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.
Showing posts with label kerry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kerry. Show all posts
Sunday, March 17, 2013
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.
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.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
I Suck At Wild Willy's Burgers
Yesterday, Karen, my BFF (Kerry) and I went out for a bite to eat following a quick visit to our friends' (Cass and Ellen) place. Our original destination was the Fours in Quincy. Interestingly enough, the Fours was packed at 5:30pm on a Saturday night. As all of us were quite ravenous, we decided to dine somewhere else instead of waiting the half hour to be seated.
As a side note, I discovered something interesting when I used the bathroom at the Fours. Apparently, there exists scented urinal cakes. In this case, the scent was cinnamon. At least, I believe it was a scented urinal cake. I didn't get that up close to smell the cake, but the scent definitely did seem to come from the urinal. Plus, the cake was red.
Anyway, after my bathroom excursion, we decided to dine out at Wild Willy's Burgers. Now I suck at Wild Willy's Burgers. Okay, so maybe I don't. I do enjoy the place. It turns out that Kerry had actually dined there last week, but since she was also quite famished she didn't mind eating there again.
Needless to say, the food was delicious at Wild Willy's. I had the "Bubba" BBQ burger with a strawberry frappe. Yum-O!
As always, it was a good time just hanging out with Kerry. Among the topics of discussion that came up were her upcoming baby shower (not hers, but her friend's), McDonald's straws and their large diameters, her planned trips for the year, and her view of relationships. Fun as usual.
As a side note, I discovered something interesting when I used the bathroom at the Fours. Apparently, there exists scented urinal cakes. In this case, the scent was cinnamon. At least, I believe it was a scented urinal cake. I didn't get that up close to smell the cake, but the scent definitely did seem to come from the urinal. Plus, the cake was red.
Anyway, after my bathroom excursion, we decided to dine out at Wild Willy's Burgers. Now I suck at Wild Willy's Burgers. Okay, so maybe I don't. I do enjoy the place. It turns out that Kerry had actually dined there last week, but since she was also quite famished she didn't mind eating there again.
Needless to say, the food was delicious at Wild Willy's. I had the "Bubba" BBQ burger with a strawberry frappe. Yum-O!
As always, it was a good time just hanging out with Kerry. Among the topics of discussion that came up were her upcoming baby shower (not hers, but her friend's), McDonald's straws and their large diameters, her planned trips for the year, and her view of relationships. Fun as usual.
Monday, January 21, 2013
I Suck At Football
I suck at football. It turns out, today... the New England Patriots also suck at football as they lost the conference championship to the Baltimore Ravens. Heck, the New England offense did absolutely nothing after the first half. I wonder if Tom Brady's supermodel wife, Giselle, will blame the receivers for today's loss.
Regardless, my friends (Marc and Kelley) had invited us to their place to watch both conference championship games at their place today. With my in-laws watching our kids, Karen and I only attended for most of the first game between the San Francisco 49er and the Atlanta Falcons. And while we were there, we were joined by my BFF (Kerry).
Needless to say, I had a fun time while I was there. Various topics of discussion came up during our brief time there: things like the card game Munchkin; if vampires can get cancer by sucking the blood of people with cancer; gun control; and how all bets are off when the zombie apocalypse comes. I may even have been enlisted to perform a home improvement task at Kerry's.
All in all, it was good to hang out and have a few laughs.
Regardless, my friends (Marc and Kelley) had invited us to their place to watch both conference championship games at their place today. With my in-laws watching our kids, Karen and I only attended for most of the first game between the San Francisco 49er and the Atlanta Falcons. And while we were there, we were joined by my BFF (Kerry).
Needless to say, I had a fun time while I was there. Various topics of discussion came up during our brief time there: things like the card game Munchkin; if vampires can get cancer by sucking the blood of people with cancer; gun control; and how all bets are off when the zombie apocalypse comes. I may even have been enlisted to perform a home improvement task at Kerry's.
All in all, it was good to hang out and have a few laughs.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
I Suck At Silly Swaps
Tonight, my friends held our annual silly swap. Too bad I suck at silly swaps.
In conjunction with the silly swap, we also celebrated my friends' (Garv and Leeann) birthdays, both of whom were born in the month of January. January is the last month of our friend/birthday cycle. The cycle runs August to January, where each month contains the birthday of one of my friends. November is actually the only month in the cycle that no longer has a celebratory birthday boy/girl.
Anyway, my friends (Marc and Kelley) invited everyone over for taco night. In addition to the birthday people of the month, joining in on the festivities were my friends (Cass, Ellen, and Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry).
