The city of Quincy, is to me, like what Weymouth is to my favorite sister-in-law (Janine): a place of dread. The main reason for my dislike of Quincy is that Quincy is chock full of traffic lights. Every intersection has a traffic light. What normally should take 5 minutes from point A to point B in Quincy takes half an hour. It can be ridiculous at times. Thus, I lovingly refer to Quincy as the City of Lights. And it is also why I like to plug my friend (Cass) as future mayor of Quincy so that he could be my puppet in removing all of the useless traffic lights.
On Saturday, Karen, our sixteen month old daughter (Briana) and I were lucky enough to be invited to a cookout in Quincy. Now, I suck at cookouts, especially in Quincy. Regardless of the location, I had a great time.
I consider myself blessed to have such great friends. Most of my friends I have known since childhood. I don't think that is exactly the norm. Most of my non-childhoood friends don't exactly still hang out with their childhood friends. I think my graduating class was different that way. After all, I know other people in my graduating class who also still hang out with their childhood friends. So perhaps my graduating class was odd that way.
Anyway, the cookout on Saturday was the brainchild of my friends (Cara and Jeannette). Apparently, they were talking one day about how there have been new additions and whatnot to families and thus wanted to do something to meet these new additions and catch up on old times.
Cara hosted the cookout and she did an amazing job, especially when you consider that there were 11 children at this cookout (12 if you include me). Needless to say, it was good to see everyone again. Joining in on the shindig were the future mayor of Quincy (Cass), and my friends (Ellen, Meredith, Nicole, John, John's wife Gilda, Hugh, Jenny, Liz and Cara's husband Eric).
All in all, I had a fun time. And Briana seemed to enjoy it too, albeit she spent most of the day interacting with the adults and not the other children.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
I Suck At Friday Night Lights
I originally was going to title this post "I Suck At Being Single" because Friday was supposed to be my last day of being single again. Every six months or so, Karen and I bring our wedding rings to the jewelry store for a cleaning/inspection as part of the warranty. In all the years I have been married, I never had an issue with my ring. But never say never because during the last inspection, the jewelry store discovered that one of my diamonds was chipped.
As a result, the jewelry store had to take my ring to replace the diamond. So I have been "single" ever since. I was supposed to receive my ring back on Friday. And might I add, the ring looked brand spanking new. It was quite shiny... and for those who know me, they know that I am attracted to shiny objects. Unfortunately, in fixing the loose stone in my ring, the jewelry store had to re-dip my ring back into metal. And in doing so, the original engraving on my ring was lost. They were supposed to re-engrave the ring, but unfortunately they had forgotten to. Consequently, my ring had to be sent off for engraving. So I'm still single.
Naturally, what does a "single" guy do on a Friday night? What else but watch Friday Night Lights. Too bad I suck at Friday Night Lights. I have no idea if the show is still on. I happened to borrow the first season on DVD from my friend (Andrea).
When the season first aired on television, I happened to catch the very first episode. I remember watching the first episode because it was shown on the plane when Karen and I were going to Hawaii a long long time ago. To be honest, I was not really impressed with the first episode. Of course, it may have been the fact that I was watching the episode on a tiny weeny screen.
It was not until recently that I decided to give the show another try. The show came up in conversation at my BFF's (Kerry) house because my friend (Garv) loves the show. Garv also talks glowingly about Taylor Swift, which is a little bizarre since he's almost twice her age. While Garv was talking about the show, however, it turned out that my friend (Andrea) and Kerry also enjoy the show. So I guess it couldn't have been that bad, right? For me, the selling point was that the show had high school cheerleaders.
High school cheerleading is like my kryptonite. I have no idea why, other than the fact that most of the time high school cheerleaders are generally gorgeous blondes in movies and television. Sadly, in reality (at least at my high school when I was in high school) the cheerleaders were not gorgeous, blonde, or cheerful for that matter.
Needless to say, I started watching season one of Friday Night Lights. And I must say, so far the show is pretty good. I'm enjoying it so far. (And in case anyone is curious, the cheerleader in the show... is not blonde.) Hopefully the rest of the season will be just as good.
As a result, the jewelry store had to take my ring to replace the diamond. So I have been "single" ever since. I was supposed to receive my ring back on Friday. And might I add, the ring looked brand spanking new. It was quite shiny... and for those who know me, they know that I am attracted to shiny objects. Unfortunately, in fixing the loose stone in my ring, the jewelry store had to re-dip my ring back into metal. And in doing so, the original engraving on my ring was lost. They were supposed to re-engrave the ring, but unfortunately they had forgotten to. Consequently, my ring had to be sent off for engraving. So I'm still single.
Naturally, what does a "single" guy do on a Friday night? What else but watch Friday Night Lights. Too bad I suck at Friday Night Lights. I have no idea if the show is still on. I happened to borrow the first season on DVD from my friend (Andrea).
When the season first aired on television, I happened to catch the very first episode. I remember watching the first episode because it was shown on the plane when Karen and I were going to Hawaii a long long time ago. To be honest, I was not really impressed with the first episode. Of course, it may have been the fact that I was watching the episode on a tiny weeny screen.
It was not until recently that I decided to give the show another try. The show came up in conversation at my BFF's (Kerry) house because my friend (Garv) loves the show. Garv also talks glowingly about Taylor Swift, which is a little bizarre since he's almost twice her age. While Garv was talking about the show, however, it turned out that my friend (Andrea) and Kerry also enjoy the show. So I guess it couldn't have been that bad, right? For me, the selling point was that the show had high school cheerleaders.
High school cheerleading is like my kryptonite. I have no idea why, other than the fact that most of the time high school cheerleaders are generally gorgeous blondes in movies and television. Sadly, in reality (at least at my high school when I was in high school) the cheerleaders were not gorgeous, blonde, or cheerful for that matter.
