Today was errand day.
Generally speaking, I find it difficult to complete a bunch of errands while raising multiple children. In my case, my children seem to monopolize parental unit time. Consequently, it seems that either Karen or I can complete any given errand at a time... never the both of us simultaneously.
Thus, if Karen needs to do something, it's easier if she does it while I watch the kids and vice versa if I need to do something. You'd think splitting the children up would be easier... but no.
As a result, the list of to-do's take a lot longer to complete. Most of our errands are done either during the early mornings while the children are asleep, or during one or the other child's nap time. Today, however, my mom offered to watch the kids so that we could do a few small things.
Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity. And truthfully, I think we got a lot accomplished today. Granted, the list of to-do's contained relatively small items... but every little to-do adds up.
One of the main errands for today was Savers. Now, I suck at Savers. I have never been to Savers until today. The place opened a while ago. And for anyone curious, I believe this Savers donates to an epilepsy foundation.
Anyway, the reason why we were at Savers was because Karen was donating some items. With the new year coming, we have been trying to tidy up the house a bit. She is a much quicker organizer than I am. I must say though, Savers was a lot bigger than I originally thought... and they practically take any donation. I was quite impressed.
Of course, we did run into a little snafu earlier when we tried to go to Savers pre-lunch. The area had lost electricity, so we couldn't go in as the store had to temporarily shut down. Speaking of lunch, we ate at Not Your Average Joe's. Yum! I had a coupon for a free birthday meal. Salmon... delicious! But following lunch, the electricity was back up and running.
All in all, it was a good productive day.
Friday, December 28, 2012
I Suck At Installing A Ceiling Light
Wednesday was home improvement day. On the agenda for the day: fix the ceiling light in the room with the fireplace. It's probably been over a year since the ceiling light stopped working in that room. Our temporary solution at the time was to use table lamps at night... which we did... for over a year.
But since I was on vacation, I figured that now was a good time as any to finally fix the ceiling light. Funny thing is, my initial diagnosis of the cause was that the ceiling light needed new CFL specialty bulbs. The light had worked... then didn't... then flickered on sometimes... then didn't... then turned on... then didn't.
When I had removed the dome to the light, I had noticed that the CFL bulb was essentially black. So naturally, I went to the nearest home improvement store (Home Depot) to get new CFL specialty bulbs. And for anyone curious, Home Depot recycles old CFL bulbs. Sweet!
Anyway, upon returning home, I installed the new bulbs in ceiling light and flicked on the switch. Initially, I was thinking that this was probably the easiest project I had to do. Why did I wait so long to change bulbs?
Lo and behold, the lights did not go on. Then I thought... hm... maybe that's why I waited so long. Needless to say, I started uninstalling the existing ceiling light to get at the wiring. Based on my high tech testing... of attaching a working light to the wires... I concluded that the wiring was good and that the light fixture itself was bad. This was similar to the issue my BFF (Kerry) had at her house.
So off to Home Depot again to get a new ceiling light. After careful deliberation, I decided to go with a ceiling light similar in size, but different in the bulbs it uses. Instead of using specialty CFL bulbs that are pricier, the light would use the standard type of CFL bulbs.
And after getting the light home, all I had to do was install it. Now, I suck at installing a ceiling light. Okay, so maybe I don't. It didn't take too long to install the light. Karen's grandmother came over for a quick visit. Before she even left our house, I had the light installed and working. If only I had looked further into the light a year ago...
But since I was on vacation, I figured that now was a good time as any to finally fix the ceiling light. Funny thing is, my initial diagnosis of the cause was that the ceiling light needed new CFL specialty bulbs. The light had worked... then didn't... then flickered on sometimes... then didn't... then turned on... then didn't.
When I had removed the dome to the light, I had noticed that the CFL bulb was essentially black. So naturally, I went to the nearest home improvement store (Home Depot) to get new CFL specialty bulbs. And for anyone curious, Home Depot recycles old CFL bulbs. Sweet!
Anyway, upon returning home, I installed the new bulbs in ceiling light and flicked on the switch. Initially, I was thinking that this was probably the easiest project I had to do. Why did I wait so long to change bulbs?
Lo and behold, the lights did not go on. Then I thought... hm... maybe that's why I waited so long. Needless to say, I started uninstalling the existing ceiling light to get at the wiring. Based on my high tech testing... of attaching a working light to the wires... I concluded that the wiring was good and that the light fixture itself was bad. This was similar to the issue my BFF (Kerry) had at her house.
So off to Home Depot again to get a new ceiling light. After careful deliberation, I decided to go with a ceiling light similar in size, but different in the bulbs it uses. Instead of using specialty CFL bulbs that are pricier, the light would use the standard type of CFL bulbs.
And after getting the light home, all I had to do was install it. Now, I suck at installing a ceiling light. Okay, so maybe I don't. It didn't take too long to install the light. Karen's grandmother came over for a quick visit. Before she even left our house, I had the light installed and working. If only I had looked further into the light a year ago...
I Suck At Christmas
I had a great time on Christmas. Too bad I suck at Christmas. Like my two year old daughter (Briana) said this year, "best Christmas ever". Okay, so maybe it's not the best ever.
As a father though, this year was really nice because Briana simply enjoys Christmas. Even though she seems scared stiff of Santa, she seems to understand that he brings gifts to the good girls and boys and all of that. So needless to say, she was quite excited on Christmas morning.
This year, Karen and I hosted Christmas. It was a small gathering, consisting of our respective parents. But it was a good time. I think both of our parents enjoyed seeing Briana and my ten month old (Bridget) playing with their toys.
Later that night, we headed over to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) to celebrate Christmas with her and her family. And by we, I mean my family and Karen's parents. Luckily, I didn't have to kick my parents out on Christmas to make Janine's.
Needless to say, it was an interesting time at my favorite sister-in-law's. I got to school my little niece (Kaleigh) in Just Dance 4. Yep, I have moves. Or perhaps I can only bust a move to "Call Me Maybe" because I got schooled in subsequent dance offs against Janine and Karen. I think Karen may be addicted to the game now. Or maybe she's just a dancing machine.
