Today has been a long day... with my seven month old daughter (Bridget) waking up at 4 in the morning... to my two year old daughter (Briana) waking up at 5 in the morning... to now, having finished looking into a "bug" for work in the wee hours of night. That said, I'm sure the feeling is not as bad in comparison to my friends (Jen and Bill) whose father recently passed away. Their father's wake was held today. Too bad I suck at wakes.
The service was nice, if not longer than I expected. I think I would have liked it more had the priest not thrown in the schpiel that Jen and Bill's father should have gone to church more frequently than he did. It almost reminded me of my friend's (Hot Amy) wedding where the priest mentioned the four horsemen of Apocalypse. I sometimes wonder what the men of the cloth are thinking when they say these asinine things. Of course, that's easy for me to say because I'm not religious.
Regardless, I wish Jen, Bill, and the rest of their family the best. I can't even begin to imagine how it must feel to lose a parent. Sadly, I know what it's like the other way around in losing a child. Trust me when I say it is not fun.
I must say, however, that one of the more interesting things of the day happened at the wake. My BFF (Kerry) and I were hanging out before the service. As is customary in some wakes, there is a book to sign when you first walk into the funeral home. Someone who looked familiar to Kerry came to the wake and signed the book. Curious as to whether or not she knew that person, Kerry wanted to see if that person's name rang a bell.
Having already signed the book myself, I couldn't think of a way to discretely walk up to the book to see the name that was signed. Lo and behold, Kerry pulled it off by walking up to the book to grab a prayer card from the stack located near the book. I thought that was pretty smooth and quite impressive. Heck, I was so impressed I told her that I'd write about it.
Following the wake, Jen and Bill's mother had everyone come back to her house. It has been quite some time since I was there. Apparently, the last time I was there was for a Flag Day cookout, where I was lucky enough to see the rain barrel.
It's weird how wedding and funerals serve as venues toward seeing people whom you haven't seen in awhile. At Jen and Bill's mother's place, I got to see my friend (Carlos). It was good to catch up with him again. As well, I was able to see my friend (Pam), who is training to be a hair stylist. She apparently does some waxing as well, although waxing the hair from butt cracks was not one of those things she is willing to do. (I asked out of sheer curiosity.)
Anyway, from there I headed off to Kerry's who had invited a bunch of us over for dinner. Joining in the festivities at Kerry's were my friends (Andrea, Marc, and Kelley). For me, it was definitely a great way to end the night.
We just hung out and had some laughs. Heck, we even were able to catch a few episodes of the first season of Arrested Development. Prior to today, I've never seen the show. I must say, it's a funny show.
Some of the silly topics of conversation that came up at Kerry's were Andrea's new television, the worst movies we ever watched, and Halloween costumes. For me, there are a lot of terrible movies... only because I'll watch practically anything. As for Halloween costumes, that topic led to all sorts of laughs as we contemplated costumes based on puns.
In addition to the laughs, Kerry made apple crisp for dessert. Yum! Apple crisp! Yom yom yom yom. Truth be told, I like any crisp. Needless to say, the dessert was absolutely a great way to end the night. I had a great time.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
I Suck At The Library
Last night, I attended the monthly Board of Trustee meeting for the public library. Too bad I suck at the library.
I think being elected to the Board has ruined my fondness for the library. I used to enjoy going there as a patron. Now, I sometimes dread going to the library. I think the turtle-like pace of government with its rules and regulations is what frustrates me about being on the Board.
Of course, it also may be the fact that my opinion seems to count very little on the Board. To say I'm the most technically savvy member on the Board is an understatement considering my day job involves developing web applications and the rest of the Board is in public education. Yet somehow, my thoughts on the possible redesign of the library website had fallen on deaf ears because my perspective was considered too technical.
For anyone curious, I had suggested that the public library site be redesigned to be "responsive" to the device viewing the site. Thus, viewing the site on something like a mobile device would not be a pain for users (like it currently is). At the time of my suggestion, I was told that my perspective was too technical.
Interestingly enough, during the meeting last night, the topic of the site redesign came up. Lo and behold, someone mentioned that another library had a site for mobile devices. Shocker. Someone beat us to the punch.
Anyway, the meeting was status quo. The main highlight last night at the library, was not the Board meeting, but the actual surprise I received at the library. The library director had told me that someone had made a donation to the library in my son's (Braden) name. For anyone curious, Braden passed away four years ago. His birthday was near the beginning of the month.
As part of the donation, the following books were inscribed with dedication to Braden: "Garden of Dreams" by Richard Wainwright; "How do I love you?" by P.K. Hallinan; "If you give a moose a muffin", "If you give a pig a pancake", and "If you take a mouse to school" by Laura Joffe Numeroff.
The donation came from Karen's cousin (Karlene) and Karlene's husband (Tommy), who reside in the great white north known as Lowell. There apparently is a lot to like about Lowell. I was pleasantly surprised by the news and it meant a lot to me. So thank you, Karlene and Tommy. As an extra bonus, I got to be the first one to take the book out of the library.
Needless to say, the donation was very touching and it made my day. I had no idea that Karlene and Tommy even made the donation. Thank you again.
I think being elected to the Board has ruined my fondness for the library. I used to enjoy going there as a patron. Now, I sometimes dread going to the library. I think the turtle-like pace of government with its rules and regulations is what frustrates me about being on the Board.
Of course, it also may be the fact that my opinion seems to count very little on the Board. To say I'm the most technically savvy member on the Board is an understatement considering my day job involves developing web applications and the rest of the Board is in public education. Yet somehow, my thoughts on the possible redesign of the library website had fallen on deaf ears because my perspective was considered too technical.
For anyone curious, I had suggested that the public library site be redesigned to be "responsive" to the device viewing the site. Thus, viewing the site on something like a mobile device would not be a pain for users (like it currently is). At the time of my suggestion, I was told that my perspective was too technical.
