just kidding.) Unfortunately, after losing Braden things just did not seem right for awhile. After yesterday, things felt a little different. So perhaps maybe things are turning around now. Who knows?
Truth be told, for Karen and I, things were initially not looking good for Mother's Day. And by "for Karen and I", I mean Karen because she was stressed out, feeling overwhelmed by having so many things to do before having our family come over to celebrate the day. I had complete faith in our abilities. (Of course, I'm pretty laid back as it is.)
Part of the cause for Karen's stress was the fact that we woke up rather late Sunday morning. We had watched Saturday Night Live the night before. Of course, since Karen was such a big fan of Golden Girls, we could not miss the episode of Saturday Night Live because the host was Betty White.
For anyone curious, the episode of Saturday Night Live was actually pretty funny. One of my favorite sketches for the night was the NPR skit about muffins. It cracked me up, probably because I have the mindset of a five year old. And interestingly enough, it led me to think about my friend (Hot Amy) and her sister (Terri) who used to call each other "Muff" growing up. Oh, if only they knew how funny that really was.
Anyway, Karen and I had a late start to our Sunday morning. I made pumpkin pancakes for Karen for breakfast (thanks to Trader Joe's pancake mix). From there, we along with our newborn daughter (Briana) went to the cemetery to visit our son (Braden) where we planted some things (as well as add mulch) for our "Little B". And from there, we headed home only to frantically clean up the place as we were having company over for the day.
Needless to say, it was good to see family on Mother's Day. Both my mother and Karen's mother enjoyed the presents we made them (which consisted of Briana's footprint on a tile); and I think my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) enjoyed the necklace we got for her.
As for Karen, I think she liked her presents too. Briana gave her a crafty stepping stone kit; Braden gave her a picture frame, much like the one that contains pictures of himself, with a couple of pictures of Briana, which was a great idea from my friend (Andrea). Thanks again Andrea!; And I got her the Wean Machine, which is a portable tool used to create baby food. Essentially, it's a garlic press for food. And the funny thing is, after I had ordered the Wean Machine, Karen mentioned to me how she thought the food processor would be loud if she made her own baby food. So it's a good thing I ordered the product. And for anyone curious, Briana still has a ways to go before even eating baby food.
All in all, it was a good Mother's Day. Probably the most memorable topic of discussion during the day was Janine's plans for Briana's upcoming baby shower. Apparently her and my favorite brother-in-law (PJ) had a disagreement about beverages. It was pretty comical because Janine couldn't let it go. Personally, I think Janine's original plan is good.
Anyway, I hope all the mothers enjoyed the day. Yesterday was sort of a weird feeling because, as bizarre as this sounds, it felt good again to be a parent. I feel that parents are supposed to enjoy things like Mother's Day and all of that "family" stuff. After all, that is how it is on television. (And we all know how reality is so much like television. Just kidding.) Unfortunately, after losing Braden things just did not seem right for awhile. After yesterday, things felt a little different. So perhaps maybe things are turning around now. Who knows?
Sunday, May 9, 2010
I Suck At Iron Man 2
Saturday was a definite milestone. On Saturday, both Karen and I left our baby daughter (Briana) in the capable hands of someone other than us. Of course, that someone happened to be my mother who jumped and relished the opportunity to spend an extended period with Briana. (My mother would hold Briana in her arms until she's 21 years old if she could. Okay, maybe that is a slight exaggeration.)
With my mother watching Briana, Karen and I headed out to the theaters with our friends (Marc and Kelley). Planned for the day: watching Iron Man 2. Now, I suck at Iron Man 2.
(The video below is a trailer for Iron Man 2.)
Iron Man 2 was a great movie... and Scarlett Johansson (a.k.a. Mrs. Ryan Reynolds) did not ruin the movie as the Black Widow. Of course, take what you will from my review because I am a geek who enjoyed reading comic books growing up (Iron Man being one of those comic books). I did, however, enjoy the first Iron Man movie more probably because my expectations were not as high for the first movie. Nonetheless, the sequel was still entertaining.
Plus, it was always great hanging out with Marc and Kelley. We just have a great time together. On Tuesday, it was reminiscing about our childhood as Kelley had her old yearbooks (from elementary school, to middle school, to high school). Interestingly enough, I have known Kelley the longest within our circle of friends because I attended elementary school with her. Imagine if we had began our drinking buddy relationship back then... our livers would definitely be done... plus at the age of 10, I'm sure the Department of Social Services would have been all over it.
It was a fun time looking back at old pictures. We got to see pictures of my BFF (Kerry). And as another interesting fact, Karen and my friend (Cass) appear in Kelley's high school yearbook. (Unlike the rest of us, Kelley attended the rival high school. So it was funny to see pictures of Karen and Cass in her yearbook.)
Anyway, that was on Tuesday. On Saturday, we basically had a comical discussion about my friend (Garv). Apparently, Karen thinks Don Cheadle (who appeared in Iron Man 2) could play Garv in the blaxploitation version of the movie about Garv. Yep, it was an interesting topic of discussion because Garv... not black. All in all, Iron Man 2 was a great time.
When Karen and I got back home, my mom was still all smiles. I think we made her day by asking her to take care of Briana. And the funny thing... Briana soon started to fuss when Karen and I got back. She was great during the day for my mom. It's like kids know when their parents leave them for a little bit. And as an act of retaliation, they start to fuss or something.
So needless to say, it was business as usual for Karen and I again. While waiting for Briana to wake up to feed again, we did actually end up watching another movie thanks to the Verizon FIOS movie package. That movie: W.
(The video below is a trailer for W.)
