Saturday started off pretty well.
My friends (Cass and Ellen) were in the neighborhood and decided to stop on by for lunch. Apparently, there is a company located near us that offers 3-D videos of your baby while you are pregnant. Suffice to say, it was definitely good to see Cass and Ellen. It appears that Cass has amassed quite a collection of Singamajigs already for their upcoming baby. (I think the Singamajigs may be more for Cass.)
Later than night, Karen and I attended a tree trimming. Unfortunately, I suck at tree trimming. And naturally, that is when things started to go downhill for me. Every year, my friends (Marc and Kelley) host a tree trimming party to celebrate the holidays. This year, in particular, their party coincided with a UFC fight. So, they were gracious enough to host the party and the UFC pay-per-view.
Anyway, I was pretty excited about the UFC fight. Sadly, things never really go according to plan. The tree trimming was great. My usual group of friends (Garv, Leeann, and Andrea) showed up. Cass was there. Marc's family were there. My BFF (Kerry) was there. My friends (Adam and Kim) were there. My friend (Amy, the Czar) was there. It was definitely good to hang out with everyone.
Unfortunately, it was probably due that I would mess things up. And as a general rule, when I mess things up... I mess things up. I think I've become "that guy". Needless to say, you know things are bad when you wake up the next day not knowing where you are.
And sadly, that is what happened. I woke up at 4 in the morning with one of Marc and Kelley's cat sitting in my lap, a bucket next to me, and the faint smell of vomit in the air. It didn't take too long for me to piece together that the smell of vomit must have been mine.
I say "must have", because unfortunately I have no memory about the incident. Quite frequently, I seem to suffer from alcohol-related amnesia. The last thing I remember was hanging out and chatting with Adam in the kitchen. I have since been told that I actually went to watch the UFC fight, only to never finish watching it due to my purge. I'm not exactly sure how much time elapsed since that moment in time in the kitchen to my inevitable purge.
Some people have an unhealthy relationship with food. I seem to have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. No doubt, I have done physical damage to my liver and brain. I think what is probably the scariest part, aside from putting a strain on my relationship with my friends, is not remembering what happened at all. I could have probably murdered someone in my inebriated state and wouldn't even know it. Heck, I would be the perfect person to frame for a murder.
I think as I am getting older, my symptoms are getting worse. Earlier in my days, I could tell when things didn't feel quite right. I would get "huggy" as it may be. And I would perhaps sway a little. These days, there's just the swaying... and by that time, it's already too late. There are no signs that I'm passed that point.
After all, like I said, I remember talking with Adam in the kitchen. The best way I can describe the feeling is that it's almost like a switch that gets turned off. It feels that quick. And my memory seems to immediately shut down with it, which is pretty sad because my memory is poor to begin with. Throw in the vomit and well... perhaps that is a sign that my body just can't process alcohol like it used to.
Needless to say, I'm not too proud of my latest drunkenness. I feel awful for ruining Marc and Kelley's party. I'm not sure if there is anything I can do to make it up to them or anyone else at the party who had to witness or even help me. It's yet another in a long line of things that I am regretful for.
It's funny. One of the reasons why I titled my blog "I suck at..." is because of incidents like these. Granted, these incidents that I'm not proud of are not all alcohol-induced. Seeing Amy The Czar did bring back some memories where I wasn't exactly the nicest of nice, a fact only reinforced by my recent rummaging through of old high school crap that my mother brought over after cleaning out her attic.
It goes without saying that I am sorry for letting all of my friends down. I'm sorry that I'm a bad reflection on Karen. And right now, I'm even sorry that my baby daughter (Briana) has me as a father. At almost nine months, Briana thinks I'm like the greatest thing on the planet next to her milk. It's amazing how good I feel whenever Briana looks at me and smiles, because I know she simply adores me. Unfortunately, she doesn't know any better. I'm not even good at taking care of myself.
Monday, December 13, 2010
I Suck At Double Features
On Friday, I fed my movie addiction by watching a double feature of movies. The two movies I watched were The Skulls and Avatar. I don't think there was any connection between the movies, other than they were simply on. Needless to say, I suck at double features.