Interestingly enough, during the meeting last night, the topic of the site redesign came up. Lo and behold, someone mentioned that another library had a site for mobile devices. Shocker. Someone beat us to the punch.
Anyway, the meeting was status quo. The main highlight last night at the library, was not the Board meeting, but the actual surprise I received at the library. The library director had told me that someone had made a donation to the library in my son's (Braden) name. For anyone curious, Braden passed away four years ago. His birthday was near the beginning of the month.
As part of the donation, the following books were inscribed with dedication to Braden: "Garden of Dreams" by Richard Wainwright; "How do I love you?" by P.K. Hallinan; "If you give a moose a muffin", "If you give a pig a pancake", and "If you take a mouse to school" by Laura Joffe Numeroff.
The donation came from Karen's cousin (Karlene) and Karlene's husband (Tommy), who reside in the great white north known as Lowell. There apparently is a lot to like about Lowell. I was pleasantly surprised by the news and it meant a lot to me. So thank you, Karlene and Tommy. As an extra bonus, I got to be the first one to take the book out of the library.
Needless to say, the donation was very touching and it made my day. I had no idea that Karlene and Tommy even made the donation. Thank you again.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
I Suck At Apple Picking
This past Sunday, Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my six month old daughter (Bridget) and I went apple picking. Sadly, I suck at apple picking.
We ended up going to C. N. Smith Farm located in East Bridgewater. It actually turned out to be a family outing as well since my mother-in-law, father-in-law, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), my niece (Kaleigh), and my nephew (PJ) went too.
Truth be told, it probably took us longer to get there than to actually pick apples. Of course, we took an extended route since... I knew I should have taken that left turn at Alberquerque. (By the way, Route 123 intersects Route 18... who knew?) Nevertheless, traffic getting into the farm was a little busy.
The picking of the apples did go by pretty quickly. For a while, it looked like Briana would only pick one... and only one... apple, but she ended up picking a few more as the day went on. I think it helped that I sat her on my shoulders for the first time to pick those hard to reach apples. Of course, Briana was probably jealous that I had Kaleigh on my shoulders to pick apples at one point as well.
Anyway, it turned out to be a good day to pick apples. As an interesting side note, we ran into our friend (Jenny) at the farm stand. The farm stand was tiny, but it had a cow, sheep, and chickens milling about. It is also located near the family photo area where you can stick your head through the hole for pictures.
It was actually there where we saw Jenny and her family. It was nice seeing her. Jenny used to own a day care, but she recently gave it up to work for Early Intervention. She seems to be enjoying her job, which is good.
All in all, it was a fun family day at C N. Smith Farm.
We ended up going to C. N. Smith Farm located in East Bridgewater. It actually turned out to be a family outing as well since my mother-in-law, father-in-law, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), my niece (Kaleigh), and my nephew (PJ) went too.
Truth be told, it probably took us longer to get there than to actually pick apples. Of course, we took an extended route since... I knew I should have taken that left turn at Alberquerque. (By the way, Route 123 intersects Route 18... who knew?) Nevertheless, traffic getting into the farm was a little busy.
The picking of the apples did go by pretty quickly. For a while, it looked like Briana would only pick one... and only one... apple, but she ended up picking a few more as the day went on. I think it helped that I sat her on my shoulders for the first time to pick those hard to reach apples. Of course, Briana was probably jealous that I had Kaleigh on my shoulders to pick apples at one point as well.
Anyway, it turned out to be a good day to pick apples. As an interesting side note, we ran into our friend (Jenny) at the farm stand. The farm stand was tiny, but it had a cow, sheep, and chickens milling about. It is also located near the family photo area where you can stick your head through the hole for pictures.
It was actually there where we saw Jenny and her family. It was nice seeing her. Jenny used to own a day care, but she recently gave it up to work for Early Intervention. She seems to be enjoying her job, which is good.
All in all, it was a fun family day at C N. Smith Farm.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
I Suck At Yard Sales
There's a lot to like about Lowell, or so Lowellians would have you believe. Today, Karen and I woke up our two year old daughter (Briana) and our six month old daughter (Bridget) early in the morning to head toward the big white north known as Lowell. On the agenda for the day: yard sale.
Now, I suck at yard sales. Luckily for me, Karen's cousin (Karlene) and Karlene's husband (Tommy) organized a yard sale for this morning. Joining in on the yard selling fun were a couple of their friends as well. So all in all, there were a lot of items being sold today at Karlene's yard sale.
I must say, I do find it interesting as to what sells and what does not sell at yard sales. I would think that the never-been-opened items would sell quicker than the slightly-used ones. Interestingly enough, that is not the case.
For me, the main things that I was looking to get rid of were my Dell keyboard (which was never used because I use another keyboard), a 300 piece poker chip set, and this awful tree face thing that I received in the family "ghetto" swap.
I was quite ecstatic to see the keyboard go. Interestingly enough, the tree face thing was sold. Hurray! And it turns out, no one in Lowell plays poker. Just kidding. Sadly, I was not able to sell the poker set (also from a joke swap). Two out of three isn't bad.
I think the most memorable sale for me occurred later in the day when a group of young girls came to peruse the stuff. One of them was quite excited about this Asian sun umbrella that I had received from a friend's wedding. Technically, Karen received the umbrella as it was given to all the women at the wedding, but it was my friend getting married.
Anyway, the girl wanting the umbrella insisted that I take more for what was charged since she thought it was worth so much more. Granted, the cost was not that much more. But still, it was a nice gesture on her part (so much so that it obviously sticks in my mind). These young whipper snappers... Just kidding.
Needless to say, to see how excited she was about this sun umbrella was really nice. The sun umbrella was going to have a new home where it would be cherished more and used more, and I liked the thought of that.
Needless to say, it was a good yard sale. It was probably better for Karlene and Tommy's friends as they got rid of a lot of their items. One of her friends got rid of her items early on as one buyer scooped up her stockpile of toys. It turns out that the buyer donates the toys by shipping them to kids in Portugal.
