Tonight, Karen and I decided to be spontaneous and dine out. Sadly, Karen and I haven't gone out to eat at a restaurant together in quite some time, perhaps because we have a two year old daughter (Briana) and a two month old (Bridget) who don't exactly like to sit still for extended periods of time. In our act of spontaneity, I decided to take the family to the Tinker's Son located in Norwell.
Now, I suck at the Tinker's Son. Truth be told, I do enjoy the food there. Karen seemed equally excited when I suggested that we dine out at the Tinker's Son. After all, she enjoys the food there as well. So needless to say we were both looking forward to dining there tonight.
Unfortunately, I hate to say it but the experience at the Tinker's Son tonight was memorable for all the wrong reasons. And the irony was... my two daughters were extremely well behaved during the entire dinner. They were great considering the fact that they had to wait almost an entire hour for the food to arrive.
Interestingly enough, my family was not the only party that had to wait quite a long time for food. The other two parties that were seated within the same time frame that we were seated were lucky enough to wait an extended period of time for their food as well.
The worst part, for me, is that there was no communication from the waitstaff. Had the waitperson set the expectation that the food would take a while, then I would not have minded (and consequently have this feeling of how terrible the night at the Tinker's Son was). Sadly, there was nothing. I think waitperson purposely avoided us because she knew it was taking a long time herself. Don't get me wrong. Our waitstaff was very nice. I just wished she communicated to us that there was an issue.
Based on the fact that multiple parties had to wait an extended period of time, I can only assume that something happened in the kitchen to cause the delay. Again, I don't really know because nothing was ever told to us while we waited... and waited... and waited. When our food finally arrived, we were told that the influx of people caused the delay, which only annoys me more. It's a Saturday night. Restaurants get busy, especially on the weekend, and should be able to handle a lot of people coming in. It did not make sense.
Like I said, thankfully Briana and Bridget were well behaved. I could tell Briana was hungry while we waited because she kept asking for the macaroni and cheese that she ordered. What do you tell a starving child when the food they ordered an hour ago hasn't arrived yet? "It's coming shortly" can only last for so long before it reaches an hour. It was awful.
The funny thing is... the food at the Tinker's Son is delicious. Both Karen and I were excited to go there tonight. And when the food did arrive, the food was delicious. I just wished the service did not put a blemish on things. Heck, I think if something was even compensated I would have felt better. Sadly, there was nothing... Needless to say, as much as it pains me to say it, I will definitely have to rethink going back to the Tinker's Son again for a meal... especially on a Saturday night if they can't handle an influx of people.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
I Suck At Community
Thursday was the scheduled weekly get together with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea). Truth be told, it's been a lot longer than a week since all of us have gotten together during the week. It's been at least a couple of weeks because we had the previous two episodes of Community on our DVR that were unwatched. Yes, I suck at Community.
Luckily for me, all of us were able to get together on Thursday at Marc and Kelley's to watch all of the episodes of Community that we had missed together. And I must say, Thursday's episode had me laughing in stitches because it was a take on Law and Order. Classic!
Episodes aside, it was great to see everyone during the week. I had the pleasure of riding in Andrea's new car for the first time. And yes, her car still does have that new car smell. Andrea and I took a little trip to Frozen Freddies in Quincy for some ice cream before watching the episodes.
I know a lot of people get all excited for Frozen Freddies. But for me, I still think Kimball Farms in Westford reigns supreme. Regardless, it was fun hanging out with just Andrea even if it was for a brief ride to the store. I hadn't done that in quite some time. Of course, she probably thinks I'm an idiot since I had to ask her numerous times as to what she had gotten at Frozen Freddies the last time she was there. Damn this memory of mine. But it was good catching up with Andrea as we listened to songs from the 80s in her new car.
As for Marc and Kelley, it appears that they will be closing at the end of the month on their new condo. That was exciting news. And it also turns out that the wedding they went to over the weekend was everything they expected... sort of. Kelley's sister got married over the weekend and from all accounts, the wedding could not have come soon enough. Everything leading up the wedding has been stressful for Kelley, and consequently Marc. Thankfully for Kelley, her sister's wedding is now behind her.
All in all, it was fun hanging out again with everyone.
Luckily for me, all of us were able to get together on Thursday at Marc and Kelley's to watch all of the episodes of Community that we had missed together. And I must say, Thursday's episode had me laughing in stitches because it was a take on Law and Order. Classic!
Episodes aside, it was great to see everyone during the week. I had the pleasure of riding in Andrea's new car for the first time. And yes, her car still does have that new car smell. Andrea and I took a little trip to Frozen Freddies in Quincy for some ice cream before watching the episodes.
I know a lot of people get all excited for Frozen Freddies. But for me, I still think Kimball Farms in Westford reigns supreme. Regardless, it was fun hanging out with just Andrea even if it was for a brief ride to the store. I hadn't done that in quite some time. Of course, she probably thinks I'm an idiot since I had to ask her numerous times as to what she had gotten at Frozen Freddies the last time she was there. Damn this memory of mine. But it was good catching up with Andrea as we listened to songs from the 80s in her new car.
As for Marc and Kelley, it appears that they will be closing at the end of the month on their new condo. That was exciting news. And it also turns out that the wedding they went to over the weekend was everything they expected... sort of. Kelley's sister got married over the weekend and from all accounts, the wedding could not have come soon enough. Everything leading up the wedding has been stressful for Kelley, and consequently Marc. Thankfully for Kelley, her sister's wedding is now behind her.
All in all, it was fun hanging out again with everyone.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
I Suck At Earth Day
Sunday was Earth Day. Happy belated Earth Day! Thank you Gaylord Nelson for being credited with creating Earth Day back in 1970.
