Instead of having a house warming, my friends (Marc and Kelley) decided to have an open house today. Too bad I suck at open houses.
The open house was good. Karen and I got to enjoy ourselves without having to worry about our children running amok. Well, we still had to worry about that. Just not directly as Karen's parents were watching our kids while we attended the open house. And as much as I love my kids, it was definitely a welcomed break.
Anyway, I had fun tonight even if Karen and I did not stay too long at the open house. (The "indirect" running amok thing.) I spent the majority of the time with my friends (Andrea, Ellen, Aimee, and Garv) and my BFF (Kerry).
Among the topics of conversation that came up were Kerry's new house, Andrea's possible career change, and Garv's podcast idea.
For anyone curious, Kerry is closing on her house this Monday. I remember the feeling of closing on our house. For me, it was both exhilarating and scary at the same time. The exhilarating part was because I had always wanted to own a home. It's the American dream, right? I had saved up after college to specifically achieve that goal. Of course, that was also the scary part: the financial aspect of it.
One of the more comical parts of the night involved Andrea's possible career change. Well, I should probably clarify it by saying her career change is not the comical part. The comical part was our discussion surrounding that topic. It turns out, Andrea has been contemplating a career change. Unfortunately, that new career is unknown to Andrea at the moment, but she would like something a little more balanced in terms of work/life. And with her upcoming birthday, she has set a goal to possibly implement this new change.
One of the possible career choices Andrea mentioned was journalism, to which Garv naturally provided his feedback on. Most of the time, Garv's ideas go in one ear and out the other... like the time he wanted to open a German bakery because his girlfriend at the time was German. Occasionally, he'll have a good idea. And tonight, I think he actually had a great idea: podcasting.
Even if the idea for Andrea doesn't work, podcasting would still be a fun activity to do with a bunch of friends. We'll see how it goes though.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
I Suck At The Olympics
The 30th Olympiad kicked off on Friday. Too bad I suck at the Olympics. For anyone who doesn't follow the Olympics, the games are held in London this year.
Truth be told, I haven't really been into the Olympic games since probably 1996, most likely because those games were held in the United States. Don't get me wrong, I've watched bits and pieces of the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Athens, and Beijing. I just never really wanted to immerse myself into the 16 days of glory... until now.
And really, I have no idea why I wanted to watch this year as opposed to any other year. I toyed with the idea of having an Olympic party for the opening ceremony. Of course, the only person I knew who would probably even attend would be my BFF (Kerry), who I knew enjoyed the Olympic games... and Ryan Lochte's swimming body.
Needless to say, I decided against the party. Instead, I watched the opening ceremonies from the confines of my couch with Karen and the our five month old daughter (Bridget). My two year old (Briana) was already in bed by that time. Looking at it now, it was probably a good decision that I didn't have a party because I thought the opening ceremonies were quite lacking. Of course, topping Beijing may have been difficult. Those ceremonies were pretty cool.
Regardless, I'm still looking forward to the games this year. Growing up, my parents, my brother, and I would watch the Olympics a lot. Heck, we may even have participated in those McDonald's Olympic tie-in promotions. And although I can't say for certain, my fondness for track and field may have been a result of the Olympics, particularly the 1984 games held in Los Angeles where Carl Lewis matched Jesse Owens feat of four gold medals. It was a pretty amazing feat.
I don't know. Maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic about my family.
Truth be told, I haven't really been into the Olympic games since probably 1996, most likely because those games were held in the United States. Don't get me wrong, I've watched bits and pieces of the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Athens, and Beijing. I just never really wanted to immerse myself into the 16 days of glory... until now.
And really, I have no idea why I wanted to watch this year as opposed to any other year. I toyed with the idea of having an Olympic party for the opening ceremony. Of course, the only person I knew who would probably even attend would be my BFF (Kerry), who I knew enjoyed the Olympic games... and Ryan Lochte's swimming body.
Needless to say, I decided against the party. Instead, I watched the opening ceremonies from the confines of my couch with Karen and the our five month old daughter (Bridget). My two year old (Briana) was already in bed by that time. Looking at it now, it was probably a good decision that I didn't have a party because I thought the opening ceremonies were quite lacking. Of course, topping Beijing may have been difficult. Those ceremonies were pretty cool.
Regardless, I'm still looking forward to the games this year. Growing up, my parents, my brother, and I would watch the Olympics a lot. Heck, we may even have participated in those McDonald's Olympic tie-in promotions. And although I can't say for certain, my fondness for track and field may have been a result of the Olympics, particularly the 1984 games held in Los Angeles where Carl Lewis matched Jesse Owens feat of four gold medals. It was a pretty amazing feat.
I don't know. Maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic about my family.
I Suck At Tangled
On Thursday, Karen and I had an impromptu date night of sorts. Having heard that neither Karen nor I ever saw the Disney movie, "Tangled", one of Karen's coworkers lent Karen the DVD.
Now, I suck at Tangled. Being a fan of Disney movies, I wanted to see the movie when it came out in the theaters, especially because the movie contained one of my prerequisites: namely, a blonde. (Ooh! Shiny!) Unfortunately, I just never got around to seeing the movie.
For anyone curious, the following is the trailer for Tangled.
Needless to say, Karen and I watched Tangled after putting the kids to bed. I enjoyed the movie a lot. In my opinion, the best characters in the movie were the ones who weren't human. But movie aside, it was nice to do something with just Karen even if it was just watching a movie together at home.
Now, I suck at Tangled. Being a fan of Disney movies, I wanted to see the movie when it came out in the theaters, especially because the movie contained one of my prerequisites: namely, a blonde. (Ooh! Shiny!) Unfortunately, I just never got around to seeing the movie.
For anyone curious, the following is the trailer for Tangled.