Needless to say, tonight was a blast. I had a great time hanging out with everyone. And as usual, the food was delicious. As for the silly swap itself, tonight's gifts were pretty funny. I ended up with a photo calendar of my slow descent into inebriation during Garv and Leeann's wedding.
It seems like Karen's gift was quite the hit as well. Karen made coasters with certain celebrities on them. Garv was quite giddy to use the Taylor Swift coaster. Of course, he was quite ecstatic about his silly swap gift as well: a Taylor Swift DVD. Technically, the gift was taken from him, but Ellen was kind enough to give it to him at the end.
Among some of the other discussions that came about during the course of the night were Andrea's desire to go to Target before her vacation, Garv's sickness/internal bleeding (it wasn't internal bleeding), flu shots, Kelley's "list", Garv's request for coasters (of Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Connie Britton, and Stephen Colbert), and Kerry's sad stocking gifts.
It definitely was a comical night, especially since most of us were practically brain-drained tonight with Kerry spilling water... everywhere... and Leeann dropping her taco. Plus, all of us watched some Jaboody Dubs which is always good for a laugh or two. I'm definitely lucky to have such good friends.
In conjunction with the silly swap, we also celebrated my friends' (Garv and Leeann) birthdays, both of whom were born in the month of January. January is the last month of our friend/birthday cycle. The cycle runs August to January, where each month contains the birthday of one of my friends. November is actually the only month in the cycle that no longer has a celebratory birthday boy/girl.
Anyway, my friends (Marc and Kelley) invited everyone over for taco night. In addition to the birthday people of the month, joining in on the festivities were my friends (Cass, Ellen, and Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry).
Needless to say, tonight was a blast. I had a great time hanging out with everyone. And as usual, the food was delicious. As for the silly swap itself, tonight's gifts were pretty funny. I ended up with a photo calendar of my slow descent into inebriation during Garv and Leeann's wedding.
It seems like Karen's gift was quite the hit as well. Karen made coasters with certain celebrities on them. Garv was quite giddy to use the Taylor Swift coaster. Of course, he was quite ecstatic about his silly swap gift as well: a Taylor Swift DVD. Technically, the gift was taken from him, but Ellen was kind enough to give it to him at the end.
Among some of the other discussions that came about during the course of the night were Andrea's desire to go to Target before her vacation, Garv's sickness/internal bleeding (it wasn't internal bleeding), flu shots, Kelley's "list", Garv's request for coasters (of Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Connie Britton, and Stephen Colbert), and Kerry's sad stocking gifts.
It definitely was a comical night, especially since most of us were practically brain-drained tonight with Kerry spilling water... everywhere... and Leeann dropping her taco. Plus, all of us watched some Jaboody Dubs which is always good for a laugh or two. I'm definitely lucky to have such good friends.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
I Suck At Ted
On Sunday, my friend (Andrea also known as Rachel) invited my friends (Marc and Kelley), my BFF (Kerry) and I over to her place to watch a movie. That movie: Ted. Now, I suck at Ted.
The movie Ted actually has some significance for Andrea, Kerry and I. After all, the three of us took part in being extras for the filming of the movie. Granted, the scene in the movie only lasted a few seconds and we really couldn't be seen in the shots... but nonetheless we took part in the making of the movie.
Anyway since Karen had no interest in the movie, she decided to watch our kids while I went to watch the movie. And truthfully, I think Karen wanted some quality sister time with my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) whose family has been staying with us the past few days.
It turns out that Janine's husband (PJ) had closed the chimney flue shortly after using the fireplace on Christmas Day. Somehow that caused the items in the chimney to smolder. From there, the smoke essentially filled their house and set off all of their fire alarms.
Thankfully, no one was hurt. And luckily, they had returned back to their house before the smoldering fire got worse. Things could have been a lot worse for them. Needless to say, Janine, my niece (Kaleigh) and my nephew (PJ) have been staying with us since Friday.
The movie, Ted, however, was okay. It was silly fun, which was to be expected. Plus, it was good to hang out with everyone without feeling like I had to always make sure that neither my two year old daughter or my ten month old daughter were doing things they shouldn't be doing.
The movie Ted actually has some significance for Andrea, Kerry and I. After all, the three of us took part in being extras for the filming of the movie. Granted, the scene in the movie only lasted a few seconds and we really couldn't be seen in the shots... but nonetheless we took part in the making of the movie.
Anyway since Karen had no interest in the movie, she decided to watch our kids while I went to watch the movie. And truthfully, I think Karen wanted some quality sister time with my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) whose family has been staying with us the past few days.