And in honor of mother Earth, I did what any enviro-nut would do. I drove all around the South Shore hitting up all the places giving away free reusable tote bags for Earth Day. Okay, so maybe I didn't drive all around the South Shore. I just went to Target and the Disney Store. And might I add, I'm a little disappointed by the Disney Store's bag, if only because it blatantly advertised its upcoming movie about a chimpanzee and not Earth Day. But hey, it was free so I can't complain.
If that were not a sign that I suck at Earth Day, Karen and I drove around even further... to the mean streets of Lowell. Now why Lowell? There's a lot to like about Lowell, or so the Lowellians would have you believe. Truth be told, we actually met up with Karen's cousin (Karlene) and her husband (Tommy).
It was good to see Karlene and Tommy... and the city of Lowell. In honor of Earth Day, Lowell held an event involving Radio Disney. I snagged a Winnie the Pooh mask for my two year old daughter (Briana). We actually did not stay long because it was absolutely pouring out and the event was outside.
But we weren't going to let a little rain dampen our day. After a brief pit stop for lunch at Chili's, we eventually ended up in ice cream heaven: Kimball's (in Westford). Well, I should say Tommy and I ended up in ice cream heaven because we went to Kimball's and brought the ice cream back for everyone else.
By the time Tommy and I returned, Karen's aunt (Denise) and uncle (Paul) had arrived. Kimball's! Yum! It was fun seeing Karen's aunt and uncle. I like to joke around with them, particularly Denise because it's just so hard not to. For instance, Denise mentioned that her mother did not like Paul at first. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you see it, I was privy to seeing a picture of Denise and Paul in their younger days. Let's just say Paul had a lot of hair. So naturally, I inquired if the reason her mother did not like Paul at first was because of his 'fro. Absurd? Absolutely. But fun nonetheless.
Anyway, even though the day poured, it was fun hanging out with Karlene and Tommy, and Aunt Denise and Uncle Paul. And of course, Kimball's! Among the other things that came up during the excursion up North were Tommy's place of employment and coconuts. Tommy happens to be a teacher and while we were out and about, we happened to drive past the school that he teaches at. I must say, the school is huge, or at least it looks that way. Hmm... I wonder if the Lowell public schools prepared their students for life. Just kidding. That was a reference to my friend (Sam).
As for the coconut, apparently Tommy bought an actual coconut because Karlene wanted some for a recipe. Turns out, she didn't want an actual coconut per se, but the shavings inside. Needless to say, it was interesting to watch Karen, Karlene, and Tommy try to crack open the coconut. The YouTube videos about opening a coconut make it look so easy. Tommy eventually was able to open the coconut with a hammer, but it took a while.
Like I said, it was a good time. Yay Earth Day!
And in honor of mother Earth, I did what any enviro-nut would do. I drove all around the South Shore hitting up all the places giving away free reusable tote bags for Earth Day. Okay, so maybe I didn't drive all around the South Shore. I just went to Target and the Disney Store. And might I add, I'm a little disappointed by the Disney Store's bag, if only because it blatantly advertised its upcoming movie about a chimpanzee and not Earth Day. But hey, it was free so I can't complain.
If that were not a sign that I suck at Earth Day, Karen and I drove around even further... to the mean streets of Lowell. Now why Lowell? There's a lot to like about Lowell, or so the Lowellians would have you believe. Truth be told, we actually met up with Karen's cousin (Karlene) and her husband (Tommy).
It was good to see Karlene and Tommy... and the city of Lowell. In honor of Earth Day, Lowell held an event involving Radio Disney. I snagged a Winnie the Pooh mask for my two year old daughter (Briana). We actually did not stay long because it was absolutely pouring out and the event was outside.
But we weren't going to let a little rain dampen our day. After a brief pit stop for lunch at Chili's, we eventually ended up in ice cream heaven: Kimball's (in Westford). Well, I should say Tommy and I ended up in ice cream heaven because we went to Kimball's and brought the ice cream back for everyone else.
By the time Tommy and I returned, Karen's aunt (Denise) and uncle (Paul) had arrived. Kimball's! Yum! It was fun seeing Karen's aunt and uncle. I like to joke around with them, particularly Denise because it's just so hard not to. For instance, Denise mentioned that her mother did not like Paul at first. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you see it, I was privy to seeing a picture of Denise and Paul in their younger days. Let's just say Paul had a lot of hair. So naturally, I inquired if the reason her mother did not like Paul at first was because of his 'fro. Absurd? Absolutely. But fun nonetheless.
Anyway, even though the day poured, it was fun hanging out with Karlene and Tommy, and Aunt Denise and Uncle Paul. And of course, Kimball's! Among the other things that came up during the excursion up North were Tommy's place of employment and coconuts. Tommy happens to be a teacher and while we were out and about, we happened to drive past the school that he teaches at. I must say, the school is huge, or at least it looks that way. Hmm... I wonder if the Lowell public schools prepared their students for life. Just kidding. That was a reference to my friend (Sam).
As for the coconut, apparently Tommy bought an actual coconut because Karlene wanted some for a recipe. Turns out, she didn't want an actual coconut per se, but the shavings inside. Needless to say, it was interesting to watch Karen, Karlene, and Tommy try to crack open the coconut. The YouTube videos about opening a coconut make it look so easy. Tommy eventually was able to open the coconut with a hammer, but it took a while.
Like I said, it was a good time. Yay Earth Day!
I Suck At Mowing The Lawn
Last Saturday, the weather was absolutely beautiful. That was the good news. The bad news was... the weather was absolutely beautiful. On my list of to-do's for the nice Saturday were a lot of outdoor home improvement projects involving the wild jungle known as our yard.
Now, I hate outdoor home improvement projects. Of all the home improvement project types, I probably dislike the outdoor ones the most probably because they don't yield enough gratification. For instance, if I install a new ceiling light, I can see that new ceiling light the day I install it and every day thereafter. If I remove weeds, I can see the finely weeded area for a couple of days before new weeds grow in to which I would have to repeat the process.
Luckily for me, Saturday's list only included mowing the lawn, raking the lawn, and planting new seeds. With the nice weather, there were other chores as well, like running to our local recycling center to get some compost. Yay compost!