The movie is an Oliver Stone movie starring Josh Brolin as George W. Bush from Bush's crazy fraternity days to his presidency of the United States. As much as I hate to admit it, the movie was not that bad. I have never been a big fan of President Bush and the movie did nothing to change that opinion. But I did find the whole relationship he had with his father (the other President Bush) an interesting take... whether it was true or not. (And for anyone curious, the movie made it out that the whole Willie Horton angle during Bush Sr's election was the brainchild of George W.'s.)
Needless to say, the movie was okay. By far, Iron Man 2 was much more entertaining.
With my mother watching Briana, Karen and I headed out to the theaters with our friends (Marc and Kelley). Planned for the day: watching Iron Man 2. Now, I suck at Iron Man 2.
(The video below is a trailer for Iron Man 2.)
Iron Man 2 was a great movie... and Scarlett Johansson (a.k.a. Mrs. Ryan Reynolds) did not ruin the movie as the Black Widow. Of course, take what you will from my review because I am a geek who enjoyed reading comic books growing up (Iron Man being one of those comic books). I did, however, enjoy the first Iron Man movie more probably because my expectations were not as high for the first movie. Nonetheless, the sequel was still entertaining.
Plus, it was always great hanging out with Marc and Kelley. We just have a great time together. On Tuesday, it was reminiscing about our childhood as Kelley had her old yearbooks (from elementary school, to middle school, to high school). Interestingly enough, I have known Kelley the longest within our circle of friends because I attended elementary school with her. Imagine if we had began our drinking buddy relationship back then... our livers would definitely be done... plus at the age of 10, I'm sure the Department of Social Services would have been all over it.
It was a fun time looking back at old pictures. We got to see pictures of my BFF (Kerry). And as another interesting fact, Karen and my friend (Cass) appear in Kelley's high school yearbook. (Unlike the rest of us, Kelley attended the rival high school. So it was funny to see pictures of Karen and Cass in her yearbook.)
Anyway, that was on Tuesday. On Saturday, we basically had a comical discussion about my friend (Garv). Apparently, Karen thinks Don Cheadle (who appeared in Iron Man 2) could play Garv in the blaxploitation version of the movie about Garv. Yep, it was an interesting topic of discussion because Garv... not black. All in all, Iron Man 2 was a great time.
When Karen and I got back home, my mom was still all smiles. I think we made her day by asking her to take care of Briana. And the funny thing... Briana soon started to fuss when Karen and I got back. She was great during the day for my mom. It's like kids know when their parents leave them for a little bit. And as an act of retaliation, they start to fuss or something.
So needless to say, it was business as usual for Karen and I again. While waiting for Briana to wake up to feed again, we did actually end up watching another movie thanks to the Verizon FIOS movie package. That movie: W.
(The video below is a trailer for W.)
The movie is an Oliver Stone movie starring Josh Brolin as George W. Bush from Bush's crazy fraternity days to his presidency of the United States. As much as I hate to admit it, the movie was not that bad. I have never been a big fan of President Bush and the movie did nothing to change that opinion. But I did find the whole relationship he had with his father (the other President Bush) an interesting take... whether it was true or not. (And for anyone curious, the movie made it out that the whole Willie Horton angle during Bush Sr's election was the brainchild of George W.'s.)
Needless to say, the movie was okay. By far, Iron Man 2 was much more entertaining.
I Suck At The Ugly Truth
Friday was family fun night. And what better way to celebrate family fun night than to go shopping. And by shopping, I mean look for Mother's Day presents. (Mother's Day happens to be this Sunday.)
I generally dislike shopping for special occasion presents like for Mother's Day. I find that Karen is very difficult to shop for because she is not really into material things. It's great, but at the same time it makes finding gifts for her on these special occasions difficult... probably because I am a guy and can't think of thoughtful gift ideas.
Naturally, I definitely have to come up with a present for Karen this year. Although technically our daughter (Briana) is our second child, this is the first time that Karen gets to actually enjoy being a mother. We lost our first child (Braden) due to his being born extremely premature. Braden survived for only a week and to some extent we are still grieving his loss. (Truth be told, to me the entire year of 2009 felt like a daze. I don't remember much as it is... and 2009 was simply a blur.)
Anyway, I spent much of the night looking for a present for Karen this year. And really, Karen deserves one. Of course, I did have some help this year. For anyone curious, I don't particularly like to shop alone. It's boring to shop alone. In fact, I'll probably always remember my shopping excursion with my friend (Hot Amy) as we looked at jewelry for Karen. The people at the jewelry store thought Hot Amy and I were a couple because we were looking at rings. That was pretty comical. (I still remember David Yurman, a jewelry designer that I would not have known otherwise.)
This year, however, my friend (Andrea) provided assistance. Unfortunately, Andrea did not accompany me on my shopping excursion. She simply provided an idea for me that I entertained for awhile. I thought her idea was a great idea. So I went about in seeing if I could pull it together in time for Mother's Day. We'll see. (Thanks again Andrea for the idea!)
Anyway, shopping by myself on Friday night was actually a little fun. It was, after all, one of the few if not only times that I got to take a break on my own. No Karen. No Briana. I think everyone should take a parenting break every now and then... and just get out of the house. It does the mind and body good.
When I got back home, family fun night resumed... albeit it was later than usual and Briana was passed out... sound asleep... like the week before. So Karen and I decided to enjoy a movie together. That movie: The Ugly Truth. Now I suck at The Ugly Truth.
(The video below is a trailer for The Ugly Truth.)