Anyway, following the yard sale, we celebrated our meager profits by going to where else: Kimball Farm in Westford. A trip to Lowell would not be complete without a trip to Kimball Farm for ice cream. Yummy! I had the apple crisp with pumpkin ice cream. Delicious! In my opinion, there is no better place for ice cream.
All in all, it was a great day. The kids were great too, which is always a plus. If anything, the only thing that detracted from today was the traffic on the ride home. We generally hit some form of traffic heading south whenever we head anywhere north. Today's ride home was just awful. I think it took almost one and half hours to get home. But like I said, all in all, it was fun today.
Now, I suck at yard sales. Luckily for me, Karen's cousin (Karlene) and Karlene's husband (Tommy) organized a yard sale for this morning. Joining in on the yard selling fun were a couple of their friends as well. So all in all, there were a lot of items being sold today at Karlene's yard sale.
I must say, I do find it interesting as to what sells and what does not sell at yard sales. I would think that the never-been-opened items would sell quicker than the slightly-used ones. Interestingly enough, that is not the case.
For me, the main things that I was looking to get rid of were my Dell keyboard (which was never used because I use another keyboard), a 300 piece poker chip set, and this awful tree face thing that I received in the family "ghetto" swap.
I was quite ecstatic to see the keyboard go. Interestingly enough, the tree face thing was sold. Hurray! And it turns out, no one in Lowell plays poker. Just kidding. Sadly, I was not able to sell the poker set (also from a joke swap). Two out of three isn't bad.
I think the most memorable sale for me occurred later in the day when a group of young girls came to peruse the stuff. One of them was quite excited about this Asian sun umbrella that I had received from a friend's wedding. Technically, Karen received the umbrella as it was given to all the women at the wedding, but it was my friend getting married.
Anyway, the girl wanting the umbrella insisted that I take more for what was charged since she thought it was worth so much more. Granted, the cost was not that much more. But still, it was a nice gesture on her part (so much so that it obviously sticks in my mind). These young whipper snappers... Just kidding.
Needless to say, to see how excited she was about this sun umbrella was really nice. The sun umbrella was going to have a new home where it would be cherished more and used more, and I liked the thought of that.
Needless to say, it was a good yard sale. It was probably better for Karlene and Tommy's friends as they got rid of a lot of their items. One of her friends got rid of her items early on as one buyer scooped up her stockpile of toys. It turns out that the buyer donates the toys by shipping them to kids in Portugal.
Anyway, following the yard sale, we celebrated our meager profits by going to where else: Kimball Farm in Westford. A trip to Lowell would not be complete without a trip to Kimball Farm for ice cream. Yummy! I had the apple crisp with pumpkin ice cream. Delicious! In my opinion, there is no better place for ice cream.
All in all, it was a great day. The kids were great too, which is always a plus. If anything, the only thing that detracted from today was the traffic on the ride home. We generally hit some form of traffic heading south whenever we head anywhere north. Today's ride home was just awful. I think it took almost one and half hours to get home. But like I said, all in all, it was fun today.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
I Suck At Installing A Ceiling Light
Some time ago, my BFF (Kerry) asked if I could help install a ceiling light in her dining room. It turns out that it has been almost a month that Kerry has gone without a ceiling light in her dining room. It's amazing how time flies. I guess you can say that I suck at installing a ceiling light.
It just so happens, however, that today was Kerry's lucky day. Karen was gracious enough to take care of our girls, which was not an easy task considering the fact that my two year old daughter (Briana) was having a meltdown before I left. Nevertheless, it was definitely good to get out of the house.
Anyway, it turns out that as I was arriving at Kerry's, my friends (Marc and Kelley) were leaving. They were pretty exhausted. I was told that Kelley was on the verge of falling asleep. So it was good to see them even if were for a brief moment. Apparently, Marc and Kelley helped move Kerry's bed from one bedroom to the other. So for Kerry, this must have seemed like a big home improvement day with the bed project and my ceiling light project.
Speaking of which, we did have an interesting time installing the ceiling light. Kerry had previously purchased a chandelier that she wanted to use for the dining room. The light looked nice. The only problem: the chandelier wasn't going to fit without some major reworking of the electrical outlet. So plan B it was.
Plan B involved making a trip to the local Lowes, returning the chandelier, and purchasing a whole new light altogether. I learned an interesting fact today about Kerry. It seems that she dislikes ceiling lights. And she is definitely not a fan of lights that look like breasts. As a side note, we used to refer to the lights in my friend's (Joanna) kitchen as boob lights. Good times. Perhaps it's because I am a guy, but I like ceiling lights... boobs and all.
Anyway, Kerry purchased a light that would work within the confines of the existing electrical outlet. And together, we installed the light in her dining room. Naturally, I made a mess of her place as I fiddled around with the drywall in her ceiling. Drywall just gets everywhere. Truth be told, I think it took more time to put the light together than actually installing the light.
When all was said and done, I think Kerry was happy to have a functional light in the dining room. It was just one more thing to cross off of her to-do list for her home improvement.
And afterwards, we hung out under the new ceiling light discussing various things. Among those things were her other home improvement projects and politics. I don't discuss politics much, mostly because the political system is a farce in my opinion. Nevertheless, the topic did come up.
All in all, I had a very enjoyable time hanging out with Kerry. It actually reminded me of the times she used to have her own room at the bed and breakfast known as our house. This of course, was before her room was given to Briana. But we'd just hang out... watch an episode or ten of Veronica Mars. It was fun. And today reminded me of that, just without the episodes of Veronica Mars.
It just so happens, however, that today was Kerry's lucky day. Karen was gracious enough to take care of our girls, which was not an easy task considering the fact that my two year old daughter (Briana) was having a meltdown before I left. Nevertheless, it was definitely good to get out of the house.