Anyway, I suck at mowing the lawn. It took seemingly forever to mow the lawn because I had to constantly stop to empty the bag of clippings. And I must say, I am so out of shape. Perhaps that is why it seemed like it took forever to mow the lawn. Nevertheless, all of the items on the to-do list were checked off by the evening.
After all, Karen and I had plans for the evening. Earlier in the week, we were invited for dinner by our friends (Garv and Leeann). Apparently, my other friends (Sam and Tara) and their twin children were up from Virginia for their semi-annual Massachusetts trip. As Sam and Tara were staying at Garv and Leeann's, they wanted to have everyone over for a little shindig.
Interestingly enough, it turned out that only Karen and I... and our two year old daughter (Briana) and our almost two month old daughter (Bridget) were able to make the party. All of my other friends could not make it. Or as Garv joked, no one likes Sam.
It was good to see everyone. Among the topics of discussion that came up were Solar City, Game of Thrones, and Garv's fashion sense. The enviro-nut that I am, I discussed solar panels with Garv because he apparently had them recently installed (about a week). As for "Game of Thrones", that was just a recommended show by Garv. And naturally, we got a kick about recounting Garv's fashion sense and how he showed up wearing all white to help our friends (Marc and Kelley) move. Marc's sister thought Garv was a girl when he showed up to help (after we were done moving). Comical. Garv has come a long way since then.
And what seemingly was a random topic was Sam and Garv's discussion about whether the Quincy public schools prepared us for life. I have no idea where that topic came from (I'm guessing Sam because it seems like a Sam question), but apparently Sam and Garv were discussing it before we arrived. For anyone curious, I think the answer to that topic varies per person because everyone's experiences are different.
I also found out that Sam and Tara probably will not be making semi-annual trips anymore in the future. Apparently, Sam and Tara are moving to New Mexico to find aliens. I'm kidding about the alien part. It was a tidbit of information that I discovered when we were leaving. So most likely, it may be a while before I see Sam and Tara again.
All in all, it was a fun night. It was good to see my friends and just hang out.
Now, I hate outdoor home improvement projects. Of all the home improvement project types, I probably dislike the outdoor ones the most probably because they don't yield enough gratification. For instance, if I install a new ceiling light, I can see that new ceiling light the day I install it and every day thereafter. If I remove weeds, I can see the finely weeded area for a couple of days before new weeds grow in to which I would have to repeat the process.
Luckily for me, Saturday's list only included mowing the lawn, raking the lawn, and planting new seeds. With the nice weather, there were other chores as well, like running to our local recycling center to get some compost. Yay compost!
Anyway, I suck at mowing the lawn. It took seemingly forever to mow the lawn because I had to constantly stop to empty the bag of clippings. And I must say, I am so out of shape. Perhaps that is why it seemed like it took forever to mow the lawn. Nevertheless, all of the items on the to-do list were checked off by the evening.
After all, Karen and I had plans for the evening. Earlier in the week, we were invited for dinner by our friends (Garv and Leeann). Apparently, my other friends (Sam and Tara) and their twin children were up from Virginia for their semi-annual Massachusetts trip. As Sam and Tara were staying at Garv and Leeann's, they wanted to have everyone over for a little shindig.
Interestingly enough, it turned out that only Karen and I... and our two year old daughter (Briana) and our almost two month old daughter (Bridget) were able to make the party. All of my other friends could not make it. Or as Garv joked, no one likes Sam.
It was good to see everyone. Among the topics of discussion that came up were Solar City, Game of Thrones, and Garv's fashion sense. The enviro-nut that I am, I discussed solar panels with Garv because he apparently had them recently installed (about a week). As for "Game of Thrones", that was just a recommended show by Garv. And naturally, we got a kick about recounting Garv's fashion sense and how he showed up wearing all white to help our friends (Marc and Kelley) move. Marc's sister thought Garv was a girl when he showed up to help (after we were done moving). Comical. Garv has come a long way since then.
And what seemingly was a random topic was Sam and Garv's discussion about whether the Quincy public schools prepared us for life. I have no idea where that topic came from (I'm guessing Sam because it seems like a Sam question), but apparently Sam and Garv were discussing it before we arrived. For anyone curious, I think the answer to that topic varies per person because everyone's experiences are different.
I also found out that Sam and Tara probably will not be making semi-annual trips anymore in the future. Apparently, Sam and Tara are moving to New Mexico to find aliens. I'm kidding about the alien part. It was a tidbit of information that I discovered when we were leaving. So most likely, it may be a while before I see Sam and Tara again.
All in all, it was a fun night. It was good to see my friends and just hang out.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
I Suck At Baptisms
This past Sunday, my seven week old daughter (Bridget) started down the path of hypocrisy and despair. Yep, Bridget was baptized on Sunday. Too bad I suck at baptisms.
In comparison to my two year old daughter's (Briana) baptism, I'm afraid I did not pay as much attention this time around to the sermons. The first time around, I learned all about the holy oils and the chi ro symbol, which really was not part of the sermon. Sadly, this time around I spent much of the sermon being distracted by Briana as she grew weary of being stuck in a pew for an extended period of time.
Don't get me wrong. I was still able to crack a smile when the priest mentioned the Oil of Catechumens, only because ever since Briana's baptism I have called it the Oil of Cat and Humans. Meow! But aside from that, I don't really remember much, which is sad considering I held Bridget the entire time. For the record, Bridget was very good during her baptism. Granted, she was asleep the entire time... even with water pouring on her head.
Anyway, following the baptism, everyone in attendance headed back to our house for a little celebration. Attending the shindig were Karen's relatives: her aunt (Denise) and uncle (Paul); her parents; my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her family (PJ, PJ, and Kaleigh); and Karen's Lowell-loving cousin... and Bridget's godparents (Karlene and Tommy). The turnout this time around was smaller than Briana's baptism, which only feeds into the notion that the younger child gets the short end of the stick on things.