The Skulls stars Joshua Jackson (of Dawson's Creek fame) as Ivy Leaguer who dreams of getting into a fictional secret society known as the Skulls because the society is well connected. (For anyone curious, the movie is based on theories about Yale and its own Skull and Bones society.) Things of course, aren't what he imagines once he becomes a member. Paul Walker also happens to be another member of the Skulls.
I wasn't really expecting much from the movie. So it's probably no surprise that I thought the movie was pretty blah. Interestingly enough, there are apparently direct to video sequels to this movie. Who knew? On a whole, the movie was not all that bad. I have seen worse.
After The Skulls, I ended up watching the much hyped movie, Avatar. The movie did get nominated for nine Academy Awards, one of which was Best Picture.
(The video below is a trailer for Avatar.)
Naturally, I had to see what the movie was about. And truth be told, the movie was good. It was definitely enjoyable. I'm not sure if I would consider the movie a Best Picture, but then again I don't agree with many of the choices for movies that make the Best Picture list. I remember seeing The English Patient and was perplexed as to why that would be a Best Picture movie. But like I said, that's just me.
Anyway, the double features were a nice way to kill time and be entertained.
The Skulls stars Joshua Jackson (of Dawson's Creek fame) as Ivy Leaguer who dreams of getting into a fictional secret society known as the Skulls because the society is well connected. (For anyone curious, the movie is based on theories about Yale and its own Skull and Bones society.) Things of course, aren't what he imagines once he becomes a member. Paul Walker also happens to be another member of the Skulls.
I wasn't really expecting much from the movie. So it's probably no surprise that I thought the movie was pretty blah. Interestingly enough, there are apparently direct to video sequels to this movie. Who knew? On a whole, the movie was not all that bad. I have seen worse.
After The Skulls, I ended up watching the much hyped movie, Avatar. The movie did get nominated for nine Academy Awards, one of which was Best Picture.
(The video below is a trailer for Avatar.)
Naturally, I had to see what the movie was about. And truth be told, the movie was good. It was definitely enjoyable. I'm not sure if I would consider the movie a Best Picture, but then again I don't agree with many of the choices for movies that make the Best Picture list. I remember seeing The English Patient and was perplexed as to why that would be a Best Picture movie. But like I said, that's just me.
Anyway, the double features were a nice way to kill time and be entertained.
Friday, December 10, 2010
I Suck At The Wolfman
On Wednesday, I ended up feeding my movie addiction. The movie that I ended up watching: The Wolfman. Now, I suck at The Wolfman.
(The video below is a trailer for The Wolfman.)
The film is a remake of the 1941 classic of the same name. And truth be told, I found the movie rather lackluster. Of course, I was never a big fan of werewolves to begin with. I guess that means if I had to choose, I would be on Team Edward as opposed to Team Jacob. And really, Teen Wolf did nothing to make me like lycanthropes any more either.
I think one of the main reasons I was not impressed with the movie was because the plot felt rushed. Benicio Del Toro's character is the protagonist looking into the murder of his brother. In a span of what felt like minutes, his brother's fiancee falls in love with him. Even the climatic battle at the end seemed to have only lasted a few minutes.
Needless to say, I thought the movie was rather blah. I think I would still choose vampires over werewolves.
(The video below is a trailer for The Wolfman.)
The film is a remake of the 1941 classic of the same name. And truth be told, I found the movie rather lackluster. Of course, I was never a big fan of werewolves to begin with. I guess that means if I had to choose, I would be on Team Edward as opposed to Team Jacob. And really, Teen Wolf did nothing to make me like lycanthropes any more either.
I think one of the main reasons I was not impressed with the movie was because the plot felt rushed. Benicio Del Toro's character is the protagonist looking into the murder of his brother. In a span of what felt like minutes, his brother's fiancee falls in love with him. Even the climatic battle at the end seemed to have only lasted a few minutes.
Needless to say, I thought the movie was rather blah. I think I would still choose vampires over werewolves.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
I Suck At Attending A Service For Remembrance
In addition to being my first time in work's new office location of Danvers, yesterday was the 18th Annual Service of Remembrance at the Old South Union Church which is directly across from South Shore Hospital. The service is held for families who have lost children. Too bad, I suck at attending a service for remembrance.
