Today is the day Karen's cousin (Karlene) from Lowell ruined New Year's Eve. And they claim there is a lot to love about Lowell. I'm just kidding. I like to give Karlene a hard time. Essentially for the past decade or so, a tradition has been created between Karen, Karlene, Karlene's husband (Tommy) and I as we celebrate New Year's Eve.
That tradition was interrupted this year when Karlene made the executive decision to cancel our plans today. In all fairness, Tommy was sick. So it only made sense to cancel plans. Hopefully, Tommy is okay and does not have the virus that Karen has. Karen has been sick for what seems like forever (over three weeks). Get better, Tommy!
With the cancellation in plans this year, Karen and I had nothing to do on New Year's Eve. I guess you can say that I suck at New Year's Eve. My first reaction of course, aside from the "I hope Tommy feels better" thought, was to contact my BFF (Kerry). After all, for what seems like a decade, Kerry and my friend (Jen) have always hinted at wanting to spend New Year's Eve with us. And with the cancellation, today was the chance.
Luckily for me, Kerry happened to be around today. Having spent last night at my friend's (Marc and Kelley), she ended up going to Stars in Hingham for breakfast and Red Robin in Plymouth for lunch with her family. After her family fun, she was able to stop by and hang out.
Needless to say, I had a great time hanging out with Kerry. One thing that I will remember from today is my twenty one month old daughter (Briana) playing with Kerry. Briana, while playing with Kerry, purposely tossed her Winnie the Pooh taggy blanket up, over, and behind our new couch. So when Kerry went reaching over the back of the couch to grab the taggy blanket, Briana immediately started tickling both of Kerry's feet. I found that rather comical.
I'll probably remember that for a while, much like how I will remember the time Briana went to give my friend (Joanna) a hug only to slyly reach in and grab Joanna's iPhone from within her pocket. That little sneaky pickpocket.
Incidentally, Kerry was not the only person to visit us on New Year's Eve. My favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her BFF (Gretchen) also stopped on over. Apparently, they had some time to kill as they waited for their Chinese food order for their New Year's Eve dinner. Sadly, I did not get to hang out with Janine and Gretchen that much. In terms of timing, I was in the process of making dinner for Briana when they came on by. It was probably just as well since I would have been the only guy in the room.
As it turns out, Gretchen will not partake in my dastardly plans to play a practical joke on Kerry the next time Kerry leaves her clothes outside of her mother's place. Gretchen told Kerry that she would not take her clothes. The good news, however, is that she did not mention anything about not letting me into the condo. So theoretically, I could still take the clothes myself. For anyone curious, Gretchen lives in the same condo complex as Kerry's mom, which is where the connection is.
Anyway, it was definitely a fun and interesting day today. It was great hanging out with Kerry. I feel like I don't do that as much as I'd like to. Although if I do see her more next year, it may involve seeing her eat beans. We'll see. And it was good to see Janine and Gretchen too. Janine is usually busy a lot with her own family stuff. So it's nice when I do get to see her.
All in all, it has been fun today. In case anyone is curious, I am DVRing the infamous ball dropping countdown for when we do eventually see Karlene and Tommy. It'll be like we were still having our "tradition"... just days and days later.
Regardless, have a happy new year everyone! May the new year bring good fortune to the new hopes, dreams, and aspirations of everyone.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
I Suck At Celebrating Birthdays
December is a busy month. In addition to the holidays (and holiday parties), December happens to be the month where a some of my friends, including myself, have birthdays. Too bad I suck at celebrating birthdays. In celebration of some of those December babies though, my friends (Marc and Kelley) graciously offered to host a party last night.
Attending the party were my friends (Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, and Steve), Cass and Ellens baby daughter, and my BFF (Kerry). I was hoping that my friend (Andrea) could make the shindig because scheduled for the night (in addition to the fun of hanging out) was the UFC 141 pay per view. Since the pay per view runs late (meaning Karen and my twenty one month old daughter would not last), I was hoping to catch a ride home with Andrea after the fight, but sadly she could not make it.
Regardless, the party was fantastic. Marc and Kelley did an amazing job of hosting. As usual, I had a blast hanging out with my friends. Marc and Kelley prepared a taco dinner for everyone. The taco theme came compliments of fellow December birthday girl, Kerry. Plus, tacos made more sense since Kelley has gluten allergies.
Speaking of that cursed gluten, Kelley actually risked her intestinal health just for me, which was a very nice gesture. Knowing that I love her chocolate chip cookies, Kelley made a bunch of her famous cookies for the party. It was very nice. And might I add, the chocolate chip cookies were very delicious... just like how I remembered them being. Yum! I must have eaten half a dozen of them. Granted, a couple were used as the cookies surrounding the ice cream cake. (For anyone curious, we celebrated with a football-shaped ice cream cake because the cake was covered in chocolate sprinkles.) Everything was deliciously good!
Anyway, it was a fun time hanging out with everyone. One of the topics of discussion that I remember from the night was Kerry's resolution. Apparently, one of her many resolutions is to eat beans. Why beans? According to Kerry, they are healthy. Despite my efforts and Garv's efforts to tell her that there are many other foods that are also healthy to eat, beans it was. I'd be curious to see the bean-eating 2012 model of Kerry.
As for the UFC pay per view, I had a blast watching it. I sat next to Kelley and Garv during the pay per view and we were basically just goofing around the whole time. I was actually glad that I got to watch the Lesnar/Overeem bout. After all, shortly after his loss, Lesnar declared that he was retiring from MMA. I assume the reason for the retirement has to do with his own bout with diverticulitis. If it remains true, then it was good to see Lesnar's last MMA match.
All in all, it was a great night. Thanks Marc and Kelley! (And thank you, Marc for the ride home after the pay per view... even if you missed the exit.) And of course, I can't forget: Happy birthday Ellen! Happy birthday BFF!
Attending the party were my friends (Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, and Steve), Cass and Ellens baby daughter, and my BFF (Kerry). I was hoping that my friend (Andrea) could make the shindig because scheduled for the night (in addition to the fun of hanging out) was the UFC 141 pay per view. Since the pay per view runs late (meaning Karen and my twenty one month old daughter would not last), I was hoping to catch a ride home with Andrea after the fight, but sadly she could not make it.
Regardless, the party was fantastic. Marc and Kelley did an amazing job of hosting. As usual, I had a blast hanging out with my friends. Marc and Kelley prepared a taco dinner for everyone. The taco theme came compliments of fellow December birthday girl, Kerry. Plus, tacos made more sense since Kelley has gluten allergies.
Speaking of that cursed gluten, Kelley actually risked her intestinal health just for me, which was a very nice gesture. Knowing that I love her chocolate chip cookies, Kelley made a bunch of her famous cookies for the party. It was very nice. And might I add, the chocolate chip cookies were very delicious... just like how I remembered them being. Yum! I must have eaten half a dozen of them. Granted, a couple were used as the cookies surrounding the ice cream cake. (For anyone curious, we celebrated with a football-shaped ice cream cake because the cake was covered in chocolate sprinkles.) Everything was deliciously good!
Anyway, it was a fun time hanging out with everyone. One of the topics of discussion that I remember from the night was Kerry's resolution. Apparently, one of her many resolutions is to eat beans. Why beans? According to Kerry, they are healthy. Despite my efforts and Garv's efforts to tell her that there are many other foods that are also healthy to eat, beans it was. I'd be curious to see the bean-eating 2012 model of Kerry.
As for the UFC pay per view, I had a blast watching it. I sat next to Kelley and Garv during the pay per view and we were basically just goofing around the whole time. I was actually glad that I got to watch the Lesnar/Overeem bout. After all, shortly after his loss, Lesnar declared that he was retiring from MMA. I assume the reason for the retirement has to do with his own bout with diverticulitis. If it remains true, then it was good to see Lesnar's last MMA match.
All in all, it was a great night. Thanks Marc and Kelley! (And thank you, Marc for the ride home after the pay per view... even if you missed the exit.) And of course, I can't forget: Happy birthday Ellen! Happy birthday BFF!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
I Suck At Starting A New Job
I started my new job today. Too bad I suck at starting a new job.
Starting a new job is never fun. In the past companies that I have worked for, that generally means you are the "new guy" until a new hapless victim takes your place by joining the company.
I didn't mind being the "new guy" though. I was happy to be anywhere but at my previous employer. And usually, when that feeling of dread creeps in at work, it's definitely a sign that a change is needed. So off I went to a new job.
Truth be told, my days at my previous employer were limited once my manager left. My manager recruited me to work at the previous company located in Danvers. From where I live (in Norwell), that is quite the commute. Luckily for me, my manager was quite understandable about the grind of the long commute and allowed me to work from home several days a week for the three plus years that I was there. All of that changed when he left.
Once new management took over, I was asked (and by asked I mean ordered) to commute to the office more. Even though I agreed to come in more, I was labeled as "doing just enough to keep my job" by the new management. I can only assume that label is because I came in 3 of the 5 days, and not all 5 days like management originally wanted. As an interesting side note, I was actually more productive working at home than at the office, but what can you do? I couldn't change management's opinion regardless of how productive I was. Hearing that I was doing just enough to keep my job was quite insulting, especially considering how many hours I worked above and beyond for the company over the three plus years I was there.
Like I said, what can you do? When I first joined my previous employer, the company used to believe in balancing work life with personal life. It was a family friendly company which I didn't mind going above and beyond for. All of that changed when new management came in. And with it, my dread for working there started.
Luckily, I found a new company to work for; one that is much closer than Danvers. So far, the company seems like a good place to work at. But, it's still early. It's just my first day after all. And as luck would have it, my new boss was out today so I still don't exactly have too much information on what I will be doing.
Hopefully things will go well.
Starting a new job is never fun. In the past companies that I have worked for, that generally means you are the "new guy" until a new hapless victim takes your place by joining the company.
I didn't mind being the "new guy" though. I was happy to be anywhere but at my previous employer. And usually, when that feeling of dread creeps in at work, it's definitely a sign that a change is needed. So off I went to a new job.
Truth be told, my days at my previous employer were limited once my manager left. My manager recruited me to work at the previous company located in Danvers. From where I live (in Norwell), that is quite the commute. Luckily for me, my manager was quite understandable about the grind of the long commute and allowed me to work from home several days a week for the three plus years that I was there. All of that changed when he left.
Once new management took over, I was asked (and by asked I mean ordered) to commute to the office more. Even though I agreed to come in more, I was labeled as "doing just enough to keep my job" by the new management. I can only assume that label is because I came in 3 of the 5 days, and not all 5 days like management originally wanted. As an interesting side note, I was actually more productive working at home than at the office, but what can you do? I couldn't change management's opinion regardless of how productive I was. Hearing that I was doing just enough to keep my job was quite insulting, especially considering how many hours I worked above and beyond for the company over the three plus years I was there.
Like I said, what can you do? When I first joined my previous employer, the company used to believe in balancing work life with personal life. It was a family friendly company which I didn't mind going above and beyond for. All of that changed when new management came in. And with it, my dread for working there started.
Luckily, I found a new company to work for; one that is much closer than Danvers. So far, the company seems like a good place to work at. But, it's still early. It's just my first day after all. And as luck would have it, my new boss was out today so I still don't exactly have too much information on what I will be doing.
Hopefully things will go well.
I Suck At Uno's
Last night, Karen and I (and our twenty one month old daughter, Briana) were invited to dinner. My friend (Pam) and her family were up from Bon Jovi's home state of New Jersey for the holidays. As a result, she wanted to meet up for dinner at Uno's while she was in Massachusetts.
Too bad I suck at Uno's. It has been a while since I have been to the Uno's in Braintree. I had not even realized that Dave and Buster's took over the old Circuit City location. Or quite possibly, I did realize it but forgot about it. Damn you my selective memory. Just kidding.
As a side note, an interesting thing actually happened on the way to Uno's in Braintree. While we were leaving, I came upon a package left at my doorstep. As neither Karen nor I were expecting a package, we were curious as to the contents. It turns out, the package was from Circle Furniture.
Last week, our new furniture arrived from Circle Furniture. We were absolutely delighted by our experience with Circle Furniture. It turns out, Karen's aunt (Denise) also has had a great experience with Circle Furniture. Anyway, the package contained some gifts from the company accompanied with a tiny little note.
According to the note, Circle Furniture had read my post about my experience with them and decided to send me a little thank you present. The company was initially cautious about reading my post because the title of my post, like all of my posts, began with "I suck at..." Upon further reading, however, they knew it was not the case that they "suck". In fact, it was quite the contrary. Because of it, they wanted to thank me with a present.
Needless to say, Circle Furniture's thoughtful gift made my day. It was just a nice gesture from the company; one I'm sure to remember for years and years. Their service is definitely amazing. If only more companies were as great when in comes to service (and yes, I'm still referring to you Alba Restaurant in Quincy).
Anyway, the gift made my night. So thank you again, Circle Furniture! I was pretty happy as a clam when we arrived to meet Pam and her family. Also joining us for the dinner were my friends (Jen and Hot Amy).
Dinner went by pretty quickly. After all, with Briana and Pam's three children, time definitely passes at a quicker rate. For anyone curious, I had the Cabot aged cheddar and sauteed mushroom burger, while Briana practically devoured my fries. The burger was good. I also enjoyed the mango lemonade. Yum!
One of the topics of discussion that I remember from the dinner involved Jen. It turns out that 2012 may be the year she finally gets her driver's license. She seems dedicated and excited, more so than in previous years. So that was nice. Yay Jen. For anyone curious, she is planning to have a party when it happens. As an interesting side note, Pam failed her first driving test.
Anyway, it was a good day all around with the Circle Furniture gift and hanging out with friends.
Too bad I suck at Uno's. It has been a while since I have been to the Uno's in Braintree. I had not even realized that Dave and Buster's took over the old Circuit City location. Or quite possibly, I did realize it but forgot about it. Damn you my selective memory. Just kidding.
As a side note, an interesting thing actually happened on the way to Uno's in Braintree. While we were leaving, I came upon a package left at my doorstep. As neither Karen nor I were expecting a package, we were curious as to the contents. It turns out, the package was from Circle Furniture.
Last week, our new furniture arrived from Circle Furniture. We were absolutely delighted by our experience with Circle Furniture. It turns out, Karen's aunt (Denise) also has had a great experience with Circle Furniture. Anyway, the package contained some gifts from the company accompanied with a tiny little note.
According to the note, Circle Furniture had read my post about my experience with them and decided to send me a little thank you present. The company was initially cautious about reading my post because the title of my post, like all of my posts, began with "I suck at..." Upon further reading, however, they knew it was not the case that they "suck". In fact, it was quite the contrary. Because of it, they wanted to thank me with a present.
Needless to say, Circle Furniture's thoughtful gift made my day. It was just a nice gesture from the company; one I'm sure to remember for years and years. Their service is definitely amazing. If only more companies were as great when in comes to service (and yes, I'm still referring to you Alba Restaurant in Quincy).
Anyway, the gift made my night. So thank you again, Circle Furniture! I was pretty happy as a clam when we arrived to meet Pam and her family. Also joining us for the dinner were my friends (Jen and Hot Amy).
Dinner went by pretty quickly. After all, with Briana and Pam's three children, time definitely passes at a quicker rate. For anyone curious, I had the Cabot aged cheddar and sauteed mushroom burger, while Briana practically devoured my fries. The burger was good. I also enjoyed the mango lemonade. Yum!
One of the topics of discussion that I remember from the dinner involved Jen. It turns out that 2012 may be the year she finally gets her driver's license. She seems dedicated and excited, more so than in previous years. So that was nice. Yay Jen. For anyone curious, she is planning to have a party when it happens. As an interesting side note, Pam failed her first driving test.
Anyway, it was a good day all around with the Circle Furniture gift and hanging out with friends.
Monday, December 26, 2011
I Suck At Not Your Average Joe's
With nothing planned for today, I treated myself to a little lunch courtesy of Not Your Average Joe's located in Norwell. Now, I suck at Not Your Average Joe's. It has been a long time since Karen and I dined there. We used to eat there quite a lot in our hey days prior to the birth of our twenty one month old daughter (Briana). Oh how times have changed.
Anyway, Not Your Average Joe's was offering a promotion that I could not pass up: free entree and dessert! The only caveat was that the offer ended today. The free entree and dessert promotion was a result of this month being my birthday month. And since I am on the mailing list for Not Your Average Joe's, I received the coupon for the promotion this month. Hence, I made sure I treated myself to lunch today.
Needless to say, it was a delicious meal as usual. I have missed the food there a lot. Interestingly enough, this lunch was a butternut squash lunch. We ordered butternut squash ravioli for an appetizer (thinking Briana would enjoy it); Karen ordered a butternut squash pizza; and I ordered Caribbean mahi which just happened to come with butternut squash and spinach. For anyone curious, of all the butternut squash options, I think Briana enjoyed the side that came with my mahi. Our waitperson must have thought we were crazy ordering so much butternut squash.
Like I said, the food was absolutely delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And as a plus, we got to take home an entire butternut squash pizza because one of the slices from the original pizza slipped off the plate when it was being served by the waitperson. So, Not Your Average Joe's made us an entirely new pizza because of it. (I must say, that is fantastic customer service especially since the manager came over to apologize for the mishap. If only more places had great customer service... Yes, I'm referring to you, Alba Restaurant in Quincy!)
And naturally, to finish off the lunch I had the peanut butter thing. Yum! Lunch was definitely great. And it was nice to treat myself to something. Yay, happy belated birthday to me.
Anyway, Not Your Average Joe's was offering a promotion that I could not pass up: free entree and dessert! The only caveat was that the offer ended today. The free entree and dessert promotion was a result of this month being my birthday month. And since I am on the mailing list for Not Your Average Joe's, I received the coupon for the promotion this month. Hence, I made sure I treated myself to lunch today.
Needless to say, it was a delicious meal as usual. I have missed the food there a lot. Interestingly enough, this lunch was a butternut squash lunch. We ordered butternut squash ravioli for an appetizer (thinking Briana would enjoy it); Karen ordered a butternut squash pizza; and I ordered Caribbean mahi which just happened to come with butternut squash and spinach. For anyone curious, of all the butternut squash options, I think Briana enjoyed the side that came with my mahi. Our waitperson must have thought we were crazy ordering so much butternut squash.