Needless to say, I started watching season one of Friday Night Lights. And I must say, so far the show is pretty good. I'm enjoying it so far. (And in case anyone is curious, the cheerleader in the show... is not blonde.) Hopefully the rest of the season will be just as good.
Monday, July 25, 2011
I Suck At Zucchini Pie
Karen and I have a vegetable garden. For the second straight year, we decided to grow zucchini since my parents gave us a couple of zucchini plants. Well, this year the zucchini seems like it is on steroids. The plants are huge and the zucchini bountiful.
Needless to say, we have been giving away zucchini to friends and family. And yesterday, we were invited to my in-laws for dinner. The main course: zucchini pie. Yes, our parents have been recipients of this years steroid-infused zucchini plant. Now, I suck at zucchini pie. Luckily for me, my in-laws make a great tasting pie.
Besides Karen, our sixteen month old daughter (Briana), and my in-laws, my friend (Jen) joined us for dinner. Jen happens to live near my in-laws. And it so happens that while Karen, Briana, and my mother-in-law were going for a walk, they stopped by Jen's place. The four of them then walked along the beach together.
I actually was not part of the walk. At that time, I was busy helping my own parents move furniture. My parents are having their floors redone and had asked for my assistance in moving things off the floor. And nothing says stress like trying to tell a 71 year old, known as my dad, to stop lifting heavy objects.
Needless to say, dinner at my in-laws was a welcomed break. And it was definitely good to see Jen. I haven't seen Jen in some time. All in all, dinner was good.
And as a side note, I forgot to mention that I finished reading my second book in three days. That is probably a reading record for me. The book I read was "If You Ask Me: (And of Course You Won't)" by Betty White. Karen is a big Betty White fan, thanks in part to Golden Girls of course. So naturally Karen wanted to read the book.
The book was actually pretty interesting. It was definitely a quick read. To me, it seemed like it was just a collection of her thoughts on various topics. In a way, it was like reading her blog, if Betty White had a blog. (For anyone curious, Betty is old school. She prefers to hand write things.)
I think the part that I will remember most is her outlook on loss. Apparently, when she was growing up, her parents explained death to her in such a way that I thought was quite interesting. Her parents told her that once someone passes away, that person now knows the "secret" to what actually happens when they leave this world. I thought it was a neat perspective, particularly having lost my son (Braden) over two years ago. Thanks Betty!
Needless to say, we have been giving away zucchini to friends and family. And yesterday, we were invited to my in-laws for dinner. The main course: zucchini pie. Yes, our parents have been recipients of this years steroid-infused zucchini plant. Now, I suck at zucchini pie. Luckily for me, my in-laws make a great tasting pie.
Besides Karen, our sixteen month old daughter (Briana), and my in-laws, my friend (Jen) joined us for dinner. Jen happens to live near my in-laws. And it so happens that while Karen, Briana, and my mother-in-law were going for a walk, they stopped by Jen's place. The four of them then walked along the beach together.
I actually was not part of the walk. At that time, I was busy helping my own parents move furniture. My parents are having their floors redone and had asked for my assistance in moving things off the floor. And nothing says stress like trying to tell a 71 year old, known as my dad, to stop lifting heavy objects.
Needless to say, dinner at my in-laws was a welcomed break. And it was definitely good to see Jen. I haven't seen Jen in some time. All in all, dinner was good.
And as a side note, I forgot to mention that I finished reading my second book in three days. That is probably a reading record for me. The book I read was "If You Ask Me: (And of Course You Won't)" by Betty White. Karen is a big Betty White fan, thanks in part to Golden Girls of course. So naturally Karen wanted to read the book.
The book was actually pretty interesting. It was definitely a quick read. To me, it seemed like it was just a collection of her thoughts on various topics. In a way, it was like reading her blog, if Betty White had a blog. (For anyone curious, Betty is old school. She prefers to hand write things.)
I think the part that I will remember most is her outlook on loss. Apparently, when she was growing up, her parents explained death to her in such a way that I thought was quite interesting. Her parents told her that once someone passes away, that person now knows the "secret" to what actually happens when they leave this world. I thought it was a neat perspective, particularly having lost my son (Braden) over two years ago. Thanks Betty!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
I Suck At The Tosh Tour On Ice
Tonight was a fun night, and not because I received free feminine products courtesy of Rite Aid. U by Kotex liners were on sale for $1 this week at Rite Aid and it just so happened that I had a dollar coupon on them. Yay, free!
My friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) and I had tickets for the Tosh Tour On Ice. Now, I suck at the Tosh Tour On Ice. Nevertheless, the event made for some good laughs. For anyone curious, the Tosh Tour On Ice is not on ice. It's a comedy show featuring comedian Daniel Tosh at the Wang.
Opening for Tosh was comedian Tommy Johnagin of the Last Comic Standing fame. All in all, the jokes were pretty hilarious and definitely not suitable for the 11 year old sitting in the front row with his mother. The 11 year old kid was singled out in the crowd because he was 11. It's a good thing parents know what their kids are in to.
Anyway, it was a fun time. Incidentally, the last time I was at the Wang Theatre, Kevin Costner also happened to be there. This was back when Kevin Costner was still pretty famous. So it definitely has been a while.
Regardless, I had fun. Following the show, we capped off the night by having dinner at The Fours in Quincy. Surprisingly, it was fairly empty there for a Friday night, which was fine by me because they had 80s music playing in the background. All in all, it was a good way to end the night.
My friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) and I had tickets for the Tosh Tour On Ice. Now, I suck at the Tosh Tour On Ice. Nevertheless, the event made for some good laughs. For anyone curious, the Tosh Tour On Ice is not on ice. It's a comedy show featuring comedian Daniel Tosh at the Wang.