As a father though, this year was really nice because Briana simply enjoys Christmas. Even though she seems scared stiff of Santa, she seems to understand that he brings gifts to the good girls and boys and all of that. So needless to say, she was quite excited on Christmas morning.
This year, Karen and I hosted Christmas. It was a small gathering, consisting of our respective parents. But it was a good time. I think both of our parents enjoyed seeing Briana and my ten month old (Bridget) playing with their toys.
Later that night, we headed over to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) to celebrate Christmas with her and her family. And by we, I mean my family and Karen's parents. Luckily, I didn't have to kick my parents out on Christmas to make Janine's.
Needless to say, it was an interesting time at my favorite sister-in-law's. I got to school my little niece (Kaleigh) in Just Dance 4. Yep, I have moves. Or perhaps I can only bust a move to "Call Me Maybe" because I got schooled in subsequent dance offs against Janine and Karen. I think Karen may be addicted to the game now. Or maybe she's just a dancing machine.
I Suck At Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve was the day I got to see my friend (Jen). Too bad I suck at Christmas Eve.
In the morning, Karen and I met up with Jen and my BFF (Kerry) for breakfast at Stars on Hingham Harbor. Christmas Eve breakfast has practically become a tradition now amongst all of us. I think all of us have been doing it since college. Sadly, this year my friend (Joanna) could not make it.
Joanna lives out in Oregon. And this year, she wasn't coming back to Massachusetts for the holiday. Bummer. She cracks me up with some of her stories.
Anyway, breakfast was delicious as usual at Stars. I ordered the low carb breakfast. The low carb dish was chock full of meat... eggs... and cheese. Basically, a protein dish. Normally, I don't care for low carb dishes primarily because I consider the term synonymous with dieting... and I don't diet as obviously from my svelte figure. (That's sarcasm.)
It just so happens that I did not eat much protein at all the day before. So come Christmas Eve morning, I had a craving for protein. And I devoured the low carb plate. Yum! Food aside, it was good to see Kerry and Jen even if most of my time was spent trying to get my two year old (Briana) to sit and stay in her seat during breakfast.
And as luck would have it, I got to see Jen again later that night. For some time now, Karen and I have hosted Christmas Eve for our families. This year, however, we decided to switch things up a little and host Christmas day instead. So doing the hosting duties for Christmas Eve this year were my mother-in-law and my father-in-law.
I have a feeling that my mother-in-law has been wanting to host for some time. So it didn't take much to convince her to host Christmas Eve... not that she needed convincing. Regardless, Jen happens to live near my in-laws. So she and her brother (Bill) came to Christmas Eve dinner too (after they themselves hosted for their family).
Needless to say, Christmas Eve was a good time.
In the morning, Karen and I met up with Jen and my BFF (Kerry) for breakfast at Stars on Hingham Harbor. Christmas Eve breakfast has practically become a tradition now amongst all of us. I think all of us have been doing it since college. Sadly, this year my friend (Joanna) could not make it.
Joanna lives out in Oregon. And this year, she wasn't coming back to Massachusetts for the holiday. Bummer. She cracks me up with some of her stories.
Anyway, breakfast was delicious as usual at Stars. I ordered the low carb breakfast. The low carb dish was chock full of meat... eggs... and cheese. Basically, a protein dish. Normally, I don't care for low carb dishes primarily because I consider the term synonymous with dieting... and I don't diet as obviously from my svelte figure. (That's sarcasm.)
It just so happens that I did not eat much protein at all the day before. So come Christmas Eve morning, I had a craving for protein. And I devoured the low carb plate. Yum! Food aside, it was good to see Kerry and Jen even if most of my time was spent trying to get my two year old (Briana) to sit and stay in her seat during breakfast.
And as luck would have it, I got to see Jen again later that night. For some time now, Karen and I have hosted Christmas Eve for our families. This year, however, we decided to switch things up a little and host Christmas day instead. So doing the hosting duties for Christmas Eve this year were my mother-in-law and my father-in-law.
I have a feeling that my mother-in-law has been wanting to host for some time. So it didn't take much to convince her to host Christmas Eve... not that she needed convincing. Regardless, Jen happens to live near my in-laws. So she and her brother (Bill) came to Christmas Eve dinner too (after they themselves hosted for their family).
Needless to say, Christmas Eve was a good time.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
I Suck At Celebrating Birthdays
It's been great being on vacation.
This past Saturday, my friends and I celebrated some birthdays for those of us who were born in the month of December. Now, I suck at celebrating birthdays. I particularly suck at celebrating December birthdays because the month is just too busy with the holidays.
Luckily for us, we eventually did plan a date to celebrate birthdays for my friend (Ellen), my BFF (Kerry), and me. Karen and I hosted a little pot luck for the celebration. The theme for the pot luck: stuffed things. My friend (Andrea a.k.a Rachel) thought that was a neat ploy to get her to make her coveted stuffed mushrooms, which are very delicious. And perhaps, that thought did cross my mind when I threw up the stuffed theme to Ellen.
Also joining in on the shindig were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Cass, Garv, and Leeann). As usual, it was great to hang out and see everyone. Plus, Andrea made stuffed mushrooms... Yay!
Sadly, I can't remember any topics of conversation that came up that night as I am writing this. I think I may have been a little preoccupied with hosting duties and my two year old (Briana). Oh well.
This past Saturday, my friends and I celebrated some birthdays for those of us who were born in the month of December. Now, I suck at celebrating birthdays. I particularly suck at celebrating December birthdays because the month is just too busy with the holidays.
Luckily for us, we eventually did plan a date to celebrate birthdays for my friend (Ellen), my BFF (Kerry), and me. Karen and I hosted a little pot luck for the celebration. The theme for the pot luck: stuffed things. My friend (Andrea a.k.a Rachel) thought that was a neat ploy to get her to make her coveted stuffed mushrooms, which are very delicious. And perhaps, that thought did cross my mind when I threw up the stuffed theme to Ellen.