Anyway, it turns out that as I was arriving at Kerry's, my friends (Marc and Kelley) were leaving. They were pretty exhausted. I was told that Kelley was on the verge of falling asleep. So it was good to see them even if were for a brief moment. Apparently, Marc and Kelley helped move Kerry's bed from one bedroom to the other. So for Kerry, this must have seemed like a big home improvement day with the bed project and my ceiling light project.
Speaking of which, we did have an interesting time installing the ceiling light. Kerry had previously purchased a chandelier that she wanted to use for the dining room. The light looked nice. The only problem: the chandelier wasn't going to fit without some major reworking of the electrical outlet. So plan B it was.
Plan B involved making a trip to the local Lowes, returning the chandelier, and purchasing a whole new light altogether. I learned an interesting fact today about Kerry. It seems that she dislikes ceiling lights. And she is definitely not a fan of lights that look like breasts. As a side note, we used to refer to the lights in my friend's (Joanna) kitchen as boob lights. Good times. Perhaps it's because I am a guy, but I like ceiling lights... boobs and all.
Anyway, Kerry purchased a light that would work within the confines of the existing electrical outlet. And together, we installed the light in her dining room. Naturally, I made a mess of her place as I fiddled around with the drywall in her ceiling. Drywall just gets everywhere. Truth be told, I think it took more time to put the light together than actually installing the light.
When all was said and done, I think Kerry was happy to have a functional light in the dining room. It was just one more thing to cross off of her to-do list for her home improvement.
And afterwards, we hung out under the new ceiling light discussing various things. Among those things were her other home improvement projects and politics. I don't discuss politics much, mostly because the political system is a farce in my opinion. Nevertheless, the topic did come up.
All in all, I had a very enjoyable time hanging out with Kerry. It actually reminded me of the times she used to have her own room at the bed and breakfast known as our house. This of course, was before her room was given to Briana. But we'd just hang out... watch an episode or ten of Veronica Mars. It was fun. And today reminded me of that, just without the episodes of Veronica Mars.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
I Suck At Comcast
Apparently, Comcast is going through a digital migration where they are "upgrading" their devices. Now, I suck at Comcast. Truth be told, I dislike Comcast. My past experience with Comcast has not been too favorable. Thankfully, I don't have Comcast as a provider, so I don't have to deal with their terrible service.
Unfortunately, my parents still have Comcast because the city of Quincy seems to have some deal with the devil (Comcast). And naturally, the dutiful son that I am, I am usually the first person contacted whenever my parents have an issue. It's a frustrating burden at times especially when I have time constraints while raising two kids. I sometimes can see now why my older brother moved to another state.
Luckily for me, I just so happened to have some time available on Sunday. So off I went with my two year old daughter (Briana) and my six month old daughter (Bridget) to visit my parents. My parents were absolutely thrilled by the visit.
Anyway, I connected the devices (as part of the digital migration) to the televisions in the house. It turns out, these devices have to be "activated". What a pain. What happened to the days of just hooking up the box and voila!... cable? And since my parents do not have access to the internet, that meant activation by contacting Comcast customer service. Fun.
Needless to say, two of the three devices were up and running. One of the devices, for some reason, was not working on one of the televisions. The customer service response: bring the device back into the store and swap it out. Why the brand new device wasn't working to begin with? I have no idea... and apparently neither does Comcast customer service.
So now my parents will have to swap out the device, which will probably mean that I'll have to find some time to visit them again. And of course, there is no guarantee that the swap of these digital devices will even work. Frustrating. But at least my parents got to spend some quality time with their grand children. So that's always a plus.
Unfortunately, my parents still have Comcast because the city of Quincy seems to have some deal with the devil (Comcast). And naturally, the dutiful son that I am, I am usually the first person contacted whenever my parents have an issue. It's a frustrating burden at times especially when I have time constraints while raising two kids. I sometimes can see now why my older brother moved to another state.
Luckily for me, I just so happened to have some time available on Sunday. So off I went with my two year old daughter (Briana) and my six month old daughter (Bridget) to visit my parents. My parents were absolutely thrilled by the visit.
Anyway, I connected the devices (as part of the digital migration) to the televisions in the house. It turns out, these devices have to be "activated". What a pain. What happened to the days of just hooking up the box and voila!... cable? And since my parents do not have access to the internet, that meant activation by contacting Comcast customer service. Fun.
Needless to say, two of the three devices were up and running. One of the devices, for some reason, was not working on one of the televisions. The customer service response: bring the device back into the store and swap it out. Why the brand new device wasn't working to begin with? I have no idea... and apparently neither does Comcast customer service.
So now my parents will have to swap out the device, which will probably mean that I'll have to find some time to visit them again. And of course, there is no guarantee that the swap of these digital devices will even work. Frustrating. But at least my parents got to spend some quality time with their grand children. So that's always a plus.
I Suck At Hanging Out With My Friends
This past weekend was a rather quiet weekend for Karen and I. Aside from the usual chores that we usually end up doing on the weekends, we really didn't have any plans. Interestingly enough, the weekend still went by very quickly for not having plans.
Regardless, my BFF (Kerry) had contacted us on Saturday to see if she, or any of our friends, won the library raffle prize of spending a little vacation time in Wellfleet because the drawing was held that day. Unfortunately, neither Kerry nor any of our friends won.
But what resulted was a spontaneous plan to hang out with my friends. Now, I suck at hanging out with my friends. Luckily for me, some of my friends were already gathered together because Kerry along with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) were taking a day trip up north. And it just so happened that they were all together when Kerry inquired about the raffle.
Anyway, everyone stopped by our place to hang out. As usual, it was good to see everyone and just be silly. One of the topics that I remember from the night was Andrea's purchase of hooker boots while up north. At least now, should Andrea change careers to become a streetwalker, she will have the proper attire.
After the brief discussion about calf muscles and boots, the topic of changing careers came up to which Karen wondered what she would do if she were not a dietitian. One suggestion was to write a book about Golden Girls trivia, to which Kerry quipped that the title should be 50 Shades of Grey Hair. Oh yes, Kerry was on Saturday night.