It turns out that Janine's husband (PJ) had closed the chimney flue shortly after using the fireplace on Christmas Day. Somehow that caused the items in the chimney to smolder. From there, the smoke essentially filled their house and set off all of their fire alarms.
Thankfully, no one was hurt. And luckily, they had returned back to their house before the smoldering fire got worse. Things could have been a lot worse for them. Needless to say, Janine, my niece (Kaleigh) and my nephew (PJ) have been staying with us since Friday.
The movie, Ted, however, was okay. It was silly fun, which was to be expected. Plus, it was good to hang out with everyone without feeling like I had to always make sure that neither my two year old daughter or my ten month old daughter were doing things they shouldn't be doing.
Friday, December 28, 2012
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.
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.
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 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.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
I Suck At Blogging
Yep, I suck at blogging. I think it's been about two weeks since I last posted something. Without a doubt, time seems to pass by at an exponential rate when raising children. I remember other parents telling me that way back when when I had my two year old (Briana). It's so true. After taking care of the kids, writing a blog post seems like the last thing I want to do especially when there are other chores to do as a result of raising kids.
Anyway, I figured I'd chain myself to the laptop tonight to write something before it gets way too late. As it is, it's been about two weeks. So here is a recap of all the things I had sucked at for the past two weeks:
Wreck-It Ralph: Awesome movie. My friends (Marc and Kelley) organized a movie night to go see Wreck-It Ralph in the theaters in Randolph. My BFF (Kerry) and my friend (Andrea) also attended. I absolutely loved the movie.
UFC 154: That same night, Marc and Kelley invited us back to their place to watch the UFC pay per view. The pay per view featured the return of Georges St-Pierre (also known as GSP). The main event definitely did not disappoint. It was a great match between GSP and Carlos Condit. Of course, my measuring stick for matches correlates to the amount of blood spilled... and there was plenty of it. Blood aside, it really was a great match between the two. (For anyone curious, GSP won.)
Pre-Thanksgiving dinner: On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, my parents invited us to their place for a "pre-Thanksgiving dinner". In addition to Karen's parents, my cousin (Betty) and her son (Marvin) attended. It was good seeing Betty and Marvin. I still can't believe Marvin is a Junior in high school. I remember when he was a newborn baby, Karen and I took him and Betty to the airport. At the time, they were leaving for Hong Kong with hopes of returning in several years. They did return several years later, but it seems like yesterday that I recall going up the escalator with Betty and Marvin. As a side note, the food at my parents was delicious.
Thanksgiving: This year was the first year that Karen and I hosted Thanksgiving. Joining us for Thanksgiving were Karen's parents, Karen's grandmother, my parents, and my friends (Marc, Kelly, and Andrea). It was definitely a neat experience to cook a turkey. I had the pleasure of taking the innards out of the turkey. All in all, I think the day went very well. I think everyone enjoyed the turkey and the side dishes. I also made one of the side dishes (green beans), because Karen thought there should be at least one green dish. The only downside of the day was that I had a headache for most of the day. I hardly ever get headaches... or sick for that matter. I think, however, that stress may have been a contributing factor on Thanksgiving as I had such a headache with massive neck pain. And truth be told, I don't really stress that much... consciously anyway. I suppose subconsciously I do.
Black Friday: The day after Thanksgiving, Karen and I took our nine month old (Bridget) to get pictures done at Sears. Briana had pictures done when she was young. So in all fairness, and to avoid the neglected youngest child syndrome, we took Bridget for her pictures. Aside from that, the only real shopping that I did on Black Friday was to purchase an air compressor. I've been wanting one for quite some time now. I figured it was time to just bite the bullet and get one... with hopes of actually finishing some projects around the house. Of course, now I need the nail guns to go with the compressors. Baby steps.
6th Annual Black Friday Dinner: Black Friday would not be complete without dinner at our friends' (Cass and Ellen). This year, there were many attendees. In addition to Karen and I (and our kids), my friends (Adam, Aimee, Andrea, Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, Scott, and Ofelia) and my BFF (Kerry) came. There were definitely a lot of laughs that night. As usual, it was a great time hanging out with everyone. Plus, it was a good way to get rid of our leftovers from Thanksgiving.
Memorial Mass: On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we attended an anniversary mass for Karen's grandfather (her father's father). Surprisingly, Briana and Bridget were very good during the mass. If not being Catholic were bad enough, I may have gotten some stares from parishioners for not standing up during the appropriate times, which normally isn't too bad but I happened to be in the very front pew. The way I look at it, I wasn't about to get up and down numerous times with a two year old draped all over me. So I opted to just remain seated. I guess that's my original sin working.