Also joining in on the shindig were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Cass, Garv, and Leeann). As usual, it was great to hang out and see everyone. Plus, Andrea made stuffed mushrooms... Yay!
Sadly, I can't remember any topics of conversation that came up that night as I am writing this. I think I may have been a little preoccupied with hosting duties and my two year old (Briana). Oh well.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
I Suck At The Registry Of Motor Vehicles
With today being the end of the world (if you're a Mayan), I decided to renew my driver's license. I had tried to renew my license online. Unfortunately, I did not qualify for online renewal. I think I may have renewed it online the last time. I can't remember.
Needless to say, I had to go in person to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Too bad I suck at the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Interestingly enough, today was the first time I have been to the RMV since it moved to Braintree in 2008. And surprisingly, the wait was not that bad. I think the drive to the RMV took longer than the wait.
Anyway, I had a nice time at the RMV. Granted, my new license picture is terrible... but I'm sure everyone says their picture is terrible. I wonder if they would have allowed me to make a funny face for the picture. Oh well. I'll have to ask the next time I go... hopefully in 10 years.
Needless to say, I had to go in person to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Too bad I suck at the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Interestingly enough, today was the first time I have been to the RMV since it moved to Braintree in 2008. And surprisingly, the wait was not that bad. I think the drive to the RMV took longer than the wait.
Anyway, I had a nice time at the RMV. Granted, my new license picture is terrible... but I'm sure everyone says their picture is terrible. I wonder if they would have allowed me to make a funny face for the picture. Oh well. I'll have to ask the next time I go... hopefully in 10 years.
I Suck At Celebrating My Birthday
Yesterday, was my birthday. Too bad I suck at celebrating my birthday. If you were to use the same earth revolutions as my friend (Andrea), I turned 27 yesterday. For anyone curious, Andrea's earthly revolutions run a little slower than the normal calendar. And by slower, I mean it stops after a certain age. So 27 it is.
Anyway to celebrate my birthday, Karen and I took our kids to the Abington Ale House. It has almost become an annual tradition that I eat at the Abington Ale House on my birhtday... because I usually don't go there otherwise. It's not that the food is bad. Quite the contrary. I enjoy the food there. I just don't venture down to Abington, or think about venturing down to Abington, all that often. The only time I really think about going to the Abington Ale House is on my birthday.
Needless to say, the food there was delicious. I had the sirloin which was very good. And naturally, the meal was free... because it was my birthday. And free is good.
One of the more interesting things that happened during my birthday meal at the Abington Ale House, aside from discovering that my driver's license expired... and Karen's for that matter... (hers expired back in October) was that sitting at the table directly across from us were two women with a toddler. The fact that they were women was not the interesting part. The interesting part was that the toddler's name was Braden, the same name as my son who passed away.
It was just one of those interesting coincidences because I don't consider Braden that common of a name. And to be seated directly across from a Braden was nice, especially on my birthday. And as odd as this sounds, it really felt like my son was really looking down at me and did what he could to celebrate my birthday with me.
Following the Abington Ale House, I spent some time watching the kids while Karen went to the Registry of Motor Vehicles to renew her license. Both of us attempted to renew our license online, but unfortunately we did not qualify for online renewal. So off she went to renew hers.
Anyway, before I knew it, the day was almost over. I still had one last thing that I wanted to do with my family on my birthday before it got too late. And that was... the Millis Wonderland.
Karen had heard about the Millis Wonderland from work. I'm not normally interested in things like the Millis Wonderland. My two year old daughter (Briana), however, seems to be all into lighted decorations. There is a tree in our neighborhood that has lights on it and she has to see it every night. In fact, I have to drive by the tree at night whenever she is in the car.
So naturally, I wanted to surprise Briana with a trip to the Millis Wonderland before it got too late. The good news... getting to and from Millis was not bad. It was definitely an interesting ride. I got to drive through so many towns: Medway, Medfield, Dover, Walpole, I'm sure there are more that I forgot. Heck, I even got to see some department store named Lords in Medway. The store looks so antiquated from the outside that it seems almost amazing that it is still around.
Anyway, the bad news: the wait to see the Millis Wonderland. It took almost as long to get from my house to Millis than it did to wait to get into the wonderland. And interestingly enough, the Millis Wonderland is just someone's house. It's weird that people would wait so long in line to drive through this person's house (the person happens to own a car dealership). Don't get me wrong, the lights were nice and some of the displays were nice... but worth the long wait? In my opinion, probably not. But Briana seemed to enjoy it.
When we were going to Millis, we told Briana that we were going on a mystery ride. Her reaction was funny when she saw the lights at the Millis Wonderland. Briana had exclaimed "We solved the mystery, Mommy!" I don't even know where she got that from. Needless to say, Briana wants to do "mystery" rides weekly now. Great...
All in all, it was a fun birthday celebration. I had a great time with my family.
Anyway to celebrate my birthday, Karen and I took our kids to the Abington Ale House. It has almost become an annual tradition that I eat at the Abington Ale House on my birhtday... because I usually don't go there otherwise. It's not that the food is bad. Quite the contrary. I enjoy the food there. I just don't venture down to Abington, or think about venturing down to Abington, all that often. The only time I really think about going to the Abington Ale House is on my birthday.
Needless to say, the food there was delicious. I had the sirloin which was very good. And naturally, the meal was free... because it was my birthday. And free is good.
One of the more interesting things that happened during my birthday meal at the Abington Ale House, aside from discovering that my driver's license expired... and Karen's for that matter... (hers expired back in October) was that sitting at the table directly across from us were two women with a toddler. The fact that they were women was not the interesting part. The interesting part was that the toddler's name was Braden, the same name as my son who passed away.
It was just one of those interesting coincidences because I don't consider Braden that common of a name. And to be seated directly across from a Braden was nice, especially on my birthday. And as odd as this sounds, it really felt like my son was really looking down at me and did what he could to celebrate my birthday with me.
