An interesting thing happened at the mall today. Unfortunately, I suck at the mall.
Today, I ran into an old friend of mine from high school. Her name: Julie... or as we used to call her... Julie Barbados. We used to call her that because her last name sounded like the island country. Goodness gracious Barbados.
I hardly ever run into people from the past. It just so happens that today, Julie brought her kids to the play area at the mall when my kids were there. And really, my kids wouldn't even normally be there were it not for my parents who have this special "mall" bond with them.
My parents enjoy taking them to the play area whenever they can. One of the things that I have learned through the passing of my son (Braden) is that life is too short. Cherish the time that is available. So if my parents want to spend time with my daughters (and by default... me since my parents don't know how to install car seats into their own car) by going to the mall on my day off in inclement weather... so be it. It makes them happy.
Anyway, while I happened to be at the mall, Julie arrived with her kids and one of her friends and her friend's kids. I didn't get to say more than a simple greeting since she was with someone else, but it was nice seeing her again. And at least she didn't do the "nod". So that's always a plus.
And interestingly enough, for someone who hardly runs into people from the past, I may have also recognized someone who I knew from a previous employer... also at the play area at the mall with her kids. Maybe the play area at the mall is a vortex of mystical energy... a Hellmouth if you will. It was quite peculiar to recognize two people from my past in one day.
To be honest, I did not acknowledge that coworker from the past. I really wouldn't know what to say. After all, there's a back story involving that coworker who may or may not have had a crush on me at one time. I'm a guy, so I'm clueless at times... although when she straddled my chair while I was sitting in it could have been a good indicator.
Regardless, it was quite a peculiar day at the Hellmouth.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
I Suck At Celebrating My Daughter's Birthday
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I actually forgot I was Irish today, in part because today also happens to be my daughter's (Briana) birthday. Happy birthday, Briana! The big 3. I can't believe she is three years old. It seems like yesterday that she was a little premature baby in the neonatal intensive care unit. It's crazy how time flies. My darling little girl is three.
Anyway, Briana had her birthday party today. Joining in on the celebration were my parents, my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), my niece (Kaleigh), my nephew (PJ), Karen's aunt and uncle (Denise and Paul), and Karen's grandmother. The theme for the birthday party: Cars. Ka-chow!
Too bad I suck at celebrating my daughter's birthday. We kept the party pretty simple: pizza from the Boston Pizza Company, a strawberry spinach salad, a cake, and Cars decorations. Despite the simplicity of the party, I think Briana had a great time. Funny thing is, I don't think she enjoys being the center of attention. There were moments throughout her party where she went to hide. Of course, maybe it's because she doesn't want to hang out with relatives. Just kidding.
Seems like the present Briana was most excited about this year was her Fisher Price Kid Tough digital camera. As of tonight, she has already taken 90 pictures, mostly of random things like the floor. She's funny with the camera.
Anyway, I think she had a great time and that's all that matters. Happy birthday, Briana! I love you.
I actually forgot I was Irish today, in part because today also happens to be my daughter's (Briana) birthday. Happy birthday, Briana! The big 3. I can't believe she is three years old. It seems like yesterday that she was a little premature baby in the neonatal intensive care unit. It's crazy how time flies. My darling little girl is three.
Anyway, Briana had her birthday party today. Joining in on the celebration were my parents, my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), my niece (Kaleigh), my nephew (PJ), Karen's aunt and uncle (Denise and Paul), and Karen's grandmother. The theme for the birthday party: Cars. Ka-chow!
Too bad I suck at celebrating my daughter's birthday. We kept the party pretty simple: pizza from the Boston Pizza Company, a strawberry spinach salad, a cake, and Cars decorations. Despite the simplicity of the party, I think Briana had a great time. Funny thing is, I don't think she enjoys being the center of attention. There were moments throughout her party where she went to hide. Of course, maybe it's because she doesn't want to hang out with relatives. Just kidding.
Seems like the present Briana was most excited about this year was her Fisher Price Kid Tough digital camera. As of tonight, she has already taken 90 pictures, mostly of random things like the floor. She's funny with the camera.
Anyway, I think she had a great time and that's all that matters. Happy birthday, Briana! I love you.