Quincy Parade: On Sunday, I begrudgingly attended Quincy's holiday parade. And nothing says fun like trekking a two year old and a nine month old out to stand in the freezing cold during a parade. To me, it almost seems like cruel torture to have kids stand outside in cold weather for a couple of hours. But it's crazy what people do for "tradition". Surprisingly, Briana loved it. I'm going to have to work on that.
Cookie Swap: Following the Quincy parade, my friends (Jen and Bill) had everyone who attended the parade back to their place for a cookie swap. I must say, some of the cookies were very delicious. Granted, I only tried three cookies there: Karen's, Kerry's, and Jen's aunt's. Needless to say, it was good to see Jen and Bill. All in all, it was interesting seeing everyone there.
And lastly, that brings me to today, where I attended a factory tour: My coworkers and I went to our neighbors in Norwell at Zildjian for a little tour. I must say, the tour was great (free t-shirts aside). The history of the company is quite fascinating. Zildjian (which roughly translates to son [ian ]of a cymbal [zil] maker [dj]) had its roots in alchemy. As well, Zildjian has ties to Quincy because one of the sons, who had worked for a candy factory in Quincy, said that he would take over the family business if the company came to the US. As a result, the first Zildjian factory was in Quincy. I thought it really was a great tour to see how the cymbals are made. Plus, Travis Barker's drums are there. Yay Blink-182!
So that's pretty much the highlights of everything the past two weeks. Hopefully it won't take another two weeks for another post.
Anyway, I figured I'd chain myself to the laptop tonight to write something before it gets way too late. As it is, it's been about two weeks. So here is a recap of all the things I had sucked at for the past two weeks:
Wreck-It Ralph: Awesome movie. My friends (Marc and Kelley) organized a movie night to go see Wreck-It Ralph in the theaters in Randolph. My BFF (Kerry) and my friend (Andrea) also attended. I absolutely loved the movie.
UFC 154: That same night, Marc and Kelley invited us back to their place to watch the UFC pay per view. The pay per view featured the return of Georges St-Pierre (also known as GSP). The main event definitely did not disappoint. It was a great match between GSP and Carlos Condit. Of course, my measuring stick for matches correlates to the amount of blood spilled... and there was plenty of it. Blood aside, it really was a great match between the two. (For anyone curious, GSP won.)
Pre-Thanksgiving dinner: On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, my parents invited us to their place for a "pre-Thanksgiving dinner". In addition to Karen's parents, my cousin (Betty) and her son (Marvin) attended. It was good seeing Betty and Marvin. I still can't believe Marvin is a Junior in high school. I remember when he was a newborn baby, Karen and I took him and Betty to the airport. At the time, they were leaving for Hong Kong with hopes of returning in several years. They did return several years later, but it seems like yesterday that I recall going up the escalator with Betty and Marvin. As a side note, the food at my parents was delicious.
Thanksgiving: This year was the first year that Karen and I hosted Thanksgiving. Joining us for Thanksgiving were Karen's parents, Karen's grandmother, my parents, and my friends (Marc, Kelly, and Andrea). It was definitely a neat experience to cook a turkey. I had the pleasure of taking the innards out of the turkey. All in all, I think the day went very well. I think everyone enjoyed the turkey and the side dishes. I also made one of the side dishes (green beans), because Karen thought there should be at least one green dish. The only downside of the day was that I had a headache for most of the day. I hardly ever get headaches... or sick for that matter. I think, however, that stress may have been a contributing factor on Thanksgiving as I had such a headache with massive neck pain. And truth be told, I don't really stress that much... consciously anyway. I suppose subconsciously I do.
Black Friday: The day after Thanksgiving, Karen and I took our nine month old (Bridget) to get pictures done at Sears. Briana had pictures done when she was young. So in all fairness, and to avoid the neglected youngest child syndrome, we took Bridget for her pictures. Aside from that, the only real shopping that I did on Black Friday was to purchase an air compressor. I've been wanting one for quite some time now. I figured it was time to just bite the bullet and get one... with hopes of actually finishing some projects around the house. Of course, now I need the nail guns to go with the compressors. Baby steps.
6th Annual Black Friday Dinner: Black Friday would not be complete without dinner at our friends' (Cass and Ellen). This year, there were many attendees. In addition to Karen and I (and our kids), my friends (Adam, Aimee, Andrea, Marc, Kelley, Garv, Leeann, Scott, and Ofelia) and my BFF (Kerry) came. There were definitely a lot of laughs that night. As usual, it was a great time hanging out with everyone. Plus, it was a good way to get rid of our leftovers from Thanksgiving.