Following the Abington Ale House, I spent some time watching the kids while Karen went to the Registry of Motor Vehicles to renew her license. Both of us attempted to renew our license online, but unfortunately we did not qualify for online renewal. So off she went to renew hers.
Anyway, before I knew it, the day was almost over. I still had one last thing that I wanted to do with my family on my birthday before it got too late. And that was... the Millis Wonderland.
Karen had heard about the Millis Wonderland from work. I'm not normally interested in things like the Millis Wonderland. My two year old daughter (Briana), however, seems to be all into lighted decorations. There is a tree in our neighborhood that has lights on it and she has to see it every night. In fact, I have to drive by the tree at night whenever she is in the car.
So naturally, I wanted to surprise Briana with a trip to the Millis Wonderland before it got too late. The good news... getting to and from Millis was not bad. It was definitely an interesting ride. I got to drive through so many towns: Medway, Medfield, Dover, Walpole, I'm sure there are more that I forgot. Heck, I even got to see some department store named Lords in Medway. The store looks so antiquated from the outside that it seems almost amazing that it is still around.
Anyway, the bad news: the wait to see the Millis Wonderland. It took almost as long to get from my house to Millis than it did to wait to get into the wonderland. And interestingly enough, the Millis Wonderland is just someone's house. It's weird that people would wait so long in line to drive through this person's house (the person happens to own a car dealership). Don't get me wrong, the lights were nice and some of the displays were nice... but worth the long wait? In my opinion, probably not. But Briana seemed to enjoy it.
When we were going to Millis, we told Briana that we were going on a mystery ride. Her reaction was funny when she saw the lights at the Millis Wonderland. Briana had exclaimed "We solved the mystery, Mommy!" I don't even know where she got that from. Needless to say, Briana wants to do "mystery" rides weekly now. Great...
All in all, it was a fun birthday celebration. I had a great time with my family.
I Suck At CVS
Tuesday turned out to be super-deal-Tuesday.
In the morning, I made a trip to my local CVS. Now, I suck at CVS. It turns out that I had some reward dollars (also known as ExtraCare Bucks) expiring on Tuesday. And sadly, there really weren't any items on sale this week that Karen and I needed.
Luckily, I had received an email with a coupon for Colgate Advanced toothpaste. Coincidentally, Colgate Advanced toothpaste happened to be on sale at CVS, which involved getting back ExtraCare Bucks. I was quite ecstatic because I knew that was the perfect opportunity to get rid of my expiring ExtraCare Bucks.
When all was said and done, I was able to get the Colgate Advanced toothpaste for free. (And free is good!) To get the toothpaste for free, I used up all of my expiring ExtraCare Bucks with the coupon, and received the additional ExtraCare Bucks for the exact same amount of my expiring ExtraCare Bucks. In essence, I just delayed the expiration of my ExtraCare Bucks while getting the toothpaste for free with coupon. Sweet! I was pretty excited about that.
Too bad I have more expiring ExtraCare Bucks soon. Hopefully I'll be able to turn those around as well.
And if one deal weren't good enough, I also took part in another rather interesting deal later that day when my mother stayed for dinner. My mom had gotten me an ice cream cake for my birthday. Since she did not anticipate seeing me on my actual birthday, she brought it over on Tuesday.
Anyway, we did not exactly have anything set for dinner, so I decided to see what was available. Lo and behold, we decided upon Bertucci's. It turns out, Bertucci's has an online deal where you can get $10 off your first online order of $20. That's a pretty good deal considering they are running specials where you can get two individual pizzas for $15 and two small plates for $7.95... which is what I did. Needless to say, dinner was delicious. Dinner ended up being a butternut squash theme with the pizza and small plate. Yum butternut squash!
So all in all, I had a good Tuesday.
In the morning, I made a trip to my local CVS. Now, I suck at CVS. It turns out that I had some reward dollars (also known as ExtraCare Bucks) expiring on Tuesday. And sadly, there really weren't any items on sale this week that Karen and I needed.
Luckily, I had received an email with a coupon for Colgate Advanced toothpaste. Coincidentally, Colgate Advanced toothpaste happened to be on sale at CVS, which involved getting back ExtraCare Bucks. I was quite ecstatic because I knew that was the perfect opportunity to get rid of my expiring ExtraCare Bucks.
When all was said and done, I was able to get the Colgate Advanced toothpaste for free. (And free is good!) To get the toothpaste for free, I used up all of my expiring ExtraCare Bucks with the coupon, and received the additional ExtraCare Bucks for the exact same amount of my expiring ExtraCare Bucks. In essence, I just delayed the expiration of my ExtraCare Bucks while getting the toothpaste for free with coupon. Sweet! I was pretty excited about that.
Too bad I have more expiring ExtraCare Bucks soon. Hopefully I'll be able to turn those around as well.
And if one deal weren't good enough, I also took part in another rather interesting deal later that day when my mother stayed for dinner. My mom had gotten me an ice cream cake for my birthday. Since she did not anticipate seeing me on my actual birthday, she brought it over on Tuesday.
Anyway, we did not exactly have anything set for dinner, so I decided to see what was available. Lo and behold, we decided upon Bertucci's. It turns out, Bertucci's has an online deal where you can get $10 off your first online order of $20. That's a pretty good deal considering they are running specials where you can get two individual pizzas for $15 and two small plates for $7.95... which is what I did. Needless to say, dinner was delicious. Dinner ended up being a butternut squash theme with the pizza and small plate. Yum butternut squash!
So all in all, I had a good Tuesday.
Monday, December 17, 2012
I Suck At Santa
I suck at Santa... probably because there aren't too many Asian Santas out there. Luckily for me, I don't have to be Santa.
For the past several years, Karen's father has donned on the big red suit, big black boots, felt bag, and sparkly key for children of all ages to see. He says he enjoys seeing the kids look at him with wonder and awe, particularly his grandkids for whom he has been entertaining the past years.
Yesterday, however, I'm not so sure he quite enjoyed the experience. Karen and I invited our friends (Cass, Ellen, and Meredith) over to our house for a special Santa visit. Their respective children are around my two year old daughter's (Briana) age. My parents, and my in-laws also came over to share in on the fun.