The movie is the average predictable chick flick. Girl can't stand guy (because he tells the "ugly truth" about relationships). Guy helps girl find dream guy. Guy falls in love with girl. Girl realizes that she is in love with the guy. Predictable. As predictable as the movie was, I will admit that the movie was also entertaining. I'm not a big Katherine Heigl fan even though she is a bright shiny object (blond). But all in all, the movie was enjoyable. It was a nice movie for family fun night.
I generally dislike shopping for special occasion presents like for Mother's Day. I find that Karen is very difficult to shop for because she is not really into material things. It's great, but at the same time it makes finding gifts for her on these special occasions difficult... probably because I am a guy and can't think of thoughtful gift ideas.
Naturally, I definitely have to come up with a present for Karen this year. Although technically our daughter (Briana) is our second child, this is the first time that Karen gets to actually enjoy being a mother. We lost our first child (Braden) due to his being born extremely premature. Braden survived for only a week and to some extent we are still grieving his loss. (Truth be told, to me the entire year of 2009 felt like a daze. I don't remember much as it is... and 2009 was simply a blur.)
Anyway, I spent much of the night looking for a present for Karen this year. And really, Karen deserves one. Of course, I did have some help this year. For anyone curious, I don't particularly like to shop alone. It's boring to shop alone. In fact, I'll probably always remember my shopping excursion with my friend (Hot Amy) as we looked at jewelry for Karen. The people at the jewelry store thought Hot Amy and I were a couple because we were looking at rings. That was pretty comical. (I still remember David Yurman, a jewelry designer that I would not have known otherwise.)
This year, however, my friend (Andrea) provided assistance. Unfortunately, Andrea did not accompany me on my shopping excursion. She simply provided an idea for me that I entertained for awhile. I thought her idea was a great idea. So I went about in seeing if I could pull it together in time for Mother's Day. We'll see. (Thanks again Andrea for the idea!)
Anyway, shopping by myself on Friday night was actually a little fun. It was, after all, one of the few if not only times that I got to take a break on my own. No Karen. No Briana. I think everyone should take a parenting break every now and then... and just get out of the house. It does the mind and body good.
When I got back home, family fun night resumed... albeit it was later than usual and Briana was passed out... sound asleep... like the week before. So Karen and I decided to enjoy a movie together. That movie: The Ugly Truth. Now I suck at The Ugly Truth.
(The video below is a trailer for The Ugly Truth.)
The movie is the average predictable chick flick. Girl can't stand guy (because he tells the "ugly truth" about relationships). Guy helps girl find dream guy. Guy falls in love with girl. Girl realizes that she is in love with the guy. Predictable. As predictable as the movie was, I will admit that the movie was also entertaining. I'm not a big Katherine Heigl fan even though she is a bright shiny object (blond). But all in all, the movie was enjoyable. It was a nice movie for family fun night.
I Suck At Early Intervention
On Thursday, our baby daughter (Briana) had a big appointment. That appointment was with Early Intervention. Now I suck at Early Intervention.
For those who are curious, Early Intervention in Massachusetts is a statewide developmental service that is available for families with children from birth to three years of age. Because Briana was born prematurely, she automatically was eligible for the service. (I suppose that is one of the benefits of being born prematurely and spending some time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.)
Now being born prematurely does not necessarily mean she will have developmental issues. The Early Intervention team makes assessments of her development after interacting with her. They compare what her development would have been like had she been born full term versus her actual chronological age. From there, a scoring system based on various areas of development is generated. Passing grades are scores that fall within a particular range in each development category.
Obviously, passing the tests during the initial meeting does not guarantee that there will be no development issues later on. The passing grade just signifies that at that snapshot in time, the Early Intervention team did not assess any needs for the child.
I was expecting (if not hoping) Briana to fail at least one of the development categories. I know it seems bizarre to want your child to fail at something. For me, I thought her failing would be good so that she could be monitored closely by the Early Intervention team as she develops. After all, there is no harm in being monitored. It's just provides an extra piece of mind that you are raising your child as best as you can. So the additional intervention would only help her.
As luck would have it, Briana passed all of her tests on Thursday with the exception of one category: her motor skills. Apparently, the Early Intervention team actually expected her to fail with her motor skills (although she was pretty close to passing the category). After all, having a two month old baby hold up her gigantic noggin on her own is a tough thing to do.
So Early Intervention it is! As much as I would have been ecstatic to have Briana be like the talking two month old version of Briana that Karen's cousin (Karlene) dreamed about, I know it was not realistic. (Perhaps in an alternate reality.) I feel pretty good that Briana passed all but one of her tests. Hopefully she'll continue to develop properly. And it's now comforting to know that Early Intervention will be monitoring her.
For those who are curious, Early Intervention in Massachusetts is a statewide developmental service that is available for families with children from birth to three years of age. Because Briana was born prematurely, she automatically was eligible for the service. (I suppose that is one of the benefits of being born prematurely and spending some time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.)
Now being born prematurely does not necessarily mean she will have developmental issues. The Early Intervention team makes assessments of her development after interacting with her. They compare what her development would have been like had she been born full term versus her actual chronological age. From there, a scoring system based on various areas of development is generated. Passing grades are scores that fall within a particular range in each development category.
Obviously, passing the tests during the initial meeting does not guarantee that there will be no development issues later on. The passing grade just signifies that at that snapshot in time, the Early Intervention team did not assess any needs for the child.
I was expecting (if not hoping) Briana to fail at least one of the development categories. I know it seems bizarre to want your child to fail at something. For me, I thought her failing would be good so that she could be monitored closely by the Early Intervention team as she develops. After all, there is no harm in being monitored. It's just provides an extra piece of mind that you are raising your child as best as you can. So the additional intervention would only help her.