I Suck At Twitter
For the second week in a row, Karen and I had our friends over for our weekly get together. Joining in on the festivities this week were my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea), and my BFF (Kerry).
As usual, it was a pretty fun time. Among the topics of conversation that came up were things like female mullets and Twitter. For anyone curious, I don't think I have ever met any woman with a mullet. Of course, I don't remember meeting any guy with one either.
As for the other topic, it actually got me thinking about Twitter that night. Too bad I suck at Twitter. Much like my Facebook account, my Twitter account has been collecting dust. I had created an account way back when my previous employer asked that I look into social media.
One of the main reasons why I don't currently use Twitter is because I generally don't have anything to say or tweet. Plus, I'm still old school when it comes to my phone. Karen and I are probably the only ones who still have a "dumb" phone. We tend to use the phone... as a phone and not anything else. So dynamically tweeting can be difficult at times.
But then I started thinking that perhaps I should experiment more with Twitter. Maybe I didn't give it a fair chance the first time around. I really don't know what I would tweet. I had originally thought about tweeting silly things... like topics of conversations that come up among my friends. In my head, that eventually led to creating a YouTube channel of our silly discussions, but then I realized that wouldn't work... because my friends hate being on camera. So maybe my friend (Garv) has the right idea of doing podcasts.
Who knows if I'll tweet. I was actually pretty close to tweeting, in part because my BFF brought over some Ben and Jerry's ice cream. The flavor was Strawberry Cheesecake, which I was quite surprised because I didn't think Kerry would ever go for a flavor like that. Needless to say, I had some of the ice cream and it was delicious. She also brought over a chocolate peanut butter flavor, which I also had too. Both were delicious.
Anyway, it was a fun time as usual.
As usual, it was a pretty fun time. Among the topics of conversation that came up were things like female mullets and Twitter. For anyone curious, I don't think I have ever met any woman with a mullet. Of course, I don't remember meeting any guy with one either.
As for the other topic, it actually got me thinking about Twitter that night. Too bad I suck at Twitter. Much like my Facebook account, my Twitter account has been collecting dust. I had created an account way back when my previous employer asked that I look into social media.
One of the main reasons why I don't currently use Twitter is because I generally don't have anything to say or tweet. Plus, I'm still old school when it comes to my phone. Karen and I are probably the only ones who still have a "dumb" phone. We tend to use the phone... as a phone and not anything else. So dynamically tweeting can be difficult at times.
But then I started thinking that perhaps I should experiment more with Twitter. Maybe I didn't give it a fair chance the first time around. I really don't know what I would tweet. I had originally thought about tweeting silly things... like topics of conversations that come up among my friends. In my head, that eventually led to creating a YouTube channel of our silly discussions, but then I realized that wouldn't work... because my friends hate being on camera. So maybe my friend (Garv) has the right idea of doing podcasts.
Who knows if I'll tweet. I was actually pretty close to tweeting, in part because my BFF brought over some Ben and Jerry's ice cream. The flavor was Strawberry Cheesecake, which I was quite surprised because I didn't think Kerry would ever go for a flavor like that. Needless to say, I had some of the ice cream and it was delicious. She also brought over a chocolate peanut butter flavor, which I also had too. Both were delicious.
Anyway, it was a fun time as usual.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
I Suck At Having Friends Over
On Thursday, Karen and I had our friends over. Now, I suck at having friends over. It just so happens that my friends and I haven't been having our regular weekly get together lately. Our schedules have just been busy. So on Thursday, our friends decided that we should get together. Joining in on the fun were my friends (Marc and Kelley) and my BFF (Kerry).
Apparently, Kerry was quite the hit with my two year old (Briana). Briana's birthday is coming up and Kerry got her two stuffed animals... of fruits. Well, one is a fruit. The other is a vegetable. Briana was all excited about those presents. In fact, it was the best part of her day.
Anyway, it was definitely a great time on Thursday. Among the more memorable topics of conversation were Facebook, reunions, and deal breakers. Interestingly enough, of the people present, only Kerry and Kelley are avid users of Facebook. Both Marc and I have accounts, but we don't use them that often. And Karen never had one.