Briana is actually the oldest of the bunch. One probably would not have guessed that she were the oldest, based on her reaction yesterday. After all, of all the children there, Briana was the only one who broke down in tears when she saw Santa. Granted, none of the other children were that keen on seeing Santa either. They were all pretty much scared of the man in the big red suit.
They loved the presents of course... just not the person pulling out the presents out of the bag. Anyway, it made for an interesting Santa experience. I'm curious as to why some children are afraid of Santa. I think my nephew and niece were also afraid of him when they were around Briana's age as well.
On the plus side, it was fun hanging out with Cass, Ellen, and Meredith. It was like a play date of sorts.
For the past several years, Karen's father has donned on the big red suit, big black boots, felt bag, and sparkly key for children of all ages to see. He says he enjoys seeing the kids look at him with wonder and awe, particularly his grandkids for whom he has been entertaining the past years.
Yesterday, however, I'm not so sure he quite enjoyed the experience. Karen and I invited our friends (Cass, Ellen, and Meredith) over to our house for a special Santa visit. Their respective children are around my two year old daughter's (Briana) age. My parents, and my in-laws also came over to share in on the fun.
Briana is actually the oldest of the bunch. One probably would not have guessed that she were the oldest, based on her reaction yesterday. After all, of all the children there, Briana was the only one who broke down in tears when she saw Santa. Granted, none of the other children were that keen on seeing Santa either. They were all pretty much scared of the man in the big red suit.
They loved the presents of course... just not the person pulling out the presents out of the bag. Anyway, it made for an interesting Santa experience. I'm curious as to why some children are afraid of Santa. I think my nephew and niece were also afraid of him when they were around Briana's age as well.
On the plus side, it was fun hanging out with Cass, Ellen, and Meredith. It was like a play date of sorts.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
I Suck At Holiday Parties
Tonight was my BFF's (Kerry) birthday. Happy birthday Kerry!
Tonight also happened to be Kerry's annual holiday party. Now, I suck at holiday parties. This was not just any annual holiday party. Tonight was Kerry's 10th annual holiday party... and according to Kerry, her last holiday party.
So in a way, this was Kerry's annual holiday party to end all holiday parties. And for a final farewell party, I had a great time.
Of course, I was a bit late to the party. I ran a quick errand to Staples to pick up some batteries, which would be free after getting Staples Rewards. Little did I know, when I did arrive to Kerry's party, I would be the topic of conversation.
The topic was about coupons and my apparent obsession with them. Personally, I don't think I have an obsession. I happen to enjoy items that are free. And most of the items that I get for free are a means to an end.
For example, prior to tonight's party I made a trip to my local Target. I needed to reach $50 at Target to get a $10 gift card. It just so happens that I could get floss for free thanks to some coupons. Now, I don't technically need floss. But in this case, the floss was my means to an end. I needed to purchase $50 worth of items, and the floss helped me do that... and after coupons they were free. So they served a purpose by helping me get that $10 gift card.
For anyone curious, I didn't keep the floss. I gave them to my mom who was watching my kids tonight while Karen and I attended the party. She also ended up with some deodorant... which was another topic of discussion because I haven't been as diligent in finding a new home for the free deodorant. Sadly, Karen and I have about 12 things of deodorant. Even if Karen and I do smell and stink up the joint, that's still a lot of deodorant to go through.
Needless to say, my friends got some big laughs over my coupon abilities. Joining in on the festivities of Kerry's party were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, Andrea, Samantha, Steve, Jen, and Hot Amy) and my favorite sister-in-law (Janine). It was definitely good to see everyone. I had a good time.
Karen is still threatening to write a blog about living with me and my seemingly bizarre habits, which was another topic of discussion. I'd definitely be curious to read that. So we'll see if that ever comes about.
Anyway, it was a nice party to end all holiday parties. Hopefully Kerry had a good time and enjoyed her birthday.
Tonight also happened to be Kerry's annual holiday party. Now, I suck at holiday parties. This was not just any annual holiday party. Tonight was Kerry's 10th annual holiday party... and according to Kerry, her last holiday party.
So in a way, this was Kerry's annual holiday party to end all holiday parties. And for a final farewell party, I had a great time.
Of course, I was a bit late to the party. I ran a quick errand to Staples to pick up some batteries, which would be free after getting Staples Rewards. Little did I know, when I did arrive to Kerry's party, I would be the topic of conversation.
The topic was about coupons and my apparent obsession with them. Personally, I don't think I have an obsession. I happen to enjoy items that are free. And most of the items that I get for free are a means to an end.
For example, prior to tonight's party I made a trip to my local Target. I needed to reach $50 at Target to get a $10 gift card. It just so happens that I could get floss for free thanks to some coupons. Now, I don't technically need floss. But in this case, the floss was my means to an end. I needed to purchase $50 worth of items, and the floss helped me do that... and after coupons they were free. So they served a purpose by helping me get that $10 gift card.
For anyone curious, I didn't keep the floss. I gave them to my mom who was watching my kids tonight while Karen and I attended the party. She also ended up with some deodorant... which was another topic of discussion because I haven't been as diligent in finding a new home for the free deodorant. Sadly, Karen and I have about 12 things of deodorant. Even if Karen and I do smell and stink up the joint, that's still a lot of deodorant to go through.
Needless to say, my friends got some big laughs over my coupon abilities. Joining in on the festivities of Kerry's party were my friends (Marc, Kelley, Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, Andrea, Samantha, Steve, Jen, and Hot Amy) and my favorite sister-in-law (Janine). It was definitely good to see everyone. I had a good time.
Karen is still threatening to write a blog about living with me and my seemingly bizarre habits, which was another topic of discussion. I'd definitely be curious to read that. So we'll see if that ever comes about.