It has been over two years since Karen and I lost our son (Braden). As much as I hate to say it, I have not thought much about my beautiful angel in quite some time. Like many people I'm sure, I have been caught up in trying to raise a baby daughter (Briana) while balancing other aspects in life.
Sadly, I think my original fears are coming true. Shortly after Braden's passing, I was concerned that I would forget about him. I was afraid that I would forget his beautiful face. I was afraid that I would forget what his skin felt like when I kissed him goodbye. And now, it's almost like it is coming true. That sensation I felt when I kissed Braden goodbye doesn't seem as real as I once remembered it being. It really irks me that I can't remember that feeling anymore.
So needless to say, I was looking forward to attending the service for remembrance just so that I could have some dedicated time to thinking about my beautiful son. With such a hectic schedule, especially during the holidays, I thought it was definitely much needed.
In case anyone is curious, the service seemed shorter this year, which was probably just as well because Briana was with us. And truth be told, Briana was very well behaved during the service. She only made a couple of brief peeps during the service, but nothing distracting (unlike the children sitting behind us).
Anyway, it was a nice service. I hope Braden enjoyed the service as well. Happy holidays, Braden! Even though Daddy forgets things, he still loves you.
It has been over two years since Karen and I lost our son (Braden). As much as I hate to say it, I have not thought much about my beautiful angel in quite some time. Like many people I'm sure, I have been caught up in trying to raise a baby daughter (Briana) while balancing other aspects in life.
Sadly, I think my original fears are coming true. Shortly after Braden's passing, I was concerned that I would forget about him. I was afraid that I would forget his beautiful face. I was afraid that I would forget what his skin felt like when I kissed him goodbye. And now, it's almost like it is coming true. That sensation I felt when I kissed Braden goodbye doesn't seem as real as I once remembered it being. It really irks me that I can't remember that feeling anymore.
So needless to say, I was looking forward to attending the service for remembrance just so that I could have some dedicated time to thinking about my beautiful son. With such a hectic schedule, especially during the holidays, I thought it was definitely much needed.
In case anyone is curious, the service seemed shorter this year, which was probably just as well because Briana was with us. And truth be told, Briana was very well behaved during the service. She only made a couple of brief peeps during the service, but nothing distracting (unlike the children sitting behind us).
Anyway, it was a nice service. I hope Braden enjoyed the service as well. Happy holidays, Braden! Even though Daddy forgets things, he still loves you.
Monday, December 6, 2010
I Still Suck At Holiday Parties
Sunday continued my 128 North weekend. Having taken 128 North from Norwell to Salem for my BFF's (Kerry) holiday party on Saturday, Karen and I took 128 North again for our annual family holiday party (only this time from Norwell to Lowell). I can't wait to take 128 North yet again for my commute to and from the office in Danvers too. That will be three trips up 128 North from Norwell in four days. Fun.
As usual there is a lot to like about Lowell (or so the city will have you believe). Like last year, Karen's aunt (Denise) was gracious enough to host Christmas for the family. Denise had scheduled the family party for this past Sunday because it just so happens that Karen's aunt and uncle (Sandy and Billy) from Georgia were up visiting this weekend. Too bad I still suck at holiday parties.
As far as family gatherings go, it was an interesting get-together. For me, the highlight of the party, of course, was the annual silly swap. Although I must say, the catered food was a close second. I'm not normally one for deli meat. The roast beef, however, was quite delicious. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.) I must have eaten about a pound of it.
I got to unload my old hardly-been-worn high school band jacket during the silly swap. That's right. I was in band... albeit very very very briefly. My instrument of choice: drums. My fondest memories of my band days (among not being able to paradiddle on the drums) was sadly marching in one of Quincy's parade. And by marching, I mean bumping into the backside of my friend (Kathy) with a huge bass drum. Apparently, I could not march either. Interestingly enough, I think it may even have been the Christmas parade that I marched in. So it's only fitting that my band jacket be swapped during the holidays.
Needless to say, it was nice to finally put that band jacket to good use. I actually never wore the jacket while I was in high school because I had my track jacket instead. It was not until recently that I even got a hold of the jacket, thanks to my mother who was cleaning out her attic. Naturally on a whim, I jokingly wore the jacket to my friends' (Cass and Ellen) not too long ago. And yes, the jacket is a lot smaller than I remember.