In my perfect world, Facebook would be no more. I dislike how it has made society less social... an irony since it's considered "social media". But that actually wasn't the discussion on Thursday. The discussion was about how Facebook was being used to plan an upcoming high school reunion.
Both Karen and Kerry graduated in the same class. Interestingly enough, I had always liked their class... maybe because I was supposed to be in their class had I not been promoted a grade. (As a side note, why don't kids get promoted anymore? It seems like our educational system has gotten stringent on promotions.) But after hearing the discussion on Thursday, I'm actually pretty happy that I did not graduate with their class.
It turns out that the organizers of their high school reunion are using Facebook to "communicate". I say that loosely of course, because an apparent comment supposedly triggered a firestorm where it essentially turned... into high school again. It's quite pathetic when people haven't grown up. Sadly, it happens. Shame on them.
On the lighter side, however, we also discussed relationship deal breakers particularly for Kerry. I don't remember how that even came up as a topic. Regardless, the number one deal breaker appears to be smoking. When I had joked about mustaches as a possible deal breaker, she mentioned that can always change. I quickly quipped that you can never change a man. Inevitably, that led to the quote "You can't change a man, but you can shave him."
Anyway, it was a good time.
Apparently, Kerry was quite the hit with my two year old (Briana). Briana's birthday is coming up and Kerry got her two stuffed animals... of fruits. Well, one is a fruit. The other is a vegetable. Briana was all excited about those presents. In fact, it was the best part of her day.
Anyway, it was definitely a great time on Thursday. Among the more memorable topics of conversation were Facebook, reunions, and deal breakers. Interestingly enough, of the people present, only Kerry and Kelley are avid users of Facebook. Both Marc and I have accounts, but we don't use them that often. And Karen never had one.
In my perfect world, Facebook would be no more. I dislike how it has made society less social... an irony since it's considered "social media". But that actually wasn't the discussion on Thursday. The discussion was about how Facebook was being used to plan an upcoming high school reunion.
Both Karen and Kerry graduated in the same class. Interestingly enough, I had always liked their class... maybe because I was supposed to be in their class had I not been promoted a grade. (As a side note, why don't kids get promoted anymore? It seems like our educational system has gotten stringent on promotions.) But after hearing the discussion on Thursday, I'm actually pretty happy that I did not graduate with their class.
It turns out that the organizers of their high school reunion are using Facebook to "communicate". I say that loosely of course, because an apparent comment supposedly triggered a firestorm where it essentially turned... into high school again. It's quite pathetic when people haven't grown up. Sadly, it happens. Shame on them.
On the lighter side, however, we also discussed relationship deal breakers particularly for Kerry. I don't remember how that even came up as a topic. Regardless, the number one deal breaker appears to be smoking. When I had joked about mustaches as a possible deal breaker, she mentioned that can always change. I quickly quipped that you can never change a man. Inevitably, that led to the quote "You can't change a man, but you can shave him."
Anyway, it was a good time.
I Suck At Being A Library Trustee
For anyone interested, my town is looking for a new library trustee. Too bad I suck at being a library trustee. Interestingly enough, the new trustee is not to replace me but one of the other board members. I still have two more years left on my trustee sentence, being elected last year.
To say I'm a little disappointed with my position is an understatement. I am, by far, the youngest member of the board which actually makes me the most technically savvy. Of course, I'm a software developer, so that may help too. I am the only one not affiliated with the educational system. And I'm the only one who isn't status quo. I'm pretty much the outsider.
But every once in a while, I do have an idea that seems to amaze the board. And during our meeting on Wednesday night, I actually felt like I contributed something with that idea... which is something I haven't felt since becoming a board trustee.
So needless to say, it was a nice feeling to actually be heard on Wednesday. Maybe this will be the start of something new.
To say I'm a little disappointed with my position is an understatement. I am, by far, the youngest member of the board which actually makes me the most technically savvy. Of course, I'm a software developer, so that may help too. I am the only one not affiliated with the educational system. And I'm the only one who isn't status quo. I'm pretty much the outsider.
But every once in a while, I do have an idea that seems to amaze the board. And during our meeting on Wednesday night, I actually felt like I contributed something with that idea... which is something I haven't felt since becoming a board trustee.