Like I said, the food was absolutely delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And as a plus, we got to take home an entire butternut squash pizza because one of the slices from the original pizza slipped off the plate when it was being served by the waitperson. So, Not Your Average Joe's made us an entirely new pizza because of it. (I must say, that is fantastic customer service especially since the manager came over to apologize for the mishap. If only more places had great customer service... Yes, I'm referring to you, Alba Restaurant in Quincy!)
And naturally, to finish off the lunch I had the peanut butter thing. Yum! Lunch was definitely great. And it was nice to treat myself to something. Yay, happy belated birthday to me.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
I Suck At Christmas
Happy birthday our lord and savior, Anna! For anyone curious, today happens to be my friend's (Anna) birthday. So happy birthday! I hope you have a great day! Coincidentally, today also happens to be Christmas. Too bad I suck at Christmas.
Karen and I started the day watching my twenty one month old daughter (Briana) open her presents from Santa. I don't think Briana has quite gotten the whole Santa concept just yet. She has, however, seemed to figure out that she gets presents and very much likes to open presents. And truthfully, who doesn't like getting presents? It was definitely fun being able to see Briana open her gifts.
Shortly afterwards, my parents came over for breakfast. Because I have a small family and Christmas day is usually spent at my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine), my parents come over in the morning for breakfast. And on the menu for breakfast: waffles! Someday, I'll have to experiment and make different types of waffles. The waffles I make are just too plain in my opinion. Maybe chocolate chip waffles next year? That sounds good. Although anything with chocolate sounds good.
Anyway, my parents enjoyed watching Briana open her presents from them. We even did the family thing by contacting my brother who lives in Texas to wish him a Merry Christmas (or Happy Annamas). My brother, who recently met Briana back in October, seemed to enjoy the fact that she said "Hi" and "Bye" to him. All in all, it was a good time with my family.
From there, I made some roasted potatoes to bring to Janine's. I don't know whether I should be offended or not because Janine was hesitant to ask me to make roasted potatoes. She did not want Karen to exert herself by making the potatoes. At the same time, she was afraid to ask me to make them because she was not sure if I knew how to.
Funny thing about being married to a dietitian: people seem to think that the dietitian does all the cooking. Oh how wrong that is. I can't remember the last time Karen made a meal. Part of that is because I have been home before Karen returns from her own job. And with Briana, I don't really have much of a choice but to figure out how to make something when it's time for her to eat.
Now granted, by no means am I chef. I can do some things. Roasting potatoes happen to be one the things I (and probably a lot of other people) can do. And really, if I did not know how to do it, I'd consult my trusty friend, Google. So I thought it was a little bizarre that Janine was hesitant to ask. Little does my favorite sister-in-law with the gluten allergy know, I put gluten in the roasted potatoes. I'm just kidding. The potatoes were gluten free.
Potatoes aside, Christmas at Janine's was great. My niece (Kaleigh) and nephew (PJ) had a great time. This year, I had the dubious distinction of saving Christmas for PJ. Apparently, we accidentally forgot to bring PJ's present. Stressed, Karen wanted to go home to get the present. Naturally, I volunteered. So Karen told me to get the present wrapped in silver. And by silver, she apparently meant blue. Luckily for me, I knew what we had gotten PJ because I probably would not have found the present based on Karen's description.
For me, one of the other more memorable parts of the night involved my dance off with Kaleigh. My favorite niece challenged me to a duel in Dance Party 3, which is a dancing video game if you could not tell by the name. Always up for a challenge, I accepted. After all, I bested the best. My friend (Hot Amy) who used to play tennis... beaten in a tennis match by yours truly who never played tennis. Hot Amy in anything... beaten. Okay, so maybe Hot Amy and her propensity for losing was not the "best".
So how hard could it be to take on a second grader in a video game? Well, I should have stopped after one dance off. After all, the first dance off challenge between Kaleigh and I went to me. And like any good uncle, I did some trash talking. From there, I just went downhill losing the next three. Despite the mounting losses, it was a riot playing against Kaleigh. She was just so serious and determined to win. It was fun... and quite the workout.
All in all, it was a great Christmas. I enjoyed the time with my family. I enjoyed the time with Karen's family. Since the passing of my son (Braden) over three years ago, I have come to cherish the time spent with family and friends because that time is so limited. So for me, today was quite rewarding.
Anyway, Merry Christmas everyone!
Karen and I started the day watching my twenty one month old daughter (Briana) open her presents from Santa. I don't think Briana has quite gotten the whole Santa concept just yet. She has, however, seemed to figure out that she gets presents and very much likes to open presents. And truthfully, who doesn't like getting presents? It was definitely fun being able to see Briana open her gifts.
Shortly afterwards, my parents came over for breakfast. Because I have a small family and Christmas day is usually spent at my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine), my parents come over in the morning for breakfast. And on the menu for breakfast: waffles! Someday, I'll have to experiment and make different types of waffles. The waffles I make are just too plain in my opinion. Maybe chocolate chip waffles next year? That sounds good. Although anything with chocolate sounds good.
Anyway, my parents enjoyed watching Briana open her presents from them. We even did the family thing by contacting my brother who lives in Texas to wish him a Merry Christmas (or Happy Annamas). My brother, who recently met Briana back in October, seemed to enjoy the fact that she said "Hi" and "Bye" to him. All in all, it was a good time with my family.
From there, I made some roasted potatoes to bring to Janine's. I don't know whether I should be offended or not because Janine was hesitant to ask me to make roasted potatoes. She did not want Karen to exert herself by making the potatoes. At the same time, she was afraid to ask me to make them because she was not sure if I knew how to.
Funny thing about being married to a dietitian: people seem to think that the dietitian does all the cooking. Oh how wrong that is. I can't remember the last time Karen made a meal. Part of that is because I have been home before Karen returns from her own job. And with Briana, I don't really have much of a choice but to figure out how to make something when it's time for her to eat.
Now granted, by no means am I chef. I can do some things. Roasting potatoes happen to be one the things I (and probably a lot of other people) can do. And really, if I did not know how to do it, I'd consult my trusty friend, Google. So I thought it was a little bizarre that Janine was hesitant to ask. Little does my favorite sister-in-law with the gluten allergy know, I put gluten in the roasted potatoes. I'm just kidding. The potatoes were gluten free.
Potatoes aside, Christmas at Janine's was great. My niece (Kaleigh) and nephew (PJ) had a great time. This year, I had the dubious distinction of saving Christmas for PJ. Apparently, we accidentally forgot to bring PJ's present. Stressed, Karen wanted to go home to get the present. Naturally, I volunteered. So Karen told me to get the present wrapped in silver. And by silver, she apparently meant blue. Luckily for me, I knew what we had gotten PJ because I probably would not have found the present based on Karen's description.
For me, one of the other more memorable parts of the night involved my dance off with Kaleigh. My favorite niece challenged me to a duel in Dance Party 3, which is a dancing video game if you could not tell by the name. Always up for a challenge, I accepted. After all, I bested the best. My friend (Hot Amy) who used to play tennis... beaten in a tennis match by yours truly who never played tennis. Hot Amy in anything... beaten. Okay, so maybe Hot Amy and her propensity for losing was not the "best".
So how hard could it be to take on a second grader in a video game? Well, I should have stopped after one dance off. After all, the first dance off challenge between Kaleigh and I went to me. And like any good uncle, I did some trash talking. From there, I just went downhill losing the next three. Despite the mounting losses, it was a riot playing against Kaleigh. She was just so serious and determined to win. It was fun... and quite the workout.
All in all, it was a great Christmas. I enjoyed the time with my family. I enjoyed the time with Karen's family. Since the passing of my son (Braden) over three years ago, I have come to cherish the time spent with family and friends because that time is so limited. So for me, today was quite rewarding.
Anyway, Merry Christmas everyone!
I Suck At Christmas Eve
I suck at Christmas Eve. For a while, Karen and I have been hosting Christmas Eve dinner. Our family is pretty small. So the guests that usually attend are my parents and Karen's parents. My friends (Marc and Kelley) generally stop by later after dinner. And as a running joke, my BFF (Kerry) always says she will try to stop on by but never does. This year, she did not even bother saying she will try to stop on by.
Anyway, this year I had the enviable task of cooking the entire dinner. In addition to being pregnant, Karen has been sick for what seems like forever with this awful sounding cough. I think it has been over two weeks now, and she is still coughing like crazy. So rather than have her stress about Christmas Eve dinner, I decided to have her stress over my cooking of Christmas Eve dinner all by myself.
On the menu for the night was ham, green beans, rice pilaf, and rolls. Karen's parents were bringing meatballs. Truth be told, the menu was nothing fancy. I was particularly excited to cook the ham because I wanted to try a new mustard glaze. (For anyone curious, the glaze was okay. I thought it tasted okay.) That reminds me, I now have to figure out what to do with the glaze packet that actually came with the ham. Can the glaze be used for something else?
In the event anyone is curious as to why I just did not use the glaze packet that came with the ham, I like to experiment with things... and I like to control the ingredients of what I eat when I can. In particular, I like limiting the amount of high fructose corn syrup that I eat (and the glaze had high fructose corn syrup). I'm not totally against high fructose corn syrup. I try to avoid ingredients that I think are synthetic when I can.
After all, I believe that some of our current health issues are a result of what we have done to our own food supply. You read about girls getting their menstrual cycle at very earlier ages now. As well, there seems to be a lot of people that I know who have developed gluten allergies, something that seemed so uncommon in the past. While I can't prove that some of these things are due to the hormones and other synthetic things we have developed to improve food, I like to think that there may at least be some correlation. Hence, I like to limit the amount of things like high fructose corn syrup.
Regardless, I think Christmas Eve dinner went well. Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal. My parents, in particular, definitely enjoyed seeing our twenty one month old daughter (Briana). Briana was simply wound up. She ran around the house, laughing of course, like there was no tomorrow.
When she eventually crashed and went to bed, my parents and Karen's parents left... in like a span of minutes. It was funny because it was pretty much like our parents only came to see Briana (and not Karen and I). Once that entertainment was over, it was time to go. I guess that's the life of a parent these days.
But that was okay. It gave Karen and I some time to relax a little. And if anyone is curious, when Marc and Kelley arrived we just hung out and unfortunately ended up watching an episode of "Swamp People" because nothing else was on television. "Swamp People" is one bizarre show. The show aside, it was just good to just hang out with Marc and Kelley.
All in all, it was a good night.
Anyway, this year I had the enviable task of cooking the entire dinner. In addition to being pregnant, Karen has been sick for what seems like forever with this awful sounding cough. I think it has been over two weeks now, and she is still coughing like crazy. So rather than have her stress about Christmas Eve dinner, I decided to have her stress over my cooking of Christmas Eve dinner all by myself.
On the menu for the night was ham, green beans, rice pilaf, and rolls. Karen's parents were bringing meatballs. Truth be told, the menu was nothing fancy. I was particularly excited to cook the ham because I wanted to try a new mustard glaze. (For anyone curious, the glaze was okay. I thought it tasted okay.) That reminds me, I now have to figure out what to do with the glaze packet that actually came with the ham. Can the glaze be used for something else?
In the event anyone is curious as to why I just did not use the glaze packet that came with the ham, I like to experiment with things... and I like to control the ingredients of what I eat when I can. In particular, I like limiting the amount of high fructose corn syrup that I eat (and the glaze had high fructose corn syrup). I'm not totally against high fructose corn syrup. I try to avoid ingredients that I think are synthetic when I can.
After all, I believe that some of our current health issues are a result of what we have done to our own food supply. You read about girls getting their menstrual cycle at very earlier ages now. As well, there seems to be a lot of people that I know who have developed gluten allergies, something that seemed so uncommon in the past. While I can't prove that some of these things are due to the hormones and other synthetic things we have developed to improve food, I like to think that there may at least be some correlation. Hence, I like to limit the amount of things like high fructose corn syrup.
Regardless, I think Christmas Eve dinner went well. Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal. My parents, in particular, definitely enjoyed seeing our twenty one month old daughter (Briana). Briana was simply wound up. She ran around the house, laughing of course, like there was no tomorrow.
When she eventually crashed and went to bed, my parents and Karen's parents left... in like a span of minutes. It was funny because it was pretty much like our parents only came to see Briana (and not Karen and I). Once that entertainment was over, it was time to go. I guess that's the life of a parent these days.
But that was okay. It gave Karen and I some time to relax a little. And if anyone is curious, when Marc and Kelley arrived we just hung out and unfortunately ended up watching an episode of "Swamp People" because nothing else was on television. "Swamp People" is one bizarre show. The show aside, it was just good to just hang out with Marc and Kelley.
All in all, it was a good night.
I Suck At Stars (Again)
On Christmas Eve, Karen, my twenty one month old daughter (Briana) and I continued an annual tradition and went out for breakfast. The location of that breakfast: Stars, located in Hingham. Now, I suck at Stars (again). After all, I had just eaten at Stars the night before because my friends (Marc and Kelley) organized a little outing. And it was not just any meal. It was dinner. So now I could return for breakfast!
Luckily for me, I was not the only one who had just been at Stars the night before. My BFF (Kerry) was also in attendance. The two of us just couldn't get enough of Stars. Also joining in on the annual tradition was my friend (Jen).
I'm not sure how the tradition started. I think the tradition began with just Karen, Kerry, Jen and my friend (Joanna) a long way back. I was fortunate to be invited the next year, and the rest is history. Sadly, Joanna could not come this year as airline tickets from Oregon, where she currently resides, to Boston are at an astronomical price right now. It's too bad because I definitely enjoy seeing Joanna. She just cracks me up with her stories. Perhaps that is also why I get a kick out of her brother's stories as well.
Anyway, Stars was delicious as usual. I ordered the chef's special pancakes, which were a surprise unless you really wanted to know what the surprise was before ordering. Needless to say, the pancakes were delicious. The surprise consisted of white and dark chocolate morsels with jimmies. Yum! Briana enjoyed them as well.
Speaking of my little minion, Briana, she got her first taste of video games at Stars. She did not actually play a video game. There is an old arcade game at Stars that has all of the old classics. The arcade game is complete with a joystick and a trackball. Essentially, you cycle through the classic games with the joystick and then play whichever game you choose.
Briana, in her infinitely curious nature, wanted to see what the arcade game was all about. So, I sat her on the chair in front of the game and let her cycle through the classic games using the joystick. I'll admit, there were some that I never even heard of. Needless to say, she enjoyed it. Daddy's girl!
Video game aside, that was the only thing I gave into with Briana much to the surprise of both Kerry and Jen. I get the feeling that everyone expects me to be wrapped around my little darling's finger. But nope.
Regardless, I had a fun time at Stars (again). Some of the topics of discussion included smokers and the propensity for the smell of smoke to get into clothes. Kerry, in particular, leaves her clothes outside when visiting her mother to avoid getting the smell of smoke in her clothes. Naturally, that got me thinking that I should play a practical joke on Kerry by asking my friend (Gretchen) to steal her clothes the next time she visits her mother. For anyone curious, Gretchen lives near Kerry's mother.
Anyway, Stars was a great time. The food was delicious and it was good to hang out with just Jen and Kerry.
Luckily for me, I was not the only one who had just been at Stars the night before. My BFF (Kerry) was also in attendance. The two of us just couldn't get enough of Stars. Also joining in on the annual tradition was my friend (Jen).
I'm not sure how the tradition started. I think the tradition began with just Karen, Kerry, Jen and my friend (Joanna) a long way back. I was fortunate to be invited the next year, and the rest is history. Sadly, Joanna could not come this year as airline tickets from Oregon, where she currently resides, to Boston are at an astronomical price right now. It's too bad because I definitely enjoy seeing Joanna. She just cracks me up with her stories. Perhaps that is also why I get a kick out of her brother's stories as well.
Anyway, Stars was delicious as usual. I ordered the chef's special pancakes, which were a surprise unless you really wanted to know what the surprise was before ordering. Needless to say, the pancakes were delicious. The surprise consisted of white and dark chocolate morsels with jimmies. Yum! Briana enjoyed them as well.
Speaking of my little minion, Briana, she got her first taste of video games at Stars. She did not actually play a video game. There is an old arcade game at Stars that has all of the old classics. The arcade game is complete with a joystick and a trackball. Essentially, you cycle through the classic games with the joystick and then play whichever game you choose.
Briana, in her infinitely curious nature, wanted to see what the arcade game was all about. So, I sat her on the chair in front of the game and let her cycle through the classic games using the joystick. I'll admit, there were some that I never even heard of. Needless to say, she enjoyed it. Daddy's girl!
Video game aside, that was the only thing I gave into with Briana much to the surprise of both Kerry and Jen. I get the feeling that everyone expects me to be wrapped around my little darling's finger. But nope.
Regardless, I had a fun time at Stars (again). Some of the topics of discussion included smokers and the propensity for the smell of smoke to get into clothes. Kerry, in particular, leaves her clothes outside when visiting her mother to avoid getting the smell of smoke in her clothes. Naturally, that got me thinking that I should play a practical joke on Kerry by asking my friend (Gretchen) to steal her clothes the next time she visits her mother. For anyone curious, Gretchen lives near Kerry's mother.
Anyway, Stars was a great time. The food was delicious and it was good to hang out with just Jen and Kerry.
Friday, December 23, 2011
I Suck At Stars
Tonight, I had a long overdue night out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry). Don't get me wrong, I see most of them on a weekly basis. I just don't get many opportunities to hang out with them by myself. Luckily for me, tonight was one of those nights as Marc and Kelley planned a night out at Stars located in Hingham. (Stars has a gluten free menu.) Plus, my BFF would be there which is always a good thing.
Too bad I suck at Stars. Stars has a martini called "Mommy's night out". I decided to try it because they were out of their pumpkin pie martini. Bummer because I was looking forward to the pumpkin pie. Needless to say, "Mommy's night out" was an okay drink... as girly drinks go. I was actually wondering why it's called "Mommy" and not "Daddy"... or "Parent's"... because I do a heck of a lot of things for my twenty one month old daughter, even when Karen is not sick or pregnant or both. Parent discrimination. Why, I would even go so far as to say I do a heck of a lot of things for Karen. Yes ladies, I'm quite the catch. Just kidding.
Regardless, I had a blast tonight and not just because I was able to imbibe my friend known as alcohol. Like I said, it was good to see Kerry again. For Andrea and I, it was particularly gratifying because we both received gifts from Kerry. We each received Dillon High School Football t-shirts. Go Panthers! For anyone curious, the t-shirts are a reference to Friday Night Lights, which was a television show that the three of us watched.