Karen's Aunt (Mary) ended up with the band jacket. Aunt Mary is actually the younger sister of Karen's Nana. As far as crazy family members go, I would say Aunt Mary is up there. Mary is likely to say something crazy... forget... and then say the same exact crazy thing again... forget... and then repeat the cycle again and again. This was even before she needed assisted living.
I imagine talking to Mary is a lot like talking to me. So I suppose it's only fitting that she receive a stylish high school band jacket. When she put on the jacket, which actually had my name on the sleeve, it was like we were back in high school and we were "going steady". Hubba Hubba... Mary.
Anyway, it was an interesting family get-together as usual.
As usual there is a lot to like about Lowell (or so the city will have you believe). Like last year, Karen's aunt (Denise) was gracious enough to host Christmas for the family. Denise had scheduled the family party for this past Sunday because it just so happens that Karen's aunt and uncle (Sandy and Billy) from Georgia were up visiting this weekend. Too bad I still suck at holiday parties.
As far as family gatherings go, it was an interesting get-together. For me, the highlight of the party, of course, was the annual silly swap. Although I must say, the catered food was a close second. I'm not normally one for deli meat. The roast beef, however, was quite delicious. (Cue Rachael Ray's "Yum-O" sound.) I must have eaten about a pound of it.
I got to unload my old hardly-been-worn high school band jacket during the silly swap. That's right. I was in band... albeit very very very briefly. My instrument of choice: drums. My fondest memories of my band days (among not being able to paradiddle on the drums) was sadly marching in one of Quincy's parade. And by marching, I mean bumping into the backside of my friend (Kathy) with a huge bass drum. Apparently, I could not march either. Interestingly enough, I think it may even have been the Christmas parade that I marched in. So it's only fitting that my band jacket be swapped during the holidays.
Needless to say, it was nice to finally put that band jacket to good use. I actually never wore the jacket while I was in high school because I had my track jacket instead. It was not until recently that I even got a hold of the jacket, thanks to my mother who was cleaning out her attic. Naturally on a whim, I jokingly wore the jacket to my friends' (Cass and Ellen) not too long ago. And yes, the jacket is a lot smaller than I remember.
Karen's Aunt (Mary) ended up with the band jacket. Aunt Mary is actually the younger sister of Karen's Nana. As far as crazy family members go, I would say Aunt Mary is up there. Mary is likely to say something crazy... forget... and then say the same exact crazy thing again... forget... and then repeat the cycle again and again. This was even before she needed assisted living.
I imagine talking to Mary is a lot like talking to me. So I suppose it's only fitting that she receive a stylish high school band jacket. When she put on the jacket, which actually had my name on the sleeve, it was like we were back in high school and we were "going steady". Hubba Hubba... Mary.
Anyway, it was an interesting family get-together as usual.
I Suck At Holiday Parties
Feeling that there was very little time between now and Christmas, I spent most of Saturday putting up our Christmas tree. Luckily for Karen and I, our Christmas tree is artificial and does not require much effort to actually place in a stand. Had Karen and I gotten a real tree, things would have taken a lot more time.
Needless to say, our Christmas tree is up and decorated. As well, Karen decorated the rest of our house with holiday items. For anyone curious, one of my favorite holiday decorations is this tiny little glass frog with a Santa hat on it. The tiny glass frog was something that Karen and I just happened to pick up while on vacation.
Anyway, we were able to finish decorating the house for the holidays just in time for my BFF's (Kerry) holiday party that evening. For anyone curious, I suck at holiday parties.
This was the eighth annual holiday party that Kerry has hosted. If I had to guess, I would guess that her holiday party is one of the things that she looks forward to every year. Because of that fact, I have attended every single one of her holiday parties thus far, with the exception of one. (And for anyone curious, that exception happened to be a result of the party being scheduled on the birthday celebration of another friend.)
Shortly before the party, I received a call from my friend (Carlos). The Check Engine Light appeared in Carlos's car as he was coming back from the gym. Hesitant to continue driving the car, especially from Quincy to Salem where the party was being held, he asked for Kerry's number to notify her that he could not make the party. Naturally, I offered him a ride instead.
