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.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
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.
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