Needless to say, Karen and I watched Tangled after putting the kids to bed. I enjoyed the movie a lot. In my opinion, the best characters in the movie were the ones who weren't human. But movie aside, it was nice to do something with just Karen even if it was just watching a movie together at home.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
I Suck At UFC
For most of today, my day has been pretty uneventful.
After months and months of putting off home improvement projects, I finally checked off one of the items on the list of things to fix: the kitchen sink. For some time, our kitchen sink has been leaking water from the faucet stem. It's an easy repair. It just seems like I haven't been able to go to a home improvement store... until today.
Anyway, the repair probably took about ten minutes, if even that. I probably spent more time going to the store than actually repairing the faucet. But as of right now, the faucet is no longer leaking. I wonder how much water was wasted from the leak. Hopefully it wasn't too much.
Aside from that, the rest of my day involved watching my two year old daughter (Briana) and my five month old daughter (Bridget) while Karen went out with our friend (Jen). I'm not exactly sure as to what they ended up doing, but I think it was good for Karen to spend some quality time without me or the kids. I'm all about individualism and keeping a sense of the self. Perhaps it's because of my psychology, sociology, philosophy, anthropology courses of study in college.
Shortly after Karen returned from her outing, I actually left for mine. My friends (Marc and Kelley) had invited me over for the UFC fight earlier in the day. Too bad I suck at UFC. Joining in on the UFC fun was my friend (Andrea).
It was a fun time. One of the topics of conversation that came up was my porn name. Apparently, Andrea, Marc, and Kelley decided last night that my porn name would be "Mikey Cupcakes". I really have no idea as to how that came about, but I'll go with it. Why not? I guess the name doubles as a mafia name as well.
Sadly, I did not stay too long to watch the fight. Shortly into the pay-per-view, my stomach started to feel a little queasy. It quickly went from "Hey, I don't remember having corn"... to "How can I still be going? I have nothing left in me". Needless to say, I wasn't feeling all that great and had to call it a night.
Thankfully, I was able to get home before any other tummy cringes occurred. Nevertheless, the night out was fun while it lasted.
After months and months of putting off home improvement projects, I finally checked off one of the items on the list of things to fix: the kitchen sink. For some time, our kitchen sink has been leaking water from the faucet stem. It's an easy repair. It just seems like I haven't been able to go to a home improvement store... until today.
Anyway, the repair probably took about ten minutes, if even that. I probably spent more time going to the store than actually repairing the faucet. But as of right now, the faucet is no longer leaking. I wonder how much water was wasted from the leak. Hopefully it wasn't too much.
Aside from that, the rest of my day involved watching my two year old daughter (Briana) and my five month old daughter (Bridget) while Karen went out with our friend (Jen). I'm not exactly sure as to what they ended up doing, but I think it was good for Karen to spend some quality time without me or the kids. I'm all about individualism and keeping a sense of the self. Perhaps it's because of my psychology, sociology, philosophy, anthropology courses of study in college.
Shortly after Karen returned from her outing, I actually left for mine. My friends (Marc and Kelley) had invited me over for the UFC fight earlier in the day. Too bad I suck at UFC. Joining in on the UFC fun was my friend (Andrea).
It was a fun time. One of the topics of conversation that came up was my porn name. Apparently, Andrea, Marc, and Kelley decided last night that my porn name would be "Mikey Cupcakes". I really have no idea as to how that came about, but I'll go with it. Why not? I guess the name doubles as a mafia name as well.
Sadly, I did not stay too long to watch the fight. Shortly into the pay-per-view, my stomach started to feel a little queasy. It quickly went from "Hey, I don't remember having corn"... to "How can I still be going? I have nothing left in me". Needless to say, I wasn't feeling all that great and had to call it a night.
Thankfully, I was able to get home before any other tummy cringes occurred. Nevertheless, the night out was fun while it lasted.
I Suck At The 99 Restaurant
On Friday, Karen and I decided to take our two year old daughter (Briana) and our five month old daughter (Bridget) out for dinner. Truth be told, we were both feeling a little lazy on Friday when it came to dinner. So dining out it was.
And thanks to Cody Ross and the Red Sox, we ended up at the 99 Restaurant. For anyone who does not know, kids eat free the day after a Red Sox victory. It was looking pretty bleak for the Red Sox on Thursday night as they trailed in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Cody Ross pulled it off. Unfortunately, I suck at the 99 Restaurant.
Truth be told, it was a nice dinner. I had been craving a burger for some time, so I ordered the Brewhouse Burger. Sadly, the most notable part of dinner involved Briana only because it was the first time she ever threw up solid food. And of course, it had to be at a restaurant.
Briana was good though. I think she just had too much in her mouth at one time and it just went down the wrong way. Consequently, up came a lot of the food she had eaten. She seemed totally unfazed by the entire thing because she started eating the rest of her food as though nothing happened.
And since we were in the neighborhood, we stopped by my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) after dinner. Janine and PJ were grilling pizza for dinner. Janine's BFF (Gretchen) was also there with her niece, whom she had been watching for the past few days.
It was an interesting time at Janine's. One of the topics of conversation that came up was the Cookie Monster parody of Carly Rae Jepsen's song. For anyone curious, the following is that particular parody. Sesame Street is so clever.
And to cap off the night, PJ had a mini fireworks display for the kids. It was definitely a nice way to end the night.
And thanks to Cody Ross and the Red Sox, we ended up at the 99 Restaurant. For anyone who does not know, kids eat free the day after a Red Sox victory. It was looking pretty bleak for the Red Sox on Thursday night as they trailed in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Cody Ross pulled it off. Unfortunately, I suck at the 99 Restaurant.