Truth be told, I was a little disappointed that my parents couldn't make it. My mother is currently on vacation in Hong Kong visiting relatives. But at the end of the day, it's okay that they weren't there. After all, my parents are not religious at all, which was a blessing growing up.
All in all, I think everyone in attendance had a good time. It can be quite the rigamarole at family gatherings. For me, the part that I enjoyed the most about the little shindig was hanging outside with PJ, PJ, and Briana. PJ and I were hanging outside, sitting in lawn chairs in the backyard, while my nephew and daughter played around in the yard. It was a good time.
In comparison to my two year old daughter's (Briana) baptism, I'm afraid I did not pay as much attention this time around to the sermons. The first time around, I learned all about the holy oils and the chi ro symbol, which really was not part of the sermon. Sadly, this time around I spent much of the sermon being distracted by Briana as she grew weary of being stuck in a pew for an extended period of time.
Don't get me wrong. I was still able to crack a smile when the priest mentioned the Oil of Catechumens, only because ever since Briana's baptism I have called it the Oil of Cat and Humans. Meow! But aside from that, I don't really remember much, which is sad considering I held Bridget the entire time. For the record, Bridget was very good during her baptism. Granted, she was asleep the entire time... even with water pouring on her head.
Anyway, following the baptism, everyone in attendance headed back to our house for a little celebration. Attending the shindig were Karen's relatives: her aunt (Denise) and uncle (Paul); her parents; my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her family (PJ, PJ, and Kaleigh); and Karen's Lowell-loving cousin... and Bridget's godparents (Karlene and Tommy). The turnout this time around was smaller than Briana's baptism, which only feeds into the notion that the younger child gets the short end of the stick on things.
Truth be told, I was a little disappointed that my parents couldn't make it. My mother is currently on vacation in Hong Kong visiting relatives. But at the end of the day, it's okay that they weren't there. After all, my parents are not religious at all, which was a blessing growing up.
All in all, I think everyone in attendance had a good time. It can be quite the rigamarole at family gatherings. For me, the part that I enjoyed the most about the little shindig was hanging outside with PJ, PJ, and Briana. PJ and I were hanging outside, sitting in lawn chairs in the backyard, while my nephew and daughter played around in the yard. It was a good time.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
I Suck At The Cabin In The Woods
Last night, my friends (Marc and Kelley) asked if I would be interested in catching a late movie. It was not just any movie. It was the horror flick, "The Cabin in the Woods", written by none other than Buffy's own, Joss Whedon. Now, I suck at The Cabin in the Woods.
Granted, I will watch basically any movie. After all, I subjected myself to those terrible Twilight movies. Sadly enough, those Twilight movies are not even close to being the worst movies I have seen. Regardless, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to watch "The Cabin in the Woods" because 1) I am a big fan of everything Buffy; and 2) I am a big fan of horror; and 3) I am a big fan of movies with teenagers, especially blondes... and preferably cheerleaders.
Lucky for me, "The Cabin in the Woods" had all three!
(The video below is a trailer for The Cabin in the Woods)
The plot of the movie involves five teenagers (one blonde!) going to... a cabin in the woods. From there, horror and hilarity ensues. The movie definitely has Joss Whedon written all over it. Without revealing any spoilers, I will have to say that the movie was absolutely fantastic. I had a great time watching it.
In addition, it was good to actually get out of the house. I had missed the usual weekly get together due to parental obligations. So, it was nice to hang out with Marc and Kelley tonight.
For anyone curious, Marc and Kelley are actively looking for a new place. They went house hunting today and were impressed with a few of the homes on the market. Hopefully, everything will work out for them.
All in all, I had a great time tonight. Friends, laughs, horror and Joss... what else could you ask for?
Granted, I will watch basically any movie. After all, I subjected myself to those terrible Twilight movies. Sadly enough, those Twilight movies are not even close to being the worst movies I have seen. Regardless, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to watch "The Cabin in the Woods" because 1) I am a big fan of everything Buffy; and 2) I am a big fan of horror; and 3) I am a big fan of movies with teenagers, especially blondes... and preferably cheerleaders.
Lucky for me, "The Cabin in the Woods" had all three!
(The video below is a trailer for The Cabin in the Woods)
The plot of the movie involves five teenagers (one blonde!) going to... a cabin in the woods. From there, horror and hilarity ensues. The movie definitely has Joss Whedon written all over it. Without revealing any spoilers, I will have to say that the movie was absolutely fantastic. I had a great time watching it.
In addition, it was good to actually get out of the house. I had missed the usual weekly get together due to parental obligations. So, it was nice to hang out with Marc and Kelley tonight.
For anyone curious, Marc and Kelley are actively looking for a new place. They went house hunting today and were impressed with a few of the homes on the market. Hopefully, everything will work out for them.
All in all, I had a great time tonight. Friends, laughs, horror and Joss... what else could you ask for?
Monday, April 9, 2012
I Suck At Easter
Yesterday was the day Jesus Christ became a zombie. Just kidding. Happy Easter everyone! Yes, I suck at Easter.
My Easter morning began with a little egg hunt. As it was a little cold during the morning, we decided to hide some eggs for our two year old daughter (Briana) within the house. For me, it was cute watching Briana searching for eggs. When she found one, she would yell "Egg!" and hold it up in the air for both Karen and I to see. It's those little things that crack me up.
Following the hunt, Karen and I along with our newborn (Bridget) and Briana were invited over to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) for brunch. It was good to see the in-laws. There may have been an initial rigamarole with the brunch because Janine lost her list detailing who was bringing what, but in the end it all worked out.
My nephew (PJ) cracked me up. In an effort to make some money (to buy a robot), he was asking everyone if they wanted their cars vacuumed for a paltry $2. "I want my $2." That was a reference to the classic movie, "Better Off Dead". Mental note: make sure to get your car vacuumed first. PJ seems to lose focus after the first vacuuming.