It was definitely good to see Carlos again. Prior to the week before at the Quincy parade, I had not seen Carlos since probably February. So it has been a long time. I thought the drive both to and from the party would be a nice way to catch up on things. And it was. Among the things that I do miss about working in downtown Boston is hanging out with Carlos. Hanging out with Aimee and Hot Amy are other things too that I miss. And of course, I also miss the food.
Anyway, the holiday party itself was an interesting time. I think a bunch of us got to learn some new friend facts. Granted, most of those facts centered around Kerry's friend (Steve). Steve was thought to be a long time Rhode Island resident, since that is how all of us came to know him (via Kerry and her connections to Rhode Island). It turns out, Steve is from Massachusetts.
Another random fact: Steve also scored a 1440 on his SAT scores. I happen to remember this fact only because immediately after he told everyone, I thought about my friend (Sam). Back in the day, Sam scored a 1300 on his SATs. And to make sure that everyone knew about this amazing feat, Sam kept his SAT results in his wallet. Sam would then promptly (and proudly) show anyone who asked about his results. Naturally, that led me to wonder if Steve did the same thing with his scores.
Karen and I had a nice time. I think it was good to get out of the house without our baby daughter (Briana). For sanity reasons, I think it's always good to do things without feeling handcuffed by your child.
Luckily, Kerry's adults only party provided the much needed relief. Interestingly enough, I think Karen and I may have been the only ones at the party who even had a child. Regardless, it was fun. As usual, it was good to hang out with friends at the party. Joining in on the festivities this year were our friends (Cass, Ellen, Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, and Andrea). So all in all, it was a fun time.
Needless to say, our Christmas tree is up and decorated. As well, Karen decorated the rest of our house with holiday items. For anyone curious, one of my favorite holiday decorations is this tiny little glass frog with a Santa hat on it. The tiny glass frog was something that Karen and I just happened to pick up while on vacation.
Anyway, we were able to finish decorating the house for the holidays just in time for my BFF's (Kerry) holiday party that evening. For anyone curious, I suck at holiday parties.
This was the eighth annual holiday party that Kerry has hosted. If I had to guess, I would guess that her holiday party is one of the things that she looks forward to every year. Because of that fact, I have attended every single one of her holiday parties thus far, with the exception of one. (And for anyone curious, that exception happened to be a result of the party being scheduled on the birthday celebration of another friend.)
Shortly before the party, I received a call from my friend (Carlos). The Check Engine Light appeared in Carlos's car as he was coming back from the gym. Hesitant to continue driving the car, especially from Quincy to Salem where the party was being held, he asked for Kerry's number to notify her that he could not make the party. Naturally, I offered him a ride instead.
It was definitely good to see Carlos again. Prior to the week before at the Quincy parade, I had not seen Carlos since probably February. So it has been a long time. I thought the drive both to and from the party would be a nice way to catch up on things. And it was. Among the things that I do miss about working in downtown Boston is hanging out with Carlos. Hanging out with Aimee and Hot Amy are other things too that I miss. And of course, I also miss the food.
Anyway, the holiday party itself was an interesting time. I think a bunch of us got to learn some new friend facts. Granted, most of those facts centered around Kerry's friend (Steve). Steve was thought to be a long time Rhode Island resident, since that is how all of us came to know him (via Kerry and her connections to Rhode Island). It turns out, Steve is from Massachusetts.
Another random fact: Steve also scored a 1440 on his SAT scores. I happen to remember this fact only because immediately after he told everyone, I thought about my friend (Sam). Back in the day, Sam scored a 1300 on his SATs. And to make sure that everyone knew about this amazing feat, Sam kept his SAT results in his wallet. Sam would then promptly (and proudly) show anyone who asked about his results. Naturally, that led me to wonder if Steve did the same thing with his scores.
Karen and I had a nice time. I think it was good to get out of the house without our baby daughter (Briana). For sanity reasons, I think it's always good to do things without feeling handcuffed by your child.
Luckily, Kerry's adults only party provided the much needed relief. Interestingly enough, I think Karen and I may have been the only ones at the party who even had a child. Regardless, it was fun. As usual, it was good to hang out with friends at the party. Joining in on the festivities this year were our friends (Cass, Ellen, Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, and Andrea). So all in all, it was a fun time.