Truth be told, it was a nice dinner. I had been craving a burger for some time, so I ordered the Brewhouse Burger. Sadly, the most notable part of dinner involved Briana only because it was the first time she ever threw up solid food. And of course, it had to be at a restaurant.
Briana was good though. I think she just had too much in her mouth at one time and it just went down the wrong way. Consequently, up came a lot of the food she had eaten. She seemed totally unfazed by the entire thing because she started eating the rest of her food as though nothing happened.
And since we were in the neighborhood, we stopped by my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) after dinner. Janine and PJ were grilling pizza for dinner. Janine's BFF (Gretchen) was also there with her niece, whom she had been watching for the past few days.
It was an interesting time at Janine's. One of the topics of conversation that came up was the Cookie Monster parody of Carly Rae Jepsen's song. For anyone curious, the following is that particular parody. Sesame Street is so clever.
And to cap off the night, PJ had a mini fireworks display for the kids. It was definitely a nice way to end the night.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
I Still Suck At Staples
I must have an addiction to Staples because I still suck at Staples.
Today, I went to Staples... again. It was the third time in seven days. I guess I just can't resist the alluring temptation of coupons. It just so happens that this week, there is a coupon for Zebra writing instruments. And coincidentally, Zebra pens are on sale at Staples this week.
With coupon in hand, I got the following items today: two 5 packs of Zebra ballpoint pens, a 5 pack of Bic Matic Grip mechanical pencils, two Staples writing pads, and two packs of Avery insertable dividers. After rebates and coupons, the amount should come to pocket change, which in this case is about 29 cents.
That's not bad. If everything goes according to plan with the rebates, then essentially all three trips that I made to Staples will be entirely free as the overage from the first trip would cover the two subsequent trips. Yay!
Today, I went to Staples... again. It was the third time in seven days. I guess I just can't resist the alluring temptation of coupons. It just so happens that this week, there is a coupon for Zebra writing instruments. And coincidentally, Zebra pens are on sale at Staples this week.
With coupon in hand, I got the following items today: two 5 packs of Zebra ballpoint pens, a 5 pack of Bic Matic Grip mechanical pencils, two Staples writing pads, and two packs of Avery insertable dividers. After rebates and coupons, the amount should come to pocket change, which in this case is about 29 cents.
That's not bad. If everything goes according to plan with the rebates, then essentially all three trips that I made to Staples will be entirely free as the overage from the first trip would cover the two subsequent trips. Yay!
Monday, July 16, 2012
I Suck At Tree-Berry Farm
The highlight of Sunday was definitely our blueberry picking trip to Tree-Berry Farm. Too bad I suck at Tree-Berry Farm.
For those who have never been to Tree-Berry Farm, the place is located in Scituate, near the Norwell/Scituate border. I would highly recommend the place to anyone wanting to score some delicious little antioxidant yumminess, known as blueberries.
I haven't been blueberry picking in quite some time. I think the last time may have been the time Karen and I went with my BFF (Kerry), which was four years ago. That was quite some time ago.
Needless to say, I had a great time despite the humid weather. Karen and I brought our two year old daughter (Briana) and our four month old daughter (Bridget). My parents also came along for the trip too, as my mother was quite interested in picking blueberries.
For Briana, Bridget, and my parents, it was the first time any of them went blueberry picking. I'm not sure who enjoyed it the most: my daughters or my parents. My mother was totally ecstatic about picking blueberries. She has even talked about going back already. Had I known she would enjoy it so much, I would have invited her sooner.
My daughter, Briana enjoyed picking blueberries for a little while. Truth be told, she probably enjoyed eating the fresh blueberries over picking them. There was a brief moment of time where I did not think I could keep up with her eating of the blueberries. I'd pick a couple of blueberries. Briana would eat three. I'd pick a couple more. She'd eat the same number that I put in.
Eventually, Briana got full... and hot being in the humid weather. And really, we couldn't stay long in the sun anyway because Bridget is at the age where she still can't wear sunscreen. So we really did not stay long at all. But we ended up with a good amount of blueberries nonetheless.
All in all, it was definitely a fun time. I'll have to go back before the season ends.
For those who have never been to Tree-Berry Farm, the place is located in Scituate, near the Norwell/Scituate border. I would highly recommend the place to anyone wanting to score some delicious little antioxidant yumminess, known as blueberries.
I haven't been blueberry picking in quite some time. I think the last time may have been the time Karen and I went with my BFF (Kerry), which was four years ago. That was quite some time ago.
Needless to say, I had a great time despite the humid weather. Karen and I brought our two year old daughter (Briana) and our four month old daughter (Bridget). My parents also came along for the trip too, as my mother was quite interested in picking blueberries.
For Briana, Bridget, and my parents, it was the first time any of them went blueberry picking. I'm not sure who enjoyed it the most: my daughters or my parents. My mother was totally ecstatic about picking blueberries. She has even talked about going back already. Had I known she would enjoy it so much, I would have invited her sooner.
My daughter, Briana enjoyed picking blueberries for a little while. Truth be told, she probably enjoyed eating the fresh blueberries over picking them. There was a brief moment of time where I did not think I could keep up with her eating of the blueberries. I'd pick a couple of blueberries. Briana would eat three. I'd pick a couple more. She'd eat the same number that I put in.
Eventually, Briana got full... and hot being in the humid weather. And really, we couldn't stay long in the sun anyway because Bridget is at the age where she still can't wear sunscreen. So we really did not stay long at all. But we ended up with a good amount of blueberries nonetheless.
All in all, it was definitely a fun time. I'll have to go back before the season ends.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
I Suck At Brave
Today, Karen and I took my niece (Kaleigh) out for her birthday. It has been one of the few family traditions that I actually enjoy.