As luck would have it, Briana passed all of her tests on Thursday with the exception of one category: her motor skills. Apparently, the Early Intervention team actually expected her to fail with her motor skills (although she was pretty close to passing the category). After all, having a two month old baby hold up her gigantic noggin on her own is a tough thing to do.
So Early Intervention it is! As much as I would have been ecstatic to have Briana be like the talking two month old version of Briana that Karen's cousin (Karlene) dreamed about, I know it was not realistic. (Perhaps in an alternate reality.) I feel pretty good that Briana passed all but one of her tests. Hopefully she'll continue to develop properly. And it's now comforting to know that Early Intervention will be monitoring her.
Friday, May 7, 2010
I Suck At The Taking Of Pelham 123
Yesterday, I had a couple of hours to kill during the wee hours of night. By that time, Karen had already fallen asleep and our newborn daughter (Briana), based on her usual schedule, was set to wake up in a couple of hours. Like my niece (Kaleigh) has been known to say, "I'm not tired!" And that was the case last night for me... I was not tired. Of course, it helps that I am a night owl, probably thanks in part to my ability to play video games into the wee hours of night.
So what is a person to do during the early morning hours with nothing to do? Had I owned a PlayStation 3 game, I probably would have played that. Lucky for me, I have another addiction: movies. So last night, I decided to watch a movie thanks to our Verizon FIOS movie package. That movie: The Taking of Pelham 123.
Now I suck at the Taking of Pelham 123.
(The video below is a trailer for the Taking of Pelham 123.)
The movie is a remake of the 1974 version, which was the film adaptation of the book by the same name by author Morton Freedgood (whose pen name is John Godey). Confusing? Yes, especially since the book was also made into a television movie.
So what does this version have that is different from the other versions? Apparently a bad ass John Travolta as the antagonist. Truth be told, the movie was actually entertaining despite the cheesy slow motion car chases, helicopter rides, and train scenes.
So what is a person to do during the early morning hours with nothing to do? Had I owned a PlayStation 3 game, I probably would have played that. Lucky for me, I have another addiction: movies. So last night, I decided to watch a movie thanks to our Verizon FIOS movie package. That movie: The Taking of Pelham 123.
Now I suck at the Taking of Pelham 123.
(The video below is a trailer for the Taking of Pelham 123.)
The movie is a remake of the 1974 version, which was the film adaptation of the book by the same name by author Morton Freedgood (whose pen name is John Godey). Confusing? Yes, especially since the book was also made into a television movie.
So what does this version have that is different from the other versions? Apparently a bad ass John Travolta as the antagonist. Truth be told, the movie was actually entertaining despite the cheesy slow motion car chases, helicopter rides, and train scenes.
I Suck At PlayStation 3
Wednesday was a glorious day. For anyone who knows me, they know that I enjoy playing video games. Unfortunately, I have not played a video game in quite some time. I've been living vicariously through my friends (Marc and Kelley) who are also avid gamers.
I am now hoping to change that. On Wednesday, I hooked up my new video game console (the PlayStation 3) to our ginormous television. I am quite excited. And yes, I suck at PlayStation 3. It has taken me quite a while to get the next generation game console.
When PlayStation 3 first came out (way back in November 2006), I was stoked. I wanted one, but I obviously did not want to pay an arm and a leg for one. At the time, the game console was touted as being a technical marvel with its built in Blu-ray player. As much as I wanted one, I could not justify paying $300 for one. The price was enough for me to keep it on the back burner of my wish list. Besides, I had more pressing needs with home renovations and whatnot.
So I waited. And waited. And waited. During that time, I accrued enough reward points through my credit card (a Sony credit card) to get one. I actually had doubts about using my reward points for the PlayStation 3. After all, Karen and I just had a baby daughter (Briana). I had to deliberate for a long while on whether I should use the points for the PlayStation 3 or use the points for some other electronic gadget like a new camera to take pictures of Briana or something like that.
Needless to say, the video game console won. In fact, it was Karen who suggested that I go with the PlayStation 3 because it was what I had wanted for so long. (And reality is, we already had a camera.) So PlayStation 3 it is!
The game console actually arrived on Tuesday. In the past, I would have had everything set up within 10 minute after the game console entered the house. Sadly, not anymore. Having a baby is a funny thing. While the baby is a newborn whose sole job is to feed and grow, your schedule becomes based around the baby's schedule. So, I had to wait until Wednesday to set everything up.
Now all I have to do is get a game. In the meantime, it's a nice Blu-ray player!
I am now hoping to change that. On Wednesday, I hooked up my new video game console (the PlayStation 3) to our ginormous television. I am quite excited. And yes, I suck at PlayStation 3. It has taken me quite a while to get the next generation game console.
When PlayStation 3 first came out (way back in November 2006), I was stoked. I wanted one, but I obviously did not want to pay an arm and a leg for one. At the time, the game console was touted as being a technical marvel with its built in Blu-ray player. As much as I wanted one, I could not justify paying $300 for one. The price was enough for me to keep it on the back burner of my wish list. Besides, I had more pressing needs with home renovations and whatnot.
So I waited. And waited. And waited. During that time, I accrued enough reward points through my credit card (a Sony credit card) to get one. I actually had doubts about using my reward points for the PlayStation 3. After all, Karen and I just had a baby daughter (Briana). I had to deliberate for a long while on whether I should use the points for the PlayStation 3 or use the points for some other electronic gadget like a new camera to take pictures of Briana or something like that.
Needless to say, the video game console won. In fact, it was Karen who suggested that I go with the PlayStation 3 because it was what I had wanted for so long. (And reality is, we already had a camera.) So PlayStation 3 it is!