Needless to say, PJ is one step closer to getting that robot. My niece (Kaleigh) also wanted in on the action, but she had yet to figure out what she could do to earn money. I was going to suggest babysitting only because she does a great job playing with Briana. I then thought better of telling my niece that suggestion since then she would probably demand that I pay her whenever she played with Briana.
All in all, it was good to see my in-laws, Janine's BFF (Gretchen) and PJ's relatives. Sadly, I did not get to see my father on Easter. Apparently, my father spent Easter alone after telling me that he had plans for Easter while my mother was away. Turns out, my father's plans were shorter than expected. As a result, he was home alone for the entire day. Thankfully, the neighbors brought him over an Easter dinner. I thought that was very nice of them.
My Easter morning began with a little egg hunt. As it was a little cold during the morning, we decided to hide some eggs for our two year old daughter (Briana) within the house. For me, it was cute watching Briana searching for eggs. When she found one, she would yell "Egg!" and hold it up in the air for both Karen and I to see. It's those little things that crack me up.
Following the hunt, Karen and I along with our newborn (Bridget) and Briana were invited over to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) for brunch. It was good to see the in-laws. There may have been an initial rigamarole with the brunch because Janine lost her list detailing who was bringing what, but in the end it all worked out.
My nephew (PJ) cracked me up. In an effort to make some money (to buy a robot), he was asking everyone if they wanted their cars vacuumed for a paltry $2. "I want my $2." That was a reference to the classic movie, "Better Off Dead". Mental note: make sure to get your car vacuumed first. PJ seems to lose focus after the first vacuuming.
Needless to say, PJ is one step closer to getting that robot. My niece (Kaleigh) also wanted in on the action, but she had yet to figure out what she could do to earn money. I was going to suggest babysitting only because she does a great job playing with Briana. I then thought better of telling my niece that suggestion since then she would probably demand that I pay her whenever she played with Briana.
All in all, it was good to see my in-laws, Janine's BFF (Gretchen) and PJ's relatives. Sadly, I did not get to see my father on Easter. Apparently, my father spent Easter alone after telling me that he had plans for Easter while my mother was away. Turns out, my father's plans were shorter than expected. As a result, he was home alone for the entire day. Thankfully, the neighbors brought him over an Easter dinner. I thought that was very nice of them.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
I Suck At Seeing My Friend
Today started off with a pleasant surprise. My friend (Jen) stopped on by for a visit this morning. Now, I suck at seeing my friend. With the seemingly vast time-suck of raising two children, I don't get to see Jen all that often. So it was definitely a nice surprise when she called asking to stop on by.
Jen has been a little stressed of late, having to deal with some family medical issues. Thankfully, the medical issues are resolving themselves, which is nice.
Among the other topics of conversation that came up were Dancing with the Stars, the Hunger Games, and a book from a mutual acquaintance that we know. For anyone curious, we were discussing Urkel's apparent feud with his instructor, Kym. Apparently Jen and I have been reading Yahoo news.
As for the Hunger Games, Jen is currently reading the book. And naturally, since I like all things teeny-bopperish, I too am curious about the book. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the book is at least better written than that god-awful dribble known as Twilight. "I shouldn't love you... but I do." And then repeat the line exponentially throughout the book.
Speaking of Hunger Games, my friends (Marc and Kelley) mentioned the seemingly similar Japanese version, Battle Royale. I am quite curious about that as well, if only because there is supposed to be more blood. I'm easy to please that way.
As for the other book by our mutual acquaintance, I must say that I am mildly interested. Don't get me wrong, I think it's awesome that he got his work published. Sadly, the premise of the story seems awfully corny as it involves vampires and the post office. Hence, the mild interest. So I'm not sold on it just yet. Although if the lead character were a hot blonde, I may reconsider. Just kidding.
Anyway, the rest of the day was rather ho-hum. Karen and I got some flowers for our son (Braden) who passed away in 2008. Incidentally, today was the first time our newborn daughter (Bridget) got to meet her older brother at the cemetery. So that was nice. Other than that, today was pretty uneventful.
Jen has been a little stressed of late, having to deal with some family medical issues. Thankfully, the medical issues are resolving themselves, which is nice.
Among the other topics of conversation that came up were Dancing with the Stars, the Hunger Games, and a book from a mutual acquaintance that we know. For anyone curious, we were discussing Urkel's apparent feud with his instructor, Kym. Apparently Jen and I have been reading Yahoo news.
As for the Hunger Games, Jen is currently reading the book. And naturally, since I like all things teeny-bopperish, I too am curious about the book. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the book is at least better written than that god-awful dribble known as Twilight. "I shouldn't love you... but I do." And then repeat the line exponentially throughout the book.
Speaking of Hunger Games, my friends (Marc and Kelley) mentioned the seemingly similar Japanese version, Battle Royale. I am quite curious about that as well, if only because there is supposed to be more blood. I'm easy to please that way.
As for the other book by our mutual acquaintance, I must say that I am mildly interested. Don't get me wrong, I think it's awesome that he got his work published. Sadly, the premise of the story seems awfully corny as it involves vampires and the post office. Hence, the mild interest. So I'm not sold on it just yet. Although if the lead character were a hot blonde, I may reconsider. Just kidding.
Anyway, the rest of the day was rather ho-hum. Karen and I got some flowers for our son (Braden) who passed away in 2008. Incidentally, today was the first time our newborn daughter (Bridget) got to meet her older brother at the cemetery. So that was nice. Other than that, today was pretty uneventful.
I Suck At Coloring Easter Eggs
On Friday, Karen and I were invited to my friend's (Andrea) to color Easter eggs. More specifically, our daughter (Briana) was invited to Andrea's. Our other daughter (Bridget) was also able to tag along. Being a little over one month, Bridget can't really do many things yet... like color an Easter egg. Needless to say, I suck at coloring Easter eggs.