Ever since my niece and nephew were young, Karen and I decided that we would do something with them for their respective birthdays until they no longer wanted us to do so. It was a way for us to give a gift of a memory, as opposed to just giving them some secular toy or whatever that would most likely collect dust after a few years and become clutter.
Lucky for us, neither Karen nor I have reached that stage yet for my niece and nephew where we are uncool to hang out with. So today, we ended up taking Kaleigh to see the latest Disney Pixar film: Brave. Now, I suck at Brave.
Without giving anything away, I enjoyed the movie. Plus, we got to see the trailer for another upcoming animated movie with a video game theme that looked pretty funny as well: Wreck-It Ralph. And although I can't say for certain, I think Karen may have shed a tear during one of the more touching mother/daughter scenes of the movie.
My father-in-law also joined us for the movie. He has been wanting to see Brave. Originally, he was planning to take my niece and nephew to the movie, but apparently Karen and I threw a wrench into that plan. Consequently, he came with us to the movie which was somewhat comical because Kaleigh imposed a rule for my father-in-law: no talking during the movie.
And after the movie, we headed to one of Kaleigh's favorite dining spots for lunch: the 99 Restaurant. It was fun to hang out with just Kaleigh. And of course, no birthday celebration would be complete without having the staff of the 99 sing Happy Birthday to Kaleigh, right? Needless to say, the staff was very accommodating.
I probably should mention that Kaleigh's birthday was two months ago. Two months ago, the plan was to do something else entirely. But since my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) never provided us with an available date to take her out back then, we waited... and waited... until the timeframe for celebration became a little absurd.
Incidentally, Janine wanted to do a similar tradition with my two year old daughter (Briana). She had been talking about taking Briana to the zoo. That was almost four months ago and she hasn't gone. So at least our delayed birthday celebration for Kaleigh isn't as bad in comparison.
All in all, I think Kaleigh had a good time watching Brave and having lunch with us, which is what is important. She even got to spend some additional time with us as we watched her and my nephew for a few hours while Janine went to the movies herself with PJ and her BFF (Gretchen).
Ever since my niece and nephew were young, Karen and I decided that we would do something with them for their respective birthdays until they no longer wanted us to do so. It was a way for us to give a gift of a memory, as opposed to just giving them some secular toy or whatever that would most likely collect dust after a few years and become clutter.
Lucky for us, neither Karen nor I have reached that stage yet for my niece and nephew where we are uncool to hang out with. So today, we ended up taking Kaleigh to see the latest Disney Pixar film: Brave. Now, I suck at Brave.
Without giving anything away, I enjoyed the movie. Plus, we got to see the trailer for another upcoming animated movie with a video game theme that looked pretty funny as well: Wreck-It Ralph. And although I can't say for certain, I think Karen may have shed a tear during one of the more touching mother/daughter scenes of the movie.
My father-in-law also joined us for the movie. He has been wanting to see Brave. Originally, he was planning to take my niece and nephew to the movie, but apparently Karen and I threw a wrench into that plan. Consequently, he came with us to the movie which was somewhat comical because Kaleigh imposed a rule for my father-in-law: no talking during the movie.
And after the movie, we headed to one of Kaleigh's favorite dining spots for lunch: the 99 Restaurant. It was fun to hang out with just Kaleigh. And of course, no birthday celebration would be complete without having the staff of the 99 sing Happy Birthday to Kaleigh, right? Needless to say, the staff was very accommodating.
I probably should mention that Kaleigh's birthday was two months ago. Two months ago, the plan was to do something else entirely. But since my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) never provided us with an available date to take her out back then, we waited... and waited... until the timeframe for celebration became a little absurd.
Incidentally, Janine wanted to do a similar tradition with my two year old daughter (Briana). She had been talking about taking Briana to the zoo. That was almost four months ago and she hasn't gone. So at least our delayed birthday celebration for Kaleigh isn't as bad in comparison.
All in all, I think Kaleigh had a good time watching Brave and having lunch with us, which is what is important. She even got to spend some additional time with us as we watched her and my nephew for a few hours while Janine went to the movies herself with PJ and her BFF (Gretchen).
Saturday, July 14, 2012
I Still Suck At Staples
Friday the 13th may superstitiously bring bad luck to some people. For me, the day apparently seems to bring out my desire for shopping.
During my lunch break yet again, I went to Staples in Weymouth. Now, I still suck at Staples. It was, however, my second trip to the store in four days. And like last time, I was armed with a coupon in hand and was ready to score some deals.
And similarly to last time, I ended up purchasing two packs of HP Everyday photo paper, two RoseArt crayons, two Staples school glue, and two BIC Round Stic ballpoint pens. But unlike last time, I also added a pack of Staples super glue, a pack of Staples glue sticks, a pack of Quartet dry erase markers, and a Staples 2013 desktop calendar.
For anyone curious, the calendar is a lot larger than I expected. And the funny thing is, as large as the calendar was, I actually almost forgot to take the calendar. The cashier practically chased after me to deliver the calendar to me.
It was a nice haul from Staples. And if my genetic math skills are correct, the entire purchase would be less than a dollar after coupons and rebates. Although if you combine the two Staples purchases for the week, the overage from the first purchase would have covered the cost of Friday's purchase. So in essence, both purchases are free. Sweet!
During my lunch break yet again, I went to Staples in Weymouth. Now, I still suck at Staples. It was, however, my second trip to the store in four days. And like last time, I was armed with a coupon in hand and was ready to score some deals.
And similarly to last time, I ended up purchasing two packs of HP Everyday photo paper, two RoseArt crayons, two Staples school glue, and two BIC Round Stic ballpoint pens. But unlike last time, I also added a pack of Staples super glue, a pack of Staples glue sticks, a pack of Quartet dry erase markers, and a Staples 2013 desktop calendar.