Like I said, it was great hanging out with everyone Saturday night. Even though we did not do much, it was just fun to be together.
Regardless, my BFF (Kerry) had contacted us on Saturday to see if she, or any of our friends, won the library raffle prize of spending a little vacation time in Wellfleet because the drawing was held that day. Unfortunately, neither Kerry nor any of our friends won.
But what resulted was a spontaneous plan to hang out with my friends. Now, I suck at hanging out with my friends. Luckily for me, some of my friends were already gathered together because Kerry along with my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) were taking a day trip up north. And it just so happened that they were all together when Kerry inquired about the raffle.
Anyway, everyone stopped by our place to hang out. As usual, it was good to see everyone and just be silly. One of the topics that I remember from the night was Andrea's purchase of hooker boots while up north. At least now, should Andrea change careers to become a streetwalker, she will have the proper attire.
After the brief discussion about calf muscles and boots, the topic of changing careers came up to which Karen wondered what she would do if she were not a dietitian. One suggestion was to write a book about Golden Girls trivia, to which Kerry quipped that the title should be 50 Shades of Grey Hair. Oh yes, Kerry was on Saturday night.
Like I said, it was great hanging out with everyone Saturday night. Even though we did not do much, it was just fun to be together.
I Suck At Wild Willy's Burgers
This past Thursday, Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my six month old daughter (Bridget), and I went to Wild Willy's Burgers located in Quincy. Too bad I suck at Wild Willy's Burgers.
The occasion was the usual get together with my friends (Marc, Kelley) and my BFF (Kerry). There was, however, a special appearance made by our friend (Steve) who happened to also be in Quincy.
Anyway, the food at Wild Willy's was quite delicious. I ordered the Outlaw burger since it's totally like my persona: bad ass. Just kidding. Joking aside, the burger was very good. And the service was excellent. Needless to say, I would definitely recommend going back.
As well, it was good to see everyone at Wild Willy's. Following dinner, all of us (except for Steve) headed back to Kerry's for some merriment and all around fun. As a side note, it turns out that Kerry is getting rid of one of her many tables. I only note that as of interest because it just so happens that Karen and I have been contemplating getting a new table/desk for our computer.
We have been toying with the idea of moving the current location of our computer for some time since the current location is a little overkill for a laptop. The other idea that we came up with was to create one ourselves. So we'll see how that goes.
Anyway, most of my time at Kerry's was spent in the bathroom. For those curious, it was not I who needed to go to the bathroom, but my darling daughter, Briana, who we have been trying to "potty" train. To be honest, I think she just wanted to visit the bathroom because there was a ladder in Kerry's bathroom that she wanted to climb. Plus, there was soap. Briana likes washing her hands. No OCD there.
All in all, it was a great night hanging out with everyone and having fun.
The occasion was the usual get together with my friends (Marc, Kelley) and my BFF (Kerry). There was, however, a special appearance made by our friend (Steve) who happened to also be in Quincy.
Anyway, the food at Wild Willy's was quite delicious. I ordered the Outlaw burger since it's totally like my persona: bad ass. Just kidding. Joking aside, the burger was very good. And the service was excellent. Needless to say, I would definitely recommend going back.
As well, it was good to see everyone at Wild Willy's. Following dinner, all of us (except for Steve) headed back to Kerry's for some merriment and all around fun. As a side note, it turns out that Kerry is getting rid of one of her many tables. I only note that as of interest because it just so happens that Karen and I have been contemplating getting a new table/desk for our computer.
We have been toying with the idea of moving the current location of our computer for some time since the current location is a little overkill for a laptop. The other idea that we came up with was to create one ourselves. So we'll see how that goes.
Anyway, most of my time at Kerry's was spent in the bathroom. For those curious, it was not I who needed to go to the bathroom, but my darling daughter, Briana, who we have been trying to "potty" train. To be honest, I think she just wanted to visit the bathroom because there was a ladder in Kerry's bathroom that she wanted to climb. Plus, there was soap. Briana likes washing her hands. No OCD there.
All in all, it was a great night hanging out with everyone and having fun.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
I Suck At Creating A Shelf
The good news: I created a shelf today.
The bad news: I suck at creating a shelf.
For some time, I have been wanting to organize the cable monstrosity contained within my storage closet. In my closet resides the router and some other device used to send information about my solar panels. In addition, there are cables upon cables (ethernet, coaxial, etc.) because there is a panel located in the closet just for... cables. I had added that panel because, being the stupid tech person that I am, I wanted to network the house.
Anyway, what bothered me the most was the fact that the Verizon FiOS router that was given to me by Verizon was too large for the panel. From the beginning, the router has always been large. The router literally just dangled within the panel that houses all of the cables. And then with our recent addition of the solar panel device (which also has been dangling), I said enough is enough. Enter the shelf.
Needless to say, I made a brief pitstop at my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) to use their drill press today. A few holes later and voila: shelf.
Truth be told, it's not the greatest floating shelf. I actually need to make the shelf deeper, but for now, it will do until I make a newer one to replace it. All in all, I don't think the floating shelf was that bad considering it was my first time making one. But at least now, the cables are more organized and the router can rest on the shelf instead of dangling within the panel.
Of course, this probably now opens up a whole slew of other home improvement projects...
The bad news: I suck at creating a shelf.
For some time, I have been wanting to organize the cable monstrosity contained within my storage closet. In my closet resides the router and some other device used to send information about my solar panels. In addition, there are cables upon cables (ethernet, coaxial, etc.) because there is a panel located in the closet just for... cables. I had added that panel because, being the stupid tech person that I am, I wanted to network the house.
Anyway, what bothered me the most was the fact that the Verizon FiOS router that was given to me by Verizon was too large for the panel. From the beginning, the router has always been large. The router literally just dangled within the panel that houses all of the cables. And then with our recent addition of the solar panel device (which also has been dangling), I said enough is enough. Enter the shelf.