Anyway, it was a nice party to end all holiday parties. Hopefully Kerry had a good time and enjoyed her birthday.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
I Suck At Grocery Shopping
With Karen having her library meeting tonight, I took the kids (Briana and Bridget) out for some grocery shopping fun. Now, I suck at grocery shopping. And truthfully, I probably wouldn't normally write a post about grocery shopping.
Tonight, however, I had a fun time. And really, what's not to like when your two year old daughter pushes around a miniature shopping cart and places random things inside the cart while your nine month old is strapped to you in a carrier? By the way, many thanks to the young woman who found Briana's dropped glove and returned it to me. That had potential meltdown written all over it.
But really, what actually made me decide to write a post tonight was my experience at the checkout line at the first grocery store I went to tonight. I had purchased four boxes of chocolate chip cookie mix and two bags of Good Food Should Taste Good chips. The amount came to under $2. Both the cashier and the bagger were so amazed that I was able to get all of that for under $2.
In fact, the cashier joked and said "as far as I'm concerned, you just robbed the store". I thought it was a comical quote. Or as Nathan Fillion would say, "that would make a good tweet". I only mention Nathan Fillion because I just watched an interview where the self-proclaimed nerd was named Entertainment Weekly's 2012 Tweeter of the Year. And in the interview he said that whenever he is hanging out, he tweets things "that would make a good tweet". So there is hope to my friend's (Garv) cockamanie idea about podcasting.
Anyway, all in all, it was a fun daddy-daughters night tonight.
Tonight, however, I had a fun time. And really, what's not to like when your two year old daughter pushes around a miniature shopping cart and places random things inside the cart while your nine month old is strapped to you in a carrier? By the way, many thanks to the young woman who found Briana's dropped glove and returned it to me. That had potential meltdown written all over it.
But really, what actually made me decide to write a post tonight was my experience at the checkout line at the first grocery store I went to tonight. I had purchased four boxes of chocolate chip cookie mix and two bags of Good Food Should Taste Good chips. The amount came to under $2. Both the cashier and the bagger were so amazed that I was able to get all of that for under $2.
In fact, the cashier joked and said "as far as I'm concerned, you just robbed the store". I thought it was a comical quote. Or as Nathan Fillion would say, "that would make a good tweet". I only mention Nathan Fillion because I just watched an interview where the self-proclaimed nerd was named Entertainment Weekly's 2012 Tweeter of the Year. And in the interview he said that whenever he is hanging out, he tweets things "that would make a good tweet". So there is hope to my friend's (Garv) cockamanie idea about podcasting.
Anyway, all in all, it was a fun daddy-daughters night tonight.
Monday, December 10, 2012
I Suck At Tree Trimmings
Saturday was Christmas tree Saturday.
In addition to Karen and I putting up our Christmas tree, we attended a tree trimming party hosted by our friends (Marc and Kelley). Too bad I suck at tree trimmings. Joining in on the festivities were also my friends (Andrea, Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, Steve, Sam, and Amy the Czar) and my BFF (Kerry).
It was definitely a fun time as usual. At least this time around, I have a recollection of the tree trimming party. Just kidding. Anyway, I would have to say that the most memorable discuss of the night was the series Homeland.
Garv and Leeann seem to watch a lot of television. If they aren't pushing Game of Thrones... it's Homeland. Interestingly enough, I am somewhat curious about the series. Perhaps I'll give it a chance... when I have time of course. I guess you can say they sold me on the show.
Another topic of discussion that briefly came up was my 20th high school reunion which took place over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It seems like everyone who attended had fun. From all accounts, it seems like there was a lot of imbibing done at the reunion. Maybe some day I'll convince myself to attend one. We'll see.
Anyway, it was a fun time.
In addition to Karen and I putting up our Christmas tree, we attended a tree trimming party hosted by our friends (Marc and Kelley). Too bad I suck at tree trimmings. Joining in on the festivities were also my friends (Andrea, Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, Steve, Sam, and Amy the Czar) and my BFF (Kerry).
It was definitely a fun time as usual. At least this time around, I have a recollection of the tree trimming party. Just kidding. Anyway, I would have to say that the most memorable discuss of the night was the series Homeland.
Garv and Leeann seem to watch a lot of television. If they aren't pushing Game of Thrones... it's Homeland. Interestingly enough, I am somewhat curious about the series. Perhaps I'll give it a chance... when I have time of course. I guess you can say they sold me on the show.
Another topic of discussion that briefly came up was my 20th high school reunion which took place over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It seems like everyone who attended had fun. From all accounts, it seems like there was a lot of imbibing done at the reunion. Maybe some day I'll convince myself to attend one. We'll see.
Anyway, it was a fun time.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
I Suck At Christmas In The Square
I normally don't have big plans on a Friday night. Tonight, however, Karen and I planned on bringing our two year old daughter (Briana) and our nine month old daughter (Bridget) to Hingham for the town's annual Christmas in the Square. Now, I suck at Christmas in the Square.
For both Karen and I, it was our first time going and we did not know what to expect. I must say, the entire downtown area was flooded with kids. Absolutely flooded. It definitely was a nice family event.
Briana and Bridget got to see the Festival of Trees. Briana gave Frosty the Snowman a hug. And of course, they both got to see Santa arrive on a fire engine. It was a nice time.
Interestingly enough, Christmas in the Square was just a precursor of the loads of fun to follow on Friday night. After the arrival of Santa, we headed back to our place. By that time, our kids were quite famished.
My BFF (Kerry) soon came over to do a spontaneous craft day of sorts. Now, I've never been into crafts. But I must say, craft night tonight was a blast. In fact, the crafting ended some time after midnight.
Apparently, Kerry and Karen had the idea of creating wreaths made with coffee filters. They had come upon the idea and felt like trying it out. So for most of the night, the two of them folded coffee filters and hot glued them to rings.
For Kerry, this may be the craft to end all crafts. I'm not sure if she'll craft again after tonight. After all, she initially had troubles with her crafting project. But through rugged determination and many hot glue burns, she managed to forge ahead and finish it. The wreath actually came out very nicely when it was completed.