For anyone curious, the calendar is a lot larger than I expected. And the funny thing is, as large as the calendar was, I actually almost forgot to take the calendar. The cashier practically chased after me to deliver the calendar to me.
It was a nice haul from Staples. And if my genetic math skills are correct, the entire purchase would be less than a dollar after coupons and rebates. Although if you combine the two Staples purchases for the week, the overage from the first purchase would have covered the cost of Friday's purchase. So in essence, both purchases are free. Sweet!
Friday, July 13, 2012
I Suck At Big Brother
With my friends (Marc and Kelley) and my BFF (Kerry) vacationing down in Onset this week, Karen and I invited my friend (Andrea) over. After all, today was Thursday and we usually get together on Thursday nights.
For dinner, we ordered something easy that Andrea would eat: pizza. We haven't had Sal's Pizza in some time, so we ordered the pizza from there. As usual, the pizza was delicious.
It was definitely good to see Andrea and just hang out with her... although I'm not sure if she'd want to return ever again after all the commotion my children caused with my two year old daughter (Briana) falling down the stairs and my four month old daughter (Bridget) being fussy. But she probably got to see a side of our children that most people don't normally see.
One topic of conversation that came up was sperm banks. The discussion involved my recollection of visiting a sperm bank for a sociology class in college. "Research." Just kidding. Well, it was for a research paper.
I remember at the time that it was neat to take a tour of the facility and see the cryogenic vault. Of course, I was just a kid in college, so a lot of things seemed pretty neat and cool then. I'd be curious to see how many sperm banks now are willing to let students take a free tour of their place.
Sperm aside, the other main topic that came up was Big Brother. Now, I suck at Big Brother. In all of its seasons on television, I have never watched one episode... that is until now. With Andrea over, I happened to catch the beginning of the season premiere this year. Apparently, Andrea used to watch it.
So there we were, all glued to the television watching Big Brother. It was actually an intriguing show. And with nothing else really on television this summer, I may have to watch the show. But apparently, as Andrea warned, the show is a big time commitment as it is on multiple times during the week. So we'll see if I keep up with it or not.
All in all, I had an enjoyable time hanging out with Andrea tonight.
For dinner, we ordered something easy that Andrea would eat: pizza. We haven't had Sal's Pizza in some time, so we ordered the pizza from there. As usual, the pizza was delicious.
It was definitely good to see Andrea and just hang out with her... although I'm not sure if she'd want to return ever again after all the commotion my children caused with my two year old daughter (Briana) falling down the stairs and my four month old daughter (Bridget) being fussy. But she probably got to see a side of our children that most people don't normally see.
One topic of conversation that came up was sperm banks. The discussion involved my recollection of visiting a sperm bank for a sociology class in college. "Research." Just kidding. Well, it was for a research paper.
I remember at the time that it was neat to take a tour of the facility and see the cryogenic vault. Of course, I was just a kid in college, so a lot of things seemed pretty neat and cool then. I'd be curious to see how many sperm banks now are willing to let students take a free tour of their place.
Sperm aside, the other main topic that came up was Big Brother. Now, I suck at Big Brother. In all of its seasons on television, I have never watched one episode... that is until now. With Andrea over, I happened to catch the beginning of the season premiere this year. Apparently, Andrea used to watch it.
So there we were, all glued to the television watching Big Brother. It was actually an intriguing show. And with nothing else really on television this summer, I may have to watch the show. But apparently, as Andrea warned, the show is a big time commitment as it is on multiple times during the week. So we'll see if I keep up with it or not.
All in all, I had an enjoyable time hanging out with Andrea tonight.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
I Suck At Staples
This past Tuesday was a Staples Tuesday. Unfortunately I suck at Staples.
On a whim, I decided to go to Staples during my lunch break at work. Sure, it was an odd whim, but I received an email from Staples containing a coupon for $5 off of a $30 purchase.
Ever the sucker for a coupon, I decided to pay the local Staples a visit to see if I could make good use of the coupon. Lo and behold, there were plenty of items that caught my eye.
It really did not take me long to accumulate enough items to break the $30 mark. Those items included two packs of HP Everyday photo paper, two packs of Staples multipurpose paper, two RoseArt crayons, two Staples school glue, and two BIC Round Stic ballpoint pens. I guess I was like the Noah of Staples... collecting two of each item.
Anyway, the best part of deal is that the entire purchase is potentially free. In fact, if everything works out, Staples will have paid me to take those items off of their hands. There were easy rebates on certain items. Those rebates, combined with the $5 coupon would lead to a money maker. Sweet! Free is always good.
On a whim, I decided to go to Staples during my lunch break at work. Sure, it was an odd whim, but I received an email from Staples containing a coupon for $5 off of a $30 purchase.
Ever the sucker for a coupon, I decided to pay the local Staples a visit to see if I could make good use of the coupon. Lo and behold, there were plenty of items that caught my eye.
It really did not take me long to accumulate enough items to break the $30 mark. Those items included two packs of HP Everyday photo paper, two packs of Staples multipurpose paper, two RoseArt crayons, two Staples school glue, and two BIC Round Stic ballpoint pens. I guess I was like the Noah of Staples... collecting two of each item.
Anyway, the best part of deal is that the entire purchase is potentially free. In fact, if everything works out, Staples will have paid me to take those items off of their hands. There were easy rebates on certain items. Those rebates, combined with the $5 coupon would lead to a money maker. Sweet! Free is always good.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
I Suck At Honda
Interestingly enough, the highlight of today involves cars. Not only did Karen and I pay off our newer car (the Subaru Forrester) today, but we also received a check from the Honda dealership in regards to our Honda Civic.