Needless to say, I made a brief pitstop at my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) to use their drill press today. A few holes later and voila: shelf.
Truth be told, it's not the greatest floating shelf. I actually need to make the shelf deeper, but for now, it will do until I make a newer one to replace it. All in all, I don't think the floating shelf was that bad considering it was my first time making one. But at least now, the cables are more organized and the router can rest on the shelf instead of dangling within the panel.
Of course, this probably now opens up a whole slew of other home improvement projects...
I Suck At Celebrating Nana's Birthday
On Sunday, my in-laws celebrated Karen's grandmother's birthday. Nana, as she is more commonly known as, turned the ripe old age of 90. Granted, she turned 90 several weeks ago. The party, however, was moved to this past Sunday to accommodate Karen's southern relatives. And as it turns out, none of the southern relatives could make it anyway. So moving the date of the celebration was... well... in my opinion... pointless.
That is just my opinion. I guess you can say that I suck at celebrating Nana's birthday. The celebration was nice. It was good to see my in-laws.
Truth be told, I don't really remember any topics of discussion. Of course, it didn't help that I was seated away from everyone because my two year old daughter (Briana) wanted to sit at a specific spot. That spot was on the other side of the room...
One of the things I do remember, of course, is taking Briana to "potty" at the nursing home where the birthday celebration was held. I remember it only because I think the same thing every time I am in the bathroom at Marion Manor: don't touch anything. Of course, I think that at most public bathrooms but nursing homes and hospitals more so.
You can probably imagine the cringe I feel when Briana attempts to use the potty at the nursing home.
My bizarre germ behavior aside, it was a nice celebration. I think Nana enjoyed seeing everyone there. Happy birthday Nana!
That is just my opinion. I guess you can say that I suck at celebrating Nana's birthday. The celebration was nice. It was good to see my in-laws.
Truth be told, I don't really remember any topics of discussion. Of course, it didn't help that I was seated away from everyone because my two year old daughter (Briana) wanted to sit at a specific spot. That spot was on the other side of the room...
One of the things I do remember, of course, is taking Briana to "potty" at the nursing home where the birthday celebration was held. I remember it only because I think the same thing every time I am in the bathroom at Marion Manor: don't touch anything. Of course, I think that at most public bathrooms but nursing homes and hospitals more so.
You can probably imagine the cringe I feel when Briana attempts to use the potty at the nursing home.
My bizarre germ behavior aside, it was a nice celebration. I think Nana enjoyed seeing everyone there. Happy birthday Nana!
I Suck At Merrimack
On Saturday, Karen and I celebrated my son's (Braden) birthday by taking my two year old daughter (Briana) and my six month old daughter (Bridget) out. Had my son survived, he would have been four.
Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan and Braden passed away. And as a result, we started taking our children out to honor his birthday around this time of year. Two years ago, it was Plymouth. Last year, it was Norwell's Picnic on the Common. This year, it was Merrimack.
Too bad I suck at Merrimack. On the agenda in Merrimack: the Anheuser-Busch factory. Sure, it seemed odd to take a two year old and a six month old to a brewery. Truth be told, we didn't go for the beer. We went for the clydesdales.
Briana was hesitant at first when she saw the horses. But after a while, she came to absolutely adore the majestic horses. We got to see the trainers give the clydesdales baths after their workout. And all Briana would say afterwards was how she got to watch them give the horses a bath. Needless to say, she loved it.
Of course, the fun was not done after the brewery. Right around the corner from the brewery is the Merrimack Premium Outlets, which is essentially the Wrentham Premium Outlets... only in Merrimack. The one major difference, aside from the food choices, is that Merrimack has a Disney outlet. Naturally, we bought a few things at the Disney store. Truth be told, I enjoyed the Merrimack outlets. It was our first time there and even though the place is smaller, I liked it more than Wrentham.
Anyway, the fun did not stop there. As we were in the great white north, we decided to stop by and visit my favorite cousin-in-law (Karlene) and her husband (Tommy) in Lowell. We hadn't seen them in some time. And as everyone knows, there is a lot to like about Lowell... or so they will have you believe.
Interestingly enough, I found out that Tommy was in the hospital for hurting his back. As a result, he can't do many activities like lifting. Hopefully, physical therapy will help him. And as I like to joke, it just goes to show that after the age of 40 the body breaks down. So I'll probably be doomed in a couple of years.
In addition to hanging out with Karlene and Tommy, we ended up at our favorite ice cream place, Kimball Farm. Kimball's was definitely a great way to end the day before driving home in the torrential downpour.
For some time, Karen has been wanting to try dinner at the Outdoor Grill and Seafood Shack located at Kimball Farm in Westford. Luckily, Saturday provided us the opportunity. Needless to say, the food was quite delicious. I had the fish and chips. And I must say, the fish was nicely breaded and cooked. It was not greasy at all. And it tasted really good.
And of course, we ordered ice cream afterwards. I had the apple crisp with pumpkin ice cream. Yum-O! Of course, I may have overeaten... but it was so worth it. Like I said, Kimball's was definitely a great way to end the day.
All in all, the day was long, but quite enjoyable. I had a great time and I think everyone else did too. Thank you, Little B. I hope you enjoyed watching over us. I love you forever and ever.
Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan and Braden passed away. And as a result, we started taking our children out to honor his birthday around this time of year. Two years ago, it was Plymouth. Last year, it was Norwell's Picnic on the Common. This year, it was Merrimack.
Too bad I suck at Merrimack. On the agenda in Merrimack: the Anheuser-Busch factory. Sure, it seemed odd to take a two year old and a six month old to a brewery. Truth be told, we didn't go for the beer. We went for the clydesdales.
Briana was hesitant at first when she saw the horses. But after a while, she came to absolutely adore the majestic horses. We got to see the trainers give the clydesdales baths after their workout. And all Briana would say afterwards was how she got to watch them give the horses a bath. Needless to say, she loved it.