Anyway, it was fun hanging out together. Among the things that came up in discussion were "Geek Love", a television show about geeks doing speed dating at the NYC comic con; "Community"; and new BFFs.
The speed dating geekfest at the comic con reminded me of my original suggestion to Kerry that she should attend one to find a guy. Granted, I originally suggested a Star Trek convention, but a comic book convention works even better since it's not so specific. Like I try to tell her, geeks will treat a woman right (unless you get that ubergeek who thinks he's above the other geeks).
Needless to say, Kerry was not so keen on the idea. Hence, the topic of finding a new BFF... after other topics of who she would dress up as for the comic book convention and all of that. Yeah, she wasn't going for the costume, especially when the costume involved fishnet stockings.
All in all, it was a fun time. I'm glad I had the opportunity to unwind tonight.
Too bad I suck at Stars. Stars has a martini called "Mommy's night out". I decided to try it because they were out of their pumpkin pie martini. Bummer because I was looking forward to the pumpkin pie. Needless to say, "Mommy's night out" was an okay drink... as girly drinks go. I was actually wondering why it's called "Mommy" and not "Daddy"... or "Parent's"... because I do a heck of a lot of things for my twenty one month old daughter, even when Karen is not sick or pregnant or both. Parent discrimination. Why, I would even go so far as to say I do a heck of a lot of things for Karen. Yes ladies, I'm quite the catch. Just kidding.
Regardless, I had a blast tonight and not just because I was able to imbibe my friend known as alcohol. Like I said, it was good to see Kerry again. For Andrea and I, it was particularly gratifying because we both received gifts from Kerry. We each received Dillon High School Football t-shirts. Go Panthers! For anyone curious, the t-shirts are a reference to Friday Night Lights, which was a television show that the three of us watched.
Anyway, it was fun hanging out together. Among the things that came up in discussion were "Geek Love", a television show about geeks doing speed dating at the NYC comic con; "Community"; and new BFFs.
The speed dating geekfest at the comic con reminded me of my original suggestion to Kerry that she should attend one to find a guy. Granted, I originally suggested a Star Trek convention, but a comic book convention works even better since it's not so specific. Like I try to tell her, geeks will treat a woman right (unless you get that ubergeek who thinks he's above the other geeks).
Needless to say, Kerry was not so keen on the idea. Hence, the topic of finding a new BFF... after other topics of who she would dress up as for the comic book convention and all of that. Yeah, she wasn't going for the costume, especially when the costume involved fishnet stockings.
All in all, it was a fun time. I'm glad I had the opportunity to unwind tonight.
I Suck At Circle Furniture
Today, my present to Karen (and her present to me) arrived. As scintillating a gift as it may be, Karen and I got ourselves furniture this year for Christmas. We had ordered the furniture from Circle Furniture located in Pembroke.
Now, I suck at Circle Furniture. We have never ordered furniture from there before. But I must say, it was a great experience. Of course, the free candy in the store (like Jolly Ranchers) may have swayed my decision. Although truthfully, Circle Furniture was the only place to actually have furniture that would fit the spot we were looking to add furniture to.
Karen was looking to add a sectional to our first floor living room with hopes of opening the area up in terms of seating, as well as giving our twenty one month old daughter (Briana) more room to play in. Prior to the sectional, the room only had two seats and a table. While that may be okay for just Karen and I, it wasn't going to work well when we had more than the two of us in the room. Hence, the sectional.
I actually thought it was a good idea, in part because adding the new sectional also meant that later on I could replace our television in the living room with a new flat panel television. Karen said the new television is all me. Woo hoo! I can't wait to make that purchase.
Anyway, the sectional arrived today and it looks great. Briana even seemed to enjoy it even though she may have gotten a concussion because of it. Sadly, Briana accidentally fell on her head while standing on the sectional (after repeated attempts by Karen to tell her sit instead of stand).
In what can best be described as a Charlie Brown flip, Briana seemed to spin 360 degrees in the air and land on her head. I actually only caught the dramatic part of the Charlie Brown spin (ie. the head meeting the floor part) because I was in the other room. Briana was with Karen at the time. I walked into the room... and plop. It was devastatingly sad. Luckily for us, Briana's melon is pliable. After a lot of tears, she was back to her regular self in no time and jumping back on the sectional.
Regardless, I think the furniture looks great. And I definitely can't wait to purchase that new television now.
Now, I suck at Circle Furniture. We have never ordered furniture from there before. But I must say, it was a great experience. Of course, the free candy in the store (like Jolly Ranchers) may have swayed my decision. Although truthfully, Circle Furniture was the only place to actually have furniture that would fit the spot we were looking to add furniture to.
Karen was looking to add a sectional to our first floor living room with hopes of opening the area up in terms of seating, as well as giving our twenty one month old daughter (Briana) more room to play in. Prior to the sectional, the room only had two seats and a table. While that may be okay for just Karen and I, it wasn't going to work well when we had more than the two of us in the room. Hence, the sectional.
I actually thought it was a good idea, in part because adding the new sectional also meant that later on I could replace our television in the living room with a new flat panel television. Karen said the new television is all me. Woo hoo! I can't wait to make that purchase.
Anyway, the sectional arrived today and it looks great. Briana even seemed to enjoy it even though she may have gotten a concussion because of it. Sadly, Briana accidentally fell on her head while standing on the sectional (after repeated attempts by Karen to tell her sit instead of stand).
In what can best be described as a Charlie Brown flip, Briana seemed to spin 360 degrees in the air and land on her head. I actually only caught the dramatic part of the Charlie Brown spin (ie. the head meeting the floor part) because I was in the other room. Briana was with Karen at the time. I walked into the room... and plop. It was devastatingly sad. Luckily for us, Briana's melon is pliable. After a lot of tears, she was back to her regular self in no time and jumping back on the sectional.
Regardless, I think the furniture looks great. And I definitely can't wait to purchase that new television now.
I Suck At Sending Christmas Cards
I have that nasty envelope glue taste in my mouth and I thought I would share. I finally finished addressing all of the envelopes for this year's Christmas cards. Sure, today is the day before Christmas Eve... but I suck at sending Christmas cards.
In my defense, the cards that we ordered online did not arrive on time. We ordered our cards through Vistaprint this year and just for some reason the actual delivery date was a little slower than the estimated delivery date. Oh well. Hopefully no one will mind that the cards are that late.
Someday when snail mail is totally a thing of the past, I'll never have to worry about sending out Christmas cards on time (or ever...). But until then, I'll have to make do with what I have.
In my defense, the cards that we ordered online did not arrive on time. We ordered our cards through Vistaprint this year and just for some reason the actual delivery date was a little slower than the estimated delivery date. Oh well. Hopefully no one will mind that the cards are that late.
Someday when snail mail is totally a thing of the past, I'll never have to worry about sending out Christmas cards on time (or ever...). But until then, I'll have to make do with what I have.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
I Suck At Community
Yesterday, my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) came over. After all, it was Wednesday and Wednesdays are Prince Spaghetti night. Needless to say, it was a great night as usual hanging out with friends.
I was pleasantly surprised when Andrea brought along her famous peanut butter balls. Yum! I have already devoured almost all of them within a 24 hour period. I enjoy them that much. Not to be outdone, Marc and Kelley also brought treats from Harry and David. Those were equally delicious too. I have no idea what I ate from Harry and David, but it tasted good. (The only way I can describe it is that it was a chocolate thing...)
Anyway, on the agenda for the night: Community. Too bad I suck at Community. Technically speaking, NBC sucks at Community because the network should continue airing the show and not have it be on hiatus. I, as well as many other television viewers, enjoy the show a lot.
In fact, all of us were able to watch the remaining episodes of the third season (prior to the hiatus). So should the show return, we will be all caught up. Hooray!
As an interesting side note, I learned how to do the Troy and Abed handshake. The handshake is not particularly difficult to do, but having no one to practice with does put a damper on things. (I don't think I could convince Karen to practice it with me.) Luckily, Marc was able to practice the handshake with me.
All in all, it was a great night. Go Community! Hopefully NBC will bring the show back!
I was pleasantly surprised when Andrea brought along her famous peanut butter balls. Yum! I have already devoured almost all of them within a 24 hour period. I enjoy them that much. Not to be outdone, Marc and Kelley also brought treats from Harry and David. Those were equally delicious too. I have no idea what I ate from Harry and David, but it tasted good. (The only way I can describe it is that it was a chocolate thing...)
Anyway, on the agenda for the night: Community. Too bad I suck at Community. Technically speaking, NBC sucks at Community because the network should continue airing the show and not have it be on hiatus. I, as well as many other television viewers, enjoy the show a lot.
In fact, all of us were able to watch the remaining episodes of the third season (prior to the hiatus). So should the show return, we will be all caught up. Hooray!
As an interesting side note, I learned how to do the Troy and Abed handshake. The handshake is not particularly difficult to do, but having no one to practice with does put a damper on things. (I don't think I could convince Karen to practice it with me.) Luckily, Marc was able to practice the handshake with me.
All in all, it was a great night. Go Community! Hopefully NBC will bring the show back!
Monday, December 19, 2011
I Suck At Celebrating My Birthday
Today I am another year older. As far as memorable birthdays go, I would definitely have to say this year's birthday celebration was quite low key. I guess you could say that I suck at celebrating my birthday. After all, today, more than any of my other birthdays in the past, seemed like just an ordinary day in my life.
The day began as usual with my doing chores around the house and my preparing food for my twenty month old daughter (Briana) before she actually woke up. When Briana woke up, that's when time exponentially transpired. A few diaper changes later (and watching her make a mess of breakfast), the next thing I knew it was almost noon.
By that time, my mom stopped for a visit. She wanted to celebrate my birthday by taking me out for lunch, which was great. We ended up going to the Abington Ale House. In what seems like a birthday tradition, I ordered the sirloin steak. Delicious! Being married to a dietitian, I don't get to eat steak all that often. So any time I can devour steak (and not choke on it) is good.
The Abington Ale House excursion was definitely the highlight of the day. Because afterwards, I really did not do much other than take care of Briana. It was nice seeing my mom. My dad, whose birthday also happens to be today, could not make the Abington Ale House luncheon. It would have been nice to see him today too, but I did the next best thing: I wished him happy birthday over the phone.
Incidentally, today also happens to be Hot Amy's father's birthday and a former co-worker's (Kristen) birthday too. So happy birthday to all of them too! Oh, and happy birthday Alyssa Milano! I can't forget her. I can never forget her. She's the only reason I watched Who's the Boss. (I realize that statement taken out of context could make me seem creepy, but in case anyone is curious... I am younger than Alyssa Milano. And at the time of Who's the Boss... I was a kid... she was a kid... it made sense in my distorted mind.)
Anyway, essentially that was my birthday celebration. Karen has been sick of late, so we didn't really do anything when she got home from work. Although, I suppose you can say we watched episodes of Community together. Well, I re-watched the episodes that I saw with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) last week. In an attempt to get Karen caught up, I hooked up the computer to our television and just watched a bunch of episodes with her. Great show!
But that was pretty much it. I think one of the reasons why today seemed like more of an ordinary day to me in comparison to past birthdays is because there was no birthday cake. Granted, the Abington Ale House gave me a little cupcake... but it's not the same. I was actually tempted to buy myself an ice cream cake, but sadly ran out of time. Plus, that would have just seemed odd: buying myself a cake to celebrate my own birthday.
The day began as usual with my doing chores around the house and my preparing food for my twenty month old daughter (Briana) before she actually woke up. When Briana woke up, that's when time exponentially transpired. A few diaper changes later (and watching her make a mess of breakfast), the next thing I knew it was almost noon.
By that time, my mom stopped for a visit. She wanted to celebrate my birthday by taking me out for lunch, which was great. We ended up going to the Abington Ale House. In what seems like a birthday tradition, I ordered the sirloin steak. Delicious! Being married to a dietitian, I don't get to eat steak all that often. So any time I can devour steak (and not choke on it) is good.
The Abington Ale House excursion was definitely the highlight of the day. Because afterwards, I really did not do much other than take care of Briana. It was nice seeing my mom. My dad, whose birthday also happens to be today, could not make the Abington Ale House luncheon. It would have been nice to see him today too, but I did the next best thing: I wished him happy birthday over the phone.
Incidentally, today also happens to be Hot Amy's father's birthday and a former co-worker's (Kristen) birthday too. So happy birthday to all of them too! Oh, and happy birthday Alyssa Milano! I can't forget her. I can never forget her. She's the only reason I watched Who's the Boss. (I realize that statement taken out of context could make me seem creepy, but in case anyone is curious... I am younger than Alyssa Milano. And at the time of Who's the Boss... I was a kid... she was a kid... it made sense in my distorted mind.)
Anyway, essentially that was my birthday celebration. Karen has been sick of late, so we didn't really do anything when she got home from work. Although, I suppose you can say we watched episodes of Community together. Well, I re-watched the episodes that I saw with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) last week. In an attempt to get Karen caught up, I hooked up the computer to our television and just watched a bunch of episodes with her. Great show!
But that was pretty much it. I think one of the reasons why today seemed like more of an ordinary day to me in comparison to past birthdays is because there was no birthday cake. Granted, the Abington Ale House gave me a little cupcake... but it's not the same. I was actually tempted to buy myself an ice cream cake, but sadly ran out of time. Plus, that would have just seemed odd: buying myself a cake to celebrate my own birthday.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
I Suck At Santa Visits
Yesterday, my family had a special visit. A jolly o' soul with a white beard and red suit happened to visit my house yesterday. Too bad I suck at Santa visits.
In preparation for the event, Karen and I invited our friends (Cass, Ellen, and Meredith) to come on over and bring their respective children. Their children are all younger than our twenty one month old daughter (Briana). And of course, we invited my mother-in-law and father-in-law because they happened to be Santa's special helpers.
Needless to say, it was an interesting experience. This year, Briana seems to be afraid of good o' Santa. She cried uncontrollably to the point where she didn't want us near Santa when we visited Karen's relatives in Lowell. (Is there a lot to love about Lowell?) Whenever we've been walking around the mall, she would purposely avoid getting too close to Santa, preferring to watch him from afar instead.
I'm not sure when this fear developed. After all, she was okay last year. Then again, she was not even a year old the last time she saw Santa. I have a feeling that this may be a natural thing for babies: fear of Santa. The only reason I say that is because my niece and nephew behaved the same way when they were young. And as luck would have it, Cass and Ellen's daugher and Meredith's son also cried when they were in the presence of Santa yesterday. I bet it's the shoes. Just kidding.
Despite the tears, all of the children seemed to enjoy one particular aspect of the Santa visit: the receiving of gifts. Santa = tears. Presents = smile. After Santa left, all of the kids played with their toys. And might I add, having three kids in the house gets crazy.
All in all, I think everyone had a good time. And really, how can you not? Santa came to visit.
In preparation for the event, Karen and I invited our friends (Cass, Ellen, and Meredith) to come on over and bring their respective children. Their children are all younger than our twenty one month old daughter (Briana). And of course, we invited my mother-in-law and father-in-law because they happened to be Santa's special helpers.
Needless to say, it was an interesting experience. This year, Briana seems to be afraid of good o' Santa. She cried uncontrollably to the point where she didn't want us near Santa when we visited Karen's relatives in Lowell. (Is there a lot to love about Lowell?) Whenever we've been walking around the mall, she would purposely avoid getting too close to Santa, preferring to watch him from afar instead.
I'm not sure when this fear developed. After all, she was okay last year. Then again, she was not even a year old the last time she saw Santa. I have a feeling that this may be a natural thing for babies: fear of Santa. The only reason I say that is because my niece and nephew behaved the same way when they were young. And as luck would have it, Cass and Ellen's daugher and Meredith's son also cried when they were in the presence of Santa yesterday. I bet it's the shoes. Just kidding.
Despite the tears, all of the children seemed to enjoy one particular aspect of the Santa visit: the receiving of gifts. Santa = tears. Presents = smile. After Santa left, all of the kids played with their toys. And might I add, having three kids in the house gets crazy.
All in all, I think everyone had a good time. And really, how can you not? Santa came to visit.
I Suck At Megamind
On Friday, my friends (Marc and Kelley) were in the neighborhood. In an act of spontaneity, they contacted us to see if we were around. Lo' and behold, neither Karen nor I had any big plans for Friday. Such is the life of parents of a twenty month old (who is actually twenty one months old as of this posting).
Anyway, it was great seeing Marc and Kelley. We ordered takeout dinner from Uno's, which is located just up the street. On Marc's recommendation, I ordered the wild mushroom and Cabot cheddar artisan thin crust pizza. It was delicious. I devoured the entire pizza, which really is not a difficult feat for me if you know me.
From there, we just hung out and eventually ended up watching Megamind together. Now, I suck at Megamind. I had recorded the movie on my DVR months and months ago with the intent that some day Karen would be interested in having a family movie night. Marc and Kelley are essentially family, so it's good to know my plan worked.
(The following is a trailer for Megamind.)
All in all, the movie was very enjoyable. And as usual, it was fun hanging out with Marc and Kelley. Among some of the topics of discussion that came up were Mass Effect 2 (great game!) and the television show Grimm. Kelley has been trying to plug the show in an effort to get other people to watch it. I told her I'd give a go.
Anyway, it was great seeing Marc and Kelley. We ordered takeout dinner from Uno's, which is located just up the street. On Marc's recommendation, I ordered the wild mushroom and Cabot cheddar artisan thin crust pizza. It was delicious. I devoured the entire pizza, which really is not a difficult feat for me if you know me.
From there, we just hung out and eventually ended up watching Megamind together. Now, I suck at Megamind. I had recorded the movie on my DVR months and months ago with the intent that some day Karen would be interested in having a family movie night. Marc and Kelley are essentially family, so it's good to know my plan worked.
(The following is a trailer for Megamind.)
All in all, the movie was very enjoyable. And as usual, it was fun hanging out with Marc and Kelley. Among some of the topics of discussion that came up were Mass Effect 2 (great game!) and the television show Grimm. Kelley has been trying to plug the show in an effort to get other people to watch it. I told her I'd give a go.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
I Suck At Plumbing
It only took about four years or so, but I can now cross off that one plumbing project from my to-do list. Yes, I suck at plumbing.