Memorial Mass: On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we attended an anniversary mass for Karen's grandfather (her father's father). Surprisingly, Briana and Bridget were very good during the mass. If not being Catholic were bad enough, I may have gotten some stares from parishioners for not standing up during the appropriate times, which normally isn't too bad but I happened to be in the very front pew. The way I look at it, I wasn't about to get up and down numerous times with a two year old draped all over me. So I opted to just remain seated. I guess that's my original sin working.
Quincy Parade: On Sunday, I begrudgingly attended Quincy's holiday parade. And nothing says fun like trekking a two year old and a nine month old out to stand in the freezing cold during a parade. To me, it almost seems like cruel torture to have kids stand outside in cold weather for a couple of hours. But it's crazy what people do for "tradition". Surprisingly, Briana loved it. I'm going to have to work on that.
Cookie Swap: Following the Quincy parade, my friends (Jen and Bill) had everyone who attended the parade back to their place for a cookie swap. I must say, some of the cookies were very delicious. Granted, I only tried three cookies there: Karen's, Kerry's, and Jen's aunt's. Needless to say, it was good to see Jen and Bill. All in all, it was interesting seeing everyone there.
And lastly, that brings me to today, where I attended a factory tour: My coworkers and I went to our neighbors in Norwell at Zildjian for a little tour. I must say, the tour was great (free t-shirts aside). The history of the company is quite fascinating. Zildjian (which roughly translates to son [ian ]of a cymbal [zil] maker [dj]) had its roots in alchemy. As well, Zildjian has ties to Quincy because one of the sons, who had worked for a candy factory in Quincy, said that he would take over the family business if the company came to the US. As a result, the first Zildjian factory was in Quincy. I thought it really was a great tour to see how the cymbals are made. Plus, Travis Barker's drums are there. Yay Blink-182!
So that's pretty much the highlights of everything the past two weeks. Hopefully it won't take another two weeks for another post.
Friday, November 9, 2012
I Suck At Remembering Things
With both of our daughters (Briana and Bridget) under the weather, Karen invited our friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) and my BFF (Kerry) over for our weekly get together. Unfortunately (or fortunately), we didn't have anything planned for the night in terms of television viewing. So it turned out to be more of a hanging out night than anything else.
One of the topics of conversation that came up was the hypothetical list of actors/actresses that we have crushes on. One of the more surprising entries was fellow new kid, Donnie Wahlberg, for Andrea. The entire topic came about as a ruse of sorts, as Karen wanted to figure out Kelley's list for a possible joke gift.
Another topic of discussion that came about was Thanksgiving. One of the drawbacks of being known for having a selective memory is that people, friends included, automatically think I can't remember things. I guess you can say that people think I suck at remembering things.
Apparently, the subject that I was supposed to have remembered was that Andrea is planning to have people over her place on Thanksgiving night. From everyone's account, this topic has been discussed numerous times before tonight. Funny thing is... I don't believe it was. Naturally, people chalk it up to my memory which can be very frustrating at times.
While I do not dispute that I do not have the best memory, I think the more likely scenario is that I was too busy taking care of my children when the topic came about. So while I may be in the vicinity, I'm not actually a part of things. It's a very frustrating feeling at times.
At first, I thought it was just my memory. But then I started thinking about my friends (Cass and Ellen) and about a discussion I had with Cass about how usually one or the other parent is busy taking care of the children when we are in groups. It was good to know that other parents were experiencing a similar issue.
Needless to say, it was an interesting night. Making it more interesting was that we ended up watching part of a show called Moonshiners and a little of the Goonies movie.
One of the topics of conversation that came up was the hypothetical list of actors/actresses that we have crushes on. One of the more surprising entries was fellow new kid, Donnie Wahlberg, for Andrea. The entire topic came about as a ruse of sorts, as Karen wanted to figure out Kelley's list for a possible joke gift.
Another topic of discussion that came about was Thanksgiving. One of the drawbacks of being known for having a selective memory is that people, friends included, automatically think I can't remember things. I guess you can say that people think I suck at remembering things.
Apparently, the subject that I was supposed to have remembered was that Andrea is planning to have people over her place on Thanksgiving night. From everyone's account, this topic has been discussed numerous times before tonight. Funny thing is... I don't believe it was. Naturally, people chalk it up to my memory which can be very frustrating at times.