Of course, the fun was not done after the brewery. Right around the corner from the brewery is the Merrimack Premium Outlets, which is essentially the Wrentham Premium Outlets... only in Merrimack. The one major difference, aside from the food choices, is that Merrimack has a Disney outlet. Naturally, we bought a few things at the Disney store. Truth be told, I enjoyed the Merrimack outlets. It was our first time there and even though the place is smaller, I liked it more than Wrentham.
Anyway, the fun did not stop there. As we were in the great white north, we decided to stop by and visit my favorite cousin-in-law (Karlene) and her husband (Tommy) in Lowell. We hadn't seen them in some time. And as everyone knows, there is a lot to like about Lowell... or so they will have you believe.
Interestingly enough, I found out that Tommy was in the hospital for hurting his back. As a result, he can't do many activities like lifting. Hopefully, physical therapy will help him. And as I like to joke, it just goes to show that after the age of 40 the body breaks down. So I'll probably be doomed in a couple of years.
In addition to hanging out with Karlene and Tommy, we ended up at our favorite ice cream place, Kimball Farm. Kimball's was definitely a great way to end the day before driving home in the torrential downpour.
For some time, Karen has been wanting to try dinner at the Outdoor Grill and Seafood Shack located at Kimball Farm in Westford. Luckily, Saturday provided us the opportunity. Needless to say, the food was quite delicious. I had the fish and chips. And I must say, the fish was nicely breaded and cooked. It was not greasy at all. And it tasted really good.
And of course, we ordered ice cream afterwards. I had the apple crisp with pumpkin ice cream. Yum-O! Of course, I may have overeaten... but it was so worth it. Like I said, Kimball's was definitely a great way to end the day.
All in all, the day was long, but quite enjoyable. I had a great time and I think everyone else did too. Thank you, Little B. I hope you enjoyed watching over us. I love you forever and ever.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
I Suck At Celebrating My Son's Birthday
Had my son (Braden) not passed away, he would have been four years old today. Happy birthday Braden! Too bad I suck at celebrating my son's birthday.
It's amazing how quickly time goes by. There are times where it seems just like yesterday that I held him in my hands. And before I forget, I wanted to thank my friend (Jen), my favorite cousin-in-law (Karlene) and her husband (Tommy), and my BFF (Kerry) for their thoughtful wishes today.
I don't expect people to remember Braden's birthday. So it means a lot to me that they were thinking of him on his special day. I'm lucky to have thoughtful people in my life.
I wish I could have said today was a great day. Unfortunately, my two year old daughter (Briana) and my six month old daughter (Bridget) weren't exactly on their best behaviors today. Regardless, I was pleased that Briana went with Karen and I to visit Braden at the cemetery amid the pouring rain.
I thought the cemetery visit was nice. As Karen and Briana were heading back to the car, I stayed to say my goodbyes to Braden. With umbrella in hand, I knelt down, kissed my hand and placed it on Braden's grave marker. When I turned around, there was Briana standing right in front of me with a big smile. It was pleasant surprise and a touching moment for me. If only she were good the rest of the day.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your birthday Braden. Mommy and Daddy love you and miss you!
It's amazing how quickly time goes by. There are times where it seems just like yesterday that I held him in my hands. And before I forget, I wanted to thank my friend (Jen), my favorite cousin-in-law (Karlene) and her husband (Tommy), and my BFF (Kerry) for their thoughtful wishes today.
I don't expect people to remember Braden's birthday. So it means a lot to me that they were thinking of him on his special day. I'm lucky to have thoughtful people in my life.
I wish I could have said today was a great day. Unfortunately, my two year old daughter (Briana) and my six month old daughter (Bridget) weren't exactly on their best behaviors today. Regardless, I was pleased that Briana went with Karen and I to visit Braden at the cemetery amid the pouring rain.
I thought the cemetery visit was nice. As Karen and Briana were heading back to the car, I stayed to say my goodbyes to Braden. With umbrella in hand, I knelt down, kissed my hand and placed it on Braden's grave marker. When I turned around, there was Briana standing right in front of me with a big smile. It was pleasant surprise and a touching moment for me. If only she were good the rest of the day.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your birthday Braden. Mommy and Daddy love you and miss you!
Monday, September 3, 2012
I Suck At Cookouts
Yesterday, my friends (Cass and Ellen) invited Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my six month old daughter (Bridget) and I over for a cookout. Too bad I suck at cookouts.
We actually ran a little late to the cookout as we made a pit stop at the Walgreens in Quincy. Mental note: do not shop at Walgreens ever again. We stopped at Walgreens as we had earned a couple of their register rewards. The only problem was that those rewards expired yesterday.
Needless to say, the sales associate was adamant that only one coupon/register reward could be used per item even though a few days ago I was able to combine them with a manufacturer's coupon in a different store. Rather than argue, I bought the bare minimum to get rid of the "rewards". But like I said, unless I really have to... I'll never shop at Walgreens again until they change their "rewards" policy.
Anyway, Cass and Ellen's was a great time. Joining in on the shindig were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry). Aside from just the silliness and general fun that all of us have together, I think what I found quite interesting was that Cass and Ellen seem to have the same issues that I frequently find myself facing while raising children. So it's good to know that it's not just me.
One of the issues that I personally find when raising children is being social in group settings. All too often, either Karen or I will have the opportunity to be social within a group because the other person most likely is taking care of the children. It's just how it is. So for me, it was good to hear that my turning into a recluse is not uncommon.
Regardless, I had a great time at the cookout hanging out with everyone. It was fun as usual.
We actually ran a little late to the cookout as we made a pit stop at the Walgreens in Quincy. Mental note: do not shop at Walgreens ever again. We stopped at Walgreens as we had earned a couple of their register rewards. The only problem was that those rewards expired yesterday.
Needless to say, the sales associate was adamant that only one coupon/register reward could be used per item even though a few days ago I was able to combine them with a manufacturer's coupon in a different store. Rather than argue, I bought the bare minimum to get rid of the "rewards". But like I said, unless I really have to... I'll never shop at Walgreens again until they change their "rewards" policy.