The game console actually arrived on Tuesday. In the past, I would have had everything set up within 10 minute after the game console entered the house. Sadly, not anymore. Having a baby is a funny thing. While the baby is a newborn whose sole job is to feed and grow, your schedule becomes based around the baby's schedule. So, I had to wait until Wednesday to set everything up.
Now all I have to do is get a game. In the meantime, it's a nice Blu-ray player!
I Suck At Lost
On Tuesday, Karen and I... and our newborn daughter (Briana)... hung out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). On the agenda for the night: Lost. Now, I suck at Lost. In fact, since the episode aired, I can't seem to get it out of my mind. That was how much I enjoyed watching the latest episode. I will be so sad when the series ends.
Anyway, Tuesday was the first time that Karen and I have been to Marc and Kelley's place in well over a month due largely in part to Briana. It was definitely good to be able to visit them for a change and not have them visit us.
Truth be told, I was a little hesitant to visit Marc and Kelley on Tuesday. I think when you become a parent and are given responsibility over the life of another being... you essentially develop irrational thoughts and possible paranoia. It's unavoidable in my opinion.
The main cause for my trepidation was Briana's interaction with cats. Marc and Kelley have three cats. Normally, that is not a cause for alarm. After all, I like cats. Unfortunately, I tend to be allergic to cats. Of course, I'm not as sensitive to cats as my friend and future mayor of Quincy (Cass) is. Nevertheless, I do have allergic reactions to felines. (For anyone curious, I never used to be allergic to cats. Damn this old age!)
So naturally, in my bout of irrational thinking, I did worry that Briana (should she be like her father) could also be allergic to cats. In that case, would Briana feel itchy? Would she simply sneeze uncontrollably? Would she just cry (which is a given for newborns)? Would she react in such a way that the airway would get restricted and suffocate? See... paranoia.
It turns out Briana was just fine and my bout of paranoia was all for nothing. She may have made a little fuss during Lost, but all in all she was very good. Of course, I may have just been thinking that because I was so deeply focused on Lost. Or it could have been the drinks that Kelley made. (I've missed Kelley's bartending.) Or it could have the delicious chocolate pretzels that Andrea brought again. Those were so good.
Needles to say, it was a great night. I'm still thinking about Lost as I type this.
Anyway, Tuesday was the first time that Karen and I have been to Marc and Kelley's place in well over a month due largely in part to Briana. It was definitely good to be able to visit them for a change and not have them visit us.
Truth be told, I was a little hesitant to visit Marc and Kelley on Tuesday. I think when you become a parent and are given responsibility over the life of another being... you essentially develop irrational thoughts and possible paranoia. It's unavoidable in my opinion.
The main cause for my trepidation was Briana's interaction with cats. Marc and Kelley have three cats. Normally, that is not a cause for alarm. After all, I like cats. Unfortunately, I tend to be allergic to cats. Of course, I'm not as sensitive to cats as my friend and future mayor of Quincy (Cass) is. Nevertheless, I do have allergic reactions to felines. (For anyone curious, I never used to be allergic to cats. Damn this old age!)
So naturally, in my bout of irrational thinking, I did worry that Briana (should she be like her father) could also be allergic to cats. In that case, would Briana feel itchy? Would she simply sneeze uncontrollably? Would she just cry (which is a given for newborns)? Would she react in such a way that the airway would get restricted and suffocate? See... paranoia.
It turns out Briana was just fine and my bout of paranoia was all for nothing. She may have made a little fuss during Lost, but all in all she was very good. Of course, I may have just been thinking that because I was so deeply focused on Lost. Or it could have been the drinks that Kelley made. (I've missed Kelley's bartending.) Or it could have the delicious chocolate pretzels that Andrea brought again. Those were so good.
Needles to say, it was a great night. I'm still thinking about Lost as I type this.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
I Suck At Meetings
It's a good thing that I wake up very early these days thanks to our newborn daughter's (Briana) feedings.
On Monday, shortly after feeding Briana in the wee hours of the morning, I decided to start work a little early. For anyone curious, I have the luxury of working from home most days of the week. I do, however, have to go into the office which is located in Marblehead at least one day during the week. That day is usually Tuesday.
Thinking that things were business as usual, I figured Tuesday was my day in the office this week. It was not until one of my coworkers sent me an email asking about attending a meeting on Monday that I started to doubt my schedule.
Apparently, I suck at meetings. I have never been big on meetings. Throughout my professional career, the majority of the meetings I have attended were an inefficient waste of my time. My time could have been better spent on actual work as opposed to listening to someone reading from a document as they go over the subject matter for the meeting. (Why not just send me the document? It would be so much easier for me to read it myself as opposed to listening to someone else read it... only to have to read the document anyway.) Yes, I dislike meetings.
Monday's meeting, however, was a meeting that I actually do enjoy... the collaborative meeting type. Those collaborative meetings have exchanges of ideas between group members, which to me are great learning experiences because they provide an insight into another point of view.
Sure enough, I had to be in the office to collaborate during the meeting on Monday. And unfortunately, I missed my usual window of opportunity in terms of beating the morning traffic. D'oh! Under normal circumstances, I'd probably rush out the door and drive like a maniac up to Marblehead. That, however, would prove to be a futile endeavor due to the bumper to bumper traffic.
Anyway, two hours or so later, I made it just in time for the meeting... with about 5 minutes to spare. That was a relief. Needless to say, Monday night Karen and I (and Briana) went out for dinner at Not Your Average Joe's in Norwell. Karen thought it would be a nice way to unwind from the day's activities, and I could not have agreed more.