While I do not dispute that I do not have the best memory, I think the more likely scenario is that I was too busy taking care of my children when the topic came about. So while I may be in the vicinity, I'm not actually a part of things. It's a very frustrating feeling at times.
At first, I thought it was just my memory. But then I started thinking about my friends (Cass and Ellen) and about a discussion I had with Cass about how usually one or the other parent is busy taking care of the children when we are in groups. It was good to know that other parents were experiencing a similar issue.
Needless to say, it was an interesting night. Making it more interesting was that we ended up watching part of a show called Moonshiners and a little of the Goonies movie.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
I Suck At Halloween Parties
On Saturday night, my friends (Marc and Kelley) invited Karen and I to their Halloween party. Too bad I suck at Halloween parties.
It's not that I dislike Halloween. I've just never really been into celebrating Halloween or getting dressed up. The last time that I can remember actually celebrating Halloween is when I was in fifth grade. For me, it was memorable because I got to have a shaving cream fight with one of my classmates while trick-or-treating. Good times. Good times.
Being a parent now, however, I feel obligated to enjoy Halloween a lot more by dressing up in costume. So like I told Karen, come midnight on Halloween I'm going to start planning ahead for a costume for the next Halloween. Hopefully, I can remember that.
Regardless, Marc and Kelley's Halloween party was fun. Joining in on the fun were my friends (Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, Andrea, Steve and Samantha) and my BFF (Kerry). There were definitely some great costumes. Marc and Kelley actually awarded prizes for the top three costumes. For anyone curious, third place went to Steve for his Captain Hammer costume, second place went to Cass for his Psy "Gangnam Style" costume, and the grand prize went to Marc for his Magnum P.I. costume.
As usual, it was good to hang out with everyone and have some good laughs. Among some of the more memorable topics of discussion were Rachel, Friday Night Lights, Thanksgiving, and Taylor Swift
The whole Rachel thing wasn't really much of a discussion. Marc's sister (De) thought Andrea looked like a Rachel. She previously thought Steve looked like he should be named something else as well. Regardless, I have been contemplating calling Andrea Rachel now.
As for Friday Night Lights, that topic came about because I jokingly said that my backup costume idea was Jason Street from Friday Night Light. Little did I know, that would lead to other people volunteering to be other characters from the show. Surprisingly, no one offered to be Tyra Collette. (Blonde... shiny... yay!)
And along the whole dress up theme, the discussion of Thanksgiving this year came up. I thought it would be fun to have everyone dress up as either a Pilgrim or a Native American. I thought it would be cute to see my daughters dressed up for yet another holiday. We'll see how that goes. Andrea/Rachel has already offered to dress up as influenza.
Lastly, the topic of Taylor Swift came up. How could Taylor Swift not come up when her number one fan over the age of 40, also known as Garv, was present?
All in all, it was fun party. It was good to see everyone and have a few laughs.
It's not that I dislike Halloween. I've just never really been into celebrating Halloween or getting dressed up. The last time that I can remember actually celebrating Halloween is when I was in fifth grade. For me, it was memorable because I got to have a shaving cream fight with one of my classmates while trick-or-treating. Good times. Good times.
Being a parent now, however, I feel obligated to enjoy Halloween a lot more by dressing up in costume. So like I told Karen, come midnight on Halloween I'm going to start planning ahead for a costume for the next Halloween. Hopefully, I can remember that.
Regardless, Marc and Kelley's Halloween party was fun. Joining in on the fun were my friends (Cass, Ellen, Garv, Leeann, Andrea, Steve and Samantha) and my BFF (Kerry). There were definitely some great costumes. Marc and Kelley actually awarded prizes for the top three costumes. For anyone curious, third place went to Steve for his Captain Hammer costume, second place went to Cass for his Psy "Gangnam Style" costume, and the grand prize went to Marc for his Magnum P.I. costume.
As usual, it was good to hang out with everyone and have some good laughs. Among some of the more memorable topics of discussion were Rachel, Friday Night Lights, Thanksgiving, and Taylor Swift
The whole Rachel thing wasn't really much of a discussion. Marc's sister (De) thought Andrea looked like a Rachel. She previously thought Steve looked like he should be named something else as well. Regardless, I have been contemplating calling Andrea Rachel now.
As for Friday Night Lights, that topic came about because I jokingly said that my backup costume idea was Jason Street from Friday Night Light. Little did I know, that would lead to other people volunteering to be other characters from the show. Surprisingly, no one offered to be Tyra Collette. (Blonde... shiny... yay!)