When all was said and done, the crafting project took over four hours. For me, it was just a blast hanging out with Kerry and talking about random things... like recounting how Kerry knows the password to our security system. Other topics came up too, like fake versus real Christmas trees, her Christmas party, fundraising for the library, family and Facebook.
Anyway, I had a lot fun tonight... and I don't even craft.
For both Karen and I, it was our first time going and we did not know what to expect. I must say, the entire downtown area was flooded with kids. Absolutely flooded. It definitely was a nice family event.
Briana and Bridget got to see the Festival of Trees. Briana gave Frosty the Snowman a hug. And of course, they both got to see Santa arrive on a fire engine. It was a nice time.
Interestingly enough, Christmas in the Square was just a precursor of the loads of fun to follow on Friday night. After the arrival of Santa, we headed back to our place. By that time, our kids were quite famished.
My BFF (Kerry) soon came over to do a spontaneous craft day of sorts. Now, I've never been into crafts. But I must say, craft night tonight was a blast. In fact, the crafting ended some time after midnight.
Apparently, Kerry and Karen had the idea of creating wreaths made with coffee filters. They had come upon the idea and felt like trying it out. So for most of the night, the two of them folded coffee filters and hot glued them to rings.
For Kerry, this may be the craft to end all crafts. I'm not sure if she'll craft again after tonight. After all, she initially had troubles with her crafting project. But through rugged determination and many hot glue burns, she managed to forge ahead and finish it. The wreath actually came out very nicely when it was completed.
When all was said and done, the crafting project took over four hours. For me, it was just a blast hanging out with Kerry and talking about random things... like recounting how Kerry knows the password to our security system. Other topics came up too, like fake versus real Christmas trees, her Christmas party, fundraising for the library, family and Facebook.
Anyway, I had a lot fun tonight... and I don't even craft.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
I Suck At Target
In addition to getting a new pair of prescription eyeglasses yesterday for a whopping $9.90, I came upon a coupon for Target where if a purchase of $50 was made at the store, Target would provide a $10 gift card. Naturally, I thought it was a great coupon.
Unfortunately, the coupon expires this Friday which also happens to be a day that I have plans. So my outing to Target either had to be today or nothing if I were to use the $10 gift card coupon.
So off to Target I went with my two year old (Briana). Too bad I suck at Target. Truthfully, I had a great shopping day at the store.
Not only did I get the gift card (because diapers alone are pretty expensive), I got some other items for free thanks to some other coupons. And free is always good. Needless to say, I was pretty pleased with my trip to Target. Heck, even Briana was very well behaved in the store. So all in all, it was a good time all around.
Unfortunately, the coupon expires this Friday which also happens to be a day that I have plans. So my outing to Target either had to be today or nothing if I were to use the $10 gift card coupon.
So off to Target I went with my two year old (Briana). Too bad I suck at Target. Truthfully, I had a great shopping day at the store.
Not only did I get the gift card (because diapers alone are pretty expensive), I got some other items for free thanks to some other coupons. And free is always good. Needless to say, I was pretty pleased with my trip to Target. Heck, even Briana was very well behaved in the store. So all in all, it was a good time all around.
I Suck At Wild Willy's Burgers
Tonight, I met up with my friends (Marc and Kelley) and my BFF (Kerry).
On the agenda for the night: dinner at Wild Willy's Burgers in Quincy. Now, I suck at Wild Willy's Burgers. Interestingly enough, Marc, Kelley, and Kerry had previously been to Wild Willy's within the week. Kerry was just recently there not too long ago.
Anyway, the food was delicious as usual. I had the Stampede burger, which is a burger with chili on it. I must say, I am tempted to try all of the burgers on their menu... not all at once of course. They should give t-shirts away to patrons who have consumed one of each of their burgers... much like how the Union Brew House in Weymouth does it, except that there are a lot more drinks to buy at the Brew House than there are burgers to buy at Wild Willy's.
It was fun hanging out with Marc, Kelley, and Kerry. Like most outings of late, the majority of my time was spent taking care of Briana, who has become rather attached to me. So partaking in conversations and whatnot can be difficult, which naturally lead to everyone poking fun at how I like to pay attention to things.
After Wild Willy's, all of us headed back to Kerry's. Apparently, she had a bunch of catalogs for us to look at. And by "us", I mean Karen. It was good. Heck, I may even have a date for Target this Friday.
On the agenda for the night: dinner at Wild Willy's Burgers in Quincy. Now, I suck at Wild Willy's Burgers. Interestingly enough, Marc, Kelley, and Kerry had previously been to Wild Willy's within the week. Kerry was just recently there not too long ago.
Anyway, the food was delicious as usual. I had the Stampede burger, which is a burger with chili on it. I must say, I am tempted to try all of the burgers on their menu... not all at once of course. They should give t-shirts away to patrons who have consumed one of each of their burgers... much like how the Union Brew House in Weymouth does it, except that there are a lot more drinks to buy at the Brew House than there are burgers to buy at Wild Willy's.
It was fun hanging out with Marc, Kelley, and Kerry. Like most outings of late, the majority of my time was spent taking care of Briana, who has become rather attached to me. So partaking in conversations and whatnot can be difficult, which naturally lead to everyone poking fun at how I like to pay attention to things.
After Wild Willy's, all of us headed back to Kerry's. Apparently, she had a bunch of catalogs for us to look at. And by "us", I mean Karen. It was good. Heck, I may even have a date for Target this Friday.
I Suck At Dartmouth Medical Equipment
Last night, I was checking my credit card account online. I have a habit of routinely checking my online account to make sure everything transaction looks good. After all, one can never be too safe with the increasing rate of identity thefts.
Anyway, I came upon a charge on my account that was definitely out of the ordinary. The charge, which was posted yesterday, was from Dartmouth Medical Equipment. Now, I suck at Dartmouth Medical Equipment.
I haven't been to the doctor's office in quite some time. So the charge was rather intriguing to me. So naturally, I contacted my credit card company to inquire about the charge. And I must say, the credit card company was very great and cooperative during my inquiry.