When Karen and I added a second floor to our house, the contractors installed a generic basic faucet in the second bathroom. Interestingly enough, we had a faucet already planned for the second bathroom. Back when the house was a shanty (although who am I kidding... the house is still a shanty), Karen and I purchased a contractor pack of faucets. The pack consisted of two faucets that we had planned to use at the time for our downstairs bathroom and our master bathroom.
Like most of my home improvement projects, at the time I only completed one of the tasks: the downstairs bathroom. I have since had to install the faucet again in the downstairs bathroom when we renovated that, but that is another story. (The bathroom had this god awful ugly green tub and water damage galore before the renovation.)
Anyway, with the second floor renovation, we decided to use the other faucet for the second bathroom as opposed to the master bathroom. The only problem: we forgot to give the other faucet to the contractors when they were hooking up the sink in the second bathroom.
And rather than have the contractors switch it back out, we decided that I would just make the switch at a later point in time. Who knew that later point in time would be over four years?
Anyway, I was able to switch out the faucets thanks in part to my parents who came down to take our twenty month old daughter (Briana) out to the mall. With Briana out of the house, that meant I had more time to dedicate to the home improvement project.
At first, things weren't looking too good for me. After I had removed the generic faucet and installed the desired faucet, I turned on the water. Everything was good, except that the water would not stop coming out of the cold water side of the faucet. So, I had to take apart the valve to see what was up. Turns out, the rubber washer was misaligned.
A few minutes later, voila! The water stopped when I twisted the faucet handle. The only problem: I had the open and the close reversed within the valve. So, I had to take apart the valve again and reset it correctly. Needless to say, I got the faucet to properly work.
Interestingly enough, after my initial gaffe, I immediately thought about my BFF (Kerry). The faucet in Kerry's bathroom is reversed in that you have to turn the handle in the opposite direction of what one would normally expect. It occurred to me that the reason for that may be the same thing I had just experienced.
Anyway, it felt pretty good to finally cross something off of the to-do list. Following my plumbing project, I made a brief visit to Karen's grandmother who lives in Hanover. I was explicitly asked by Karen's grandmother to help her with some technical issues. The technical issues involved cable television and the computer. Specifically, the issues were to switch out the cable box with a new one and figure out why she could not open an attached document in her email. Needless to say, the technical issues were resolved. Thank you OpenOffice.
When Karen and I added a second floor to our house, the contractors installed a generic basic faucet in the second bathroom. Interestingly enough, we had a faucet already planned for the second bathroom. Back when the house was a shanty (although who am I kidding... the house is still a shanty), Karen and I purchased a contractor pack of faucets. The pack consisted of two faucets that we had planned to use at the time for our downstairs bathroom and our master bathroom.
Like most of my home improvement projects, at the time I only completed one of the tasks: the downstairs bathroom. I have since had to install the faucet again in the downstairs bathroom when we renovated that, but that is another story. (The bathroom had this god awful ugly green tub and water damage galore before the renovation.)
Anyway, with the second floor renovation, we decided to use the other faucet for the second bathroom as opposed to the master bathroom. The only problem: we forgot to give the other faucet to the contractors when they were hooking up the sink in the second bathroom.
And rather than have the contractors switch it back out, we decided that I would just make the switch at a later point in time. Who knew that later point in time would be over four years?
Anyway, I was able to switch out the faucets thanks in part to my parents who came down to take our twenty month old daughter (Briana) out to the mall. With Briana out of the house, that meant I had more time to dedicate to the home improvement project.
At first, things weren't looking too good for me. After I had removed the generic faucet and installed the desired faucet, I turned on the water. Everything was good, except that the water would not stop coming out of the cold water side of the faucet. So, I had to take apart the valve to see what was up. Turns out, the rubber washer was misaligned.
A few minutes later, voila! The water stopped when I twisted the faucet handle. The only problem: I had the open and the close reversed within the valve. So, I had to take apart the valve again and reset it correctly. Needless to say, I got the faucet to properly work.
Interestingly enough, after my initial gaffe, I immediately thought about my BFF (Kerry). The faucet in Kerry's bathroom is reversed in that you have to turn the handle in the opposite direction of what one would normally expect. It occurred to me that the reason for that may be the same thing I had just experienced.
Anyway, it felt pretty good to finally cross something off of the to-do list. Following my plumbing project, I made a brief visit to Karen's grandmother who lives in Hanover. I was explicitly asked by Karen's grandmother to help her with some technical issues. The technical issues involved cable television and the computer. Specifically, the issues were to switch out the cable box with a new one and figure out why she could not open an attached document in her email. Needless to say, the technical issues were resolved. Thank you OpenOffice.
I Suck At Community
Yesterday was a good day, and not just because I finally completed Mass Effect 2 after 40+ hours. Who says you can't play video games when you're a parent? For anyone curious, Mass Effect 2 is a great game! I thoroughly enjoyed the game, even though the object of my desire, Yeoman Kelly Chambers, melted into tiny bits before my eyes. I'll have to replay it at some point to actually get a happier ending.
Mass Effect 2 aside, I had the opportunity to hang out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). Unfortunately, Karen could not attend the shindig. She was still feeling the effects from her fever. Yes, it's almost a week now that she has been sick. And like any good husband and father of a twenty month old, I said to her "Later, chump" and made a mad dash out of the house for my brief minutes of freedom. Just kidding.
On the agenda for the night was starting season three of Community. Now, I suck at Community. All of us have been planning to start the third (and possibly last) season of the show for some time. Our schedules have been busy this month and it just seemed like we could never get everyone together. Needless to say, we started the third season yesterday. (And for anyone curious, Karen assured me that she would watch the episodes online so as to catch up with all of us.)
As usual, the episodes were hilarious. We actually made it through six episodes last night, meaning that by the end of our next get-together we should be all caught up with the series. Too bad the show is currently on hiatus. Damn you NBC!
In addition to Community, we also ordered food for dinner. Andrea was coming directly from work and consequently would not have the opportunity for make dinner at home. So all of us decided to order from the Fowler House. I ordered the burger. Even though I devoured my burger (and most of Andrea's), I would say that I was not that impressed by the Fowler House burger. I attribute my voracious eating more to my bottomless pit of a stomach, than to the great taste of the burgers.
All in all, it was a good night of just hanging out and having fun. And naturally, with my bizarre train of thought, I ended up thinking about which Community character all of us would be if my circle of friends were similar to those of the Community characters. Kelley and Andrea suggested Troy for me.
Mass Effect 2 aside, I had the opportunity to hang out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). Unfortunately, Karen could not attend the shindig. She was still feeling the effects from her fever. Yes, it's almost a week now that she has been sick. And like any good husband and father of a twenty month old, I said to her "Later, chump" and made a mad dash out of the house for my brief minutes of freedom. Just kidding.
On the agenda for the night was starting season three of Community. Now, I suck at Community. All of us have been planning to start the third (and possibly last) season of the show for some time. Our schedules have been busy this month and it just seemed like we could never get everyone together. Needless to say, we started the third season yesterday. (And for anyone curious, Karen assured me that she would watch the episodes online so as to catch up with all of us.)
As usual, the episodes were hilarious. We actually made it through six episodes last night, meaning that by the end of our next get-together we should be all caught up with the series. Too bad the show is currently on hiatus. Damn you NBC!
In addition to Community, we also ordered food for dinner. Andrea was coming directly from work and consequently would not have the opportunity for make dinner at home. So all of us decided to order from the Fowler House. I ordered the burger. Even though I devoured my burger (and most of Andrea's), I would say that I was not that impressed by the Fowler House burger. I attribute my voracious eating more to my bottomless pit of a stomach, than to the great taste of the burgers.
All in all, it was a good night of just hanging out and having fun. And naturally, with my bizarre train of thought, I ended up thinking about which Community character all of us would be if my circle of friends were similar to those of the Community characters. Kelley and Andrea suggested Troy for me.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
I Suck At Subway
Sadly, the highlight of my Monday involved eating. On Monday, my mother and I grabbed a quick bite to eat from Subway. Now, I suck at Subway. I have not eaten at Subway in quite some time.
My parents were down visiting the golden child known as my twenty month old daughter (Briana). As I was ill-prepared to make lunch for the day, I offered to grab takeout. And by ill-prepared, I mean I was lazy. As a parent, there are just days that I want to take a break from things and Monday happened to be one of those days.
Anyway, my mother suggested grabbing food from Subway because she had heard about some promotion for $2 subs. It turns out, Subway is offering 6-inch meatball subs and 6-inch cold cut subs for $2 for the month of December. Always one for a deal, I said "sure, why not?"
Needless to say, I ordered 5 meatball subs. And interestingly enough, they were good. I devoured 3 of the 5 subs. In my defense, I was only planning on eating two. Karen was not hungry, so I ate hers. After all, subs don't reheat well.
It was definitely filling. If Subway keeps the promotion for all of next year, I may partake in the Jared diet. Just kidding.
Naturally in keeping with the food theme, I also decided to continue my devouring ways later that day and eat some gummy candy from
Sugar Plum Chocolates. My friends (Marc and Andrea) recently took a day trip to New York City. Among the things they brought back from their trip was this gummy Outrageous Alphabet by Sugar Plum Chocolates. In case anyone is curious, the gummy letter they got me was an M.
The gummy letter is huge. I think it actually may be bigger than the ginormous gummy bear that my friend (Aimee) gave me awhile back. If it's not bigger, it is just as large. Well, it didn't take me long to polish off the gummy letter. And might I add, I was completely stuffed after eating the gummy letter. Those 200 calories were worth it though.
My parents were down visiting the golden child known as my twenty month old daughter (Briana). As I was ill-prepared to make lunch for the day, I offered to grab takeout. And by ill-prepared, I mean I was lazy. As a parent, there are just days that I want to take a break from things and Monday happened to be one of those days.
Anyway, my mother suggested grabbing food from Subway because she had heard about some promotion for $2 subs. It turns out, Subway is offering 6-inch meatball subs and 6-inch cold cut subs for $2 for the month of December. Always one for a deal, I said "sure, why not?"
Needless to say, I ordered 5 meatball subs. And interestingly enough, they were good. I devoured 3 of the 5 subs. In my defense, I was only planning on eating two. Karen was not hungry, so I ate hers. After all, subs don't reheat well.
It was definitely filling. If Subway keeps the promotion for all of next year, I may partake in the Jared diet. Just kidding.
Naturally in keeping with the food theme, I also decided to continue my devouring ways later that day and eat some gummy candy from
Sugar Plum Chocolates. My friends (Marc and Andrea) recently took a day trip to New York City. Among the things they brought back from their trip was this gummy Outrageous Alphabet by Sugar Plum Chocolates. In case anyone is curious, the gummy letter they got me was an M.
The gummy letter is huge. I think it actually may be bigger than the ginormous gummy bear that my friend (Aimee) gave me awhile back. If it's not bigger, it is just as large. Well, it didn't take me long to polish off the gummy letter. And might I add, I was completely stuffed after eating the gummy letter. Those 200 calories were worth it though.
Monday, December 12, 2011
I Suck At Pseudo Christmas
Yesterday was the holiday tradition in Karen's family known as Pseudo Christmas. Now, I suck at Pseudo Christmas. I think Modern Family's "Express Christmas" has a better ring to it.
Pseudo Christmas is held in the lovely land of Lowell. There is a lot to like about Lowell or so the residents there will tell you. It just so happens to be where Karen's aunt, uncle, and cousins live.
Personally, as much as enjoy Lowell, I think Karen should have skipped her family tradition this year. She has been battling a fever this entire weekend. She actually almost cancelled going to my BFF's (Kerry) holiday party on Saturday due to her fever. So going out the following day, even if it's family tradition, probably isn't a good idea. But that's just my opinion. As I am posting this, she is still battling fever-like symptoms (and it's Monday). Oh what people do for "tradition".
Anyway, it was a nice Pseudo Christmas. With Karen being sick (and pregnant), I actually spent most of the day making sure our twenty month old daughter (Briana) was not getting into things. I actually missed out on the majority of the "silly swap" that Karen's family holds because Briana wanted to play elsewhere. Luckily for me, I drew an early number. So I could just pick a gift... leave to attend to Briana... and no one would miss me.
For me, probably the most memorable part of Pseudo Christmas was taking a break to go to a discount auto parts store with Karen's cousin's husband (Tommy) and my favorite brother-in-law (PJ). PJ needed to pick up some light bulbs for his trailer. We weren't gone that long, but the break from being a responsible parent was definitely nice.
One of the other things that I'll probably remember from Pseudo Christmas 2011 is Karen's grandmother's sister (Mary) and her love of apple pie. Suffice to say, Mary is mentally not all there. She is being taken care of by her son (Kevin), who interestingly enough told me a side story about how someone calls him "Mike" now because he was spotted wearing a jacket I brought to the silly swap of Pseudo Christmas 2010. I brought an old high school jacket with my name on the sleeve. Kevin (or Mary) was the lucky recipient of the jacket last year. As a result, Kevin uses it as his smoking jacket and apparently someone whom he vaguely knows greeted him with a "Hi Mike" the other day.
Anyway, Mary had a slice of apple pie for dessert. She wanted a second helping of the apple pie, but Kevin told her that there was none left. So back and forth they went over the apple pie and how she wanted another slice and how Kevin said there was none left. Of course, while this is going on PJ is egging Mary on about getting another slice of pie. It seemed like the discussion of the apple pie lasted forever. And truthfully, there were two slices of apple pie left. I happen to know that because I ate one of the remaining slices. Apple pie = yum! (Mary was right.)
Pseudo Christmas is held in the lovely land of Lowell. There is a lot to like about Lowell or so the residents there will tell you. It just so happens to be where Karen's aunt, uncle, and cousins live.
Personally, as much as enjoy Lowell, I think Karen should have skipped her family tradition this year. She has been battling a fever this entire weekend. She actually almost cancelled going to my BFF's (Kerry) holiday party on Saturday due to her fever. So going out the following day, even if it's family tradition, probably isn't a good idea. But that's just my opinion. As I am posting this, she is still battling fever-like symptoms (and it's Monday). Oh what people do for "tradition".
Anyway, it was a nice Pseudo Christmas. With Karen being sick (and pregnant), I actually spent most of the day making sure our twenty month old daughter (Briana) was not getting into things. I actually missed out on the majority of the "silly swap" that Karen's family holds because Briana wanted to play elsewhere. Luckily for me, I drew an early number. So I could just pick a gift... leave to attend to Briana... and no one would miss me.
For me, probably the most memorable part of Pseudo Christmas was taking a break to go to a discount auto parts store with Karen's cousin's husband (Tommy) and my favorite brother-in-law (PJ). PJ needed to pick up some light bulbs for his trailer. We weren't gone that long, but the break from being a responsible parent was definitely nice.
One of the other things that I'll probably remember from Pseudo Christmas 2011 is Karen's grandmother's sister (Mary) and her love of apple pie. Suffice to say, Mary is mentally not all there. She is being taken care of by her son (Kevin), who interestingly enough told me a side story about how someone calls him "Mike" now because he was spotted wearing a jacket I brought to the silly swap of Pseudo Christmas 2010. I brought an old high school jacket with my name on the sleeve. Kevin (or Mary) was the lucky recipient of the jacket last year. As a result, Kevin uses it as his smoking jacket and apparently someone whom he vaguely knows greeted him with a "Hi Mike" the other day.
Anyway, Mary had a slice of apple pie for dessert. She wanted a second helping of the apple pie, but Kevin told her that there was none left. So back and forth they went over the apple pie and how she wanted another slice and how Kevin said there was none left. Of course, while this is going on PJ is egging Mary on about getting another slice of pie. It seemed like the discussion of the apple pie lasted forever. And truthfully, there were two slices of apple pie left. I happen to know that because I ate one of the remaining slices. Apple pie = yum! (Mary was right.)
I Suck At Holiday Parties
Saturday was my BFF's (Kerry) annual holiday party. Too bad I suck at holiday parties. For the past ten years (I think), Kerry has been having a party North of Boston during the holidays.
This year, Kerry mentioned it may be her last holiday party. In essence, it would be her holiday party to end all holiday parties. So we'll see. Attending the possibly last holiday party North of Boston were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Andrea, Cass, and Ellen).
Early on, the party would be divided by geography. Kerry's friends from Massachusetts would be in one room; Kerry's friends from Rhode Island would be in the other; and never the twain shall meet. Logistically, it makes sense because people tend to go toward what they are comfortable with. Over the years, her friends from both states have started mingling together. And this past holiday party on Saturday was just that.
Although as an interesting side note, I think Kerry may now be attempting to keep some of her friends from mingling. Karen and I found out on Saturday that Kerry's friend, Sam, is also from the South Shore where most of her friends from Massachusetts reside. Sam lives in the mean streets of Weymouth to be exact. All of us have met Sam before, but that interesting tidbit somehow never came up.
I actually find Sam pretty funny and personable. When I first met her, she had a lot of love. She loved watermelon. She loved quinoa. And she told everyone with such enthusiasm. It was bizarre, yet funny. And of course, she didn't even bat an eye when seeing Marc in his skimpy mesh track shorts from high school that were way too small for him now. Now, my friend Garv on the other hand was blinded by the sight.
Anyway, it was nice seeing friends and hanging out with everyone. Karen and I actually did not stay too long because our twenty month old daughter (Briana) was not liking the fact that we were out and about without her.
One of the main topics of discussion from the night was the hierarchy of geeks, nerds and dorks... since most of the people in attendance were either geeks, nerds, or dorks. Cass didn't think he fit into any of the categories... and I'll agree with him. After all, he's going to be the future mayor of Quincy! Vote Cass for mayor!
Another topic that got me thinking was what superhero I would be. It only makes sense since the previous topic was about the hierarchy of geeks, nerds, and dorks. That thought (about what superhero I would be) entered my mind because Marc and Kelley suggested that Kerry could dress up as the Black Canary and attend a comic book conference. Much like my original suggestion from years back to Kerry about attending a Star Trek convention... the ratio of women to men is greatly skewed in her favor.
Naturally, when Marc and Kelley suggested that Black Canary was actually fitting for Kerry, that got me thinking about what superhero I would be... much like what actor would play me in the movie about me. I suppose if you combine the two, I can have an actor play me becoming a superhero in the movie about me...
This year, Kerry mentioned it may be her last holiday party. In essence, it would be her holiday party to end all holiday parties. So we'll see. Attending the possibly last holiday party North of Boston were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Andrea, Cass, and Ellen).