For almost a decade now, Andrea has hosted an annual egg coloring event for children. From what I have been told, people used to drop off their children at Andrea's for a few hours to paint eggs. The only requirements were that the kids had to be three years of age and potty trained. I have to hand it to Andrea. I don't know how she did it in the past with all of those kids. I have trouble just taking care of two children at home.
Anyway, Andrea has been a little more lax in her requirements. After all, Briana recently turned two and is definitely not potty trained. I can attest to her stinky diapers. So it was a pleasure to be invited. And with it being our first time, we got to experience the whole new world of egg decorating.
I must say, egg decorating has come a long way from when I used to decorate eggs. I remember using the wire spoon to dip the egg in the dye. Now, there are brushes and whatnot. There was this device that spun the egg in a container with coloring. To me, the device reminded me of a Tupperware salad spinner with the only exception that instead of a crank, there was a button to push that made the inside spin. Now that I think of it some more, there is a toy turtle that Briana likes to play with at my mother-in-law's that is also like this egg coloring device.
I was actually quite impressed. All the children there did an amazing job of decorating their eggs. They looked great. You can tell Andrea is a pro at this. She had egg cartons labelled with the child's name on it, the plastic table cloth, the bowl of a gazillion hard boiled eggs, etc. As a side note, the thought of egg salad did dance in my mind. I am one of a select few people that I know who actually enjoys the taste of egg salad. I may have also eaten a little too much egg salad at one time in my life. (Yes, there is a story behind that.)
All in all, it was great time. I think Briana enjoyed it as well. Thanks Andrea!
For almost a decade now, Andrea has hosted an annual egg coloring event for children. From what I have been told, people used to drop off their children at Andrea's for a few hours to paint eggs. The only requirements were that the kids had to be three years of age and potty trained. I have to hand it to Andrea. I don't know how she did it in the past with all of those kids. I have trouble just taking care of two children at home.
Anyway, Andrea has been a little more lax in her requirements. After all, Briana recently turned two and is definitely not potty trained. I can attest to her stinky diapers. So it was a pleasure to be invited. And with it being our first time, we got to experience the whole new world of egg decorating.
I must say, egg decorating has come a long way from when I used to decorate eggs. I remember using the wire spoon to dip the egg in the dye. Now, there are brushes and whatnot. There was this device that spun the egg in a container with coloring. To me, the device reminded me of a Tupperware salad spinner with the only exception that instead of a crank, there was a button to push that made the inside spin. Now that I think of it some more, there is a toy turtle that Briana likes to play with at my mother-in-law's that is also like this egg coloring device.
I was actually quite impressed. All the children there did an amazing job of decorating their eggs. They looked great. You can tell Andrea is a pro at this. She had egg cartons labelled with the child's name on it, the plastic table cloth, the bowl of a gazillion hard boiled eggs, etc. As a side note, the thought of egg salad did dance in my mind. I am one of a select few people that I know who actually enjoys the taste of egg salad. I may have also eaten a little too much egg salad at one time in my life. (Yes, there is a story behind that.)
All in all, it was great time. I think Briana enjoyed it as well. Thanks Andrea!
I Suck At Remembering Things
It should come as no surprise to my friends that I have selective memory. I guess you could say I suck at remembering things. And I guess it's probably a good thing that I have this blog so that I can look back at previous posts to jog my memory.
On Thursday, Karen and I hung out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) for our weekly get together. Andrea was kind enough to do hosting duties for the week, so all of us met there. Karen and I were actually game time decisions because neither of us have been getting that much sleep lately due to our newborn's (Bridget) habit of waking up every few hours during the night. Luckily for us, Bridget and our two year old (Briana) were cooperating with us on Thursday, so we were able to get together.
Anyway, on the agenda for the night was the latest episode of Community. I simply find that show hysterical. After all, what show can give us things like the "All Tomato"? Needless to say, the episode was quite enjoyable.
While at Andrea's, I had a conversation with my old drinking buddy, Kelley. We were discussing how tired I have been, to which I commented that Bridget has been more of a sleep-depriver than Briana at that age. Briana is an angel... or so I thought. It wasn't until Kelley mentioned that I seemed pretty exhausted with Briana back in the day that I started to think that perhaps I do have selective memory. (Hence, the I suck at remembering things... thing.)
Regardless, the conversation intrigued me because it got me thinking about the past and my recollection of it. Interestingly enough, Kelley is also known to have memory lapses. She used to forget things that happened minutes prior. There were times when we were watching "Lost" that she would have these "wouldn't it be cool if..." something happened moments... only to have already watched that something happening minutes prior to asking like she did not remember watching it minutes prior.
One of the other topics of conversation for the night that I remember was about Andrea's new car. For anyone curious, Andrea got a new car; a Nissan Rogue to be exact. It's a very nice car. She recounted her sweet deal in getting the car. And a sweet deal it was.
All in all, it was great night to hang out with friends and have a few laughs.
On Thursday, Karen and I hung out with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) for our weekly get together. Andrea was kind enough to do hosting duties for the week, so all of us met there. Karen and I were actually game time decisions because neither of us have been getting that much sleep lately due to our newborn's (Bridget) habit of waking up every few hours during the night. Luckily for us, Bridget and our two year old (Briana) were cooperating with us on Thursday, so we were able to get together.
Anyway, on the agenda for the night was the latest episode of Community. I simply find that show hysterical. After all, what show can give us things like the "All Tomato"? Needless to say, the episode was quite enjoyable.
While at Andrea's, I had a conversation with my old drinking buddy, Kelley. We were discussing how tired I have been, to which I commented that Bridget has been more of a sleep-depriver than Briana at that age. Briana is an angel... or so I thought. It wasn't until Kelley mentioned that I seemed pretty exhausted with Briana back in the day that I started to think that perhaps I do have selective memory. (Hence, the I suck at remembering things... thing.)