Opening for Tosh was comedian Tommy Johnagin of the Last Comic Standing fame. All in all, the jokes were pretty hilarious and definitely not suitable for the 11 year old sitting in the front row with his mother. The 11 year old kid was singled out in the crowd because he was 11. It's a good thing parents know what their kids are in to.
Anyway, it was a fun time. Incidentally, the last time I was at the Wang Theatre, Kevin Costner also happened to be there. This was back when Kevin Costner was still pretty famous. So it definitely has been a while.
Regardless, I had fun. Following the show, we capped off the night by having dinner at The Fours in Quincy. Surprisingly, it was fairly empty there for a Friday night, which was fine by me because they had 80s music playing in the background. All in all, it was a good way to end the night.
Friday, July 22, 2011
I Suck At Moonwalking With Einstein
Last night I actually finished reading a book. The book I read was Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer. I have been wanting to read this book for some time.
I don't remember how I even came to hear about the book, which is only fitting. For those who know me, they would say that I have a terrible memory. My forgetting where I heard about the book in the first place only reinforces the notion that my memory is lacking. I guess you could say I suck at Moonwalking with Einstein.
Consequently, I was actually quite excited to learn some pointers about improving my memory from the author. Foer, for anyone curious, was a journalist who decided to participate in his own year long experiment to improve his memory. With the tutelage of the British Grand Master of Memory, Ed Cooke, Foer became the 2006 U.S. memory champion. Not too shabby.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. In fact, I would recommend the book to anyone wanting to improve their own memory. Heck, if my sixteen month daughter (Briana) were older, I'd have her learn the memory techniques. That's how impressed I was with the book. I'd become a "mental athlete" myself if I could dedicate enough time to it.
And for anyone curious, the technique used to improve memory was the PAO (person action object) system. I figured I'd write it down before I forgot.
I don't remember how I even came to hear about the book, which is only fitting. For those who know me, they would say that I have a terrible memory. My forgetting where I heard about the book in the first place only reinforces the notion that my memory is lacking. I guess you could say I suck at Moonwalking with Einstein.
Consequently, I was actually quite excited to learn some pointers about improving my memory from the author. Foer, for anyone curious, was a journalist who decided to participate in his own year long experiment to improve his memory. With the tutelage of the British Grand Master of Memory, Ed Cooke, Foer became the 2006 U.S. memory champion. Not too shabby.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. In fact, I would recommend the book to anyone wanting to improve their own memory. Heck, if my sixteen month daughter (Briana) were older, I'd have her learn the memory techniques. That's how impressed I was with the book. I'd become a "mental athlete" myself if I could dedicate enough time to it.
And for anyone curious, the technique used to improve memory was the PAO (person action object) system. I figured I'd write it down before I forgot.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
I Suck At Installing A Towel Ring
Among the many items on my "to-do" list is to install a towel ring in our first floor bathroom. Now, I suck at installing a towel ring. It's not that I can't physically install one. Like many of my other home improvement projects, the project remains on my list and remains there... for months if not years.
But not tonight. After a quick visit to Rite Aid, in which I only paid a whopping $0.32 for a chocolate covered cherry and a jumbo pack of Pamper diapers, I installed the towel ring. I guess I was riding the high of my shopping endeavor.
Interestingly enough, the associates at Rite Aid seem to know me now. I don't know if that is a good thing or not yet. When I walked in tonight, they immediately greeted me and asked if I were getting a good deal.
Anyway, the installation of the towel ring took no time at all. I think more time was spent cleaning up and bringing my tools back and forth from the garage. (I find that is generally the case.) But now, I can cross one item off of that home improvement "to-do" list. Too bad there are so many other items on it.
But not tonight. After a quick visit to Rite Aid, in which I only paid a whopping $0.32 for a chocolate covered cherry and a jumbo pack of Pamper diapers, I installed the towel ring. I guess I was riding the high of my shopping endeavor.
Interestingly enough, the associates at Rite Aid seem to know me now. I don't know if that is a good thing or not yet. When I walked in tonight, they immediately greeted me and asked if I were getting a good deal.
Anyway, the installation of the towel ring took no time at all. I think more time was spent cleaning up and bringing my tools back and forth from the garage. (I find that is generally the case.) But now, I can cross one item off of that home improvement "to-do" list. Too bad there are so many other items on it.
I Suck At Family Day
Sunday turned out to be quite the family day. Too bad I suck at family day. By no means was the day planned to be a family day. It just sort of turned out that way.
The day started off with a call from Karen's mother asking if we would be interested in visiting Karen's grandmother at the nursing home. Naturally, we thought it was a great idea because we have not seen Nana in some time.
Since my son (Braden) passed away over two years ago, one of the things I have learned is that time is precious. To be more precise, I would say that time with loved ones is precious. And even though Nana is not like how she was before her accident, which led to her subsequent stay at the nursing home, I think it's important that we spend time with her.
Granted, Nana probably could care less about Karen or I. It seems like every time we go for the visit, all she wants to do is see her sixteen month old great granddaughter (Briana). Of course, that seems to be the going trend among my parents and my in-laws too.
Nevertheless, it was a good visit at the nursing home. Nana was actually quite alert. And she seemed to enjoy watching Briana walk around and getting into things. So following the visit, my in-laws decided to take us out for dinner.
We ended up at the 99 Restaurant in Quincy. I was hopeful to be seated near the picture of Karen at the 99, but it was not meant to be. For anyone curious, Karen appears (or at least she did at one time) in one of the group pictures hanging on the wall. If memory serves me right, I think the picture was actually signed by manother person in the group photo.
Dinner was good. By the time the food came around, I was actually starving. So I'm sure anything would have tasted good at that point. I devoured the All-Star Steakburger with reckless abandon. Yummy yummy, as my daughter says.