In an effort to try something different at Not Your Average Joe's, both Karen and I ordered something from the menu that we had never had before (which may have been a little difficult because we do frequently go there a lot). Needless to say, the food was delicious as usual. I had the sweet blue burger. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.)
On Monday, shortly after feeding Briana in the wee hours of the morning, I decided to start work a little early. For anyone curious, I have the luxury of working from home most days of the week. I do, however, have to go into the office which is located in Marblehead at least one day during the week. That day is usually Tuesday.
Thinking that things were business as usual, I figured Tuesday was my day in the office this week. It was not until one of my coworkers sent me an email asking about attending a meeting on Monday that I started to doubt my schedule.
Apparently, I suck at meetings. I have never been big on meetings. Throughout my professional career, the majority of the meetings I have attended were an inefficient waste of my time. My time could have been better spent on actual work as opposed to listening to someone reading from a document as they go over the subject matter for the meeting. (Why not just send me the document? It would be so much easier for me to read it myself as opposed to listening to someone else read it... only to have to read the document anyway.) Yes, I dislike meetings.
Monday's meeting, however, was a meeting that I actually do enjoy... the collaborative meeting type. Those collaborative meetings have exchanges of ideas between group members, which to me are great learning experiences because they provide an insight into another point of view.
Sure enough, I had to be in the office to collaborate during the meeting on Monday. And unfortunately, I missed my usual window of opportunity in terms of beating the morning traffic. D'oh! Under normal circumstances, I'd probably rush out the door and drive like a maniac up to Marblehead. That, however, would prove to be a futile endeavor due to the bumper to bumper traffic.
Anyway, two hours or so later, I made it just in time for the meeting... with about 5 minutes to spare. That was a relief. Needless to say, Monday night Karen and I (and Briana) went out for dinner at Not Your Average Joe's in Norwell. Karen thought it would be a nice way to unwind from the day's activities, and I could not have agreed more.
In an effort to try something different at Not Your Average Joe's, both Karen and I ordered something from the menu that we had never had before (which may have been a little difficult because we do frequently go there a lot). Needless to say, the food was delicious as usual. I had the sweet blue burger. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.)
I Suck At Due Dates
Sunday was May 2nd, the original due date that our daughter (Briana) was supposed to be born on. Now, I suck at due dates. (And apparently, so does Briana because she was born prematurely on St. Patrick's Day.)
Nevertheless, happy pseudo-birthday, Briana!
In celebration of Briana's pseudo-birthday, Karen and I planned to spend the day as a family together. Unfortunately, I can not elaborate too much on what we did on Sunday as it involves Mother's Day preparations for next week.
I can tell you, however, that I ended up watching a few movies that were not so family friendly. Luckily, these movies were watched when it was not family time. For anyone curious, the movies I watched were Rambo, Day of the Dead, and Superhero Movie. I fear that I may have an addiction to the new Verizon FIOS movie package because I am now watching any and all movies. It's awful. And it's a good thing that these movies were relatively short.
(The video below is a trailer for "Rambo".)
(The video below is a trailer for "Day of the Dead".)
(The video below is a trailer for "Superhero Movie".)
Of the three movies, I enjoyed Day of the Dead the most.
Superhero Movie was just... plain dumb. Pamela Anderson was in the movie credits and she was not even in the movie that long. The movie was just not even funny.
Rambo was not much better. Perhaps I was hoping for too much because Julie Benz (Darla, of Angel fame) was in the movie. Sadly, not even a bright shiny blond could save that movie. By the way, Sylvester Stallone looked old as Rambo. I think what made me enjoy Rambo more than Superhero Movie was the gratuitous violence. Bodies were being blown apart with every gun shot. Rambo even does his best Patrick Swayze Roadhouse impersonation and kills a guy by ripping out his throat.
Needless to say, Day of the Dead was the best movie by default. In this movie, Mena Suvari (of American Beauty and American Pie fame) got to play the role as the bright shiny blond. The movie was also probably Nick Cannon's best work... unless you like Drumline. And in case you were curious, the movie also starred Ving Rhames... and AnnaLynne McCord before her 90210 (the next generation) days.
Sure, the plot of Day of the Dead is the same as all other zombie movies: zombies overrun an area; people are trapped in the area; people try to survive. But the movie was entertaining. Perhaps I am biased toward zombies thanks to the Resident Evil video games. But of the three movies that were watched, this movie was definitely the best.
Nevertheless, happy pseudo-birthday, Briana!
In celebration of Briana's pseudo-birthday, Karen and I planned to spend the day as a family together. Unfortunately, I can not elaborate too much on what we did on Sunday as it involves Mother's Day preparations for next week.
I can tell you, however, that I ended up watching a few movies that were not so family friendly. Luckily, these movies were watched when it was not family time. For anyone curious, the movies I watched were Rambo, Day of the Dead, and Superhero Movie. I fear that I may have an addiction to the new Verizon FIOS movie package because I am now watching any and all movies. It's awful. And it's a good thing that these movies were relatively short.
(The video below is a trailer for "Rambo".)
(The video below is a trailer for "Day of the Dead".)
(The video below is a trailer for "Superhero Movie".)
Of the three movies, I enjoyed Day of the Dead the most.
Superhero Movie was just... plain dumb. Pamela Anderson was in the movie credits and she was not even in the movie that long. The movie was just not even funny.