And along the whole dress up theme, the discussion of Thanksgiving this year came up. I thought it would be fun to have everyone dress up as either a Pilgrim or a Native American. I thought it would be cute to see my daughters dressed up for yet another holiday. We'll see how that goes. Andrea/Rachel has already offered to dress up as influenza.
Lastly, the topic of Taylor Swift came up. How could Taylor Swift not come up when her number one fan over the age of 40, also known as Garv, was present?
All in all, it was fun party. It was good to see everyone and have a few laughs.
Friday, October 12, 2012
I Suck At Flu Shots
I've been slacking off of late. I haven't written a post in quite some time, mostly because I have been lacking the time to do so. But today, I just had to make time for a post because something comical happened to me today.
Before I write about today, however, I'll quickly recap all of the things that I had missed since my last post.
Wednesday: (at least I think it was Wednesday) Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my seven month old daughter (Bridget) and I went to Wild Willy's Burger located in Quincy. My friend (Marc) apparently had been craving Wild Willy's. So he, my friends (Kelley, Andrea, and Sam), and my BFF (Kerry) went to satisfy his cravings. As usual, the food there was very delicious. I had the "all natural" burger, which was a burger made from cows fed a vegetarian diet. It was quite delicious! Probably the most memorable part of the night was my attempt to give Bridget a strawberry allergy by giving her a taste of my strawberry shake. For anyone curious, she was fine... no allergy... yet. Aside from that, the only thing I really remember from that night was heading back to Marc and Kelley's afterward and possibly scaring Andrea by mentioning she may have a ghost in her basement... her dark basement... which wouldn't be scary otherwise were it not for the fact that she could possibly be alone in the dark basement with the ghost. (Yes, I'm a jerk... but it's almost Halloween.)
Saturday: My friends (Garv and Leeann) decided to have a whiskey/fire pit night. The original idea came about as Andrea really wanted Garv to host a night to show off the fire pit. Interestingly enough, Andrea could not attend the shin dig that she was instrumental in cajoling. Attending the party were my friends (Cass and Ellen), Marc, Kelley, and Kerry. As usual, it was a fun time, if you throw out the part of where I got lost driving to Garv and Leeann's. I knew I should have taken that left turn at Albuquergue. Oops. Regardless, it was a fun time even if most of my time was spent with the ever active Briana.
Sunday: Completing my Marc and Kerry weekend was breakfast at Stars on Hingham Harbor in... Hingham. As usual, the food there was delicious. Truth be told, I was not even sure if I were supposed to go to breakfast that Sunday. Originally, Karen told me that her, Kerry and my friend (Jen) were meeting there for breakfast. Thus, I wasn't sure if it were a girls' thing or not. Luckily for me, Marc was also invited (on Saturday night). So I figured it was an open invite. Needless to say, the food was delicious as usual, and it was good to hang out and see Jen.
Following breakfast, Karen, Briana, Bridget, and I went to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) to celebrate my nephew's (PJ) birthday. The theme for the party was sharks. It was an interesting party. I'll leave it at that. I've never been good at being fake around people, especially people who I may have grudges against. I usually don't hold grudges, but sometimes I just can't let it go when it relates to my son (Braden) who passed away. Luckily for me, I don't have to see them all that often.
Yesterday: Last night, Marc and Kelley had us over for our usual weekly get together. Joining in on the fun were Andrea and Kerry. We basically just hung out and had some laughs. One of the topics of conversation that came up was my stellar fashion sense. For those who don't know, I will wear something until it literally falls apart. I've never been big into clothes as evident from my t-shirt/shorts attire. The topic came about because I was wearing a t-shirt that is older than most teenagers. Eventually, that led to my regimen of wearing certain dress clothes on certain days... which only has been restarted since my current employer has a business casual dress code. It should be noted that I dislike dress codes. After all, I'm a t-shirt and shorts type of guy.
Anyway, all of that has led to today where my daughters had to get a flu shot. Too bad I suck at flu shots. In fact, I suck so badly that I have never had a flu shot as an adult. Yes, I put a hefty price on my antibodies.
Needless to say, Bridget was not a fan at all of the shot as she immediately started crying. Briana, on the hand, was one tough cookie. The needle didn't faze her at all. So in celebration of flu shots (Yay flu shots), we went out to Bertucci's in Hingham for dinner.
And it was not until I went to the bathroom at Bertucci's did I realize... I had a big gaping tear in my dress pants. The tear was from the inseam across one of the butt cheeks. I have no idea how long the tear was there. The pants were fine this morning. The pants were fine when I got home. Either the tear happened at the doctors' office or at Bertucci's. Either way, I'm sure someone got a nice look at my styling boxers. Good thing I wasn't going commando.