Anyway, while still in Quincy, Karen suggested that we make it a total family day and make the rounds to see my parents. So off to my parents we went. And like I mentioned earlier, my parents were positively thrilled by our visit because they got to see Briana. Truth to told, it was nice to know that we probably did just make their day by visiting them.
And of course, my parents had to give us something. They seem to always give us something or want to give us something whether it is food, plants or whatever whenever they see us. In general, it's food. This time was no different as we ended up with some celery plants from their garden.
All in all, it was a good spontaneous day with the family which is something I probably don't utter too often. But I think my in-laws and my parents totally enjoyed the time spent together and that makes me happy.
The day started off with a call from Karen's mother asking if we would be interested in visiting Karen's grandmother at the nursing home. Naturally, we thought it was a great idea because we have not seen Nana in some time.
Since my son (Braden) passed away over two years ago, one of the things I have learned is that time is precious. To be more precise, I would say that time with loved ones is precious. And even though Nana is not like how she was before her accident, which led to her subsequent stay at the nursing home, I think it's important that we spend time with her.
Granted, Nana probably could care less about Karen or I. It seems like every time we go for the visit, all she wants to do is see her sixteen month old great granddaughter (Briana). Of course, that seems to be the going trend among my parents and my in-laws too.
Nevertheless, it was a good visit at the nursing home. Nana was actually quite alert. And she seemed to enjoy watching Briana walk around and getting into things. So following the visit, my in-laws decided to take us out for dinner.
We ended up at the 99 Restaurant in Quincy. I was hopeful to be seated near the picture of Karen at the 99, but it was not meant to be. For anyone curious, Karen appears (or at least she did at one time) in one of the group pictures hanging on the wall. If memory serves me right, I think the picture was actually signed by manother person in the group photo.
Dinner was good. By the time the food came around, I was actually starving. So I'm sure anything would have tasted good at that point. I devoured the All-Star Steakburger with reckless abandon. Yummy yummy, as my daughter says.
Anyway, while still in Quincy, Karen suggested that we make it a total family day and make the rounds to see my parents. So off to my parents we went. And like I mentioned earlier, my parents were positively thrilled by our visit because they got to see Briana. Truth to told, it was nice to know that we probably did just make their day by visiting them.
And of course, my parents had to give us something. They seem to always give us something or want to give us something whether it is food, plants or whatever whenever they see us. In general, it's food. This time was no different as we ended up with some celery plants from their garden.
All in all, it was a good spontaneous day with the family which is something I probably don't utter too often. But I think my in-laws and my parents totally enjoyed the time spent together and that makes me happy.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
I Suck At Drinking Apple Juice
Tonight, I got to spend some quality father/daughter bonding time with my fifteen month old daughter (Briana). Karen was having a girls night out. I think she's been looking forward to having a girls night out for some time. Plus, I'm a believer that people need individual time now and then. So I was thrilled that she was able to go out and enjoy a night on her own.
Anyway while she was out, I got to have Briana all to myself which is something I don't get to do normally. I'm not sure if I remember the last time I had Briana all to myself. It may have been shortly after she was born in which I took a week off to take care of her. She was such a peanut then. (Well, she's a peanut now.) Back then, she would just fall asleep in your arms.
Needless to say, Briana was definitely good tonight. Lately, Briana has been awful going to bed. Briana's recent routine reminds me of my niece (Kaleigh) who used to always cry "I'm not tired" whenever she had to go to bed. And yes, Kaleigh was tired when she went to bed. Similarly, Briana has started to cling on for dear life whenever Karen or I have put her to bed recently. It's definitely tough when your daughter has a stranglehold around your neck while you put her down.
But not tonight. Tonight, she went down like an angel. She did not even whimper. It was definitely a nice change from the stranglehold. So in celebration, I went wild and polished off the bottle of apple juice in the refrigerator. Yes, I suck at drinking apple juice.
Interestingly enough, that bottle of apple juice was free complements of Stop and Shop. I purchased the bottle last week for Briana while she was feverish and in need of fluids due to her reaction to her vaccination. Making sure the apple juice did not contain high fructose corn syrup, I purchased the bottle.
For anyone curious, I try to avoid foods with high fructose corn syrup as much as I can. My achille's heel, however, is soda. I think soda must be laced with nicotine or something because it just tastes so darn good and keeps you wanting more. Damn you soda for tasting so good. Some day, I'll break the habit. Some day!
Anyway, the bottle of apple juice rang up incorrectly. I debated about going to customer service because the difference was only twenty cents. As it turned out, it was a good thing that I did because they gave me the entire bottle for free. I had figured that they would refund the difference or something. But nope, free!
Needless to say, that bottle of apple juice tasted great as I drank its last drops. Yum! It was a good way to end the night.
Anyway while she was out, I got to have Briana all to myself which is something I don't get to do normally. I'm not sure if I remember the last time I had Briana all to myself. It may have been shortly after she was born in which I took a week off to take care of her. She was such a peanut then. (Well, she's a peanut now.) Back then, she would just fall asleep in your arms.
Needless to say, Briana was definitely good tonight. Lately, Briana has been awful going to bed. Briana's recent routine reminds me of my niece (Kaleigh) who used to always cry "I'm not tired" whenever she had to go to bed. And yes, Kaleigh was tired when she went to bed. Similarly, Briana has started to cling on for dear life whenever Karen or I have put her to bed recently. It's definitely tough when your daughter has a stranglehold around your neck while you put her down.
But not tonight. Tonight, she went down like an angel. She did not even whimper. It was definitely a nice change from the stranglehold. So in celebration, I went wild and polished off the bottle of apple juice in the refrigerator. Yes, I suck at drinking apple juice.
Interestingly enough, that bottle of apple juice was free complements of Stop and Shop. I purchased the bottle last week for Briana while she was feverish and in need of fluids due to her reaction to her vaccination. Making sure the apple juice did not contain high fructose corn syrup, I purchased the bottle.