Rambo was not much better. Perhaps I was hoping for too much because Julie Benz (Darla, of Angel fame) was in the movie. Sadly, not even a bright shiny blond could save that movie. By the way, Sylvester Stallone looked old as Rambo. I think what made me enjoy Rambo more than Superhero Movie was the gratuitous violence. Bodies were being blown apart with every gun shot. Rambo even does his best Patrick Swayze Roadhouse impersonation and kills a guy by ripping out his throat.
Needless to say, Day of the Dead was the best movie by default. In this movie, Mena Suvari (of American Beauty and American Pie fame) got to play the role as the bright shiny blond. The movie was also probably Nick Cannon's best work... unless you like Drumline. And in case you were curious, the movie also starred Ving Rhames... and AnnaLynne McCord before her 90210 (the next generation) days.
Sure, the plot of Day of the Dead is the same as all other zombie movies: zombies overrun an area; people are trapped in the area; people try to survive. But the movie was entertaining. Perhaps I am biased toward zombies thanks to the Resident Evil video games. But of the three movies that were watched, this movie was definitely the best.
I Suck At First Communion
Saturday was a day of firsts. For my nephew (PJ), it was his first communion. Luckily, I suck at first communion. After all, I still have original sin in the eyes of God. (For anyone curious, I have never been baptized. Hence, the original sin.)
So it only makes sense then that I have never been a fan of religion. My point of view in terms of religion is from the perspective of someone on the outside looking in. Had my parents been deeply pious, my view on religion may have been different. (I doubt my point of view would be any different because there is still a lot of hypocrisy in organized religion and I am not a big fan of hypocrisy.) Many of my friends who were raised with religion aren't religious. In fact, many people in the United States today who were raised within a religion aren't religious. If anything, most of them are pseudo-religious, attending church services (if ever only) on days like Christmas and Easter. Where are they during the other Sundays? Probably not thinking about religion.
Thus, religion has always appeared to me to be... well, a religion of convenience. Can't eat meat on Fridays during Lent? Well, if St. Patrick's Day falls on Friday... meat is allowed on Fridays. Unless the Almighty were Irish and loved corned beef, why would God say that situation is okay? It makes no sense. Hence, the religion of convenience.
Nevertheless, religion is one of those touchy subjects that seem to get people all up in arms. After all, wars were started over religion. Sad but true. So I pretty much leave well enough alone. Eventually, I will have to deal with religion at some point while raising my daughter (Briana). Were it solely my decision, I would wait to introduce the whole concept of organized religion into Briana's life when she is capable of making her own decisions. Ideally, I would like to introduce her to the various religions. That way, she can choose to follow whatever religious beliefs she wants, or even not follow any of them at all. As long as it's her decision (and not a tainted decision), I'm okay with it. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that my way of doing things would be frowned upon by other influencing factors in Briana's life.
Of course, all of this has nothing to do with PJ's first communion. PJ's first communion, however, provided me with some quality father-daughter bonding time on Saturday. Karen attended PJ's service. So I got to spend a couple of hours with just Briana.
So what does one do during quality bonding time? Well, it turns out that on Saturday, I took Briana on her first trip to the library. Thrilling, I know. Apparently, several of the librarians had previously requested to see Briana. (You know you go to the library too much when librarians ask to see your newborn daughter.) And that's what I did.
Needless to say, the librarians loved seeing Briana. I think Briana enjoyed it too. And what's not to enjoy? Having everyone giving you their undivided attention... Briana, it turns out, just stared at my favorite librarian (Vicki). She kept watching her.
Following the library, I took Briana to the bank as well. Interestingly enough, there were requests from the bank employees to bring her in as well so that they could meet her. (You know you go to the bank too much when...) Unfortunately on Saturday, many of the bank employees who had requested to see Briana were not there. So it was just a simple bank transaction day.
Apparently, I had one of the bank employees laughing in stitches. The bank has a bowl of lollipops by the teller window. Jokingly, I asked Briana if she wanted a lollipop. Well, the bank teller (who looked like he was twelve), thought I was crazy offering a lollipop to a newborn daughter. It wasn't until I said "Just kidding" seconds later that the bank teller broke out in laughter because he thought I was serious in offering Briana a lollipop.
Anyway, by the time I was done with the library and the bank, quality father-daughter bonding time was over. I headed over to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) place for the first communion party. And as usual, it was a good party.
Of course, when I first arrived, there were no other cars in Janine's driveway. Naturally, I began to worry if the party were somewhere else other than her place because I was out and about for some time. (It wouldn't be the first time that I got the plans mixed up.) I thought that there would be a lot of cars in her driveway by the time I arrived. It turns out that the first communion mass just happened to be extremely long. (Yet another reason not to be religious.) It was not until Janine's BFF (Gretchen) opened the door that I breathed a sigh of relief.
But yeah, the first communion party was good. As usual, a lot of people got to hold Briana during the party. She must have been passed to everyone: Karen's grandparents, my favorite brother-in-law's (PJ) brother (Mark), Mark's fiancee (Emily), PJ and Mark's mother, Karen's aunt (Denise), Gretchen, Janine, and Karen's mother (possibly a few times). And I'm sure Briana loved every minute of being held.
So it only makes sense then that I have never been a fan of religion. My point of view in terms of religion is from the perspective of someone on the outside looking in. Had my parents been deeply pious, my view on religion may have been different. (I doubt my point of view would be any different because there is still a lot of hypocrisy in organized religion and I am not a big fan of hypocrisy.) Many of my friends who were raised with religion aren't religious. In fact, many people in the United States today who were raised within a religion aren't religious. If anything, most of them are pseudo-religious, attending church services (if ever only) on days like Christmas and Easter. Where are they during the other Sundays? Probably not thinking about religion.