Regardless, the conversation intrigued me because it got me thinking about the past and my recollection of it. Interestingly enough, Kelley is also known to have memory lapses. She used to forget things that happened minutes prior. There were times when we were watching "Lost" that she would have these "wouldn't it be cool if..." something happened moments... only to have already watched that something happening minutes prior to asking like she did not remember watching it minutes prior.
One of the other topics of conversation for the night that I remember was about Andrea's new car. For anyone curious, Andrea got a new car; a Nissan Rogue to be exact. It's a very nice car. She recounted her sweet deal in getting the car. And a sweet deal it was.
All in all, it was great night to hang out with friends and have a few laughs.
Friday, April 6, 2012
I Suck At Power Washing
On Wednesday, I did probably the most productive thing all week: I worked on the house. I am currently in-between jobs. I don't start my new job until Monday. And I left my previous place of employment on Friday. So I have been off the entire week. Unfortunately, the work never stops when you are raising a two year old (Briana) and a newborn daughter (Bridget).
This past Wednesday, my mother-in-law came down for a visit. Luckily for me, she decided to take Briana out for a walk around the neighborhood. Consequently, that left me ample time to finally do something productive this week: power wash the house. Now, I suck at power washing.
My house desperately needed a good washing. Dirt and green slime were beginning to climb up the vinyl siding. Heck, my friends (Dolores and Loser Tom) even noticed the filth that was on the outside of the house when they had visited on Saturday.
It's weird how raising two children seems to suck the time away. Needless to say, with the free time thanks to my in-laws, I power washed the house. It felt fantastic to actually get something accomplished other than changing dirty diapers, doing laundry, giving baths, or getting breakfast, lunch and dinner ready for the kids. Granted, I was absolutely soaked from washing the house. Mental note: wear a rain jacket the next time. As well, do not spray the hose upward above your head because the water will come back down.
All in all, it was a great day.
This past Wednesday, my mother-in-law came down for a visit. Luckily for me, she decided to take Briana out for a walk around the neighborhood. Consequently, that left me ample time to finally do something productive this week: power wash the house. Now, I suck at power washing.
My house desperately needed a good washing. Dirt and green slime were beginning to climb up the vinyl siding. Heck, my friends (Dolores and Loser Tom) even noticed the filth that was on the outside of the house when they had visited on Saturday.
It's weird how raising two children seems to suck the time away. Needless to say, with the free time thanks to my in-laws, I power washed the house. It felt fantastic to actually get something accomplished other than changing dirty diapers, doing laundry, giving baths, or getting breakfast, lunch and dinner ready for the kids. Granted, I was absolutely soaked from washing the house. Mental note: wear a rain jacket the next time. As well, do not spray the hose upward above your head because the water will come back down.
All in all, it was a great day.
I Suck At Church
For those who know me, they know that I am not a big fan of religion. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate what religion has to offer. Idioms like "Thou shalt not kill" are pretty good words to live by. At the same time, the hypocrisy of religion frustrates me. And more often than naught, I find that the hypocrisy far outweighs the good of religion.
On Sunday, I attended church with Karen and my daughters (Briana and Bridget). Now, I suck at church. It just so happens that on Sunday, the local church was having an Easter egg hunt for the children. Truth be told, it was a nicely organized Easter egg hunt complete with Easter bunny. (I'm assuming a bloody Christ figure would not go over too well with children looking for eggs.)
For anyone curious, Easter... is actually Eostre or Ostara. Those pagans had it first and they celebrated the event with signs of fertility. Hence, the bunny and eggs.
Anyway, like I said, I'm not churchfolk. I have not tasted the Kool-Aid. But, I would expect that people who are churchfolk would be kind and courteous, especially right after a church mass. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed during the Easter egg hunt. Parents were mowing other people down so that their child could get a plastic egg filled with candy. There were children with bags overflowing with eggs. To me, it was like a Greedfest. Don't get me wrong. Not everyone was that bad. There was this one nice family. The father made his son give his eggs to other children who were not as fortunate as he was in collecting eggs. I thought that was nice, and really what the event should have been about. But that's just my opinion.
Naturally, while I was taking a mental tab of yet another reason why religion is chock full of hypocrisy, Briana was having fun just watching the Easter bunny. She would walk only so close to the Easter bunny... and just stare. Then when the bunny walked away, she would sort of follow... and then stare again. It was interesting.
Easter egg hunt aside, the rest of Sunday turned out to be a family day as we were invited over to my in-laws for dinner.
On Sunday, I attended church with Karen and my daughters (Briana and Bridget). Now, I suck at church. It just so happens that on Sunday, the local church was having an Easter egg hunt for the children. Truth be told, it was a nicely organized Easter egg hunt complete with Easter bunny. (I'm assuming a bloody Christ figure would not go over too well with children looking for eggs.)
For anyone curious, Easter... is actually Eostre or Ostara. Those pagans had it first and they celebrated the event with signs of fertility. Hence, the bunny and eggs.
Anyway, like I said, I'm not churchfolk. I have not tasted the Kool-Aid. But, I would expect that people who are churchfolk would be kind and courteous, especially right after a church mass. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed during the Easter egg hunt. Parents were mowing other people down so that their child could get a plastic egg filled with candy. There were children with bags overflowing with eggs. To me, it was like a Greedfest. Don't get me wrong. Not everyone was that bad. There was this one nice family. The father made his son give his eggs to other children who were not as fortunate as he was in collecting eggs. I thought that was nice, and really what the event should have been about. But that's just my opinion.
Naturally, while I was taking a mental tab of yet another reason why religion is chock full of hypocrisy, Briana was having fun just watching the Easter bunny. She would walk only so close to the Easter bunny... and just stare. Then when the bunny walked away, she would sort of follow... and then stare again. It was interesting.
Easter egg hunt aside, the rest of Sunday turned out to be a family day as we were invited over to my in-laws for dinner.