For anyone curious, I try to avoid foods with high fructose corn syrup as much as I can. My achille's heel, however, is soda. I think soda must be laced with nicotine or something because it just tastes so darn good and keeps you wanting more. Damn you soda for tasting so good. Some day, I'll break the habit. Some day!
Anyway, the bottle of apple juice rang up incorrectly. I debated about going to customer service because the difference was only twenty cents. As it turned out, it was a good thing that I did because they gave me the entire bottle for free. I had figured that they would refund the difference or something. But nope, free!
Needless to say, that bottle of apple juice tasted great as I drank its last drops. Yum! It was a good way to end the night.
I Suck At Being Single
Last night marked the beginning of my swinging single days. And naturally, how do I kick off being single? Well, what else other than celebrating a birthday for my favorite brother-in-law (PJ).
Yesterday was PJ's birthday. It also wasn't until yesterday that Karen and I were invited to PJ and my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) place for the celebration. I guess it was spur of the moment. Either that, or we were "Plan B" guests. Either way, it was good to see everyone before my little fifteen month old daughter (Briana) had a meltdown.
I don't get to see PJ's brother (Michael) that much. So it was good to see him. And I really haven't seen Janine or her BFF (Gretchen) in awhile either. All in all, it was a nice visit.
Karen and I were actually running a little late for the party because we had to make a quick pit stop at the mall. As part of our warranty on our jewelry, we have to get our jewelry inspected every six months or so. Luckily for us, we have this warranty.
It turns out that the diamonds on my wedding band, and also on Karen's wedding band, were loose. Mine was actually worse than Karen's because my stone was chipped. Apparently, my vigorous typing with my ring finger is detrimental to diamonds.
Needless to say, Karen and I had to have our wedding bands shipped to the company for repair. And I must say, it definitely does feel awkward not having that ring around my finger. My thumb keeps going to play with the ring, only to find that the ring is no longer there. It's weird.
So for the time being, I'm single again. Ladies beware! Too bad I suck at being single. At least Karen can still say she's engaged because that ring was okay.
Yesterday was PJ's birthday. It also wasn't until yesterday that Karen and I were invited to PJ and my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) place for the celebration. I guess it was spur of the moment. Either that, or we were "Plan B" guests. Either way, it was good to see everyone before my little fifteen month old daughter (Briana) had a meltdown.
I don't get to see PJ's brother (Michael) that much. So it was good to see him. And I really haven't seen Janine or her BFF (Gretchen) in awhile either. All in all, it was a nice visit.
Karen and I were actually running a little late for the party because we had to make a quick pit stop at the mall. As part of our warranty on our jewelry, we have to get our jewelry inspected every six months or so. Luckily for us, we have this warranty.
It turns out that the diamonds on my wedding band, and also on Karen's wedding band, were loose. Mine was actually worse than Karen's because my stone was chipped. Apparently, my vigorous typing with my ring finger is detrimental to diamonds.
Needless to say, Karen and I had to have our wedding bands shipped to the company for repair. And I must say, it definitely does feel awkward not having that ring around my finger. My thumb keeps going to play with the ring, only to find that the ring is no longer there. It's weird.
So for the time being, I'm single again. Ladies beware! Too bad I suck at being single. At least Karen can still say she's engaged because that ring was okay.
Monday, July 11, 2011
I Suck At Being In A Movie
It has been a long while since I've stumbled home at 4 in the morning. That, however, was precisely the case this past Saturday / early Sunday. Most likely, the reason for my venture out until the wee hours of night is not what you think. I attempted to be in a movie this past weekend. Too bad I suck at being in a movie.
Last week, I received an email about a particular movie filming in Boston that was in need of finding some extras to shoot a concert scene. I thought it was an interesting proposition, in part because I do enjoy all things movie-related. Heck, I watch bad movies just because I can. So if I could have a dream job, that dream job would be an actor, possibly followed by a screenwriter, or a combination of the two.
I thought the activity was pretty neat because to me, being part of a movie was something different. I like spontaneity. For anyone curious, that was why I originally started my scavenger hunt activity in the first place, because it was different.
Unfortunately, I couldn't just go out and be part of the movie. I have a fifteen month old daughter (Briana) to take care of, especially since she had a fever and rash following her MMR vaccination the previous week. But as luck would have it, Briana was feeling better on Saturday and Karen was absolutely not interested in being part of the movie.
Naturally, I didn't want to be the guy who showed up by himself to the event. So thanks to my friend (Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry), the three of us headed into town for the shooting of the movie. I was actually hesitant at first to ask any of my friends because the hours for the shooting were from 7pm to 3am. Those hours make for a long day (and the following day too). If it were just me it would have been okay, but I felt bad for asking them to do it. Luckily, I have great friends.
For anyone curious, the movie is called Ted. It stars Boston's own Mark (don't call me "Marky Mark") Wahlberg and is directed by Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy fame. It is actually Seth MacFarlane's directorial debut.
Anyway, it was definitely an interesting experience that I got to share with Andrea and Kerry. Most likely, none of us will be in the movie because we really weren't positioned in the most ideal spot. We were off to the far side. I don't think Kerry or Andrea particularly shared my desire to be in the movie. I think they just wanted to humor me by going.
Regardless, I did enjoy the night. Seth MacFarlane was pretty comical. Special guest Norah Jones was pretty good, although I must say that I am a little tired of hearing "Come away with me". Even Boston Bruin Shawn Thornton was funny. Yes, Shawn Thornton apparently has a cameo in the movie.
The only person who I thought wasn't funny was Mark Wahlberg, who seemed like he was half in the bag all of the time. He kept swearing; He tried to be funny with the crowds; but to me, he just wasn't. Now if he broke out and started singing "Good Vibrations", I would have a different opinion.