The credit card company was able to contact Dartmouth Medical Equipment to conference them into a call. After speaking with the representative from Dartmouth Medical Equipment, it turns out that the charge posted to my account yesterday was for the breast pump that we purchased from South Shore Hospital when my youngest daughter (Bridget) was born.
Normally, that would not be anything out of the ordinary... except that Bridget was born in February. It was just comical that Dartmouth Medical Equipment took so long to bill me. (For anyone curious, I did check my past transactions. Sure enough, we were never billed by them.)
My credit card company also got a chuckle from the conference call. Like me, they were completely surprised that the company took so long to charge my account. In fact, they told me that was a first that they heard a company take so long to charge an account.
Needless to say, it was an interesting time yesterday. I was relieved to know that the charge was legitimate. At the same time, I was puzzled at the length of time that elapsed before Dartmouth Medical Equipment charged my account. Oh well.
Anyway, I came upon a charge on my account that was definitely out of the ordinary. The charge, which was posted yesterday, was from Dartmouth Medical Equipment. Now, I suck at Dartmouth Medical Equipment.
I haven't been to the doctor's office in quite some time. So the charge was rather intriguing to me. So naturally, I contacted my credit card company to inquire about the charge. And I must say, the credit card company was very great and cooperative during my inquiry.
The credit card company was able to contact Dartmouth Medical Equipment to conference them into a call. After speaking with the representative from Dartmouth Medical Equipment, it turns out that the charge posted to my account yesterday was for the breast pump that we purchased from South Shore Hospital when my youngest daughter (Bridget) was born.
Normally, that would not be anything out of the ordinary... except that Bridget was born in February. It was just comical that Dartmouth Medical Equipment took so long to bill me. (For anyone curious, I did check my past transactions. Sure enough, we were never billed by them.)
My credit card company also got a chuckle from the conference call. Like me, they were completely surprised that the company took so long to charge my account. In fact, they told me that was a first that they heard a company take so long to charge an account.
Needless to say, it was an interesting time yesterday. I was relieved to know that the charge was legitimate. At the same time, I was puzzled at the length of time that elapsed before Dartmouth Medical Equipment charged my account. Oh well.
Monday, December 3, 2012
I Suck At Pseudo-Christmas
Today was the annual family event known as Pseudo-Christmas. Too bad I suck at Pseudo-Christmas. I should probably clarify things a little. Today was Karen's annual family event. And with that fact, comes the usual slogan of "There is a lot to like about Lowell", because Pseudo-Christmas is held in likable Lowell. Prior to Lowell, Pseudo-Christmas was held in Quincy, the city of (red) lights... where every intersection has a red light. It's a no-win situation either way.
For the past several years, Karen's family has done a Yankee swap on Pseudo-Christmas. This year's swap actually featured some quasi-rules on the fly that let people pick out of order... as well as awarding a late entrant to get the second to last pick. I guess it's a good thing that the swap contains bizarre presents.
All in all, it was an interesting time today. It was nice seeing Karen's relatives. The food was delicious too. And my two daughters (Briana and Bridget) seemed to have had a good time... probably because they received a lot of attention.
For the past several years, Karen's family has done a Yankee swap on Pseudo-Christmas. This year's swap actually featured some quasi-rules on the fly that let people pick out of order... as well as awarding a late entrant to get the second to last pick. I guess it's a good thing that the swap contains bizarre presents.
All in all, it was an interesting time today. It was nice seeing Karen's relatives. The food was delicious too. And my two daughters (Briana and Bridget) seemed to have had a good time... probably because they received a lot of attention.
I Suck At Video Games
Surprisingly, I did not have any plans this past Saturday. My entire day was free, or so I thought. "So I thought" is the key word. It turns out, I had quality father-daughters time on Saturday as Karen went to my niece's (Kaleigh) hockey game.
Normally, I enjoy spending quality time with my two year old (Briana) and my nine month old (Bridget). As far as quality time goes, Saturday probably was not one of my more favorite times.
In what could probably only happen to someone like me, my nine month old incapacitated me for probably a good minute or two. Luckily, nothing happened during that time period to my daughters other than my writhing around in extreme pain.
Bridget has recently discovered eyeglasses. She's quick to swipe them off my face. Normally, I don't think anything of it when she grabs my glasses off of my face. And like a ninja, she did just that on Saturday. At the same time, she somehow managed to get the earpiece of the eyeglasses caught in my ear during her ninja move, which then actually proceeded to enter my ear and stab me.
Needless to say, it was quite painful. In fact, as of today, my ear still feels like it's going to explode at times. I suppose the good news is that there is no blood and I can still hear.
Anyway, to make the day better, I decided to indulge myself and play a video game in the wee hours of night when everyone was fast asleep. That video game: Resident Evil 5, which I have yet to finish. Too bad I suck at video games. My skills are definitely a bit rusty since I haven't played a video game in ages.
Suffice to say, the video game about killing zombies made my day.
Normally, I enjoy spending quality time with my two year old (Briana) and my nine month old (Bridget). As far as quality time goes, Saturday probably was not one of my more favorite times.
In what could probably only happen to someone like me, my nine month old incapacitated me for probably a good minute or two. Luckily, nothing happened during that time period to my daughters other than my writhing around in extreme pain.
Bridget has recently discovered eyeglasses. She's quick to swipe them off my face. Normally, I don't think anything of it when she grabs my glasses off of my face. And like a ninja, she did just that on Saturday. At the same time, she somehow managed to get the earpiece of the eyeglasses caught in my ear during her ninja move, which then actually proceeded to enter my ear and stab me.
Needless to say, it was quite painful. In fact, as of today, my ear still feels like it's going to explode at times. I suppose the good news is that there is no blood and I can still hear.
Anyway, to make the day better, I decided to indulge myself and play a video game in the wee hours of night when everyone was fast asleep. That video game: Resident Evil 5, which I have yet to finish. Too bad I suck at video games. My skills are definitely a bit rusty since I haven't played a video game in ages.
Suffice to say, the video game about killing zombies made my day.
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