Thus, religion has always appeared to me to be... well, a religion of convenience. Can't eat meat on Fridays during Lent? Well, if St. Patrick's Day falls on Friday... meat is allowed on Fridays. Unless the Almighty were Irish and loved corned beef, why would God say that situation is okay? It makes no sense. Hence, the religion of convenience.
Nevertheless, religion is one of those touchy subjects that seem to get people all up in arms. After all, wars were started over religion. Sad but true. So I pretty much leave well enough alone. Eventually, I will have to deal with religion at some point while raising my daughter (Briana). Were it solely my decision, I would wait to introduce the whole concept of organized religion into Briana's life when she is capable of making her own decisions. Ideally, I would like to introduce her to the various religions. That way, she can choose to follow whatever religious beliefs she wants, or even not follow any of them at all. As long as it's her decision (and not a tainted decision), I'm okay with it. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that my way of doing things would be frowned upon by other influencing factors in Briana's life.
Of course, all of this has nothing to do with PJ's first communion. PJ's first communion, however, provided me with some quality father-daughter bonding time on Saturday. Karen attended PJ's service. So I got to spend a couple of hours with just Briana.
So what does one do during quality bonding time? Well, it turns out that on Saturday, I took Briana on her first trip to the library. Thrilling, I know. Apparently, several of the librarians had previously requested to see Briana. (You know you go to the library too much when librarians ask to see your newborn daughter.) And that's what I did.
Needless to say, the librarians loved seeing Briana. I think Briana enjoyed it too. And what's not to enjoy? Having everyone giving you their undivided attention... Briana, it turns out, just stared at my favorite librarian (Vicki). She kept watching her.
Following the library, I took Briana to the bank as well. Interestingly enough, there were requests from the bank employees to bring her in as well so that they could meet her. (You know you go to the bank too much when...) Unfortunately on Saturday, many of the bank employees who had requested to see Briana were not there. So it was just a simple bank transaction day.
Apparently, I had one of the bank employees laughing in stitches. The bank has a bowl of lollipops by the teller window. Jokingly, I asked Briana if she wanted a lollipop. Well, the bank teller (who looked like he was twelve), thought I was crazy offering a lollipop to a newborn daughter. It wasn't until I said "Just kidding" seconds later that the bank teller broke out in laughter because he thought I was serious in offering Briana a lollipop.
Anyway, by the time I was done with the library and the bank, quality father-daughter bonding time was over. I headed over to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) place for the first communion party. And as usual, it was a good party.
Of course, when I first arrived, there were no other cars in Janine's driveway. Naturally, I began to worry if the party were somewhere else other than her place because I was out and about for some time. (It wouldn't be the first time that I got the plans mixed up.) I thought that there would be a lot of cars in her driveway by the time I arrived. It turns out that the first communion mass just happened to be extremely long. (Yet another reason not to be religious.) It was not until Janine's BFF (Gretchen) opened the door that I breathed a sigh of relief.
But yeah, the first communion party was good. As usual, a lot of people got to hold Briana during the party. She must have been passed to everyone: Karen's grandparents, my favorite brother-in-law's (PJ) brother (Mark), Mark's fiancee (Emily), PJ and Mark's mother, Karen's aunt (Denise), Gretchen, Janine, and Karen's mother (possibly a few times). And I'm sure Briana loved every minute of being held.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
I Suck At Penelope
Last night was "family night". The designation of "family night" randomly came about because for the past few weeks, we have given our newborn daughter (Briana) her baths on Fridays. And since Briana's bath time was an activity that involved both Karen and I, the designation of "family night" Fridays was born. (We're still trying to work in the reading to Briana thing too... although that seems a little more difficult because she tends not to stay awake after feeding.)
So to kick off family night yesterday, we decided to watch the movie, Penelope. Now, I suck at Penelope. But thanks to our recent Verizon FIOS movie package, the movie was available for us to watch. (I'm getting some pretty good use out of this movie package.)
(The video below is a trailer for "Penelope".)
The movie is about a girl, who through the actions of her wealthy ancestors, was cursed to resemble a pig. The only way the curse can be lifted is if she finds another person like her own to love her. Confined to her own home, Penelope meets suitor after suitor, but they all flee when they see her pig-like curse. Distraught that she can never find anyone, Penelope flees the confines of her little world and enters the real world.
Needless to say, the movie was very good. I enjoyed it quite a bit. And what's not to enjoy? Reese Witherspoon produced and appeared in the movie... along side Christina Ricci, who was Penelope. All in all, the underlying message of the movie was good, and probably one that all people should learn.
Of course, Briana was fast asleep during the entire movie. So any messages were lost on her. Nonetheless, it was nice to enjoy a night with the family.
So to kick off family night yesterday, we decided to watch the movie, Penelope. Now, I suck at Penelope. But thanks to our recent Verizon FIOS movie package, the movie was available for us to watch. (I'm getting some pretty good use out of this movie package.)
(The video below is a trailer for "Penelope".)
The movie is about a girl, who through the actions of her wealthy ancestors, was cursed to resemble a pig. The only way the curse can be lifted is if she finds another person like her own to love her. Confined to her own home, Penelope meets suitor after suitor, but they all flee when they see her pig-like curse. Distraught that she can never find anyone, Penelope flees the confines of her little world and enters the real world.
Needless to say, the movie was very good. I enjoyed it quite a bit. And what's not to enjoy? Reese Witherspoon produced and appeared in the movie... along side Christina Ricci, who was Penelope. All in all, the underlying message of the movie was good, and probably one that all people should learn.
Of course, Briana was fast asleep during the entire movie. So any messages were lost on her. Nonetheless, it was nice to enjoy a night with the family.
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