Now I suck at Honda. Some time ago, our 2010 Honda Civic was having trouble starting. The car would crank and crank, but just wouldn't catch, which was bizarre for a fairly new car. After bringing the car into the Honda dealership in Weymouth, I had their technicians take a look.
The technicians held the car over night. They had to jump the car to get it started the next morning. And after jumping the car, they supposedly ran some battery tests to check for a parasitic leak. They also supposedly checked the starter and alternator. In the end, the concluded that there was nothing wrong with the car and sent me on my way.
Naturally, I was not all that pleased with the service especially since they sent me on my way without actually resolving the issue. And of course, I was not at all pleased when the car failed to start again a few days later.
As luck would have it, the car failed to start last Sunday, which is when the Honda dealership is closed. With the dealership closed, we brought the car to Firestone located in Hingham. I have always had good luck with Firestone. I used to bring my Saturn there for any work that had to be done.
It did not take long for Firestone to discover the cause of the issue: the battery. In fact, they mentioned it was very obvious that the cause was the battery. So Firestone replaced the battery in the car.
From there, we had to contact Honda about getting a reimbursement. After all, the battery was still under warranty. And in order to get the reimbursement, we had to bring back the battery to the dealership so that they could run a test with a GR-8 tester to make sure it was the battery.
I know, it seems a little peculiar that Honda had to run a test on the battery again, when they probably should have run the test the first time around when they had the car. But whatever. This time around, Honda concluded that indeed it was the battery and issued a reimbursement check to us. It definitely was a lot of work for something that, to me, should have been caught the first time around.
Now I suck at Honda. Some time ago, our 2010 Honda Civic was having trouble starting. The car would crank and crank, but just wouldn't catch, which was bizarre for a fairly new car. After bringing the car into the Honda dealership in Weymouth, I had their technicians take a look.
The technicians held the car over night. They had to jump the car to get it started the next morning. And after jumping the car, they supposedly ran some battery tests to check for a parasitic leak. They also supposedly checked the starter and alternator. In the end, the concluded that there was nothing wrong with the car and sent me on my way.
Naturally, I was not all that pleased with the service especially since they sent me on my way without actually resolving the issue. And of course, I was not at all pleased when the car failed to start again a few days later.
As luck would have it, the car failed to start last Sunday, which is when the Honda dealership is closed. With the dealership closed, we brought the car to Firestone located in Hingham. I have always had good luck with Firestone. I used to bring my Saturn there for any work that had to be done.
It did not take long for Firestone to discover the cause of the issue: the battery. In fact, they mentioned it was very obvious that the cause was the battery. So Firestone replaced the battery in the car.
From there, we had to contact Honda about getting a reimbursement. After all, the battery was still under warranty. And in order to get the reimbursement, we had to bring back the battery to the dealership so that they could run a test with a GR-8 tester to make sure it was the battery.
I know, it seems a little peculiar that Honda had to run a test on the battery again, when they probably should have run the test the first time around when they had the car. But whatever. This time around, Honda concluded that indeed it was the battery and issued a reimbursement check to us. It definitely was a lot of work for something that, to me, should have been caught the first time around.
Monday, July 9, 2012
I Suck At Swimming
Yesterday continued the weekend of swimming. Too bad I suck at swimming. On Sunday, Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my four month old (Bridget) and I were invited to the Pembroke resort known as my friends' (Ron and Trinh) house.
It was a rather spontaneous invite as Ron, Trinh, and their family recently came back from a trip to St. Croix for a relative's destination wedding. And naturally, when Briana saw the swimming pool, she was all excited. After all, she loves swimming... or more specifically, playing with water.
And if it isn't swimming, it's going down the playground slide for Briana. If it's not that, it's feeding the fish. If it's not that, it's playing in the water table. I have a funny feeling that Briana may think Ron and Trinh's place is a resort much like I do.
All in all, I had a great time as usual at Ron and Trinh's. After all, it is a resort. Just kidding. Ron and Trinh, and their entire family for that matter, are always gracious hosts. It was definitely a great way to end the weekend.
It was a rather spontaneous invite as Ron, Trinh, and their family recently came back from a trip to St. Croix for a relative's destination wedding. And naturally, when Briana saw the swimming pool, she was all excited. After all, she loves swimming... or more specifically, playing with water.
And if it isn't swimming, it's going down the playground slide for Briana. If it's not that, it's feeding the fish. If it's not that, it's playing in the water table. I have a funny feeling that Briana may think Ron and Trinh's place is a resort much like I do.
All in all, I had a great time as usual at Ron and Trinh's. After all, it is a resort. Just kidding. Ron and Trinh, and their entire family for that matter, are always gracious hosts. It was definitely a great way to end the weekend.
I Suck At Onset
This past Saturday, Karen and I took our two year old daughter (Briana) and four month old daughter (Bridget) on a little mystery road trip. That road trip was to the Cape, or more specifically, Onset. Too bad I suck at Onset.
For this week, my friends (Marc and Kelley) and my BFF (Kerry) rented a place down in Onset. The idea was the brainchild of Kerry, who has been renting the same place since 2009. Since neither Karen nor I had any available vacation time, we decided to just head down for the day.
Needless to say, Briana was quite excited. The moment she spotted the beach on our drive down, she told us that she wanted to go swimming. Now, Briana can't swim, but she absolutely loves the water. Her version of swimming is essentially me holding her and moving her about in the water.
And naturally, we ended up going to the beach. Or more specifically, I ended up taking her to the beach while Karen and Bridget got to hang out with everyone else. Briana was totally ecstatic.
Eventually, we took a break to grab a bite to eat at Marc Anthony's Pizzeria. It goes without saying that the food there is delicious. Karen was actually craving their homemade Syrian bread. ("Yum-O!")