So needless to say, it was a nice feeling to actually be heard on Wednesday. Maybe this will be the start of something new.
Friday, March 8, 2013
I Suck At Hanging Out With My Friends
Last Saturday, my friends (Marc and Kelley) invited Karen and I over for a little get together. Marc and Kelley recently returned from their trip to Hawaii and consequently just wanted to see everyone. So joining in on the shindig were my friends (Garv and Amy the czar). Too bad I suck at hanging out with my friends.
It was good to see the Czar again. I haven't seen her in quite some time. In fact, I think the last time I did see her was at one of Marc and Kelley's parties. In high school, we used to be pretty close. Heck, I was close with a lot of the ladies. It was probably my gossip queen qualities.
One of the things I remember most about the Czar was that she always had a house full of misfit pets. The one I remember the most was her three-legged dog who was aptly named "Legs". But that was Amy. She loved pets. It's good to know that not much has changed in regards to her pet-loving ways. She still has a house full of pets.
Apparently, she has become quite the knitter too. She brought a bag full of knitted scarves for everyone. And by everyone, I mean Karen and Kelley... although I wouldn't be surprised if Garv ended up taking one home.
It was a lot of fun on Saturday. We didn't really do much except hang out and order take out from Little Duck. By the Little Duck... Yum-O! Plus, we snacked... or more appropriately... I devoured some bags of chips. It was the new Lays chips. For anyone curious, Lays held a new flavor contest. Marc happened to get a bag of each of the three finalists: Cheesy Garlic Bread, Chicken and Waffles, and Sriracha. I must say, they are all pretty good.
Karen and I didn't stay too long that night. My in-laws were watching our kids, so we couldn't be out that late. But it was a fun time. Among the things we discussed were Marc and Kelley's trip to Hawaii and neurological eye disorders.
It was good to see the Czar again. I haven't seen her in quite some time. In fact, I think the last time I did see her was at one of Marc and Kelley's parties. In high school, we used to be pretty close. Heck, I was close with a lot of the ladies. It was probably my gossip queen qualities.
One of the things I remember most about the Czar was that she always had a house full of misfit pets. The one I remember the most was her three-legged dog who was aptly named "Legs". But that was Amy. She loved pets. It's good to know that not much has changed in regards to her pet-loving ways. She still has a house full of pets.
Apparently, she has become quite the knitter too. She brought a bag full of knitted scarves for everyone. And by everyone, I mean Karen and Kelley... although I wouldn't be surprised if Garv ended up taking one home.
It was a lot of fun on Saturday. We didn't really do much except hang out and order take out from Little Duck. By the Little Duck... Yum-O! Plus, we snacked... or more appropriately... I devoured some bags of chips. It was the new Lays chips. For anyone curious, Lays held a new flavor contest. Marc happened to get a bag of each of the three finalists: Cheesy Garlic Bread, Chicken and Waffles, and Sriracha. I must say, they are all pretty good.
Karen and I didn't stay too long that night. My in-laws were watching our kids, so we couldn't be out that late. But it was a fun time. Among the things we discussed were Marc and Kelley's trip to Hawaii and neurological eye disorders.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
I Suck At The Celtics Game
Tonight, the Boston Celtics were playing the Golden State Warriors. Now, I suck at the Celtics game. Luckily for me, my friend (Andrea) does not. Andrea was lucky enough to score some tickets to tonight's basketball game through her other friends. And it just so happens that I was also lucky enough to be invited to go with her tonight. Thank you Andrea!
Needless to say, I had a very enjoyable night. Raising a one year old and a three year old, I don't get to go out that often. So it's always nice to be able to go out once in awhile and just have fun. And it's even more fun when the hometown team lays a smackdown on the visiting Warriors 94-86. It wasn't the prettiest game, but at least the Celtics played a lot better than the time I went with my friends (Cass and Marc). Paul Pierce and Jeff Green were the stars of the game.
And it was definitely fun to hang out with Andrea again. Among the topics of discussion that came up during the night was finding a sugar daddy for Andrea. That led to discussions about whether or not she would drop her friends when she found a sugar daddy. And there may have been a brief discussion about the tactile sensation of making out with someone considerably older.