Of course, I may have been in the minority to think that of Boston's own. Everyone there seemed starstruck over Mark Wahlberg, particularly the women. I would say that was probably the worst part of the experience: the crowd. People were pushing and shoving to get to the front of the stage. People were trying to cram themselves into these itty bitty spots on the lawn just to be closer to the stage. Some people were making fun of some person, who to me seemed homeless, because he started singing a patriotic song while waiting for the camera crews to set up. There was even an obvious pimp with his "after party" sluts there. It was bizarre. (For anyone curious, pimps and hos are not like what you see in Hollywood. They are ugly in real life.)
All in all, I did have fun. I'd probably do it again depending on the movie. Plus, it was good to spend some time with Andrea and Kerry. They may not share my opinion of course, but I had a good time. And sadly, if having "Come away with me" stuck in my head weren't bad enough, I do feel compelled to actually watch "Ted" now just to see if any of us made it to the big screen.
Last week, I received an email about a particular movie filming in Boston that was in need of finding some extras to shoot a concert scene. I thought it was an interesting proposition, in part because I do enjoy all things movie-related. Heck, I watch bad movies just because I can. So if I could have a dream job, that dream job would be an actor, possibly followed by a screenwriter, or a combination of the two.
I thought the activity was pretty neat because to me, being part of a movie was something different. I like spontaneity. For anyone curious, that was why I originally started my scavenger hunt activity in the first place, because it was different.
Unfortunately, I couldn't just go out and be part of the movie. I have a fifteen month old daughter (Briana) to take care of, especially since she had a fever and rash following her MMR vaccination the previous week. But as luck would have it, Briana was feeling better on Saturday and Karen was absolutely not interested in being part of the movie.
Naturally, I didn't want to be the guy who showed up by himself to the event. So thanks to my friend (Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry), the three of us headed into town for the shooting of the movie. I was actually hesitant at first to ask any of my friends because the hours for the shooting were from 7pm to 3am. Those hours make for a long day (and the following day too). If it were just me it would have been okay, but I felt bad for asking them to do it. Luckily, I have great friends.
For anyone curious, the movie is called Ted. It stars Boston's own Mark (don't call me "Marky Mark") Wahlberg and is directed by Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy fame. It is actually Seth MacFarlane's directorial debut.
Anyway, it was definitely an interesting experience that I got to share with Andrea and Kerry. Most likely, none of us will be in the movie because we really weren't positioned in the most ideal spot. We were off to the far side. I don't think Kerry or Andrea particularly shared my desire to be in the movie. I think they just wanted to humor me by going.
Regardless, I did enjoy the night. Seth MacFarlane was pretty comical. Special guest Norah Jones was pretty good, although I must say that I am a little tired of hearing "Come away with me". Even Boston Bruin Shawn Thornton was funny. Yes, Shawn Thornton apparently has a cameo in the movie.
The only person who I thought wasn't funny was Mark Wahlberg, who seemed like he was half in the bag all of the time. He kept swearing; He tried to be funny with the crowds; but to me, he just wasn't. Now if he broke out and started singing "Good Vibrations", I would have a different opinion.
Of course, I may have been in the minority to think that of Boston's own. Everyone there seemed starstruck over Mark Wahlberg, particularly the women. I would say that was probably the worst part of the experience: the crowd. People were pushing and shoving to get to the front of the stage. People were trying to cram themselves into these itty bitty spots on the lawn just to be closer to the stage. Some people were making fun of some person, who to me seemed homeless, because he started singing a patriotic song while waiting for the camera crews to set up. There was even an obvious pimp with his "after party" sluts there. It was bizarre. (For anyone curious, pimps and hos are not like what you see in Hollywood. They are ugly in real life.)
All in all, I did have fun. I'd probably do it again depending on the movie. Plus, it was good to spend some time with Andrea and Kerry. They may not share my opinion of course, but I had a good time. And sadly, if having "Come away with me" stuck in my head weren't bad enough, I do feel compelled to actually watch "Ted" now just to see if any of us made it to the big screen.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
I Suck At Gardening
Karen and I have a vegetable garden. It was not until this year that we added a second vegetable garden because last year we found out that one garden was not enough. The vegetables just got too crowded last year.
So I guess you could say that I suck at gardening. And to be honest, I never really took to gardening until this year. I left the gardening mainly to Karen. This year, I'm still not really into gardening. I do, however, happen to be a little more involved in gardening when it comes to vegetables. After all, vegetable gardens seem to have more of a practical purpose than flower gardens.
And as luck would have it, today we harvested our first vegetable! We got our first zucchini! This year, we have a ginormous zucchini plant, which is possible proof that vegetables are like goldfish: they grow to fit their container.
Needless to say, it was pretty exciting today. And as a side note, we happened to see Karen's name while preparing to watch an episode of "My Yard Goes Disney". For anyone curious, "My Yard Goes Disney" is about people who get their backyards made over by Disney. But it was the show right before that which had Karen's name on it. Apparently Karen moonlights as a Post Audio during her free time. It was random, but it cracked me up.
So I guess you could say that I suck at gardening. And to be honest, I never really took to gardening until this year. I left the gardening mainly to Karen. This year, I'm still not really into gardening. I do, however, happen to be a little more involved in gardening when it comes to vegetables. After all, vegetable gardens seem to have more of a practical purpose than flower gardens.
And as luck would have it, today we harvested our first vegetable! We got our first zucchini! This year, we have a ginormous zucchini plant, which is possible proof that vegetables are like goldfish: they grow to fit their container.
Needless to say, it was pretty exciting today. And as a side note, we happened to see Karen's name while preparing to watch an episode of "My Yard Goes Disney". For anyone curious, "My Yard Goes Disney" is about people who get their backyards made over by Disney. But it was the show right before that which had Karen's name on it. Apparently Karen moonlights as a Post Audio during her free time. It was random, but it cracked me up.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
I Suck At 4th Of July Cookouts
Happy 4th of July!