Early on, the party would be divided by geography. Kerry's friends from Massachusetts would be in one room; Kerry's friends from Rhode Island would be in the other; and never the twain shall meet. Logistically, it makes sense because people tend to go toward what they are comfortable with. Over the years, her friends from both states have started mingling together. And this past holiday party on Saturday was just that.
Although as an interesting side note, I think Kerry may now be attempting to keep some of her friends from mingling. Karen and I found out on Saturday that Kerry's friend, Sam, is also from the South Shore where most of her friends from Massachusetts reside. Sam lives in the mean streets of Weymouth to be exact. All of us have met Sam before, but that interesting tidbit somehow never came up.
I actually find Sam pretty funny and personable. When I first met her, she had a lot of love. She loved watermelon. She loved quinoa. And she told everyone with such enthusiasm. It was bizarre, yet funny. And of course, she didn't even bat an eye when seeing Marc in his skimpy mesh track shorts from high school that were way too small for him now. Now, my friend Garv on the other hand was blinded by the sight.
Anyway, it was nice seeing friends and hanging out with everyone. Karen and I actually did not stay too long because our twenty month old daughter (Briana) was not liking the fact that we were out and about without her.
One of the main topics of discussion from the night was the hierarchy of geeks, nerds and dorks... since most of the people in attendance were either geeks, nerds, or dorks. Cass didn't think he fit into any of the categories... and I'll agree with him. After all, he's going to be the future mayor of Quincy! Vote Cass for mayor!
Another topic that got me thinking was what superhero I would be. It only makes sense since the previous topic was about the hierarchy of geeks, nerds, and dorks. That thought (about what superhero I would be) entered my mind because Marc and Kelley suggested that Kerry could dress up as the Black Canary and attend a comic book conference. Much like my original suggestion from years back to Kerry about attending a Star Trek convention... the ratio of women to men is greatly skewed in her favor.
Naturally, when Marc and Kelley suggested that Black Canary was actually fitting for Kerry, that got me thinking about what superhero I would be... much like what actor would play me in the movie about me. I suppose if you combine the two, I can have an actor play me becoming a superhero in the movie about me...
I Suck At Little Duck
On Thursday, Karen, my twenty month old daughter (Briana), and I had our weekly get together with friends. We ended up going to Quincy where my friends (Marc and Kelley) live. My friend (Andrea), who has since become Kelley's drinking buddy, was unfortunately not able to join us due to work-related issues. So for the second straight week, all of us were not in attendance. Someday, we'll get to season three of Community (such a great show!).
Anyway, it was great to hang out with Marc and Kelley. Kelley recently returned from her trip to Germany (Sprechen sie Deutsch?) and we were able to see all of her pictures.
Aside from that, we just hung out, laughed, and watched some things they had recorded on their DVR. One thing in particular was recorded just for Karen. It was an episode of the Daily Show which had Betty White on as a guest. Gotta love Betty White.
Oh, and we also did something we haven't done in a while: we ordered takeout from the Little Duck. Now, I suck at the Little Duck. I haven't eaten there in awhile, but since Karen was craving it (and really, who would deny a pregnant woman her craving?) we got dinner there. As usual, the food was delicious. Oh Little Duck, how I missed you so! Okay, so maybe I had a craving too...
All in all, it was a great night as usual hanging out with friends.
Anyway, it was great to hang out with Marc and Kelley. Kelley recently returned from her trip to Germany (Sprechen sie Deutsch?) and we were able to see all of her pictures.
Aside from that, we just hung out, laughed, and watched some things they had recorded on their DVR. One thing in particular was recorded just for Karen. It was an episode of the Daily Show which had Betty White on as a guest. Gotta love Betty White.
Oh, and we also did something we haven't done in a while: we ordered takeout from the Little Duck. Now, I suck at the Little Duck. I haven't eaten there in awhile, but since Karen was craving it (and really, who would deny a pregnant woman her craving?) we got dinner there. As usual, the food was delicious. Oh Little Duck, how I missed you so! Okay, so maybe I had a craving too...
All in all, it was a great night as usual hanging out with friends.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
I Suck At Attending A Service For Remembrance
It's good to know that I can still feel pain.
On Tuesday, Karen, my twenty month old daughter (Briana), and I attended the 19th Annual Service of Remembrance at the Old South Union Church located 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.
I've been attending the service ever since our son (Braden) passed away in 2008. As a result, this year was the fourth annual service I've been to. It's amazing how quickly time goes by.
For anyone curious, the service in addition to remembering the lost loved ones allows for people to share encouraging stories with one another. And every year at the service, I always wonder what it is that I would say if I had that opportunity. I don't think there's really much I could say other than the experience sucks. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
Luckily for everyone, I did not share that encouraging thought. Instead, I spent the entire service at the "crib room" complements of my loving daughter. My always curious daughter was definitely not going to sit patiently through the service. So off to the "crib room" we went... at the start of the service.
The crib room is essentially a play area to keep little children occupied during the service. The room also broadcasts the on-going service, so that you don't really miss out on anything that is said. Interestingly enough, Briana and I were not the only ones there. When we got there, a mother and two of her children were already in the room.
I generally think Briana is a handful. She's curious and on the go until she sleeps. Fortunately for me, Briana pales in comparison to one of the children I met in the crib room. The girl was slightly older than Briana and she literally ran non-stop circles around the room for the entire service. It was impressive... and insane at the same time.
Needless to say, despite the interesting experience in the crib room, I did get to hear Braden's name over the speakers. It was good to be able to dedicate a night to him, which is something I think I don't do as often as I'd like.
And as proof as to how soft I have become, I actually teared up in the crib room. It was not even for Braden. The grandmother of the other two children in the room was telling me how her daughter lost her son. To me, it was just an awful story about how the unborn child was near full term and just one day, the mother could not feel any movement. The baby simply had passed away. I think what struck me as the worst part of the story was that the mother had to deliver the deceased baby. I felt so sad when I heard that. Heck, I feel sad typing it right now.
Anyway, it was good to remember Braden. I still wonder what he would be like right now if he had survived. I miss you, Braden. Please don't forget that I'll always love you.
On Tuesday, Karen, my twenty month old daughter (Briana), and I attended the 19th Annual Service of Remembrance at the Old South Union Church located 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.
I've been attending the service ever since our son (Braden) passed away in 2008. As a result, this year was the fourth annual service I've been to. It's amazing how quickly time goes by.
For anyone curious, the service in addition to remembering the lost loved ones allows for people to share encouraging stories with one another. And every year at the service, I always wonder what it is that I would say if I had that opportunity. I don't think there's really much I could say other than the experience sucks. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
Luckily for everyone, I did not share that encouraging thought. Instead, I spent the entire service at the "crib room" complements of my loving daughter. My always curious daughter was definitely not going to sit patiently through the service. So off to the "crib room" we went... at the start of the service.
The crib room is essentially a play area to keep little children occupied during the service. The room also broadcasts the on-going service, so that you don't really miss out on anything that is said. Interestingly enough, Briana and I were not the only ones there. When we got there, a mother and two of her children were already in the room.
I generally think Briana is a handful. She's curious and on the go until she sleeps. Fortunately for me, Briana pales in comparison to one of the children I met in the crib room. The girl was slightly older than Briana and she literally ran non-stop circles around the room for the entire service. It was impressive... and insane at the same time.
Needless to say, despite the interesting experience in the crib room, I did get to hear Braden's name over the speakers. It was good to be able to dedicate a night to him, which is something I think I don't do as often as I'd like.
And as proof as to how soft I have become, I actually teared up in the crib room. It was not even for Braden. The grandmother of the other two children in the room was telling me how her daughter lost her son. To me, it was just an awful story about how the unborn child was near full term and just one day, the mother could not feel any movement. The baby simply had passed away. I think what struck me as the worst part of the story was that the mother had to deliver the deceased baby. I felt so sad when I heard that. Heck, I feel sad typing it right now.
Anyway, it was good to remember Braden. I still wonder what he would be like right now if he had survived. I miss you, Braden. Please don't forget that I'll always love you.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
I Suck At Alba Restaurant
In celebration of Karen's birthday, my friends and I went to the Alba Restaurant located in Quincy. Now, I suck at Alba Restaurant. I don't believe I have ever been to Alba's. My friend (Marc), however, seems to think I may have been there over three years ago when there was an incident involving him being doused in water by the waitstaff (accidentally, of course). If it is true, I sadly don't remember that incident and it just goes to show how terrible my memory really is.
Regardless, Karen has never been to Alba's. She wanted to try their breakfast as the Brioche French Toast was recommended to her by one of her friends. So off to the Alba Restaurant we went for breakfast on Sunday. Joining in on the celebration were Marc, my friends (Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, Andrea), and my BFF (Kerry). Cass and Ellen's baby daughter also joined us as well, which gave my baby daughter (Briana) someone else to play with. And by play, I mean look at it.
Anyway, I ordered the Alba Special, which was an omelet with feta, tomato and spinach that came with potatoes and an English muffin. The meal was good. The problem, in my opinion, was the service.
We waited... and waited... and waited for our meals to arrive. There was never once a mention of the reason for the delay, or even an acknowledgement that they were taking longer than expected. When I say we waited, it was a ridiculous amount of time for things as easy as french toast and eggs. Other tables that had come in after us had already finished and left before we got served our food. Not to mention, when the food did arrive, the food came out in waves where a few of us received food while the rest of us had to watch and wait for a prolonged amount of time for for the next food item to arrive. It was terrible.
In my opinion, if Alba simply acknowledged they were having problems, I would have been okay with that. But nope. Nothing. It seems to me like that should be basic customer service 101. I also found out later from Karen, who was equally disappointed with the experience, that the bathrooms did not have any toilet paper. That struck me as equally terrible because we arrived for breakfast when the restaurant opened. To have no toilet paper in the bathroom during the opening hours is just a sign of bad management.
Needless to say, even though the food was decent, I probably would not recommend the Alba Restaurant in Quincy. The service was just that terrible. Sadly, the celebration was for Karen's birthday... which was back in October. But at least we got to hang out with all of our friends and enjoy our time together. So that part was nice.
Regardless, Karen has never been to Alba's. She wanted to try their breakfast as the Brioche French Toast was recommended to her by one of her friends. So off to the Alba Restaurant we went for breakfast on Sunday. Joining in on the celebration were Marc, my friends (Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, Andrea), and my BFF (Kerry). Cass and Ellen's baby daughter also joined us as well, which gave my baby daughter (Briana) someone else to play with. And by play, I mean look at it.
Anyway, I ordered the Alba Special, which was an omelet with feta, tomato and spinach that came with potatoes and an English muffin. The meal was good. The problem, in my opinion, was the service.
We waited... and waited... and waited for our meals to arrive. There was never once a mention of the reason for the delay, or even an acknowledgement that they were taking longer than expected. When I say we waited, it was a ridiculous amount of time for things as easy as french toast and eggs. Other tables that had come in after us had already finished and left before we got served our food. Not to mention, when the food did arrive, the food came out in waves where a few of us received food while the rest of us had to watch and wait for a prolonged amount of time for for the next food item to arrive. It was terrible.
In my opinion, if Alba simply acknowledged they were having problems, I would have been okay with that. But nope. Nothing. It seems to me like that should be basic customer service 101. I also found out later from Karen, who was equally disappointed with the experience, that the bathrooms did not have any toilet paper. That struck me as equally terrible because we arrived for breakfast when the restaurant opened. To have no toilet paper in the bathroom during the opening hours is just a sign of bad management.
Needless to say, even though the food was decent, I probably would not recommend the Alba Restaurant in Quincy. The service was just that terrible. Sadly, the celebration was for Karen's birthday... which was back in October. But at least we got to hang out with all of our friends and enjoy our time together. So that part was nice.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
I Suck At Jack Link's Premium Cuts Chicken Nuggets
Okay. So it's been a little over a week since the last time I wrote a post. I'm trying to get back into the habit of writing posts. Writing this blog is like working out, just without the sweat. I always make excuses to put it off... but when I'm actually doing it, it's great. And if I do happen to sweat while writing this blog in front of my computer, then something is definitely not quite right with me.
Plus, I told my friend (Andrea) that I would post something today because she asked. Apparently, she has missed reading my blog posts. When I think about it, I guess that makes sense. With Facebook and social media all around us now, knowing what people are up to seems status quo. And since I don't regular check Facebook, I guess the only means for people to know what I am up to is through this blog. Perhaps some day I'll embrace Facebook and update my status based on my bowel movements like I had originally wanted. In the meantime, all of you can thank Andrea. So thanks Andrea!
Anyway, in case anyone is interested, here are the exciting events that have transpired since my last post:
1) Thanksgiving. Happy belated turkey day! I hope everyone took the time to give thanks, particularly to the Native Americans whose land we stole in return for booze and disease. Seems like a fair trade. Luckily, they are slowing getting us back by praying on our gambling vices. Good for them!
All in all, my Thanksgiving was quiet. Karen, our twenty month old daughter (Briana), and I spent the holiday with my parents and Karen's parents... at my in-law's. As usual, the food was delicious. At one point during the day, everyone was gathered around the dining room table looking at newspaper ads for Black Friday deals. I thought it was a comical sight.
Following Thanksgiving dinner, Karen, Briana, my in-laws, and I visited Karen's grandmother at the nursing home. We brought Nana a little turkey dinner. The interesting thing about the visit was that Nana actually mentioned Karen by name during the visit. In all of my previous visits with Nana, she had never called Karen by her name. So it was interesting, particularly for Karen. Luckily for me, Nana has no problem saying "Mike".
2) Black Friday. Every year, I look at the Black Friday ads and think about going out shopping in the wee hours of night. And every year, I stay snugly warm in my bed Friday morning. This year was no different.
I did not see any deals that jumped out at me this year. I'm still waiting for the day there are deals on Sony televisions. Maybe that will actually get me into the Black Friday shopping spirit of trampling people (or pepper spraying people as it may be this year) in the early hours of morning. Perhaps I'm too brand loyal.
Instead, Karen, Briana and I waited for the afternoon to go shopping. We actually had nothing to do, so we decided to just go shopping. And interestingly enough, we ran into Karen's parents while shopping. It was fun. For anyone curious, the highlight of my Black Friday shopping was purchasing a video game. It's not just any video game. It's Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition! Gotta go for the gold. There's a lot to like about zombies... like Lowell.
And as always, Black Friday night was spent at my friends' (Cass and Ellen) as they hosted the annual Black Friday potluck tradition. For anyone curious, the potluck involves everyone bringing their Thanksgiving leftovers. My like of potlucks aside, I have always thought the Black Friday tradition by Cass and Ellen was brilliant. What better way is there to get rid of leftovers?
Joining in on the potluck this year were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, Scott, Meredith, Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry). It was definitely a blast hanging out with everyone. Granted, having Briana around does make that difficult at times. If it's not me, it's Karen who will watch Briana run amok. So inevitably, one of us will most likely miss or hear only parts of a conversation. It's just how it is these days. This year, I spent some quality time with Ellen and Meredith (and Elyse and Xander).
As a side note, Garv gave Briana her first taste of a fruit roll-up. I mention this now because Garv will also be the first person to take Briana to a Taylor Swift concert. It will make his going to a Taylor Swift concert with his adult male friends less creepy.
3) Charming Petals Flower and Gift Shop. There's a lot to like about Lowell... like zombies. On Saturday, Karen, Briana and I headed up north to visit Karen's Lowell relatives (Denise, Paul, Matthew). Karen's Uncle Paul's mother recently passed away. As we could not attend the wake that was scheduled earlier in the week, we asked to stop by over the weekend. So off to the great white north we went.
It was actually an interesting visit, because we did not even stay in Lowell that long. All of us headed to the Charming Petals Flower and Gift Shop located in Dracut. On the agenda... Santa... and not just any Santa... Victorian Santa. Charming Petals was having a free picture with Santa day. Needless to say, Briana was not a fan of the man in the red suit. She cried... and cried... and cried.
Following the tear-filled outing, Karen's cousin (Karlene) and her husband (Tommy) met up with us. We essentially just hung out before all of them left for an alumni hockey game. It was good to see everyone. I don't think we've seen the... Lowellians? or is it Lowellites? in quite some time. So it was good.
Saturday night was also a nice rare event. Karen and I had a movie/date night on the couch when Briana went to bed. We haven't had a night to just ourselves since her birthday back in October. The movie for the night: "When In Rome". Like all chick flicks, this one was predictable. It was an enjoyable movie. How can it not be? It stars Kristen Bell of Veronica Mars fame.
4) Cookie Swap. Sunday was the infamous Christmas Parade in Quincy. For anyone who knows me, they know that I dislike parades. Unless I'm in on a float or marching in the parade... or even inebriated, I find them very boring. Naturally, I begrudgingly attended the Christmas Parade in Quincy this year. My reason for going, of course, was for my daughter. It so happens that I don't think Briana cared much for the parade either. Who is Daddy's girl?
Anyway, attending the parade were my mother-in-law, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), Janine's family (PJ, PJ and Kaleigh), Janine's BFF (Gretchen), my friends (Jen, Bill, Terry, and Hot Amy), Jen and Bill's mother, Terry's family (Dave, Gianna, and David), Hot Amy's husband (Mark), and Terry and Hot Amy's parents. It was definitely a motley crew of sorts.
For me, the highlight of the parade were the bagpipers and the clydesdale horses. They win hands down all the time. Not even former Bruin, Rick Middleton, who appeared in the parade this year could beat the sweet sound of bagpipes and trotting horses.
Following the parade, all of us headed to Jen and Bill's for a cookie swap. Much like Karen, Jen is into traditions. So this happened to be the second annual cookie swap. Needless to say, the cookies were amazing. Unfortunately, I did not partake in the swapping of cookies this year like I did last year. If I had to choose a winner for this year though, I would go with Bill's cookies. Design-wise, Jen had the cutest cookie with her snowmen, but I enjoyed the taste of Bill's the most which may be sad news for my BFF's ears.
Anyway, after the cookie swap, Karen and I actually had another date/movie night. Back to back nights is unheard of! Interestingly enough, we kept the Kristen Bell theme going by watching "You Again". I must say, it was another cute enjoyable movie. Ooh, shiny!
And finally, that takes me to today. Today I hung out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). It was our weekly get together, which Karen missed out on because she was feeling a little run down. And as the loving husband and father that I am, I immediately bolted out the door leaving a trail of dust behind me when she told me that she'd stay home and watch Briana.