One of the more interesting things I found out today was that Andrea enjoys photography. I always knew that she liked taking pictures. I just didn't know how much until she mentioned that she wanted to start a blog on photography. I thought that was interesting. Of course, I also thought that the fact that she had a book about the New Kids on the Block interesting as well. Apparently, she was a closet fan. And naturally, I'm curious about the book myself. Best boy band ever.
All in all, I had a great time just hanging out and having fun. Thanks again Andrea.
Needless to say, I had a very enjoyable night. Raising a one year old and a three year old, I don't get to go out that often. So it's always nice to be able to go out once in awhile and just have fun. And it's even more fun when the hometown team lays a smackdown on the visiting Warriors 94-86. It wasn't the prettiest game, but at least the Celtics played a lot better than the time I went with my friends (Cass and Marc). Paul Pierce and Jeff Green were the stars of the game.
And it was definitely fun to hang out with Andrea again. Among the topics of discussion that came up during the night was finding a sugar daddy for Andrea. That led to discussions about whether or not she would drop her friends when she found a sugar daddy. And there may have been a brief discussion about the tactile sensation of making out with someone considerably older.
One of the more interesting things I found out today was that Andrea enjoys photography. I always knew that she liked taking pictures. I just didn't know how much until she mentioned that she wanted to start a blog on photography. I thought that was interesting. Of course, I also thought that the fact that she had a book about the New Kids on the Block interesting as well. Apparently, she was a closet fan. And naturally, I'm curious about the book myself. Best boy band ever.
All in all, I had a great time just hanging out and having fun. Thanks again Andrea.
I Suck At Celebrating My Daughter's Birthday
My youngest daughter (Bridget) turned the ripe old age of one on Wednesday. Happy birthday Bridget! Too bad I suck at celebrating my daughter's birthday.
Normally, I would attribute Bridget getting hosed on a lot of things due to her being the youngest. After all, I don't have nearly as many pictures of Bridget that I do of her older sister (Briana) when Briana was one. We didn't do photo books for Bridget like we did for Briana. We didn't have a professional photographer take Bridget's picture. Flat out... Bridget gets the short end of the stick.
As it so happens, the weather happened to be quite nasty on her birthday. With the downpour of rain, it made doing something on her actual birthday difficult. For anyone curious, I think we took Briana to the zoo for her first birthday. See... Bridget gets hosed.
So in a somewhat spontaneous act, we decided to take Bridget to spend some time with her godparents (Karlene and Tommy). Unfortunately, that meant traveling to the great white North known as Lowell in the pouring rain. Luckily, there's a lot to like about Lowell... or so they will have you believe.
Anyway, I would say Bridget absolutely enjoyed seeing Karlene and Tommy. Heck, she shuffled her feet around their house more than she does at our house. She's definitely walking more. Likewise, I think Karlene and Tommy were excited to see Bridget and Briana.
We didn't really stay too long in Lowell. Karlene and Tommy were gracious enough to make us dinner. We had discussed a few things like having a work blog. One of Karlene's friends has one. I was a little curious about that because I wondered how does that come about... does the company just add that to your job duties? And really, what about work is blog-worthy?
All in all, it was a fun time. I think Bridget and Briana enjoyed the time as well. So it was definitely worth driving in the pouring rain to celebrate Bridget's birthday with her godparents. And to be honest, I think collectively that is where Bridget did not get the short end of the stick: the godparents. After all, Briana's godparents were supposed to take her out for her birthday of last year. It has almost been a year and they haven't gone anywhere... and her next birthday is in a few weeks.
Regardless, happy birthday Bridget!
Normally, I would attribute Bridget getting hosed on a lot of things due to her being the youngest. After all, I don't have nearly as many pictures of Bridget that I do of her older sister (Briana) when Briana was one. We didn't do photo books for Bridget like we did for Briana. We didn't have a professional photographer take Bridget's picture. Flat out... Bridget gets the short end of the stick.