In what seems to be yet another consecutive weekend spent north of Boston, Karen, my fifteen month old daughter (Briana), and I went to the All-America city known as Lowell. After all, there is a lot to like about Lowell, or so the city would have you believe.
Karen's cousin (Karlene) and Karlene's husband (Tommy) were hosting a 4th of July cookout. Too bad I suck at 4th of July cookouts. In previous years, Karen and I had gone to Lowell for the 4th of July via the town of Chelmsford. Why Chelmsford? Apparently, Chelmsford has an annual road race on the 4th of July, which is then followed by a parade. And for those people who know Karen, they know that she loves parades. Me, not so much.
As much as I would have loved to run the road race this year (or run in general for that matter), we met up with Karlene and Tommy for the cookout portion of the day. Karlene and Tommy's friends, some of whom attended the Chelmsford festivities, were also going to the cookout. It was nice because we had not seen them in quite some time.
Anyway, as usual it was a good time. Karlene and Tommy did a fantastic job as hosts despite the freakish showers. I was probably most impressed with Karlene and Tommy's friends' kids, who were so well behaved. They seemed to enjoy playing with Briana a lot. Of course, Briana does also tend to ham things up when she gets attention. So maybe that was why.
All in all, it was a fun time. I actually tried a belini for the first time, complements of Karlene and Tommy's friend (Kim). I normally don't like champagne, but the peach made it more interesting.
In what seems to be yet another consecutive weekend spent north of Boston, Karen, my fifteen month old daughter (Briana), and I went to the All-America city known as Lowell. After all, there is a lot to like about Lowell, or so the city would have you believe.
Karen's cousin (Karlene) and Karlene's husband (Tommy) were hosting a 4th of July cookout. Too bad I suck at 4th of July cookouts. In previous years, Karen and I had gone to Lowell for the 4th of July via the town of Chelmsford. Why Chelmsford? Apparently, Chelmsford has an annual road race on the 4th of July, which is then followed by a parade. And for those people who know Karen, they know that she loves parades. Me, not so much.
As much as I would have loved to run the road race this year (or run in general for that matter), we met up with Karlene and Tommy for the cookout portion of the day. Karlene and Tommy's friends, some of whom attended the Chelmsford festivities, were also going to the cookout. It was nice because we had not seen them in quite some time.
Anyway, as usual it was a good time. Karlene and Tommy did a fantastic job as hosts despite the freakish showers. I was probably most impressed with Karlene and Tommy's friends' kids, who were so well behaved. They seemed to enjoy playing with Briana a lot. Of course, Briana does also tend to ham things up when she gets attention. So maybe that was why.
All in all, it was a fun time. I actually tried a belini for the first time, complements of Karlene and Tommy's friend (Kim). I normally don't like champagne, but the peach made it more interesting.
Monday, July 4, 2011
I Suck At Oral-B
My age is starting to catch up to me. Of course, it could also be the fact that I have not done a home improvement project in some time. My body just feels sore today.
Yesterday, I continued my home improvement project on the back entrance to our house. Prior to our adding vinyl siding to the exterior of our house, there were signs of water damage on the drywall. (Knock on wood. There have been many downpours since and I have not seen any more water damage.) Needless to say, I removed the existing pieces of drywall that were water damaged and replaced them with new pieces.
I was lucky enough to finish the task before my daughter (Briana) woke up from her nap. It took her awhile though to recognize me behind the goggles and the mask. But she did.
Anyway, a nice clean shower later, I ended up going to Rite Aid for this week's deal: an Oral-B Pulsar toothbrush. Now, I suck at Oral-B. To me, a toothbrush is a toothbrush. I was shocked to see the retail value of this toothbrush being over $5. It's a toothbrush!
Regardless, Rite Aid was giving a rebate which would essentially make the cost of the toothbrush $0.50 after rebate. And of course, I had to get it. After all, it's essentially a "money maker" because Karen had a $2 coupon for the item. Yay Karen!
I'd be curious to see how well the toothbrush works. Apparently, the toothbrush uses a non-replaceable battery that is supposed to last for about 3 months. That seems pretty short to me, but we'll see how it goes.
After getting the toothbrush, Karen, Briana, and I headed off to Quincy where we attended my friend's (Hot Amy) family's annual 3rd of July party. Truth be told, things were looking a little grim for the party with the rain and all. Luckily the weather cooperated just enough.
It was good to see my friends (Jen, Andrea, Hot Amy) and my BFF (Kerry). In comparison to other years, this party was smaller than usual probably due to the weather. I got a kick out of our discussion about breasts becoming a "shelf".
And like most events that happen during the night, my fifteen month daughter could only last so long. Having already done a face plant that left an egg on the top of her head, she got tired before the night's festivities of fireworks. So it was a quick night.
Yesterday, I continued my home improvement project on the back entrance to our house. Prior to our adding vinyl siding to the exterior of our house, there were signs of water damage on the drywall. (Knock on wood. There have been many downpours since and I have not seen any more water damage.) Needless to say, I removed the existing pieces of drywall that were water damaged and replaced them with new pieces.
I was lucky enough to finish the task before my daughter (Briana) woke up from her nap. It took her awhile though to recognize me behind the goggles and the mask. But she did.
Anyway, a nice clean shower later, I ended up going to Rite Aid for this week's deal: an Oral-B Pulsar toothbrush. Now, I suck at Oral-B. To me, a toothbrush is a toothbrush. I was shocked to see the retail value of this toothbrush being over $5. It's a toothbrush!
Regardless, Rite Aid was giving a rebate which would essentially make the cost of the toothbrush $0.50 after rebate. And of course, I had to get it. After all, it's essentially a "money maker" because Karen had a $2 coupon for the item. Yay Karen!