And of course, after eating at Marc Anthony's, Briana wanted to do what else? Go back to the beach for swimming. So off Briana and I went back to the beach while Karen and Bridget hung out again with everyone else. We pretty much were the only ones left at the beach by that point.
All in all, I thought it was a fun trip. I got to spend some time with my friends. I got to spend a lot of quality time with Briana. I had a great time and I think Briana enjoyed it too.
For this week, my friends (Marc and Kelley) and my BFF (Kerry) rented a place down in Onset. The idea was the brainchild of Kerry, who has been renting the same place since 2009. Since neither Karen nor I had any available vacation time, we decided to just head down for the day.
Needless to say, Briana was quite excited. The moment she spotted the beach on our drive down, she told us that she wanted to go swimming. Now, Briana can't swim, but she absolutely loves the water. Her version of swimming is essentially me holding her and moving her about in the water.
And naturally, we ended up going to the beach. Or more specifically, I ended up taking her to the beach while Karen and Bridget got to hang out with everyone else. Briana was totally ecstatic.
Eventually, we took a break to grab a bite to eat at Marc Anthony's Pizzeria. It goes without saying that the food there is delicious. Karen was actually craving their homemade Syrian bread. ("Yum-O!")
And of course, after eating at Marc Anthony's, Briana wanted to do what else? Go back to the beach for swimming. So off Briana and I went back to the beach while Karen and Bridget hung out again with everyone else. We pretty much were the only ones left at the beach by that point.
All in all, I thought it was a fun trip. I got to spend some time with my friends. I got to spend a lot of quality time with Briana. I had a great time and I think Briana enjoyed it too.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
I Suck At The Fourth of July
Celebrating the Fourth of July on a Wednesday is rough. It's like having two Mondays during the regular work week: the regular Monday, and the day after the holiday Monday (in this case Thursday).
Sadly, I suck at the Fourth of July. We were invited to a couple of cookouts for the Fourth. Unfortunately, we declined the invites. (Remember, I suck at the Fourth of July.) In a bout of selfishness, I wanted to celebrate the holiday with just my family instead of attend the cookouts. And by family, I meant just me, Karen, my two year old (Briana), and my four month old (Bridget). It was just something that I wanted to do... spend time with only my family.
So in celebration of our country's independence, Karen and I took our kids to Hingham, where the town held its annual parade. Normally, I don't like parades. Unfortunately, I may be locked into going to parades for several years since Briana seems to enjoy them. She's a big fan of drums... And truth be told, I think the cutest part was when she just started clapping on her own.
Despite the heat, the parade was actually nice. It was easily better than any parade I have been to in Quincy. Of course, I may be biased against Quincy due to my disdain for the city's poor planning of having red lights at every single intersection. So what normally would take a few minutes to get through town, turns into half an hour. Quincy... the city of (red) lights.
Anyway, we actually did not stay for the entire Hingham parade. Having a four month old in the sun for an extended amount of time is not good, especially when sunscreen cannot be applied to them. So off we went.
After making a pit stop at home, we headed back out to Marshfield. In particular, we went to the Brant Rock Hop. We had only ever eaten breakfast there and were curious how the lunch was. I must say, the lunch was great. ("Yum-O!") Karen enjoyed her burger. We of course enjoyed the raspberry shake. Everything was delicious.
And when we were finished, we headed up toward the nearby beach where Briana enjoyed wading in the waves. Needless to say, she did not want to leave.
All in all, it was a great day to spend with the family.
Sadly, I suck at the Fourth of July. We were invited to a couple of cookouts for the Fourth. Unfortunately, we declined the invites. (Remember, I suck at the Fourth of July.) In a bout of selfishness, I wanted to celebrate the holiday with just my family instead of attend the cookouts. And by family, I meant just me, Karen, my two year old (Briana), and my four month old (Bridget). It was just something that I wanted to do... spend time with only my family.
So in celebration of our country's independence, Karen and I took our kids to Hingham, where the town held its annual parade. Normally, I don't like parades. Unfortunately, I may be locked into going to parades for several years since Briana seems to enjoy them. She's a big fan of drums... And truth be told, I think the cutest part was when she just started clapping on her own.
Despite the heat, the parade was actually nice. It was easily better than any parade I have been to in Quincy. Of course, I may be biased against Quincy due to my disdain for the city's poor planning of having red lights at every single intersection. So what normally would take a few minutes to get through town, turns into half an hour. Quincy... the city of (red) lights.
Anyway, we actually did not stay for the entire Hingham parade. Having a four month old in the sun for an extended amount of time is not good, especially when sunscreen cannot be applied to them. So off we went.
After making a pit stop at home, we headed back out to Marshfield. In particular, we went to the Brant Rock Hop. We had only ever eaten breakfast there and were curious how the lunch was. I must say, the lunch was great. ("Yum-O!") Karen enjoyed her burger. We of course enjoyed the raspberry shake. Everything was delicious.
And when we were finished, we headed up toward the nearby beach where Briana enjoyed wading in the waves. Needless to say, she did not want to leave.
All in all, it was a great day to spend with the family.
I Suck At The 99 Restaurant
In all my years of using my credit card at restaurants, I never had an incident where I was incorrectly charged for the gratuity I left on the bill. That was... until now. Last week in an act of spontaneity, Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my four month old (Bridget) and I went to the 99 Restaurant located in Rockland for dinner.
It was an enjoyable dinner. Too bad I suck at the 99 Restaurant. It was not until the credit card transaction posted to my account did I notice that the amount for dinner was vastly different from what I supposedly left.
Now, I'm all for the hard working folks who make a living as members of a waitstaff. After all, my mother was one for quite some time. Unfortunately, the amount that was incorrectly charged resulted in a 35% gratuity. And as good as the service was, it wasn't that good.