Anyway, I got a good chuckle when I got home to see just how big the gaping hole was. I guess now I can introduce a new pair of pants into my stylish wardrobe routine for work.
Before I write about today, however, I'll quickly recap all of the things that I had missed since my last post.
Wednesday: (at least I think it was Wednesday) Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my seven month old daughter (Bridget) and I went to Wild Willy's Burger located in Quincy. My friend (Marc) apparently had been craving Wild Willy's. So he, my friends (Kelley, Andrea, and Sam), and my BFF (Kerry) went to satisfy his cravings. As usual, the food there was very delicious. I had the "all natural" burger, which was a burger made from cows fed a vegetarian diet. It was quite delicious! Probably the most memorable part of the night was my attempt to give Bridget a strawberry allergy by giving her a taste of my strawberry shake. For anyone curious, she was fine... no allergy... yet. Aside from that, the only thing I really remember from that night was heading back to Marc and Kelley's afterward and possibly scaring Andrea by mentioning she may have a ghost in her basement... her dark basement... which wouldn't be scary otherwise were it not for the fact that she could possibly be alone in the dark basement with the ghost. (Yes, I'm a jerk... but it's almost Halloween.)
Saturday: My friends (Garv and Leeann) decided to have a whiskey/fire pit night. The original idea came about as Andrea really wanted Garv to host a night to show off the fire pit. Interestingly enough, Andrea could not attend the shin dig that she was instrumental in cajoling. Attending the party were my friends (Cass and Ellen), Marc, Kelley, and Kerry. As usual, it was a fun time, if you throw out the part of where I got lost driving to Garv and Leeann's. I knew I should have taken that left turn at Albuquergue. Oops. Regardless, it was a fun time even if most of my time was spent with the ever active Briana.
Sunday: Completing my Marc and Kerry weekend was breakfast at Stars on Hingham Harbor in... Hingham. As usual, the food there was delicious. Truth be told, I was not even sure if I were supposed to go to breakfast that Sunday. Originally, Karen told me that her, Kerry and my friend (Jen) were meeting there for breakfast. Thus, I wasn't sure if it were a girls' thing or not. Luckily for me, Marc was also invited (on Saturday night). So I figured it was an open invite. Needless to say, the food was delicious as usual, and it was good to hang out and see Jen.
Following breakfast, Karen, Briana, Bridget, and I went to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) to celebrate my nephew's (PJ) birthday. The theme for the party was sharks. It was an interesting party. I'll leave it at that. I've never been good at being fake around people, especially people who I may have grudges against. I usually don't hold grudges, but sometimes I just can't let it go when it relates to my son (Braden) who passed away. Luckily for me, I don't have to see them all that often.
Yesterday: Last night, Marc and Kelley had us over for our usual weekly get together. Joining in on the fun were Andrea and Kerry. We basically just hung out and had some laughs. One of the topics of conversation that came up was my stellar fashion sense. For those who don't know, I will wear something until it literally falls apart. I've never been big into clothes as evident from my t-shirt/shorts attire. The topic came about because I was wearing a t-shirt that is older than most teenagers. Eventually, that led to my regimen of wearing certain dress clothes on certain days... which only has been restarted since my current employer has a business casual dress code. It should be noted that I dislike dress codes. After all, I'm a t-shirt and shorts type of guy.
Anyway, all of that has led to today where my daughters had to get a flu shot. Too bad I suck at flu shots. In fact, I suck so badly that I have never had a flu shot as an adult. Yes, I put a hefty price on my antibodies.
Needless to say, Bridget was not a fan at all of the shot as she immediately started crying. Briana, on the hand, was one tough cookie. The needle didn't faze her at all. So in celebration of flu shots (Yay flu shots), we went out to Bertucci's in Hingham for dinner.
And it was not until I went to the bathroom at Bertucci's did I realize... I had a big gaping tear in my dress pants. The tear was from the inseam across one of the butt cheeks. I have no idea how long the tear was there. The pants were fine this morning. The pants were fine when I got home. Either the tear happened at the doctors' office or at Bertucci's. Either way, I'm sure someone got a nice look at my styling boxers. Good thing I wasn't going commando.
Anyway, I got a good chuckle when I got home to see just how big the gaping hole was. I guess now I can introduce a new pair of pants into my stylish wardrobe routine for work.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
I Suck At Wakes
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.
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.
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 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.
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