I'd be curious to see how well the toothbrush works. Apparently, the toothbrush uses a non-replaceable battery that is supposed to last for about 3 months. That seems pretty short to me, but we'll see how it goes.
After getting the toothbrush, Karen, Briana, and I headed off to Quincy where we attended my friend's (Hot Amy) family's annual 3rd of July party. Truth be told, things were looking a little grim for the party with the rain and all. Luckily the weather cooperated just enough.
It was good to see my friends (Jen, Andrea, Hot Amy) and my BFF (Kerry). In comparison to other years, this party was smaller than usual probably due to the weather. I got a kick out of our discussion about breasts becoming a "shelf".
And like most events that happen during the night, my fifteen month daughter could only last so long. Having already done a face plant that left an egg on the top of her head, she got tired before the night's festivities of fireworks. So it was a quick night.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
I Suck At Home Improvement
Today was the first time in awhile that I felt motivated to work on my house. I generally suck at home improvement. I have a long list of items planned as home improvement projects. Unfortunately, it has been very easy for me to procrastinate on those projects. And by procrastinate, I mean forget altogether.
Case in point, I have some free time right now. Granted, it's after midnight at this very moment, but I could spend this time working on my house as opposed to writing this post. In general, my free time seems to be during the wee hours of night after everything is done and Karen and my little daughter are fast asleep. I haven't quite found the rhythm yet of finding a consistent pattern during the normal course of the day.
My motivation for working on a home improvement project, although fleeting, was inspired by my friends (Cass and Ellen) who stopped by today with their baby daughter for a quick visit. Cass had asked to borrow some tools as he was planning to work on his own home improvement project. Naturally, that got me thinking. Sure, I started thinking about how lazy I have been, but it got me thinking at least.
Needless to say, when Cass, Ellen, and their daughter (Elyse) left, I thought about an easy home improvement project to tackle. I had to think of a project that could be done while my own daughter (Briana) napped. Briana's nap ranges from 45 minutes to 2 hours. You can never tell on some days.
The project I came up with: remove the old casing around the sliding door in our back entrance way. The back entrance has been mostly untouched since Karen and I got our house. We did seal up a wall in there because the layout in that area was a little bizarre. For anyone curious, the back entrance has another sliding door that leads to the kitchen. Prior to our sealing up the wall, there was a very narrow door that led to an adjoining bathroom. You had to be very thin to walk into that doorway.
We have since added a regular doorway to the bathroom that is accessible from the kitchen. But for the longest time, the back entrance way has remained unchanged with the exception of the drywall. Of course, it helped that we stored an old drawer in the back entrance for the longest time. Thank you Freecycle for finally taking it.
Anyway, the project was not too thrilling for sure, but I knew it could be done within the given time frame of 45 minutes to 2 hours. Baby steps. And I must say, it actually felt great to finally get something around the house accomplished. Raising a toddler, I sometimes feel like our house is in constant disarray regardless of how often I clean the place (which is quite often because Briana is in to throwing food lately). So feeling like I have done something to improve the place feels just wonderful.
I actually rode that high all the way to my friends' (Marc and Kelley) place where they hosted a UFC pay per view later that night. As usual, it was good to see them, along with my friends (Andrea, De and Carol) and my BFF (Kerry) and Cass again. Interestingly enough, I hadn't seen Cass in over a month, yet I saw him twice in one day. The pay per view was actually disappointing, despite the blood of one of the matches and the shiny ring girls, but it was a good way to end the night.
Case in point, I have some free time right now. Granted, it's after midnight at this very moment, but I could spend this time working on my house as opposed to writing this post. In general, my free time seems to be during the wee hours of night after everything is done and Karen and my little daughter are fast asleep. I haven't quite found the rhythm yet of finding a consistent pattern during the normal course of the day.
My motivation for working on a home improvement project, although fleeting, was inspired by my friends (Cass and Ellen) who stopped by today with their baby daughter for a quick visit. Cass had asked to borrow some tools as he was planning to work on his own home improvement project. Naturally, that got me thinking. Sure, I started thinking about how lazy I have been, but it got me thinking at least.
Needless to say, when Cass, Ellen, and their daughter (Elyse) left, I thought about an easy home improvement project to tackle. I had to think of a project that could be done while my own daughter (Briana) napped. Briana's nap ranges from 45 minutes to 2 hours. You can never tell on some days.
The project I came up with: remove the old casing around the sliding door in our back entrance way. The back entrance has been mostly untouched since Karen and I got our house. We did seal up a wall in there because the layout in that area was a little bizarre. For anyone curious, the back entrance has another sliding door that leads to the kitchen. Prior to our sealing up the wall, there was a very narrow door that led to an adjoining bathroom. You had to be very thin to walk into that doorway.
We have since added a regular doorway to the bathroom that is accessible from the kitchen. But for the longest time, the back entrance way has remained unchanged with the exception of the drywall. Of course, it helped that we stored an old drawer in the back entrance for the longest time. Thank you Freecycle for finally taking it.
Anyway, the project was not too thrilling for sure, but I knew it could be done within the given time frame of 45 minutes to 2 hours. Baby steps. And I must say, it actually felt great to finally get something around the house accomplished. Raising a toddler, I sometimes feel like our house is in constant disarray regardless of how often I clean the place (which is quite often because Briana is in to throwing food lately). So feeling like I have done something to improve the place feels just wonderful.
I actually rode that high all the way to my friends' (Marc and Kelley) place where they hosted a UFC pay per view later that night. As usual, it was good to see them, along with my friends (Andrea, De and Carol) and my BFF (Kerry) and Cass again. Interestingly enough, I hadn't seen Cass in over a month, yet I saw him twice in one day. The pay per view was actually disappointing, despite the blood of one of the matches and the shiny ring girls, but it was a good way to end the night.
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