I Suck At Touch A Fire Truck
Saturday has been quite the busy day. Granted, I woke up late at 9:00 AM thanks in part to my non-sleeping newborn daughter (Bridget).
Anyway, the day began with a little visit to the public library, which only seems fitting since I am running to be on the Board of Trustees for the public library. Nevertheless, the public library was having a family event called "Touch A Fire Truck". Too bad I suck at Touch a Fire Truck.
For anyone curious, the name of the event says it all. The town's firefighters would be at the library, complete with an actual fire engine for kids (and adults) to see... and touch. The fire fighters provided little plastic fire helmets and balls to the children to play with. I wonder if my BFF (Kerry), who apparently seems to know all things firefighter related, knows the fire chief. Just kidding.
Needless to say, Karen and I ended up taking our two year old daughter (Briana) and Bridget to the event. We also ended up taking my nephew (PJ) to the event as well to give him a little break from going shopping with his sister and mother, which I'm sure is thrilling. Briana, incidentally, did not seem that into the event. She was more into the sugar cookie at the refreshment stand than the fire truck.
It was good hanging out with my nephew. We ended up taking him and our daughters to Chipotle too for lunch. It was the first time he had ever eaten at Chipotle and he appeared to enjoy it. For anyone curious, we ended up at the Chipotle at the Derby Shoppes in Hingham because there was a family event for Easter that we also wanted to attend. Yes, Saturday was family event day.
At the Derby Shoppes, Briana did a craft project involving making bunny ears. There was also an obstacle course, but Briana seemed more interested in... you guessed it... food. This time, it was the chocolate eggs that caught her fancy.
Anyway, with all the family events complete, my friends (Dolores and Tom) stopped on by for a visit. They wanted to do a little meet and greet with Bridget, which is commonplace these days. It was good to see Dolores and Loser Tom. I haven't seen them since our little excursion into Boston for the dietitian summit between Karen, Dolores, and my friend (Hot Amy). Dietitians Unite!
Among the topics that came up were the show "Once Upon a Time", playing Jenga with my chimney, and a Bobcat. Dolores and I share similar interests. Among them, besides "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", are other shows like "Once Upon a Time". As well, it turns out that we both also want to own Bobcats. And by Bobcats, I am not referring to the furry animal. I mean the company that creates construction equipment like a loader, excavator, etc. Of course, I have no idea where I would even store a Bobcat, but just owning one would be pretty cool in my book.
As for Jenga with my chimney, that topic came about because we were discussing with Loser Tom, who is a handyman on the side, how to remove a chimney. Our house used to have a chimney stack that ran straight through the middle of the house. When we renovated our house and added a second floor, the chimney was rendered inoperable. Instead of carrying the chimney through our second floor and consequently through the roof, we had the heat vented directly out the side of the house instead. Unfortunately, the bricks that made up the chimney remained on the existing first floor, enclosed behind a wall column. So, we were discussing with Loser Tom how to remove those bricks. Hence, Jenga with my chimney.
All in all, it was a pretty busy day. It was great to spend time with the family, and it was great to see friends.
Anyway, the day began with a little visit to the public library, which only seems fitting since I am running to be on the Board of Trustees for the public library. Nevertheless, the public library was having a family event called "Touch A Fire Truck". Too bad I suck at Touch a Fire Truck.
For anyone curious, the name of the event says it all. The town's firefighters would be at the library, complete with an actual fire engine for kids (and adults) to see... and touch. The fire fighters provided little plastic fire helmets and balls to the children to play with. I wonder if my BFF (Kerry), who apparently seems to know all things firefighter related, knows the fire chief. Just kidding.
Needless to say, Karen and I ended up taking our two year old daughter (Briana) and Bridget to the event. We also ended up taking my nephew (PJ) to the event as well to give him a little break from going shopping with his sister and mother, which I'm sure is thrilling. Briana, incidentally, did not seem that into the event. She was more into the sugar cookie at the refreshment stand than the fire truck.
It was good hanging out with my nephew. We ended up taking him and our daughters to Chipotle too for lunch. It was the first time he had ever eaten at Chipotle and he appeared to enjoy it. For anyone curious, we ended up at the Chipotle at the Derby Shoppes in Hingham because there was a family event for Easter that we also wanted to attend. Yes, Saturday was family event day.
At the Derby Shoppes, Briana did a craft project involving making bunny ears. There was also an obstacle course, but Briana seemed more interested in... you guessed it... food. This time, it was the chocolate eggs that caught her fancy.
Anyway, with all the family events complete, my friends (Dolores and Tom) stopped on by for a visit. They wanted to do a little meet and greet with Bridget, which is commonplace these days. It was good to see Dolores and Loser Tom. I haven't seen them since our little excursion into Boston for the dietitian summit between Karen, Dolores, and my friend (Hot Amy). Dietitians Unite!
Among the topics that came up were the show "Once Upon a Time", playing Jenga with my chimney, and a Bobcat. Dolores and I share similar interests. Among them, besides "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", are other shows like "Once Upon a Time". As well, it turns out that we both also want to own Bobcats. And by Bobcats, I am not referring to the furry animal. I mean the company that creates construction equipment like a loader, excavator, etc. Of course, I have no idea where I would even store a Bobcat, but just owning one would be pretty cool in my book.
As for Jenga with my chimney, that topic came about because we were discussing with Loser Tom, who is a handyman on the side, how to remove a chimney. Our house used to have a chimney stack that ran straight through the middle of the house. When we renovated our house and added a second floor, the chimney was rendered inoperable. Instead of carrying the chimney through our second floor and consequently through the roof, we had the heat vented directly out the side of the house instead. Unfortunately, the bricks that made up the chimney remained on the existing first floor, enclosed behind a wall column. So, we were discussing with Loser Tom how to remove those bricks. Hence, Jenga with my chimney.
All in all, it was a pretty busy day. It was great to spend time with the family, and it was great to see friends.
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