I Suck At Making A Gingerbread Man
Friday was quite the interesting day.
Earlier in the day, I discovered that my garage door was not properly working. And by not properly working, I mean that the remote control was not opening the garage door. Naturally, my initial reaction was that the battery needed to be replaced in the remote control.
After replacing the battery, I tried the remote control again. Nothing. The door did not budge. Looking at the wall panel in the garage, I noticed the wall panel had a flickering light on it. So after rummaging through my tool bench, I finally came upon the instruction manual for the garage door.
Following the troubleshooting tips in the instruction manual, I tested the wires and the safety sensors connected to the garage door opener. There were no problems. Yet for some reason, the remote control was not working.
And as proof that sometimes parents know best, my mother who was over to watch over my daughter (Briana) suggested that I search the web. Sure enough, I found someone who experienced a similar issue. Turns out, the cause was that the wall panel in the garage has a lock function. The lock function apparently... locks the remote control from opening the garage door. (Shows you how often I use this feature.)
Somehow this button was pressed on the wall panel. So simply hitting the button again releases the lock. Yes, it was that easy of a solution. When I clicked the remote, the garage door opened! Yay! I guess I probably should have read my instruction manual a little more closely. Oh well.
Anyway, following my garage door incident, Karen, Briana and I went to a cookie swap. Prior to last week, I had never been involved in a cookie swap. And now, I have been to two cookie swaps in six days. Needless to say, the swap was great.
The cookie swap was held by someone involved with the Norwell Public library. With Karen being a similar member of the library group, she was invited to partake in the swap. And as Karen's spouse, I got to partake in the fun. It pays to be involved with the public library.
For me, it was a nice to meet other people who live in the town. I was not expecting much. After all, all I knew about the event was that it was a simple cookie swap at someone's house who was equally involved with the library. I was picturing a bunch of older women... with Karen.
Oh how wrong I was. For starters, the house was absolutely amazing. I don't know
if any words can describe how gorgeous this house was. And the host and her family were so down to earth. In fact, I'm not sure how their family does it. I have trouble with just one child. Their family consisted of seven children.
Interestingly enough, they would have had eight children were it not for the fact that they lost one. As bizarre as this sounds, I find it interesting when I learn that other people have lost children. Losing children seems more common than I realize (or television would have you believe). Having lost a child myself, I guess I find some solace to know that I am not alone.
Anyway, I was amazed with this family. Their children were all well behaved. And I must say, the mom must be like mom of the year or something. To say she is talented is an understatement. From the cookies she made for the cookie swap, to raising seven children, to making gingerbread men, there seems like nothing that his woman could not do.
Speaking of gingerbread men, I had the opportunity to make my first gingerbread man. Too bad I suck at making a gingerbread man. This woman had baked a gazillion gingerbread men and women and babies for all of us to decorate. It was... amazing. Like I said, I'm not sure there is anything this woman cannot do.
For anyone curious, Karen was excited to make a purse for her gingerbread man out of Necco wafers. My gingerbread man looked a little puffy. I covered my gingerbread man in mini marshmallows. My thought was to put a white puffy down jacket on my gingerbread man... to keep him warm. Sadly, it looks like my gingerbread man is the bastard child of the Stay Puft Marshmallow man.
Regardless, I had a fantastic time on Friday. I was not expecting to have so much fun at the cookie swap. I'm glad that I was able to be a part of it.
Earlier in the day, I discovered that my garage door was not properly working. And by not properly working, I mean that the remote control was not opening the garage door. Naturally, my initial reaction was that the battery needed to be replaced in the remote control.
After replacing the battery, I tried the remote control again. Nothing. The door did not budge. Looking at the wall panel in the garage, I noticed the wall panel had a flickering light on it. So after rummaging through my tool bench, I finally came upon the instruction manual for the garage door.
Following the troubleshooting tips in the instruction manual, I tested the wires and the safety sensors connected to the garage door opener. There were no problems. Yet for some reason, the remote control was not working.
And as proof that sometimes parents know best, my mother who was over to watch over my daughter (Briana) suggested that I search the web. Sure enough, I found someone who experienced a similar issue. Turns out, the cause was that the wall panel in the garage has a lock function. The lock function apparently... locks the remote control from opening the garage door. (Shows you how often I use this feature.)