For me, getting out by myself is few and far between these days. So I relish the opportunity to go out. Most of the time, I am watching Briana. And as much as I enjoy my daughter's company, I do occasionally need the break even if it's just to hang out for a couple of hours.
Sadly, nothing particularly happened on my thrilling night out. All of us just hung out, watched some episodes of Scare Tactics, Attack of the Show, and Man V. Food Nation. I may have devoured the majority of Andrea's booze-filled cupcakes. Speaking of food, I tried my first Jack Link's Premium Cuts Chicken Nugget. Now, I suck at Jack Link's Premium Cuts Chicken Nuggets. It was not exactly what I was expecting. The nugget was a little dryer than I thought it would be, but I guess that should have been expected since it is jerky after all.
Needless to say, I had a fun time tonight.
Plus, I told my friend (Andrea) that I would post something today because she asked. Apparently, she has missed reading my blog posts. When I think about it, I guess that makes sense. With Facebook and social media all around us now, knowing what people are up to seems status quo. And since I don't regular check Facebook, I guess the only means for people to know what I am up to is through this blog. Perhaps some day I'll embrace Facebook and update my status based on my bowel movements like I had originally wanted. In the meantime, all of you can thank Andrea. So thanks Andrea!
Anyway, in case anyone is interested, here are the exciting events that have transpired since my last post:
1) Thanksgiving. Happy belated turkey day! I hope everyone took the time to give thanks, particularly to the Native Americans whose land we stole in return for booze and disease. Seems like a fair trade. Luckily, they are slowing getting us back by praying on our gambling vices. Good for them!
All in all, my Thanksgiving was quiet. Karen, our twenty month old daughter (Briana), and I spent the holiday with my parents and Karen's parents... at my in-law's. As usual, the food was delicious. At one point during the day, everyone was gathered around the dining room table looking at newspaper ads for Black Friday deals. I thought it was a comical sight.
Following Thanksgiving dinner, Karen, Briana, my in-laws, and I visited Karen's grandmother at the nursing home. We brought Nana a little turkey dinner. The interesting thing about the visit was that Nana actually mentioned Karen by name during the visit. In all of my previous visits with Nana, she had never called Karen by her name. So it was interesting, particularly for Karen. Luckily for me, Nana has no problem saying "Mike".
2) Black Friday. Every year, I look at the Black Friday ads and think about going out shopping in the wee hours of night. And every year, I stay snugly warm in my bed Friday morning. This year was no different.
I did not see any deals that jumped out at me this year. I'm still waiting for the day there are deals on Sony televisions. Maybe that will actually get me into the Black Friday shopping spirit of trampling people (or pepper spraying people as it may be this year) in the early hours of morning. Perhaps I'm too brand loyal.
Instead, Karen, Briana and I waited for the afternoon to go shopping. We actually had nothing to do, so we decided to just go shopping. And interestingly enough, we ran into Karen's parents while shopping. It was fun. For anyone curious, the highlight of my Black Friday shopping was purchasing a video game. It's not just any video game. It's Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition! Gotta go for the gold. There's a lot to like about zombies... like Lowell.
And as always, Black Friday night was spent at my friends' (Cass and Ellen) as they hosted the annual Black Friday potluck tradition. For anyone curious, the potluck involves everyone bringing their Thanksgiving leftovers. My like of potlucks aside, I have always thought the Black Friday tradition by Cass and Ellen was brilliant. What better way is there to get rid of leftovers?
Joining in on the potluck this year were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, Scott, Meredith, Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry). It was definitely a blast hanging out with everyone. Granted, having Briana around does make that difficult at times. If it's not me, it's Karen who will watch Briana run amok. So inevitably, one of us will most likely miss or hear only parts of a conversation. It's just how it is these days. This year, I spent some quality time with Ellen and Meredith (and Elyse and Xander).
As a side note, Garv gave Briana her first taste of a fruit roll-up. I mention this now because Garv will also be the first person to take Briana to a Taylor Swift concert. It will make his going to a Taylor Swift concert with his adult male friends less creepy.
3) Charming Petals Flower and Gift Shop. There's a lot to like about Lowell... like zombies. On Saturday, Karen, Briana and I headed up north to visit Karen's Lowell relatives (Denise, Paul, Matthew). Karen's Uncle Paul's mother recently passed away. As we could not attend the wake that was scheduled earlier in the week, we asked to stop by over the weekend. So off to the great white north we went.
It was actually an interesting visit, because we did not even stay in Lowell that long. All of us headed to the Charming Petals Flower and Gift Shop located in Dracut. On the agenda... Santa... and not just any Santa... Victorian Santa. Charming Petals was having a free picture with Santa day. Needless to say, Briana was not a fan of the man in the red suit. She cried... and cried... and cried.
Following the tear-filled outing, Karen's cousin (Karlene) and her husband (Tommy) met up with us. We essentially just hung out before all of them left for an alumni hockey game. It was good to see everyone. I don't think we've seen the... Lowellians? or is it Lowellites? in quite some time. So it was good.
Saturday night was also a nice rare event. Karen and I had a movie/date night on the couch when Briana went to bed. We haven't had a night to just ourselves since her birthday back in October. The movie for the night: "When In Rome". Like all chick flicks, this one was predictable. It was an enjoyable movie. How can it not be? It stars Kristen Bell of Veronica Mars fame.
4) Cookie Swap. Sunday was the infamous Christmas Parade in Quincy. For anyone who knows me, they know that I dislike parades. Unless I'm in on a float or marching in the parade... or even inebriated, I find them very boring. Naturally, I begrudgingly attended the Christmas Parade in Quincy this year. My reason for going, of course, was for my daughter. It so happens that I don't think Briana cared much for the parade either. Who is Daddy's girl?
Anyway, attending the parade were my mother-in-law, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), Janine's family (PJ, PJ and Kaleigh), Janine's BFF (Gretchen), my friends (Jen, Bill, Terry, and Hot Amy), Jen and Bill's mother, Terry's family (Dave, Gianna, and David), Hot Amy's husband (Mark), and Terry and Hot Amy's parents. It was definitely a motley crew of sorts.
For me, the highlight of the parade were the bagpipers and the clydesdale horses. They win hands down all the time. Not even former Bruin, Rick Middleton, who appeared in the parade this year could beat the sweet sound of bagpipes and trotting horses.
Following the parade, all of us headed to Jen and Bill's for a cookie swap. Much like Karen, Jen is into traditions. So this happened to be the second annual cookie swap. Needless to say, the cookies were amazing. Unfortunately, I did not partake in the swapping of cookies this year like I did last year. If I had to choose a winner for this year though, I would go with Bill's cookies. Design-wise, Jen had the cutest cookie with her snowmen, but I enjoyed the taste of Bill's the most which may be sad news for my BFF's ears.
Anyway, after the cookie swap, Karen and I actually had another date/movie night. Back to back nights is unheard of! Interestingly enough, we kept the Kristen Bell theme going by watching "You Again". I must say, it was another cute enjoyable movie. Ooh, shiny!
And finally, that takes me to today. Today I hung out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). It was our weekly get together, which Karen missed out on because she was feeling a little run down. And as the loving husband and father that I am, I immediately bolted out the door leaving a trail of dust behind me when she told me that she'd stay home and watch Briana.
For me, getting out by myself is few and far between these days. So I relish the opportunity to go out. Most of the time, I am watching Briana. And as much as I enjoy my daughter's company, I do occasionally need the break even if it's just to hang out for a couple of hours.
Sadly, nothing particularly happened on my thrilling night out. All of us just hung out, watched some episodes of Scare Tactics, Attack of the Show, and Man V. Food Nation. I may have devoured the majority of Andrea's booze-filled cupcakes. Speaking of food, I tried my first Jack Link's Premium Cuts Chicken Nugget. Now, I suck at Jack Link's Premium Cuts Chicken Nuggets. It was not exactly what I was expecting. The nugget was a little dryer than I thought it would be, but I guess that should have been expected since it is jerky after all.
Needless to say, I had a fun time tonight.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
I Suck At Brant Rock Hop
It's been quite some time since I blogged. Time seems to travel at lightning speed these days. Before I know it, a month has passed and I missed out on writing posts about the following:
1) Taza Chocolate. Karen and I took my nephew (PJ) on a tour of Taza Chocolate for his birthday. Not only was the tour informative, the free samples were absolutely delicious. And the best part, of course, was that PJ enjoyed it. He literally recounted everything that was told to him when he got home. I would definitely recommend the tour to anyone. (For anyone curious, Taza is located in the mean streets of Somerville.)
2) Tsang's Village Cafe. I had never eaten at Tsang's located in Hanover. I don't particularly eat out at Chinese restaurants, probably because I've eaten a lot of Chinese food growing up (being Chinese and all). It just so happens that Karen's father wanted to celebrate his birthday at Tsang's. Needless to say, Tsang's was very good. The waiter apparently seemed to enjoy playing with my twenty month old daughter (Briana). And I must say, the food was quite delicious. I'd definitely recommend Tsang's.
3) My friend (Aimee). I haven't seen Aimee in quite some time. She happened to be available one weekend so we decided to hang out and grab some lunch. We ended up ordering takeout from the Boston Pizza Company, which was very delicious. Needless to say, I had a great time just hanging out and chatting with Aim.
4) Karen's Grandfather's Memorial Mass. That same day, Karen and I attended a memorial mass for Karen's grandfather (on her father's side). Her grandfather on her father's side passed away last year around this time. I actually missed most of the mass because I spent the entire time chasing after Briana who thought it would be great to walk all around church. Yes, I got to see the entire church, including the Life Teen center located in the basement. Fun. Interestingly enough, a lot of the church-goers still thought Briana was adorable.
5) Butterfield's. Following the memorial mass, everyone in attendance went out to eat at Butterfield's located in Rockland. I have never been to Butterfield's. For anyone curious, Butterfield's is located near the Job Lot in Rockland. Prior to eating there, I have only seen the outside of the restaurant. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. The food was good. The portions were good. And they had milkshakes! Yum!
6) MMA. Apparently, that Saturday was a busy day. Following Aimee, the memorial mass, and Butterfield's, I got to hang out with my friends (Marc, Kelley and Andrea). On the agenda for the night, the MMA fight on Fox featuring the heavyweight championship title bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. Sadly, the fight was terrible because it only lasted about a minute. Fight aside, I had a great time because it was actually the first time in awhile that I got to do something by myself (without Briana and without Karen). Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my family. There are just times when I need a break.
7) Schoolhouse Pizza. Speaking of Marc, Kelley, and Andrea, all of us enjoyed dinner complements of Schoolhouse Pizza located in Quincy. It was part of our weekly get together. And of course, the food was delicious. Yum! Equally exciting was that we watched more episodes of Community. That is such a great show! Love it!
8) Virus. Due to genetics, I usually am the person Karen's family turns to when there is an issue with computers. It just so happens that one Sunday, after having dinner with Karen's parents, I was asked to take a look at her father's computer. It turns out, his computer was infected with a virus. Porn... gets you all the time. Just kidding. Needless to say, I had to take my father-in-law's computer home with me so that I could fix it. And fix it, I did. Fun.
Anyway, all of that finally leads me to today. Sure, I may still have forgotten a few things. It's tough to recall a month of activities. Today, Karen, Briana and I decided to go out for breakfast.
As sad as this sounds, this would be the first time that only the three of us went out for breakfast. We decided to have breakfast at the Brant Rock Hop located in Marshfield. Too bad I suck at Brant Rock Hop.
I had heard about the Brant Rock Hop after reading an article about the place in South Shore Living. The article mentioned how the owners of the restaurant had a food challenge because their children were avid viewers of Man V. Food. Hence, they created a challenge themselves involving a 13 egg omelet with stuff, a pound of home fries, and a milkshake. I thought the challenge sounded interesting, in part because I thought I could probably beat the challenge. The challenge lasts one hour and if you defeat the challenge, you would get a free t-shirt. (Things people will do for a free t-shirt...)
Today, I did not partake in the challenge (and interestingly enough, there is no mention of the challenge on their menu). I was actually more interested in the milkshake (as was Karen). So off we went to Marshfield. Needless to say, the food was delicious. I had the chunky chimp pancakes. Yum! Briana enjoyed them as well. And of course, Karen and I split a chocolate peanut butter milkshake. Oh, so good.
All in all, it was fun going out for breakfast as a family. I had a blast.
1) Taza Chocolate. Karen and I took my nephew (PJ) on a tour of Taza Chocolate for his birthday. Not only was the tour informative, the free samples were absolutely delicious. And the best part, of course, was that PJ enjoyed it. He literally recounted everything that was told to him when he got home. I would definitely recommend the tour to anyone. (For anyone curious, Taza is located in the mean streets of Somerville.)
2) Tsang's Village Cafe. I had never eaten at Tsang's located in Hanover. I don't particularly eat out at Chinese restaurants, probably because I've eaten a lot of Chinese food growing up (being Chinese and all). It just so happens that Karen's father wanted to celebrate his birthday at Tsang's. Needless to say, Tsang's was very good. The waiter apparently seemed to enjoy playing with my twenty month old daughter (Briana). And I must say, the food was quite delicious. I'd definitely recommend Tsang's.
3) My friend (Aimee). I haven't seen Aimee in quite some time. She happened to be available one weekend so we decided to hang out and grab some lunch. We ended up ordering takeout from the Boston Pizza Company, which was very delicious. Needless to say, I had a great time just hanging out and chatting with Aim.
4) Karen's Grandfather's Memorial Mass. That same day, Karen and I attended a memorial mass for Karen's grandfather (on her father's side). Her grandfather on her father's side passed away last year around this time. I actually missed most of the mass because I spent the entire time chasing after Briana who thought it would be great to walk all around church. Yes, I got to see the entire church, including the Life Teen center located in the basement. Fun. Interestingly enough, a lot of the church-goers still thought Briana was adorable.
5) Butterfield's. Following the memorial mass, everyone in attendance went out to eat at Butterfield's located in Rockland. I have never been to Butterfield's. For anyone curious, Butterfield's is located near the Job Lot in Rockland. Prior to eating there, I have only seen the outside of the restaurant. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. The food was good. The portions were good. And they had milkshakes! Yum!
6) MMA. Apparently, that Saturday was a busy day. Following Aimee, the memorial mass, and Butterfield's, I got to hang out with my friends (Marc, Kelley and Andrea). On the agenda for the night, the MMA fight on Fox featuring the heavyweight championship title bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. Sadly, the fight was terrible because it only lasted about a minute. Fight aside, I had a great time because it was actually the first time in awhile that I got to do something by myself (without Briana and without Karen). Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my family. There are just times when I need a break.
7) Schoolhouse Pizza. Speaking of Marc, Kelley, and Andrea, all of us enjoyed dinner complements of Schoolhouse Pizza located in Quincy. It was part of our weekly get together. And of course, the food was delicious. Yum! Equally exciting was that we watched more episodes of Community. That is such a great show! Love it!
8) Virus. Due to genetics, I usually am the person Karen's family turns to when there is an issue with computers. It just so happens that one Sunday, after having dinner with Karen's parents, I was asked to take a look at her father's computer. It turns out, his computer was infected with a virus. Porn... gets you all the time. Just kidding. Needless to say, I had to take my father-in-law's computer home with me so that I could fix it. And fix it, I did. Fun.
Anyway, all of that finally leads me to today. Sure, I may still have forgotten a few things. It's tough to recall a month of activities. Today, Karen, Briana and I decided to go out for breakfast.
As sad as this sounds, this would be the first time that only the three of us went out for breakfast. We decided to have breakfast at the Brant Rock Hop located in Marshfield. Too bad I suck at Brant Rock Hop.
I had heard about the Brant Rock Hop after reading an article about the place in South Shore Living. The article mentioned how the owners of the restaurant had a food challenge because their children were avid viewers of Man V. Food. Hence, they created a challenge themselves involving a 13 egg omelet with stuff, a pound of home fries, and a milkshake. I thought the challenge sounded interesting, in part because I thought I could probably beat the challenge. The challenge lasts one hour and if you defeat the challenge, you would get a free t-shirt. (Things people will do for a free t-shirt...)
Today, I did not partake in the challenge (and interestingly enough, there is no mention of the challenge on their menu). I was actually more interested in the milkshake (as was Karen). So off we went to Marshfield. Needless to say, the food was delicious. I had the chunky chimp pancakes. Yum! Briana enjoyed them as well. And of course, Karen and I split a chocolate peanut butter milkshake. Oh, so good.
All in all, it was fun going out for breakfast as a family. I had a blast.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
I Suck At Birthday Parties For Kids
On Saturday, Karen, my nineteen month old daughter (Briana) and I headed off to the mean streets of Methuen. Our friends' (Kristine and Rick) son was celebrating his fourth birthday. I don't recall being invited the past three years of his life, but I guess that is what happens now when you have a nineteen month old daughter: you get invited to kid birthday parties. Too bad I suck at birthday parties for kids.
Needless to say, it was an interesting birthday party. Kristine and Rick were great. They rented a bouncy house. They invited friends and family. Their son's daycare friends were all there. Lots of kids. Lots of fun.
Of course, I couldn't help but wonder if this is how things are going to be now in that I'll have to rent a bouncy house and do all these elaborate things for my own daughter. I definitely wasn't planning on it.
And for anyone curious, Briana did not try the bouncy house. She preferred to look into the bouncy house and jump on the steps leading into the bouncy house, but not actually going into the bouncy house.
Needless to say, it was an interesting birthday party. Kristine and Rick were great. They rented a bouncy house. They invited friends and family. Their son's daycare friends were all there. Lots of kids. Lots of fun.
Of course, I couldn't help but wonder if this is how things are going to be now in that I'll have to rent a bouncy house and do all these elaborate things for my own daughter. I definitely wasn't planning on it.
And for anyone curious, Briana did not try the bouncy house. She preferred to look into the bouncy house and jump on the steps leading into the bouncy house, but not actually going into the bouncy house.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
I Suck At Celebrating My Friend's Birthday
Today, my friends, my BFF (Kerry), and I celebrated my friend's (Kelley) birthday. Happy birthday Kelley! Too bad I suck at celebrating my friend's birthday.
My friend (Andrea) actually hosted everyone for Kelley's birthday celebration. Andrea was gracious enough to make a chicken dinner for everyone in honor of Kelley. So joining in on the celebration were my friends (Marc, Steve, Cass, Ellen, Garv, and Leeann).