Anyway, Cass and Ellen's was a great time. Joining in on the shindig were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry). Aside from just the silliness and general fun that all of us have together, I think what I found quite interesting was that Cass and Ellen seem to have the same issues that I frequently find myself facing while raising children. So it's good to know that it's not just me.
One of the issues that I personally find when raising children is being social in group settings. All too often, either Karen or I will have the opportunity to be social within a group because the other person most likely is taking care of the children. It's just how it is. So for me, it was good to hear that my turning into a recluse is not uncommon.
Regardless, I had a great time at the cookout hanging out with everyone. It was fun as usual.
I Suck At Girls' Night Out
Saturday was quite the interesting day.
For starters, I did something that I don't normally do: clean the rims of my car. While cleaning the garage, I came upon some car cleaning supplies that I got a long while back. So I figured... instead of just standing idly by watching my two year old daughter (Briana) running around in the front yard, why not do something productive like clean the rims of the car while my two year old daughter runs around in the front yard.
And might I add... Armor All... amazing. The rims came out all nice and shiny (and I do like shiny things). So now I can travel in style, until I actually drive somewhere and get the rims dirty again. And it just so happened that I had plans that night.
Saturday night, Karen organized a girls' night out. Not only was it a girls' night out, it was a potluck party too. The theme for the potluck: cereal. As much as I was curious about the cereal potluck, I had no problems taking Briana and my six month old daughter (Bridget) out for the night. After all, I'm big on individualism. Plus, I enjoy my quality father-daughters time together.
Unfortunately, I suck at girls' night out. I actually ended up staying a little bit for the cereal dinner, although I did my best to try to stay out of the way of the girls and take care of my daughters in another room. Attending the cereal shindig were my BFF (Kerry), my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), my friends (Jen and Hot Amy), and Hot Amy's husband (Mark).
I did eventually get to go out on my quality father-daughter trip later that night. Unfortunately, it was just with one daughter and not two. I ended up taking Briana to one of her favorite places: Target. It was quite a lot of fun, even though we spent a good deal of time at the college futon section and the princess paper plate section. (Those were Briana's choices, not mine.)
Anyway, by the time I got back from Target with Briana, girls night out was over. I may have missed the pajama party pillow fight. I seem to always miss that!
For starters, I did something that I don't normally do: clean the rims of my car. While cleaning the garage, I came upon some car cleaning supplies that I got a long while back. So I figured... instead of just standing idly by watching my two year old daughter (Briana) running around in the front yard, why not do something productive like clean the rims of the car while my two year old daughter runs around in the front yard.
And might I add... Armor All... amazing. The rims came out all nice and shiny (and I do like shiny things). So now I can travel in style, until I actually drive somewhere and get the rims dirty again. And it just so happened that I had plans that night.
Saturday night, Karen organized a girls' night out. Not only was it a girls' night out, it was a potluck party too. The theme for the potluck: cereal. As much as I was curious about the cereal potluck, I had no problems taking Briana and my six month old daughter (Bridget) out for the night. After all, I'm big on individualism. Plus, I enjoy my quality father-daughters time together.
Unfortunately, I suck at girls' night out. I actually ended up staying a little bit for the cereal dinner, although I did my best to try to stay out of the way of the girls and take care of my daughters in another room. Attending the cereal shindig were my BFF (Kerry), my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), my friends (Jen and Hot Amy), and Hot Amy's husband (Mark).
I did eventually get to go out on my quality father-daughter trip later that night. Unfortunately, it was just with one daughter and not two. I ended up taking Briana to one of her favorite places: Target. It was quite a lot of fun, even though we spent a good deal of time at the college futon section and the princess paper plate section. (Those were Briana's choices, not mine.)
Anyway, by the time I got back from Target with Briana, girls night out was over. I may have missed the pajama party pillow fight. I seem to always miss that!
Sunday, September 2, 2012
I Suck At The Dentist
On Friday, I had my semi-annual visit to the Dentist's office. Now, I suck at the dentist. The good news on Friday was that I did not have any cavities. The bad news was that I brush too hard.
In addition to the news that I am literally brushing my teeth away, I found out that my usual dental hygienist (Joan) is no longer employed by my dentist. I don't exactly know the reasons as to her departure. The person whom I asked, who happens to be the new hygienist, did not know the reason herself. She just knew that she was asked to work more hours.
Needless to say, the new hygienist is very nice. And interestingly enough, I confirmed something that I thought may have been true, but was never totally certain about: dental hygienists always look at teeth even outside of the office. I naturally had to ask the new hygienist and she was like "Oh yeah, definitely. It's what we do".
And that makes sense. I look at websites and sometimes have critiques in my head. So it only makes sense that a dental hygienist would see a person walking down the street and be drawn to their teeth.
Anyway, it was a good dental visit despite finding out the news about Joan and my hard brushing. Speaking of which, I found out that everyone should use a very soft brush when brushing their teeth. Anything harder is unnecessary.
In addition to the news that I am literally brushing my teeth away, I found out that my usual dental hygienist (Joan) is no longer employed by my dentist. I don't exactly know the reasons as to her departure. The person whom I asked, who happens to be the new hygienist, did not know the reason herself. She just knew that she was asked to work more hours.
Needless to say, the new hygienist is very nice. And interestingly enough, I confirmed something that I thought may have been true, but was never totally certain about: dental hygienists always look at teeth even outside of the office. I naturally had to ask the new hygienist and she was like "Oh yeah, definitely. It's what we do".
And that makes sense. I look at websites and sometimes have critiques in my head. So it only makes sense that a dental hygienist would see a person walking down the street and be drawn to their teeth.
Anyway, it was a good dental visit despite finding out the news about Joan and my hard brushing. Speaking of which, I found out that everyone should use a very soft brush when brushing their teeth. Anything harder is unnecessary.
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