As it so happens, the weather happened to be quite nasty on her birthday. With the downpour of rain, it made doing something on her actual birthday difficult. For anyone curious, I think we took Briana to the zoo for her first birthday. See... Bridget gets hosed.
So in a somewhat spontaneous act, we decided to take Bridget to spend some time with her godparents (Karlene and Tommy). Unfortunately, that meant traveling to the great white North known as Lowell in the pouring rain. Luckily, there's a lot to like about Lowell... or so they will have you believe.
Anyway, I would say Bridget absolutely enjoyed seeing Karlene and Tommy. Heck, she shuffled her feet around their house more than she does at our house. She's definitely walking more. Likewise, I think Karlene and Tommy were excited to see Bridget and Briana.
We didn't really stay too long in Lowell. Karlene and Tommy were gracious enough to make us dinner. We had discussed a few things like having a work blog. One of Karlene's friends has one. I was a little curious about that because I wondered how does that come about... does the company just add that to your job duties? And really, what about work is blog-worthy?
All in all, it was a fun time. I think Bridget and Briana enjoyed the time as well. So it was definitely worth driving in the pouring rain to celebrate Bridget's birthday with her godparents. And to be honest, I think collectively that is where Bridget did not get the short end of the stick: the godparents. After all, Briana's godparents were supposed to take her out for her birthday of last year. It has almost been a year and they haven't gone anywhere... and her next birthday is in a few weeks.
Regardless, happy birthday Bridget!
Friday, March 1, 2013
I Suck At Calling My BFF
On Tuesday, I had parenting duty while Karen went out to celebrate her sister's birthday.
Nothing particularly exciting ever happens while I'm on parenting duty, unless you get amused by my two year old (Briana) like when she picks her nose and tells you she found a raisin. So without a doubt, one of highlights for my Tuesday was when my BFF (Kerry) called me. Kerry had to call me, of course, because I suck at calling my BFF.
Back in my "gossip queen" days, I used to enjoy talking on the phone... strangely about nothing. It seems that as I have gotten older (because I'm a grumpy old man these days), I tend to shy away from the phone... and social media. I'd shake my fist at Facebook if that would do anything.
My days do seem busier now with Briana and my one year old (Bridget). And unfortunately, I sometimes forget to do the little things like contact my friends to at least let them know I'm still here once in awhile. Needless to say, I was pretty ecstatic to talk with Kerry on Tuesday.
Interestingly enough, the egocentric Facebook was one of the topics we had chatted about over the phone. Kerry was just becoming a little tired of the "me". Among the other topics of discussion were her upcoming trip to Mexico and her attempt to donate blood. The real reason she actually called, however, was not to discuss Facebook, Mexico, or her blood, but to find out what Bridget's middle name was.
I'm not sure what she needed Bridget's middle name for. Regardless, I had a great time talking with Kerry. It was almost like I was the "gossip queen" again. So thanks Kerry! I had a fun time chit-chatting.
Nothing particularly exciting ever happens while I'm on parenting duty, unless you get amused by my two year old (Briana) like when she picks her nose and tells you she found a raisin. So without a doubt, one of highlights for my Tuesday was when my BFF (Kerry) called me. Kerry had to call me, of course, because I suck at calling my BFF.
Back in my "gossip queen" days, I used to enjoy talking on the phone... strangely about nothing. It seems that as I have gotten older (because I'm a grumpy old man these days), I tend to shy away from the phone... and social media. I'd shake my fist at Facebook if that would do anything.
My days do seem busier now with Briana and my one year old (Bridget). And unfortunately, I sometimes forget to do the little things like contact my friends to at least let them know I'm still here once in awhile. Needless to say, I was pretty ecstatic to talk with Kerry on Tuesday.
Interestingly enough, the egocentric Facebook was one of the topics we had chatted about over the phone. Kerry was just becoming a little tired of the "me". Among the other topics of discussion were her upcoming trip to Mexico and her attempt to donate blood. The real reason she actually called, however, was not to discuss Facebook, Mexico, or her blood, but to find out what Bridget's middle name was.
I'm not sure what she needed Bridget's middle name for. Regardless, I had a great time talking with Kerry. It was almost like I was the "gossip queen" again. So thanks Kerry! I had a fun time chit-chatting.
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