Somehow this button was pressed on the wall panel. So simply hitting the button again releases the lock. Yes, it was that easy of a solution. When I clicked the remote, the garage door opened! Yay! I guess I probably should have read my instruction manual a little more closely. Oh well.
Anyway, following my garage door incident, Karen, Briana and I went to a cookie swap. Prior to last week, I had never been involved in a cookie swap. And now, I have been to two cookie swaps in six days. Needless to say, the swap was great.
The cookie swap was held by someone involved with the Norwell Public library. With Karen being a similar member of the library group, she was invited to partake in the swap. And as Karen's spouse, I got to partake in the fun. It pays to be involved with the public library.
For me, it was a nice to meet other people who live in the town. I was not expecting much. After all, all I knew about the event was that it was a simple cookie swap at someone's house who was equally involved with the library. I was picturing a bunch of older women... with Karen.
Oh how wrong I was. For starters, the house was absolutely amazing. I don't know
if any words can describe how gorgeous this house was. And the host and her family were so down to earth. In fact, I'm not sure how their family does it. I have trouble with just one child. Their family consisted of seven children.
Interestingly enough, they would have had eight children were it not for the fact that they lost one. As bizarre as this sounds, I find it interesting when I learn that other people have lost children. Losing children seems more common than I realize (or television would have you believe). Having lost a child myself, I guess I find some solace to know that I am not alone.
Anyway, I was amazed with this family. Their children were all well behaved. And I must say, the mom must be like mom of the year or something. To say she is talented is an understatement. From the cookies she made for the cookie swap, to raising seven children, to making gingerbread men, there seems like nothing that his woman could not do.
Speaking of gingerbread men, I had the opportunity to make my first gingerbread man. Too bad I suck at making a gingerbread man. This woman had baked a gazillion gingerbread men and women and babies for all of us to decorate. It was... amazing. Like I said, I'm not sure there is anything this woman cannot do.
For anyone curious, Karen was excited to make a purse for her gingerbread man out of Necco wafers. My gingerbread man looked a little puffy. I covered my gingerbread man in mini marshmallows. My thought was to put a white puffy down jacket on my gingerbread man... to keep him warm. Sadly, it looks like my gingerbread man is the bastard child of the Stay Puft Marshmallow man.
Regardless, I had a fantastic time on Friday. I was not expecting to have so much fun at the cookie swap. I'm glad that I was able to be a part of it.
Friday, December 3, 2010
I Suck At Punkin' Chunkin'
On Wednesday, Karen, our baby daughter (Briana) and I hung out with our friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). On the agenda for the night: Punkin' Chunkin'. Now, I suck at Punkin' Chunkin'.
For anyone curious, Punkin' Chunkin' is a competition whereby pumpkins are hurled over great distances by any mechanical means. Sounds awesome, right? The weekend after Halloween is the big World Championship Punkin' Chunkin'. The competition is held in Sussex County, Delaware.
Needless to say, all of us were pretty excited to watch the competition as Marc and Kelley had recorded the show on their DVR. Some day, all of us will have to go to Delaware and actually watch it live. That would be quite the experience! (And truth be told, I would rather go to Punkin' Chunkin' than a parade.)
Regardless, it was a good time watching pumpkins get hurled into the sky. Of course, it also helps that Andrea made a Wendy's run and brought Frosties. There were definitely some good laughs.
Following the competition, we ended up watching another show about Marc's seemingly favorite food: bacon. I think he may have been in heaven. All in all, it was a fun time hanging out with everyone.
For anyone curious, Punkin' Chunkin' is a competition whereby pumpkins are hurled over great distances by any mechanical means. Sounds awesome, right? The weekend after Halloween is the big World Championship Punkin' Chunkin'. The competition is held in Sussex County, Delaware.
Needless to say, all of us were pretty excited to watch the competition as Marc and Kelley had recorded the show on their DVR. Some day, all of us will have to go to Delaware and actually watch it live. That would be quite the experience! (And truth be told, I would rather go to Punkin' Chunkin' than a parade.)