I was actually pleasantly surprised to be asked to carve up the chicken. I don't think anyone has ever asked me to carve up a chicken or turkey or any type of fowl before. I don't mind doing it. I've just never been asked to do it outside of my house. So I was pretty stoked to cut up the chicken. And for anyone curious, Andrea makes a pretty fine (and juicy) chicken. Her mashed potatoes are equally legendary. They are very white. There are actually a lot of things that Andrea makes that I enjoy.
Anyway, it was great to hang out with a bunch of friends over dinner and football. I learned that Garv and Leeann recently updated their basement, converting it into a man cave of sorts. Heck, I learned that they also drive a Subaru Forester. I don't see Garv and Leeann that much, so it's always good to catch up with them.
Cass and Ellen were pretty comical as usual. This weekend was Cass's brother's wedding. So we got to hear about the wedding and all of that.
All in all, it was great. And it's always a plus when your sixteen month old daughter (Briana) doesn't break anything at someone else's place. I had my doubts early on, but thankfully Briana did not break anything of Andrea's. Instead, her carnage for the day only included my eyeglasses... a result of her ninja like skills of grabbing them off of my face and chucking them across the floor.
My friend (Andrea) actually hosted everyone for Kelley's birthday celebration. Andrea was gracious enough to make a chicken dinner for everyone in honor of Kelley. So joining in on the celebration were my friends (Marc, Steve, Cass, Ellen, Garv, and Leeann).
I was actually pleasantly surprised to be asked to carve up the chicken. I don't think anyone has ever asked me to carve up a chicken or turkey or any type of fowl before. I don't mind doing it. I've just never been asked to do it outside of my house. So I was pretty stoked to cut up the chicken. And for anyone curious, Andrea makes a pretty fine (and juicy) chicken. Her mashed potatoes are equally legendary. They are very white. There are actually a lot of things that Andrea makes that I enjoy.
Anyway, it was great to hang out with a bunch of friends over dinner and football. I learned that Garv and Leeann recently updated their basement, converting it into a man cave of sorts. Heck, I learned that they also drive a Subaru Forester. I don't see Garv and Leeann that much, so it's always good to catch up with them.
Cass and Ellen were pretty comical as usual. This weekend was Cass's brother's wedding. So we got to hear about the wedding and all of that.
All in all, it was great. And it's always a plus when your sixteen month old daughter (Briana) doesn't break anything at someone else's place. I had my doubts early on, but thankfully Briana did not break anything of Andrea's. Instead, her carnage for the day only included my eyeglasses... a result of her ninja like skills of grabbing them off of my face and chucking them across the floor.
I Suck At Where The Wild Things Are
It's always good to feel wanted. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of helping out my local library with their library card registration event. In fact, the children's librarian (Nancy) specifically asked that I help out again since I did such a great job last year.
For anyone curious, last year I helped out the library by dressing up as Hedgie the Hedgehog, a character from children's book author Jan Brett. This year, my role was to be the Wild Thing, from Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Too bad I suck at Where the Wild Things Are. Wild Thing... you make my heart sing.
Needless to say, I had a great time. It's always a blast when you can make kids happy. The premise of the event is to get children involved with the local library by having them sign up to get library cards. In addition to the library card, there are other activities like face painting, coloring, pumpkin decorating, and of course... getting a picture taken with the Wild Thing.
Like I said, it was fun. There were three brothers there who absolutely loved the Wild Thing. In fact, one of them colored a scarecrow picture and gave it to me. I'm not sure, but he, if not one of his brothers, may have also decorated a pumpkin which was also given to me. I actually got a kick out of a comment one of them said to me... in that they were planning on taking me home with them. It was cute.
As the Wild Thing, I even got to get my picture taken for the local newspaper. I'm not sure, but that may be the first time I ever appeared in a newspaper. Sure, I was in costume... but at least I was in the paper.
Of course, the only drawback about the whole dressing up in costume thing was the heat. Wearing a big dome over your head can get mighty hot. I think the first bead of sweat that started pouring down my face happened after ten minutes. It was like a sauna in a suit.
All in all, it was a blast.
For anyone curious, last year I helped out the library by dressing up as Hedgie the Hedgehog, a character from children's book author Jan Brett. This year, my role was to be the Wild Thing, from Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Too bad I suck at Where the Wild Things Are. Wild Thing... you make my heart sing.
Needless to say, I had a great time. It's always a blast when you can make kids happy. The premise of the event is to get children involved with the local library by having them sign up to get library cards. In addition to the library card, there are other activities like face painting, coloring, pumpkin decorating, and of course... getting a picture taken with the Wild Thing.
Like I said, it was fun. There were three brothers there who absolutely loved the Wild Thing. In fact, one of them colored a scarecrow picture and gave it to me. I'm not sure, but he, if not one of his brothers, may have also decorated a pumpkin which was also given to me. I actually got a kick out of a comment one of them said to me... in that they were planning on taking me home with them. It was cute.
As the Wild Thing, I even got to get my picture taken for the local newspaper. I'm not sure, but that may be the first time I ever appeared in a newspaper. Sure, I was in costume... but at least I was in the paper.
Of course, the only drawback about the whole dressing up in costume thing was the heat. Wearing a big dome over your head can get mighty hot. I think the first bead of sweat that started pouring down my face happened after ten minutes. It was like a sauna in a suit.
All in all, it was a blast.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
I Suck At Picking Relatives Up At The Airport
I love my mom, but she can drive me crazy some times. Case in point: picking up my relatives at the airport. Although in her defense, Monday's comedy of errors wasn't totally all her fault.
During the day, my mom was gracious enough to help take care of my eighteen month old daughter (Briana) while I did some work around the house. I took this week off from work because my aunt from Hong Kong was coming for a visit. At the same time, my brother (Eugene) was also coming up from Texas to spend time with my parents and my aunt. So it was going to be a big family week. Hence, the vacation.
Anyway, I did accomplish a lot of home improvement tasks around the house thanks to my mom during the day. Unfortunately, it was after that where things got a little crazy.
Originally, the plan was for me to pick up my brother at the airport because he was arriving earlier than my aunt. That plan was soon changed because my brother apparently was meeting an old co-worker when he arrived in Boston. So in the typical Chinese fashion of asking (ie. telling) me, I was asked to pick up my aunt instead.
Sure, no problem. My aunt's arrival time was at 19:27pm. I had calculated that as 7:27pm... as did my mom when I had first inquired about my aunt's arrival time. Naturally, somehow during the day, the arrival time became 17:27pm because my mom said she had told me the wrong time.
Two hours isn't a major difference. Unfortunately, the time impacts Briana. At 7:27pm, Briana is usually asleep. 5:27pm... not so much. Plus, 5:27pm impacts Karen's time because she doesn't get home until around that time and I was originally planning on having her watch Briana while I went to the airport.
Due to the change in time, I then asked Karen to meet me at my parents' (instead of home) to pick up Briana while I go to the airport. First obstacle taken care of.
While waiting for Karen at my parents, my brother called asking to be picked up at the train station. My parents do not live far at all from the train station, but my mom told my brother that we'd pick him up. Apparently, my brother also then wanted to go to the airport to pick up my aunt.
By the time I picked up my brother, it was about 6pm. Yes, that is after 5:27pm. Luckily, picking up my brother was a good thing because it made my mom get my aunt's itinerary. Sure enough, my aunt's arrival time was 7:27pm. So all that running around to get Karen to pick up Briana... useless.
The fun doesn't stop there. With the extra time to kill, my brother, my mother and I decided to just wait at my parents'. So midway through Wheel of Fortune, which is aired at 7pm, my father tries to rush us out of the house saying we're going to be late in picking up my aunt. My brother, who was tracking my aunt's flight via his iPhone, said the plane had not even arrived in Boston yet.
When the plane did arrive according to my brother's iPhone, we headed off to the airport. Now, I suck at picking relatives up at the airport. As the driver, I was more than happy to tell my brother and my mother to give me a call when they found my aunt at the airport. So off I went to the cell phone parking lot after dropping them off at the terminal. And there I waited... and waited... and waited.
Well over an hour later, I came to learn the following from my brother:
1) My mom and my brother could not locate my aunt;
2) My mom thought everyone looked like my aunt;
3) My mom panicked thinking she lost my aunt;
4) My aunt's flight arrived on time;
5) My aunt, however, was not on the original flight;
6) My aunt was delayed due to Customs, thus missing her original flight;
7) My aunt sent a text message indicating her delay to my brother;
8) My aunt unfortunately sent the text message to the wrong number;
9) My brother, my mom, and my aunt had to wait a while at the baggage claim for my aunt's suitcase;
10) My aunt's suitcase was 5 feet from where they were waiting and had been there for quite some time;
Fun times. I'm glad I waited in the cell phone parking lot. But at least the good news is that everyone arrived safely.
During the day, my mom was gracious enough to help take care of my eighteen month old daughter (Briana) while I did some work around the house. I took this week off from work because my aunt from Hong Kong was coming for a visit. At the same time, my brother (Eugene) was also coming up from Texas to spend time with my parents and my aunt. So it was going to be a big family week. Hence, the vacation.
Anyway, I did accomplish a lot of home improvement tasks around the house thanks to my mom during the day. Unfortunately, it was after that where things got a little crazy.
Originally, the plan was for me to pick up my brother at the airport because he was arriving earlier than my aunt. That plan was soon changed because my brother apparently was meeting an old co-worker when he arrived in Boston. So in the typical Chinese fashion of asking (ie. telling) me, I was asked to pick up my aunt instead.
Sure, no problem. My aunt's arrival time was at 19:27pm. I had calculated that as 7:27pm... as did my mom when I had first inquired about my aunt's arrival time. Naturally, somehow during the day, the arrival time became 17:27pm because my mom said she had told me the wrong time.
Two hours isn't a major difference. Unfortunately, the time impacts Briana. At 7:27pm, Briana is usually asleep. 5:27pm... not so much. Plus, 5:27pm impacts Karen's time because she doesn't get home until around that time and I was originally planning on having her watch Briana while I went to the airport.
Due to the change in time, I then asked Karen to meet me at my parents' (instead of home) to pick up Briana while I go to the airport. First obstacle taken care of.
While waiting for Karen at my parents, my brother called asking to be picked up at the train station. My parents do not live far at all from the train station, but my mom told my brother that we'd pick him up. Apparently, my brother also then wanted to go to the airport to pick up my aunt.
By the time I picked up my brother, it was about 6pm. Yes, that is after 5:27pm. Luckily, picking up my brother was a good thing because it made my mom get my aunt's itinerary. Sure enough, my aunt's arrival time was 7:27pm. So all that running around to get Karen to pick up Briana... useless.
The fun doesn't stop there. With the extra time to kill, my brother, my mother and I decided to just wait at my parents'. So midway through Wheel of Fortune, which is aired at 7pm, my father tries to rush us out of the house saying we're going to be late in picking up my aunt. My brother, who was tracking my aunt's flight via his iPhone, said the plane had not even arrived in Boston yet.
When the plane did arrive according to my brother's iPhone, we headed off to the airport. Now, I suck at picking relatives up at the airport. As the driver, I was more than happy to tell my brother and my mother to give me a call when they found my aunt at the airport. So off I went to the cell phone parking lot after dropping them off at the terminal. And there I waited... and waited... and waited.
Well over an hour later, I came to learn the following from my brother:
1) My mom and my brother could not locate my aunt;
2) My mom thought everyone looked like my aunt;
3) My mom panicked thinking she lost my aunt;
4) My aunt's flight arrived on time;
5) My aunt, however, was not on the original flight;
6) My aunt was delayed due to Customs, thus missing her original flight;
7) My aunt sent a text message indicating her delay to my brother;
8) My aunt unfortunately sent the text message to the wrong number;
9) My brother, my mom, and my aunt had to wait a while at the baggage claim for my aunt's suitcase;
10) My aunt's suitcase was 5 feet from where they were waiting and had been there for quite some time;
Fun times. I'm glad I waited in the cell phone parking lot. But at least the good news is that everyone arrived safely.
I Suck At Wakes
On Sunday, my eighteen month old daughter (Briana) had a play date. My friend (Meredith) brought over her son (Xander) who is about four months younger than Briana. To be honest, the play date went a lot better than I expected.
I think the last time Briana and Xander saw each other, Briana basically grabbed all of Xander's cheerios and ate them... in front of him. Not this time. This time, she actually shared some of her toys with him. It was definitely nice to see her share her toys.
It was also good to see Meredith again. I haven't seen her in some time. So it was good to catch up and hang out even if it was for a short period of time on Sunday.
Following the play date, Karen, Briana, and I ventured into the great white north known as Lowell. There's a lot to like about Lowell, or so the city would have you believe. Karen's Lowell-loving cousin's (Karlene) husband's (Tommy) mother had passed away and her wake was on Sunday.
Too bad I suck at wakes. I can't imagine what it must feel like to lose a parent. Losing my son (Braden) was heartbreaking enough. I dread the day that my parents pass away because I love them dearly even if they drive me insane at times. I wouldn't be who I am without them. So it's tough I'm sure to lose a parent.
Anyway, it was an interesting wake particularly because Briana was with us. Bringing an eighteen month old definitely seems to make people smile at a wake. Of course, it could be that Briana was hamming it up since she got a lot of attention from people and other strangers waiting in line.
Karen and I also got to hang out with Karlene and Tommy's friends (Kim and Rick). We have never hung out with just them before. It was interesting. Apparently, I introduced Karlene and her friends to the term "vagitarian". The topic came about because Kim and Rick own Subaru's, which is the type of car that Karen recently bought.
Jokingly, I mentioned to Karen that Kim and Rick are Lowell versions of us: Kim/Karen with the Subaru, me/Rick with the computer stuff. At least, I think Rick does stuff with computers. As a side note, a lot of Tommy's family (and Kim/Rick) thought Karen and Karlene could be sisters. That was weird.
I think the last time Briana and Xander saw each other, Briana basically grabbed all of Xander's cheerios and ate them... in front of him. Not this time. This time, she actually shared some of her toys with him. It was definitely nice to see her share her toys.
It was also good to see Meredith again. I haven't seen her in some time. So it was good to catch up and hang out even if it was for a short period of time on Sunday.
Following the play date, Karen, Briana, and I ventured into the great white north known as Lowell. There's a lot to like about Lowell, or so the city would have you believe. Karen's Lowell-loving cousin's (Karlene) husband's (Tommy) mother had passed away and her wake was on Sunday.
Too bad I suck at wakes. I can't imagine what it must feel like to lose a parent. Losing my son (Braden) was heartbreaking enough. I dread the day that my parents pass away because I love them dearly even if they drive me insane at times. I wouldn't be who I am without them. So it's tough I'm sure to lose a parent.
Anyway, it was an interesting wake particularly because Briana was with us. Bringing an eighteen month old definitely seems to make people smile at a wake. Of course, it could be that Briana was hamming it up since she got a lot of attention from people and other strangers waiting in line.
Karen and I also got to hang out with Karlene and Tommy's friends (Kim and Rick). We have never hung out with just them before. It was interesting. Apparently, I introduced Karlene and her friends to the term "vagitarian". The topic came about because Kim and Rick own Subaru's, which is the type of car that Karen recently bought.
Jokingly, I mentioned to Karen that Kim and Rick are Lowell versions of us: Kim/Karen with the Subaru, me/Rick with the computer stuff. At least, I think Rick does stuff with computers. As a side note, a lot of Tommy's family (and Kim/Rick) thought Karen and Karlene could be sisters. That was weird.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
I Suck At Apple Picking
Today, Karen, our eighteen month old daughter (Briana) and I headed North. What's north? Well, if you are my BFF (Kerry)... apples... lots and lots of apples. Kerry was kind enough to organize a trip to go apple picking.
Unfortunately, I suck at apple picking. Among my finer memories of apple picking are the hour wait in line at Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stowe for a single bag of cider donuts. (And no, the wait was not worth it.) And of course, who could forget the blazing car on the highway that same day. By blazing, I don't mean the car was going at a fast speed. I mean the car was literally on fire. It was awesome.
Anyway, Kerry organized the trip to go to the Brooksby Farm located in Peabody, which was where we went last year. This time, joining us for the trip were my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). Unfortunately, due to inclement weather, we actually decided against picking apples in the wet muddy orchards. We did, however, still go to the local store at the farm.
Andrea was a riot at the Brooksby Farm store. For anyone who has never been there, there are live animals there. It is a farm after all. There are llamas, emus, chickens, and pigs. Needless to say, the pigs... stink. Andrea was so grossed out by the smell of the pigs... or to be technical... the manure that the pigs seemed to be so comfortable around. She was so grossed out that she didn't think she could ever own a pet... or have a baby. I thought that was funny.
It turns out that the Brooksby Farm is actually quite close to where I work in Danvers. I only know this because after going to the farm, we headed to the local Target, which was at the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers. So next time I'm craving a bag full of apples, I can always stop on the way home from work.
Following Brooksby Farm and Target, all of us headed back to Kerry's in Salem where we had lunch at King's. For anyone curious, King's was delicious. I had their "Super Beef". Yum! And let me tell you, it is big... super even. I was also impressed with their chicken fingers. Those were good too.
All in all, it was a great day. Thank you BFF for planning a fun day. It was good to just hang out with friends.
Unfortunately, I suck at apple picking. Among my finer memories of apple picking are the hour wait in line at Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stowe for a single bag of cider donuts. (And no, the wait was not worth it.) And of course, who could forget the blazing car on the highway that same day. By blazing, I don't mean the car was going at a fast speed. I mean the car was literally on fire. It was awesome.
Anyway, Kerry organized the trip to go to the Brooksby Farm located in Peabody, which was where we went last year. This time, joining us for the trip were my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). Unfortunately, due to inclement weather, we actually decided against picking apples in the wet muddy orchards. We did, however, still go to the local store at the farm.
Andrea was a riot at the Brooksby Farm store. For anyone who has never been there, there are live animals there. It is a farm after all. There are llamas, emus, chickens, and pigs. Needless to say, the pigs... stink. Andrea was so grossed out by the smell of the pigs... or to be technical... the manure that the pigs seemed to be so comfortable around. She was so grossed out that she didn't think she could ever own a pet... or have a baby. I thought that was funny.
It turns out that the Brooksby Farm is actually quite close to where I work in Danvers. I only know this because after going to the farm, we headed to the local Target, which was at the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers. So next time I'm craving a bag full of apples, I can always stop on the way home from work.