So off to the 99 Restaurant I went on Tuesday to inquire about the incorrect charge. And I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by the service of the restaurant. Not only did I receive the difference for the incorrect charge, I received a gift card to the restaurant for future use.
The person who I dealt with at the restaurant was very apologetic for the mishap. As a result, he offered me the gift card in addition to correcting the charge. Truth be told, I was only expecting to receive the difference for the incorrect charge. Needless to say, I was quite pleased by the service provided. To me, that is very good customer service which I think most, if not all, companies should learn from. (Set, if not exceed, customer expectations. It's a simple concept.)
Anyway, the gift card was definitely the highlight of my Tuesday.
It was an enjoyable dinner. Too bad I suck at the 99 Restaurant. It was not until the credit card transaction posted to my account did I notice that the amount for dinner was vastly different from what I supposedly left.
Now, I'm all for the hard working folks who make a living as members of a waitstaff. After all, my mother was one for quite some time. Unfortunately, the amount that was incorrectly charged resulted in a 35% gratuity. And as good as the service was, it wasn't that good.
So off to the 99 Restaurant I went on Tuesday to inquire about the incorrect charge. And I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by the service of the restaurant. Not only did I receive the difference for the incorrect charge, I received a gift card to the restaurant for future use.
The person who I dealt with at the restaurant was very apologetic for the mishap. As a result, he offered me the gift card in addition to correcting the charge. Truth be told, I was only expecting to receive the difference for the incorrect charge. Needless to say, I was quite pleased by the service provided. To me, that is very good customer service which I think most, if not all, companies should learn from. (Set, if not exceed, customer expectations. It's a simple concept.)
Anyway, the gift card was definitely the highlight of my Tuesday.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
I Suck At Websites
Today, I visited the local library to discuss, of all things, websites. Too bad, I suck at websites. Regardless, the library director had asked me to come in to review their current website with members of her staff.
During the last trustee meeting where the library director was a part of, I may have let slip that I was a developer. To many people, that sounds like "computer stuff", which well... technically it is. Nevertheless, I was happy to review the public library's website with them.
Anyway, it was definitely an insightful meeting. As a developer, I like to get the context surrounding things. After all, the more I know, the more I'll understand what it is that I am looking at, why it came to be, how it is supposed to function, etc.
I must say, it was interesting to see the challenges that the library faces in maintaining their website. The list is almost too long. Among some of those challenges are a cluttered layout design, old rigid code that seems cut/pasted from some template, a dependence on a costly external resource to make changes, and just a lack of resources in general to dedicate to the website.
It definitely will be quite the undertaking to revamp the website in its current state. I fear this may be indicative of things to come due to the library's budgetary constraints. Hopefully I can help turn things around.
During the last trustee meeting where the library director was a part of, I may have let slip that I was a developer. To many people, that sounds like "computer stuff", which well... technically it is. Nevertheless, I was happy to review the public library's website with them.
Anyway, it was definitely an insightful meeting. As a developer, I like to get the context surrounding things. After all, the more I know, the more I'll understand what it is that I am looking at, why it came to be, how it is supposed to function, etc.
I must say, it was interesting to see the challenges that the library faces in maintaining their website. The list is almost too long. Among some of those challenges are a cluttered layout design, old rigid code that seems cut/pasted from some template, a dependence on a costly external resource to make changes, and just a lack of resources in general to dedicate to the website.
It definitely will be quite the undertaking to revamp the website in its current state. I fear this may be indicative of things to come due to the library's budgetary constraints. Hopefully I can help turn things around.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
I Suck At California Pizza Kitchen
Yesterday, Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my four month old daughter (Bridget), and I were invited out to dinner by my in-laws. The invite was spur of the moment, as it happened an hour prior to dinner time.
I had learned about the invite shortly after mowing the lawn in the sweltering heat. So it was nice to go out for dinner, even if it meant going to the South Shore Plaza in Braintree. I haven't been to the plaza in quite some time. It's not that I dislike the plaza. I just don't have any particular reason to head down there.
The reason why we were going to the plaza was because the invite was to the California Pizza Kitchen. Now, I suck at California Pizza Kitchen. I haven't eaten there in some time, which is surprising because the food is really delicious there. If anything, CPK would be one of the few reasons why I would go to the South Shore Plaza. (The Cheesecake Factory would be another reason.)
Anyway, it was a great experience at CPK. The waitstaff was great. The food was delicious. For anyone curious, I had the Waldorf Chicken Salad. ("Yum-O"!) Briana seemed to enjoy the salad too, since she has been on a grape kick of late. Yes, there were grapes (and apples) in the salad. Briana practically forced herself onto my lap so that she could eat the grapes... and drink my cherry limade.
All in all, it was definitely a good way to end the night.
I had learned about the invite shortly after mowing the lawn in the sweltering heat. So it was nice to go out for dinner, even if it meant going to the South Shore Plaza in Braintree. I haven't been to the plaza in quite some time. It's not that I dislike the plaza. I just don't have any particular reason to head down there.
The reason why we were going to the plaza was because the invite was to the California Pizza Kitchen. Now, I suck at California Pizza Kitchen. I haven't eaten there in some time, which is surprising because the food is really delicious there. If anything, CPK would be one of the few reasons why I would go to the South Shore Plaza. (The Cheesecake Factory would be another reason.)
Anyway, it was a great experience at CPK. The waitstaff was great. The food was delicious. For anyone curious, I had the Waldorf Chicken Salad. ("Yum-O"!) Briana seemed to enjoy the salad too, since she has been on a grape kick of late. Yes, there were grapes (and apples) in the salad. Briana practically forced herself onto my lap so that she could eat the grapes... and drink my cherry limade.
All in all, it was definitely a good way to end the night.
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