Regardless, it was a good time watching pumpkins get hurled into the sky. Of course, it also helps that Andrea made a Wendy's run and brought Frosties. There were definitely some good laughs.
Following the competition, we ended up watching another show about Marc's seemingly favorite food: bacon. I think he may have been in heaven. All in all, it was a fun time hanging out with everyone.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
I Suck At Commuting
Yesterday was my last day in the quaint little town of Marblehead. And while I will miss the scenic beauty of the town, I will most definitely not miss the commute from Norwell to Marblehead. Yes, it's true. I suck at commuting.
My office is moving from the town of Marblehead to the town of Danvers, which is yet another location on the North Shore that I know nothing about. Named for Danvers Osborn, a colonial governor of New York, the town of Danvers is apparently known for the 1692 Salem witch trials.
One would think that Salem is known for the Salem witch trials. It turns out that there is a historic landmark in Danvers related to the Salem witch trials. Rebecca Nurse, one of the convicted witches, has a house that still stands in Danvers.
In addition to the historic landmark, Danvers is also apparently known for its asylum, the Danvers State Hospital. Danvers State Hospital is also known as the State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers, The Danvers Lunatic Asylum, and The Danvers State Insane Asylum. It is believed that the Danvers State Hospital was the inspiration for Arkham sanatorium from H.P. Lovecraft's "The Thing on the Doorstep", which in turn was the inspiration for Arkham Asylum, the psychiatric hospital known to many Batman fans.
Anyway, it almost seems fitting that on my last visit to Marblehead, the commute home would drive me crazy. Clocking in at two hours, the commute from Marblehead back to Norwell definitely made my bum fall asleep. I am hoping the new office location will be better for my sanity... and my butt cheeks.
And to celebrate, of course, Karen and I ended up going out for dinner at Not Your Average Joe's in Norwell. We briefly visited Karen's grandmother as well, just to make sure she was doing well since the passing of Karen's grandfather. But after our visit, we were too lazy to make dinner. Hence, Not Your Average Joe's.
Not Your Average Joe's, by the way, was delicious as usual. I'm afraid the last time I went to Not Your Average Joe's, I did not particularly enjoy my meal which was no fault of the restaurant. The last time I went to Not Your Average Joe's, our baby daughter (Briana) was not exactly too happy. Consequently, I ate my meal after calming her down. And eating a cold burger is definitely not the same as eating one that is nice and hot.
My office is moving from the town of Marblehead to the town of Danvers, which is yet another location on the North Shore that I know nothing about. Named for Danvers Osborn, a colonial governor of New York, the town of Danvers is apparently known for the 1692 Salem witch trials.
One would think that Salem is known for the Salem witch trials. It turns out that there is a historic landmark in Danvers related to the Salem witch trials. Rebecca Nurse, one of the convicted witches, has a house that still stands in Danvers.
In addition to the historic landmark, Danvers is also apparently known for its asylum, the Danvers State Hospital. Danvers State Hospital is also known as the State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers, The Danvers Lunatic Asylum, and The Danvers State Insane Asylum. It is believed that the Danvers State Hospital was the inspiration for Arkham sanatorium from H.P. Lovecraft's "The Thing on the Doorstep", which in turn was the inspiration for Arkham Asylum, the psychiatric hospital known to many Batman fans.
Anyway, it almost seems fitting that on my last visit to Marblehead, the commute home would drive me crazy. Clocking in at two hours, the commute from Marblehead back to Norwell definitely made my bum fall asleep. I am hoping the new office location will be better for my sanity... and my butt cheeks.
And to celebrate, of course, Karen and I ended up going out for dinner at Not Your Average Joe's in Norwell. We briefly visited Karen's grandmother as well, just to make sure she was doing well since the passing of Karen's grandfather. But after our visit, we were too lazy to make dinner. Hence, Not Your Average Joe's.
Not Your Average Joe's, by the way, was delicious as usual. I'm afraid the last time I went to Not Your Average Joe's, I did not particularly enjoy my meal which was no fault of the restaurant. The last time I went to Not Your Average Joe's, our baby daughter (Briana) was not exactly too happy. Consequently, I ate my meal after calming her down. And eating a cold burger is definitely not the same as eating one that is nice and hot.
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