Following Brooksby Farm and Target, all of us headed back to Kerry's in Salem where we had lunch at King's. For anyone curious, King's was delicious. I had their "Super Beef". Yum! And let me tell you, it is big... super even. I was also impressed with their chicken fingers. Those were good too.
All in all, it was a great day. Thank you BFF for planning a fun day. It was good to just hang out with friends.
I Suck At Chipotle
By the end of the week, I am usually brain-drained. Work has been mentally exhausting for what seems like centuries. The last thing I want to do is think about what to make for dinner especially when our eighteen month old daughter (Briana) stands in front of you, rubs her tummy, and says "Yummy yummy". So on Friday, Karen and I decided to go to Chipotle for dinner.
Yep, I suck at Chipotle. Slowly, it appears that Chipotle is making it into our round of local haunts which currently includes Not Your Average Joe's and Sal's Pizza. As a side note, Karen and I were reminiscing recently about how we used to go to Chili's a lot when we were young whipper-snappers. How things have changed.
Anyway, Friday was also the first time I got to drive Karen's car, the Subaru Forester. Since Karen picked up the car on Monday from Planet Subaru in Hanover, she has been the sole driver of the vehicle... until now. Driving her car took some getting used to, but it was nice.
Yep, I suck at Chipotle. Slowly, it appears that Chipotle is making it into our round of local haunts which currently includes Not Your Average Joe's and Sal's Pizza. As a side note, Karen and I were reminiscing recently about how we used to go to Chili's a lot when we were young whipper-snappers. How things have changed.
Anyway, Friday was also the first time I got to drive Karen's car, the Subaru Forester. Since Karen picked up the car on Monday from Planet Subaru in Hanover, she has been the sole driver of the vehicle... until now. Driving her car took some getting used to, but it was nice.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
I Suck At Hearing Beeps
For some time, Karen and I have been hearing this beeping sound from within our living room. The beeping is very faint. I am not sure if anyone has noticed the faint beeping other than Karen and I.
Regardless, the sound has been going on for a while. When we first heard the noise, we thought it was coming from outside of the house. We opened the window and listened for the noise. Nothing outside. We opened the door for a listen. No noise outside. I even ventured into our crawlspace. No sound from there either. The sound was coming from somewhere within the room.
Determined to figure out the source of the beeping, I shut down all of the electricity to our living room. No television. No cable. Nothing. We still heard the faint beeping noise. Thinking it was our fire alarm, I stood on a step stool and gave a listen. No beeping from the fire alarm.
Even more perplexed, I decided to step back for a while and give it some time. Luckily for me, my friend (Andrea) came over to hang out on Wednesday. She made some brownies and naturally we had to have ice cream with brownies! Yum! Anyway, because I suck at hearing beeps, I mentioned our dilemma to Andrea. Right away she suggested that it was possibly one of our daughter's (Briana) toys or something on her exersaucer.
And then, the light above my head went on. Why didn't I think of that? Needless to say, I filed Andrea's suggestion away for later. Why worry about it when ice cream and brownies were on the menu? It was actually a great night hanging out with Andrea. We ended up watching this new show together, called Suburgatory. It was actually a good show. I liked it.
Anyway, Thursday morning I took a long hard look at Briana's exersaucer. Sure enough, it was beeping. For anyone curious, it was the ladybug on the exersaucer that was beeping. Andrea is so smart.
Regardless, the sound has been going on for a while. When we first heard the noise, we thought it was coming from outside of the house. We opened the window and listened for the noise. Nothing outside. We opened the door for a listen. No noise outside. I even ventured into our crawlspace. No sound from there either. The sound was coming from somewhere within the room.
Determined to figure out the source of the beeping, I shut down all of the electricity to our living room. No television. No cable. Nothing. We still heard the faint beeping noise. Thinking it was our fire alarm, I stood on a step stool and gave a listen. No beeping from the fire alarm.
Even more perplexed, I decided to step back for a while and give it some time. Luckily for me, my friend (Andrea) came over to hang out on Wednesday. She made some brownies and naturally we had to have ice cream with brownies! Yum! Anyway, because I suck at hearing beeps, I mentioned our dilemma to Andrea. Right away she suggested that it was possibly one of our daughter's (Briana) toys or something on her exersaucer.
And then, the light above my head went on. Why didn't I think of that? Needless to say, I filed Andrea's suggestion away for later. Why worry about it when ice cream and brownies were on the menu? It was actually a great night hanging out with Andrea. We ended up watching this new show together, called Suburgatory. It was actually a good show. I liked it.
Anyway, Thursday morning I took a long hard look at Briana's exersaucer. Sure enough, it was beeping. For anyone curious, it was the ladybug on the exersaucer that was beeping. Andrea is so smart.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
I Suck At Planet Subaru
A little over a week ago, the "check engine" light came on in Karen's car. After taking it to the local Firestone in Hingham, it was recommended that we no longer pour money into fixing the car as it would just not be worth it. So when we had time to spare, Karen and I looked into buying a car.
We actually worked rather quickly in finding a car. It almost reminded me of our initial Cape Cod vacation planning over three years ago which also had a very short window of opportunity to plan. I guess we just work well under tight deadlines.
Anyway, Karen wanted a car that was bigger than her original Saturn, but not too big. She wanted a car big enough to cart our eighteen month old daughter (Briana) around, along with her stuff. Plus, she wanted a car that could accommodate Briana's possible sibling. The only requirement: no minivan. Ultimately, we narrowed down our choices to two possibilities: the Honda CR-V or the Subaru Forester.
I was okay with either car because they both drove nicely. As Karen was going to be the primary driver, she decided upon the Subaru Forester. I think the heated seats may have influenced her decision.
Karen actually began the paperwork on Saturday to buy a Subaru Forester from Planet Subaru, which is located in Hanover. I had Briana duties and consequently couldn't make it. So because I suck at Planet Subaru, I had to complete the paperwork on Monday.
Needless to say, on Monday I completed the paperwork and we were finally able to pick up the Subaru Forester from Planet Subaru. It was nice to get rid of the old car. I think Karen was a little sad to trade in her Saturn. (For anyone curious, we do still have the photo that was taken at the Saturn dealership when Karen bought her Saturn. We looked so young.)
Anyway, it was a good day on Monday.
We actually worked rather quickly in finding a car. It almost reminded me of our initial Cape Cod vacation planning over three years ago which also had a very short window of opportunity to plan. I guess we just work well under tight deadlines.
Anyway, Karen wanted a car that was bigger than her original Saturn, but not too big. She wanted a car big enough to cart our eighteen month old daughter (Briana) around, along with her stuff. Plus, she wanted a car that could accommodate Briana's possible sibling. The only requirement: no minivan. Ultimately, we narrowed down our choices to two possibilities: the Honda CR-V or the Subaru Forester.
I was okay with either car because they both drove nicely. As Karen was going to be the primary driver, she decided upon the Subaru Forester. I think the heated seats may have influenced her decision.
Karen actually began the paperwork on Saturday to buy a Subaru Forester from Planet Subaru, which is located in Hanover. I had Briana duties and consequently couldn't make it. So because I suck at Planet Subaru, I had to complete the paperwork on Monday.
Needless to say, on Monday I completed the paperwork and we were finally able to pick up the Subaru Forester from Planet Subaru. It was nice to get rid of the old car. I think Karen was a little sad to trade in her Saturn. (For anyone curious, we do still have the photo that was taken at the Saturn dealership when Karen bought her Saturn. We looked so young.)
Anyway, it was a good day on Monday.
I Suck At Working On The House
Sunday was basically spent working on the house. Too bad I suck at working on the house. Among the many home improvement projects still left on my "to-do" list is installing base molding.
Throughout our house there are rooms that still do not have any base molding installed. Among those rooms is the bedroom for my eighteen month old daughter (Briana). When Briana is awake, she is actively running around until she gets tired and naps. And when she naps, it's in her... bedroom. So being able to do any project in her room has been a little difficult.
On Sunday, Karen took Briana out for a little mother/daughter bonding. And by bonding, I mean attending my niece's (Kaleigh) hockey practice. So that gave me the opportunity to quickly do a few things in Briana's room involving a miter saw, wood, and a nail gun. To date, Briana's room is still not finished in terms of installed base molding, but at least it is closer to being complete.
Throughout our house there are rooms that still do not have any base molding installed. Among those rooms is the bedroom for my eighteen month old daughter (Briana). When Briana is awake, she is actively running around until she gets tired and naps. And when she naps, it's in her... bedroom. So being able to do any project in her room has been a little difficult.
On Sunday, Karen took Briana out for a little mother/daughter bonding. And by bonding, I mean attending my niece's (Kaleigh) hockey practice. So that gave me the opportunity to quickly do a few things in Briana's room involving a miter saw, wood, and a nail gun. To date, Briana's room is still not finished in terms of installed base molding, but at least it is closer to being complete.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
I Suck At Getting New Glasses
A few weeks ago, my eighteen month old ninja daughter (Briana) snatched the glasses off of my face. Within a matter of seconds, she managed to snap the part that goes over your ear off. Unfortunately, I do not have a spare set of eyeglasses. So since that time, I have been wearing those broken glasses, complete with a thick layer of duct tape holding the pieces together. (It's true. Duct tape solves everything.)
I guess you could say that I suck at getting new glasses. After all, the high-flying-ninja-eyeglass-breaking-event was over three weeks ago. All of that changed on Saturday when my new glasses finally arrived. And boy was I excited.
I was particularly excited, not because I wouldn't have to wear duct-taped glasses anymore (although there was some excitement for that), but because I was curious as to how the particular eyeglass would be like since I was ordering them online.
When Briana broke my eyeglasses, I started to think about the ROI involved with purchasing new glasses. For anyone curious, ROI stands for return on investment. ROI is a general financial term that describes the ratio of money gained/lossed to the money invested. And by no means am I a financial person.
Based on my memory (which is spotty at best), the cost of eyeglasses and frames could cost well over $300 at a retail store. So I started to think about what if, after buying a $300 pair of new glasses, my ninja daughter did the same thing again and broke those new glasses. (This is where I add the infamous quote: "There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.")
Needless to say, it did not make sense to me to spend that much on eyeglasses especially with my curious daughter around. So I did some research into online stores for glasses. I ended up ordering glasses from Goggles4U, which was a reputable place.
And as luck would have it, I still had a copy of my prescription for the glasses that Briana broke. So after browsing through their website, I ordered a pair of glasses on sale for $13.98 ($8.99 plus $4.99 shipping). Sounds sketchy, right? After all, how could glasses be that cheap in comparison to retail stores?
Well, let me tell you... I was pleasantly surprised with the new glasses. I'd definitely order from them again. The new glasses came in a case, complete with a cleaning cloth and a screwdriver key chain. And to boot, the glasses actually looked nice. I was impressed.
Anyway, to celebrate the new glasses, Karen, Briana and I headed over to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) to celebrate. Okay, the reason was not to celebrate my glasses. Janine actually invited us over because she was having her BFF (Gretchen) over, as well as my friends (Jen and Bill). It was good seeing everyone. We even joked about fat pictures. It was funny.
I guess you could say that I suck at getting new glasses. After all, the high-flying-ninja-eyeglass-breaking-event was over three weeks ago. All of that changed on Saturday when my new glasses finally arrived. And boy was I excited.
I was particularly excited, not because I wouldn't have to wear duct-taped glasses anymore (although there was some excitement for that), but because I was curious as to how the particular eyeglass would be like since I was ordering them online.
When Briana broke my eyeglasses, I started to think about the ROI involved with purchasing new glasses. For anyone curious, ROI stands for return on investment. ROI is a general financial term that describes the ratio of money gained/lossed to the money invested. And by no means am I a financial person.
Based on my memory (which is spotty at best), the cost of eyeglasses and frames could cost well over $300 at a retail store. So I started to think about what if, after buying a $300 pair of new glasses, my ninja daughter did the same thing again and broke those new glasses. (This is where I add the infamous quote: "There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.")
Needless to say, it did not make sense to me to spend that much on eyeglasses especially with my curious daughter around. So I did some research into online stores for glasses. I ended up ordering glasses from Goggles4U, which was a reputable place.
And as luck would have it, I still had a copy of my prescription for the glasses that Briana broke. So after browsing through their website, I ordered a pair of glasses on sale for $13.98 ($8.99 plus $4.99 shipping). Sounds sketchy, right? After all, how could glasses be that cheap in comparison to retail stores?
Well, let me tell you... I was pleasantly surprised with the new glasses. I'd definitely order from them again. The new glasses came in a case, complete with a cleaning cloth and a screwdriver key chain. And to boot, the glasses actually looked nice. I was impressed.
Anyway, to celebrate the new glasses, Karen, Briana and I headed over to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) to celebrate. Okay, the reason was not to celebrate my glasses. Janine actually invited us over because she was having her BFF (Gretchen) over, as well as my friends (Jen and Bill). It was good seeing everyone. We even joked about fat pictures. It was funny.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
I Suck At Deadliest Warrior
Today, Karen, my eighteen month old daughter (Briana) and I had our weekly get together with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). For me, it was a welcomed break primarily because I have had a lot going on at work for what seems like an eternity. So any chance to focus on the finer things in life is good.
Marc and Kelley had recorded Deadliest Warrior for all of us to watch. Now, I suck at Deadliest Warrior. I'm afraid I haven't watched many, if any, of the match ups this season. Karen, especially, wanted to watch this particular match up because it was vampires versus zombies. I think she was more interested in who the show would use as their "experts". I think we were expecting a nerd fest.
And as a side note, I hope my BFF (Kerry) as well as the emergency management team of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts watched the episode. According to Kerry, who is into emergency management, there currently are no preparations for a zombie apocalypse in Massachusetts. So residents of the Commonwealth should beware in the event of a zombie apocalypse. There will be chaos.
Speaking of zombies, Marc and Kelley also got a new video game: Dead Island... about zombies. Zombie video games are always fun. As for the show, [SPOILER ALERT] the apex predators known as vampires won which I'm sure is sad news for the fans of zombie nation... and young teeny bopper girls who are members of Team Jacob.
Following the show, all of us also watched the season premiere of Tosh.0. The premiere was okay. There were some good chuckles in show. And as usual, it was good to hang out with everyone.
Marc and Kelley had recorded Deadliest Warrior for all of us to watch. Now, I suck at Deadliest Warrior. I'm afraid I haven't watched many, if any, of the match ups this season. Karen, especially, wanted to watch this particular match up because it was vampires versus zombies. I think she was more interested in who the show would use as their "experts". I think we were expecting a nerd fest.
And as a side note, I hope my BFF (Kerry) as well as the emergency management team of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts watched the episode. According to Kerry, who is into emergency management, there currently are no preparations for a zombie apocalypse in Massachusetts. So residents of the Commonwealth should beware in the event of a zombie apocalypse. There will be chaos.
Speaking of zombies, Marc and Kelley also got a new video game: Dead Island... about zombies. Zombie video games are always fun. As for the show, [SPOILER ALERT] the apex predators known as vampires won which I'm sure is sad news for the fans of zombie nation... and young teeny bopper girls who are members of Team Jacob.
Following the show, all of us also watched the season premiere of Tosh.0. The premiere was okay. There were some good chuckles in show. And as usual, it was good to hang out with everyone.
I Suck At Bertucci's
Today has been a long day. Several days ago, the "check engine" light came on in Karen's car. After bringing the car to the local Firestone in Hingham, the mechanics essentially told us that the car was not worth fixing. In fact, they recommended that we begin looking for a new car. (As a side note, Firestone was very gracious in diagnosing the "check engine" light. They were fast and courteous and actually did not charge us for looking at the car. I would definitely recommend them to anyone.)
Anyway, today was the first day that I had to go to the office for work since Karen's car troubles. It would not have been so bad if it weren't for the fact that the office is located in Danvers whereas I live in Norwell. The commute is generally over an hour. It's a long commute as it is. And being essentially down to one car, we had to figure out a way to get me to and from work while also getting Karen to and from work.
Thankfully, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) offered to drive Karen into work. I, however, would have to take a detour on my way home to pick Karen up at her place of employment in Boston. Needless to say, my commute home today took over two hours. And yes, my backside was a little numb from sitting in the car the whole time.
Following the commute, Karen and I dropped off my mother-in-law at Janine's. If you think I had a long day, my mother-in-law also had an equally long day. She watched over my eighteen month old (Briana) for about 10 hours. After that, she was scheduled to watch over my niece (Kaleigh) and nephew (PJ) for a couple of hours more while before Janine returned home.
All in all, I would say it was a long day all around. So what better way to end the day than to have dinner together with my in-laws? As suggested by my father-in-law, we ordered pizza from Bertucci's. Now, I suck at Bertucci's. I have not had pizza from Bertucci's in quite some time. And of course, the pizza was very delicious (as were the rolls).
Not having planned anything for dinner, pizza hit the spot. I must have devoured half of the pizza. I was tired. I was hungry. And it was good. Plus, I got to see my niece and nephew who I haven't seen in awhile. My bad influence for the day was teaching PJ that the best part of school... is leaving school.
Anyway, today was the first day that I had to go to the office for work since Karen's car troubles. It would not have been so bad if it weren't for the fact that the office is located in Danvers whereas I live in Norwell. The commute is generally over an hour. It's a long commute as it is. And being essentially down to one car, we had to figure out a way to get me to and from work while also getting Karen to and from work.
Thankfully, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) offered to drive Karen into work. I, however, would have to take a detour on my way home to pick Karen up at her place of employment in Boston. Needless to say, my commute home today took over two hours. And yes, my backside was a little numb from sitting in the car the whole time.
Following the commute, Karen and I dropped off my mother-in-law at Janine's. If you think I had a long day, my mother-in-law also had an equally long day. She watched over my eighteen month old (Briana) for about 10 hours. After that, she was scheduled to watch over my niece (Kaleigh) and nephew (PJ) for a couple of hours more while before Janine returned home.
All in all, I would say it was a long day all around. So what better way to end the day than to have dinner together with my in-laws? As suggested by my father-in-law, we ordered pizza from Bertucci's. Now, I suck at Bertucci's. I have not had pizza from Bertucci's in quite some time. And of course, the pizza was very delicious (as were the rolls).
Not having planned anything for dinner, pizza hit the spot. I must have devoured half of the pizza. I was tired. I was hungry. And it was good. Plus, I got to see my niece and nephew who I haven't seen in awhile. My bad influence for the day was teaching PJ that the best part of school... is leaving school.
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